Dct not for me on a bike BUT if I had a slow speed, filtering through lines of traffic commute every day id probably seriously consider it.

Luckily its twusties all the way to work and back woop woop

Yep, filtering briskly through traffic on my Vespa is a real treat. Much quicker and easier than anything else.

Yep, filtering briskly through traffic on my Vespa is a real treat. Much quicker and easier than anything else.

 

Which Vespa do you have? I do like a good Vespa. 

Which Vespa do you have? I do like a good Vespa.

I genuinely thought they were just 'newer' or 'older'?

Are there many models?

I genuinely thought they were just 'newer' or 'older'?

Are there many models?

The traditional two stroke manual gearbox P series have been around for 40 or more years with only minor changes.

In terms of modern 4 stroke CVTs, they are split between small frame air cooled motors up to 125cc and large frame with liquid cooling.

There have been three small frame shells since the late 90s. The ET , then the LX & S models from the mid 00s then recently the Sprint & Primavera.

The large frame started with the GT125 in about 2003, then the GT200, GTS125, GTS250 and GTS300 followed.

All use the same chassis with S models having fuel injection, and there are GTV versions with more retro styling.

Mines an 08 GTS 300 and I fancy a change but there's nothing significantly different to replace it with.

They do a much better 350 engine in their other brands (33 instead of 23bhp) but there's still no sign of a new Vespa to put it in, so I'm going to sell it soon and buy a weekend car instead for a while.

The traditional two stroke manual gearbox P series have been around for 40 or more years with only minor changes.

In terms of modern 4 stroke CVTs, they are split between small frame air cooled motors up to 125cc and large frame with liquid cooling.

There have been three small frame shells since the late 90s. The ET , then the LX & S models from the mid 00s then recently the Sprint & Primavera.

The large frame started with the GT125 in about 2003, then the GT200, GTS125, GTS250 and GTS300 followed.

All use the same chassis with S models having fuel injection, and there are GTV versions with more retro styling.

Mines an 08 GTS 300 and I fancy a change but there's nothing significantly different to replace it with.

They do a much better 350 engine in their other brands (33 instead of 23bhp) but there's still no sign of a new Vespa to put it in, so I'm going to sell it soon and buy a weekend car instead for a while.

Interesting! Actually didnt realise there was that much to it . Other than the amount of mirrors of course .

Dont you fancy moving to a bike, rather than a weekend car? Just a thought

I've not ruled it out. I've had bikes before and will do so again.

I've not ruled it out. I've had bikes before and will do so again.

Always a good move

Mines an 08 GTS 300 and I fancy a change but there's nothing significantly different to replace it with.

They do a much better 350 engine in their other brands (33 instead of 23bhp) but there's still no sign of a new Vespa to put it in, so I'm going to sell it soon and buy a weekend car instead for a while.

 

Lovely, just what I was mooching about looking at on ebay last week, and the 250. Just need to justify another bike lol :(

Black, 23000km, with top box.....

 

I would seriously consider this bike if I was going to get a bike again, it would be a daily commuter and I think the DCT and lowdown torque of this engine (more like a car)

It is a car engine. Well, half of one, anyway.

It is a car engine. Well, half of one, anyway.

Should be under stressed and capable of very high mileage then!

Should be under stressed and capable of very high mileage then!

So is a diesel Astra...

So is a diesel Astra...

That aint no Honda engine though

I know how to change gear too, having cut my driving teeth on tractors with constant mesh gearboxes. Surely changing gears isn't the be all and end all of riding a bike, it is all about the experience and getting out and about on the open road. Having the bike changing the gears for itself means I can concentrate on avoiding the idiots on the road, SMIDSY's are all about! If I want to change gear myself I can do by flicking one switch to change up and another to change down, there is even an option to have a foot shifter. It even helps those who have problems like arthritis in the left hand to be able to continue to ride a bike as there is no clutch to pull in. Please don't knock it until you have tried it, it is a good bike.

Ian

I know how to change gear too, having cut my driving teeth on tractors with constant mesh gearboxes. Surely changing gears isn't the be all and end all of riding a bike, it is all about the experience and getting out and about on the open road. Having the bike changing the gears for itself means I can concentrate on avoiding the idiots on the road, SMIDSY's are all about! If I want to change gear myself I can do by flicking one switch to change up and another to change down, there is even an option to have a foot shifter. It even helps those who have problems like arthritis in the left hand to be able to continue to ride a bike as there is no clutch to pull in. Please don't knock it until you have tried it, it is a good bike.

Ian

Whats it like when overtaking if left to its own devices?

Will it quickly flick down the box when you open up?

People who have the vfr1200 with dct seem to rate it.

Id be interested in the question above and also slow speed manoeuvring ?

People who have the vfr1200 with dct seem to rate it.

Id be interested in the question above and also slow speed manoeuvring ?

From what ive read on the vfr forum, the 1200, like the 800, isnt perfectly fuelled, especially at low speeds.

So i doubt that helps.

Alot of them do seem to send their ECU to a guy in America to get it mapped correctly (removes the restrictor too iirc, the 1200's restricted to 155mph) and they seem to love em after that.

The way i see it, its like DSG for a bike, and i cant see anything wrong with that. I like DSG

Edited 13 August, 201510 yr by fabiamk2SE

Must say (I'll post separately about my bikes) that even though I'm open-minded and have owned a DSG car (Passat estate 2.0 tdi 140) and loved the gear box, I'm having to come down on the side of the manual gear changes on bikes at the moment.

 

If I was commuting I'd maybe take a different view (but if I was I'd probably get a big scooter anyway) but I'm not and use my bikes purely for pleasure and some of the satisfaction comes from not only the engine but being in full control and making a good job of changing gears at the correct time, including blipping the throttle when changing down. I get the same satisfaction from driving a manual car well.

 

With cars I'm increasingly finding that they do things I don't want them to do (I'll decide thank you!) and I don't want a bike going too far down that route. They are already getting too complicated with different settings, anti-this and anti-that and are moving increasingly away from the simple which made them attractive in the first place.

 

I'm fine with autos/DSG's etc. in bigger/executive type cars for effortless/relaxing driving but that's not what bikes are about for me.

 

As has been said, other folks have different wants and needs and I respect that. But if and when electric bikes become the norm (I probably won't be around then!) my riding days will be over.

Must say (I'll post separately about my bikes) that even though I'm open-minded and have owned a DSG car (Passat estate 2.0 tdi 140) and loved the gear box, I'm having to come down on the side of the manual gear changes on bikes at the moment.

 

If I was commuting I'd maybe take a different view (but if I was I'd probably get a big scooter anyway) but I'm not and use my bikes purely for pleasure and some of the satisfaction comes from not only the engine but being in full control and making a good job of changing gears at the correct time, including blipping the throttle when changing down. I get the same satisfaction from driving a manual car well.

 

With cars I'm increasingly finding that they do things I don't want them to do (I'll decide thank you!) and I don't want a bike going too far down that route. They are already getting too complicated with different settings, anti-this and anti-that and are moving increasingly away from the simple which made them attractive in the first place.

 

I'm fine with autos/DSG's etc. in bigger/executive type cars for effortless/relaxing driving but that's not what bikes are about for me.

 

As has been said, other folks have different wants and needs and I respect that. But if and when electric bikes become the norm (I probably won't be around then!) my riding days will be over.

A man after my own heart. In complete agreement with all of that.

Whats it like when overtaking if left to its own devices?

Will it quickly flick down the box when you open up?

It does take a bit of time, I had an opportunity to do so the other day. I was in 6th and it changed down quite quickly to 5th and a few seconds later down to 4th and accelerated quite quickly. I think if I were to be properly anticipating it I would manually flick down a couple of gears just before the overtake and then let the gearbox go back into auto mode when things settle down again.

Ian

It does take a bit of time, I had an opportunity to do so the other day. I was in 6th and it changed down quite quickly to 5th and a few seconds later down to 4th and accelerated quite quickly. I think if I were to be properly anticipating it I would manually flick down a couple of gears just before the overtake and then let the gearbox go back into auto mode when things settle down again.

Ian

Ah okay. Aslong as you can manually override it though.

Only like a manual too tbf. You have to inticipate it and knock it down a gear or 2 if you want a really fast take.

Although attached to the V4 of the 1200 vfr, it should shift lol.

You can put it into manual control all the time and do the gear changing yourself but that rather defeats the point of it. The way I did it later on was to flick it down a couple of gears on the left handlebar switch and then once I had rolled off the throttle after the overtake the gearbox changed back up into top.

Ian.

It does take a bit of time, I had an opportunity to do so the other day. I was in 6th and it changed down quite quickly to 5th and a few seconds later down to 4th and accelerated quite quickly.

Ian

That sounds like something of a lethargic overtake. If I'm overtaking I want to be in the right gear at the right time, already at overtake speed when I pull out onto the wrong side of the road, for minimum time spent facing oncoming traffic, not waiting for an auto box to wake up, then change its mind about its gear choice part way through the overtake.

That sounds like something of a lethargic overtake. If I'm overtaking I want to be in the right gear at the right time, already at overtake speed when I pull out onto the wrong side of the road, for minimum time spent facing oncoming traffic, not waiting for an auto box to wake up, then change its mind about its gear choice part way through the overtake.

But you can flick it down manually, like you can in a DSG car or most autos now, you can be in the right gear for what you plan to do.

At the end of the day, it is an auto. It cant predict what youre going to do next, or what the road is like ahead.