HONDA CRF1000L AFRICA TWIN ADVENTURE SPORT by Andrew Booth
The striking red, white and blue anniversary Africa Twin Adventure Sport has been produced to celebrate 30 years of production. This iconic bike stands out in this latest colourway with a big bag full of upgrades, making it a very exciting machine, fiercely standing its ground in today’ s adventure sports tourer market.
The bike is huge, just standing there, grinning at you, but at the end of the day, will it make me smile? This model has the DCT auto gear box similar to the X-ADV that I reviewed last month, which makes it so easy to climb aboard and ride, despite the sheer size of this machine. I was a little hesitant at first, but once moving it all really fell into place. I met up with my buddies Harry and Dave and we headed for North Wales, with a sudden improvement to the weather and some dry roads ahead, this could be interesting.
Engine & Transmission: The Africa twin is powered by a parallel twin 998cc chain drive and using Honda’ s dual clutch transmission system( DCT) producing 96 bhp and 99Nm max torque @ 6000rpm. The engine delivery is flawless, which ever drive mode you are in. The modes selectable are normal, sport 1-3 and manual. This bike is available without DCT, a fully clutched version. Our ride into North Wales proved to be rather enjoyable and eventful, as Dave my buddy on a Ducati was pulled by the old bill. But that dampener was soon behind us, I started to put the bike through its paces, well, what a huge surprise. I found using sports mode 3 the most fun, with the ride by wire control in Urban mode( as explained later), the gear box response for overtaking is genuinely stunning, ultra smooth going up the box with loads of power for a hefty 253kg bike. Fuel consumption displayed was 46.7mpg average, which is not bad at all for a litre twin, considering- I gave it some stick.
Handling and Brakes: The electronically controlled suspension set up is firm and gives great feed back, ironing out the bumps, making it an extra comfortable ride. Cornering at speed, the Africa twin is very stable indeed, giving me tons of confidence, and don’ t forget this is an off road bike too, very impressive. Generally on this type of machine- with long folks, they tend to be a bit soft and spongy on the front end, but not this one. No sir. If you stand up when riding, the position used for some off roading, the bike is extremely sturdy. Hit the brakes hard and the 4 pot piston callipers rapidly bring you to a stop. The nose dive was mild on the Showa 45mm inverted forks and it’ s reassuring to know that the ABS is there in case you lock up.
Equipment, Instruments & Controls: The dash board is a decent size, offering plenty of information in LCD format. The Africa twin is equipped with a throttle by wire control, different modes for riding on Gravel, Urban and Tour which has factory set parameters on traction control, engine braking and power, and there is a user mode to set up yourself. There is also the DCT control offering you drive, sports modes 1-3 and manual, plus an additional switch for off road mode. The bike comes with heated grips that work really well, a massive fuel tank- 24. 2Litres, ideal for long distances. All lights and indicators are LED, the feedback from my buddies was‘ very clean, bright visibility’ and that was in daylight. Seat height is adjustable and there is also a lower seat configuration available for people not so long in the leg. All the controls are at your fingertips, very easy to use and have that distinct Honda- high quality feel.
Grin factor: The Africa Twin has been around for 30 years, so you’ d expect people to be indifferent, seen it all before, etc. But it really does turn heads. It’ s a big bike, even bigger than the last model, plus it has that mean, arrogant look, heavily inspired by the Dakar winning Honda NXR 750. It certainly made me grin. I was passed by two riders on sports bikes, who clearly knew how to ride. So I decided to tail them and kept up no problem, much to their surprise, need I say more?
Verdict: I am a sports bike rider, but do I love the cramped position? Having to stop every half hour to stretch out? Do I, really? Not now I’ ve experienced the Africa Twin. It handles brilliantly, giving you supreme confidence in serious comfort, coupled with the excellent auto gear box and heated grips, what more could you ever need? If I wanted a bike for a Sunday morning blast, this would not be my 1st choice. No contest. Mainly because of my love of sports bikes, but also as a general commuter, it’ s such a fun bike.
If you are thinking of touring or going off-road, this bike is perfect.
You can pick one up from Smiths Honda in Chester for £ 12,599 or from as little as £ 159 a month- on the road.
Smiths Honda, Whitchurch Road, Christleton, Chester, CH3 6AE www. smithshonda. co. uk Tel- 01244 336565
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