‘Holding up well after 13k miles’
‘Iused to think only weirdos rode motorbikes,” says MCN reader Alwyn McMath, “despite my dad being a keen biker.” However, eight years and 23 bikes later, Alwyn’s got a much different point of view. “I was fed up with being stuck in traffic. Then I rode my first bike and was hooked.” From Honda Cubs, to Suzuki SV650s, BMW R1200GS Adventures, a Transalp, Ténéré, Fireblades, Triumphs, Kawasakis and even a Royal Enfield, the former procyclist now has a garage that boasts a Honda Silverwing for commuting, a Yamaha XSR900 and Fazer 800 for fun, and this Africa Twin CRF1000L to answer the call of adventure. “It’s the first bike I’ve ever bought new,” admits Alwyn. “I’ll confess I was taken in by all the photos that came out of the press launch for the Africa Twin. All that riding around in the desert made it look so good.” Keen to thin out his collection, Alwyn decided a new Africa Twin might fulfil the roles of both his Yamaha FJR1300 and Honda Transalp and headed down to Doble Honda of Surrey for a test ride. “When I turned up they only had a DCT for me to ride and I felt a bit put off by it. I saw myself as a good rider so I was of the opinion that I did not need an auto. But I gave it a go and instantly loved it. It’s just so effortless, and you don’t realise how good it is until you try it.” From that test ride in late 2016, the pair have racked up over 13,000 miles together, both on road and off, and the Africa Twin has taken this once reluctant motorcyclist to the rooftop of Europe.