Is Honda's Motorcycle E-Clutch System Worth It? (CB650R & CBR650R)

[@keiththomson1946]

Just had my CB650R's first service. E-Clutch is brilliant. Love it!😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@hamids4550]

what's the service cost?

[@karmadel786]

🙋🏾‍♂️🫶🏾🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@andreas49er]

Honda has always been the true gearbox pioneer. Those mechanics should really be proud of themselves

[@ConcurrentSoap]

Don't forget the engineers

[@Ytgfddddccvvt]

Its just crazy man. From the cars to the carts their all good when took care of ! And affordable!

[@Dushyant933]

This feature is good in traffic jams and using it along with cruise control is brilliant on highways.

[@truantray]

Oh just buy a car.

[@Dushyant933]

​@@truantray I'm not a car guy. I prefer motorcycles more than cars

[@scalemodeltutor9841]

@@truantray umm, this is a motorcycle channel?

[@bansh3ee]

@@truantray oh just buy a helicopter.

[@KeithPage]

Lol ​@@scalemodeltutor9841

[@cliveomahoney4096]

I test rode the sports bike. It took me 0 time to adapt. It was great. Both up and down the gears. The great thing about this system is the fact that the clutch is still there, for use whenever you want it. Much better, imo, than any of the new, far more complex, tech in the offing. I'm trading in my newish Hornet for the R asap.

[@Jagknorr]

I like that it keeps the clutch. I fear for all the other manufacturers possibly forcing their no-clutch motorcycles on the smaller “beginner” bikes making the next generation of riders have no idea what a clutch is. Thats a scary thought and defeats the purpose of motorcycling -to me! Honestly its great for disabled people who would love to keep riding but can’t….but for me the clutch makes the bike more complex and difficult to master which in turn makes it more fun to operate.

[@aryencas]

I am completely agree. For me a clutch and a quick shifter is more then enough.

[@Nucklehead-mm9gf]

Democrats and European Liberal parties will mandate a ton more regulations on every motorcycle by 2030 if we keep giving them power. They will mandate crap like this taking more and more of our liberties and slimming freedom of choice. Every bike will be the same and never be unique power figures just like European A2 compliance is already doing where 500cc and under bikes cannot exceed 46.9 hp etc and because of that, even Americans are stuck with bikes de-tuned to fit under that horsepower figure. We can't have nice things that are affordable because of European Liberal Regulations.

[@nignatovskiy9901]

@@aryencasyou might as well have a e clutch if you got a quick shifter… might as well cut the hassle out from 1-2 gear

[@Mr50403]

You cant stop progress. The market will decide.

[@ddff3618]

Nothing beats a scooter in city traffic

[@matt2wheels]

This makes the most sense of any of the shift assist technologies in my opinion. It's relatively easy and cheap for a manufacturer to offer it as an option for any of their models and it lets the rider use the clutch if they would like. This makes a lot of sense for the smaller Honda models aimed at beginners and commuters. And it sounds like it fulfils the purpose that DCT has, at a fraction of the cost, complexity and weight. Good job Honda. Suddenly BMW and KTM seem to be catching up, rather than innovating (although we haven't seen those systems yet outside of rumours).

[@astrofeeder777]

i would love to try that out. i just hope this doesnt get forced on us in the future but as a custom option when ordering a bike, this seems cool. it gets more people riding and makes for a beautiful commuter bike.

[@Wheeliecooper]

Had mine a couple of weeks now - love it...

[@robertjackson5836]

My only problem with it is in how it looks, that is one ugly chunk of crap slapped onto the side of the engine.

[@Spakstern]

I've had my CB650r e clutch for a few weeks now and the system is absolutely brilliant. I was looking out for the Yamaha too, but if I am not mistaken the Yamaha system removes clutch and the gear lever completely and it only has buttons for up and downshifts? I still want to boot the gears myself, that is something I really much enjoy and taking that away and just making it a button I use with my fingers most likely would make me want to use it in auto mode all the time. Definitely gonna test drive the Yamaha one when they release it tho!

[@theflashgirl0436]

Question for you when you downshift does it automatically rev match or could you still rev match downshifting?

[@Spakstern]

@@theflashgirl0436 It does not revmatch if you use the autoclutch, it just slips the clutch. But you can of course do it yourself manually and just use the clutch lever by hand and blip the throttle.

[@theflashgirl0436]

@@Spakstern agh okie cool thanks!

[@porredbikes]

Already 7,000 km on mine I split lanes thru Bangkok heavy traffic daily commute It’s god sent 🎉🎉🎉 Waiting for the map then I can dyno it

[@winterwurich]

how's engine heat in Bangkok heavy traffic?

[@porredbikes]

@@winterwurich warm

[@jomipiro]

Put it on the AT and Transalp. Comfort and convenience for the daily comute and clutch control for the dirt... I'd buy it.

[@fs5866]

there's already an automatic AT dual clutch which is a better system than this, you sound like a bot, go buy it then since it exists already.

[@jomipiro]

There’s no dct for the Transalp, the dct doesn’t allow you to feather the clutch, it’s heavier and more expensive. The e-clutch has the potential to combine the best of both worlds. This is my bot opinion, you are free to have yours.

[@hamids4550]

I think the e shifter in California traffic is perfect. traffics here are horrendous

[@geckoimpact]

I hope so bad that E-Clutch will be introduced in the 500er model line up, otherwise i have to buy the 650R because i really want that e-clutch feature

[@drdoolittle5724]

Best E-clutch review to date, excellence as usual!

[@RussRyan7713]

If you commute it's great. For me as my CBR650R is purely for weekend fun, I think it breaks up the lines of the bike as it does stick out quite far. If they make on future bikes and it hidden away I would definitely have one.

[@cascarification]

Pienso igual , el sistema es bastante feo y la moto tiene que entrar por los ojos ..

[@Coldlegend214]

I wish they had e clutch option on all the bikes that’d be so cool

[@mojouk8935]

i was considering this bike but ended caving in and getting the triumph street triple 765 RS, and i love the triple the quickshifter does up and down I did pass my Mod 1/2 on the 660 trident

[@davidmallia628]

Should be on the Africa twin. You need to slip the clutch, especially off road. With DCT, you need to modulate, off road, the rear brake, which is awkward. This is the same for all electric bikes, but can one get used to using the rear brake to modulate the power, the throttle being more on/off!?

[@fs5866]

going on a dirt lane does not count as off road bruv, you will never take an AT on any forest mud ditches.

[@greatbigeye2506]

I like Honda’s DCT the best but this and similar tech is also great!

[@lgrw660factory]

Looks okay but also like a way to get around the fact that these bikes don’t have ride by wire in 2024, which is nuts. Weird that Honda is both old school and innovative at the same time. Personally, I prefer a good quick shifter, but each to their own.

[@FXSTB]

I WANT ONE! My commute is 40 miles, mostly congested highways, in a pary of the world that frowns on lane splitting. (Don't get me started on that) I don’t want to give up my current riding experience but clutchless traffic riding would be very much welcome! Hope the NX500 gets it next.

[@78Outlaw]

The downshift point well made Rob, would suggest it’s also because the box is always auto engaging the clutch, a quick shifter is dropping down the cog without clutch and hence needs to rev match, I doubt even with ride by wire the E-clutch could be as quick on way down as it’s not dual clutch 🤔 still seems to work well regardless. Personally I prefer a clutch and rev matching my own upshifts and downshifts 😊

[@checker3694]

It's basically what MV agusta has had for last five years called SCS, which is a electronic version on the old Recluse clutch which has been around for Donkeys years in Trails bikes.

[@xXAkitokunXx]

Definitely see this bike is designed for city riding over track. Saw it heavy as hell the bike but definitely great for what it is meant for.

[@harduka9126]

Interesting tech update with a definite plus in traffic, but not for me.

[@CCooke-nm2be]

Great review Bob, you totally get it, unlike many others 😄👍

[@jimzenglish1]

I can see the benefit for heavy commuting or if you have a hand injury but I enjoy using the clutch as part of my riding experience so have no interest. I’ll enjoy the weight and $$ saving of excluding it.

[@petersluik7192]

If I had to commute in busy traffic a lot, I would seriously consider this. However, I mostly putter around back roads for fun on my Speedmaster with little traffic and even less stop and go. So for my riding needs it's not a must have, but I think it would make city riding a lot more pleasant.

[@steveparish9210]

It is here in the states, it’s free! Finally getting the cb 650r in September

[@urbanstrencan]

So it is upgrade on regular quick shifter. Another great video 😊❤

[@husseinshafie]

I have test ridden the CBR650R E-Clutch and did not like it. It's only a small improvement over a shifter and the implementation of the E-Clutch on the CBR650R is not particularly smooth. I mean, I have used shifters which are much more "seamless" than this E-Clutch implementation. Good, beautiful, bike but I would definitely buy it without the E-Clutch.

[@Derpderpson123]

I think the gearbox of the CB650r is pretty bad honda wise

[@stefanmills115]

Very cool gadget, but no thanks - I love my hydraulic clutch lines and cable throttle. If you're the type of rider that has to think about clutch lever (and shifter pedal) operation while riding then this gadget is for you. Personally, when I ride my Hondas, machine operation is second nature, I really don't have to spare any prefrontal cortex bandwidth to clutch operation and gear selection even in slow traffic, tight cornering etc. You could sell your bike and ride a scooter or be really cool, like Prince, and ride an automatic CM400 if you really want to suck all the pleasure out of riding..

[@corvinhua4479]

This is why I'm drawn to older bikes. I understand there's a place for this "rider aid" technology. But for me, riding a motorcycle is about refining your skills and establishing a connection with your machine through your senses. This tech is not for me.

[@TheGizmoGarage]

Honda already proved themselves with the DCT, which I'm riding and absolutely loving. Full manual, sports and eco combined in a seamless experience. E-clutch looks a bit too clunky to me on the right crank side.

[@ashrafc7794]

But having the clutch lever is a must for me, even if I hardly use it. As long as it’s there for when I need it, I’m golden. That’s why I wouldn’t do dct

[@FrankBonessa]

How did we ever enjoy bikes without e clutches, 6 axis imu, tft dashes, electronic suspensions, etc., etc? I'd be just as happy riding my friend's '80 KZ1000 MKII. Even the carburetors work like a charm. It's out of control.

[@fs5866]

it is out of control and brainlets do not realise this will only add up to the price of the bike which is why today we have astronomical prices for motorcyles because all these technologies do not come for free.

[@Rsv4rr-r]

I’d get it, I just wish they put it on the Transalp and bigger bikes like the CB1000r, it has the potential to be the best of both worlds in a way the DCT isn’t. The systems coming from other manufacturers didn’t seem to learn anything from Honda in that they seemed to copy the Honda DCT while Honda bought back the clutch lever for when you need it.

[@rafaeltavares6928]

I'll have one in a few years. For now me go old-school 😎

[@bensouthgate7512]

Demo riding this bike tomorrow. I’ve just passed my test and am in two minds. Firstly getting a new bike as my first bike feels like a questionable move but it keeps the upfront costs down getting it on PCP. Then the other nagging doubt is build up my “road craft”. Having the option to not use the clutch will I get into bad habits and maybe regret it a little. I should just be disciplined and use the clutch to start with for a while, but I feel the temptation will be there.

[@fs5866]

buy a used one for 2 to 3k, that way you won't feel too bad when you drop it and get it scratched, plus you'll get to learn without all the baby sitting.

[@willykingston]

I am wondering if there any extreme scenario the engine will stall? If zero chance, that’s a perfect innovation.

[@FunkMasterJunk]

I just find tech on bikes is getting carried away and is taking the purity out of riding. I test drove a Super Duke GT and as nice as it is, I found I was way too distracted by the tech and not just enjoying the ride. I take out my 69 Bonnevile and my 73 BSA and eveb though they arent comfy, or fast, it feels amazing. Freedom. I feel connected. In the moment. Now, if this was being used a commuting bike, thats different.

[@PaulMacQ]

Something that leaves the Clutch has lots of appeal

[@peterpecihavran]

I work as a courier, eight or more hours a day by bike in the city. I would like to have a bike from E-clutch. Try daily driving in the city and then you will want it.

[@alanthomas0502]

Extra parts Extra maintenance Extra trouble.

[@dillard715]

The wife really wants a rebel 300 with this

[@nigelwatts2804]

Your a excellent presenter 👏

[@nigelwatts2804]

Bob your a very good presenter 👏

[@tripeee58]

I want to know who's biting on whose styling? Moto Guzzi Mandello V100 or Honda CB 650R? I'm loving the new tech e-clutch.

[@motoexploration4169]

Brilliant; esp., for heavy bikes such as the NX1100, & the like. Will buy this option if available in the bike I am buying.

[@Abestolandia]

It’s amazing! Try it !

[@lionelcook8522]

Although I see the benefits and how it might attract new riders, like most technology for the sake of technology it's just something else to go wrong. Personally I prefer the KISS principle.

[@KrypteiaXi]

Then get an 80s bike.

[@karmadel786]

More options can only be positive

[@HariboMaster]

i got it, its worth it. thank you.

[@peterb514]

CBR650R is a nice comfy bike but isn’t anywhere close to the much lighter and totally awesome CBR600RR, which is also much easier to ride!

[@Bobert383]

So with all the R&D to make an E-Clutch they couldn’t just make it ride by wire also?

[@claimedmedia6167]

im pretty sure theyre not doing this purely because of a price stand points. probably an either/or scenario. either e clutch or ride by wire. it needs to stay competitive with the likes of triump and kawasaki or yamaha in particular

[@johnnybrunswick2711]

It like a small motorcycle like Honda Cub, makes the ride much easier because I sucks at clutch type of motorcycle

[@jamesonpace726]

Yes I would. All the pluses with the actual clutch lever intact, for just £100....

[@hakankillberg6043]

I testrode the CBR650R with the E-clutch and was not a fan of the aggressive throttle when you pull away from a stop. I prefer the common quickshifter up/down.

[@mihirchitnis905]

Honda should bring this feature to lower cc bikes as well like 250,350 cc segment to reduce barrier to entry for motorbike riding for new riders.

[@clubdragon9063]

Then, if I turn off the eclutch function, it will be the same as the normal manual driving method, right?

[@lovelessissimo]

As long this doesn't become the norm, then great

[@nignatovskiy9901]

This 100 percent will become the norm eventually

[@lovelessissimo]

@@nignatovskiy9901 then not great.

[@corujario2752]

It seems most top brands are following Honda's lead so this might become the future. I hope the clutch unit will become lighter and smaller soon.

[@straightup1234]

Great info motobob if u get any news on the new cb 400 or 500 cc inline 4 with e clutch keep us informed 👍

[@mantan_rtw]

Would be great on the NX500. Will make it a great RTW bike.

[@rocioyjesusviajandoporelmu3919]

I prefer the Clutch lever, It gives you more control at slow speed

[@CJTheReal]

It still has a clutch lever

[@AdamForeman]

If I was a city courier, delivery guy, the e-clutch makes a lot of sense if have a larger cc bike.

[@Mespera3011]

They all work on scooters. Never seen a 600 cc bike used by couriers

[@chekhurra]

This is a stunning motorcycle.

[@Gmh6477]

Yes it is worth it because it’s miles better than a quick shifter and still offers a “standard” hands on way of riding

[@BladeAMD]

Tested E-clutch, works great.. but i think, do i realy need it ? 😉

[@dannymartial7997]

What other brands have e-clutch or dual clutch transmissions? I'm looking for a bike that has similar technologies

[@SoumikSarker]

Is it backwards compatible with cbr650r 2022 2023?

[@owl77]

As a DCT motorcycle enthusiast, I must express my utmost appreciation for this innovative technology. It would be advantageous for Honda to consider offering DCT as an option for all motorcycles exceeding 500cc, thereby expanding its accessibility and enhancing the overall riding experience for a broader range of customers.

[@darrickkeels6387]

Any idea when or if the e-clutch is coming to the United States?

[@word2228]

Ya US Honda motorcycle news just a release a few days ago clutch standard equipment . 9399$ reads . Now available to U.S. customers

[@anthonyjohnson3546]

Just got one was hard to find

[@twizzian]

would be great if you could retro-fit the system to a pre 2024 cb650

[@Moetorcycles]

You didn't mention DCT when you talked about the new similar systems, like Yamahas. DCT is currently available

[@mrsilbo6499]

All very nice, except the CB650R with e-clutch is unavailable. My local Honda dealer (UK) cannot tell me when they'll have any to sell and forget about a test ride. Some vague excuse about parts supply.

[@JohnBorgJacob]

I think this is great idea, given that you can always over ride

[@ToriADVMoto]

So far this is the only system that I would even consider. Any system that does away with the clutch lever I'm out.

[@Singh415]

For me - I think it’s not good. You don’t need that. It looks like your bikes gota disease and if u r a biker u don’t need it. City it feels rough cuz u in traffic and u still have to change gears ..

[@Gottaloveguitars427]

I will never give up my manual clutch, call me old school but I like the control and feel

[@yulekyulek4336]

really like the rrrrcbrr650 rrr r. especially the cheap plastic and children transformers look.

[@Username-2]

So basically an over engineered more complicated version of the rekluse clutch which has existed for 10+ years now. Nice innovation Honda.

[@mineshrane3677]

5:10 it doesn’t act like a quickshifter… it has one (that shifter rod is not the standard aluminium rod, it is a proper honda quickshifter) 😊

[@malcolmsmith408]

Something else to go wrong.

[@nonguyen6142]

Some more questions 😅 If you keep the shifter in the up/down position will it go neutral? And for example if you want to roll from the stop or in traffic jam slowly and smoothly can you put it on 2nd or 3rd gear first and twist the throttle?

[@jamilangon5798]

he did mention that other manufacturer are gearing towards a MT/AT system meanwhile honda: we had it more than a decade ago 😅

[@Jack-kj1zu]

I wonder how well it works at slow speed maneuvering.

[@TerribleUsernameAmirite]

Oh yes. Finally, don’t need to buy an MV Agusta to avoid stalling at the lights.

[@bouhlassamohamed1337]

Awesome ❤❤

[@muhammadrifqi9287]

Is this feature means like AMT? Like you can control it manually and also the actuator can automatically control the clutch

[@marcoaguiar3226]

I wonder if the new cb1000r will come with it now that would be cool...

[@shaxei7116]

"Is it worth it" bruh £100 to make using your clutch entirely optional, of fckin course it is. If it were a £1000 addon, no I'd probably pass, but £100? absolutely.

[@xman3514]

I like the normal clutch system

[@leos8720]

Honda are the best Moto brand in the world 😊...I have one😊😊

[@aneet247]

How is the performance of the downshifts for e-clutch when compared to the auto blippers?

[@Mr0901]

5:50

[@thodoris3790]

i m fine with a smooth quickshifter

[@nikvret9544]

With E clutch must close the throttle to change a gear ?

[@paronupponen8746]

Wouldnt this be great on crf300? You could have both clutch and automode? Or future crf450?

[@jimistalione16]

is it too much to ask for a 500 adv or dualsport with eclutch?

[@mosca3289]

I want one on my urban commute bike

[@kevindarkstar]

There will always be people who don't feel comfortable with something controlling the clutch