Honda Africa Twin £8099
In a Top Trumps-style battle of the specs the Twin’s in trouble here. But this isn’t Top Trumps…
SIT things ON THE are obvious. Africa Twin Firstly, after the riding Honda the feels Tiger two or sizes GS and two smaller because it’s so narrow. It’s medium compared to XL. Instead of enforced man-spreading thanks to a plush saddle and wide engine, the Africa Twin rider’s legs straight to the ground, with feet flat if you’re over 5ft 8in. After the GS and Tiger it feels like a proper off-road tool – still tallish, but narrow enough to make a panicky dab easy. This trick is partly down to the saddle’s shape, which is narrow at the front, then spreads out further back to give more arse support on long journeys. But mostly it’s because the parallel twin is so compact. Not only is it narrow because the two 499cc cylinders are close together, it’s also cunningly packaged – the water pump, for example, is housed in the clutch casing, and takes drive from a balancer shaft to save space. All this helps make the engine short too, which allows plenty of ground clearance (65mm more than the GS and a full 100mm more than the Tiger) while keeping the seat height sensible. And secondly, the Honda feels different because it’s so modern. The dash is all digital, with the rev counter, speedo and fuel gauge on one screen, and a myriad of other info on the screen below. On the left switchgear is a rocker switch to scroll through the info, plus a toggle to change the traction control settings (more of these later). Meanwhile the Tiger 1050 rider is squinting at his two little LCD displays while stabbing a finger at the dash-mounted trip buttons, and the BM pilot is still acclimatizing himself with the old-style BMW indicator switches, one on each bar. In terms of electronics, the Africa Twin feels like the next generation, because, well, it is. But that’s the only area where a day’s road riding will show that bike development has been dramatic. The Africa Twin’s handling, for example, is a sophisticated combination of plush ride quality and an easy-to-hustle feel. The 21in front wheel gives a light, darty feel with only a smidge of that mushy vagueness you get on off-road bikes when pushing on. The Honda is good fun to hustle. But then so are the Tiger and GS, and if the Tiger had fresh suspension it would be snapping at the Africa Twin’s ankles down a twisty road thanks to 17in rubber and sharper steering. thrust fast… putting you’re long the there’s you forward even years The And motor’s want for close of until dragging so Africa just so 90bhp, out engine a over unobtrusively to a heartier – enough shot you smoothness 20bhp those the Twin’s the you design realize a Africa of old porky two top-end adrenaline. more. midrange don’t engine Triumph development are Twin’s you’re that partner and So feel so (and is although it’s linearity good shortchanged similarly happily party drive triple So easy a and firmer does that to piece: or to luggage to keeping keep could the even the overshadow sophisticated, it’ll think rear Honda off-roading. motor take things on older make up shock). you’re up most an more pumps feel with BMW it entertaining Alp them. feel not And roads like churning than Rather bikes might twin? bland, going out though a – ten leap only a you than Not that if out if take have potential Triumph’s gone into the the other road-biased Africa way Twin. by delicate, perfect brakes route building Throttle have to when the do deep loads riding battle standing response reserves of position with feel on is and the of superbly the off-road is GS, the pegs, well-nigh Honda traction the control smooth on-and-off systems. works grip The like rather three well most off-road, levels than road-biased juddering of traction giving setting ‘The Honda providing immediately a safety control net felt for good,’ the are inexperienced practical agrees Chris too, the Northover or exhausted. lowest – ex-top perilously racer muddy and off-road trail. ‘My instructor only criticism – after is his the first fiddly blast clutch down – the I noticed bars, which on sharp is a common U-turns problem the biting with point a cable moving clutch.’ as you turn the Naturally we only sniff the Africa Twin’s dirt potential because of the road-biased Metzeler Tourance Next tyres, which raises a tricky problem – what tyres should you run on it? If you put off-road tyres on to make use of the bike’s ability it’ll be a horror on roads, while road tyres are a crash waiting to happen on wet mud. Maybe a set of those semi-knobbly 40% off-road, 60% on-road tyres? ‘They’re a waste of time,’ says Bob Dixon – ex-racer and currently running Adventure Ride UK. ‘They’re useless when it gets muddy – and in the UK, that’s what you’ll get.’
‘A combination of plush ride and an easy-to-hustle feel’