Jesse Ziegler | May 31, 2018
2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports First Test
Honda’s current Africa Twin lineup is a Cycle News favorite. While not the most exhilarating adventure-class around, it certainly is popular. The Africa Twin is a hard bike not to fall in love with.
They’ve been a solid performer screaming with simplicity of use and they’ve enjoyed the least intimidating stature and demeanor in its class. In one word, the AT is balanced. And balance is likeable.
Love magazines and beautiful photos? Check out this article in backlit glory on your monitor by reading it in the Cycle News Digital Magazine.
By Jesse Ziegler | Photography by Steve Cox and Kit Palmer
Now, there are two Africa Twin models to chose from—the current 2017 base model Africa Twin (CRF1000L1) and the new 2018 Africa Twin Adventure Sports (CRF1000L2). The soon-to-be-released 2018 base AT (L1) will be upgraded, as well, but not as much as the new Africa Twin Adventure Sports. Shared upgrades include a new instrument panel, throttle by wire, Tour, Urban and Gravel riding modes, traction control with seven levels and much-needed wider footpegs, and more. The Sports, however, gets increased fuel capacity, longer-travel suspension, more ground clearance and standard heated grips, to name a few. The 2018 L1 model is expected to be released in around September. Both models will be available in either standard transmission or DCT trim.
So we were anxious to ride the new Africa Twin Adventure Sports for the first time, and curious, too: Would we like the new AT Sports as much as the previous one? Or would the nostalgia of the simple greatness of the Africa Twin haunt us for eternity?
Read how the Honda Africa Twin faired in our last Adventure Motorcycle Comparison and our 2016 Adventure Motorcycle Shootout
2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Upgrades
The Adventure Sports (CRF1000L2) is like our old Africa Twin, just more. The biggest Africa Twin to date, the L2 boasts more of everything. This is a bike intent on taking riders further off the beaten path and for longer journeys.
If you’re not into increased suspension travel, a taller seat height and a larger fuel tank of the Adventure Sports, don’t worry; the 2018 Africa Twin (L1) won’t get the girth.
So, when it comes to deciding which Africa Twin—the standard or the sport—to consider in 2018, get ready to take a lot of notes. Here’s our breakdown on everything new in Africa Twin land.
The 2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports gets more electronics, suspension and performance.
2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT
We tested the DCT model. DCT is Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission and it is an automatic transmission with modes of auto-shift attitude adjustment, paddle-shifting, and manual override on tap. DCT is as convenient and fun as paddle shifting a motorcycle like a rally car sounds.
DCT is heavier than a manual transmission (20+ lbs.) and that’s not insignificant. It also takes some getting used to as you ghost-grab for a clutch lever. But, it shifts smoother and more consistently than you can with a manual. You cannot stall a DCT bike. Intrigued?
There is neither clutch lever nor foot shifter with DCT. In their place is a switch at your right thumb to put it in gear. This same switch lets you select DCT modes from Drive, Sport 1, Sport 2 and Sport 3. You can also use this switch cluster to go full Manual and tap through the gears with reckless abandon via left-hand, thumb and trigger-finger paddle shifters. Pew-Pew!
If you’re counting, that’s five ways to shift an Africa Twin with DCT. None of them require a clutch lever (there still isn’t a clutch lever). You can’t use your foot to shift unless you go for an optional foot-control that looks like a shifter. It’s not a shifter, it’s a shifter-looking controller that does the same job as the paddles. We didn’t try it but it sounds cool and also, weird.
None of the ways you can shift a DCT will let you stall. And they’re all pretty fun.
Drive mode is similar to operating an economy-class rental car and the bike is at its best, most borrrrrrrrrring behavior here.
Size matters. The new Africa Twin Adventure Sport is noticeably more “girthy” than the base model.
Sport modes take the respectful Drive mode and punk it out a bit.
Each level of Sport extends shift points deeper into the revs and snaps the gear changes with more pizzazz. Level three has the most pizzazz and I don’t see a sporting reason for level one and two.
Sport modes do as advertised and modify gear change pizzazz incrementally.
If you’re looking for the rowdiest beast in the DCT jungle, go full “manual” and tap that transmission into submission with your thumb and index finger. I highly recommend.
The “manual” configured bike will not shift for you and that’s nice for someone experiencing a bit of insecurity with all this automatic business. Plus, when you decide when the bike can shift, it does so absolutely brilliantly. We’re talking seamless. The new DCT system introduces gears to other gears fantastically.
Okay, that bit about Manual mode not shifting for you isn’t entirely true. Honda’s DCT will not let you stall or destroy a clutch system or look like an idiot for trying to do so. So, if you slow or come to a stop in sixth, or fifth, or fourth gear, in manual mode and then accelerate, it’s going to shift down for you.
DCT Manual and Sport 3 are the only DCT modes I rode in after trying all the options. Combined with the power delivery, engine braking and torque control options (more on that pile of buttons later), DCT drastically changes the way the bike behaves on the way up and down. Mess with it yourself to find your favorite combo. But, you’ll probably want to do what I did and shift like a video game racecar in Manual mode. Pew-Pew!
Did I mention the bike auto-blips on downshifts when using the DCT system? It does. And it’s awesome.
One last DCT feature is the G mode. Activated by a dash-mounted button, G mode adjusts oil pressure to the DCT clutch system to give clutch engagement more rapid engagement. This is good for off-road performance and is moderately noticeable to the normal rider.
DCT, in the end, is pretty great. I don’t know if it will replace a clutch and foot shifter for me in permanence, but I’d love to give it a chance in a head-to-head battle.
For a relatively big bike, the Adventure Sport is comfortable, easy to ride and inspires confidence.
2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Power Electronics
The power character of the 270-degree-firing 998cc parallel twin is still super smooth and favors a mid-to-high-range excitement bias. It is plentiful in the power play, but not intimidating or rowdy. This is sort of a perfect liter-bike for the masses of ADV exploration. While the implementation of DCT seems to tame the bike down a bit more, it’s still a capable and entertaining touring and adventuring powerplant.
Plus, for 2018, Honda updated the airbox and engine balancers to liven up the power character a bit.
That is where the power conversation ends and the electronic manipulation of the riding experience begins.
We love the simplicity of 2016-2017 Africa Twins. Adjusting Honda’s HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control, “traction” control for non-legal types) was easy if you chose to hit dirt or otherwise do burnouts. It had three levels to choose from and you could turn it off for four setting options, total.
This is no longer true.
The Africa Twin of 2018 has so many more electronics. This starts with the addition of a slick Throttle By Wire system. It’s very smooth and direct and we enjoy it immensely.
Next, the new Africa Twin system now has eight (!) levels of HSTC. And it controls rear wheel slip below and above the previous three levels’ range via seven settings. You can still turn it off for the eighth.
For most riders, including yours truly, I’d call the HSTC range excessive. I will be surprised if I find an area where I prefer HSTC setting #6 to setting #4. But maybe I will. I used #7, #1 and Off on my test ride. It was a lot like having 1,2,3, and Off on the previous version. We need more time to find the other five necessary.
What I did enjoy about the new HSTC system is the feel when it engages. It’s much smoother and doesn’t jerk as much when cutting power to a spinning wheel. It feels much more natural. Also, you can adjust it independently of any other riding mode at any time with the trigger switch. This is a must-have function. I used the toggle switch to turn it off and on all day.
That’s not all! Honda has introduced power management into the mix. You can now dial-in power delivery across three levels. This wasn’t an option on previous Africa Twins and, while we left it in the most aggressive power mode all day, it’s not confusing to have three modes of power output delivery to play with.
Finally, Africa Twins get three modes of Engine Braking adjustment for 2018. Engine Braking was my favorite mode to use and learn from. It makes a huge difference in the performance character of the bike and when manipulated in conjunction with DCT shift settings, it’s awesome. This is a keeper in my book.
Everything you need to know is right here but with a new look.
Confused yet? Yeah, I get that. But Honda has some pre-selected combos of the above. Riding profiles can easily be toggled to Tour, Urban, and Gravel pre-sets. They have Power, Engine Braking, and Torque Control settings built in. Interestingly, two of the profiles have the same Engine Braking settings (2) and all of them have the same HSTC setting (6). So, between Urban and Tour, you get a one-notch change in power output. And Gravel has the same rear wheel slip as the street-focused pre-sets. We didn’t use the pre-sets much.
One pre-set you’re really going to like is the customizable User Profile. This is the profile you can customize to your preferences and lock in to the system. You select your favorites of the options and leave it there. Turn the bike off; it’s still there. Boom. Simple. It’s also simple to adjust if you change your mind. User Setting is great.
ABS settings are one area where Honda left things alone in the electronics department. And, with competition in the premium ADV segment incorporating cornering ABS, off-road ABS and other electronic suspension functionality, this is a bit surprising. Honda’s ABS system allows you to turn off the rear wheel ABS, only. This is nice and easy via the dash-mounted button, but we’d really like some options on the front wheel. Mostly for off-road settings where an on-road ABS initialized front wheel can be certainly less effective. Let us turn off front-wheel ABS and we’d be pretty happy with the options.
All of these options are viewed on a new dash screen. It’s a bigger LCD affair and is easier to see plus it lays down for better viewability when standing up. It’s better than the previous.
Lot of more rider adjustability here. You still have DCT and manual transmission options. It’s a tough choice, for sure.
2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Goes Big
The Sports model is larger than the L1. Its radar profile now puts it head-to-head, and seat-to-seat, with elitist European ADV bikes.
The Adventure Sports’ claimed 9.9 inches of fork and 9.5 inches of shock travel give it more suspension movement than KTM’s 1090 and 1290 Adventure R’s (8.6 inches front and rear), BMW’s R 1200 GS Adventure, and Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 Enduro Pro. In fact, this Africa Twin now has the longest (claimed) suspension travel in the premium ADV world. And its ground clearance is claimed at 10.6 inches, also leading the field.
Most of the riding we’ve done on the L2 so far has mostly been in Arizona, where Honda introduced the bike to the media. So a true test of the suspension and skid-plate in off-road obstacles isn’t in the cards yet. But on the road and over the gravel the valving seems compliant and capable of holding the girth of the bike and rider under cornering Gs.
Bigger also applies to fuel capacity. The Sports’ 6.4-gallon tank is approximately 1.5 gallons larger than the other Africa Twins. This puts it right above the KTM 1090 and KTM 1290 Adventure models in fuel capacity—very capable world-travel range. The Ducati Multi Enduro Pro and BMW GS Adventure have gigantic 7.9-gallon tanks and will likely be alone at the top of fuel capacity forever.
Fuel range is great. The Honda is efficient and our 150-miles (or so) of testing left us with ample reserves to get us over 200 miles with spirited riding taking advantage of wheel spin opportunities. In Drive mode, 300-mile range and further should be expected. We’ll try to run out of gas on our next ride to confirm.
With all this bigness for the Adventure Sports version comes a taller adjustable seat height of 35.4/36.2 inches (the collective ADV-buying public grumbles).
For comparison, KTM’s 1090 and 1290 Adventure R’s have a 35.04-inch seat height. Original 2016-current Africa Twins have a relatively low 33.5/34.3-inch adjustable seat height.
It almost goes without saying that the AT is a pure joy on the pavement.
But wait! Honda has an accessory low seat that brings the height down to a more reachable 34.2/35.0 adjustable range. This seat will sell well and could be argued as better standard equipment based on the numbers.
Handlebar position goes up 1.3 inches but the grips slide back to the rider by about .25 inch. This opens up the riding position a bit while not stretching arms and is a welcome addition.
The only issue with the increased AT size we noticed was a bit more tippy feeling when rocking the bike off the side-stand and jumping on. But I don’t normally have issues with seat height. I know a lot of riders do, so you should jump on one to see how it affects you. If you struggle swinging a leg over bikes, this one will be tougher than before. Regardless, it has lost a bit of the Africa Twin’s easy-to-love showroom balance. But you have big travel in exchange.
When riding, we prefer the new ergonomics. Increased suspension travel has never annoyed us and this bike doesn’t ride tall and tippy. It rides planted. It eats road turns. The seat is now flatter so it feels better while riding, too. From standing and picking our way through off-road sections to sitting and crushing gravel road miles, the new AT is more comfortable than before.
The footpegs are now bigger across the Africa Twin range for 2018, thank goodness. They’re actually quite comfortable now but not immune to upgrading to something even more substantial.
Likewise, the windscreen grows to make wind pushing more effective and comfortable, as do the fairing components. Again, these upgrades to size are generally welcomed and address upgrades we’ve made to our previous long-term Africa Twin test bike (pegs, windscreen).
Honda claims the Adventure Sports DCT model hits the scales right at 555 pounds ready to ride (full of gas). Honda has manual transmission Adventure Sports models at 533 pounds.
A larger fuel tank means you can really get out there.
2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports Final Thoughts
The new Africa Twin is intriguing as ever. And now every 2018 Africa Twin gets serious options to play with when it comes to how you want to ride it. The Adventure Sports edition has brought serious fuel range and suspension travel to the AT lineup. And it looks awesome. We’re fans of all of this
Likewise, the Adventure Sports is a great mascot for the seriousness of Honda in the long-distance and more extreme adventure sub-segment. It has taken the often-mild Africa Twin and put it face-to-face with more aggressive competition without doing any major damage to the usability of the original. We do feel the seat height is going to turn many buyers off, but with the optional low seat and a CRF100L version next to it in the showroom, sales will continue to be strong for AT’s.
The model updates are good. And even though we might think eight modes of HSTC on a Honda complicates it more than necessary, it’s pretty easy to ignore.
Pricing of the new Adventure Sports model is set at $14,999 for a manual and $15,699 for a DCT version. That’s directly in-line with KTM’s 1090 Adventure R ($14,899) for the manual version.
This year’s Adventure Comparison is going to be interesting (and a lot of fun).CN
| SPECIFICATIONS |
2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT ($15,699) |
| ENGINE TYPE: |
Liquid-cooled Unicam 4-stroke, 22.5° parallel-twin |
| DISPLACEMENT: |
998cc |
| BORE X STROKE: |
92mm x 75mm |
| CLUTCH: |
2 multi-plate, wet |
| VALVETRAIN: |
SOHC, 4 valves per cylinder |
| COMPRESSION RATIO: |
10.0:1 |
| INDUCTION: |
PGM-FI electronic fuel injection (Throttle By Wire) |
| IGNITION: |
Full transistorized ignition |
| STARTER: |
Electric |
| TRANSMISSION: |
6-speed Automatic DCT |
| FINAL DRIVE: |
Chain |
| FRONT SUSPENSION: |
45mm inverted telescopic fork |
| REAR SUSPENSION: |
Pro-Link w/single shock |
| FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: |
9.9 in. |
| REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: |
9.4 in. |
| FRONT BRAKE: |
Two 4-piston hydraulic calipers w/310mm disc; ABS |
| REAR BRAKE: |
Single, 1-piston hydraulic caliper w/256mm disc; ABS |
| FRONT TIRE: |
90/90-21 in. |
| REAR TIRE: |
150/70R-18 in. |
| WHEELBASE: |
62.2 in. |
| SEAT HEIGHT: |
Standard position 36.2 in. / low position 35.4 in. |
| CURB WEIGHT: |
555.8 lbs. |
| FUEL CAPACITY: |
6.4 gal., incl. 1.0 gal. reserve |
| COLORS: |
White/Blue/Red |
| WARRANTY: |
1-year, transferable, unlimited-mileage; extended coverage available with a Honda Protection Plan |
