Since we first saw the prototype a few years ago at the 2005 Tokyo
show, we had the feeling that the DN-01 was not just a futuristic
design exercise. It seemed like its intent was to find a home for the
new electrohydraulic HFT (Human Friendly Transmission), a transmission
that was gaining success in the world of ATVs, in a decidedly
unconventional motorcycle. Last year the production version debuted,
and it will be arriving in dealers (not in the U.S., for the moment)
with a 680-cc water-cooled v-twin engine derived from the Deauville
motorcycle. Aesthetically, the design of the final production version
is nearly 100-percent faithful to the first concepts.
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Honda HFT Transmission |
HFT Automatic; the secret
Well, we aren't going to go through a complete technical breakdown
here, the result of which would be a particularly complex discussion of
continuously variable transmission design. This Honda link
will tell you about the HFT technology if you are interested. Here we
intend to be more practical, and start by answering the question you're
all asking: does it work? The answer can only be a resounding yes.
Start the engine; press a button on the right marked "D". As soon as we
give the bike any throttle the "N" light goes out and the "D"
illuminates. We accelerate away as we would on a scooter. There's no
need to worry about a clutch lever or foot-operated gear selection
because those things don't exist on the DN-01.
What? We want to accelerate harder? Well, we'll have to press a
button at our right-hand fingertips. Once pushed an "S" illuminates
(for Sport) instead of an "N" or "D". It's quite clear that we're in
"S" mode when we open or close the throttle, because we can clearly
sense the electronic brain that controls the bike reacts more quickly
to our throttle inputs. In either case, there is clearly something
different going on here than anything we've ever experienced in a
megascooter: there is a distinct sense of connection between the
throttle and the rear wheel missing from most scooters.
When it's time to stop, you can press the right button to bring the
"N" onto the display. And as if by magic, we can now rev the
twin-cylinder engine without moving (or holding the brake). It's in
neutral as on any other bike.
It's also a manual!
Yes, the automatic mode works as advertised, and it works very well.
But since man cannot live on comfort and practicality alone,
particularly a man accustomed to two-wheeled vehicles, the bike offers
a playful side that appears once you press the button next to your
right index finger. Do so, and a number representing the gear we're in
appears on the right side of the screen. We're now in the manual mode,
where six preset ratios are at our command, except when we ask for a
gear that isn't rational. For example, at just 30 kilometers-per-hour
(18 mph) we can select fourth or fifth gear, but not sixth as the
bike's brain has determined that doing so will severely bog the engine.
Nor will the bike allow us to overrev the engine by selecting too low a
gear.
Manual mode allows you to safely downshift for acceleration or
deceleration. Something you probably do every day with your bike, but
the DN-01 does so without use of your hand and without a clutch. It's
all very video-game-like, but in reality the bike doesn't allow for
rider mistakes or strange behavior.
As also happens to automatic scooters that have preset gear ratios
(for example, the Suzuki Burgman 650), in practice one just ends up
leaving the bike in the automatic mode that most suits you, and that's
it. One last peculiarity: if we maintain a steady pace, the system will
eventually adopt he highest gear possible (lowering RPMs) to maintain
the selected speed. This is excellent for reducing fuel consumption and
emissions, in terms of both CO2 and sound.
Not just a gearbox
The DN-01, whose name is an acronym for "New Dream", brings much more
than an electrohydraulic gear shifter. The bike's design is futuristic,
but it has some features that reflect the "motorcycle of tomorrow" from
a decade ago. The aesthetic weight rests on the front end. Viewed from
the front, the design is aggressive and shark-like, with two
ellipsoidal and multiconvex headlamps leading the charge. The
windshield is low, clearly an aesthetic decision. The truth is that it
could be higher, but making it larger would ruin the style, and Honda
has been very careful with styling the DN-01.
Looking
at the bike from behind, the look is one of elegance and restraint, in
contrast with the front. This is a bit of a curiosity.
The chassis is a conventional double-cradle made of steel tubing,
but it is solid and does not flex as much as one might think given the
long overall length (the wheelbase is enormous). When we sit in the
wide saddle with our feet forward (on a cruiser-like footrest), and
with our hands held high and apart, we might think the bike is a
boulevard motorcycle and nothing else. Nothing could be further from
the truth.
All it takes is a slight hint of a turn (as if it was a car). The
incredibly low center of gravity does the rest, and the DN-01 takes the
corner without complaint. Only a few lightweight cruisers have these
moves, but they can't match the DN-01's stability at speed. We have to
consider that the suspension and brakes are those of an ordinary
motorcycle, and that the wheels are more like those of a sportbike than
a bike adorned in chrome.
Speaking of braking, the DN-01 incorporates a powerful and
unflappable system combined with the latest generation of ABS. We don't
like the bulky rear brake pedal, and the footrests rub as soon as we
lean the bike over, but they do fold easily. There isn't much to say
concerning the engine, and with the exception of the transmission
there's nothing here that we haven't previously seen. The engine has an
adequate amount of power to move the 270-kilogram (594 lbs.) bike with
two persons aboard to legal speeds with smoothness, low fuel
consumption and low maintenance.
What is it for and for whom?
These are questions that require some thought before we can reply.
Well, Honda asked us not to immediately compare their new product to a
scooter, a cruiser, or a sportbike, but to do so only after thoroughly
familiarizing ourselves with what it is, how it works, and above all,
its target audience. We were asked to try not to judge the new bike
based on the parameters used for scooters, cruisers, or sportbikes.
Let's break this down. A megascooter is not a direct competitor.
Megascooters have always placed a priority on a much larger load
capacity, and they've always had many more practical details (like
storage boxes or power outlets). Next to the DN-01, maintaining a
scooter requires more work; the DN-01 never requires one to change
belts or clutches.
If we compare the DN-01 to a cruiser, which with few exceptions are
equipped with a dazzling design and are highly customizable, the DN-01
looks the way it is going to look -- take it or leave it -- color
choice notwithstanding. But, in one sense, the DN-01's transmission
makes a mockery of any custom motorcycle, be it American, Japanese, or
European.
Sportsbikes are more agile and powerful, as are the majority of
motorcycles with medium or high displacements, but they are not as
unique as the DN-01, nor as easy to ride. Should you seasoned riders
think you're not going to like the relaxed nature of the HFT, suspend
judgment until you've ridden it for a few kilometers.
So what is it? It's a new product for a new audience. It may end up
being bought by the same people who first bought an iPod, or a
refrigerator with a crushed ice dispenser, or a plasma screen HD 1080
for the dining room of their home, of course linked to a Blu-Ray
player. This early-adopter might not have even thought about
motorcycles until they saw pictures of the DN-01 in design and
technology magazines, or on the internet.
It is to this audience that we state the DN-01 works very well, and
it doesn't require a degree to operate (you can get started without the
aid of your instruction manual). It doesn't have any space for a
MacBook Air (you'll have to bring your trendy laptop case), nor will it
recharge your iPhone. Perhaps a second generation (a hypothetical
DN-02, or DN-01 version 2.0), might have these features, but we have no
doubt that the HFT will eventually find its way into a wide range of
models . . . and deservedly so.
IN FAVOR:
Advanced Technology
Refinement
Unique ideas
Comfortable
Manageable handling
AGAINST
Mirror location
Driving Position
Only adequate power
Lacks space for cargo
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