Duel Africa Twin Adventure Sports Vs Tiger 800 XCA 2018
The unprecedented Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports and the Triumph Tiger 800 XCA put on their best backpacker outfit in 2018 to appeal to fans of efficient and well-calibrated trails … Pitting them against each other gives rise to a new very close comparative test as these two motorcycles are attractive ! Complete MNC duel.
Duel Africa Twin Adventure Sports Vs Tiger 800 XCA 2018 – Page 1: static
"Damn she’s high!" Perched at 900 mm in the low position, the adjustable saddle of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports sets up a "physical" barrier: small and medium sizes, to the soup! While seated in front of the raised handlebars (+32.5 mm compared to the standard Africa Twin), the 1.75 m riders touch the ground with the tips of their boots, ensuring stability as best they can. of this new version of Honda’s successful trail (). Small drop of sweat guaranteed during stationary maneuvers, especially on slopes !
- Africa Twin 2018 test :
- 2018 Tiger 800 XCA and XRT test :
- MNC file :
- MNC file :
The explanation for this selective accessibility is due to its poor suspension travel (+22 mm at the front and +20 mm at the rear compared to the standard Africa Twin), but also to its tank which goes from 18, 8 to 24.2 liters. This rather pot-bellied bottle spreads the legs further, logically increasing the arcade: "The Adventure" begins as soon as you climb into the saddle and "Sports" too. !
With "only" 840 mm in the low position, the saddle of the Tiger 800 XCA facing it is infinitely less giddy. In addition, the thighs fit better around its 19-liter tank, for the benefit of accessibility. Result: at least one foot flat is possible from 1.75. Reassuring in town and off-road, where being able to count on solid support is never useless !
Discovered by MNC in Morocco this winter, this "XCA" version caps the Tiger 800 range with a marked off-road orientation. Spoked rims in 21 and 17 inches, WP suspensions with 220 and 215 mm of travel, robust shoe and protection bars, "off-road" driving modes (with ABS and traction control cut off at the rear): like the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, the Triumph is (pre) prepared for all terrains !
Its new LED bar split lighting gives it a feline look (normal for a tiger!) That is both modern and suggestive. Very good! Hinckley’s bike gives off a feeling of robustness, but above all of quality: nothing sticks out on the Tiger 800 XCA and the materials are pleasant to detail. In this area, the Englishwoman takes the ascendancy over her Japanese rival.
Finishes and equipment: the Triumph advantage
Because despite its beautiful dress and its high quality of construction, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports does not reach the same degree of blamelessness in terms of finish. It is played out with small details, such as the dubious passage of certain cables, its unreinforced hoses (aviation on the Tiger), its less valuable hardware, its rustic-looking square buttons in the cockpit or even its monochrome instrumentation..
In addition to being moderately readable, this dashboard in vertical format is quite austere, even outdated. The contrasts are not strong enough and some characters are too small, such as engine speed. Worse: the reflections are numerous, complicating the reading of information back to the sun. To wonder if the previous dashboard was not more successful ?!
Next to it, the superb color TFT matrix panel of the Tiger 800 XCA makes a strong impression. Pleasant, complete and easy to control thanks to the practical joystick on the left hand, this instrumentation can also be tilted to facilitate its reading and avoid reflections. It is quite simply the best dashboard in its class … standard. The TFT panel is indeed even better in terms of presentation and functionality, but it is an option at 615 € !
The Triumph also launched in 2018 an adjustable windshield without tools in five positions, surrounded by efficient deflectors on the side. Protection gains at the level of the shoulders, moderately sheltered by the fixed screen of the Honda. It is also 8 cm higher than the standard Africa Twin.
Both protect the head correctly – up to the last third of the helmet – with a slight advantage for the Africa Twin Adventure Sports which bikers over 1.75m will appreciate. In the end, these two trails meet the needs for protection on expressways. Logic: if off-roading is part of their specifications, the road remains their main playground.
This compromise is felt in their comfort equipment: handguards and heated grips are installed as standard, as are a 12V socket, remote instrumentation controls on the handlebars, a luggage rack and grab handles (fairly basic on the Honda).
But while MNC leaves the motorway to branch off towards the -, the Tiger 800 XCA scores new points by showing off its plethora of equipment: backlit commodos, long-range headlights, USB socket under the saddle, cruise control and heated saddles are included on this high-end version !
Even if this debauchery of equipment comes at a high price (€ 14,950, it stings for an 800 cc!), The Triumph is a hit. Devoid of the aforementioned elements, the Honda "forgets" above all an essential element – present on its rival: a central stand, available as an option.
A bit stingy on a € 14,999 (€ 15,999 with DCT) motorcycle whose final transmission goes through a chain. Finally, some will tick in front of its tires which contain inner tubes, admittedly more obvious to repair but more sensitive to punctures. Same story on the Triumph, mounted with an inner tube contrary to what we thought at first glance (thank you to our reader Hilarion for his vigilance!).
MNC especially regrets that the Dunlop Trailmax 610W of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports still offer rather poor grip on wet or cold ground. The performance of the Bridgestone Battlewing of the Tiger 800XCA is more convincing, including off-road where the Dunlops are quickly "submerged" by mud for lack of sufficient notching..
- New : find the details of the motorcycles in our .
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