Bike Files: Honda Africa Twin

Honda’s tall adventure bike is one of Britain’s most popular choices

What’s the history of the Honda Africa Twin?

Honda first introduced the Africa Twin way back in 1988. Powered by a version of the 650cc V-twin engine that also saw service in the Revere, Hawk and Deauville, it was inspired by the factory rally racers which were dominant in the Paris Dakar rally at the time, hence the name.

Honda’s NXR750V, and later NXR800V, won the famous desert race every year between 1986 and 1989 and although the Africa Twin road bike was a very different machine, it was an extremely capable dual sport machine (as adventure bikes were called at the time). Originally a 650, it was updated and fitted with a 61bhp, 742cc version of the engine for 1990. This XRV750 stayed in the Honda range for around a decade but was then largely forgotten about until the name was revived in 2015.

So is this ‘new’ bike on sale today?

Given the official designation of CRF1000L, and marketed using the Africa Twin name, the 2015 reboot was a massive hit upon launch. Adventure bikes were hugely popular and it was Honda’s first real attempt at a modern contender. The bike has evolved in recent years and gained a bigger, 1084cc, engine in 2020. This was a significant upgrade and is the basis of the Africa Twin which remains on sale today.

So it’s Honda’s GS clone?

Actually no. The Africa Twin is something of an inbetweener in the adventure bike world. The 1000cc parallel twin engine of the first CRF1000L made it sit more naturally against other middleweight parallel twins, like BMW’s F850GS and KTM’s 790 Adventure, not to mention the three-cylinder Triumph Tiger 800. Now with the 1100 motor it’s still quite a bit less powerful than the mighty R1300GS (making 100bhp to the German machine’s 145bhp), and something of a different proposition.

Different proposition?

With its big, skinny 21” front wheel and tall suspension, the Africa Twin has always been at the more ‘off-road’ end of the adventure bike market. It’s still a great road bike, although like other manufacturers they also offer a lower, more road orientated, version to try and attract a wider audience, in this case it’s called the Adventure Sports.

It also has to be said that the Dual Clutch Transmission helps accessibility for shorter and less confident riders, while price wise it’s a lot less expensive than bigger machines. In truth the Africa Twin, at least in its most basic spec levels, is most closely matched to middleweight adventure bikes both in terms of price and performance.

Excuse me. Dual Clutch what…?

Dual Clutch Transmission, or DCT as it commonly known, is basically an automatic transmission system. It allows the rider to choose between manual or fully auto shifting, although the clutch is always automated. It’s a great system, especially on a tall bike like this where pulling away can be tricky. You can specify the Africa Twin with a regular manual gearbox and clutch, or with DCT, although DCT is more popular on all variants.

Variants?

Yes, the Adventure Sports version has a smaller 19” front wheel and more of a road bias. With the accessory low seat, it can go down to a seat height as low as 795mm. It also has a bigger fuel tank, which holds a whopping 24.8 litres of unleaded, and Showa electronic suspension as standard. Both the standard and Adventure Sports models can be specified with DCT or manual transmission, and there’s the option of electronic suspension on the standard model too. Add in a host of different accessories and the number of variations you can have is huge.

What does the Africa Twin ride like?

Even with two seat height settings, it’s a tall bike and that will put some off, but the narrow saddle at least means it’s not quite as intimidating as it might look at first glance.

If you want an adventure bike to ride off road, the Africa Twin is one of the best in the business. On road, Honda’s endowed it with some excellent electronics (not to mention the option of the brilliant DCT system) and although it lacks the outright power of bigger adventure bikes, the motor’s lovely low down torque and the chassis’ agility makes for a deceptively quick road bike.

If pure road riding is your thing, the Adventure Sports makes more sense. It’s more accessible to more riders and with road focused tyres and shorter travel suspension it inspires even more confidence

Why should I buy a Honda Africa Twin?

Because you want an authentic adventure bike which is easy to live with, especially if you specify the Adventure Sports version with DCT suspension.