Africa Twin
ADVENTURE AND TOURING
There are plenty of great Honda motorcycles that are sensational for off-road adventuring or racing, and plenty more that are incredible on the road or at the track. But what if you want to be able to enjoy riding both on and off-road, yet you don’t want to have to own more than one bike? That's where you need to take a good look at the awesome Honda Africa Twin; a bike you can ride to work during the week, that you can also train for the Paris-Dakar with at the weekend.
The Africa Twin is a dual-sport bike from Honda that made it into the retail domain following huge interest in the NXR750 that won the Dakar in 1986, and the first road-going version was a replica of the NXR750 that arrived in 1988 as the 650cc XRV650. From 1990 to 2003 it morphed into the 750cc V-twin XRV750T, and in 2016 it was completely re-engineered as the 1,000cc CRF1000L we know it as today.
Throughout its history, the Africa twin has been followed a steadfast philosophy of striking a perfect balance between power and weight to deliver a truly unique motorcycle with a user-friendly and capable engine; a comfortable chassis; and a striking, athletic appearance. It's quite a legacy for the Dakar-winning NXR750 that it inspired the Africa twin which is now a hugely popular model around the world with riders as diverse as weekend tourers, global adventurers and urban commuters.
NXR750 (1988)
NXR750 (1988)
Today's bike has come a long way since 1988 as it now boasts contemporary features such as an available Dual Clutch Transmission, Throttle by Wire, three distinct riding modes, and Honda Selectable Torque Control. Since the CRF1000L arrived in 2016, more than 87,000 have been sold around the world, and 2020 is definitely shaping up to be a landmark year for this latest sensational incarnation of the Africa Twin.
If you want a bike that can do just about everything, perhaps other than giving Marc Márquez a run for his money on the racetrack that is, the Honda Africa Twin is going to be high on the agenda for any discussion. While there are plenty of bikes around that were bred for the track and that are now equally at home on the roads of our towns and cities, the Africa Twin is a bike that was designed for and looks for adventure in more challenging environments.
While some SUVs now pay little or no attention to genuine off-road capability, the Honda CRF1000L has never hidden its dual personality and has never toned-down its off-road touring capability. Even if the standard model has got increasingly road-friendly and user-friendly as its development continues, the introduction of the Adventure Sports version in 2018 upgraded the long-range travel and off-road improvements already seen on the standard model, and also added additional touring amenities.
The CRF1000L became available in the UK in late 2015, and it was designed as an updated, more contemporary take on its predecessors, the XRV 750 and XRV 650. The original V-twin format of the Africa Twin was available in Europe between 1988 and the end of production in 2003. The CRF1000L was seen as Honda's answer to some of the heavier on road-focused adventure touring motorcycles that were already around, such as the BMW R1200GS, Ducati Multistrada, and Triumph Tiger Explorer. However, the Honda went in a slightly more versatile direction as it was a lighter and more off-road focused bike than what could have been considered its major rivals at the time.
To differentiate itself from the standard Africa Twin, in 2018 the Adventure Sports added a raft of additional features. These included: a larger fuel tank for greater range; increased fork and shock travel; greater ground clearance; a higher, redesigned seat; a taller windscreen; larger skid plate; crash bars; a redesigned steel luggage rack; heated grips; a 12-volt accessory socket and a rear storage pocket.
2018 also saw both bikes offered with either a manual or a Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), along with a number of further updates to make them even more capable and versatile and further broaden their appeal.
The changes and enhancements for 2020 are so wide-ranging that in other circumstances the 2020 Africa Twin and Adventure Sports could almost be considered "all-new". The changes for 2020 are focused on performance and technology, and they're pretty considerable. One of the most fundamental changes is the engine, which is a new Euro5-compliant 1100cc parallel-twin that now develops 75kW and 105Nm of torque, which are 6% and 7% respective increases on last year's model.
Perhaps the next most impressive enhancement is a 10% improvement in the Africa twin's power-to-weight ratio, which is achieved as a result of a 5kg overall weight reduction. Other performance improvements come about as a result of the bikes now having four pre-set riding modes and a couple of user-selectable options, and these features offer scenario-specific tailoring of Power, Engine Braking, HSTC, Wheelie Control and Cornering ABS settings of the 2020 CRF1100L.
HSTC, the new Cornering ABS, Wheelie Control and Rear Lift Control features are now controlled by a six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit, and cruise control is now a standard feature of the CRF1100L. An all-new 6.5-inch TFT Multi-Information Display with Apple CarPlay compatibility and Bluetooth connectivity is also being introduced, which also offers touchscreen functionality.
2020 AFRICA TWIN ‘PLUS’ EDITION
Each ‘Plus’ Edition will be supplied with a full range of Genuine Honda Accessories, including a choice of all-new Aluminium or Plastic Luggage boasting a combined storage capability (Top Box + Panniers) of 112L or 128L respectively. The model comes with a standard 2 year warranty across all accessories.Both sets of luggage will come as standard with a dedicated set of Inner Bags. Additional storage space will be available via an all new 4.5L Tank Bag constructed from waterproof material and featuring a clear front pocket for convenient storage. All the luggage is accessible via one key operation.
Reading about the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin and Twin Adventure Sports is one thing, but getting to grips with them for real is where you truly appreciate how special these bikes are and how much development work has gone into making them the peerless performers they are today.
At this year's Motorcycle Live, the UK's biggest motorcycle show, we'll be showcasing the entire Honda bike range, including the new versions of the incredible 2020 CRF1100L Africa Twin. Come along to try them on for size yourself, and have a chat with our friendly team who'll be only too happy to tell you all about the latest Africa Twin and the rest of the Honda bike line-up for 2020.
Today we're @motorcyclelive with @HondaUKBikes 🏍️
— carwitter (@car_witter) 19 November 2019
Loving the look of the new #AfricaTwin 😍 pic.twitter.com/wrE36TVMce
Of course, not everyone wants to ride on a race track, and plenty of people want to explore the fun and freedom a motorcycle can provide in a more rural off-road setting instead. That's where the Honda Adventure Centre comes in, and you'll be able to find out all about it, ask any questions you might have, and even make a booking at MCL 2019 in Birmingham.
Once again, the centre provides experiences for everyone from eager novices to the most experienced riders. The centre itself is set within the picturesque Exmoor National Park in Somerset, which offers some of the very best Adventure motorcycling terrain to be found anywhere in the UK, but is still just twenty miles or so from the M5 Motorway.
There are four different courses on offer at the centre, which are the two-day Level 1 course, two-day Level 2 course, two-day Level 3 course, and the one day tour. Each course includes use of some of the very best Honda bikes for the job, expert tuition, and guaranteed adventure. A pub lunch is also provided, two-day courses include an evening meal on the first night, and appropriate riding kit is available to hire at extra cost.
And when we say some of the best bikes for the job are provided for you to use, we really do mean it. The bikes the centre uses are the Honda Africa Twin, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports (manual and DCT) and the CRF250 Rally.
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