Honda Africa Twin goes hardcore

Honda also added a new more hardcore version of the recently launched Africa Twin which was presented as a concept bike but will be on sale as the ‘adventure’ spec bike in the range within a year we expect.

The bike was revealed at the recent Osaka motorcycle show in Japan and is thought to be just one of a series of other variants that will spawn from the all-new Africa Twin engine and chassis platform over the coming years. 

Honda has invested huge amounts of time and money into developing the new 999cc parallel-twin engine and it’s almost impossible to imagine just one model will use it. Over the next two or three years we are expecting other models to arrive and this may well include a more touring orientated version alongside this hardcore ‘adventure’ model.

Changes to the bike aren’t extensive but there is a different, flatter seat, modified tailunit which is slimmer in design, a new Termignoni exhaust system and a robust-looking engine bashplate and sumpguard for off-road protection.

Honda is joining an increasingly populated class where normal adventure bikes are given a raft of off-road tweaks aimed at making them more capable off-road. Ducati recently launched the Multistrada 1200 Enduro, there’s a Suzuki V-Strom ‘Adventure’ model and all are trying to take down the class’s best-selling BMW R1200GS Adventure.