Personally, I like automatic motorcycles. I also like traditional textbooks, for those who are about to pick on me in the comments below.
But for me, they offer something that most manual motorcycles don't. A chance to really focus on the basics of choosing a line, controlling the throttle, braking and leaning a bike. And not just for beginners, providing an easier route to motorcycling and learning motorcycle dynamics. Automatic motorcycles can even help seasoned riders improve their fundamentals because they remove one part of the equation, namely the clutch. This allows you to concentrate.
There are, however, cases where I'm not sure an automatic transmission makes sense. And one of them is with KTM adventure motorcycleswhere a clutch is such an integral part of the experience, it seems a bit odd.
Certainly, KTM doesn't think so, which is why the company showed off a prototype automatic transmission to the infamous Erzbergrodeo in Austria, putting the bike through its paces in the Prologue and preparing for the future of KTM.
There are already many automatic adventure motorcycles on the market, so this is nothing new. And I've enjoyed quite a few of them myself. But the weird thing is that it comes from KTM, the brand known to enthusiasts and adventurers alike. In other words, I understand why Honda and BMW offer AT, but are KTM customers really asking for it?
We'll find out soon enough, because along with the teaser video showing the camouflaged KTM AMT, the brand has also included a link to its website with a countdown timer. The site says: “Save the date. New technology is on the way for KTM enthusiasts to enjoy. » The countdown itself reflects the September 24 date for the AMT debut.
What I will say is that based on the teaser video of the bike, which is ridden along the Erzberg Prologue track by none other than FIM Enduro World Champion Johnny Aubert, the bike has look sick. As you would expect from KTM. But the glaring absence of clutch controls also seems unpleasant to me.
Maybe I'm wrong ? Maybe I'll get on this motorcycle and be like, “Woah, where have you been all my life?” We'll have to wait and see.
