Brought Down Closer to Earth<\/strong><\/p>No more. Or at least no more if you opt for the revised-for-2024 Adventure Sports version of the Africa Twin. For one thing, the AS\u2019s suspension travel has been reduced. What was once totally berm-busting \u2014 230-mm up front and a nearly-as-substantial 220-mm in the back \u2014 has been reduced by 20-mm at both ends. Both reductions bring the seat \u2014 not to mention the centre of gravity \u2014 closer to terra firma.<\/p>
And, for the first time, the AT, again in Adventure Sports guise, rides on more conventional rubber. Oh, the rear rim is a still a dirt-bike friendly 18-inches, but up front, there\u2019s now a more street-oriented 19 incher. <\/p>
And, if that isn\u2019t a big enough clue as to the new Africa Twin\u2019s intent, Bridgestone\u2019s latest Battlax tires \u2014 Adventure A41s \u2014 look like they\u2019ll be a lot happier clipping an apex than berm. The Africa Twin, now approaching the ripe old age of 10, has finally gone mainstream. There have been lots of other \u201cimprovements\u201d for 2024 \u2014 a little more torque in its mid-range and an even slicker-shifting DCT dual clutch transmission are just a few of the notable upgrades \u2014 but that simple wheel change is, by far, the most significant.<\/p>
Immediately conspicuous is that the reach from the saddle to the ground is now much more manageable, the AT having gone from the tallest of large Japanese adventurers to one smack dab in the mainstream. What was once 850 mm is now just 835 mm.<\/p>
That seemingly miniscule difference means my 5-foot-11-inch frame \u2014 and its accompanying 32-inch inseam \u2014 had both feet planted on the floor at stoplights with even a confidence- inspiring knee bend. And that\u2019s with a 5-mm thicker seat (more on that in a minute). The difference, for anyone who\u2019s familiar with Honda\u2019s top-of-the-line adventure tourer, is striking. And with Honda\u2019s low seat option, you can get the AT\u2019s seat down to 810 mm \u2014 positively accessible by Africa Twin standards.<\/p>
Improved Handling<\/strong><\/p>Almost as immediately apparent is that its comportment is markedly different. You don\u2019t need to clip your first apex to understand that the new Adventure Sports is no longer the big ol\u2019 slow-steering dirt bike it once was. The handling is lighter, the centre of gravity not so skyscraper-like and the turning definitely sharpish.<\/p>
When you do find that first apex, the new AT has even more surprises in store. For one thing, as I found diving into the seemingly endless switchbacks that are Switzerland\u2019s Bernina Pass, you can already be well healed over and still lever in a whole whack of trail braking. If you tried that with the previous 90\/90-21 front tire, it would end up pushing you wide. Way wide, as in perhaps enough to push you off the road, which, on that aforementioned Bernina Pass, would mean a tumble down a thousand or two feet of craggy mountainside. Instead, the new Adventure Sports \u2014 and its 110\/80-19 sporty front tire \u2014 actually encourages you to hang off a little in corners for a little extra lean angle, something that would have sent the previous gen bike into total conniptions.<\/p> <\/figure>Tires and Suspension at Work<\/strong><\/p>Indeed, the main limitation is the grip offered by those new Battlaxes. These are most excellent tires, blessed with a nice, rounded profile for linear steering, and they have a sufficient silica content that they warm up quickly and are phenomenally grippy in the wet. But throw them into repeated hairpins and they\u2019ll heat up sufficiently to start sliding. For 95 per cent of new AT owners, these will be magnificent tires \u2014 I have some on an old Suzuki DL650 Wee-Strom and they are nothing short of wonderful \u2014 but a few may want to take advantage of Adventure Sports\u2019 new cornering theatrics and lever on some sportier rubber.<\/p>
Nonetheless, that ability to pretend it\u2019s a sport bike \u2014 or at least a sports tourer \u2014 is much encouraged by one of the more stiffly sprung active suspensions in the segment. In complete contrast to the original AT \u2014 which, if memory serves, had pillowy-soft 0.55 kg\/mm fork springs up front \u2014 Honda\u2019s latest suspension is more controlled than even many sport tourers.<\/p>
\u201cFirm\u201d is now the adjective most appropriate for the Africa Twin\u2019s suspension, especially when all the suspension\u2019s electronic gizmos are cranked up to Hard. The days of wallowing round high-speed sweepers or diving like a porpoise at the first touch of the front brake lever are gone. The new Honda may not be as acutely razor-sharp as a Multistrada Rallye \u2014 or even, for that matter, my much- modified Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT \u2014 but, for the first time, you can chase sport bikes down twisty roads.<\/p>
Active Suspension<\/strong><\/p>The even better news is that all this newfound prowess hadn\u2019t rendered the ride unnecessarily harsh. One of the most misunderstood secrets to suspension performance \u2014 at least for big Japanese adventure bikes \u2014 is that over-soft springing typically results in a worse ride than harsh compression damping. And while the new Adventure Sports\u2019 active suspension \u2014 officially dubbed Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment \u2014 is calibrated for sporty handling, the ride is also more controlled than before, with none of the old bike\u2019s tugboat-in-a-Nor\u2019Wester pitch-and-roll every time you whack the throttle or grab a handful of brake.<\/p>
While the Hard option was best left for the aforementioned blitzing of Alpine passes, I preferred the Medium damping valving to the overly cushy Soft mode for my daily riding. It should be noted that there\u2019s an Off-road setting, but considering the tread pattern of the aforementioned Bridgestones, I never ventured off the beaten path.<\/p>
And, in a boon to those who frequently ride two-up, the adaptive suspension system also includes electronic preload adjustment for the rear shock. You can\u2019t set the desired amount of preload specifically, but the system does offer settings for a single rider, two-up and two riders with full luggage, each step increasing preload to maintain the same ride height under increasing loads. All in all, the Adventure Sports chassis is now much more adept at tarmac shenanigans.<\/p>
Updated Engine<\/strong><\/p>The engine is likewise more robust, albeit less dramatically improved. Oh, the 1,084-cc parallel twin\u2019s peak remains a modest 101 horsepower. Ducati, KTM and even BMW\u2019s big-inch adventure bikes remain unthreatened. That said, a little bump in compression ratio \u2014 up from 10.1:1 to 10.5:1 \u2014 and some jiggling of cam timing has Honda claiming a seven per cent increase in mid-range torque which is more than noticeable in real-life riding.<\/p>
Indeed, from 4,000 rpm to six grand, the Africa Twin is a bit of a mid-range monster, able to keep up with the powerhouses of the segment \u2014 the same three mentioned above \u2014 until it starts running out of revs. Whether you miss \u2014 or ever use \u2014 that top-end rush is a personal matter. I didn\u2019t (and don\u2019t) so the modestly spec-sheeted Africa Twin has plenty of moxie for me. If, however, you do need those high-rpm thrills, even this new and improved Africa Twin is definitely not for you.<\/p>
A Smoother Shifting DCT<\/strong><\/p>Honda\u2019s Dual Clutch Transmission also takes another step forward. Still an outlier amongst adventure bikes \u2014 MV Agusta has added an automatic clutch to its Turismo Veloce and, recently, others are now threatening various automatic-style transmissions \u2014 the DCT\u2019s fully-automatic operation now feels more \u201cnatural.\u201d Upshifts are smoother, downshifts \u2014 except from 2nd to 1st \u2014 less clunky and the shift points more appropriate to throttle position and rider inputs.<\/p>
It\u2019s all due, says Honda, to exchanging a sensor that measures hydraulic pressure in the clutch mechanism to one that measures the fluid\u2019s flow rate. Whatever the source of the newfound sophistication, except for truly slow-speed crawling \u2014 i.e. trials-like tricks \u2014 the DCT\u2019s automatic clutches are truly well-calibrated now. In fact, any low-speed snatchiness \u2014 and yes, some does remain \u2014 is probably more due to emissions-controlling EFI tuning than the computer controlling the DCT\u2019s dual clutches.<\/p> <\/figure>Awkward Switchgear Buttons<\/strong><\/p>That\u2019s a good thing because manual operation can still be a bit frustrating. For one thing, the shifting is a little more abrupt. For another, the left handgrip is literally plagued with buttons and switches. It\u2019s entirely possible \u2014 actually, more than likely \u2014 that you\u2019ll occasionally hit the emergency hazards rather than the downshift lever.<\/p>
Were I buying the DCT, I\u2019d opt for the traditional gear lever that can be used in lieu of the handlebar switches. Honda says that few actually opt for the traditional foot lever, which leads me to believe most owners just leave the DCT in automatic mode most of the time (or else have more dexterous digits than I do).<\/p>
One thing that I think could help the handlebar-mounted gear selectors would be repositioning the downshift button. While the upshift switch\u2019s location at the front of the left-hand switchgear housing makes it perfectly situated to be easily flicked with your index finger without moving your hand, the downshift lever is at the back of the same housing and is positioned low enough that it requires a deliberate \u2014 and awkward \u2014 rotation of the thumb.<\/p>
If it were just adjacent to the upshift version, the whole toggle-to-downshift procedure would be much more natural. Plus, you wouldn\u2019t hit the hazards as I often did. All that said, the DCT\u2019s major disadvantage is probably the 10 kilograms it adds to the AT\u2019s curb weight compared with the manual version.<\/p>
Better Sensory Interaction<\/strong><\/p>I mentioned previously that the AT\u2019s seat was five millimetres thicker. For such a seemingly small change, the seat is now more accommodating. It\u2019s also a little wider at the rear and narrower through the front which surely helps comfort, but for a seat that, at first glance, is essentially indistinguishable from the previous perch, the improvement in comfort is significant. And because Honda hadn\u2019t revised the handlebar and footpeg location, the seating position is improved as well; there\u2019s less bend to the knee with just a slightly larger tilt forward to the handgrips. Add in a decent windscreen and the Africa Twin is a pretty good way to eat up miles, though taller types might want to fit a two-piece Givi AirFlow windshield.<\/p>
Another tidbit worth noting is that Honda\u2019s digital instrument cluster is pretty well-organized. Riding modes \u2014 four pre-set and two more customizable settings \u2014 are easily fiddled, the toggle mounted on the left side of the handlebar obvious and easily manipulated. Ditto the preload settings. And Honda artfully adds a sunshade to the whole affair so it\u2019s not rendered useless in direct sunlight.<\/p>
Other nice touches abound, my favourite being the USB socket\u2019s cover, so waterproof it\u2019s NASA-level overkill unless you\u2019re planning to use your CRF1100 to go submarining. Plenty are the competitors that could use some of Honda\u2019s singular devotion to build quality.<\/p>
With these improvements comes one downside: the price. While not as expensive as its top-of-the-line European competition, the 2024 Africa Twin\u2019s MSRP \u2014 $22,316 for the manual transmissioned model; $23,316 if you opt for the DCT \u2014 is more expensive than most comparable Japanese alternatives. Compared with, say, Suzuki\u2019s V-Strom and Kawasaki\u2019s aging Versys 1000, Honda Canada can justify that pricing position. Price shopping with KTM\u2019s 1290 Adventure \u2014 soon, one expects, to be a 1390 Adventure \u2014 those shopping spec-sheet horsepower will be left wondering what Honda is thinking. There are rumours that Honda is contemplating a turbocharger for the Africa Twin. With the chassis now up to snuff, that might not be such a bad idea. MM<\/strong><\/p>Mojo would again like to thank Stilmoto in Sondrio, Italy for the loan of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports demo unit. Owner Matteo Giotta can also attest to the popularity of the new AT with its new 19-inch wheel since his entire allotment \u2014 save the demonstrator we rode \u2014 has been sold out since June. And, as always, thanks to his generosity, we got to test the new Honda on some of the best roads in the world in the Swiss and Italian Alps. Yes, it\u2019s a great j<\/em>ob.<\/p> <\/figure>Specs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>LIST PRICE<\/strong><\/p>$23,316<\/p>
WARRANTY<\/strong><\/p>12 months, unlimited mileage<\/p>
CONTACT<\/strong><\/p>powersports.honda.ca<\/p>
ENGINE TYPE<\/strong><\/p>Liquid-cooled parallel twin<\/p>
DISPLACEMENT<\/strong><\/p>1,084 cc<\/p>
POWER (Euro Spec)<\/strong><\/p>101 hp (75 kW) at 7,500 rpm<\/p>
TORQUE (Euro Spec)<\/strong><\/p>82.6 lb-ft (112 Nm) at 5.500 rpm<\/p>
BORE AND STROKE<\/strong><\/p>92 x 81.5 mm<\/p>
COMPRESSION RATIO<\/strong><\/p>10.5:1<\/p>
FUEL DELIVERY<\/strong><\/p>Electronic fuel injection with 46 mm throttle bodies<\/p>
TRANSMISSION<\/strong><\/p>6-speed DCT<\/p>
FINAL DRIVE TYPE<\/strong><\/p>Chain<\/p>
FRONT SUSPENSION<\/strong><\/p>Electronically controlled Showa 45mm inverted fork with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping<\/p>
REAR SUSPENSION<\/strong><\/p>Electronically controlled Showa with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping<\/p>
WHEEL TRAVEL<\/strong><\/p>Front: 210 mm (8.3 in.)<\/p>
Rear: 200 mm (7.8 in.)<\/p>
BRAKES<\/strong><\/p>Front: Two four-piston calipers with 310 mm discs<\/p>
Rear: Single one-piston caliper with 256 mm disc, ABS<\/p>
WHEELBASE<\/strong> <\/p>1,550 mm (61 in.)<\/p>
RAKE AND TRAIL<\/strong><\/p>N\/A<\/p>
TIRES<\/strong><\/p>Front: 110\/80-19 tubeless<\/p>
Rear: 150\/70-18 tubeless<\/p>
WEIGHT (WET)<\/strong><\/p>253 kg (558 lb)<\/p>
SEAT HEIGHT<\/strong><\/p>835 mm (32.8 in.)<\/p>
FUEL CAPACITY<\/strong><\/p>24.8 litres<\/p>
FUEL ECONOMY<\/strong><\/p>N\/A<\/p>
FUEL RANGE<\/strong><\/p>N\/A<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Honda has made changes to the newest Africa Twin Adventure Sports to enhance its cornering prowess Honda\u2019s Africa Twin has always been the most committed of big-bore Japanese adventure bikes….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":64173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1850,1834,366,1846,2669,1853],"tags":[2679,794,90,2243,473,2680],"class_list":["post-64171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure-dual-sport","category-bike-manufacture","category-reviews","category-honda","category-november-december-2024","category-sportbike","tag-2024-honda-twin-adventure-sports-dct","tag-adventure-bike","tag-honda","tag-honda-motorcycle","tag-motorcycle-review","tag-sport-bike"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
2024 Honda Twin Adventure Sports DCT Review | Motorcycle Mojo<\/title>\n
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