RUST magazine: RUST#37

adventure
state with the same ease. I mentally
and physically needed the clutch to
finesse certain manoeuvres. Now this
is a me thing as much as a bike thing
– as others made the transition to DCT
much more readily than me – but it
could be a ‘you’ thing too.
Also, I should add that with multiple
settings on engine response as well as
torque control I was possibly not on the
right settings (for me). I ran with the
settings the Honda Adventure Centre
guys recommended, but there were
other options and it is likely I could
have found more joy there. And as a
further caveat, I can report my old mate
Jon Beck (a US journalist) recently
tested the Adventure Sport DCT model
in the Californian desert and found
lots of joy there. So the response to the
still newish tech that is DCT clearly
depends a fair deal on rider preferences
and terrain types. Given that some
50% or so of all Africa Twins sold have
been DCT, you can see there’s an even
split. So while for now it doesn’t suit
me, don’t take that as a measure that it
won’t suit you.
There is a bonus with the DCT – I
liked the quick shifter arrangement,
particularly on the down changes
where the throttle is automatically
blipped when you press the flapper
on the handlebar, helping smooth the
transition. There is some degree of
finesse in the DCT, I don’t deny that.
But who is it that said the greatest
computer in the history of the world is
the human brain. Maybe not my brain,
but you know what I’m saying.
Meanwhile… we’re probably back to
the to the top of the story here. Yeah,
the overall dynamic of the Africa
Twin Adventure Sports in the offroad
environment is almost entirely
positive. Honda has cleverly stuck to
traditional technologies here. That’s
a steel semi-double cradle frame,
with USD Showa forks and a linkageactuated
Showa monoshock at the rear,
riding on 21”/18” wire-spoke wheels.
Conventional set-up that leads to
conventional feedback – it feels like a
dirt bike, just a darn big heavyish one,
with mucho power.
The added girth and weight of the
Adventure Sports doesn’t impede it
from being a decent off-road ride.
Everything works as it should. There
are a couple of go-to buttons in this
instance. When the bike is stopped
(they don’t work otherwise) stab at the
off-road ABS setting and (on the DCT)
G-button (for gravel) and these two
immediately give you 75% of what you
need in the dirt – a lockable rear brake
and dirt-appropriate engine responses
by way of reducing the clutch slip
during gear changes.
However – you knew this was
coming – I wasn’t convinced as to
the suspension settings for off-road.
It was fine for gentle off-roading, but
for medium to higher-speed stuff it
felt like we needed firmer springs and
more damping front and rear – or, as
is the case with the high-end kit from
Honda’s competition – a capability to
electronically beef up the responses.
The chassis set-up is capable of great
things I’m sure, but I’d want the
suspension to be ready to deal with
such big hits as might come along and
at the moment I’m not convinced that’s
the case.
A couple more niggles (I’m sorry,
guys). I’d like bigger, better footrests
still. Just spec ‘supercross’ or ‘rally’ –
the new ones are bigger, better, but
they need to be more still. And the rear
brake pedal – yeah, that sat too low for
standing riding (I like BMW’s solution
of a flip-down added pedal) and the
rear brake seemed to lack feel – a
change of pads might help there.
Overall though – please take
w
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