This a fishing expedition, to hook Mark of Baker Drivetrain! A little birdy over in Touring reckons you have an auto trans in the pipeline, for release later this year. Can you shed any light on this Mark?! We know you're busy with your new compensators, but I reckon they're put out to distract us prior to the main event!!!! Look forward to hearing some news.

 

chirp, chirp, chirp...(crickets)

 

It's coming a long well, I rode it last fall and as far as I'm concerned it's ready but Bert is not ready to release it yet.He still has a few parts he wants to redesign and some fine tuning on the shift points. The plan is have it ready by Daytona next year.

 

Thanks Mark.

 

Please, please, please, expand the design to work with 2007 models. They were still using throttle cables in 2007. James was kind enough to answer my questions at Bikweek in Daytona. I'm burning up clutch packs with the EFM Autoclutch that's installed now. Thanks.

 

I'm sure it can be done and I'm sure you won't be the only one to ask for it so eventually it will happen. The plan from the get go was to start with a late model and then work backwards as the requests come in.

 

I have a 1975 Moto Guzzi Automatic with a 950cc motor, and a Sachs (small automotive I'd assume) hydraulic torque converter and a 2 speed manual box. Originally Guzzi designed it as a one speed, but police testing asked for the "parade" gear. It can be run from a stop in either low or high gear (with low gear good for 85MPH and high gear good for 110MPH). These gears have the equivalent ratios of 3rd and "4.5"th in their regular 5 speed box. The torque converter has its ATF plumbed to an external oil cooler and oil tank. Many people use these to pull sidecars with no issues, and some have run over 1,000,000 miles as the fluid drive is quite easy on driveline parts.

How would your system differ? How many gears are you depending on? How are you shifting between said gears? Who (or what) initiates a shift event? I hear your system uses a torque converter, if so, is your torque converter oil seperate from the primary oil? Is it cooled independently? Is it ATF?

I have a bad left wrist, and I'll have to get rid of my Road King is I can't find some relief from the clutch pull. I tried the Rekluse Clutch, and wasn't impressed and felt it was an incomplete solution. I'd drop major coin on a torque converter solution. Please tell me more...

Thanks,
Mike

 

Mike, I will be surprised if there is any similarity between your Guzzi and the Baker trans. There are several options currently available in the auto world which they can adapt. At home we have two autos with twin-clutches, but that is an unlikely solution IMHO, unless it comes as an entirely new trans unit including casing. That wouldn't require a torque converter and Honda has a bike with that design, the VFR1200F DCT, so we know it can be made to fit in a bike. More likely is a mechanical trans, similar to the ones we all know, but electronically operated, with the torque converter smoothing out the take-up during changes. Or.....

It'll be interesting to see just what they have done!

 

As it stands right now it's a 5 speed, it does have torque converter and it is cooled and yes on the ATF. The computer does the shifting it is a matter of speed and RPM's just like a car. The only operation the rider has to preform is shifting from Park to Neutral to Drive, again just like a car via push button.

 

cool, keep us posted. I might add a 5 speed might be more gears than necessary depending on the maximum torque multiplication afforded by your choice of torque converter, but we all know more is more, right? 8^))