LAST YEAR GOLD
SHIFTFX ELECTRONIC SHIFT TRANSMISSION
THANK FOR BDC
The sudden surge in interest towards cars with automatic
transmission, it is only a matter of time before motorcycle manufacturers start
to offer similar transmissions in their products. In fact, companies like yamaha and honda already
offer bikes with semi or fully automatic transmission. However, it is extremely
difficult to convert a bike with manual transmission to automatic transmission.
This could change due to the work done by Biperformance Development Corporation
or BDC. The company, based out of Waterloo, has devised a revolutionary
electronic transmission system named Shift FX EST or Electronic Shift
Transmission.
The ShiftFX took BDC nearly a decade to develop and produce. The ShiftFX, once fitted on a motorcycle, will allow the rider to switch between semi-automatic and fully automatic shifting modes. The ShiftFX system in semi-automatic mode works similar to a paddle shifter on a car. The gear shift controls are present close to the left palm of the rider. The rider will use a green button to upshift, a red one to downshift and a black one for neutral. The gear shifts are fast and smooth and gear changes in 30ms. In fully auto mode, all you have to do is concentrate on the road and twist the throttle to accelerate.
The ShiftFX Electronic Shift Transmission will only be
distributed via Original Equipment Manufacturers(OEM’s). This is because the
housing for the gear control unit has to be machined to fit the particular
engine and transmission drum combination. The upgrade from a manual
transmission to a ShiftFX system will roughly cost around $1000(Close
to Rs.70,000)
ADVANTAGE:
- It is most useful for handicap people
- It is more comfortable in traffic roads
- Easy for beginners
DISADVANTAGE:
- Price is high(nearly lakh)
- Mileage will be low
- It is not suitable for racers
