Introduced last month, the Yamaha Automatic Manual Transmission (Y-AMT) was confirmed for the first time as a feature in the highly popular MT-09, updated for 2024.
Yamaha claims that this system will allow the new MT-09 Y-AMT to ‘create a unique symbiosis between rider and machine’. To achieve this, Yamaha maintains the base specifications of the MT-09.
The Y-AMT system offers the rider the option to change gears through buttons on the handlebar or use the built-in automatic shifting modes, where the bike makes all the shifts on behalf of the user. Similar to Honda’s already established Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), the Y-AMT eliminates the need for a clutch lever and gear shift pedal.
Like other gearbox options available for motorcycles, Yamaha’s system allows the rider to cycle through gears using buttons on the handlebar or using one of two automatic shifting programs. Manual shifting (via handlebar buttons) is performed with the rider’s index finger and thumb, which press a rocker switch. As with Honda’s DCT models, this eliminates the need for a gear shift pedal, and even in automatic mode, the rider can override shifts using the handlebar buttons. The gear changes are made by two electric actuators that take over the functions normally performed by the rider’s left hand and foot. Yamaha states that the system weighs 2.8 kg and has been designed for compact and lightweight installation, allowing it to be fitted to the frame without significantly increasing the width of the motorcycle.
An additional indication of where the system will be implemented is given further in the press release, with Yamaha revealing that the system will maximize Yamaha’s ‘crossplane engine power characteristics’, specifically mentioning the MT model range as a target. This is not Yamaha’s first foray into automatic transmissions for motorcycles. Nearly twenty years ago, the company developed the YCC-S (Yamaha Chip Controlled Shift) system for the FJR1300 sport-tourer. That system featured an automatic hydraulic clutch actuation system, allowing the rider to shift gears manually using a finger-operated shift lever.
