KTM AMT Prototype Gearbox Explained

KTM used the Erzbergrodeo 2024 to reveal what might just be the Austrian brand’s most extreme adventure bike to date.

Simply called the KTM AMT Prototype, there is very little official information about the bike, although rumours are beginning to swirl claiming that it’s the most extreme travel ADV from the Mattighofen manufacturer. It’s thought the bike will be coming in S (road-biassed), R (dual sport), and Rally versions. Quite possibly the most eye-opening aspect of the bike though is that it seems to be available with an automatic or semi-automatic gearbox.

The left handlebar of the new bike clearly devoid of a clutch lever and with an assumed shifting button visible 

Explaining the bike in a bit more detail, a representative for KTM at the event said:

“AMT stands for Automatic Manual Transmission, and it’s really exciting for us being here at Erzberg testing the gearbox in a real ready-to-race environment because that’s what we believe in.

“The big news is, of course, AMT means no clutch. What that means is you can ride the bike in full automatic mode if you want to. Or you can switch a button on the right [handlebar] here, and that will leave you to change gears manually. You can do that with your fingers [via the switch cube] up and down, or you’ve got a gear lever on the left-hand side, and it’s really interesting seeing what it can do at Erzberg.”

The technology behind the gearbox relates to a patent we reported on here at Visordown in 2023, and unlike the Honda DCT system, the KTM-designed gearbox utilises an electrical actuator to shift between the ratios, and a centrifugal clutch that allows it to come to a stop without stalling, and pull away from a standstill without any exterior input from the rider. The main difference between this system and the Honda DCT is that this offers, full automatic, manual shifting via the buttons and manual shifting through a gear lever, the latter of which is not an option on a DCT-equipped Honda. The system also differs from the Honda E-Clutch system, in that disengaging the clutch on the KTM happens via a centrifugal clutch, not an electrically actuated one like with E-Clutch. 

KTM clearly believes the bike has what it takes to succeed, as they took the new machine to one of the most extreme hard enduros on the planet, the Erzbergrodeo, handily located in Erzberg, Austria.

It was there that the French motocross, rally and enduro rider Johnny Aubert sweated it out on the big bike, managing to bring the prototype machine home in a respectable seventh place in the Iron Road Prolog, a dedicated class for large-capacity twin-cylinder adventure bikes.

More information will be getting revealed in September 2024. KTM has opened a page on its website allowing you to sign up for the latest updates. More information can be found on the official website.