Whatever that review means (of course I did understand what you explained), I simply like the shots of Chris riding the motorcycle in his style on various terrains full of slush, ruts, those maneuvers/slides/wheelies, what not. I mean the presentation of control and fun on every bike he rides is worth seeing irrespective of me being interested in that particular motorcycle. Chris your videos are more than reviews and they are full of thrill, excitement, control abilities and much more. Cheers!
Great review, I'm a clutch less convert. Been riding since I was 7 years old, after a long stint around Thailand on a clutch less Honda I was sold. And I like the looks, so I'll be stumping for a GSA ASA in Spring 25. And no I wont be using it to green trail Ill buy a trail bike for that! It's a mile muncher end of.
I love how BMW complicated and missed compared to the Honda DCT. Africa Twin DCT owners have heard from others (over 8 years now) about some reason or another why they have some personal beef with an auto. Now it seems BMW wants the influencers to show how great the option is, I can’t help but laugh and I’m not laughing at Chris or this video, just the greater scope of it all. Yes, it’s a personal choice to go auto however, the Honda DCT doesn’t have any of these hill start issues or stalling problems when trying to get going. Having owned a GS and dealt with BMW’s in the past, I have big questions on how these bikes and systems will hold up over time and the reliability. Don’t worry GS loyalist, KTM and Yamaha are coming up right behind you. In the mean time DCT owners are saying……welcome to the party pal!😂
Thank you, Chris! There are still people out there (even so called journalists) saying that this BMW system is better than DCT. 😂😂😂 DCT never stalls. You gotta be kidding me.
This is by far the best test I have seen of the ASA GS so far. Honest and objective! Cut to the chase in les than 9 minutes. Been waiting for Chris to test this bike (with ASA) since it was introduced. Maybe Chris could test it on a track day?! Please!
How many GS riders are going to tackle the stuff Chris takes on? If you buy an automatic GS you may bump up a kerb or two on the way to the coffee shop and back.
I want to think that I look like Chris, when I am out on green lanes and gravel roads, but of course I don´t XD. I do have the manual version though. And whether you believe it or not, not a single stop at Starbucks or something similar after 13k km🤪. With the exception of small cafes in Italy, since they are everywhere and at least open during lunch time, unlike most restaurants.
You would be surprised. Most GS riders don't go offroad often, that's true, but if you do touring you will **eventually** have to do some light/medium offroad. And every single GS rider that I know came back from touring with a dirty GS. Unless you live in Europe or USA, the asphalt don't go very much further from the city.
People complaining about the lack of a clutch, this is not for you. Thank BMW for keeping this as an option and also leaving the shifter lever intact than take it away. I have used the clutch all my life. I have nothing more to prove to anyone about my riding. Will continue to use my GSA for another 3-4yrs and will be ready to “drop” the clutch on my next upgrade. Hopefully BMW will refine this system remove any issues.
I've ridden the DCT, and the E-Clutch and will ride the Yamaha automated manual. Nothing BMW makes appeals to me, so I'll give all that stuff a swerve. So far, I will stick with the proper manual thank you very much. I don't even really like a quickshifter.
Great review Chris not sold on the no clutch lever especially with a monster bike like that anyone who does extreme adventure riding needs that connection with the bike it’s almost part of your dna to feel what the bike needs to get you through that bit of tuff terrain and let’s face it how many folk are going to buy that bike to do that sort of off roading hurry up a review the 2025 Yamaha tenere rally your the only guy who gives an honest opinion on how a bike performs
Chris, thanks for your honesty in this test, and being willing to have a machine change your mind if it can do what you want. Your test was brilliant and I always enjoy seeing you ride (anything with 2 wheels!). I think your conclusions are ‘sound’! I am NOT a highly skilled rider, and I’m coming at this from the other end of the spectrum… I have a Honda Innova, 125cc auto clutch 4 speed gearbox. I’ve modified it (it was a written-off pizza delivery bike) to be my idea of a LDT step-through. I can see the advantages of the auto-clutch, but I’m desperate to get rid of it. I just need a cheap and easy way to convert it to manual clutch. The easy way is buy the stuff from Malaysia and screw it on, but that’s about £100 - I’d rather make something instead. Maybe! Always like to hear your judgements on any bike, thanks for great videos. Les
I love your puristic approach to motorcycles. If the tech doesn't make riding more fun, whats the point? Part of my soul leaves my body every time a brand says "new and updated tft"... plonking a screen on a motorcycle is such a lazy meaningless update
The TFT point I can understand to a certain extent, but I can think of many reasons besides fun why technology is a good addition to a bike. In the end it depends heavily on your style of riding and interests, though. So I am happy about a lot of these additions. But I understand the other side as well.
As a dirt bike rider I cant imagine having no clutch or having the control a clutch brings for sticky situations. But then I have to remind myself that this is a GS not an Enduro bike
You might as well take these type of trails on an e-bike and at least the e-bike wont stall out, yes it's all about control and I don't want that taken away from me on two wheels either mate. Awesome video Chris on the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS ASA!
Not that I would buy an automatic bike, but a cool video idea might be for Chris to test and compare all the automatic options offroad, like Honda's DCT, BMW's ASA, KTM's AMT and maybe even a bike with a Rekluse clutch
People like to hate and trash things out, with out even trying. KTM is bringing a similar system to the 1390. It’s a existing market slice, with people with a lot of money. True to be told, very few people with a lot of money have the ability or the inclination to put these kinds of bigtrails on real trails. For the most part, and regular use, it will be a good product. For more intense riding, there are far more interesting models. The GS does not pretend to be that, people just miss interpret the product. Great and honest review! 🕊️🇧🇷
I had a Honda Africa Twin w/ the DCT...that worked well, now that others are doing this, it's big news...it's not. It works, works well, never stalled even on steep inclines (unlike the BMW)
Roger that, Chris. To each their own, etc. However, keep in mind, all "auto" boxes on bikes are NOT the same. And that, for example, Honda's DCT FINALLY works like it should after 14 years of development!
ASA was introduced over 20 years ago in BMW M Models (cars). Back then it was called SMG (sequential m gearbox) which is a manual transmission operated electro-hydraulically (and electronically) through paddle shifters. I hope there are less problems with ASA.
I ride adventure bike because of primarily the hand-clutching operation, it looks cool to me because not many people can ride clutch-operated gear, also it makes the bike connect with my brain it’s like a bond between human and machine. Because when the bike has problems you can never sleep well until you figure it out and fix it. I would go completely luxurious with Honda X-Adv adventure scooter with mud, and debris protection if I want automatic gear
Chris, you brought it in the spot! Even when my personal riding capability is many miles away from your skills, every single motion of controlling the motorcycle is part of our enjoyment. Therefore no additional automatic features are disireable. And your enthusiastic way of showing this is always worth watching!
I hear you about the control. Too bad we can't have both. Seems like they tried, so maybe it's something they need to improve about the way the manual mode works. There should be one enduro mode where it doesn't try to help, just gives you total control, no intervention.
Radical and yet obvious idea- can we not have a clutch lever with clutch-by-wire? I mean somewhere in the ECU it's controlling a servo to operate the clutch. So for the sake of a few parts and a potentiometer, why not have a lever and the best of both worlds?
I want to hear your opinion after riding in heavy stop-and-go traffic. Hear me out. I made a lot of those arguments about automatics in big trucks and performance cars. The boss made a deal when the company bought my big truck, they got a discount for signing up for the advanced real-world testing on the Alison automatic for heavy trucks. I did a lot of head shaking until I put about a thousand or so miles on it and realized that it made my life a lot easier in so many ways that the few times it had a disadvantage, completely avoidable situations, they didn't matter. My prediction is that the DCT trend for riders choosing ASA or any other form will continue as it has been. The buyers are aging out of the motorcycles or have a disability like arthritis or missing a hand, the option will keep them riding for years after they would have given up. New riders will choose it because it takes away a lot of the fear of getting on a motorcycle. Experienced riders will buy them because the novelty and obsession of having a clutch have worn thin. That said, I believe there is still a place for that lever on the left side of the handlebars, it won't go away any time in the next two decades. The automatic shifting systems have a lot of development room to completely replace them. To be clear, I'm a very advanced ADV rider. I do things with my R1250 everyone swears an ADV can't do every time I take it out of the garage. Clutching is intuitive at this point. I'm not the target audience for bikes with automatically controlled shifting. But, I will not make negative remarks against them because I see value in their existence for others.
Don’t all HD trucks come with AMTs nowadays? At least in Europe they do. You‘d have a hard time to find a semi with manual transmission. Maybe some construction site trucks. Automatic (the torque converter type) is pretty niche application for vocational trucks only. But for the driver it really doesn’t matter much whether it is automatic or AMT in the end, as he does not have to shift or clutch.
@ There are still new trucks with clutch peddles over here. AMTs are slowly gaining market share but we have a lot of drivers that prefer three peddles. 🤷♂️
This is the wrong vid for me, but I enjoyed it immensely. My off-road days ended 15 years ago, but I was interested in a knowledgeable riders opinion of the off-road capabilities of the ASA. I might wander down graded dirt or gravel roads, but that will be my limit on the ASA. Thanks for your views.
I’d love to see what you think of the Africa Twin DCT as a comparison. Honda have had many more years refining their auto gearbox than the other manufacturers that have jumped on the band wagon this year.
I have only rode scooters as a automatic bike and I think there are hoots of fun especially when you are on holiday. As for the car, auto I wouldn’t go back to a manual now, I still drive like I am driving a manual (left hand resting on gear shifter) habits 😁. So I think 99.9% of people would choose a auto bike just like myself, they are easier to live with and I have no intention of pulling wheelies or doing enduro riding on it when I get mine
One reason I ride big bike is because of the manual clutch operated transmission because it locks riders and the bike together. It’s like the soul of the bike that requires human to interact with. Honda brought their old DCT and some people are into it, it’s Honda invention. BMW just wants to join the market so that is why.
I can’t help thinking it shouldn’t be stalling at all. I had a DCT Africa Twin for a few years and it never stalled in similar situations. Hopefully something BMW can address with a software update. That said, I do also prefer a manual clutch - and it’s telling that Electric Motion has included a conventional clutch on its electric trials bikes for a few years now.
They are totally different transmissions, as Chris said, it stalls like a beginner off road rider would. The dct on at cannot stall by design. What bmw have done is to compete with the e-clutch Honda built, which is still better as it offers a manual clutch to override any bad automation situation of the thing. The DCT still is the only proper automatic on the market.
@@cheetor18 you have no idea what you're talking. The only difference is that the DTC have two clutch packs, they're still controlled electrically by the bike.
Nothing to compare here. DCT is better. BMW just has an electronically operated clutch, veeery similar system to an every crappy automated single clutch gearboxes cars had back in 2000s. You can also google how awful an "automatic" GS does kick-down when you open the throttle.
@@vvevvevvvv Watched a couple of videos, seems that the auto box needs a generation or two before it's as good as Honda's. Have to start somewhere I guess
@@zaferabdulrahman6988 I highly doubt that BMW can make electronically actuated single clutch gearbox as good as a DCT. As I've said, it was the same case in car world 20 years ago. Everyone still hates BMW's e46 M3 and e60 M5 for having SMG gearboxes. After that BMW used a proper dual-clutch or automatic gearboxes and no one complains. I know that DCT is a heavier transmission, but at least it smooth and it does what you are asking from it.
Hey Chris, thanks for the video. Would be great if you could compare a AT DCT to this in the same situations. I've ridden at Walters many times and with you. And I'd love to know if a DCT could deal with that. Why? Because I'm thinking of a AT DCT for commuting and touring and something more relaxing whilst still keeping my 1200GS but having something a bit different. Not a fan of the new 1300GS so I don't want it. But wondering if when I attempt the stuff you did and as I have on a 1200GS what would happen...Especially on steep, rocky, muddy hills like the one you showed. I've seen a guy burn out a clutch on a 1200GS in Portugal in a few mins stuck on such a hill. Would that guy have been able to get up there with DCT I wonder...
Great video obviously if your up for riding in tricky locations, it's not for those riders, if I was to own it it wouldn't see roman trails muddy car would be the only place it would go other than tarmac roads 😀
Great for people who haven't mastered clutch, brake and throttle control, or ride just to get to places......could get a taxi or train, you don't have to operate any controls then !
Great review, however, there is a learning curve to using an “auto/semi auto “ clutch. In addition, these are intelligent designs and learn your riding style so shifting will get smoother over time. You need to try the latest generation DCT from Honda to get the best example of what this clutch is able to do. They’ve been at it for 14 years. Ride safe…
I’m going to say this… Gen Z and Gen A don’t have manual cars (at least not in the states). No experience with manual transmissions and I think they don’t want to learn? They tend to like vehicles that do everything, and the GS is supposedly one of those bikes. I don’t think the price point is going to be in their range until they hit their 40s, but unlike Harley, they are likely counting ahead to our generations (boomer, X and millennials) aging out at some point. If the new generation doesn’t want to have to learn to ride with a clutch, they’ll provide an entry, much like the Honda’s ‘E-clutch’. Between electric bikes and clutchless bikes, they’re trying to capture the new market early.
The big push for autos is for emissions reasons. "2023 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports: The 2023 model has CO2 emissions of 112 g/km for the manual transmission and 110 g/km for the DCT". From Honda's website. The dct is 10kg heavier.
That is because people qre too lazy to shift gears so they stay in lower gears creating more pollution while the DCT goes straight for 6th gear if you're not in the sport mode.
Had an Africa twin DCT and that was similar, low speed off road was awful. On the road it had the same problem as any auto in th at exit can’t read the road so can’t always be in the right gear. The main downside though is wheelies when you need to clutch it up and go through the gears 🤣 My car is an auto as its transport my bike never will be.
Bikes are practically riding themselves and thinking for you in 2024. Soon you will not have to get out of bed to ride one....Oh wait... that's a called Play Station (other brand also available)
How does it compare to africa twin dct? Also missed opportunity from all manufacturers not having a rear brake lever instead of a clutch, we know lots of pros use thumb rear brake .
"Here's your 30k automatic motorcycle that you'll NEVER use offroad but will have people thinking you're *NOT* a knob end, trust me" - said all the BMW dealers in 2025
Autos (auto clutch, torque converter, dual clutch, whatever) are best for disabled or for highway use cases for the most part. It's a complication of a simple manual system, for more cost. Are clutches a boundary to entry for potential riders? 98% of the time, no.
No computer or electronic shift solenoid can be as accurate or sensitive as a the fingers on your hand. Like you say it’s fine 99.9% of the time but when you do get stuck and you need that extra control you won’t have it.
Yet the computer will give you a perfect 0-60 every time, you'll never get a perfect 0-60 with those fingers of yours. Oh and good luck getting the perfect gas mileage with a manual bike, automatic will always be perfect.
@motolover5697 don't even go there... They existed before BMW only got popular because KTM turned down Ewan and Charlie. BMW is over priced garbage and Ive owned one
@@Sharpey76. I owned a GS and never heard of them. It is simply a UK and US thing. You guys still think the world is turning around you and your TV series. I own three BMWs and they are more advanced than any Honda ever was. Owned over 20 Honda motorcycles and still own a Honda Montesa trials bike.
Just no, unless it can do better than me which I know it can't. On road I can see a case for it but off road I could see me setting fire to it in no time.
@@motolover5697Doesn't matter, the point of the automatic clutch is that it doesn't stall, that is literally in the advertising itself. Yet here it is stalling. Looks like Honda's DCT is still far superior.
@@Waldo1122 the first year is always problematic, they will make it work. We have a clutch lever until then. I ride an old HP2 without any electronics, no worries with novelties.
At the “extreme” end...if you don’t have a clutch lever to feather when it comes to steep hill starts on a multitude of different surfaces, mud, ice, rock, gravel or a combination of all of them, then an 'automatic change' is never going to cut it...if you want to fill up your panniers with a shopping trip to Tesco’s then it gets a 👍😄
DCT has no trouble with this and never stalls, this is a BMW manufacturer error, maybe they'll get it together when Honda releases the next generation Africa Twin to remove the GS from the podium.
Firstly, I would like to see someone jump over a log with this. Secondly, after a couple of years with a quickshifter I decided that the whole concept is stupid unless you want to accelerate as fast as possible at WOT. I ride my bike with quickshifter (KTM 1290 SAR) like all my vintage bikes now. No more quickshifting for me. For me it is much more fun this way.
All that money for 50cc more😂😂😂 But, having said that. The 1300 was made to give you, two ensuites😮 Two kitchen sinks 😮 A 12 story bloke of luggage!😮 An the Brucey bonus, an 40 yrs of RanD, A Full king size bed!😂😂😂😂😂 Got to give it to Beemer, bullshit rules❤❤❤❤🙏🙏👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🏍️🏍️🤣🤣🤣🤣
the fact that its issues are "behavioural", and mimic real riders' mistakes, to me says that all its issues can be fixed with an over the air software update or two. i hope they continue to improve the bike over time!
I agree with everything you said, except I'm not glad it's here. Think back 20 years about how many stick shift cars we've lost, and how few are available now, especially in North America. I'm concerned that this is the start of a slippery slope to the loss of engaging motorcycles.
Yeah the stick cars are gone because people are sick of switching gears, how about you ride more than 100 miles each year and you'll be sick of doing the clutch dance too.
Because a good automatic gearbox changes gears far far better than a human being. It's made manual boxes in cars go nearly extinct. The Honda DCT technology is the greatest enhancement in motorcycling since ABS brakes. Both those technologies will make riders faster and safer. Focus can be then aimed toward other aspects of motorcycling or just enjoying the experience much more. After a total of over 45 motorcycles with the last 3 being Hondas DCT I'll never go back to an archaic manual gearbox. It's a fallacy that a clutch lever provides more control.
@@sunrisejak2709 Just NOT true. Try explaining that opinion to the police officer who taught me advanced (car) driving. I don’t want an automatic clutch or automatic ANYTHING (save synchromesh!) in the transmission on any vehicle of mine.
@@sunrisejak2709 *Because a good automatic gearbox changes gears far far better than a human being.* Except on a motorcycle you use the clutch for more than just changing gears. *It's a fallacy that a clutch lever provides more control.* Going to have to disagree. Especially at slow speed maneuvers.
@Jaslath With slow speed maneuvers it's control of the rear brake and not the friction zone of the clutch that displaces that perceived need. Having had 3 DCT bikes the latest and current an NT1100 and near 100,000 miles of overall use I don't find a need for clutch involvement whatsoever. But admittedly I do not engage in much hard core off road type conditions. Most folks who reject DCT technology do so as sort of a "macho" thing. Wherein an "automatic" is for those who can't ride a conventional clutch. However the trend is clearly toward clutchless tech. BMW, KTM, Yamaha, Honda, MV Augusta, Rekluse and others developing the technology further. If electric drive tech evolves this too will bury the clutch. I suspect clutch control with manual useage will follow the automobile and only a small niche will continue to grasp the clutch (pun intended).
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
At last someone says why we love clutches! Great stuff Chris, as always.
Whatever that review means (of course I did understand what you explained), I simply like the shots of Chris riding the motorcycle in his style on various terrains full of slush, ruts, those maneuvers/slides/wheelies, what not. I mean the presentation of control and fun on every bike he rides is worth seeing irrespective of me being interested in that particular motorcycle.
Chris your videos are more than reviews and they are full of thrill, excitement, control abilities and much more. Cheers!
Great review, I'm a clutch less convert. Been riding since I was 7 years old, after a long stint around Thailand on a clutch less Honda I was sold. And I like the looks, so I'll be stumping for a GSA ASA in Spring 25. And no I wont be using it to green trail Ill buy a trail bike for that! It's a mile muncher end of.
In the whole world of motorcycle testing, you're the one who tests the bikes really hard. I like that.❤
I love how BMW complicated and missed compared to the Honda DCT. Africa Twin DCT owners have heard from others (over 8 years now) about some reason or another why they have some personal beef with an auto. Now it seems BMW wants the influencers to show how great the option is, I can’t help but laugh and I’m not laughing at Chris or this video, just the greater scope of it all. Yes, it’s a personal choice to go auto however, the Honda DCT doesn’t have any of these hill start issues or stalling problems when trying to get going. Having owned a GS and dealt with BMW’s in the past, I have big questions on how these bikes and systems will hold up over time and the reliability. Don’t worry GS loyalist, KTM and Yamaha are coming up right behind you. In the mean time DCT owners are saying……welcome to the party pal!😂
Thank you, Chris! There are still people out there (even so called journalists) saying that this BMW system is better than DCT. 😂😂😂 DCT never stalls. You gotta be kidding me.
This is by far the best test I have seen of the ASA GS so far. Honest and objective! Cut to the chase in les than 9 minutes. Been waiting for Chris to test this bike (with ASA) since it was introduced. Maybe Chris could test it on a track day?! Please!
the best review of the auto I've seen, cheers
How many GS riders are going to tackle the stuff Chris takes on? If you buy an automatic GS you may bump up a kerb or two on the way to the coffee shop and back.
To be fair, I saw one run over a pebble as well as a kerb on the same day.
Personally, I can't afford to crash mine + the GS makes for a superior road bike to anything else out there too
I want to think that I look like Chris, when I am out on green lanes and gravel roads, but of course I don´t XD. I do have the manual version though. And whether you believe it or not, not a single stop at Starbucks or something similar after 13k km🤪. With the exception of small cafes in Italy, since they are everywhere and at least open during lunch time, unlike most restaurants.
Iam going on holiday on mines I might have about 10 percent of his skill set
You would be surprised. Most GS riders don't go offroad often, that's true, but if you do touring you will **eventually** have to do some light/medium offroad. And every single GS rider that I know came back from touring with a dirty GS. Unless you live in Europe or USA, the asphalt don't go very much further from the city.
People complaining about the lack of a clutch, this is not for you. Thank BMW for keeping this as an option and also leaving the shifter lever intact than take it away.
I have used the clutch all my life. I have nothing more to prove to anyone about my riding. Will continue to use my GSA for another 3-4yrs and will be ready to “drop” the clutch on my next upgrade. Hopefully BMW will refine this system remove any issues.
I've ridden the DCT, and the E-Clutch and will ride the Yamaha automated manual. Nothing BMW makes appeals to me, so I'll give all that stuff a swerve.
So far, I will stick with the proper manual thank you very much. I don't even really like a quickshifter.
Mate, i was there friday. The skill they have on them is unreal.great watch..
Great review Chris not sold on the no clutch lever especially with a monster bike like that anyone who does extreme adventure riding needs that connection with the bike it’s almost part of your dna to feel what the bike needs to get you through that bit of tuff terrain and let’s face it how many folk are going to buy that bike to do that sort of off roading hurry up a review the 2025 Yamaha tenere rally your the only guy who gives an honest opinion on how a bike performs
Just the offroad review I was looking for. Thanks Chris!
Chris, thanks for your honesty in this test, and being willing to have a machine change your mind if it can do what you want. Your test was brilliant and I always enjoy seeing you ride (anything with 2 wheels!). I think your conclusions are ‘sound’!
I am NOT a highly skilled rider, and I’m coming at this from the other end of the spectrum… I have a Honda Innova, 125cc auto clutch 4 speed gearbox. I’ve modified it (it was a written-off pizza delivery bike) to be my idea of a LDT step-through. I can see the advantages of the auto-clutch, but I’m desperate to get rid of it. I just need a cheap and easy way to convert it to manual clutch. The easy way is buy the stuff from Malaysia and screw it on, but that’s about £100 - I’d rather make something instead. Maybe! Always like to hear your judgements on any bike, thanks for great videos. Les
Great review, and really interesting to see where the bike struggled. Top riding skills as ever 👍💪.
I love your puristic approach to motorcycles. If the tech doesn't make riding more fun, whats the point?
Part of my soul leaves my body every time a brand says "new and updated tft"... plonking a screen on a motorcycle is such a lazy meaningless update
The TFT point I can understand to a certain extent, but I can think of many reasons besides fun why technology is a good addition to a bike. In the end it depends heavily on your style of riding and interests, though. So I am happy about a lot of these additions. But I understand the other side as well.
"That was an ordeal" = polite way of saying, "that wasn't very good". Nice and honest, enjoyed that.
Balanced and fair assessment!
As a dirt bike rider I cant imagine having no clutch or having the control a clutch brings for sticky situations. But then I have to remind myself that this is a GS not an Enduro bike
You might as well take these type of trails on an e-bike and at least the e-bike wont stall out, yes it's all about control and I don't want that taken away from me on two wheels either mate. Awesome video Chris on the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS ASA!
Great video Chris, nice to meet and chat with you at the show too.
Not that I would buy an automatic bike, but a cool video idea might be for Chris to test and compare all the automatic options offroad, like Honda's DCT, BMW's ASA, KTM's AMT and maybe even a bike with a Rekluse clutch
We love your offroad work!!
Great video as always Chris, very informative and super riding
People like to hate and trash things out, with out even trying. KTM is bringing a similar system to the 1390. It’s a existing market slice, with people with a lot of money. True to be told, very few people with a lot of money have the ability or the inclination to put these kinds of bigtrails on real trails. For the most part, and regular use, it will be a good product. For more intense riding, there are far more interesting models. The GS does not pretend to be that, people just miss interpret the product. Great and honest review! 🕊️🇧🇷
I had a Honda Africa Twin w/ the DCT...that worked well, now that others are doing this, it's big news...it's not. It works, works well, never stalled even on steep inclines (unlike the BMW)
Exactly. DCT is far superior to this system.
1976 when I was 6 years old. I had a Italjet 50cc with a auto clutch. Never noticed any problems with it in my technical riding.
Roger that, Chris. To each their own, etc. However, keep in mind, all "auto" boxes on bikes are NOT the same. And that, for example, Honda's DCT FINALLY works like it should after 14 years of development!
ASA was introduced over 20 years ago in BMW M Models (cars). Back then it was called SMG (sequential m gearbox) which is a manual transmission operated electro-hydraulically (and electronically) through paddle shifters. I hope there are less problems with ASA.
I ride adventure bike because of primarily the hand-clutching operation, it looks cool to me because not many people can ride clutch-operated gear, also it makes the bike connect with my brain it’s like a bond between human and machine.
Because when the bike has problems you can never sleep well until you figure it out and fix it.
I would go completely luxurious with Honda X-Adv adventure scooter with mud, and debris protection if I want automatic gear
Chris, you brought it in the spot! Even when my personal riding capability is many miles away from your skills, every single motion of controlling the motorcycle is part of our enjoyment. Therefore no additional automatic features are disireable. And your enthusiastic way of showing this is always worth watching!
Again outstanding review Chris
The stalling is a factory malfunction. Surprised the torque converter can't handle it 😕
I hear you about the control. Too bad we can't have both. Seems like they tried, so maybe it's something they need to improve about the way the manual mode works. There should be one enduro mode where it doesn't try to help, just gives you total control, no intervention.
Chris great review again, basically it sucks if yoh want to ride off road
Radical and yet obvious idea- can we not have a clutch lever with clutch-by-wire? I mean somewhere in the ECU it's controlling a servo to operate the clutch. So for the sake of a few parts and a potentiometer, why not have a lever and the best of both worlds?
I want to hear your opinion after riding in heavy stop-and-go traffic.
Hear me out. I made a lot of those arguments about automatics in big trucks and performance cars. The boss made a deal when the company bought my big truck, they got a discount for signing up for the advanced real-world testing on the Alison automatic for heavy trucks. I did a lot of head shaking until I put about a thousand or so miles on it and realized that it made my life a lot easier in so many ways that the few times it had a disadvantage, completely avoidable situations, they didn't matter.
My prediction is that the DCT trend for riders choosing ASA or any other form will continue as it has been. The buyers are aging out of the motorcycles or have a disability like arthritis or missing a hand, the option will keep them riding for years after they would have given up. New riders will choose it because it takes away a lot of the fear of getting on a motorcycle. Experienced riders will buy them because the novelty and obsession of having a clutch have worn thin. That said, I believe there is still a place for that lever on the left side of the handlebars, it won't go away any time in the next two decades. The automatic shifting systems have a lot of development room to completely replace them.
To be clear, I'm a very advanced ADV rider. I do things with my R1250 everyone swears an ADV can't do every time I take it out of the garage. Clutching is intuitive at this point. I'm not the target audience for bikes with automatically controlled shifting. But, I will not make negative remarks against them because I see value in their existence for others.
Nice
Don’t all HD trucks come with AMTs nowadays? At least in Europe they do. You‘d have a hard time to find a semi with manual transmission. Maybe some construction site trucks. Automatic (the torque converter type) is pretty niche application for vocational trucks only. But for the driver it really doesn’t matter much whether it is automatic or AMT in the end, as he does not have to shift or clutch.
@ There are still new trucks with clutch peddles over here. AMTs are slowly gaining market share but we have a lot of drivers that prefer three peddles. 🤷♂️
This is the wrong vid for me, but I enjoyed it immensely. My off-road days ended 15 years ago, but I was interested in a knowledgeable riders opinion of the off-road capabilities of the ASA. I might wander down graded dirt or gravel roads, but that will be my limit on the ASA. Thanks for your views.
I’d love to see what you think of the Africa Twin DCT as a comparison. Honda have had many more years refining their auto gearbox than the other manufacturers that have jumped on the band wagon this year.
Couldnt agree more. I came from a MX background. I wont buy something without a clutch!
Maybe bmw is not optimal automatic out in the woods. Maybe you should try a Honda Africa twin.
I have only rode scooters as a automatic bike and I think there are hoots of fun especially when you are on holiday. As for the car, auto I wouldn’t go back to a manual now, I still drive like I am driving a manual (left hand resting on gear shifter) habits 😁. So I think 99.9% of people would choose a auto bike just like myself, they are easier to live with and I have no intention of pulling wheelies or doing enduro riding on it when I get mine
One reason I ride big bike is because of the manual clutch operated transmission because it locks riders and the bike together.
It’s like the soul of the bike that requires human to interact with.
Honda brought their old DCT and some people are into it, it’s Honda invention.
BMW just wants to join the market so that is why.
I can’t help thinking it shouldn’t be stalling at all. I had a DCT Africa Twin for a few years and it never stalled in similar situations. Hopefully something BMW can address with a software update. That said, I do also prefer a manual clutch - and it’s telling that Electric Motion has included a conventional clutch on its electric trials bikes for a few years now.
you are riding it similarly to Chris and in such terrains?
They are totally different transmissions, as Chris said, it stalls like a beginner off road rider would. The dct on at cannot stall by design. What bmw have done is to compete with the e-clutch Honda built, which is still better as it offers a manual clutch to override any bad automation situation of the thing. The DCT still is the only proper automatic on the market.
@@cheetor18 you have no idea what you're talking. The only difference is that the DTC have two clutch packs, they're still controlled electrically by the bike.
@motolover5697 The TET in northern Spain/Pyrenees. I have also done some training with Chris and the others at Off Road Skills.
@@cheetor18 Wouldn’t more revs help the stalling issue?
Chris, do a comparison with the Africa Twin DCT.
Nothing to compare here. DCT is better. BMW just has an electronically operated clutch, veeery similar system to an every crappy automated single clutch gearboxes cars had back in 2000s.
You can also google how awful an "automatic" GS does kick-down when you open the throttle.
@@vvevvevvvv Watched a couple of videos, seems that the auto box needs a generation or two before it's as good as Honda's.
Have to start somewhere I guess
@@zaferabdulrahman6988 I highly doubt that BMW can make electronically actuated single clutch gearbox as good as a DCT. As I've said, it was the same case in car world 20 years ago. Everyone still hates BMW's e46 M3 and e60 M5 for having SMG gearboxes. After that BMW used a proper dual-clutch or automatic gearboxes and no one complains.
I know that DCT is a heavier transmission, but at least it smooth and it does what you are asking from it.
Great honest review chris, what's ben opinion after riding it all week ?
"The little cracky wheelies over the crest" *Wheelies bike almost 90 degrees*
Hey Chris, thanks for the video. Would be great if you could compare a AT DCT to this in the same situations. I've ridden at Walters many times and with you. And I'd love to know if a DCT could deal with that. Why? Because I'm thinking of a AT DCT for commuting and touring and something more relaxing whilst still keeping my 1200GS but having something a bit different. Not a fan of the new 1300GS so I don't want it. But wondering if when I attempt the stuff you did and as I have on a 1200GS what would happen...Especially on steep, rocky, muddy hills like the one you showed. I've seen a guy burn out a clutch on a 1200GS in Portugal in a few mins stuck on such a hill. Would that guy have been able to get up there with DCT I wonder...
Great video obviously if your up for riding in tricky locations, it's not for those riders, if I was to own it it wouldn't see roman trails muddy car would be the only place it would go other than tarmac roads 😀
Now that's a test! Possibly 90 per cent of GS owners will never enter these difficult paths. And BMW knows it.
Don't delude yourself 90% of all adventure bike owners!
Great for people who haven't mastered clutch, brake and throttle control, or ride just to get to places......could get a taxi or train, you don't have to operate any controls then !
No crashbars around those sticking out cylinders...😀
Great review, however, there is a learning curve to using an “auto/semi auto “ clutch. In addition, these are intelligent designs and learn your riding style so shifting will get smoother over time. You need to try the latest generation DCT from Honda to get the best example of what this clutch is able to do. They’ve been at it for 14 years. Ride safe…
The bike stalling is definitely a manufacturer error.
The worst of how the car industry is evolving, coming to the motorcycle world. What’s next? Bigger and more screens? Oh wait..
LOL, I will never buy one, but I appreciate the effort BMW.
I’m going to say this…
Gen Z and Gen A don’t have manual cars (at least not in the states). No experience with manual transmissions and I think they don’t want to learn?
They tend to like vehicles that do everything, and the GS is supposedly one of those bikes. I don’t think the price point is going to be in their range until they hit their 40s, but unlike Harley, they are likely counting ahead to our generations (boomer, X and millennials) aging out at some point. If the new generation doesn’t want to have to learn to ride with a clutch, they’ll provide an entry, much like the Honda’s ‘E-clutch’.
Between electric bikes and clutchless bikes, they’re trying to capture the new market early.
U p the clutch chriso
The big push for autos is for emissions reasons. "2023 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports: The 2023 model has CO2 emissions of 112 g/km for the manual transmission and 110 g/km for the DCT". From Honda's website. The dct is 10kg heavier.
That is because people qre too lazy to shift gears so they stay in lower gears creating more pollution while the DCT goes straight for 6th gear if you're not in the sport mode.
Had an Africa twin DCT and that was similar, low speed off road was awful. On the road it had the same problem as any auto in th at exit can’t read the road so can’t always be in the right gear. The main downside though is wheelies when you need to clutch it up and go through the gears 🤣
My car is an auto as its transport my bike never will be.
Perhaps Honda's new E-clutch (not DCT) may have something going for it then if it's going to be fitted to Africa Twin etc..?
Bikes are practically riding themselves and thinking for you in 2024. Soon you will not have to get out of bed to ride one....Oh wait... that's a called Play Station (other brand also available)
How do you clutch up that? How is that done?
I want my dedicated rear light back but more and more manufactures are taking them away. I hope they don't do the same with clutche levers 🙏
How does it compare to africa twin dct?
Also missed opportunity from all manufacturers not having a rear brake lever instead of a clutch, we know lots of pros use thumb rear brake .
What happens if you are offroading and need to clutch it to get the front over a object, I hope this isn't going to be the norm
"Here's your 30k automatic motorcycle that you'll NEVER use offroad but will have people thinking you're *NOT* a knob end, trust me" - said all the BMW dealers in 2025
Hater
Would this auto clutch be better suited to an RT?
Autos (auto clutch, torque converter, dual clutch, whatever) are best for disabled or for highway use cases for the most part.
It's a complication of a simple manual system, for more cost. Are clutches a boundary to entry for potential riders? 98% of the time, no.
I ride off road, give me a clutch all day anyday and no other nanny state stuff please
manual clutch or no deal, as simple as that.
No computer or electronic shift solenoid can be as accurate or sensitive as a the fingers on your hand. Like you say it’s fine 99.9% of the time but when you do get stuck and you need that extra control you won’t have it.
Yet the computer will give you a perfect 0-60 every time, you'll never get a perfect 0-60 with those fingers of yours. Oh and good luck getting the perfect gas mileage with a manual bike, automatic will always be perfect.
Africa Twin been doing it for years... BWW late to the party yet again
Did Honda invent adventure bike segment in the 1980?
@motolover5697 don't even go there... They existed before BMW only got popular because KTM turned down Ewan and Charlie. BMW is over priced garbage and Ive owned one
@@Sharpey76. I owned a GS and never heard of them. It is simply a UK and US thing. You guys still think the world is turning around you and your TV series. I own three BMWs and they are more advanced than any Honda ever was. Owned over 20 Honda motorcycles and still own a Honda Montesa trials bike.
@@motolover5697 and that reply there says it all... Have a nice day
@@Sharpey76. no no no!!! Drive it, and then you will understand why GS is nr 1
peace be upon you sir from me
that means ASA suits me the best..
I'm grateful for pizza delivery.
Great technology for those who want gadgetry but please don't ever take away my option of buying a bike with a clutch and gear change lever
I do a fair bit of Clutching at straws and dry clutch jokes so it a no
Just no, unless it can do better than me which I know it can't. On road I can see a case for it but off road I could see me setting fire to it in no time.
Lost me at stalling. Imo a bike with no user activated clutch shouldn't stall.
how many riders will go on such terrains?
@@motolover5697Doesn't matter, the point of the automatic clutch is that it doesn't stall, that is literally in the advertising itself. Yet here it is stalling. Looks like Honda's DCT is still far superior.
@@Waldo1122 the first year is always problematic, they will make it work. We have a clutch lever until then. I ride an old HP2 without any electronics, no worries with novelties.
@@Waldo1122 Are you that skilled that your riding can be compared to Chris's? Good for you!
@@motolover5697 Chris's riding experience had nothing to do with it stalling on that hill buddy.
This techonolgy is like Honda's E-clutch, nowhere near DCT fully automatic
no
I even got triggered looking at the title of this vlog. :-)
Let's be realistic 99.9% of the individuals who buy these with this transmission are NOT riding in these scenarios.
Don’t worry Chris.. most GS riders will be riding around palm sized puddles in their full adventures matching outfits 😂
Ha haa, how true😂
Feel better now
At the “extreme” end...if you don’t have a clutch lever to feather when it comes to steep hill starts on a multitude of different surfaces, mud, ice, rock, gravel or a combination of all of them, then an 'automatic change' is never going to cut it...if you want to fill up your panniers with a shopping trip to Tesco’s then it gets a 👍😄
DCT has no trouble with this and never stalls, this is a BMW manufacturer error, maybe they'll get it together when Honda releases the next generation Africa Twin to remove the GS from the podium.
Firstly, I would like to see someone jump over a log with this.
Secondly, after a couple of years with a quickshifter I decided that the whole concept is stupid unless you want to accelerate as fast as possible at WOT. I ride my bike with quickshifter (KTM 1290 SAR) like all my vintage bikes now. No more quickshifting for me. For me it is much more fun this way.
1300 BMW SUPER CUB
All that money for 50cc more😂😂😂
But, having said that.
The 1300 was made to give you, two ensuites😮
Two kitchen sinks 😮
A 12 story bloke of luggage!😮
An the Brucey bonus, an 40 yrs of RanD,
A Full king size bed!😂😂😂😂😂
Got to give it to Beemer, bullshit rules❤❤❤❤🙏🙏👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🏍️🏍️🤣🤣🤣🤣
the fact that its issues are "behavioural", and mimic real riders' mistakes, to me says that all its issues can be fixed with an over the air software update or two. i hope they continue to improve the bike over time!
not for me...
please, a bike weighing more than 230 kg is not for off-road, buy an enduro. If you fail once, it will cost you €1000.
Wait a couple of years, they will improve it like they improved the ABS, TC and other technical novelties.
its so big daddy
Dang, here so early
I agree with everything you said, except I'm not glad it's here. Think back 20 years about how many stick shift cars we've lost, and how few are available now, especially in North America. I'm concerned that this is the start of a slippery slope to the loss of engaging motorcycles.
Yeah the stick cars are gone because people are sick of switching gears, how about you ride more than 100 miles each year and you'll be sick of doing the clutch dance too.
the clutch is nearly the most fun thing on a motorbike (as you said). i do not get the point of getting rid of it, why?
Because a good automatic gearbox changes gears far far better than a human being. It's made manual boxes in cars go nearly extinct. The Honda DCT technology is the greatest enhancement in motorcycling since ABS brakes. Both those technologies will make riders faster and safer. Focus can be then aimed toward other aspects of motorcycling or just enjoying the experience much more. After a total of over 45 motorcycles with the last 3 being Hondas DCT I'll never go back to an archaic manual gearbox. It's a fallacy that a clutch lever provides more control.
@@sunrisejak2709 Just NOT true. Try explaining that opinion to the police officer who taught me advanced (car) driving. I don’t want an automatic clutch or automatic ANYTHING (save synchromesh!) in the transmission on any vehicle of mine.
@@sunrisejak2709 yeah but the clutch is for more than just gear shifting. for that i already got a so called quickshifter.
@@sunrisejak2709
*Because a good automatic gearbox changes gears far far better than a human being.*
Except on a motorcycle you use the clutch for more than just changing gears.
*It's a fallacy that a clutch lever provides more control.*
Going to have to disagree. Especially at slow speed maneuvers.
@Jaslath With slow speed maneuvers it's control of the rear brake and not the friction zone of the clutch that displaces that perceived need. Having had 3 DCT bikes the latest and current an NT1100 and near 100,000 miles of overall use I don't find a need for clutch involvement whatsoever. But admittedly I do not engage in much hard core off road type conditions. Most folks who reject DCT technology do so as sort of a "macho" thing. Wherein an "automatic" is for those who can't ride a conventional clutch. However the trend is clearly toward clutchless tech. BMW, KTM, Yamaha, Honda, MV Augusta, Rekluse and others developing the technology further. If electric drive tech evolves this too will bury the clutch. I suspect clutch control with manual useage will follow the automobile and only a small niche will continue to grasp the clutch (pun intended).
you shouldnt go there
It’s BMW’s that don’t work
👍🙂.
Off road IT SUCKS. Plain and simple.