Automatic Bikes You Can Buy in 2025

Automatic transmissions were once considered antithetical to the spirit of motorcycling and best reserved for the world of family sedans and the like.

But as the technology has improved and taken over even the most exclusive domains of Formula 1 racing and exotic sportscars, it has slowly but steadily gained traction in the two-wheeled world as well.

While still a relative rarity, automatic motorcycles are steadily becoming increasingly commonplace and are now presently available across a wide spectrum of motorcycles.

Here’s a brief overview of where we stand in 2025. 

Electric vs Automatic

Often when people think of automatics and two wheels, they naturally gravitate to electric motorcycles.

While it makes sense, electric motorcycles typically don’t have automatic transmissions, at least not in a strictly technical sense. Instead, thanks to their steady supply of immediate and constant torque, electric motorcycles generally utilize a single drive ratio, with no need for clutch or gearbox.

Conventional motorcycles with automatic transmissions offer similar benefits in terms of approachability and ease of use. And while more complex and costly to repair, they also provide greater flexibility in terms of delivering optimal powerbands across a range of riding scenarios.

Why Go Automatic?

Automatics have long made sense for scooters, which are aimed at a more general (read less enthusiast-based) audience. Scooters tend to be designed to transport students and workers across urban environments, one traffic light to the next, so making the act of riding as simple as possible is paramount. 

That same convenience comes in handy on full-sized motorcycles when in heavy traffic. But today’s modern automatics can also provide benefits in terms of safety, reliability, focus, and even performance.

More Than One Approach

Honda has proven to be a pioneer in the development and equipping of automatic transmission to motorcycles, most notably via its roundly applauded Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT). Meanwhile, competitors such as BMW, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and KTM are actively furthering the trend.

Honda’s DCT is similar to the semi-automatic paddle shift systems often found in sports-focused automobiles. In fact, Honda first introduced the technology in the VFR1200F sports tourer back in 2010, although it has since become a hallmark of the Gold Wing line, with the 2025 Honda Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT the most recent example.

The system eliminates clutch levers and the possibility of engine stalls but still provides the option of manual gear selection via a finger trigger/thumb button combo on the left handlebar. It also provides more nuanced options, such as manipulating power, traction control, engine braking, shift points, while offering distinct modes to contend with different road and weather conditions.

Honda has expanded the DCT’s reach to include several other categories, as it is now available on Africa Twin DCT adventure bikes, Rebel 1100T DCT SE cruisers, NT1100 DCT sports tourers, and the NC750X DCT commuter. 

Honda also offers another form of automatic transmission in the form of the E-Clutch for its CB650R streetfighter and CBR650 sportbike. The E-Clutch sports a standard left foot mechanical shifter teamed with the option to use either an automated clutch or a conventional lever.

BMW recently unveiled its own approach with the R 1300 GS Adventure, which is the German brand’s first bike to include its Automated Shift Assist (ASA) technology. It includes a hydraulic clutch and six-speed transmission with gear shifts executed in a conventional left foot manner when in M mode. However, it’s all executed behind the scenes via electromechanical actuators and a transmission control unit, also allowing for fully automatic D mode.

Yamaha is new on the scene as well with its Y-AMT, which is a similar electromechanical actuator-based semi-automatic system, albeit one equipped with left-hand triggers. While not yet available in the United States, the system has debuted overseas on the Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT, it is expected to graduate to greater usage across Yamaha’s line-up.

Kawasaki and KTM have each shown off their own takes. But the ultimate argument in favor of automatic transmissions on motorcycles – one capable of winning over even the most ardent purist – may soon come from Ducati, which is currently readying a version intended to not just to make riding easier on the streets, but to deliver superior performance on the racetrack.

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