It’s been ten years since a Honda adventure motorcycle was brought into the world under the name CRF1150L Africa Twin. A revival of a model that dates back four decades, when something called the XRV650 Africa Twin was introduced, the two-wheeler is now at the receiving end of the biggest refresh ever imagined for it.
As it turns ten years in its current form, the bike, which also happens to be the flagship adventure ride in the company’s portfolio, gets a new chassis, a bigger and more powerful engine, and a styling refresh – to the point we can very well consider it a new generation.
The skeleton of the new Africa Twin is a new steel frame packing an aluminum swingarm, lighter than the previous version and offering a lower center of gravity. On top of it all, the frame packs a new fuel sub-tank that should give riders more range than ever before.
Inside the frame, Honda fitted a larger engine. From 1,084cc as fitted on the CRF1000L, the size of the twin-cylinder powerplant grew to 1,131cc, and, consequently, so did the power levels: the engine is rated at 117 hp and 119 Nm of torque. That’s an increase of 16 hp and seven Nm of torque.
To go with the increase in size, Honda gifted the engine with a redesigned intake system, larger-diameter throttle bodies, a revised valvetrain and cylinder head, and a higher compression ratio.
Just like before, there are two transmission choices on the table for the adventure bike in this new form, the standard six-speed manual and a six-speed dual clutch. There are now six default riding modes the Africa Twin can adopt to serve various rider and terrain needs, namely Sport, Touring, Urban, Rain, Offroad, and Offroad+.
The suspension system that makes the bike capable of going on off-road adventures comprises 49 mm USD front forks and a Pro-Link rear monoshock. These tie into spoked wheels sized 21 and 18 inches, respectively,
Honda tampered a bit with the way the bike feels to the rider, and now delivers narrower handlebars, which are also located higher and further forward, the footpeg position has moved inwards and back, and the windscreen can now be operated electrically.
Up front and center, the Africa Twin throws in a new screen setup, comprised of a 5.7-inch display and a seven-inch TFT. The bike can now run wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which will probably feel like a blessing for many.
Honda does not specifically say when the revised Africa Twin range will hit the market, but it did share that there will be two new colors on the table for it, Pearl Glare White and Mat Sandstorm Beige.
Pricing will be announced at a later date, and it’s likely Honda will keep it low enough so that customers are still drawn to the model. After all, it has some very big shoes to fill: in the ten years it has been around, the 120,000 units sold have made the Africa Twin one of the most popular vehicles in the adventure segment.
Source: www.autoevolution.com
