Motorcycles with Automatic Transmission?

So I've got about 1000 miles on my first motorcycle, a 1982 305 CSR. I am liking it. However, I have tendonitis and my left arm is starting to have problems. I have not done anything unusual with my left arm so I am left to suspect it may be the clutch (even though the 305 has a very light clutch).

I seem to remember back in the early 80s that there was a Kawasaki that had an auto trans. I think it was the 440 LTD. What model of old Kawasaki had an auto trans option? What kind of reputation does the auto trans have?

Thanks,
HH

Honda Hawk was one.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hondamatic

The hondamatics are supposed to be good automatic motorcycles. I've never personally rode one but I've heard good things

Try adjusting the clutch

Once underway, it's okay to shift without using the clutch.

Good Fortune!

Honda made a 750 and a 450 cc Hondamatics . 2 speeds if I recall correctly.

azman857 wrote: Honda made a 750 and a 450 cc Hondamatics . 2 speeds if I recall correctly.

One of many Hondas that Dale Walker kicked ass on back in the day! :laugh:

Patton wrote: Once underway, it's okay to shift without using the clutch.

Good Fortune!

+1 here, I normally use it on my kz, but my gsxr wouldn't know what to do if I clutched between gears.

The newer motorcycles with a dual clutch transmission, which I guess is more or less an automatic and manual in one seem pretty neat, as used in older FJR yamaha, and the Honda VFR1200 among others. As to automatic back in the old 1978 time frame, they were pretty crude. I remember a test of the honda CB750 in standard and automatic in a comparison. The standard was around a 13 second quarter mile at 100mph give or take, the Hondamatic was around 17 seconds and don't remember the speed, but if it goes in sync with the time it would be like 70mph. Of course speed is not everything. The first cars with automatic in the early 50s suffered dramatically in acceleration vs the manuals of the time. With time a modern automatic will run with a manual after all the technology advances of 60yrs in cars. A 1978 motorcycle with an automatic is going to be pretty antiquated to say the least if it works at all, which is always a question with any automatic.

There is a healthy crew of guys over at sohc4.net that are bracket racing 750 automatics. They have one deep in the 11's and it's pretty damn consistent.

Dale walkers rides back in the 70s,the guy could put a mped into the 12s if he wanted to bad enough! :laugh:

Patton wrote: Once underway, it's okay to shift without using the clutch.

Good Fortune!

Patton,
wow neat. I looked it up on youtube a couple days a go. I rode the 305 to work today. It was pretty easy to upshift but it wasn't too long before I was downshifting too. On the way home I hardly touched the clutch. Only used it to stop and go. I usually use it to upshift first to second just because I am too impatient and like to accelerate. But overall going clutchless is a big boon for me.

Thanks,
HH