Honda CRF Africa Twin

In 1986 the legendary NXR650 made its debut at the Dakar Rally and the dream of winning the most demanding off-road race in the world came true and did it again in '87, '88, and '89, and the winning went into the original XRV650 Africa Twin which later became the now legendary XRV750 Africa Twin, after four years of development, it’s at the very heart of the new CRF1000L Africa Twin. True to its roots, which are firmly embedded in Dakar history, the Africa Twin is also a comfortable tourer as well as a practical commuter – but when you hear that call – it’s strong and agile enough to take you across the more challenging terrain of roads less travelled.

Honda’s ‘Africa Twin’ moniker was made famous by the XR750 which was a four-time winner at the Dakar rally. The Africa Twin with its liquid-cooled 998cc parallel-twin engine puts out 86bhp at 7,500rpm and 92Nm at 6,000rpm through a six-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) which is a top-of-the-line variant.

The Africa Twin comes with the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), switchable rear ABS; which allows ABS to be switched off for the rear wheel and traction control, both offering different modes for different conditions. Traction control has four settings, off and levels 1-3. Level 1 is the most aggressive while level 3 is easy on the rider. 

The Africa Twin's 21-inch front wheel with its inverted cartridge type, fully adjustable, Showa 43mm upside-down front forks provides enormous suspension travel of 230mm - the largest in its class. The rear shock also features a fully adjustable Showa with an 18-inch wheel to handle all sorts of terrain with a range of rebound and compression settings. The motorcycle has a class-leading 250mm of ground clearance and a seat height of 860mm. The Africa Twin with a fuel tank capacity of 23-litres has a kerb weight of 208kg – 222kg.