Will the next version of the Suzuki Hayabusa have a clutchless semi-automatic transmission? Patent documents hint that might indeed be the case.
Several moto-sites (we spotted it first on Asphalt & Rubber) have reported there’s a set of patent drawings circulating which show a Suzuki Hayabusa with a foot-actuated gearshift assembly, but no manual clutch.
Currently, Honda pretty much owns the market when it comes to bikes with clutchless shifting, thanks to its DCT transmission, which is an automatic but allows clutchless manual shifting via paddle-type buttons.
There is no guarantee we’ll see this actually come to market for Suzuki. Of the Big Four, Suzuki is currently the king of vapourware, having teased a turbocharged bike for several years now, with no production version yet. But speaking of turbocharging—that’s the other hot rumour about the new ‘Busa. For a while now, the inside gossip has been saying we’ll see a turbocharged Hayabusa, aimed at going head-to-head with the Kawasaki H2R and its variants. That’s all talk for now, though.
My salute to John Comber who mentions a “manual clutch!!!” I’ve seen hundreds of used-bike ads that state a bike up for sale has a “manual shift”, when in fact it is probably a foot shift. Unless someone has arms as long as King Kong’s and can reach down to the shift lever. 🙂 🙂 .
Just what the world needs .a way to make one of the fastest bikes on the planet drivable by some idiot who can’t figure out a manual clutch
Jp