Hot on the trail of BMW and KTM is Yamaha, with the introduction of the new Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission (Y-AMT), which is set to debut on the MT-07 and the R7. The new AMT system eliminates the clutch lever and the gear shifter completely, instead using electronic trickery for the job. Here are three things to know about the new Y-AMT system.
At your fingertips
Yamaha, similar to Honda’s DCT system, has eliminated the clutch lever and the gear shifter completely. Instead, Yamaha uses two electromechanical actuators, one for the clutch and one for the shifter. The actual functions are mounted on the bar, while the right-hand side gets controls to shift between transmission modes and the left-hand side gets the gear up and down function.
Transmission modes
The new Y-AMT system features three modes. The first is a manual mode that allows the rider to go up and down the gearbox using the buttons on the left-hand side switch gear. The second is the ‘D’ mode, which allows for relaxed riding, more like twist and go. The third function is ‘D+’ which allows for spirited riding while still in automatic mode. It holds the gears for longer and downshifts quicker to keep the motorcycle at a higher RPM.
Which motorcycles will get the Y-AMT system?
While Yamaha has not revealed which models will get the Y-AMT system yet, previous patent images revealed the new gearbox system on the MT-07 and YZF-R7 models, which will soon see a refresh. Yamaha says that the gearbox will be offered on sports bikes, touring bikes, and commuters. That said, the gearbox could also debut on the Tenere 700, similar to how Honda offers it on the Africa Twin.
