THE BRADLEY REPORT
THE BRADLEY REPORT
Automated Manual Transmission ( AMT )
By Ben Purvis
The race to automate clutch functions continues , with KTM the latest to join the revolution . The company ' s answer to HONDA ' s ' DCT ', the BMW ' ASA ' and Yamaha ' s ' Y-AMT ' is simply called Automated Manual Transmission ( AMT ) - which will first be seen on the 1390 Super Adventure S Evo . KTM uses just one electromechanical servo to turn the shift drum they combine it with a purely mechanical centrifugal clutch that disengages when the bike comes to a halt , automatically re-engaging when the throttle opens - using the same tech that ' s been around for decades on scooters . It ' s a set-up that should be lighter and less costly than its rivals ' designs . On the move , KTM uses the same tech already implemented on quickshifters to cut ignition during upshifts and blip the throttle on downshifts , timing it with the servo-operated movement of the shift drum to make for gearchanges that take only 50 milliseconds . The design has also required a rethink of the transmission because the centrifugal clutch defaults to a disengaged state , the opposite of a conventional clutch , and that means it ' s impossible to leave the bike parked in gear . That would cause a problem when parking on slopes , so KTM has introduced a ' Park ' setting to the gearbox that engages a locking pawl to stop the gearbox from being able to turn . Like others , the KTM system allows multiple modes . It can change gears completely automatically , with three options for shift points and aggression - Comfort , Street or Sport . In these modes it will automatically kickdown if you open the throttle fast , and a kickdown can also be prompted by rapidly closing the throttle , then opening it again . There are also manual controls via paddles on the left bar - these will always work , even in fully auto mode , if you want to override the bike ' s gear choice - and an additional foot control that mimics a conventional shifter if you prefer a more traditional feel . Because it ' s all electronic , you can even switch the foot shifter to a racestyle , upside-down shift pattern simply by altering your preferences on the dashboard . The system also means KTM hasn ' t felt the need to stick to the conventional one-down , five-up shift pattern . That design is intended to make sure you can change down to first without accidentally ending up in neutral - something that isn ' t an issue with an electronically controlled gearbox .
Instead , the KTM box uses a pattern of P-N-1-2-3-4-5-6 , with park and neutral only selectable when the bike is stationary . The AMT transmission opens up new opportunities when combined with the Bosch radar-guided cruise control that ' s already optional on some KTMs . While the original generation of that system , when active , could keep pace with traffic ahead automatically at speed , when paired with the automatic transmission , it allows the radar to control the bike ' s speed all the way to a complete standstill . Initially , the system is being applied to KTM ' s large LC8 V-twin engines in ' 1390 ' form , and it ' s expected to be offered on several models in the coming months .
18 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024 www . idnmag . com