Yet my implicit point is not about me. Making motorcycles safer and easier to use is progress even if something of their excitement is lost. As a teen, I once heard several pilot instructors reminisce at lunch about learning to fly in the 30s and during WW II. They talked nostalgically of open cockpit biplanes without radios and soloing on their first flight in one seat, massive, powerful P-47s. They also recalled accidents and lives lost unnecessarily in training. None of them wanted to go back to that era.
My guess is that Honda knows that demographics and a diminishing appetite for risk are against the motorcycle. They are trying to save it by reducing the risk and difficulty through new technology. That effort may fail but it is not wrong.
What is safe about not knowing how to use a clutch?
Riding a real motorcycle is a task that involves dexterity, reflexes, and coordination.
Making it easier for the uncoordinated to ride seems against common sense.
It’s always been that for such a concern, the cvt was the answer. I ride with a cvt as well - in scooters. The cvt throttle response is consistent enough to meet my requirements.
I also make a habit of dispelling concerns of motorcycle safety. I believe and can reasonably argue that motorcycles may be the safest choice in personal conveyance. I’d be happy to share those arguments if you wish.