Honda Africa Twin: Buying
Distinct, quality and the only adventure bike to seriously make people think twice about a GS. Here’s how to bag a good ’un
COME IN, YOUR TIME IS UP
There was a new recall added in 2019 regarding the centrestand. It needs to be poked and prodded to ensure the clip that holds the whole thing in place isn’t going to make a bid for freedom and allow the stand to escape. It’s a small annoyance (just like the heated grips and spokes, right) but not worth getting flustered over as the rest of the Africa Twin proves why Honda have such a solid reputation.
REBOOTTHEDCT
Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) is flippin’ clever and removes helmet bashing from two-up riding. Shifts should be eerily smooth, but sometimes they get a bit lumpy, with more obvious changes. There’s a sequence of prods you can do to the D (drive) and N (neutral) buttons that pops the DCT system into ‘learning’ mode so that it rediscovers where to take up the drive. Your friendly local dealer will be able to waggle his fingers and sort it out if the gearshift feels less than perfect.
SHOWITSOMELOVE
Keeping the battery in tip-top fettle makes sure the CRF starts and behaves as it should. A trickle charger is a wise idea, especially on the Sport model with its lithium-ion battery. These need a specific charger, and should also never be jump started. Other routine maintenance includes running the correct slappy chain tension, which is a loose 50mm of slack measured with the bike on its sidestand.
WHEELSANDTYRES
Some bikes had rusting spokes. Honda changed to spokes that were ‘double dipped’ (fitted as standard from 2017) and rebuilt crusty wheels under warranty, but it happened again. All bikes should have been upgraded by now to stainless spokes. The 150/70 R18 rear tyre with inner tube limits rubber choice a bit, and some owners have converted their bikes to tubeless with tape over the spoke nipples. Most are fine... but would you be confident on a two-week riding holiday?
SWITCHING WARRANTY
The latest CRF1100L has perhaps the most annoying switchgear of any bike, ever (not helped by a dash interface that’s the opposite of intuitive), but at least the latest switches keep the water out. Early 1000s had issues with water getting into the starter button, which turned it into a notstarting button, and there were also issues with the mode selection button having a tantrum. Honda redesigned the part and all bikes should have had their switches squared up under warranty. So the bike you’re looking at has been done, right?
KEEP YOUR HANDS TOAST Y
There was a dealer remedy for the heated grips (a rather expensive £300 option when new). Owners complained that the grips just didn’t get warm enough to be of any real use, and although it led to lots of web-based speculation about the aluminium handlebar drawing the heat away the actual problem was with the control module. So if the bike has Honda’s official heated grips, ask if the fix has been carried out. If the bike doesn’t have warming parts fitted, Oxford’s Hot Grips (£80 or so) are a common feature on Africa Twins. But if you really do ride in the cold a lot, invest in heated kit instead.
STAYING IN GOOD HEALTH
CRFS need oil, oil filter and a good coat of looking-at every 12 months or 8000 miles. You’ll pay around £150. The major service is every 16,000 miles and adds an air filter and valve clearance check. There’s decent access to the top-end of the parallel twin but still budget for a bill of around £500 (dealers offer plans to make the cost easier to swallow). Or crack out the tools and wade in – just keep receipts as evidence. Spark plugs are £50 each and there’s two per cylinder. Thankfully they last 32,000 miles.
‘Some bikes had rusty spokes – Honda changed to double-dipped and rebuilt wheels, but it happened again’