Enhancing your Africa Twin

The best way to spend money on a better Twin

Panniers From £875

“The official Honda panniers are a bit plasticky but are water-tight and robust and you can get them key-matched to the bike,” say Derek. There is an official Honda aluminium option for £1200. A top box is £210 (35L) or £435 (58L) from Honda in plastic or £535 (42L) in aluminium. Lots of aftermarket firms also cater for the Africa Twin.

Centrestand From £123

As the Twin lacks shaftdrive, you need to regularly lube its chain, something a centrestand makes easier. “It’s not that hard to get onto the stand, despite its weight,” says Derek. There is an official Honda one as well as aftermarket options.

Thunder Box £80

“This is better than Honda’s accessory 12V plug,” says Derek. “The Thunder Box has four hard-wire power outputs and only turns on after the engine has been running for ten seconds.”

Cruise control £450 plus fitting

Australian aftermarket firm MC Cruise (www.mccruise.com) has developed a retro-fit cruise control system for the Africa Twin. It is best fitted by a professional mechanic — it takes a full day, so budget for that as well — but we tested the system in June 2019 and found that it worked perfectly.

Heated grips £210 (fitted)

The benefit of buying official Honda grips is that they link in to the dash, displaying their heating setting. According to Derek, the five-stage heat level grips are more than hot enough for all weather conditions he has faced.

High screen From £80

The official Honda screen is £115 but you can get a taller item from as little as £80 from aftermarket firms.