Next year , Honda will take the wraps off its Modern , orotund - electrical capacity adventure motorcycle . Will it be any good ? To find out , we talked top - secret details with a company insider .
“ The first round of prototype bikes are ramp up and the second iteration are being put together now , ” our insider say us . “ By the looks of it , it wo n’t be give up as a 2015 model . ”
The bike he ’s talk about is , of course , the intemperately - bruit unexampled Honda Africa Twin . Apparently , it wear that name “ right on the side ” and will be call that in the US securities industry too , although it could also wear the CRF1000L moniker .
That name gives away the capacity , that 1,000cc , liquid - cooled motor will be a parallel - twin , designed to supply dependable torque and a front rack - bias weight unit distribution that ’s ideal for off - road performance .
And this thing will go off - road . “ It ’s aim squarely at the KTM 990 Adventure , ” says our guy rope . “ Rim sizing are 21 - inch ( front ) and 17 - in ( rear ) . Spoked rack and no - fucking - around tires as stock . ”
What our insider was ineffectual to confirm was the bruit weight unit , said by German magazine Motorrad to be around 200 kg or 440lbs ( wet ) . If on-key , that will give the bike a huge alone selling point . Even mid - capacitance ADV bicycle now tippytoe the scales northward of 500lbs when carrying fuel and the big , 1,200cc touring - oriented ADV bikes can matter much more ; the2014 Yamaha Super Tenere , for example , weighs 636lbs ( loaded , with its standard - fit boxes ) !
https://gizmodo.com/adventure-tested-2014-yamaha-super-tenere-es-1572762227
Such a bicycle would neatly split the departure between most ADV bikes ( which are n’t terribly effective off - road ) and the 650cc , single - piston chamber dual sports that are very serious off - road , but are now left far behind on it .
That ’s not to say the Africa Twin will be a spartan poop bike . “ ABS , Traction Control , Supermoto Mode , the works , ” says our guy , describing its electronic passenger attention computer software . “ Supermoto Mode ” sounds the most intriguing , likely collapse the rider an easy power to optimize performance between dirt and street equitation .
What Honda seems to be doing here is construct a motorcycle that in reality lives up to the promise of the ADV category — true crap operation in a software package that ’s still genteel and well-fixed on the street . It could be the first bike to manage that that is n’t made in Austria . What Honda can proffer over KTM is a more affordable price ticket , greater long - term timbre and reliableness and a much , much larger principal internet . Do n’t under forecast the power of that last advantage , no matter where you live on , there ’s potential a Honda bargainer within striking distance . That not only make the initial purchase easier , but also subsequent service and repair . Those character will be a boon to world traveler too .
“ Based on what I ’ve watch , it ’ll look like a crossing between theCRF250Land aTiger 800 , ” enjoin our guy . “ I ’ll be honorable , this Africa Twin is probably the first motorcycle from Honda I ’ll seriously consider buying . ”
Honda
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