African Tourer
If there was ever a motorcycle truly made for Africa, it is Honda's duly named Africa Twin. This machine, powered by a 1084cc twin, has surpassed the Japanese manufacturer's most intense expectations. The Africa Twin has made a name for itself, becoming the steed of choice for hundreds of African Tourers due to its rugged nature and abundant features that make it near perfect for our conditions.
Related: Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport (2024) Review
We took the bike on a recent Karoo tour, where we tackled high mountain passes, twisty scenic roads and the vast open expanse of the semi-arid desert plains. The Africa Twin never missed a beat, cementing its reputation as a formidable machine.
The Story of Honda's Africa Twin
Styling
Resplendent in its red and black colour scheme, the Africa Twin is a stunning image set against the backdrop of the Swartberg mountains. It not only looks purposeful but is also ready to race. The road-biased tyres don't match the rally styling but do fine on rutted gravel roads. With a seat height of 850mm, you need to be a little longer in the leg to get your foot down, but the raised ride height makes navigating excellent terrain easier.
Engine and Drivetrain
Powering the Africa Twin is Honda's 1084cc SOHC liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve parallel twin that produces 75kW and 105Nm.
The cylinder head and the larger-diameter 46mm throttle body have been completely revised. The bore and cylinder pitches are also now aligned to create a smooth air intake profile. The ECU setting is new, and the injector angle has been modified to deliver a more direct spray into the reshaped twin-spark combustion chamber.
The DCT system delivers consistent, super-fast, seamless gear changes that quickly become second nature. It uses two clutches: one for start-up and the 1st, 3rd, and 5th gear and the other for the 2nd, 4th, and 6th, with the main shaft for each clutch inside the other for compact packaging.
Tech and Features
The Africa Twin's engine received the benefits of Throttle By Wire (TBW) control in 2018, allowing much finer management of engine output and character as well as expanded Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) for rear tyre grip; since 2020, the system has smartly evolved and now works in conjunction with a six-axis IMU. The full-colour Multi-Information Display (MID) 6.5-inch TFT touch screen keeps the rider in control of all of the Africa Twin's systems, and each riding mode is selected through the top left of the screen. The MID can also be customised to show various levels of information relative to the riding mode chosen and is easy to use even when wearing gloves.
The best part is the smartphone integration; Android Auto is a simple way to use your phone's functionality while on your motorcycle. With a clear visual display and easy-to-use voice commands, it makes it easy to access Google Maps navigation and your favourite music, media, and messaging apps. You can also download the Honda Roadsync App for your Android phone to unleash these capabilities. Unfortunately, the system isn't yet set up for Apple users, and they will have to use the Roadsync app to connect their IOS smartphones to the Africa Twin.
Let's Ride
We spent a long weekend down in the Klein Karoo region, alternating between visually stunning gorges and towering gravel mountain passes. The Africa Twin handled all the routes with aplomb, carving its way along twisty mountain roads and punching its way to the very top of the Swartberg Pass. The riding modes allowed for a modicum of rider control, giving us the opportunity to change gears on our own with the Sport Mode option on the manual gear shift buttons.
Making use of the gravel ride mode we were able to control the accent and decent of a steep gravel mountain pass without a hitch while shifting back for the open stretches of Karoo tar. Even after spending a good 8 hours a day behind the handlebars, the comfort levels of the Twin never dropped leaving the rider wanting more.
Model and Pricing
| Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport ABS | R 314 999 |
| Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport DCT | R 353 699 |
| Honda Africa Twin CRF1100 ABS | R 270 999 |
| Honda Africa Twin CRF1100 DCT | R 292 592 |
Honda SA offers FREE Rider Training with the purchase of a new Honda Motorcycle – speak to your nearest Honda Wing Dealer for more information!
Pros and Cons
- Comfortable
- Easy to ride
- Smooth handling
- Excellent power delivery
- The windscreen is an odd height
- IOS compatibility is only via third-party app
Verdict
It's easy to see why, in a market dominated by Euro machines like KTM and BMW, the Africa Twin still manages to eke out sales. It's a fantastic bike that deserves more attention than it gets. Yes, the Austrians have the bright colours and race heritage and the Germans the ruthless efficiency, but there is just something that keeps one coming back to the Africa Twin; maybe it is the styling, maybe the ease of rider use and relative economy or maybe .... just maybe... its because it was made for Africa.
