Honda has expanded the use of its E-Clutch system to five more bikes in its lineup - the CBR500R,CB500 Hornet, NX500, Hornet 750 and XL750 Transalp. Originally, the E-Clutch system debuted on the CB650R and CBR650R models and then made its way to the Rebel 300 more recently.
- NX500, CB500 Hornet and CBR500R use a cable throttle
- XL750 Transalp and CB750 Hornet use ride-by-wire
- In India, only the E-Clutch CB650R and CBR650R are sold
More Honda bikes get E-Clutch tech for 2026
It will be available as an additional variant to the standard model
Honda’s E-Clutch system allows the rider to change gears (both upshifts and downshifts) without having to manually engage the clutch, with that being handled by electronic actuators. The rider can even come to a halt in gear without having to go into neutral or pulling in the clutch. At the same time, if the rider wants to regain manual control of the clutch, they can do so at any time so Honda’s system gives you the option of riding traditionally as well as without having to shift gears.
Originally this system was only found on the CB650R and CBR650R but now Honda has made it available on five more models across two engine platforms for 2026. Since the Honda 650s used a cable-actuated throttle, the E-Clutch’s deployment on the simpler 500cc bikes is fairly straightforward.
However for the 750cc Hondas using a ride-by-wire throttle, Honda has had to do some work. Since both the E-Clutch and the ride-by-wire system communicate with each other on the 750cc Hondas, the system can automatically blip the throttle, matching engine revs to rear wheel speed for even smoother downshifts. For the off-road capable Transalp, Honda claims a small advantage when riding off-road, which is smoother upshifts while the rear wheel is spinning.
In India, Honda only retails the E-Clutch versions of the CB650R and CBR650R so other models like the NX500, XL750 Transalp and CB750 Hornet which are also on sale here could also soon continue in the same vein.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
