The Honda Africa Twin has made a name for itself as a versatile and reliable adventure motorcycle. The CRF1000L is a 998 cc 270° crank, parallel-twin dual-sport that revived the Africa Twin name for the 2016 model year. It became available in the UK in late 2015 and early 2016 in the US. It was developed as a modern interpretation of its predecessors, the XRV 750 and Honda XRV650, based on the NXR-750 which won the Paris-Dakar rally four times in the late 1980s.
Let's delve into what makes this bike a popular choice for adventure riders, focusing on its fuel consumption and specifications.
The Africa Twin was the first big adv which successfully drew riders off their GS12s or stopped others buying the popular BMW. It’s a great road bike, but aren’t they all these days?
Africa Twin CRF1000L review︱Cross Training Adventure
Engine and Performance
In 2020, Honda released the CRF1100L. The bike is significantly revised, with a new engine, suspension, frame and swingarm, a brand new instrument display/rider interface, and many other changes. As expected, the new Africa Twin’s water-cooled, overhead-cam, parallel-twin engine has received an 86cc bump in displacement, along with improved intake and exhaust systems. The new 1084 cc engine (previously 998 cc) has a host of changes including increased displacement by a 6.5 mm increase in stroke, new pistons, crank and cams with longer intake and exhaust-valve lifts (the intake is up from 9.2 mm to 10.1 mm while the exhaust is increased from 8.6 mm to 9.3 mm).
Honda claims 7% more peak power and 6% more peak torque over the previous 998cc engine. A narrow 1083cc parallel-twin engine delivers torque smoothly throughout the RPM range, making them great for everything from off-road riding to highway cruising.
Read also: Africa Twin: Adventure Motorcycle
Engine Type: SOHC liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve parallel twin with 270° crank and Uni-cam
Displacement: 1084cc
Bore & Stroke: 92mm x 81.5mm
Compression Ratio: 10.1:1
Max. Torque: 77.4 ft.-lbs.
Read also: Honda Adventure Bike Cost
Honda Africa Twin Engine
Fuel Consumption
Economy On the A1 motorway down to Agadir I spent a couple of days establishing the exact fuel consumption so I’d know what to expect when it mattered down south from the 18.9 litre tank (4.16 Imp; 5 US) tank. My best reading of 64mpg closely correlates with 65 I recorded from an as-slowly ridden 1200GS on my tours one time.
Cruising along at a very modest 105kph/65mph:
- ‘Gravel’ mode (‘P3’). True 19.8kpl (19.1 indicated). Potential true range: 374km/232 miles
- ‘Tour’ mode (‘P1’): true 22.7 (ind: 21.5). In P1 Tour the engine felt noticeably smoother and crisper and what’s more, the range jumped to nearly 430km which was good to know.
I now realise something about bikes of 1000cc+ which in my book have always been overkill for a solo travel bike. Either the great weight or more probably the swept volume hold the economy back, no matter how slowly you ride.
Advanced Features and Technology
In a first for the category, the Africa Twin has the option of an evolution of Honda's automatic dual-clutch transmission (DCT) technology, which remains unique to Honda in motorcycling. Unique Dual Clutch Transmission still available on both models.
Read also: CRF1000L Used Review
Honda has implemented a 6-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) that allows a host of new rider aid functions including wheelie control, cornering ABS, rear-lift control, DCT cornering detection and cornering lights (Adventure Sports model only). Wheelie control, ABS and rear-lift controls can be turned off completely. All Africa Twin models come factory-equipped with cruise control for touring, and you’ll thank us after those high-mileage rides.
An all-new 6.5” TFT Display incorporates Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, with touchscreen functionality. Settings are viewable on the Africa Twin’s new, 6.5-inch TFT touchscreen and control inputs are accessed via a switchgear on the left handlebar. For iPhone fans the screen incorporates Apple CarPlay, allowing use of an iPhone through the touchscreen - a seriously useful option that allows you to view Apple Maps on the TFT with the same clarity you have on your smartphone. Both models support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In late 2021, Honda released a software update that adds Android Auto to the 2020 and 2021 models.
The Adventure Sports edition additionally receives a raft of cool and useful upgrades including Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment suspension (EERA) for optimized damping front and rear. The system includes four default modes - soft, mid, hard and off-road . There is also a “user” mode for further fine-tuning (see below for details on settings). Rear spring preload can be adjusted while the bike is stationary.
EERA Modes:
- TOUR: Employs the highest level of power (1), for touring loaded with pillion and luggage plus mid-range Engine Braking (2) with active on-road Cornering ABS.
- URBAN: Suits wide-ranging riding requirements and uses mid-level Power (2) and Engine Braking (2) with active on-road Cornering ABS.
- GRAVEL: Delivers the lowest level of Power (4) and Engine Braking (3). Cornering ABS is active with an off-road setting; in this setting, the rear brake ABS cannot be switched off.
- OFF-ROAD: Uses lower-mid level Power (3) and the lowest amount of Engine Braking (3).
Honda Africa Twin TFT Display
Chassis and Dimensions
The Africa Twin’s new frame is said to enhance the bikes’ handling characteristics, while the subframe is now conveniently detachable. By placing heavy components like the battery near the bike's center of gravity and using a compact engine, we've created a platform for excellent handling.
While the nose of the Africa Twin is sleeker, the tail section is also slimmer and the seat is 1.57” narrower, allowing for easier reach to the ground. In other good news the Africa Twin Adventure Sports now has the same two-way adjustable seat height of the standard Africa Twin: 33.5”-34.3” (down considerably from the 35.4”-36.6” of the previous model at the expense of less suspension travel).
Wheelbase: 62 in. (1575mm)
Caster Angle: 27.5°
Trail: 4.4 in. (113mm)
Seat Height: 33.5/34.3 in. (850/870mm); low seat option 32.5 in. (825mm); high seat option 35.2 in. (895mm)
Ground Clearance: 9.8 in. (250mm)
Suspension and Brakes
One good thing about spending big on a modern, top-of-the-range adv is you get decent suspension. I didn’t meddle with it much off-road as both ends felt good enough. It’s only when you go fast off road that limitations become apparent, and I wasn’t going to be doing that. Same with the brakes which I didn’t push due to the knobbly front tyre, nor to a point where ABS was engaged.
Front Suspension: Showa 45mm cartridge-type inverted telescopic fork with dial-style preload adjuster and DF adjustments, 9.1 in (230mm) stroke
Rear Suspension: Monoblock aluminium swing arm with Pro-Link with Showa gas-charged damper, hydraulic dial-style preload adjuster and rebound damping adjustments, 8.7 in. (220mm) rear wheel travel
ABS System Type: 2 channel with IMU Selectable ABS MODE with on-road and off-road setting
Front Brakes: 310mm dual wave floating hydraulic disc with aluminium hub and radial fit 4-piston calipers and sintered metal pads
Rear Brakes: 256mm wave hydraulic disc with single piston caliper and sintered metal pads.
2020 Africa Twin Models: Key Specs
Here's a comparison of the key specifications for the 2020 Honda Africa Twin and Adventure Sports models:
| Feature | Africa Twin | Africa Twin Adventure Sports |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 5.0 gallons | 6.5 gallons |
| Wet Weight (MT) | 498.2 lbs (226kg) | 524.7 lbs (238kg) |
| Cornering Lights | No | Yes |
| Suspension | Standard Showa | Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERA) |
| Wheels | Tube-type | Tubeless |
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