Semi-automated transmission control for motorcycle gearshift: design, data-driven tuning and experimental validation

This brief addresses the gearshifting problem for Semi-Automated Manual Transmissions (S-AMT) in powered two-wheelers, a powertrain setup that allows fast and smooth gear shifts with minimal modifications to the traditional manual powertrain layout. We show that with a proper synchronization between the electronic clutch and engine torque, excellent gearshift performance can be obtained, but requires precise parameters calibration. We thus propose the use of a data-driven approach with Constrained Bayesian Optimization to optimize control parameters. The procedure's effectiveness is demonstrated on a real vehicle, assessing performance in terms of optimality, convergence rate, and repeatability.