Verdict

Triumph’s strengths are hiding the boring stuff and leaving the bits you see to create a tough look and a bike you might enjoy cleaning and owning. BMW’S forte is engineering user-friendly feel into every aspect of the bike’s mechanical and electronic function. Honda’s genius is to invent a problem, which may or may not exist, and then solve it with exceptional refinement. All three are sold with dirt pretentions. A reasonably skilled, fit rider can take them on dry dirt, do some powerslides and skidding U-turns, and maybe the odd jump. But low speed (with the possible exception of the F850) requires serious ability – the kind most of us don’t have. If it’s raining, forget it altogether. So really we’re interested in how they work as road bikes. The answer is: they’re wonderful. All three engines are charming and potent in their own way, and with suspension like that who cares if our road network is crumbling? However, everyone needs to calm down about TFT dashes. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. . The DCT Honda is superb quality, but it appears to be aimed at tall, strong people who for one reason or another have got a fused left ankle and can’t change gear (the standard Africa Twin might have won this test). The BMW – in this spec – is pretty astounding, but it’s also a bit of a fridge. Maybe it’s harder to engineer-in what humans define as soul. So the winner is the Triumph, even though it’s the only bike of the three here not loaded with extras. It’s a beautiful, competent bike you can bond with emotionally.