2026 Tracer 7 semi-auto option
By Ben Purvis
It's beyond doubt now that after decades of stumbles the idea automatic transmissions for motorcycles is finally becoming mainstream - with multiple manufacturers offering a growing number of automated boxes on an ever-wider array of models. Yamaha's Tracer 7 will be the next to join their trend with a semi-auto version joining the range in 2026. The bike's development isn't a huge surprise. After all, Yamaha already offers its 'Y-AMT' - which stands for Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission - on several bikes including the MT-07 that the Tracer 7 is based on.
In fact, it's surprising that the Tracer 7, which was updated for 2025, didn't receive the Y-AMT option at the same time as the MT-07, since its sports-touring style seems well suited to a semi-auto and the larger, three-cylinder Tracer 9 can already be bought with the Y-AMT box.
The new Tracer 7 Y-AMT's existence as part of the 2026 range hasn't been officially announced at the time of writing, but the semi-auto model has appeared in official European type-approval listings, showing four versions of the upcoming model - aligning with the Tracer 7 and Tracer 7 GT models in both full-power (54 kW/72 hp) and A2-compliant (35 kW/47 hp) forms.
Yamaha's Y-AMT works very much like a conventional manual transmission but adds a pair of electromechanical actuators and a control unit. One actuator deals with the operation of the clutch, the other is attached to the gearshift itself, and the control unit synchronises their movements.
The simplicity of Yamaha's system, and its bolt-on nature that doesn't require invasive changes to the transmission or the bike's electronics, (thanks to a standalone control unit and external clutch and shift actuators), means it's relatively straightforward for the company to adopt Y-AMT on almost any bike in its range.
That's contrary to some rival setups, like BMW's ASA (Automated Shift Assistant), which mounts its actuators inside the transmission, making it more compact but calling for substantial changes to the internal components. Honda's DCT, meanwhile, might have pioneered the success of semi-autos, but it's a much more complex, expensive and heavy dual-clutch design - with the advantage of genuinely seamless gearshifts, but a big penalty in price and complexity.
