Cycle World's Top 3 Automatic Motorcycles

Honda rules the clutchless segment with DCT-equipped bikes in nearly every category, including the iconic Gold Wing tourer.

It’s often said that one of the biggest barriers to motorcycling is learning the complexity of shifting gears. Fortunately for new riders—or those with physical limitations—the last few years have seen a growing segment of bikes that don’t require any shifting or clutch operation by the rider.

We’ve seen semi-auto clutches with electronic shifting and CVT transmissions with full-auto shifts before, but today, it’s all (or mostly) DCT. Most prevalent on Honda’s offerings, the DCT (dual-clutch transmission) system is a quick-shifting variant of automatic transmissions—it still uses clutches, but ditches the clutch lever—as the bike’s onboard computer does the shifting for you (though you can usually manually override the computer shift). We diehards can scoff all we want, but the net result is a smoother shift, more stable launches, and better fuel economy.

We’ll also mention that nearly all electric motorcycles employ a single-speed arrangement or gearset so they can’t technically be called automatic if there’s only one gear. But they do use clutchless arrangements—you just twist the throttle and go—so we include several here simply because they do away with the shifting process. Although called “automatic motorcycles,” the bikes below have either dual-clutch transmissions with automatic modes or one-gear transmissions. Our list of clutch-free bikes is arranged by category to underscore just how wide a variety of bike styles there is to choose from.

Week-long journeys can be even easier without a clutch.

Luxury Touring: Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT
In addition to getting a larger trunk and new audio, the 2021 Gold Wing received a host of other updates to further cement its rep as a top-line touring rig (there’s a reason it makes our Ten Best list almost every year). It’s fully outfitted with creature comforts for the long haul and retains the seven-speed DCT that came as an option on the 2019 models, and that’s available on all three of the Gold Wing models for 2021, from the base Wing to the dressed-up Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT. Big Red touts “consistent seamless gear changes’' from the now-familiar system (Honda’s now had it on its bikes for more than 10 years), which deploys two clutches—one for start-up and first, third, and fifth gears, the other for second, fourth, and sixth. Otherwise it’s the buttery-smooth 1,833c horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine that’s the star attraction, doling out 98 hp (as tested on our dyno) at the rear wheel while housed in an aluminum twin-spar frame with double-wishbone front suspension. The DCT has preset Sport, Econ, Rain, and Tour modes to ease your journey, and when we last tested the beast, we raved about how exceptionally thorough the DCT was in its mapping and shift point selection. Is it any wonder that more than half of Gold Wing buyers pick the automatic option (according to an American Honda spokesperson)?

Now you can focus on your line instead of worrying about feathering the clutch.

Adventure: Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT
Want to focus your attention on line selection and throttle control instead of manipulating the clutch? Might be good to consider the DCT transmission option on Honda’s Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES model, which already comes dressed to the nines with all manner of premium electronic rider aids like traction and wheelie control thanks to a Bosch six-axis IMU. Opt for the DCT and you’ll benefit from unobtrusive gear changes with minimal disruption to rear-wheel drive, resulting in smoother shifts in unsteady off-road terrain. Your auto-shifts will still act on the Twin’s powerful 1,084cc parallel-twin engine, and you can swap between three modes; Manual for when you want to shift (with the handlebar triggers), Automatic Drive mode for longer hauls, or Automatic Sport when you want to wick it up in the canyons. The automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) also comes as an option on the base-model Africa Twin as well as the up-spec Africa Twin Adventure Sports, which has a larger gas tank and the upgraded electronic suspension. The Africa Twin DCT retails for $15,199, while the more premium Adventure Sports ES DCT rings in just south of $18K.

A fresh take on the cruiser segment, with the benefit of a clutchless DCT gearbox.

Cruiser: Honda Rebel 1100 DCT
A clutchless cruiser? Yep, and our first ride on the new Rebel 1100, had us pleasantly surprised at how much user-friendly tech (and power) from the Africa Twin’s Unicam engine ended up bleeding down to the streetbike. Power input, torque control (Honda’s traction control), engine-braking, and shift points are all programmable and with DCT, available modes are set for Rain, Sport, and Standard (User mode allows you to adjust these individually to suit). Of course a manual mode lets you shift via handlebar triggers. We’ve always been fans of the bike’s neutral handling, and even in this larger-engine application, the already lightweight Rebel feels well balanced and nimble. The Rebel 1100 is a compelling and notable entry to the often staid cruiser scene, and as a bonus, you can get a DCT-equipped model for less than $10K. We also can’t help but wonder if Honda may have missed the boat by not also offering a DCT option for the smaller 500 version; after all, a beginner bike with clutchless transmission would be a huge benefit to a new rider. That may all change, though, so we remain hopeful.

Browse our inventory of the highest quality Honda DCT bikes here