TIGER 900 vs AFRICA TWIN
Can the off-road biased Africa Twin and Tiger 900 Rally Pro make good road bikes?
P25
Developing an adventure bike is a tricky tightrope for manufacturers to walk. On one hand, you want to ensure your machine can live up to its rugged billing should owners want to take it adventuring. While on the other hand you need to be cautious that by doing so you don’t compromise its on-road performance.
Then there is the fashion aspect as many riders simply prefer the spokewheel, tall suspension look you get
with an off-road-focused machine over the lower-sitting, cast-wheel design of more road-targeted bikes. Is there an ideal middle ground? Honda and Triumph hope so with their Africa Twin and Tiger 900 Rally Pro models.
Aiming to appeal to the more rugged-thinking buyer, both the Honda and Triumph have tarmacfocused siblings for those less adventurous. In the case of the Africa Twin it is the more expensive ‘big tank’ Adventure Sports model that boasts a higher spec with optional semi-active suspension to appeal to tourers. Whereas Triumph’s option, the Tiger GT, has a smaller 19in front wheel with lower suspension and costs roughly the same as the Rally.
Yet in some ways the changes each manufacturer has made, in an effort to appeal to those looking to tackle the rough stuff, have actually improved the on-road ability of these two bikes. Take the Africa Twin for example.
When you stand next to it, the Honda seems tall with its 22.5mm higher bars and Dakar-style display giving it a very imposing front-end. However, throw a leg over the saddle and the Africa Twin’s narrow waist, courtesy of its compact paralleltwin motor, makes it easy to get feet flat on the floor. The Tiger may have the same 850mm-870mm perch but it can’t pull off the same trick. But there is a downside as the Honda’s pegs are higher than the Triumph’s, crunching up those who are longer in the limb, something that 250 miles of riding certainly highlighted, alongside the Honda’s firmer seat. But what of the taller suspension?
There was a time when long-travel suspension and a 21in front wheel equalled a wobbly ride and slightly unnerving feel from the front-end, but those days are long gone. “I reckon I’d match any sports or
naked bike on this road,” says Bruce after a spirited B-road ride. “The Tiger’s suspension is just perfect for these roads, it irons out every ripple and gives you really good mechanical grip as a result, leading to lots of trust in the front-end.” On the same roads, the Honda also shows excellent ride quality, however it does feel like it is using more of its suspension’s stroke, something excellent damping helps control, banishing any hint of a wobble. Weirdly, the Triumph’s composure makes it feel like it has a smaller 19in front as it is so assured in bends, whereas you’re always aware the Honda has a 21-incher. Would I be happy keeping up with sportsbike-mounted mates? Hell yes, especially with the Africa Twin’s new motor. Featuring more capacity for 2020, the Twin’s engine now has a muchneeded dose of drama about it that the slightly gutless older version lacked. It’s not a night-and-day transformation but it is one that enhances the Twin’s character, making it a genuinely enjoyable bike to let rev out and work. “It’s quite tall-geared but the gears are nicely spaced,” is Bruce’s summary. “Which means that when you want to up the pace you are always in the power. You don’t have to throw gears at it but it does respond well to being worked and feels nice and spirited.”
In contrast the Tiger’s triple, which loses out in capacity and therefore torque, can start to feel a bit gear-hungry when you up the pace. It’s not really a fault as such because a triple will always want to rev more than a parallel twin, and the Tiger’s excellent quickshifter reduces the chore of swapping cogs, but it is certainly less gutsy and as the revs rise so do the engine’s vibes, making it feel busier. Smooth roads with light traffic play to the Tiger’s strengths. It may be Triumph’s more off-road targeted Tiger but you get so many creature comforts as standard on the Pro version that it puts the similarly-priced Honda to shame. Honda may have updated the Twin’s spec for 2020 with an IMU adding angle-sensitivity to its electronics and also (finally!) fitted cruise control as standard, but the Tiger thoroughly trumps it with heated grips and seats as well as the quickshifter, adjustable screen, tyre pressure monitors, fog lights, back-lit switchgear and a 12V socket - items that (if available) are accessories on the Twin. On a bike with a £13k price tag that’s a bit of a black mark against the Honda. Having already ridden the MCN250 route on the Tiger Rally Pro against the very off-road focused KTM 790 Adventure R, I was expecting much the same from the Africa Twin due to Honda’s claims about it being more off-road orientated. But after 250 miles, it was a delight to discover that while certainly containing more offroad bias than the Triumph, Honda seem to have struck a really nice balance with the new CRF1100L Africa Twin. So while the Tiger is certainly the more accomplished road bike, the Africa Twin’s off-road compromises certainly don’t ruin the overall ride.
Bizarrely in fact, in some ways they actually enhance it.