I had a demo on the manual gear box version earlier in the Summer and was blown away with the bikes handling, sound, features and price. The only problem I had with the bike was that demand was massive and orders being taken in June wouldn't be fulfilled until the following January. That might have changed but the bike really is wasps nipples!
This review is all very well, but after all the hype about this bike Honda played it safe. I rode one back to back to back with a v-strom, and I think the v-strom has it covered. It was better on road and had a stronger engine and over £1K cheaper too. It road well, braked well and felt as well made. Its only downside was it did not have the sense of occasion of the Honda, the Honda did have a bit more style to it.
Did you ride a parallel twin, or a v-twin? The V-twin engines are notoriously worse for vibration. A parallel twin should be a bit smoother, especially a new one with a counterbalance. Some parallel twins have almost zero vibration. Others are terrible. Each one is different, depending on their counterbalancing scheme. The new super cheap 650cc Royal Enfield is supposed to be glassy smooth with a parallel twin.
For everyone thinking of buying it: The engine is pretty boring, you'll never go off road and the heated grips are rubbish. Keep your bike, give it a sip of fresh oil and clean your baby, yes the spokes too. Now drive somewhere nice and look at it. Just look at it :-)
The bike showing up in the US are missing a lot of the extras he mentioned. extra lighting ,crash bars power port no bags or racks to place them on. I really like the bike but I just busted my bank on a R1200RT. Around Seattle out
Thanks for the feedback. Pricing is something we're very keen to introduce into our coverage, but it will most likely feature on the AT Bikes review page for now: www.autotrader.co.uk/bikes/content/honda-crf1000l-africa-twin-review-adventure-2015
There is a shortage of supply due to natural disasters in japan like earquakes & volcanos 💩 they better test each bike there through clouds of sulpher 😂
Yikes! Still want one though I am very happy with my XR675L (low compression big bore) with CRF front end, full suspension mods, stage 1 cam, jetting, FMF pipe, soft luggage... Even with tall gearing this thing pulls wonderfully and is so nimble across rough terrain yet very nice on the road at 70mph... Not very comfy on long haul or when it's windy though... Yikes again! ...in thinking about it, I think it's the 18" rear & 21" front that is attractive to me on the Africa Twin, better off road tire choices that are DOT yet also at a lesser cost...
I never trust any motoring type journalism. If any dare criticise the vehicles the manufacturers won't let them do any more reviews on their products and they lose all the associated perks that go with it, such as free accommodation and meals. I just cant wait to look at the online forums regarding any bike I might be interested in and only then will I begin to hopefully get some unbiased opinions.
bieng off-road bias is not bad thing..its most depend on the type of riding..most of those big bikes are used for touring..and when shift our of tarmac then The AT will shown it's real persona..The GS' s are more comfy for Tourer..its just first year for The Honda so it's better to wait little for cons..and pros..but it's well come entry..
Don't put your helmet on the seat, it will fall at some point. It will either screw the helmet or maybe break the visor, and leave you riding open face with ters in your eyes for miles and miles, because sod's law says it will happen in the outback, 200 miles from anywhere.
I am looking to sell my 2006 KLR with many upgrades that I have become used to having.Crash bars,highway pegs,cruise control,12v socket, lowered UFO front fender , centerstand, ect, ect. So I love the looks of the AFRICA TWIN and felt good sitting on it in the show room (im 6'4") Here is my question why buy the A.T. for basically the same money the Triumph tiger XCx comes standard with all the things I need and more without having to put it all on aftermarket which drives the cost of the A.T. above the Tiger XCx? Gotta have a quality skid plate,center stand, cruise control, engine guards, highway pegs(doesn't come with either but can attach to Tigers engine guards easy) Let me know what I am missing here , I would rather buy the Honda but I don't think I can. (rusty spokes and sticky buttons included on the honda) What is your opinion?????????????
5000 miles on my DCT so far.. complaints.. instrament cluster during daylight hours could be brighter. seat hurts after 2 hrs. foot pegs too small. all these can be fixed! Review was7.5 out of 10 not enough off road footage or riding otherwise very polished!
Scott Mcfarlane with led tech now twin lights both main/dip should be as good as an audi car notice they only have one small orb in each headlight and are bright as hell. no motorcycle other than the bmw rt's have decent lights. the bmw auxiliary led lights help a lot but still one wonky headlight for the main one
Scott Mcfarlane I know what you mean. My 2016 CBR500R has led headlights and they both light up. Odd that the more expensive Africa Twin has halogen lights.
Afrca twin 2017 - 45mm inverted telescopic fork; 9.06 in. travel Africa twin 2016 - Inverted Showa® 45mm fork w/ 8.0 in. travel; adjustable compression, rebound damping & hydraulic adjustable preload good morning, does this data above mean that the AT2016 has a lower suspension than the AT 2017? what are the differences between them. AT 2016 and AT 2017? biker greeting Miroslav
Not sure If I should get this or an xt66z , or wait for the xt700z twin 😣 anything but the klr650dinosaur so confused. too many bikes to choose from. owww its just so tempting.
Nothing like a test ride to make that decision. Singles and twins have such different characters. I far prefer twins and the way the twins feel at lower RPM especially. Happy decision-making, and dreaming in the meantime :-)
Lee Bradley looking forward to the xt700z. but if it's built down to a price like the 700 tracer, it's just going to fall short of a bmw gs800 in power suspension and pritty much everything else.
It should have been a 650cc bike >200kg. Moreover, it does not seem rugged enough for off road. I would have heart ache if I saw it fell on rocks. It will be painful to lift it up after few falls during off roading. False advertisement.
Dogus Sahinoglu most of the 650cc twins are close to 230kg. they will never get the weight down so made it 1000cc heavy and not suitable for road or off road, it's always tough
Comments like this crack me up; false advertisement! Hilarious. The Africa Twin is every bit the bike Honda told us it was and more. I dropped mine loads in the harshest conditions and it was brilliant.
Th best.bike.but still ill wait and buy a affordabke himalayan.from royal enfield and I dont care abt what ithers care cos there are many people who want to own ine and travel in one
but enuf for all other adventures - I bet its just a very few clients that want to take this bike to destinations where petrol stations are more than 200km apart from each other. For such occasions you can easily add some fuel packs.
just came across the SWM Superdual, healthy 54hp, 1cyl, 160 kg dry weight with a proper windscreen, crash bars and luggage rack for just 7000 euro (and nowhere near as dull looking as the old Kawa) coming out in 2017 !? sounds lika a deal.
This gen is the most unreliable piece of shit I ever had. Rusting frame welding, fuelpump and injector issues not even a month after purchase(2019 jul), and wasn't sorted out till date, had a service for it back in october under warranty, I've been waiting for another service since december. If it is anything like the 2019model, I'de say stay the hell away from these!
Another BMW R1200 GS wanna be :] I'm sure they had to buy a few GS's to tear apart to see how it's done properly! Ask Porsche, they tell you the stories of Honda's Corporate 911 purchases :]
Africa Twin is much more iconic tbh not to mention about honda transalp. Always laught when i go abroad and see all of those old fat Germans on the GS bikes Ugly bleh
Becker Inal Oh, just bring your beloved GS to Indonesia and ride it on heavy traffic hours. I want to see who can survive longer. A lambo or GS.. Hahaha Japanese bikes all the way.
Not sure If I should get this or an xt66z , or wait for the xt700z twin 😣 anything but the klr650dinosaur so confused. too many bikes to choose from. owww its just so tempting.
best bike reviews on TH-cam
such a pleasure to watch!
this motor is my dream
This is the video that made me decide to buy this bike.. thank you for inspiration.
Reviews = autotrader ! No other reviews are as soothing as them
I have a test ride on a 2016 model on Saturday. Can't wait.
Great stuff, love the auto trader motorcycle reviews
I had a demo on the manual gear box version earlier in the Summer and was blown away with the bikes handling, sound, features and price. The only problem I had with the bike was that demand was massive and orders being taken in June wouldn't be fulfilled until the following January. That might have changed but the bike really is wasps nipples!
Arthur TwoSheds And Japan have constant earthquake.
This review is all very well, but after all the hype about this bike Honda played it safe. I rode one back to back to back with a v-strom, and I think the v-strom has it covered. It was better on road and had a stronger engine and over £1K cheaper too. It road well, braked well and felt as well made. Its only downside was it did not have the sense of occasion of the Honda, the Honda did have a bit more style to it.
good review as usual rode a twin the other day to much vibration for me will stick to my crosstourer for now fantastic bike
Did you ride a parallel twin, or a v-twin? The V-twin engines are notoriously worse for vibration. A parallel twin should be a bit smoother, especially a new one with a counterbalance. Some parallel twins have almost zero vibration. Others are terrible. Each one is different, depending on their counterbalancing scheme. The new super cheap 650cc Royal Enfield is supposed to be glassy smooth with a parallel twin.
Damn. Why did I watch this?
Don't really need to change my bike. But.. :)
I know the feeling.
For everyone thinking of buying it: The engine is pretty boring, you'll never go off road and the heated grips are rubbish. Keep your bike, give it a sip of fresh oil and clean your baby, yes the spokes too. Now drive somewhere nice and look at it. Just look at it :-)
Talking bollocks - the bike is awesome
Thanks for the video bro, I am going to buy 2016 with 20 000 km, I am 188cm and 110kg, I hope I will fit good
The best adventure bike😎👍.
compared to bycicle perhaps
Haven’t see a bike review for ages on your channel!
Love the matching gear to the AT. Looks awesome together. Great video.
As you say Honda missed the trick and fell behind the game welcome back Africa Twin. Honda please please bring the VFR back to its former glory too!
The bike showing up in the US are missing a lot of the extras he mentioned. extra lighting ,crash bars power port no bags or racks to place them on. I really like the bike but I just busted my bank on a R1200RT. Around Seattle out
What about the bad engineering of the heated grips ? People must know about that too.
Those crash bars are real bendy and only good for a few drops before its touching the bodywork.
Short, Sharp, Safe, To the point!. Thank you!
I test one yesterday awesome bike
Another top notch review!
Welcome your new Video, Jon
This is going to be my choice, and great review.
its better for adventure touring . easy to handle...nd looks light in weight too
Looks like a great package. A bigger tank and tubeless tyres would have been a welcome addition though.
Didn't they come out with an AS model or something along those lines with a bigger tank and higher ground clearance? I thought that was the AT.
Nicely done review. If I may suggest, you should include the price next time.
Thanks for the feedback. Pricing is something we're very keen to introduce into our coverage, but it will most likely feature on the AT Bikes review page for now: www.autotrader.co.uk/bikes/content/honda-crf1000l-africa-twin-review-adventure-2015
Based on local pricing in South Africa this is actually more a rival for a F800 gs than the 1200gs.
good review where is that place u shoot the video
Excellent video.
...great presentation, made me want to go out and get one today, were one available of course...
There is a shortage of supply due to natural disasters in japan like earquakes & volcanos 💩 they better test each bike there through clouds of sulpher 😂
Yikes! Still want one though I am very happy with my XR675L (low compression big bore) with CRF front end, full suspension mods, stage 1 cam, jetting, FMF pipe, soft luggage... Even with tall gearing this thing pulls wonderfully and is so nimble across rough terrain yet very nice on the road at 70mph... Not very comfy on long haul or when it's windy though... Yikes again! ...in thinking about it, I think it's the 18" rear & 21" front that is attractive to me on the Africa Twin, better off road tire choices that are DOT yet also at a lesser cost...
All Africa Twin owners should go into the garage, then check their standard Honda tool kit and see if they can adjust their chain.🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Not sure I fancy that parking brake lever.. The temptation to grab it when forgetting you are aboard a dct..
The lever can't be grabbed in a normal steering position, it's placed out of reach.
Yes. Honda thought about this. I reached for it the first couple of rides. Can't get to it. Don't worry.
Seems like its just another thing to break.. mind the pun.
you realize you're talking about a Honda, right?
+Jack Ol'Bean The most unreliable bike I owned was a Honda
I never trust any motoring type journalism. If any dare criticise the vehicles the manufacturers won't let them do any more reviews on their products and they lose all the associated perks that go with it, such as free accommodation and meals. I just cant wait to look at the online forums regarding any bike I might be interested in and only then will I begin to hopefully get some unbiased opinions.
Have a look at fortnine, youre correct
I totally agree, how many bike would come from Honda if they said this was rubbish or do not buy it.
Nicely shot. Would have been nice to see some off road action.
bieng off-road bias is not bad thing..its most depend on the type of riding..most of those big bikes are used for touring..and when shift our of tarmac then The AT will shown it's real persona..The GS' s are more comfy for Tourer..its just first year for The Honda so it's better to wait little for cons..and pros..but it's well come entry..
Good review but would have been so much better had it been the manual gearbox!
Don't put your helmet on the seat, it will fall at some point. It will either screw the helmet or maybe break the visor, and leave you riding open face with ters in your eyes for miles and miles, because sod's law says it will happen in the outback, 200 miles from anywhere.
Neat video
Good video😀
Great bike
would be great to sense of the price of the bikes if possible.
I would have liked to see a bigger fuel tank .
throw a jerry can in the pannier
awesum review !
btw heard that royal enfield has launched himalayan , can u do a review on it how is it as a begineer adv bike ?
thanks ! :D
Can one discuss how a MC handles on or off road when using a frisking top box?
Nice Video, imformative too
Its a great bike, although the tank is a bit to small.
I am looking to sell my 2006 KLR with many upgrades that I have become used to having.Crash bars,highway pegs,cruise control,12v socket, lowered UFO front fender , centerstand, ect, ect. So I love the looks of the AFRICA TWIN and felt good sitting on it in the show room (im 6'4") Here is my question why buy the A.T. for basically the same money the Triumph tiger XCx comes standard with all the things I need and more without having to put it all on aftermarket which drives the cost of the A.T. above the Tiger XCx? Gotta have a quality skid plate,center stand, cruise control, engine guards, highway pegs(doesn't come with either but can attach to Tigers engine guards easy) Let me know what I am missing here , I would rather buy the Honda but I don't think I can. (rusty spokes and sticky buttons included on the honda) What is your opinion?????????????
Scott DiLemma I believe the tiger has cruise control & the AT does not. the only other option to consider would be 800gs
I bought the Tiger, so far so good , enjoying it very nimble lotta power too...............
hey , i would like to see your take on Benelli 600 GT ..
I want one!!!
5000 miles on my DCT so far.. complaints.. instrament cluster during daylight hours could be brighter. seat hurts after 2 hrs. foot pegs too small. all these can be fixed!
Review was7.5 out of 10 not enough off road footage or riding otherwise very polished!
Will you review Aprilia V4 1100 Tuono Factory? Or any new Aprilias?
Why tube tires? Tubeless makes more sense so you can plug and keep going withou th taking off the entire wheel.
Until you get a hole in the tire that's so big you can't plug, I prefer tubes second layer of protection.
Can't stand bikes that only light one headlight on low beam. Looks odd
Scott Mcfarlane with led tech now twin lights both main/dip should be as good as an audi car notice they only have one small orb in each headlight and are bright as hell. no motorcycle other than the bmw rt's have decent lights. the bmw auxiliary led lights help a lot but still one wonky headlight for the main one
Scott Mcfarlane I know what you mean. My 2016 CBR500R has led headlights and they both light up. Odd that the more expensive Africa Twin has halogen lights.
@@gregoryaparker Pretty sure it has LED lamps.
Afrca twin 2017 - 45mm inverted telescopic fork; 9.06 in. travel
Africa twin 2016 - Inverted Showa® 45mm fork w/ 8.0 in. travel; adjustable compression, rebound damping & hydraulic adjustable preload
good morning, does this data above mean that the AT2016 has a lower suspension than the AT 2017? what are the differences between them. AT 2016 and AT 2017?
biker greeting
Miroslav
this or the new v strom?new v strom only 10 grand.if you do very little off roading i think v strom better value.but there still a beautiful machine.
its really look head turner with full package..its dual purpose but The AT is as everyone knows is off road biased..
not true . i have a honda c90 with semi auto and its lovely . LOL
Retrieve to b the newer worsion ,but control is on rider to make machine perform to have a bet...koi hai
Not sure If I should get this or an xt66z , or wait for the xt700z twin 😣 anything but the klr650dinosaur so confused. too many bikes to choose from. owww its just so tempting.
Nothing like a test ride to make that decision. Singles and twins have such different characters. I far prefer twins and the way the twins feel at lower RPM especially. Happy decision-making, and dreaming in the meantime :-)
Lee Bradley looking forward to the xt700z. but if it's built down to a price like the 700 tracer, it's just going to fall short of a bmw gs800 in power suspension and pritty much everything else.
Lee Bradley the new versys 650 2017 seems more bulky and heavier than a f800gs.
...how tall are you?
Excelent for bad roads butt not good for city .
It should have been a 650cc bike >200kg. Moreover, it does not seem rugged enough for off road. I would have heart ache if I saw it fell on rocks. It will be painful to lift it up after few falls during off roading. False advertisement.
Dogus Sahinoglu most of the 650cc twins are close to 230kg. they will never get the weight down so made it 1000cc heavy and not suitable for road or off road, it's always tough
Have you ridden one???
Comments like this crack me up; false advertisement! Hilarious. The Africa Twin is every bit the bike Honda told us it was and more. I dropped mine loads in the harshest conditions and it was brilliant.
Will a 5' 9" 175cm guy like me reach the ground without using builders stilts ?
Thanks Mike :)
£195 for that centre stand is definitely taking the p**s though!...oh then I saw the Honda heated grips another p**s take!
HORNET6 got my touring screen. top box and heated grips for free, the dealers are being told to sell 120% of what they sold last year.
HORNET6 and no I would not pay for them either
Can I ask what dealer you got this from? seriously interested in buying one.
Th best.bike.but still ill wait and buy a affordabke himalayan.from royal enfield and I dont care abt what ithers care cos there are many people who want to own ine and travel in one
dude, specs I can read from honda website by myself...gush!
Pegs seem built for 12 year olds.
Seems very underpowered
tank too small . you cant take it to the serious adventure like central asia or australia
but enuf for all other adventures - I bet its just a very few clients that want to take this bike to destinations where petrol stations are more than 200km apart from each other. For such occasions you can easily add some fuel packs.
what and ever. Honda isn't building for a handful of riders. Bring a gas tank like everyone else.
what and ever. Honda isn't building for a handful of riders. Bring a gas tank like everyone else.
***** imo gs is still better for epic travels like central asia f.e.
just came across the SWM Superdual, healthy 54hp, 1cyl, 160 kg dry weight with a proper windscreen, crash bars and luggage rack for just 7000 euro (and nowhere near as dull looking as the old Kawa) coming out in 2017 !? sounds lika a deal.
how much honda did pay for this review?
I wonder I wonder poo man chooo
This gen is the most unreliable piece of shit I ever had. Rusting frame welding, fuelpump and injector issues not even a month after purchase(2019 jul), and wasn't sorted out till date, had a service for it back in october under warranty, I've been waiting for another service since december. If it is anything like the 2019model, I'de say stay the hell away from these!
Grandpas bike. How dull!
SUV bike, LOL
Another BMW R1200 GS wanna be :]
I'm sure they had to buy a few GS's to tear apart to see how it's done properly! Ask Porsche, they tell you the stories of Honda's Corporate 911 purchases :]
Africa Twin is much more iconic tbh not to mention about honda transalp. Always laught when i go abroad and see all of those old fat Germans on the GS bikes Ugly bleh
honda don't buy bmw's & pull them apart. They buy the people that work there....have you not heard of a head hunter 🙊
Becker Inal Oh, just bring your beloved GS to Indonesia and ride it on heavy traffic hours. I want to see who can survive longer. A lambo or GS.. Hahaha
Japanese bikes all the way.
Ugly. And those gold forks, terrible. Underpowered and with that 21" wheel will not be good on the road. Would much rather have the KTM.
Underpowered? How much over the speed limit to you feel you need to go.
Not sure If I should get this or an xt66z , or wait for the xt700z twin 😣 anything but the klr650dinosaur so confused. too many bikes to choose from. owww its just so tempting.