BIG AFRICA
When Honda announced the return of the Africa Twin (AT) in 2015 you have to wonder if the company knew they were about to redefine a category. The approach of hitting the adventure market with an unabashed 1000cc off-road bike unencumbered by electronics was not the norm…is still not the norm. There was little to satisfy riders that wanted to ride twisty roads all day and as such it copped criticism from people who completely missed the point — this was a big dirtbike.
I don’t mean to diminish the standing of KTM’s 1190 Adventure R at the time. The 1190 was a fantastic bike that was far too short lived, but Honda ignored the push for over-the-top horsepower that’s senseless on the dirt and with the 21/18 wheelset made it known that the bike would be at home on the trails. The Africa Twin had more ground clearance and longer-travel suspension and certainly when compared to the 1190, basically no electronic aids at all. It was a CRF in every way and there wasn’t anything else like it. And there still isn’t.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the original XRV650 Africa Twin, Honda launched a new variant of the AT called the Adventure Sports. This is a bike that bequeathed to many that for which they have asked, such as a bigger tank, improved suspension and throttle-by-wire with ride
