PRESS INFORMATION

October 2007

New Automatic Transmission

for Motorcycles

Human-Friendly Transmission

Corporate Communications Division

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Introduction
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has set the environment and safety
as two of the most important issues in becoming a leading
mobility company, and has committed to a variety of
activities. In terms of environmental protection, the
company has taken on a series of high-level goals and is
expanding application of the programmed fuel injection
(PGM-FI) system, which is effective in reducing emissions,
to cover most engine displacements, from small to large.
Honda is also committed to developing an engine with
a cylinder-on-demand system that varies the number of
active cylinders in accordance with riding conditions.
For enhanced safety, Honda has increased the scope
of application of advanced brake systems such as the
Combined Brake System (CBS) and Anti-lock Brake System
(ABS) to support improved braking efficiency, considering
the specific needs and characteristics of each market and
each model. The company has succeeded in developing
the first airbag system for mass-produced motorcycles in
the world and this system has been launched on the Goldwing in Europe, North America and Japan. Meanwhile, in
the area of educational hardware, Honda is cultivating
its own unique technologies through such activities as
research and development for a regular riding trainer and
a riding simulator, which allows riders to effectively learn
how to judge and foresee dangerous situations.
Along with these types of environmental and safety
activities, Honda is also putting effort into riding pleasure,
or in other words, the area of fun, through the development

DN-01
(Scheduled for exhibition at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show)

of motorcycle technology. With the aim of providing

products useful in the everyday lives of customers,
Honda has developed and sold motorcycles equipped with
easy-to-operate automatic riding technologies. As
a pioneer in the era of automatic systems, Honda launched
the Super Cub C100 in 1958, equipped with an automatic centrifugal clutch mechanism, which allowed gear
shifting without the need for clutch operation. The sports
bike Eara (750cc), released in 1977, was the first largesized motorcycle in Japan to feature a torque converter.
In 1980, Honda put the Tact on the market, a machine
equipped with the Honda-original continuously variable
transmission, the V-Matic, and Honda has continued to
develop a variety of new mechanisms up into the
present.
Currently, scooters are the focus for automatic
transmission use, but, for the motorcycle, with
its popularity as a hobby machine in Japan, the
U.S. and European countries, Honda believes
that there is a demand for even easier operation
in shifting with the automatic transmission and that
desire for automatic transmissions will increase from
now on, even for very sporty models. Honda has been
involved in the development of new automatic systems
suitable for these sporty motorcycles for many years
and is certain that the DN-01 with the Human-Friendly
Transmission (HFT) presented here will open new horizons
for motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide.

HFT
(Human-Friendly Transmission)

Development Target
The key concept in the development of the DN-01 was relaxed and easy operation with a luxurious feel and
striking uniqueness.
To realize this concept, the Human-Friendly Transmission (HFT) was adopted. Incorporating a lockup mechanism
and start clutch for even more compactness and improved efficiency, the major features of the system include:
A compact unit increasing machine design freedom
Highly efficient torque transmission due to mechanical transmission in parallel with hydraulic transmission
Simple system configuration and high level of controllability
The compact unit increases the degree of freedom in designing the motorcycle and the highly efficient torque
transmission allows a ride feel unique to motorcycles, while the various built-in shifting modes provide easy
and sporty riding pleasure.

Ride feel unique

to motorcycles

Innovative design

Easy operation

HFT System Configuration

The HFT consists of an oil pump for converting engine power into hydraulic pressure, and an oil motor for
converting the hydraulic pressure back into power for output.

HTF power flow

Power

Oil pump

Hydraulic
pressure

Oil motor

Power

Output shaft

The red area is the oil pump and the blue is the oil motor. The oil pump and motor each have swash plates and
pistons with a cylinder between the pump and the motor connected by the pistons. An output shaft is incorporated into the cylinder. The inclination of the pump swash plate is fixed, while the motor swash plate inclination
is variable.

HTF system components

Motor swash plate

Pump swash plate

Oil pump

Oil motor

Cylinder

Pump piston

Output shaft

Motor piston

Hydraulic Fluid Flow

High-pressure fluid flow
The engine rotates the pump swash plate, which has a gear mechanism. The rotating swash plate pushes the pump
pistons to increase the pressure on the hydraulic fluid and feed it to the high-pressure annular chamber. The highpressure fluid is then fed to the oil motor piston chamber where it pushes the pistons forward, which then push the
motor swash plate.

Power
Fluid flow from
pump to motor

Low-pressure fluid flow

The lower-pressure hydraulic fluid returns to the pump through the low-pressure annular chamber. In this way, the
fluid circulates between the pump and the motor.

Fluid flow from

motor to pump

Hydraulic Fluid Flow

Movement of distributor valves and pistons
The distributor valves play an important role in fluid circulation. The valves are placed both in the oil pump and
motor. When the pump pistons move to the compression side, the valves connect the piston chamber and the highpressure chamber. When the pump pistons move to the expansion side, the valves allow a connection between the
piston chamber and the low-pressure chamber. The valve in the oil motor moves opposite to its counterpart in the
pump, ensuring the circulation of fluid within the system.

Movement of oil pump distributor valve

Oil pump side

Oil pump side

Pistons move to compression side

> Fluid pressure-fed to high-pressure chamber

Pistons move to expansion side

> Fluid enters from low-pressure chamber

Movement of oil motor distributor valve

Oil motor side

Pistons move to expansion side

> Fluid enters from high-pressure chamber

Oil motor side

Pistons move to compression side

> Fluid returns to low-pressure chamber

The distributor valves ensure constant conversion of the engines output torque to high hydraulic pressure
power. The reaction to the hydraulic power is then converted to torque that rotates the cylinder, while the
movement of the distributor valves is regulated by an eccentric ring, for system simplicity and constant, stable
operation.
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Power Transmission
When they are pressed through the swash plate, the oil pump pistons compress the hydraulic fluid to feed to
the high-pressure chamber. The high-pressure fluid then generates pushing force which acts on the pump
and motor pistons and each piston receives downward reactive force from the swash plate. With the pistons
connected to the cylinder, the reactive force generates rotating force (torque) that drives the cylinder and the
output shaft incorporated into the cylinder.

Fluid force pressing pistons

Reactive force applied to

pistons from swash plates

Power Transmission
Motor swash plate movement and torque transmission
The torque available depends on the angle of the swash plate. The oil pump generates constant torque because the
inclination of its swash plate is fixed. However, torque generation may be varied by altering the angle of the swash
plate incorporated into the motor. The output torque is at a maximum when the motor swash plate is set at the maximum inclination. When the angle is decreased, the torque also decreases. With a perpendicular setup, the oil motor
does not generate torque and the only available torque is that directly transmitted by the oil pump.

Motor swash plate at maximum inclination

> Maximum torque transmission

Pump

Motor

Motor swash plate at medium inclination

> Medium torque transmission

Pump

Motor

Motor swash plate with no inclination

> Minimum torque transmission

Pump

Motor

Power Transmission
Motor swash plate movement and gear ratio
One function of the oil motor is varying the gear ratio by changing the inclination of the swash plate and the resultant
amount of fluid required by the motor. The amount of fluid required by the oil motor side creates the difference in
rotation between the pump swash plate and cylinder. When this difference is largest, the gear ratio is lowest.
When there is no difference, the ratio is at its highest.

Low ratio
With a large motor swash plate inclination, a large
amount of fluid is required, corresponding with
the larger strokes of the motor pistons. Therefore, the rotational difference between the pump
swash plate and the cylinder (output shaft) grows
larger so that the pistons move faster. The ratio
is thus at its lowest when the inclination of the
motor swash plate is at a maximum.

Large motor swash plate inclination

Large pump discharge

Large piston stroke

Medium ratio
As the motor swash plate angle is gradually
reduced, the amount of fluid required for motor piston
operation decreases. The rotational speed of the
output shaft increases and the rotational difference
between the shaft and the pump swash plate
decreases. Here, the gear ratio varies continuously.

Small motor swash plate inclination

Small pump discharge

Small piston stroke

High ratio
With no motor swash plate inclination, there is no
motor piston stroke and thus hydraulic fluid is no
longer required. The rotational speed of the pump
swash plate becomes the same as that of the cylinder (output shaft), resulting in the highest ratio (gear
ratio of 1.0).

No motor swash plate inclination

No pump discharge

No piston stroke

Electronic Shift Control

An electronic device was adopted for HFT shift control. The electronic control unit (ECU)
regulates control motor operation based on various information such as engine speed and throttle
setting. The rotation of the control motor is converted to a linear motion by a ball screw, varying the
inclination of the motor swash plate. To meet diversified rider needs, HFT offers two fully automatic
shifting modesD mode for ordinary riding and S mode for a sporty riding experienceor the 6-speed manual
mode, which gives riders the option of riding with a manual transmission feel. Riders can then switch among
the three modes in accordance with their preferences.

Control motor

Ball screw
Control

Engine speed (rpm)

Output shaft speed (rpm)
Throttle opening

ECU

Shift position
Mode switch
Motor swash plate angle

DN-01 Shifting Mode

Engine speed (rpm)

S-mode
D-mode
Manual mode

Vehicle speed

Lockup Mechanism
At the highest ratio, there is no torque transmission from the oil motor, but losses due to friction and fluid compression
occur with circulation of the high-pressure hydraulic fluid. To minimize losses while improving transmission
efficiency, the HFT is equipped with a lockup mechanism. The structure is such that the mechanism begins to
operate when it detects that the highest gear has been selected, and the distributor valve blocks the path of
the high-pressure fluid to the oil motor piston chamber.

Lockup mechanism

When the lockup mechanism is idle, the distributor valve moves with the eccentric ring in the outer perimeter
and switches between the piston and the high and low-pressure chambers. At the highest ratio, the hydraulic
actuator cancels the eccentricity of the perimeter ring and the distributor valve blocks the fluid path between
the high-pressure and piston chambers, causing lockup conditions.

When the lockup mechanism is off

When the lockup mechanism is on

Distributor valve

Low-pressure
chamber
High-pressure
chamber

Hydraulic actuator

The stroke of the distributor valve switches

the piston chamber hydraulic pressure.

The fluid path between the high-pressure

and piston chambers is blocked and there
is no distributor valve stroke.

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Lockup Mechanism
The hydraulic actuator carrying out for the lockup function is controlled electronically. According to information
on engine speed, output shaft speed and swash plate angle, the system ECU determines if the highest ratio has
been engaged and allows fluid flow from the external oil pump to the solenoid valve to change the eccentric
ring placement.

Engine speed (rpm)

Lockup mechanism control

Output shaft
speed (rpm)

Motor swash
plate angle

ECU
Highest ratio
determination

External oil pump

Solenoid valve

Operation
Hydraulic actuator

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Start Clutch
Smooth starting and stopping, along with overall system compactness has been realized by combining
a compact hydraulic start clutch with the HFT.
The start clutch consists of:

1. A clutch valve connecting the high and low-pressure chambers

2. A centrifugal governor that operates the clutch valve through engine rpm
The centrifugal governor rotates with the oil pump swash plate.

Centrifugal governor
Clutch valve

The weights inside the governor expand outward due to the centrifugal force resulting from the increased
rotation of the pump swash plate, which pushes the connected clutch valve inward. When rotation decreases,
spring force returns the clutch valve to its original position.

Weight
Clutch valve

Spring

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Start Clutch
As the governor moves, the clutch valve moves inside the hollow shaft to connect and disconnect the high and
low-pressure chambers. When the two chambers are connected, because fluid pressure is released into the
low-pressure chamber, no torque is transmitted and the clutch remains disengaged. When the two chambers
are disconnected, fluid pressure, torque is transmitted and the clutch is engaged. Since the clutch is operated
by regulating hydraulic pressure, taking full advantage of the characteristics of the HFT, start clutch operation
is smooth.

Low- and high-pressure

chambers connected
(No torque transmission)
High-pressure
chamber
Clutch valve

Low-pressure
chamber

Low- and high-pressure

chambers disconnected
(Torque transmission)
High-pressure
chamber
Clutch valve

Low-pressure
chamber

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