Honda CRF 1000L Africa Twin makes a comeback

When the Africa Twin was first launched, the Paris-Dakar rally used to be from Paris in France to Dakar in Senegal. The road going bike was based on the Rothmans liveried, purpose built for Paris-Dakar NXR 750 which won the original Dakar rally four times in a row. Of course, it was its success in the Dakar that prompted Honda to make a dual purpose adventure motorcycle based on the legendary NXR, and hence the Africa Twin name. It became an icon almost instantly and also a cause for worry for other dual purpose motorcycles like the BMW GS and the Triumph Tiger. Honda had discontinued the bike post 2003 but now after over a decade the Japanese marque is bringing the legendary name back.

The new Africa Twin, also called the CRF 1000L, first made its public appearance doused in camouflage and mud at the 2014 EICMA motorcycle expo in Milan. It was then revealed at Tokyo mid last year and will now be present at our very own Auto Expo.

The Africa Twin draws heavy inspiration from Honda’s CRF range of motocross bikes rather than the original XRV series. It features flat, wide bars with hand guards and ample dash space to house a sat nav. A comfortable seat height of 870mm coupled with high fly-screen too reasserts the motorcycle’s long distance intentions. Honda has also managed to keep the bike’s weight and dimensions in check. Where the BMW R1200 GS and the Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 look bulky and intimidating, the Africa Twin maintains a tall and slender stance. Even fully loaded it weighs 232kg (the R1200 GS Adventure weighs 259kg with the tank 90% full).

The bike is powered by a 998cc parallel twin motor compared to the 52 degree V-twins on the older XRV bikes. It makes 95PS of max power at 7,500rpm and 98Nm of peak torque at 6,000rpm. The figures aren’t overwhelming but Honda says that the engine has been tuned for strong and linear power and torque along with instantaneous response anywhere in the rev range. Besides, tearing up the tarmac isn’t an adventure motorcycle’s chief motive, instead it is all about making the power accessible when the tarmac disappears, something the Africa Twin should be more than capable of. The engine configuration also puts the Honda in a peculiar spot. It is neither directly comparable to the BMW R1200 GS and the Triumph Tiger Explorer nor lower displacement ‘mild’ off-roaders like the Tiger 800XC making the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 its nearest comparable option.

The gearbox is a 6-speed unit and Honda will also be offering an updated version its 6-speed dual clutch automatic that does duty on the VFR1200F. The gearbox will come with a D and three ‘S’ modes. In addition the adventure bike will also come with ABS and a three stage traction control as a part of an electronics package. Both the systems can be turned off completely though the ABS can only be fully deactivated for the rear wheel only.

45mm fully adjustable forks perform duty as the front with 230mm of travel while the rear monoshock is fully adjustable as well for damping, rebound and preload and can travel 220mm. The bike will also come with a height adjustable seat with the standard height being 870mm.  Braking duties will be take care of by two 310mm discs up front with radial mounted four-piston calipers and a 256mm single wave disc at the rear. In keeping with the adventurous virtues of the bike, a 21 inch spoked rim performs duty upfront in the front along with an 18 inch at the rear. Internationally the motorcycle is shod with Dunlop Trialmax rubber but in India they could be replaced.

From the looks of things, the Honda is well equipped to take the fight to its larger (pun not intended) rivals like the BMW R 1200 GS, the Triumph Tiger Explorer and the Ducati Multistrada 1200. However, as we’ve said before, the Africa Twin could very well create a niche of its own but even then Honda will have to give some serious thought to its pricing for India as here more often than not it’s the price that makes or breaks a product’s fortunes even if it is armed to the teeth with technology along with marking the return of an icon.