All Terrain Adventurer

We finally get our hands on the legendary Honda Africa Twin. And while we were a little sceptical going in because of its dual-clutch automatic gearbox, we needn’t have been.

- Arup Das

It was the crack of dawn, but it still seemed like the dead of night. With threatening clouds gathering above us, we tried to remain calm and keep a check on our enthusiasm as we were all suited up for the first ever Africa Twin media ride in India. As the weather continued to look ominous, the folks from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India had only one thing to say to us – “Trust the Africa Twin.”

After the launch of the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin two months ago, we finally got to throw a leg over one of the most capable adventure bikes in the world. Now we may not have been jumping and sliding in Death Valley, but we did get off the beaten path in Udaipur – and it certainly demonstrated just what the Africa Twin is actually capable of.

Getting Acclimatised

 My first reaction was that it looks like a mid-weight ADV bike. But don’t get fooled by its appearance. It comes across as small because of its sleek 18.8-litre tank, compact 999.11cc engine, and a narrow, but sturdy, chassis. As I made myself comfortable on the bike, I realised just how simple it is for a 5-foot-9-inch rider to put both my feet firmly on the ground. Even though the seat height can be adjusted from 840mm to 820mm, I didn’t feel the need to reduce the height to its lowest setting. As the Africa Twin is only available in the automatic dual clutch transmission (DCT) variant in India, it comes with a fair few buttons on the handlebar. Thankfully, the display is simple and easy to read – and so it was anything but overwhelming.