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- Sport is not her thing
- The Africa Twin really doesn’t tempt you to heat
- The DCT automatic transmission is astonishing off-road
- Conclusion
- Data Honda Africa Twin
Honda
7th photos
Honda
1/7
With a lot of ground clearance, a lot of suspension travel, good steering behavior, large steering angle…
Honda
2/7
…and a slim seat-tank combination, the Africa Twin has the most important requirements for off-road.
Honda
3/7
The on-board computer can be switched on the left on the handlebars and the traction control can be changed while driving using a button.
Honda
4/7
Looks nice, but the dark display is not always easy to see, although the displays are extensive and clear.
Honda
5/7
The electronic, hydraulic and mechanical effort for the dual clutch transmission is enormous.
Honda
6/7
The Africa Twin is available for EUR 11,805 (without ABS) / EUR 12,405 (including ABS and traction control) / EUR 13,525 (including ABS, traction control and dual clutch transmission) [plus. NK] to buy.
Honda
7/7
It is not a sports machine, but as an adventure toy it is convincing across the board.
Honda CRF 1000 L Africa Twin in the PS driving report
Sport is not her thing
Content of
Almost three decades ago, Honda brought the Africa Twin. Now comes the modern version of the legend. A machine that wants to cover the broad area between travel and off-road – just sport is not her thing.
Sporty dynamism could be seen in the Honda A.Certainly not to blame frica Twin in the early 1990s. At that time she was moving forward extremely reliably and unpretentiously, but rather phlegmatically. Which is hardly surprising with a meager 50 hp from an initially 650 cm3 displacement. And yet the Africa Twin was celebrated from the start and is now called a legend by its followers. The reasons for this: It was due to their tourist qualities, their desert and adventure image, and their aura of indestructibility.
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Honda CRF 1000 L Africa Twin in the PS driving report
Sport is not her thing
Turns out willingly, but does not help
In terms of the key data, it appears conservative, but in the details there are technical delicacies. Honda has realized a total of 32 patents for the Honda CRF 1000 L Africa Twin. The parallel twin has a crankshaft with a 270 degree crank pin offset, which should give it the character of a 90 degree V-engine. And like the Crosser, it controls its valves via compact Unicam heads. The inlet valves are actuated directly via bucket tappets, the outlet valves via fork rocker arms. Two balancer shafts are supposed to ensure that the engine runs as smoothly as the first edition.
The first few meters of the presentation in South Africa near Cape Town are reminiscent of the old cult machine. The twin runs in all speed ranges as soft as butter and very easy to dose. Even just above idle, it delivers a solid torque plateau. The strength is certainly the middle range. It turns out willingly, but brings nothing. The modern Honda Africa Twin is also buttoned up at the top. In any case, this characteristic is not particularly sporty. It shouldn’t be, tourist qualities in everyday life and on tours were the primary goal. The six-speed gearbox and the smooth-running Slipper / Assist clutch work with typical Honda perfection.
Alternatively, a DCT automatic version of the Honda Africa Twin is available, which shifts the gears as smoothly as silk. The start-up also works much better than with all previous DCT expansion stages. The switching strategy can be influenced via various modes. In manual mode, the gears are changed using shift paddles on the left end of the handlebar. Unfortunately, the DCT version weighs a considerable ten kilos more. One also always has the impression that some power disappears in the double clutch. This may also be due to the fact that the gears of the DCT transmission are a little longer.
The Africa Twin really doesn’t tempt you to heat
Honda gives 232 kilograms for the weight of the shift version. Not a record, but an acceptable value. Especially since the designers pulled out all the stops to gather the masses around the center of gravity. You can definitely feel that in the handling. Even when the vehicle is standing, the CRF looks pretty well balanced. The very moderate seat height, despite the long spring travel, also helps. At low speeds, the Honda Africa Twin moves lightly and precisely follows the driver’s steering requests. At higher speeds, however, it needs a lot of force to turn, which is due to the gyroscopic forces of the large 21-inch front wheel. Typically Enduro. This also includes the long suspension travel, which brings a lot of movement into the vehicle, but also ensures excellent driving comfort. The fork and shock absorber have adjustment wheels for damping, a few clicks bring enormous differences here. Of course, that doesn’t change the soft basic tuning of the suspension.
So excellent facilities for tours. In addition, there is the comfortable ergonomics, a good wind protection despite the small screen. And last but not least, a good range: With “only” 19 liters of fuel, you should easily cover 400 kilometers if you can hold back on the throttle. But that should succeed, because the gentle Honda Africa Twin really doesn’t tempt you to heat. Therefore it is not a serious point of criticism that the brake does not exactly have the bite of a sport anchor. For emergency braking you have to pull the lever quite hard. If you can do that, you can enjoy the well-regulated two-channel ABS, in which the rear channel can be switched off if necessary.
The DCT automatic transmission is astonishing off-road
Wherever we were off-road, the ABS deactivated at the rear really makes sense. The somewhat crude traction control, which can be varied in three stages, can also be switched off there. The new Honda Africa Twin has the essential requirements for excursions into unpaved terrain: a lot of ground clearance, a lot of suspension travel, good steering behavior thanks to the narrow front wheel, a large steering angle for winding passages and a slim seat-tank combination.
The DCT version of the Honda Africa Twin is a real surprise off-road. Thanks to the automatic clutch actuation, you can never stall the engine, the power intervention is easy to control via the throttle grip. Even seasoned off-road professionals find it easier in difficult passages without shifting and clutching the clutch. A gravity switch also ensures that the automatic system adapts to inclines and declines.
Conclusion
It was always clear that the Honda Africa Twin is not a sports machine. As a tourist adventure toy, however, it can convince across the board. The spirit of the old cult machine can be seen in every fiber. After years of hardship for fans of the brand, there is finally a machine with excellent quality down to the last detail that you can’t blame at all – a real Honda.
Data Honda Africa Twin
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