Honda Africa Twin 10 Years Review
 

I thought I'd wait until I'd owned my Africa Twin for ten years before writing a post singing its praise. I like it so much I've built a website about the Africa Twin showing the difference in models. I'll update this over the coming months with tip&Tricks and possibly a video rebuild series.

About the Africa Twin - www.hondaafricatwin.com

In 30K of tough riding it's never let me down, been easy to service and performs amazingly especially with some essential modifications. I've ridden all the new larger dual sports but nothing has persuaded me to change it yet. The closest I came was with the KTM 950 Adventure S but doubt that would have been as reliable.

I just wonder what your thoughts on the Africa Twin are?

Glad you're enjoying the bike. I love mine (F800GS); four years, 35K and counting!


Not that you'd want to get rid of yours, but in 2015 I think there's supposed to be a new AT? Let's hope it's a great machine!

I've also heard this rumor, so spoke to my Honda dealer last weekend and he doesn't know anything about it and can't see where it fits in the range.

Rob

Not sure the AT needs further praise ... as anyone paying attention knows well it's long earned positive reputation among travelers! :thumbup1: One of the best ... ever, that is for sure. Nice web site!

Only got a short test ride on an AT, (AT was never sold in USA). Rode a used example while waiting for MOT on my Tiger at a shop near Oxford, UK.

That AT (I think?) was a '98? dealer was asking (IMO) way too much for the bike. Quite rusty, went down the road like a garden shed on wheels. Felt worn out, not looked after from what I could tell. :confused1: This back in 2003. I'm sure a proper AT would be a different bike entirely. In USA they are considered "collectors items". Too dear for most.

But not many bikes can match the AT's long term reliability, ease of maintenance and versatility. KTM and BMW can't come close when you're talking about 100,000 mile of hard use.

But the Suzuki V-Strom can. Many showing well over 100K miles without major failures or expensive repairs. The Transalp was sold here in USA but never did well. Honda pulled it off our market after just two years. I rode one in the early 90's ... not impressed at all.

Compared to a Suzuki DL650 V-Strom? No comparison. As tough and reliable as both the AT and Transalp are ... they are just a bit outdated in some respects at this point. Also, quite heavy once loaded up with luggage and full gear.

I remember one AT traveler/Hubb member, (Marteen Munnick). He weighed his loaded up AT ... over 700 lbs. (318 kgs) !! :scared: Marteen did over 100,000 miles around the world on his AT, wrote a book about his trip.

Motorcycle travel styles have changed since those years. More riders now going smaller, lighter, cheaper. Is it better? Dunno ... :confused1:

Did 90,000 miles on my DL1000 V-Strom, no problems. Not as easy off road as smaller, lighter DL650 "Wee Strom", but made it through some tough going. Fully loaded with luggage/fuel it was around 560 lbs. (254 kgs.)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q...71_YWaQf-L.jpg
Since then I've gone even lighter and smaller ... Suzuki DR650SE. fully fueled, loaded, about 430 lbs. (195 kgs.) 55K miles and counting! bier
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7..._SvNga-L-1.jpg

Anxious to see what Honda comes up with at the Milan show ... right round the corner. My guess is it will be something BIG and HEAVY and expensive to compete with latest BMW, KTM offerings. :nono:

I've had three Africa Twins. All RD07's. Done full engine/frame rebuilds on two of them.

Good and bad thoughts.

Good:

Lovely road handling and comfort, nice power, great mpg, very reliable motor when cared for, simple enough.Looks cool with that big headlight and the dig dash is cool too. A really enjoyable bike to ride. 15 years ago.

Bad.

Bikes have moved on A LOT since then... It's Heavy, heavy, top heavy and heavy... Did I mention they're heavy ? That is the last thing you want in an adventure bike. That and saggy undersized suspension , crap brakes and they're a pain to work on. Callipers and rims corrode badly and the choke plungers are prone to jamming up too. And don't even bother leaving the country with the stock fuel pump. They're toast after 30-40K. vacuum or facet pumps work great on them.

Would I ever had another one. In a heart beat.

Why I don't have one now..I refuse to pay the premium.

Idiots are paying £3500 for them and giving them an non deserved 'Ultimate bike' status.

They're good bikes but nothing special AT ALL.. And not worth £3500.

Just saying doh

My AT has over 200k on it. Still my favorite bike in the shed. But I have to agree with Ted, they're not worth the premium.

But then again, neither are the BMW's here in Australia - >8k for 20 your beamer!?!?! doh

So I guess it's upto the individual and what they're willing to pay. I doubt I'll ever sell my AT and in fact I'm looking for an RD04 at the moment to replace some of my newer bikes in the shed, but like Ted said, I ain't paying what they're askin'... :helpsmilie:

I´ve owned one 650 AT and a total of four different 750-models in the Nineties... great bikes in many ways, but I agree with others, the goalposts have moved since those days. My current DL650 does just about everything the same, or better, although it is more road-biased (..but so am I nowadays!), has more punch, much better fuel economy, better headlights, well working ABS brakes, and reliability is just about the same, both very reliable.

B.t.w. Sixstring: great job on the website mate


Also thought of something else- maybe one reason a lot of guys tend to go for AT's now, is because of the lack of good reliable bikes in that sector of the market. True, the 800GS and 800XC is there now, but if you're entering the market, they might seem a bit pricey.

Everything else in the market is either more road-orientated (i.e. DL650 etc.) or single's (i.e. XT660, XR650, LC4, etc.). Even the Transalp moved to a 19" front wheel.

What do you guys think about Honda's "new" (yet to be announced) Africa Twin? Have they left it too late ... or can they regain cred in this segment?

I'd be interested in everyone's comments once the bike is shown (or not) at Milan. bier

I'm hoping that a) it gets an airing at the UK NEC next month and b) Honda have thought about the weight, although the latter could just be pie in the sky!

I think it will be a fat lardy 'Pretends to be capable' Adventure bike like the big GS's, Super Tenere etc.

Built for rich old men to admire from their 5* Swiss chalets while their Moet chills in the fridge.

If it turns out to be a lightweight 750 Twin that wears knobblies as well as it's road tyres then I'll sell a kidney to own one :smartass:

Ted, if some clever fabricator was really keen and had a fair bit of "budget",
could he re-make an Africa Twin? Modernize it a bit, shave weight off it, up grade suspension. Could it be done or is it a fool's errand?

How much weight could be taken off with custom bits like Ti exhaust, lighter wheels, Shorai battery, lighter plastic (Carbon Fiber?), LED headlights. ???

Maybe convert to F.I. to UP fuel efficiency, increase range without having to carry massive huge fuel tank? :confused1:

Seems to me there's still a fair number of these sheds running round the UK.
Would any of the owners go for such a program? Or ... too expensive? Not worth it? I've heard of AT specialists in
Germany ... anyone doing anything like this over there?

I really like the basic look of the bike. Seems to me it could be made loads better ... Pipe dream? :innocent:

Some people got baned for using this word ;)

Even for 18.000 Euro you dont get a bike that lasts 400.000 km: Seit 13 Jahren auf Weltreise: Ian Coates bei Touratech

Insted people are giving the "Ultimate bike" status to the BMW 1200 GS, that fails the long term tests of a magazine 3 times. No other bike is less relyable then this.


BMW R 1200 GS Dauertest : TOURENFAHRER ONLINE
Dauertest-Abschluss BMW R 1200 GS - Motorrad-Dauertests - MOTORRAD
Dauertest BMW R 1200 GS Getriebeschaden - Motorrad-Dauertests - MOTORRAD

Still after 20 Jears the AfricaTwin is better then anything else on the marked. Thats why its still one of the most seen bikes on traveler meetings, even you cant buy it anymore.

As you know yourself. People have been doing this for all bikes..

With enough time and money, anything is possible. Fools errand ! Probably...

I've seen some amazingly tricked out Africa Twins with KTM suspension, race systems and tuned engines.. The only original part is the frame and engine.. The cost is off the charts. The reason behind it is pure fanatical. If I had wads of cash burning a hole in my pocket then I'd probably do the same. too It's fun...

I kind of like doing this too but on a smaller scale. My current 2001 Honda Dominator now owes me £3000 and you can buy them on Ebay for a grand. doh

But you have to compare apples with apples Ted. You can't compare a Dommie to an AT. If you want to compare it, compare it to the same class bikes. I've already agreed they're overpriced in some places (e.g. here in Aus a DL650 will be >2k cheaper than an AT and I'm not sure the average bloke will find it 2k better- and then you add the zero-Honda support here, and it starts to loose it's appeal).

But in Europe (and maybe I'm totally wrong about this), they'd be more expensive than say a Super-Tenere of the same year/age etc, but maybe the price difference is not THAT great? And having reviewed my fair few Super-Tens, I think the AT is a better bike and more reliable etc.

And different places have different markets. I'd love a Dommie, but they're around 4k here and I don't think they're worth it. I got a Tiger 955 for 2.5k: much more bike for the money, and yes not the same, but as my focus was a budget bike to ride-and-leave, I can work with it and live with the shortcomings.

and the final 2c just for context - which bike you buy off the shelf has great suspension? Guys here spend plenty of $$ on already expensive bikes like the 800XC etc to get them ready. Even KTM's aren't perfect. Yes, a DR650 will be much cheaper to setup, but then we're once again not comparing apples to apples are we?