Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports bids to knock the BMW R1250GS off its do-it-all perch
Honda’s new Africa Twin Adventure Sports stakes its claim
Many have tried to defeat BMW’s GS, but most have failed and every time this benchmark adventure bike has been faced with serious competition, it has evolved to emerge victorious. But now Honda’s new Africa Twin has the GS in its sights.
In 2016 Honda launched a serious threat in the shape of the reinvented Africa Twin. Despite falling short in terms of electronics and power, it has sold well, and the big-tanked Adventure Sports version arrived in 2018 giving riders another reason to buy. But the new 2020 model offers the biggest threat so far to the GS. With an advanced IMU-controlled
electronics package, upgraded chassis, bigger-capacity motor, even more creature comforts and a price comfortably below the equivalent spec of GS, is the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES finally in a position to knock the BMW off its perch? Time to put them head-tohead on the MCN250 to find out. In my head the GS is a big adventure bike with tall suspension and a rugged outlook on life, but parked up at the start of the MCN250 I’m surprised to see that the Africa Twin looks down on the BMW. Higher at the front thanks to its 21in wheel, the Honda sits more upright with a traditional off-road stance, making the GS look, well, a bit like a roadster with tall bars if I’m honest. It’s weird, but until parking the Honda next to the BMW, I’ve never viewed it in this way. Despite both having an identical two-stage seat height of 850 or 870mm, throw a leg over the GS and you are positioned far more within the bike on a soft flat seat where the Africa Twin perches you up on high with a firmer and narrower saddle. They are both obviously adventure machines, it’s just that the Honda has a more purposeful feel about it. But how would this translate to a near-300-mile day in the saddle? A big part of the new Africa Twin’s appeal is its dash and enhanced electronics, but this also brings with it the unwelcome addition of a mass of buttons on the Honda’s switchgear, and that’s the first thing that annoys you.
The indicator switch is tricky to locate, the horn tucked away and the headlight controls miles from your finger tips. Where the BMW’s controls are intuitive, owners of the Africa Twin will need not only the dexterity of a concert pianist, but also a good few days set aside to fathom its myriad options. Will most road adventure bike riders feel the need to alter their engine braking, wheelie levels or power output? I suspect not and it will probably be a case of setting it up once and forgetting about it.
The commuting section of the MCN250 is mainly about a bike’s comfort levels and ease of use and while the Honda’s motor does lack the BMW’s instant grunt, they are both adept at traffic-busting. Far from the big and heavy beasts they might appear, these bikes are more than happy to filter through gaps
with lovely low-speed balance, meaning you can trickle along at walking pace and light clutch actions and tall bars ensuring wristache never sets in.
They may be built for global trips, but they just as at home in the urban jungle. But point them away from the city and their different outlooks on life are highlighted. BMW’s use of not only a fat 19in front wheel, but also a Telelever front end gives the GS a very flat attitude when on the go, something its self-levelling D-ESA enhances. When you brake, the front doesn’t dip and this impression of stability gives you loads of confidence in bends, especially when the surface is quite uneven, as it is on the Cotswold section of the MCN250. In contrast, while the Africa Twin’s long-travel suspension does have Showa’s EERA semi-active suspension for 2020 (on the ES model) it is never going to remove the forks’ dive or the slightly less confidence-inspiring feeling you
‘The two twincylinder motors are chalk and cheese’
‘The Adventure Sports’ parallel twin does like to be worked’
get from a skinnier 21in front wheel. Under braking there is a fair bit of dive, even with the EERA on its hardest setting, and it needs more effort to get the bike to change direction than the GS. Is this an issue? Not really, it is a result of Honda wanting the Twin to keep its off-road heritage alive. And the same could be said of its engine. The two twin-cylinder motors are chalk and cheese and where the BMW’s ShiftCam boxer is effortlessly smooth and gutsy, despite its bigger capacity for 2020 the Adventure Sports’ parallel twin does like to be worked. It’s not revhappy and you can certainly ride it without feeling the need to thrash
it to gain any momentum, but with 34bhp and 28ftlb less than the BMW, the Honda does struggle to match it in terms of roll-on power. In situations where on the BMW you would simply open the throttle, the Twin often requires a shift down and you do find yourself working the gearbox far more. This effort is rewarded with a motor that has bags of character and it is genuinely fun to ride, but if you are after ease of use, the boxer wins the day. When the GS was first released in 1980 it was an off-road bike that happened to find a niche as a superb do-it-all, something that BMW enhanced over the years by moving its focus more and more towards tarmac than gravel. Honda, on the other hand, have aimed the reinvented Africa Twin at the true adventure market. And that is really what splits the two bikes.
If you want ruthless efficiency and hassle-free motoring, the GS still rules the roost. It is, quite simply, an astoundingly competent bike whatever the situation.
But if you want a bike with a bit of a rugged edge that is still more than capable of covering distances, the Africa Twin adds a welcome spark of interest as it requires a bit of added rider input to get the most from it, which makes it more engaging. It’s not better than the GS, it’s different, but with its updates for 2020 riders buying the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES can now choose to be different and not feel like they are being forced to compromise.