At last Honda’s Africa Twin gets the tech it has always deserved. But does this turn it into a GS eater?
With increased capacity and a major technology upgrade, Honda hope the heavily revised Africa Twin will finally outsmart BMW’S pesky GS...
With 49,000 Africa Twins sold in Europe since they revived the model name for 2016, the CRF1000L has been a success for Honda. It’s a slight case of good but not quite good enough, though. BMW’S R1250GS continues to dominate the adventure bike market, and with a trickle of updates the Honda has felt a bit of a work in progress, especially with the hefty discounting (which has clobbered values of older bikes). So here’s version three: the CRF1100L. With a bigger and more powerful engine, the new Africa Twin is slimmer, lighter, has optional electronic suspension and, crucially, is loaded with the tech including an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a host of electronics and a super-fancy dash. Honda seem to have finally got the Africa Twin right. Well, almost…
The updates have significantly enhanced the performance and ride of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports. Armed with a
tank that’s six litres larger than the base Africa Twin, the previous Adventure Sports felt a little top heavy, and Honda have cured this by slimming down the bike’s waist and reducing its seat height. In essence they admit the Sports is a long-distance tourer (confirmed by now having tubeless tyres) and made it more appealing to this market. The adjustable screen does a good job of sheltering the rider and the claimed tank range of over 310 miles (Bike averaged 45mpg on the test ride, so a realistic 250 miles) is on the money for seeing-off serious distance – especially when you consider the AS version also has cornering headlights, cruise control and heated grips. It’s now safer too, the new IMU giving the 1100 lean anglesensitive ABS and HSTC (Honda’s traction control). And it all works. On the road the Adventure Sports is a brilliant bike to ride. The capacity boost from 998 to 1084cc has given the parallel-twin engine a welcome bit of extra pep; it might lack the drama and outright power of BMW’S Shiftcam boxer and your socks will still be in place, however this is a smooth and refined unit. A definite improvement. Vibes are minimal, the throttle connection is very good and the six-speed gearbox is slick. And if you go for DCT (dual clutch transmission), the latest version is now linked to the IMU. This means it knows what angle the bike’s at and responds accordingly, banishing any questionable gear selection when on an incline or in a bend. Having a slim 21-inch off-road-style front wheel raises no concerns in corners (the GS has a fatter 19-inch item), and as before the Africa Twin steers well. And with Showa’s fancy-titled Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERA) fitted to this ES model we’re riding, the Honda’s ride quality is excellent.
The suspension’s damping is linked to the rider mode (there are four preset ones, plus two customisable User options). The system responds extremely well, with a noticeable difference in damping between settings and an overall feeling of compliance. While lacking any selflevelling preload function, it delivers a plush ride quality – and it’s a worthy addition should you indulge in a little light off-roading too. Is it worth an extra £1400 over conventional suspension? I’d say so. It can’t be altered on the go, and so you’re a bit limited in how much you can tweak it once you’ve set off, but you quickly establish two ‘User’ settings that work. If you cover a lot of miles on questionable road surfaces it’s definitely worth it – so that’s basically anyone who rides in the UK… Of course it’s impossible to miss the swanky new TFT dash. This is a touch screen, stuffed full of data and features, and is lovely and clear to use. It’s not perfect, though. Honda have decided the touch function should only work at standstill, and it suffers a hint of lag when responding to inputs from the button-happy ’bar-mounted controls. There are connectivity issues too. You can Bluetooth link
‘On the road the new Africa Twin is brilliant. The upgrades and increase in capacity significantly improve performance and ride’
a phone, but to access Apple Carplay you need both a physical link from phone to USB port and to have a Bluetooth speaking device connected (a condition from Apple). This means finding a place to secure your phone as there’s no convenient cubbyhole, and wearing a Bluetooth earpiece even if you only want to look at maps and not make calls. It’s annoying. You can’t help but feel slightly let down by one of the new Honda’s headline features – which is a shame, as the rest of the updates significantly enhance the Africa Twin Adventure Sports’ performance and ride. Despite their rugged appearance, adventure bikes are generally used as road tourers with few ever venturing far into the rough stuff. While Honda love to shout about their Africa Twin’s off-road focus, for me the fact they’ve shifted the big-tanked Adventure Sports more towards road riding is a smart move. The addition of the latest electronic extras and gadgets means it now can compete with a GS in terms of technology – while still being around £2000 cheaper. Sure, the reality of the dash is a bit of a let-down, but the rest is hard to fault. Honda’s new CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports has matured into a serious contender for best in class.
‘The Africa Twin Adventure Sports competes with the R1250GS in terms of tech, while still being £2000 cheaper’