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Message started by stevemillerster on 07/18/10 at 06:04:33

Title: Atomatic Bike?
Post by stevemillerster on 07/18/10 at 06:04:33

Anyone know of an affordable automatic motorcycle out there? I am looking for one for my wife, all I see is a hondamatic of yesteryear (not interested in older bikes) and the aprila mana 850 (11000.00) and a honda DN-01 (15000.00)

Thanks in advance!

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/18/10 at 06:25:22

Suzuki Bergman, but DONT LET HER have one! Ever.
It'll spank the Suzuki.
I thinki there are smaller versions.

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by james may on 07/18/10 at 06:33:22

Scooters usually have automatic. You can get 'em in big CC too so it won't have trouble keeping up(honda silver wing, suzuki burgman). Personally I don't like the seating possition or unstability of small wheels though.

Ridley makes automatic bigger displacement bikes, but they are pricey.

http://www.ridleymotorcycles.com/

Honda came out with a new VFR auto with double computer controlled clutchs.. it's a 1200 sport bike though not a beginner bike at all.. :P.

why does she want an auto? Shifting a bike manual is 10 times easier than driving a manual car and with wet clutches you don't have to worry about burning the clutch your supposed to slip it.. plus it gives you more control in slower speed.. The other thing about scooters is you start reving them up and they just sit there for a bit and then they kinda take off.

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by Stimpy on 07/18/10 at 06:35:23

Being perfectly honest here I personally find
modern maxiscooters simply amazing.

They might not out-cool a savage but they'll
out-maneuver, out-range, outrun and out
comfort most road bikes in a flash.

* Check out these models:
(search craigslist.org for a good deal)

- Suzuki Burgman (400cc & 650cc)
- Honda Silverwing 400
- Honda Reflex 250 / Foresight 250 & Pantheon 150
- all of them bulletproof

Have a bit xtra cash? Then check out these little jewels:

- Vespa GTS 250 & 300
- Aprilia Atlantic 500 / Scarabeo 500
- Gilera Nexus 500

* Just stay away from unknown Chinese brands, however Kymco (china/korea)
and Bajaj (india/kawasaki) are both excelent companies. Good luck.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/07_burgman400.jpg

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by 12Bravo on 07/18/10 at 06:36:08

Yes the Suzuki Burgman 650 will walk off and leave the Savage/S40. I know because I own both. ;D Suzuki also makes the Burgman in a 400. There is also the Ridley 750 but MSRP is around $18,000. If your wife doesn't mind riding a scooter, then look at the 400 and 650 Burgman scooter. They are crazy fast (for what they are) and very comfortable. Here is a picture of my 650 Burgman. I have since added a top case and side cases to it.
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss215/12Bravo10/Bikes/burgman1a.jpg

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by Oldfeller on 07/18/10 at 06:48:51

Scooter people all agree, the Bergman 650 isn't a scooter.

It is a luxury crotch rocket in disguise.

It will embarrass a lot of 2 wheeled vehicles you'd never imagine that it could possibly embarrass the living stuffin' outa from the stop light and in the twisties.

http://www.travelizmo.com/archives/suzuki%20-burgman-650-exec-2009.jpg

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by bill67 on 07/18/10 at 06:53:56

In around 1980 Suzuki made a 450 twin with an automatic,I drove one thought it was nice.

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by 12Bravo on 07/18/10 at 09:26:27

I have fun embarrassing people with my Burgman 650. ;D I love pulling up next to a Harley at a stop light and leaving them behind when the light turns green.

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by WD on 07/18/10 at 10:44:38

That doesn't take all that much... :-[ My little high bar Savage walks all over my wife Lisa's 800 Intruder, my friend Doug's 1500 Drifter AND his son Matt's 1995 Dyna with stroker kit.

I'd love to get my hands on an old 750 Hondamatic. My Dad hasn't ridden since 1964 or 65, he has artificial knees (thanks to Vietnam war damage) and thinks he is way too old to ride a normal motorcycle now. A freshened up Hondamatic with a rear lowering job is just what the doctor (me) and his friend Steve (vintage HD/Indian/Guzzi restorer/collector) ordered.

Still kicking myself for not buying a 450A we couldn't give away at the bike shop....

Title: Re: Atomatic Bike?
Post by Charon on 07/18/10 at 11:28:18

When I saw the topic title I was thinking about something nuclear, not "automatic."

Those old Hondamatic motorcycles were not truly "automatic." They were much closer to the old Buick Dynaflow. They consisted of a two-speed transmission and a hydraulic torque converter. The shifting from Low to High (or Neutral) was done using a conventional foot lever.

Honda is said to have considered a fully automatic transmission for their Gold Wing decades ago. They didn't implement it because of fear that the transmission would choose to shift under conditions where a shift might cause a traction loss, such as in a curve. The modern CVT used in most scooters doesn't make discrete shifts, so the problem doesn't arise.

I used to have a Honda 250 Helix scooter. I never had any problems with speed control, either low or high speed. The only odd quirk I noticed was when coming to a stop. As the speed dropped to about ten mph the centrifugal clutch would disengage, and the loss of engine braking almost made it feel as if the scooter accelerated. The CVT does "mask" acceleration because of its imperceptible shifting, and it is very easy to discover yourself going faster than you thought.

The only caveat I have with the modern generation of scooters is the brake controls. My Helix had a front brake lever and a foot pedal for the rear brake. Most scooters now have the rear brake operated by a hand lever where the clutch would be on a regular motorcycle. I fear lest I grab a handful of "clutch." I also fear many drivers of cars will stomp the non-existent scooter brake pedal in a panic stop.