New transmission for Honda's latest bike swiped from a Cub??

[kide]

My latest Cycle World magazine covers the US release of the Honda DN-01 motorcycle..

The big news other than the looks (cross between a Spree, a crotch rocket and a cruiser), is the "HFT" (Human Friendly Transmission), which is one of Honda's few attempts at an automatic transmission in a bike (they built 400's through 750's back in the 70's with a 2 speed called the Hondamatic ). Anyway, I read the description in Cycle World and then went searching because it sounded awfully familiar - here's from their 2007 press release....

"A transmission system with a wide range of functions in a single unit, the HFT is a compact and highly efficient infinitely variable transmission system encompassing functions for starting, power transmission and shifting, all on a single shaft. The basic configuration of the system consists of an <u>oil pump for converting engine power into hydraulic pressure, and an oil motor for converting the hydraulic pressure back into power for output. Both are made up of multiple pistons, a distributor valve and a swash plate for piston operation, while the cylinders are integrated into the output shaft</u>, forming the characteristic structure of the HFT."

Marlin: did S-D have any Japanese "tourists" visit about 3-4 years ago????
BTW - it does have a nifty gearset that essentially locks the box up in "high range", which would be like combining the I/O of both a hydro and manual transmission...

 

[mhomrighausen]

Kendell I. We have many visitors and non visitors (company people) from all over the world. I've visited with some of the engineers from our Japan based operations three years ago when we started transferring the 42 and 4T series to Japan. It doesn't surprise me for Honda to come out with that type of transmission. It's operation sounds similar to a transmission that we make which is Hydro/mechanical. Only on a much smaller scale of course.

In the 70s Sunstrand had a neat transmission setup that from what I've been told was a hydro/mechanical setup for the big trucks. They had a lot of warranty problems with it from people not servicing the system properly and failure caused by other problems outside the transmission's control, i.e. the air brakes locking up while going down the road. A widow of of one of the engineers that worked on the project said they were ever so close to perfecting the system when all funding was pulled.

 

[kide]

Ah Ha!!!!! I can see it 30 years from now on the Intergalactic Honda Forum... "How to repair the trunnion on your restored DN-01" , also all the arguments over gear drive versus HFT and lastly, "Using Hytran in your Honda DN-01"..

 

[aaytay]

 

[kmcconaughey]

Funny!

My 1973 Allis Chalmers model 620 garden tractor has a hydrostatic transmission mounted ahead of a 3 speed manual transmission.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Hmmmm, I wonder if they call the required fluid Hon-Tran....

 

[snicklas]

So do you think it will have the tell-tale whine when you change speed? After a few years do you think it will mark its favorite spot on the garage floor? How long will it take for the cork gasket to start leaking and have the lovely aroma of Hon-Tran in the garage?

 

[kide]

Scott:
Leakers??? That's only the models made after the Harley/Triumph/Honda conglomerate is formed in 2012 (right after the bailout of Yamaha by the Sudanese government)...
Oh and as far as whine? that's not audible above the clunking of the coal gasifier grinder that was introduced in 2014...

 

[stanner]

Will there be a rear PTO for mounting a rototiller? or a power angle blade?

 

[kide]

Nah... just a "bagger".......

 

[jlhayes]

Kendll Ide,

Ya Mean like mine ?

 

[kide]

Jim:
Verrrrry nice! What year??

 

[jlhayes]

Kendell
This is a 1978 CB 750-A with 7,123 actual miles
I road it some today.

These bikes were originally made for police work in the cities.

If you get a chance to read up on them, they delivered 1 more HP to the ground as the Harley 1100 of the same year.