[TravelingMan]

Hypothetical question here please. Running down a good backroad at let's say 65 mph. Come up on an old truck doing 50. See a pretty big gap in oncoming traffic & decide to pass. How difficult is it to get the DCT to downshift a gear or two to accomplish this safely? Roll on the gas pretty hard? downshift manually? What to do??
Still arguing with myself about a DCT:serious:

 

[Gene Young]

Tap the downshift paddle. It is that simple. You can even do it white cranking the throttle.

 

[TravelingMan]

It won't downshift on it's own . . . . . at all?

 

[Bulitt]

Yup, you can tap the downshift paddle even in auto. Twice drops two gears.

I ride in manual all the time so I use the paddles a lot.

 

[Gene Young]

It won't downshift on it's own . . . . . at all?

It will if you give it wide open throttle (WOT), much like a car, but it is actually quicker to just tap the paddle because there is ever so slight a hesitation while it interprets the WOT move (just like a car). Tapping the paddle is immediate.

 

[TravelingMan]

:thumbup: How long will it stay in the lower gear before upshifting again?

 

[Big H]

:thumbup: How long will it stay in the lower gear before upshifting again?

Depends on how long you keep it wide open. Once I pass the other vehicle and get in my lane, I let off the throttle and it goes back to 7th gear.

Big H

 

[hojo in SC]

Tap the paddle to downshift but make sure your holding on, it has great acceleration.

 

[reginaldmc]

Depends on how long you keep it wide open. Once I pass the other vehicle and get in my lane, I let off the throttle and it goes back to 7th gear.

Big H

It also depends on what riding mode you are in.

 

[dduelin]

Manual tranny riders are used to having to shut the throttle momentarily in the downshift just before pulling out to pass. We do it without thinking, it's just part of shifting. With DCT you just hold steady throttle at 65 and press the paddle to execute a perfect rev matched downshift in a fraction of the time a great rider with a manual takes. Two quick presses, three quick presses, whatever. You can't over rev it by downshifting one gear too many.



Or just roll the throttle open and it downshifts on it's own just a little slower but still darn quick.

 

[El Toro]

What I do is, in anticipation of the intent to give it a vigorous twist, I tap the mode lever.

I generally ride in tour. One tap is sport. Tap then twist. It will take off. On the other side, close throttle and tap it three times to put it back in tour. Resume normal touring.

The manual method is good too. Put it in manual and paddle.

If you leave it in drive and paddle down, my experience is that it wants to shift back up more quickly than I would like.

There are a ton of ways to skin this cat. The guys who think they have more control options with a traditional clutch haven’t mastered the DCT.

 

[Farmguy]

In a non-passing situation, they will upshift quickly and keep rpm low IF you are gentle on the throttle -- just like most probably do with a manual. If throttle is aggressively applied, it will rev much higher before it shifts -- just like most probably would do when aggressively using the throttle of a manual.

In passing situation, if the throttle is held well above what is necessary for the current speed -- it will figure out that it is supposed to go much faster than current, and will downshift to help get there --- like most would probably to with a manual.
The number of downshifts will be in proportion to the amount of throttle above what is required for the current speed.

If it is run with aggressive throttle application, and the throttle is rolled quickly rolled off (either because of traffic or because desired speed reached) -- it will seem to hang in the current gear before upshifting -- as if it is wanting to be sure that no more rapid acceleration is required.


Sometimes I use the tap/shift in passing situations, sometimes I just twist and let it do it's thing.
Usually I run in tour. I don't don't switch auto modes nor do I change it to manual when I need to pass.

 

[El Toro]

Usually I run in tour. I don't don't switch auto modes nor do I change it to manual when I need to pass.

Most of the time, and especially on the slab, that’s what I do too. Your description of what happens is right on the money (of course).

When I tap to sport or manual, it is when following slow pokes who want to run below the speed limit on rural twisties where there is just one lane in each direction and limited areas not restricted by double yellow. In anticipation of squirting by a slow poke at the next legal passing zone, I will either drop to sport or manual. If it’s clear and legal to pass for a couple of hundred yards, I want to finish the pass quickly.

 

[BR-549]

It will downshift when you twist the throttle hard. However it takes a little time (it doesn't downshift as fast as a car automatic) it's not a mind reader. Don't think of it as an automatic transmission, it's different.



I do it the same as I do with a manual shift. When I know I'm going to pass or need to go I just hit the downshift button once, twice or whatever needed. It will stay there for a few seconds waiting for you to get on it. If you don't it will shift back up. If that bugs you there's always manual mode.



Sport mode will keep it in an aggressive gear.



There is a definite learning curve but once you get past that it's awesome.

 

[GoldwingRaider]

Hypothetical question here please. Running down a good backroad at let's say 65 mph. Come up on an old truck doing 50. See a pretty big gap in oncoming traffic & decide to pass. How difficult is it to get the DCT to downshift a gear or two to accomplish this safely? Roll on the gas pretty hard? downshift manually? What to do??
Still arguing with myself about a DCT:serious:

You are over thinking this a bit. You will be used to the DCT within 20 minutes of riding it. Good advice in this thread. Quick acceleration is no issue. You will love how quick the DCT is from a dead stop, too. You'll beat anything you encounter off the line, so if you needed to switch lanes from a light, or just want to embarrass a Harley rider, you will love it. It is smooth as glass s well.

 

[Big H]

It also depends on what riding mode you are in.

Well, I usually ride in Tour mode so I can't really say about the other modes. I don't see why the other modes wouldn't do the same thing in the same situation. If you are in a higher gear than when it downshifts to pass, why wouldn't the other modes switch back like Tour mode? Just curious about it now.

Big H

 

[Fred H.]

I don't see why the other modes wouldn't do the same thing in the same situation

The automatic upshifting and downshifting parameters are programmed into the TCM and are different for the different modes. In Sport mode it is very eager to downshift with just the slightest twist of the throttle and holds the lower gears to a higher RPM. In Tour it upshifts fairly quickly at a lower RPM and is slower to downshift and takes more throttle to activate an automatic downshift. In Rain mode, it won't hardly downshift at all, and stays in the higher gears nearly all the time. Eco mode is similar to Rain mode, except it will down shift a bit better in Eco.

 

[TravelingMan]

Thanks for all the info.:thumbup:. I think my concern is that despite being 74+ I still feel like I'm 17 and from time-to-time I like to "cut'er loose' every now & then". Sounds like I'm concerned about a loss that's not gonna occur. I CAN see where problematic situations with a manual might disappear with the DCT. Guess I'll make a move when the '20s arrive. Likely a leftover '19 unless there's some big changes or a color I can't live w/o shows up:wink2:

Thanks again for all the info!

 

[Big H]

The automatic upshifting and downshifting parameters are programmed into the TCM and are different for the different modes. In Sport mode it is very eager to downshift with just the slightest twist of the throttle and holds the lower gears to a higher RPM. In Tour it upshifts fairly quickly at a lower RPM and is slower to downshift and takes more throttle to activate an automatic downshift. In Rain mode, it won't hardly downshift at all, and stays in the higher gears nearly all the time. Eco mode is similar to Rain mode, except it will down shift a bit better in Eco.

Thank you for clarifying all this. I kind of figured that Sport mode would be the biggest difference when comparing.

Big H