Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports test

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Honda returns to the adventurous spirit of the original Africa Twins

In-line twin, 998 cm3, 95 hp at 7,500 rpm, 98 Nm at 6,000 rpm, from 243 kilos, from € 14,999

At Honda, we like not to think like everyone else. Between the V4 revolution, the oval 32-valve pistons of the NR, the "total control" philosophy of the CBR 900 RR and examples could of course abound, the world’s leading manufacturer does not necessarily like to follow major market trends.. In the world of big trails, for example, the big trend to compete with the BMW R 1200 GS scarecrow is the arms race, with heavy, powerful machines, equipped like a space shuttle…. and who tend to forget that what makes a trail is its simplicity, its consistency, its ability to give you a go under all circumstances.

In fact, at the launch of the CRF 1000 Africa Twin in 2016, Honda refused to enter this headlong rush with this efficient, balanced, affordable motorcycle, in short, on a human scale. A perfect equation which had earned him, following a vote by an international college of experts, to be elected "Motorcycle of the Year 2016" by Le Repaire. And we weren’t the only ones to love it: in two years, it has won over 51,000 bikers around the world, who have been won over by the automatic transmission at 45%. Although arriving after Italy, France remains a big market for the Africa Twin: indeed, no less than 4344 copies were sold with us, of which 47.5% in DCT boxes..

After two years of life, therefore, the Africa Twin doubles up with this Adventure Sports version. It celebrates the 30th anniversary of the first Africa Twin (the XRV 650 arrived in 1988), takes up the colors and is therefore intended to complement the range a little more adventurous. So let’s take a look at the question.

Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports review

Discovery

Taller, taller, beefier: it’s a fact that Adventure Sports stands out aesthetically from its little sister. She seems more mature and she’s definitely the head of the job, making you want to stick three clothes in a bag, on the luggage rack and go crisscrossing the earth on the small roads. Well, to me anyway, it has that effect on me.

But let’s not put the cart before the horse: before being an Adventure Sports, this new machine is first an Africa Twin. And you might not know it, but in 2018 the Africa Twin is changing a bit too. In fact, Adventure Sports is built on this renewed basis.

Taller, taller and stronger

What is changing? First, the accelerator: finished the cable, make way for a ride-by-wire, which allows Honda to develop its interface: we therefore now have, on all Africa Twins, four driving modes (road, city, all-terrain and a custom mode), three power levels, three levels of engine braking and seven levels of traction control (which is disconnectable, moreover). That’s not all: the exhaust is new, so are the balance wheels, and the sound and engine character should improve. We will speak again.

Ride-by-wire and riding modes are on the program

Less essential, but not negligible for all that, the Africa Twin 2018 have a new dashboard, a new battery (lighter by 2.3 kilos while having a lifespan four times longer, thank you technology! ), new tires, wider footrests, automatic return indicators (and with an emergency braking function: the warnings flash briefly during heavy braking), new colors and a golden fork.

The Adventure Sports adds a little to this: ergonomics, saddle, tank, fittings, bubble, a little equipment (heated grips are standard), this is what sets it apart. All this is also responsible for a weight increase of 6 kilos.

The model also sports a new look

Note that in the small world of “mid-size” trails and despite its power of 95 horsepower which would make it eligible for an A2 version, the Africa Twin is not intended for young drivers, unlike its competition, the BMWs. F 800 GS, KTM 1090 Adventure and Triumph Tiger 800.

In the saddle

This is a time of no discrimination and we must all be equal or risk social media and media revenge – not everyone will be equal when it comes to Africa Twin Adventure Sports. Because to go hand in hand with its adventurous vocation, the suspensions have gained 20 mm of travel and the saddle is straight up high: we go from 850/870 mm on the standard Africa Twin to 900/920 mm on the Adventure Sports.

The saddle height will be handicapping for small riders

It’s clear: gnafrons, legless, Dani Pedrosa look-alikes, garden gnomes and other circus curios will not be welcome on board. Me who measures 1.88 m, I do not put both feet flat on the ground. In addition, the saddle and tank are a little wider than on the standard version. No doubts: all of this will be a bit discriminating against those who do not have the appropriate size. An Adventure Sports motorcycle must be earned.

Let’s say, then, that you’re one of the elect. Once on board, we discover this new digital dashboard, richer and more complete. Later on the road, we will realize, alas, that it is not super readable (it depends on the brightness, but, overall, it is not terrible and it is even worse in TT , once a thin layer of dust has covered the whole). It is easy to navigate ("mode" button plus "select" sliders on the left stalk) in the driving modes.

The Adventure Sports receives a new counter

With one press on the starter, the vertical twin comes to life. And it’s not like it used to be !

Engine and transmission

The butterfly effect is when a little nothing can have big consequences. A little nothing, it’s the balancing pendulums that have been changed, as well as the escapement. The latter sees its capacity reduced from 4.6 to 4 liters and its internal composition go from 3 chambers to two.

And when you close your eyes and hear an Africa Twin Adventure Sports coming in the distance, or snoring its twin, you could almost think of…. dare the word, a Ducati! The exhaust note has a lot more presence, it’s deeper, more metallic. In a nutshell: nicer !

The engine does not change and gets dressed with a shoe

On the engine side, no changes: we therefore still have 95 hp and 98 Nm of torque, and, in fact, a full and full engine over a very wide speed range..

The Africa Twin has the advantage of being able to be available in a manual transmission version and another with DCT. It’s unique, so far, in the market and in this segment. If, personally, I tend to prefer the DCT box, note that box 6 is flawless and that in addition, an optional shifter appeared in 2018. Thanks to the by-wire, it has the up function & down and is very convincing in use. The DCT, on the other hand, is responsible for an overweight of 10 kilos.

In the city

Let’s be frank: not a lot of cities on this test, as the Spanish countryside around Malaga is not very urbanized. However, once its saddle height is domesticated, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, if it promises you large expanses of desert every morning in the parking lot, will know how to accompany you on a daily basis. Good turning radius, nice balance, smooth controls, flexible engine (we cruise on the boulevards at 50 km / h at a little over 2000 rpm in fourth gear), everything is fine.

Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports road test

On motorways and main roads

It has length, this twin! At 130 km / h in the last gear, we are barely at 4,500 rpm. It leaves room. Compared to the standard Africa Twin, the Adventure Sports version does better in all areas. Comfort, protection, autonomy, it is more than ever able to take you far, in comfort, safety, ease.

This version is more comfortable

However, we note that even if the bubble is 80 mm higher, there is some turbulence behind it; especially since if you have the template to put your feet on the ground, it is because you are normally tall. It could have been a little wider, this bubble, have deflectors, or be adjustable in height. This is not the case.

A note, however: with the by-wire, Honda had, technically, what to offer us a cruise control. This is not the case, but Triumph, on its Tiger 800 XRt and XCa, which is found in the same power and price zones, offers it ….

On departmental

A real trail has the double power of playing with all road conditions, including the most rotten ones, and of being forgotten to allow you to contemplate the landscape. The Africa Twin Adventure Sports is a real good trail, capable of crossing France (and other countries!) On the secondary network, at 3000 rpm in sixth, at 90 km / h.

No doubt, Adventure Sports is a real trail

Despite an increase in weight of 6 kilos compared to the standard version, despite a higher saddle, despite a larger size, the Africa Twin does not deny its DNA which consists of a homogeneity that is difficult to fault. Coupler, agile, easy, it plays with departmental, whether in ride mode or driving more removed. In addition, with the optional shifter, whether you are on the handlebars of the DCT version or the one with a manual gearbox, does not detract from the ease of driving and the lightness of the being..

Compared to the standard version, the Adventure Sports has the merit of hiding its excess weight well and of being always as well suspended, even if, compared to some competitors, it still has a little trim movements. pronounced when braking. It’s a trail, what ….

The increase in weight is not really felt

Off-road

The quality of the damping is once again emphasized in this exercise. The suspension travel, which has gained 20 mm at the front and rear, allows for fun without hitting the engine spoiler. Let’s say it again: it cushions really well !

A new 'Gravel' mode has been designed for all-terrain

Gravel mode is a bit odd, because if it reduces power, it defaults to setting traction control to 6 (out of 7 possible levels). In other words, you have to get it down to 1 or 2 straight away, if you want to be able to climb hills.

The standing position seems, at the beginning, quite natural: the handlebars have indeed been raised by 32.5 mm and moved forward by 65 mm, but we realize that, by increasing the pace on the track, we are sometimes a little too hung up on the handlebars. The position of the footrests seems perhaps a little too far forward; there may be something to be refined there. In any case, we did the rolling track, fairly easy and no crossing and, of course, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports came out with the honors. Ground clearance is 270mm and the aluminum engine guard is impressive.

The model does it with the honors on the rolling track

Part-cycle

For 2018, all Africa Twins receive new tires: Bridgestone Battlax A41 or Dunlop Trailmax 610W, while Continental TKC 80 are also homologated by Honda for those who want to go off-road..

On the road, a young colleague (whom a confraternal reserve prevents me from naming) went to test the asphalt by losing the front: the opportunity to see that the crash bars do their job well and preserve the integrity of the tank.

The bike is really well suspended

Compared to the Standard version, Adventure Sports has seen its suspension travel increased: it’s 20 mm more everywhere, so we go to 252 mm at the front and 240 mm at the rear. We have already mentioned the quality of the suspensions. Just like the saddle height, which can constitute a brake, in the singular! For the brakes, in the plural, it is below.

Brakes

The brakes are classic, but above all efficient: dual 310mm front discs with 4-piston radial calipers, 256mm rear disc with single-piston caliper. ABS can be disconnected from the rear for off-road use. Finally, when you write "classic", not that much: some competitors are content with conventional calipers. There, nothing to say about braking: power, feeling, dosage, everything is there. The emergency braking function is perhaps a little too sensitive: following colleagues and while it was not the big attack, we often saw the warnings light up briefly on braking…

The braking of Adventure Sports plays in the efficiency

Comfort and duo

In the opinion of the owners, the standard Africa Twin ends up hurting the foundation a bit over long distances and proves to be a little less "pullman" than an R 1200 GS or even a Yamaha XTZ 1200 Super Tenere. In fact, it would have been able to line up hundreds of kilometers to make a judgment, but the new saddle is still softer, almost "flexible" to the touch. At first glance, the comfort is on the rise. Higher by 80 mm, the bubble is nevertheless quite narrow at its top and turbulence still exists. Some competitors do better, especially the Triumph Tiger 800. Finally, the heated grips (on 5 levels) are standard.

General comfort is on the rise

We will talk about the duo later: indeed, we (once again!) Failed to nab a Geraldine on this test..

Consumption & autonomy

The new instrument panel incorporates a new fuel gauge which has 7 bars instead of 5, as well as an average fuel consumption and range indicator which can be displayed continuously. We are happy. But less than seeing that the tank capacity has increased from 18.8 to 24.2 liters. Honda has a range of 525 kilometers. At the pace of the test, the fuel consumption recorded on the on-board computer fluctuated between 6 and 6.9 l / 100, depending on whether you were on the road or off-road. In fact, we should be able to exceed the 400 kilometers of autonomy in riding use, which is not bad at all.

With its 24.2-liter tank, the Adventure Sports gains in autonomy

Conclusion

We loved the Africa Twin for its homecoming and its apparent simplicity. The Adventure Sports being a taller, heavier, more techno Africa Twin, is the charm broken? Not at all, because the DNA is unchanged: the homogeneity and the balance of this machine are still so striking, the weight is generally forgotten once in action.

The DNA of true trail running is also: ease, versatility, comfort, no hassles. If you manage to step over it (and we hear that not everyone will be elected!), Then the Africa Twin Adventure Sports immediately gives you the desire for a ride. More comfortable than the standard version, it extends its range and gains even more versatility. In the end, we can only praise this perfectly calibrated package: whether it is the (new) engine character, the level of power and the way in which it is available, the quality of the suspensions, everything is in its place. Like its predecessor 30 years ago, the Africa Twin is obvious.

It’s up to you, therefore, to invent the life that goes with it. Hey, what if you put down all your RTTs at once, to start with a whim in Iceland or Kazakhstan? The Africa Twin Adventure Sports arouses that kind of envy…

The Adventure Sports gains even more versatility

Strong points

  • Evocative look
  • Build quality
  • Nice engine (and which sounds better!)
  • Overall homogeneity
  • Versatility
  • Very good braking
  • Overall comfort
  • Increased autonomy
  • Complete electronics
  • The choice in the box
  • Good shifter (optional)

Weak points

  • Discriminating saddle height
  • Some turbulence behind the bubble
  • Complete but difficult to read dashboard
  • One color
  • No cruise control
  • No A2 version available

The technical sheet of the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports

Test conditions

  • Itinerary: 200 km and a test day in the vicinity of Malaga (Spain), with a little motorway, small departmental roads and 50 km of rolling track
  • Motorcycle mileage: 1200 km
  • Problem encountered: none

The competition: BMW F 850 ​​GS, KTM 1090 Adventure, Triumph Tiger 800

Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports video test

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