Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
The Africa Twin is a bike you feel comfortable with right from the very start. In this company it’d be fair to describe it as the softer option with its lower power and overall specification, but it has a light, very well-balanced and predictable feel. I’d say the Africa Twin will suit a wide variety of riders, with the seat height being the main decider as to whether it’s for you or not. That’s not to say it’s too tall, and at just 5ft 6in, I felt happy on it once I’d got used to swinging my leg keenly over its two-position adjustable seat.
Compact, and light in feel, the Honda can filter through surprisingly narrow gaps, with its agile feel being a bonus when constantly needing to change direction. With light steering, sweet DCT gearbox, punchy motor and great brakes, it happily deals with journeys through towns and will make for a great commuter.
Happy though it is in town, it’s out on the open road where the Honda feels even more in its element. Its parallel twin engine might be quite a bit down on peak power compared to the other two bikes, but that’s not a handicap in any way. The motor’s delivery is superb. As well as being totally free from vibes, it’s so linear, responsive and well spread, it always feels super friendly and very usable. Fuelling is faultless too.
Chassis manners are just as impressive. Weighing in at 242kg fully fuelled, the Africa Twin gives the impression of a bike tipping the scales at a much lower figure. There’s a fair bit of dive from the forks when you use the brakes more keenly, but that’s appropriate for a bike of this type, and the lovely ride quality is a welcome trade-off. The brakes themselves are strong and progressive and easily deal with more urgent stopping, with the ABS rarely being triggered. The arrangement adds to the safe and secure feel the Honda constantly exhibits. The rear brake’s ABS system can be switched off for off-road use.
The riding position is very relaxed with the adjustable seat helping to tailor things more. The perch itself is broad and feels supportive and comfortable. At speed the fairing and screen are superb at diverting wind yet the see-through plastic isn’t so tall as to limit vision in town. Honda claims a very useful tank range of over 250 miles, even though the capacity is only just over four gallons, which equals a very healthy consumption of more than 60mpg. Most of my riding returned 48-55 mpg, equating to a more realistic range of 190-220 miles.
The rear rack is a nice touch, and the range of accessories available from both Honda and well-known aftermarket firms will assist the bike’s mile-eating capabilities further still. Our bike was fitted with a lot of Honda’s official accessories catalogue including full luggage, centrestand, fog lights, heated grips and crash bars.
The bike we tested was a DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) version, available for £12,179 (that’s £969 more than the standard model). It’s a very clever system though definitely something that can take time to become fully accustomed to. I’ve done thousands of miles on DCT bikes and have become a real fan, though I have to admit to not enjoying the arrangement at first. Having gearchanges essentially controlled by a computer can feel strange to begin with, and not having either clutch or gear levers adds to the rather alien initial impression. However, give it time and there’s a fair chance you’ll become impressed by just how well the system goes about its business. Changes are very quick and seamless, and though their timing can be altered by choosing either Drive or Sport settings, matters can always be overridden manually via other buttons. In short you always have the choice of timing gearchanges if you ever think the bike’s selection isn’t to your liking.
The only thing I found lacking was any real character in the bike. As with the vast majority of Hondas, the Africa Twin is so refined, and so competent there’s an absence of any significant endearing qualities. Being critical of a bike for essentially being almost too good might sound odd, but when you ride it alongside the others it just falls a little short of appeal.
That still can’t stop it being rated highly though, and if you want a versatile, easy-to-live-with adventure bike, with a quality feel and proven record for dependability then the Africa Twin is well worth considering.