TARMAC TWEAKS

Stepping ever further away from its Dakar Rally racing roots, Honda's overhauled its Africa Twin Adventure Sports to create a seriously capable big-mile tourer that can hold its own with the best of them

- Ross Mowbray,

Honda CRF1100L Adventure Sports

It's surprisingly tricky to truly define an adventure motorcycle. While the phrase has become synonymous with long-legged, rugged rides that have a whiff of off-road prowess, everyone actually has their own slightly different opinion about what it is that makes an adventure. Some riders are happy with a long run on some decent roads, and a nice hotel for the night, while others want to have an explore, get up on the pegs and throw up a bivvy bag out in nature.

If you're a manufacturer aiming to sell as many bikes as possible, you've really got to try and appeal to both crowds. That's no easy task. But with its newest Africa Twin Adventure Sports, Honda's done just that.

Back in 2015, Honda reintroduced its iconic Africa Twin. After a decadeand-a-bit hiatus, it was one of the most hotly anticipated adventure motorcycles of the year. With its Dakar Rally-winning heritage and proper off-road credentials, it quickly proved itself as a capable, comfy and reasonably cost-effective choice for adventurers with a penchant for long-legged, big-wheeled pseudotrailies.

Building on that initial success, in 2017 Honda unveiled its new, beefier and even more dirt-focused Africa Twin Adventure Sports, with a bigger tank, even-longer travel suspension, more ground clearance, and a few additional goodies. It went down well, too. And then in 2020, Honda upped the engine capacity to 1100cc (to retain power while meeting tightening emissions regulations), and slightly shuffled the focus for its pair of flagship adventure bikes.

Honda had now decided that the more stripped-back Africa Twin was the one for the dirt - while the Adventure Sports (with its new Showa electronic suspension system) was the big-mile tourer,albeit one with plenty of poise in the dirt still.