Honda at ABR Festival 2022
The ever-popular Adventure Bike Rider Festival was blessed with perfect sunny conditions as over 10,000 biking enthusiasts flocked to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire, the stunning backdrop to this year’s event held over the weekend of 24-26th June.
Honda were, as ever, on hand with a huge display of bikes, for both on and off-road, with many festival goers flocking to the stand early each morning to get their name down for a free test ride on machines from the 2022 line up.
In fact, demand for rides was so high over the weekend that Honda laid on no fewer than 650 test rides on machinery as diverse as the A2 licence-compliant CB500X, which was updated earlier this year, and the legendary GL1800 Goldwing, with new colours for 2022. For many, however, the opportunity to sample the stunning CBR1000RR-R Fireblade 30th Anniversary and the CRF1100L Africa Twin, with both the manual and six-speed DCT options on hand, was not to be missed.
One of the ABR Festival’s most popular attractions was the 10km purpose-built off-road trail. Again, Honda was on hand all weekend with bikes and expert staff from the Honda Off-Road Centre based in Devon. The team, led by three-times FIM 500cc motocross world champion Dave Thorpe, had a fleet of bikes available, ranging from CRF125F and CRF300 Rally to the Africa Twin. For many riders, this was their first opportunity to try the Twin’s unique DCT system off-road, an environment in which it makes perfect sense as you no longer have to change gear manually.
If you don't know what a Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) is on a motorcycle and what it does, you could always look up the official description from Honda of what a DCT does. As the world's biggest motorcycle manufacturer and a great exponent of the technology, we describe a DCT as a "computerised electro-hydraulic control system to switch between the gears of a conventional six-speed transmission. It is equipped with two clutch packs… one for odd-numbered gears – 1, 3 and 5 – and one for even-numbered gears – 2, 4 and 6."
That's what a DCT is, but what it does probably needs a little more explaining, and we're happy to oblige: "Before actual gear shifting operation begins, the system automatically prepares itself for the transfer of drive power between gears by starting up the rotation of the gear to be changed to. Its two independently actuated clutches then smoothly transfer rotation speed from one gear to the next without zeroing out the drive force transmitted to the rear wheel."
If you're very technically minded and understand how mechanical systems work, the official explanation is clear and accurate. If, however, you're not especially au-fait with advanced mechanics, a simpler, less-technical explanation is probably required so you really can understand just how great a DCT is on a bike, what it really does, and who it might appeal to.
It's perhaps easiest to think of a DCT as working for the rider a lot like an automatic transmission that shifts gears for you, which means you don’t shift gears manually if you don’t want to. Manually changing gears and operating a clutch can be a bit of a pain at times, especially if you find yourself in stop-start traffic, so a DCT can take the strain for you. A DCT can make riding a motorcycle more appealing and more accessible to those who like the idea of getting into biking but are not entirely sold on a manual-only transmission. The idea of changing gears on a motorcycle with your foot can be even more daunting to the uninitiated than the manual gearbox on car. What does need to be understood is there's a particularly big difference between a bike with a DCT and a fully automatic transmission, which is you still need a full manual licence for a DCT-equipped motorbike so you can’t ride one legally if you only have an automatic license.
The ABR Festival wasn’t just about the bikes. Numerous quality food outlets kept the thousands fuelled and happy while activities such as axe throwing, guest speakers and tutorials about travel and adventure riding catered for almost every niche and taste in the adventure arena. Biking celebrities seemed to be just around every corner and the fun carried on into the early hours as adventure bike fans enjoyed numerous live bands. The 2022 ABR Festival was a great success, blessed by great weather, in beautiful surroundings and run by friendly staff.
“I love the ABR Festival. It is one of my highlights of the year. To get the opportunity to ride so many different bikes, both on and off-road, to enjoy riding with friends, then relax and consume some quality food in a stunning location makes for a perfect summer’s weekend. Despite the huge attendance this year, it still feels like a relaxed, chilled-out festival, where everyone is there to enjoy riding and chatting about bikes.” - Adam Child ‘Chad’
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