:''See also

list of Honda transmissions Honda has long built nearly all of its own automobile transmissions, unlike many other automobile manufacturers which often source transmissions from external sources. The most notable exception was in 2014, when Honda decided to forgo an in-house ...

for other Hondamatics'' The Hondamatic (also called the H2) was

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

's first semi-automatic transmission. It was produced from 1973 through 1988. The ''Hondamatic'' name continued to be used on fully-automatic transmissions from Honda.

Design and Application

The original Hondamatic, like all following Honda automatics, featured gears on parallel axes rather than planetary gears like most other automatic transmissions. Each gear continuously meshes, and each gear included a dedicated clutch. The clutches are hydraulically controlled, applying oil pressure to the desired "gear". Shifting between forward gears was done by simply sliding the gear selector (actually a hydraulic valve) from 1 to 2. It did not automatically shift, but because of the torque converter, could be driven entirely in second gear. The Honda automobile

torque converter A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling that transfers rotating power from a prime mover, like an internal combustion engine, to a rotating driven load. In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the torque converter connects the p ...

had a lockup, leading the company to sell the original Hondamatic (which had just two forward gear ratios) as a three-speed. The true three-speed H3 was launched in 1979. In 1982 Honda introduced a four-speed fully-automatic (called ''Hondamatic Full-Auto''), followed by a fully-automatic three-speed in 1983. The semi-automatic version continued to be available in Honda's smaller cars, where it was gradually replaced by conventional automatics. With the 1988 remake of the Honda Acty/Street, the last Hondamatic was discontinued. Applications: * 1973–1983

Honda Civic The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. Since 2000, the Civic has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Honda A ...

* 1976–1983

Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of cars manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States since 1989. ...

* 1979–1982 Honda Prelude * 1982–1986 Honda City AA * 1982–1988 Honda Acty/Street

History

Honda could not make a conventional planetary gearset automatic transmission without infringing on any patents. Honda eventually asked Borg-Warner to design a prototype transmission for their upcoming vehicles. However, Borg-Warner declined. This was due to Borg-Warner not having transmission specifications that were efficient enough for such a small engine like the 500cc Honda S500 and one that was able to be reliable at a maximum engine speed of 8000rpm. This led Honda to design its own transmission. They purchased a transmission from Borg-Warner for the purpose of developing an original transmission design. They tested their newly developed automatic transmission on the L700. When testing and refinements had been made, Honda sold their first automatic transmission in the N360.

Motorcycle

The Hondamatic was later used in Honda's 400, 450 and 750 cc

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance ...

s.{{cite web, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uPgDAAAAMBAJ&q=hondamatic&pg=PA31, title=American Motorcyclist, first=American Motorcyclist, last=Assoc, date=1 September 1977, publisher=American Motorcyclist Assoc, accessdate=10 March 2019, via=Google Books In this application, it was not a true automatic transmission, as the driver had to manually select one of the two gears. The transmission of the 750 Hondamatics incorporated two hydraulically-controlled clutches (one for each gear), with the foot-operated gear selector operating the hydraulic valve. The 400/450 Hondamatics, however, have no clutches at all. The foot-operated gear selector physically moves a gear with "dogs" to change gear engagement, the same as on a non-Hondamatic motorcycle transmission. Applications: * CB750A (1976-1978) * CB400A Hawk Hondamatic (1978) * CM400A Hondamatic (1979-1981) * CM450A Hondamatic (1982-1983)

Scooter, ATV, and power equipment

Honda also applies the ''Hondamatic'' name to a

hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...

piston-based

continuously variable transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. ...

used in motorscooters,

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...

s, and other types of power equipment. Applications * TRX500FA (2001-2011) * TRX400FA (2004-2007)

References

H2 Automatic transmission tradenames Motorcycle transmissions