HONDA CRF1000L Africa Twin

Honda Africa twin 2018, yes, they have based this on their Dakar rally bike which is CRF 450 rally. Which means this bike has a very big shoe to fill, as the rally bikes mean performance handling and off-roading. Just by looking at it you can say that this bike is meant to conquer all the places traveling through road, mud water and what else. When Honda was designing this bike, I don't think they tried to put anything which is not necessary.

Looks and Design

The bike is plain and simple and purposeful. Just by looking at it you can say that this bike doesn't like any competition from heavy muscular beasts with too much power to handle. Even when you look at specs and compare, you are not going to think very highly of this bike, but you will change your mind once you find her out by yourself.

As I have told before this bike is based on the Dakar rally bike and you can see it in the look. Slim body with a slim big tire in front and small fat tire at the back and really high ground clearance. They have also given a Rally Style Rider Console which has the Rally style negative LCD instrument display including Riding Modes, Speedometer, Tachometer, Fuel, Gear position, HSTC, Odometer, Trip Clock and ABS Indicator. The introduction of TBW greatly expands the choices available to the rider to manage engine output, feel and rear wheel traction.

The new HSTC system features 7 Levels – from Level 1, for aggressive riding off-road to Level 7 for maximum sense of security on slippery, wet tarmac. It remains possible to turn HSTC completely OFF. riding modes are comprised of different levels of Power (P) and Engine Braking (EB).

There are 3 levels of Power and Engine Braking available which offer pre-set combinations of each parameter, suitable to different riding environments and scenarios: TOUR, URBAN, GRAVEL. A fourth mode – USER – allows the rider to set and save his or her preferred combination of Power, EB and HSTC levels. Both riding mode and level of HSTC can be changed at any time using the controls on the left-hand switchgear.

Africa twin bears a Twin Lamp LED Headlight, which ensures brighter and richer vision when the rider is on a dark road. It also complies with the global norm of AHO (Always Headlight On). The LED also helps reduce the power consumption by 90% as compared to conventional Headlamps. LED Winkers and Taillights, The indicators and tail light of the Africa Twin, also, have the LED Lights. The Indicators are now enabled with Auto Cancel Feature, wherein the system compares the front and rear wheel speed difference and calculates when to Automatically Cancel the indicators relative to the situation.

Specification

Engine

Type	Liquid Cooled, 4 stroke, SI Engine
Displacement	999.11 cc
Max net power	65.4 kW (89PS) @ 7500 rpm
Max net torque	93.1 Nm@6000 rpm
Compression ratio	10.0 : 1
Clutch Type	Dual Clutch Transmission

Performance

Let's talk about performance, 1st lets start with DCT engine. The engine is Parallel Twin – 999.11cc with Max Power of 87.7 Bhp@7500rpm and 93.1 Nm Torque@6000rpm The Africa Twin retains Honda’s unique Dual Clutch Technology. An automated clutch and shift operation system that retains the direct acceleration feel of a manual transmission. Experience a more enjoyable ride by focusing on the sensations of accelerating, turning and braking your motorcycle.

And combined with all the modes and the wired throttle accelerator they have been able to make this DCT one of the best around. Whether it is on-road or off-road by setting the system as you want you can change when the gear should change do u want it to change quickly or you want it to hold till the red line. You can even take the controls of changing gears to the manual, keys of both up and down are on the left handlebar, but the automatic is so good that you might never use it.

Next what comes is the suspension, Front Showa 45mm cartridge-type inverted (Upside Down) telescopic fork with dial-style preload adjuster and DF adjustment, 230mm stroke. Rear: Monoblock cast aluminum swingarm with Pro-Link with gas-charged damper, hydraulic dial-style preload adjuster and rebound damping adjustment, 220 mm rear wheel travel. When you start riding on roads you might think of 1st the ride quality is way too soft for the road, and yes it is but once you go off the road then you will understand the reason of pre-suspension setup of the bike, and as it is adjustable you can stiffen it up for roads but the pres setup is really good in absorbing the bumps.

The brakes (ABS) feature 310mm ‘wave’ style, twin floating front discs with Nissin 4-pot radial calipers for plenty of feels and strong stopping power. The rear disc is a 256 mm ‘wave’ style with a 1-pot caliper. Off-road riders will appreciate the fact that they can turn the ABS function off for the rear wheel. Initial bit is soft but it gives confidence and stopping distance is good. Combined all this bike is really good at offroading it can take you roughly anywhere on land with comfort, the riding position standing or in seating is comfortable. It's not just comfort but it gives you to push it hard and as you know the bike will keep you in check.

Even on road, it is really comfortable to ride even on long distance, yes it is not a bike to have fun on twisty roads but it takes you around in comfort even on hairpin u-turn because of long wheelbase it has longer turn radius but its enough to get you around.

Price: 13.23 lakh (Ex-showroom)

Final Verdict

Looks and design: 7/10

Specs & features:9/10

Dynamics & performance: 8/10

Safety & quality: 7/10

This bike is best suited for those who are not looking for power but practicality, a bike which is comfortable but at the same time tough enough to take you anywhere on or off road at any time or at any distance. Not for those who want an adventure off-road bike which is for a show.

If you like this review, subscribe to our blog to receive quick notifications of our updates.  And comment below if you have any doubts regarding this article and let us know if you wish to see a review of any particular automobile.