How The New Honda Africa Twin Compares To Its Dirty ADV Competition

We’ve finally got (almost) every detail on the 2016 Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin, so let’s see how it stacks up to the rest of the larger, long-range off-road bikes in the market right now. Here’s a spec-for-spec comparison with a quick rundown on each of the new Honda’s real rivals.

Most of these specifications are coming straight from Honda, but a few figures (particularly the power ratings) come to us from the Africa Twin Forum. Apparently Honda Portugal accidentally leaked a few specs and the forum posted it up before it could be deleted. Check out the full figures below followed by a breakdown of each ADV bike we’re discussing, and insight from reformed bike journalist Wes Siler who’s actually ridden everything on the list.

Right now the Japanese manufacturers are only making single-cylinder dual sport bikes that are really best left on the dirt (think; Kawasaki KLR and Suzuki DR) and road touring bikes that sort of look like they could be used for some light off-roading (Kawasaki Versys, Suzuki V-Strom) but nothing that’s a dead-match for the Honda Africa. We’ve just included a smattering that seemed most relevant.

* marks unofficial numbers.

2016 Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

Hitting showrooms in early next year, the 2016 Honda Africa Twin is supposed to stake a claim firmly in the middle of just about every other off-road touring bike. On the light side for its class with more off-road bias than the other Japanese “adventure” bikes, it’s got the potential to be a great balance between lean dual sport bikes like the Kawasaki KLR, Suzuki DR and the bulkier beasts from the European makes.

For those who really want to dive deep, here’s every spec we have on the new Africa Twin:

Wes says:

“Honda Africa Twin: It’s not as light or as powerful as I was hoping, but it still looks like it’ll be the most dirt-focussed of the adventure bikes. I had been planning to buy one as soon as they’re out next year, but am a little on the fence now. I’ll make up my mind when I ride the bike this fall.”

KTM 1190 Adventure and Adventure R

Wes says:

(Adventure R) “The most capable ADV bike there is, full-stop, off-road or on. It’s also high-strung and fussy, and KTM has an extremely small presence in the US. If you happen to have a dealer near you, don’t intend to travel to places that don’t or are very good with a wrench and not scared by difficult-to-source parts, then this is your best option. But man, start going off-road, breaking stuff and visiting other countries and those are some major, major caveats.”

(Adventure) “A little more touring oriented than the R, with all the same plusses and minuses.”

BMW R1200GS and F800GS

Wes says:

(R1200GS) “The king of the hill, and for a reason. Don’t be scared off by the recalls, this bike just wears a lot of gadgetry now. Fundamental BMW build quality and mechanical longevity remains. Probably the best all-round motorcycle on the planet, this thing can do distance, split lanes, carve corners and jump dunes with equal alacrity. It’s heavy and doing all that on this beast takes real skill, but man, there is just no stopping this thing once you figure out your riding. Massive aftermarket support is a major factor in expanding that capability, too. Used models will probably be the Africa Twin’s most significant competition. The Adventure model is actually worth while if you’ll be going further than Starbucks.”

(F800GS) “Doesn’t matter if it’s in regular or Adventure guise, the 800 GS is a bit of a dog. Compare a side profile shot of it to the Super Ten and you’ll see why. Both use parallel-twin engines, but the Yamaha’s is pushed as close to the front wheel as possible, planting all its weight over the front end. That massive gap between the BMW’s wheel and motor means there just isn’t enough weight over its front wheel to instill much confidence or cornering performance, which is then exacerbated by the too high center of gravity and its asthmatic motor. On paper, this should be the Africa Twin’s closest rival, but in the real world, this bike just sucks. Did I mention the total lack of comfort?”

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and 650

Wes says:

(V-Strom 1000) “Looks like it should be totally street biased, but well damped, long travel suspension, good ergonomics, a great motor and relatively low weight just makes this thing great everywhere. With this new model, Suzi fixed the bike’s vague front end and just generally improved the whole bike. It’s not much of a headline grabber, but it is a fantastic all-rounder that’s priced extremely competitively. If I spent more time on the road, I’d have one of these in my garage already.”

(V-Strom 650) “The little ADV that could looks like a turd, but is just so damn good to ride that it makes most of the bigger, more expensive bikes look silly. Great for commuting, great for two-up touring, great on a twisty road and easy on the wallet. Not so great off-road, but that can easily be fixed in the aftermarket; buy a set of TKC80s if you want to get it dirty.”

Kawasaki KLR 650

Wes says:

“This could be such a great bike, if Kawasaki bothered with it. Instead, it’s been around since 1987, with the shitty suspension, shitty brakes and shitty build quality mostly unchanged. The basic formula is there: a dirt bike with a comfortable seat and a fairing, but the actual stuff that makes bikes good just isn’t.”

Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere

Wes says:

“This thing is fucking heavy. There’s just no way to say that nicely. But man, is it capable despite that. As noted above, all the weight is over the front, and pushing the engine forwards also makes for a longer swingarm/drive shaft, improving traction. So it’s basically an enduro bike embiggened and made from solid lead. Its biggest issue is that it’s exactly like the R1200GS, just around 100lbs heavier. Why would you choose it over the Bimmer then? Its telescopic forks work better off-road, it’s a bit cheaper and it includes more gadgets as standard.”

Triumph Tiger 800 XC and 1200 Explorer

Wes says:

(800 XC) “A wonderful all-round road bike that’s not quite as good as you’d hope off-road. It’s also got a big problem: see that long, long, long rear subframe? It acts like a lever and will pop its welds to the main frame if you drop it at any speed over about 10mph. The pillion peg mounts are welded to that subframe and are the widest points on the bike, so those ensure the subframe takes the brunt of any impact, exacerbating the issue. And yes, popping welds on a frame will total your motorcycle. The XC is a little taller than the regular Tiger 800, so it doesn’t drag its side stand tab in left handers on the road; at least there’s that.”

(1200 Explorer) “The worst modern motorcycle I’ve ridden is too fat, too soft, too low and is riddled with quality problems. The screen, for instance, has to be all the way up or it buffets you terribly, but putting it all the way up means you have to look through it, and Triumph didn’t bother asking its supplier to make it clear. I could go on, and on, and on, but you get the idea. Avoid this motorcycle.”

Images via manufacturers

Contact the author at andrew@jalopnik.com.