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Yamaha Joins the Automated Manual Transmission Club

Expect Y-AMT on the MT-09 and other sporty streetbikes Yamaha announced a new automatic transmission system, joining the list of manufacturers introducing some form of electronic gear shifting technology following Honda, BMW, and KTM. The Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission (Y-AMT) system allows for quick shifting without the need for a manual clutch lever, with Yamaha claiming more consistently faster and precise shifting than the latest quickshifters currently available. Y-AMT isn’t Yamaha’s first foray into automatic shifting.

Motorcycles at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show

Two weeks ago, I took a break from my regular duties gathering news for Motorcycle.com to fly to Germany to cover the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show for our sister site AutoGuide.com. For two hectic days, AutoGuide editor Colum Wood and I scrambled across the massive 6.2 million square foot Messe Frankfurt trade fair compound, running from press conference to press conference to get the latest on exotic sport cars, futuristic concept models and international unveilings from the automotive world. It was heaven for car lovers, but for me, it meant fighting my way through hordes of photogs, auto-journalists and car show models to get the first photos of four-wheeled goodies from MINI, Ferrari and Lotus.

OEMs Plug into Electric Bikes

KTM introduced its prototype electric motorcycle earlier this week, and electric bike manufacturer Zero Motorcycles almost immediately responded by opening sales on its 2009 Zero X dirt bike (look for our review of the 2008 model next week!). But these two companies aren’t the only ones exploring the possibilities of electric-powered motorcycles. In September, Japan’s largest industrial information journal Nikkei Business Daily reported that both Honda and Yamaha have set target dates for launching their own electric-powered motorcycles.