Africa Twin Adventure Sport v KTM 1090R v Tiger 800 XCA
The most off-road of adventure bikes take on the UK’s toughest road test. Is Honda’s new Africa Twin a match for the best?
There are 250 miles to go, we’ve got three full tanks of gas, 38 grand’s-worth of adventure bikes, it’s raining, I’m wearing a dark visor and… short-arse snapper Joe topples off the 1090 R before travelling an inch. Yet, though he’s embarrassed, the big KTM simply shakes it off. It’s part of what these bikes are all about, after all. With 21in spoked front wheels, long-travel suspension, optional (or, in the KTM’s case, OE) knobblies, dirt-specific riding modes plus hand guards and plenty of crash protection, they’re not just intimidatingly tall, they also tend to survive well if the worst happens.
Joining the new Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports, we have the equally new Triumph Tiger 800 XCA, plus the aforementioned 1090 R, the most off-road specific variant of KTM’s big adventure family. Resplendent in this special 30th anniversary HRC red, white and blue, and with a regal glint of gold on rims and bars, the new Africa Twin’s not just eye-catching – it’s glorious. Better still, now being taller and with a larger tank, fairing and screen, it also has the stature and presence of the historic Africa Twins that the revived 2015 version lacked.
It’s not easy to get on to, though. Those new, longer, fully-adjustable 45mm Showa forks mean it’s a whopping 920mm to the top of the Twin’s classy, dual-textured seat and that’s a stretch for anyone, especially in winter gear. It’s 2kg heavier, too. Fill it up with fuel and topple over and I defy any one person to pick it up. But keep it upright and the Twin’s also an easy delight, immediately familiar and natural with typically brilliant Honda ergonomics and ease of use. Before I was out of the MCN car park I felt like I had the Honda sussed. By 10 miles the other side of Oundle we were bonding beautifully. Everything on the Twin works and gels so well. That 1000cc engine, though a parallel rather than V-twin, behaves very much like the latter, delivering easy, tractable drive so effortlessly and consistently I never need the tacho. The controls are glitch-free, too, the chassis’ balance is perfect, its ride sumptuous. So much so that, before I realise, we’ve devoured the A45 down to Northampton and have switched onto the sweeping A508 towards Stony Stratford. But even here, with
more demanding curves and singlecarriageway traffic to pass, the Twin is unruffled, its steering through wide bars is light yet precise, the feel from the Battlax tyres reassuring. At the A5 we turn back north towards Potterspury and switch bikes at the Super Sausage café. I try the KTM next and, though also a 1000cc twin-cylinder adventure bike, the contrast couldn’t be greater. Where the Honda is tall, roomy and comforting, the 1090 R, is tall, but far more compact, aggressive and raw. The pegs are higher, the riding position tilts you forward slightly, the tank is far slimmer and the view ahead is over more minimal, basic clocks and a far smaller, lower screen. On the move that sense of focus is even stronger. I tip-toe out of the caff, wary of the KTM’s knobblies, then release the Austrian twin’s 125 horses down the A5’s straight and – whaarrrp! – the R’s sheer dynamism takes me into a different world. The pace calms as we skirt around Silverstone, then we hit touring mode again for a stretch of A43 dual carriageway before the M40 north past the National Motor Museum at Gaydon. It all seems appropriate as there’s some kind of biking history being made here today, too.
But the KTM isn’t comfortable. While Joe and Justin in front on the Tiger and Twin respectively are serene and cossetted, the KTM, even with its stubby screen at its highest position, is exposed and awkward. Nor do things improve much after we turn off the M-way and take the A46 south-west towards Stratford. While tourists admire the classy Africa Twin, I feel like a hooligan aboard the garish and gruff KTM. From Stratford we head southwest past Long Marston before turning onto the A44 up Fish Hill’s three-lane hairpins past Broadway Tower. It’s a stretch of pure nirvana even in this murk, plus I’m now tuned into the KTM’s knobblies that perform impressively on the now drying roads. But though the R squirts and scratches decently, reeling in Joe’s Triumph, I’m still not convinced it’s enough. Yes, KTM’s supermoto and MX DNA is unmistakable and that’s what makes the 1090 R a dynamic, fun performer. But it’s also the reason its screen looks like it’s been cut out of a salad drawer, its switchgear comes from Duplo, it has the most basic clocks and spec and has none of the Honda’s sheen. Fancy suspension and brakes aside, I’m not really sure what the R’s £12.5K price tag pays for. After skirting Stow-on-theWold we pause at the ’50s-themed Cotswold Diner at Seven Springs before switching bikes again. After all the aggression and testosterone of the
KTM, the updated Tiger 800 XCA is not just a breath of fresh air it’s a familiar, welcome friend. Although there have been over 200 updates to Triumph’s popular adventure triple for 2018, its essential character and feel is unchanged. It’s a brilliant, versatile, entertaining and characterful all-rounder. The 800cc triple is both flexible and characterful and it handles well. Best of all, in this XCA trim, the Tiger also has genuine dirt ability. But by also being comparatively small and multi-cylinder powered, the Tiger, in this company, also feels something of a fraud. It’s more of a dressed up roadster than true adventure bike. But in most realworld respects that’s a good thing. It’s not perfect, though. Its nonradial Brembos lack a little power, the WP suspension doesn’t give as classy a ride as the KTM, the gear lever is a tad awkward, its sophisticated screen and switchgear are slightly baffling, and it certainly hasn’t the stature or thrilling dynamics of its rivals.
But, worst of all, the Tiger’s also a little anonymous. Yes, it’s a great motorcycle, but it’s by far the least charismatic here, both to look at and ride. It’s a device to be used, rather than loved.
I swap back to the Africa Twin for our final leg, which starts with 2030 miles of urban grind on the A421 around Buckingham and the maze of Milton Keynes. Even this doesn’t faze it. Yes it’s big, but its commanding riding position, excellent balance, light steering and flexible response more than compensate, and makes wiggling through traffic a breeze.
Back at MCN HQ we compare notes for a final time. Justin, though initially preferring the KTM, has warmed to the Twin: “It’s a grower, it’s got more character. Although the KTM’s great, it doesn’t endear itself to you– except for when you want to go ‘WAAAA’!”
All of us agree the Tiger is excellent, too – in fact, logically, it may even be the best all round bike here. But no-one lusted after it.
Yet the Twin, imperfect as it may be, just kept us coming back for more. “I’d happily go to Timbuktu on that,” said Justin. And if that isn’t the definition of a successful adventure bike, what is?