Every New Motorcycle Engine and Transmission Launched in 2024 (and Which Bikes Use Them)

In 2024 we’ve seen bike makers from all over the world releasing new transmissions meant to improve rider experience, we witnessed the arrival of new engines, all of them special in some way, and we even got new screens, switchgear, and even clutches, just to name a few.

As the year slowly crawls to an end, we thought it would be best to look back at what very well may be one of the most transformative motorcycle technologies to come to light in years. Because the innovations cover several aspects of these machines, we’ll focus our attention on them in separate stories, dedicated to various technology advancements.

Until then, this story is dedicated to the new engines and transmissions that may their way into the public eye this year. They come from the big names of the industry, namely BMW, Ducati, KTM, Harley-Davidson, and Yamaha.

Because it is close to impossible to estimate at the time what impact these new technologies will have on the industry, we will list the new hardware on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning we’ll start with the one that was presented first, and end with the most recent one.

BMW Automated Shift Assistant (ASA)

The technological evolution of the past few decades has transformed motorcycling into something that suits most tastes. When it comes to shifting gears, for instance, riders can choose to go for either manual or automatic transmissions, just like drivers do. Like all such systems do, manual ones (with five or six speeds) need the operation of a clutch, but also a foot pedal, while automatic ones handle pretty much all tasks on their own.

Each design is meant to suit particular tastes and needs, but that doesn’t mean one is better than the other, as each comes with its own ups and downs. Manual transmissions give a more hands-on experience, but they tend to be hard to operate, while automated ones are easier on the rider, but impact fuel consumption and are quite expensive to maintain should something go wrong.

With the Automated Shift Assistant (ASA), German bike maker BMW intends to take the best of both worlds and remove the bad things. The system does this by automating the clutch operation of a transmission (something that happens at all times) and changing gears, but only when the rider needs this.

The hardware behind the idea is pretty simple, and relies on two electromechanical actuators installed in six-speed transmissions. It gives the rider a choice between using the manual (M) and automated (D) modes of operation for the gearbox.

The M mode leaves it up to the rider to chance gears by using the foot pedal – again, the clutch is operated automatically at all times. The D mode, on the other hand, lets the bike take complete control over gear shifting.

The advantages ASA brings to the table include the prevention of stalling, something that routinely happens in manual transmissions, the removal of the humane-engaged clutch from the operation of the bike, and the removal of the jolts and bumping of helmets when putting the transmission into higher or lower gear.

Based on the existing Shift Assistant Pro, the ASA works in conjunction with systems already included on BMW bikes, namely riding modes, active cruise control, and the front collision warning.

BMW presented ASA back in April, and since that time it has only rolled it out on a single model, as an option: the 2025 R 1300 GS Adventure.

2,000cc BMW Big Boxer Engine

It was four years ago when German carmaker BMW re-entered the cruiser segment with the R 18 motorcycle. Aimed directly at Harley-Davidson’s dominance there, the model now relies to do that on a massive presence, a number of distinct models, but above all, an impressive engine called the Big Boxer.

The engine was unveiled prior to the release of the R 18 in a number of custom builds commissioned by BMW. In the four years that have passed since, it remained largely unchanged in terms of, well, everything.

The Big Boxer is a 1,802cc unit capable of delivering a maximum power output of 91 hp and a maximum torque of 158 Nm, no matter the bike it is used on. Ever since it arrived it was dubbed the "highest-capacity 2-cylinder boxer engine of all time ever used in motorcycle series production."

That title fell during this year’s Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, where the Germans pulled the wraps off something called the R20. A concept by trade, it was meant to be "the epitome of expressive and cool design" that may or may not have a connection with the 200cc-powered two-wheelers by the same name from before the Second World War.

There were many things that made the R20 concept stand out, including an incredible paint job described as hotter than pink, but what caught our attention was the Big Boxer sitting in the frame. Why? Because it’s bigger than we’re used to, that’s why.

The new interpretation of the engine added the displacement of the original R20’s powerplant on top of the Big Boxer, and that resulted in a displacement of 2,000cc. We were not given performance numbers, but some additional details painted the picture of a significantly modified monster.

The engine is not only bigger, but it also uses new cylinder head and belt covers, a new oil cooler, and a 2-in-2 exhaust system.

When presenting the larger Big Boxer BMW said nothing about any potential production version of it. Don’t be surprised, though, if you see it taking its rightful place in the frame of a new model launching next year.

Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission (Y-AMT)

It took Japanese bike maker Yamaha a few months to respond to BMW’s release of a new transmission system, but it more than lived up to the task when it rolled out the Automated Manual Transmission (Y-AMT). A similar piece of tech with BMW’s ASA and KTM’s AMT (more on that in the lines below) it makes riding a Yamaha bike a breeze.

Just like the German solution, the Y-AMT is meant to remove the operation of a clutch and foot pedal when riding a two-wheeler, while at the same time leaving it up to the rider to decide if that’s what they want. A thumb-operated button on the handlebar is what allows people to switch between two transmission modes, automated (AT) and manual (MT).

The automated mode comes with two distinct settings (something neither BMW nor KTM offer in their bikes), namely D and D+. The former is to be used to shift gears at low rpms, giving the ride the smoothness it needs on long-distance trips or in cities. The latter, on the other hand, is to be used when more punch is needed, such as when overtaking or accelerating hard.

The tech draws from the lessons learned with the Yamaha Chip Controlled Shift (YCC-S) system used for the first time on the FJR1300 some 20 years ago. Unlike that tech, though, it uses two electric actuators instead of the hydraulic ones to go about its business, and has been designed to work in tandem with the ride-by-wire throttle control system, switchable ride modes, and cruise control.

The Japanese introduced the Y-AMT in June 2024, and since then it has already rolled it out on the MT-09, MT-07, and Tracer 9. Chances are we’ll see a lot more of it, though, as the tech was described by Yamaha as "the start of a new era" and the "most sporting solution in the two-wheeled sector."

KTM Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)

As it returned to the EICMA show in Milan in October with the most potent lineup of motorcycles and hardware in years, Austrian bike maker KTM brought along something called the Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), entering the game BMW started a few months before.

Just like the name of the tech says, the main goal for its existence is to give riders all the advantages of an automated transmission, but at the same time still allowing them to choose to be in full control of their mechanical horse. What that means is that, just as the BMW ASA does, the AMT comes with two modes of operation, automatic (A) and manual (M).

When the transmission is set in A mode, the hardware handles all the changes the gearbox needs to operate, going through six speeds (plus park and neutral) depending on needs. The M mode, on the other hand, gives the rider control over the bike through a traditional gear lever installed on the left side of the engine, and a paddle shift on the left switch cube.

Just like the ASA, the AMT removes the dangers of stalling from the equation when in automatic mode, and gives riders better control during slope travels and maneuvering at low speeds.

Since it announced the AMT, KTM already deployed it on two distinct motorcycles, the 2025 1390 Super Adventure S and its S Evo variant. More models are expected to follow suite in the coming year.

Ducati V2 engine

Engines are some of the most ignored pieces of hardware in the world of motorcycles, in the sense that not many new ones come around. Technically, that’s a good thing, because it means the existing tech does what it was meant to do, but that kind of leaves us craving for some developments from time to time.

That’s exactly what we got at the beginning of November 2024, when Italian bike maker Ducati pulled the wraps off the lightest twin-cylinder engine it has ever made, the new V2. A unit that takes its rightful place in the lineup of 90° V-twin engines made in Italy, a breed that’s responsible for no less than 400 wins in various motorcycle competitions. Quite big shoes to fill, then, but the V2 seems more than able to do just that.

The engine has a displacement of 890cc and makes use of Ducati's Intake Variable Timing (IVT) variable valve timing system. Its cylinders are rotated backward to optimize weight distribution, it has a bore and stroke ratio of 1.56 (making it suitable to take its place between the Testastretta and Superquadro), and has been designed to work with either six-speed transmissions or the Quick Shift (DQS) 3.0. A multi-disc wet clutch is what operates it, while its power is transmitted to the wheel through a chain.

I said earlier that the new V2 is the lightest twin-cylinder engine Ducati has ever made, and that’s more than obvious as soon as you look at the weight numbers. The powerplant tips the scales at close to 120 pounds (54.4 kg), 20.7 pounds (9.4 kg) lighter than the Superquadro 955 and 13 pounds (5.9 kg) less than the Testastretta Evoluzione.

Despite its weight, the unit is quite potent, as Ducati rated it at 115 hp and 92 Nm of torque. That’s standard, because a more powerful variant cranks out 120 hp and 93 Nm of torque, and can take that up to 126 hp and 98 Nm when a racing exhaust is installed. Separately, a detuned A2 variant is also on the table.

Since its presentation less than a month ago, the engine has already taken its rightful place in the frame of a motorcycle, the 2025 Streetfighter V2.

All of the above are the advancements made in the field of engine and transmission technologies this year, and even if they don’t seem like much, they’re quite a lot. For all intents and purposes, the hardware described above makes for the most intense months in the motorcycle industry of the past few years, a flood of such technologies compared to what we usually get. So, enjoy them, as who knows when we’ll see such abundance again.