RUST magazine: 2016 Honda Africa Twin Special
RUST magazine: First ride of the 2016 Honda Africa twin: This new Africa Twin is sporting… Seriously sporting, however it is not going to blow the adventure market apart. No. That pesky BMW R1200GS is still too much of a tour de force for it to do that. Love it or loathe it, it is an iconic piece of engineering. Likewise, chasing down KTM’s 1190 Adventure R will be a very difficult task. Honda cannily slots in just beneath the pair and - super-significantly -well above the plethora of 800s (be they BMW or Triumph). Judging by the pricing in the USA, Honda have aimed the Africa Twin at BMW’s F800GS’s jugular. It’s almost the same money there...
RUST magazine: First ride of the 2016 Honda Africa twin: This new Africa Twin is sporting… Seriously sporting, however it is not going to blow the adventure market apart. No. That pesky BMW R1200GS is still too much of a tour de force for it to do that. Love it or loathe it, it is an iconic piece of engineering. Likewise, chasing down KTM’s 1190 Adventure R will be a very difficult task. Honda cannily slots in just beneath the pair and - super-significantly -well above the plethora of 800s (be they BMW or Triumph). Judging by the pricing in the USA, Honda have aimed the Africa Twin at BMW’s F800GS’s jugular. It’s almost the same money there...
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metrical headlights, sharp angles,<br />
rally-inspired bodywork, might just<br />
make you go weak in the knees.<br />
The <strong>Twin</strong>’s gold rims hinting at HRC<br />
history, strike a chord with many of us<br />
who grew up distracted from homework<br />
by the tantalizing pages of dirt<br />
bike <strong>magazine</strong>s.<br />
5 It’s little in the middle. The quest for<br />
fuel capacity, adequately-sized radiators,<br />
air boxes and other engineering<br />
challenges have created many adventure<br />
bikes with bodywork that competed<br />
for space with the rider’s knees.<br />
I’m happy to report that the CRF1000L<br />
is narrow in the middle and comfortable<br />
for the rider in both the sitting<br />
and standing position. It sounds<br />
simple, but makes a big difference<br />
for rider comfort and control.<br />
6 This motor screams! While its<br />
predecessor was a lot of things, a<br />
power-house it was not. <strong>Honda</strong> didn’t<br />
disappoint with power delivery on the<br />
new <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Twin</strong>. The dry-sump 988cc<br />
SOHC parallel twin motor winds up<br />
quickly and is downright exciting to<br />
ride. It sends impulses to your brain<br />
that make you light up the rear tyre<br />
whenever you see gravel. If you rode<br />
it blindfolded you might think it was a<br />
KTM. It’s that good. You would also<br />
crash, so please don’t ride blindfolded.
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