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Ever since the beginning of pre-season MotoGP testing, trackside observers noticed that the factory Honda RC212Vs sounded differentnotably, that their gearshifting was almost imperceptible. Instead of the usual hesitation and pop during shifts caused by unburnt fuel being ignited when the ignition system came back online (powershifters momentarily cut spark to interrupt power which allows a conventional transmission to accomplish an upshift without backing out of the throttle or using the clutch), the Hondas simply changed engine note in an instantaneous and nearly indiscernible fashion. Immediately claims of Honda using a version of its electronic DCT transmission used on its latest VFR1200F made the rounds, but the problem there is that MotoGP regulation prohibit use of any purely electronic means of gearchange. FIM Technical Director Mike Webb was reportedly shown both the drawings and the actual transmission in a closed-door meeting by Honda reps to ensure that the transmission was indeed legal. More secrecy is kept by having only one Honda technician change gearsets at MotoGP; no one other than this HRC employee is allowed to remove the gear cluster cassette to change a gear ratio on any of the factory Hondas ridden by the Repsol Honda squad, or San Carlo Honda Gresinis Marco Simoncelli, who is also provided with a factory RC212V. Numerous theories and conjecture have since abounded on the Internet, but no real solid lead on the transmissions construction has been found. Until now Thanks to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices website (http://www.uspto.gov/) as well as Google Patents (http://www.google.com/patents), any and all patents applied for can be found in complete detail in order to allow inventors to search and see if someone has already discovered their idea. A little creative searching nets you some interesting information, but it takes some effort. By creative searching, we mean that corporations know people scour the USPTO site every day looking for corporate secrets before theyre officially unveiled, so they intentionally file the patents under names and descriptions that are as off-subject as possible. Thus, you wont find this patent under Honda or HRC or MotoGP. This particular patent applied for by Shinya Matsumoto (who has several other patents, some under Honda Japan and others by himself) is for a multistage transmission. What it describes is a transmission that uses an innovative cam/pawl setup inside the countershaft itself to engage transmission gears (similar to the Xtrac IGS, a company that works with Hondas IndyCar engine program) rather than sliding the gears across a mainshaft as with a conventional constant mesh sequential motorcycle transmission. However, the Japan Patent Office website (http://www.jpo.go.jp/) shows a patent no. 2010-203478 applied for by Mr. Matsumoto and Mr. Jun Miyazaki for an identical transmission designonly it also reveals that Honda owns this patent. There are several diagrams on the JPO patent application that show the device on a V-engine case, one that looks very close to the RC212V engine. Which is substantial evidence that this is indeed the transmission on the factory Hondas. How it works A conventional sequential constant mesh motorcycle transmission changes gears by sliding one gearwheel across a mainshaft until it locks into a driven gearwheel via internal dogslugs cast into one gear that fit into holes in another gearwheel. Moving the gears across the shaft is accomplished by yokes or shift forks, which are controlled by a shift drum. Because the dogs are made so that the gears lock together under power, power must be interrupted so that the gear wheels can be disengaged. Sliding the gearwheels across the shaft requires time as well. With the Honda multi-stage transmission, there are no shift forks, and there is no lateral movement of the gearwheels. Instead of using dogs cast into the gears to lock them to the countershaft, the Honda setup uses a series of cam-type rods that slide back and forth inside the countershaft itself. The camtype control rods actuate swingable pawls inside each gear that lock them to the countershaft when a gear change is enabled. The pawls and the steps machined into the inner portion of the gears are designed in such a way that when the next gear becomes engaged, the pawls on the previous gear detach naturally. This means that there is no power cut needed, power is continuously transmitted, and no clutch actuation is necessary. Because there is no large shift drum to control the shift forks, and since the gearwheels do not slide laterally on the countershaft/mainshaft, the gear cluster can be made more compact. The gears can be made stronger as well, since there is more room for gear teeth width.
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