Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1526445
You can start or stop using it anytime you want, and the result is ultra-smooth shifts up or down and at any rpm. If you're on a racetrack, like we were for the first part of our ride, what you quick- ly learn is that an E-Clutch makes for the perfect quickshifter. It's so fun to ride that I spent the entire three hours, our total allocated time, doing laps, only stopping occasionally to change the E-Clutch settings so that I would have a full understanding of how each setting feels. More on that later. P114 RIDE REVIEW I 2024 HONDA CB650R & CBR650R As we gathered at the Atlanta Motor- sports Park for the press introduction for Honda's CB650R and CBR650R, the focus wasn't as much on the models, since they haven't changed much, but rather on the E-Clutch system itself and how it works. The Honda reps were all smiles as they described this all-new, first-to-market technology. I say "first to market" because we know that other OEMs are working on similar technology, but Honda is the first to offer it for sale, and personally, I think they nailed it. The E-Clutch is so simple to under - stand and operate that within minutes, I was sold. It's the perfect solution to getting new riders into the market with - out having them learn to ride on some oddball, one-off-type model where they don't learn to ride a motorcycle. With the E-Clutch you either choose to use the clutch or not to use the clutch. It's that simple. Squeeze the clutch, and you're operating the bike like any other motor - cycle you've ever ridden. Don't squeeze the clutch, and you can shift into first gear while sitting still and then ride away and never touch the clutch. Or, if you decide to use the clutch for this shift but not the next, you can. The system activates the E-Clutch for five seconds at low rpm and one second for higher rpm. Both bikes have a modern-looking dash. enced rider, it sounds exhilarating be- cause we know how to put it all together in a way that gives us life itself. We live and breathe for those moments. But imagine if we could have those same experiences—shifting and braking and everything we love about riding— with 25 percent less to think about. Twenty-five percent less to do, but in the same—maybe even in a more satisfying— exhilarating way. That's called revolution - ary, and it perfectly describes Honda's new E-Clutch technology. It works for everyone. Whether you're a brand-new rider worried about stalling the bike at a busy intersection or a hard-core track day rider who lives for the perfect quickshift. Finally, there's technology that works for all of us. A new backlit switchgear on the left handlebar includes a toggle so the rider can scroll through various E-Clutch settings.