The best automatic motorcycles you can buy

Are you looking to transition to two wheels but feel a bit intimidated by the complexity of shifting? You're in luck. Even though the overwhelming majority of motorcycles today use manual transmissions, there's a growing segment of bikes that don't require any shifting or clutch operation by the rider. And, no, they're not scooters. Yes, we've been down this road before: back in 2006, Yamaha's FJR1300AE/AS model had a semi-auto clutch with electronic shifting, while a few years ago, Aprilia's Mana 850 GT came with a CVT transmission with the option of either full-auto or manual shift. Of course Honda was already doing its Hondamatic thing on the CB750A way back in the 1970s, and Ridley Motorcycle had its three-quarter scale V-twin Speedster and Auto-Glide cruisers with CVT automatic transmissions. But today, it's all (or mostly) DCT. The DCT (dual clutch transmission) still uses clutches, but ditches the clutch lever—the bike’s onboard computer does the shifting for you (though you can usually manually override the computer shift via handlebar-mounted switches). We hear die-hards scoffing, but the net result is a smoother shift, more stable launches, and better fuel economy. ADVERTISEMENT / ADVERTISE WITH US Lastly, we should mention that the only truly automatic bikes on the road today are electric motorcycles with a single speed or gear set controlled by an electrical current flowing through the electric motor (instead of mechanical energy acting on many gears). But we’ll sort the electric bikes out there in an upcoming article. In North America, Honda is leading the charge in the automatic arena, and it has a diverse group to choose from—everything from ADVs to cruisers to touring bikes, and, yes, a maxi (or mega) scooter. Flip through for a list of motorcycles that you don't have to shift.