Adventure bikes are designed to be good at pretty much everything. That usually means compromise, because it will do everything well but won’t excel at anything. This Catch-22 situation is what has made manufacturers work hard and late into the night (or so we imagine) to develop an ADV that can actually do everything well. And with so many adventure motorcycles already on sale, it’s about time we got one proper do-it-all machine. Happily, there is one such machine. It might not be the most premium or have the most desirable specs, but it certainly is the one adventure motorcycle that does it all without compromise.
The Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Is The One Adventure Motorcycle That Does It All Without Compromise
The Africa Twin has earned a reputation for being an easy-to-ride motorcycle, both on and off-road, and not just for a full-size adventure bike. The Adventure Sports version is geared toward tarmac touring a little more, thanks to its smaller front wheel, but it retains almost everything that makes the regular Africa Twin such a good motorcycle. In addition, the Adventure Sports adds electronic suspension to the mix, elevating its comfort and usability.
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Price: $17,599
Honda being what it is, it isn’t going to occupy the most premium part of the segment. Quite the opposite, in fact: the Africa Twin Adventure Sports is among the most affordable bikes in the segment, and it definitely delivers the most value because of the sheer number of standard features it has.
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Engine
The Africa Twin has a 1,084 cc parallel twin with a Unicam SOHC head, four valves per cylinder, and a 270-degree firing order. It makes a mere 100 horsepower, which is quite low considering all the premium middleweight adventure bikes put out more power. However, the 82 pound-feet at 5,500 RPM is the important figure here. You get loads of torque across the rev range, and it will carry a pillion and luggage at highway speeds with ease. A by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU offer access to ride modes, power modes, cornering traction control, wheelie control, and cruise control.
Diving deeper, the base Africa Twin Adventure Sports has a six-speed manual transmission with a two-way quickshifter fitted as standard. However, the infinitely more preferable transmission is the dual clutch setup. This is a six-speed unit as well, but with full automatic abilities. There is the ‘S’ mode with three different, progressively more aggressive shift patterns for when you’re hustling along. You can also take manual control of the gearbox via buttons on the handlebars or the optional foot shifter that shifts like a traditional gear lever. A ‘G Switch’ is available, which slips the clutch more than normal for technical, walking-speed maneuvers.
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Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Chassis
Once again, the Africa Twin has a semi-double cradle frame, seen more on dual-sport bikes rather than tarmac-bound ADVs. That gives the Honda an advantage in the dirt. The subframe is made of steel for the strength it offers, while the swingarm is made of aluminum to cut weight. Suspension duties are courtesy of inverted forks and a monoshock, both with electronic adjustability. This Showa-provided electronic suspension has automatic damping adjustment, and the rear preload can be set with buttons on the handlebars.
The Adventure Sports has a 19-inch front rim, along with an 18-inch rear wheel. This should make it easier to handle on tarmac, but takes away a little bit off-road. Still, this is one of the better all-around adventure bikes. Coming to brakes, these consist of par-for-the-segment dual 310 mm discs at the front, and a 256 mm disc at the rear. Cornering ABS is standard and can be turned off at the rear.
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Dimensions
The Africa Twin Adventure Sports is a full-size motorcycle. But it is a little easier than the other full-size adventure bikes to ride, because Honda has focused on making it a narrow motorcycle. The seat height is a little lower than the regular Africa Twin, at 33.7 inches. The 535-pound curb weight is another factor that makes it feel light to ride. Oh, and there is a massive 6.6-gallon fuel tank, so you can go incredible distances without needing to fill up.
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Features
The Africa Twin Adventure Sports has a pretty complete feature set, beginning with a 6.5-inch touchscreen TFT display enabled with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Honda has stuck with the unique rally raid bike-like LCD screen below this one that offers basic information like speed and fuel level. There is a manually adjustable windscreen, and cornering headlamps as standard as well. The options list has utilitarian things like a center stand, engine, and crash guards, and various types of luggage and mounting points for the luggage.
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Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Competition
There is some very good competition for the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, but none of the competition has any real answer to Honda’s value. You could get the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special with the spoke rims and electronic suspension, but that will cost you over $22,000. There is the most premium adventure bike, the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally, with its V4 engine, counterrotating crankshaft, and rear cylinder bank deactivation, but you’ll have to pay over $30,500 for it. The segment leader is the BMW R 1300 GS Adventure, and it is available with an automatic gearbox. But adding the gearbox makes the base price balloon to over $28,000.
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Vs BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Automatic
|
Model |
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT |
BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Automatic |
|
Price |
$18,399 |
$28,390 |
|
Engine |
270° I2, Unicam SOHC |
Longitudinal boxer twin, intake VVT |
|
Displacement |
1,086 cc |
1,300 cc |
|
Power |
100.5 HP @ 7,500 RPM |
145 HP @ 7,750 RPM |
|
Torque |
82.6 LB-FT @ 5,500 RPM |
110 LB-FT @ 6,500 RPM |
|
Gearbox |
6 speed DCT |
6 speed AMT |
|
Electronic Suspension |
Yes |
Optional |
|
Curb Weight |
535 LBs (wet) |
593 LBs (wet) |
Source: Honda Powersports