Tag Archives: Africa Twin

Honda Reveals Pricing for Its 2022 Lineup in Europe

Over the last couple of months, Honda has announced the 2022 updates for multiple models in its portfolio. These included the Africa Twin and the CB500 platform, which comprises the CB500X, CBR500R, and CB500F. VisorDown has now reported on how much these motorcycles will cost you in Europe..

2022 Honda CB500X, CBR500R, and CB500F price 

For 2022, the CB500X adv-tourer, fully-faired CBR500R, and street-naked CB500F received some notable updates, including a new swingarm, inverted Showa 41mm SFF-BP forks, lighter wheels, dual front disc brakes, and retuned fuel-injection settings. 

A static shot of a red CB500R

Prices for the CB500 range start at £5,849 (around $8,078) for the 2022 Honda CB500F. The bike is available in Matt Axis Grey Metallic, Pearl Smokey Grey, Pearl Dusk Yellow, and Grand Prix Red colour schemes. 

Prices for the CB500X start at £6,349 (about $8,769), and the bike will be available in three colour schemes —Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic, Pearl Organic Green, and Grand Prix Red.

An action shot of a red CB500F

The most expensive model in the lineup is the CBR500R, for which prices start at £6,399 (around $8,838). Available in Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic and Grand Prix Red colour schemes, the CBR500R is a beautiful motorcycle. 

VisorDown reports that the CB500 range costs only about £100 more than the 2021 model year motorcycles. 

2022 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L price

The standard 2022 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L with the manual gearbox is priced at £13,049 ($18,023). Opting for the DCT, meanwhile, will set you back an additional £900 ($1,243) at £13,949 ($19,266). The bike is available in Matt Ballistic Black Metallic, Grand Prix Red, and Pearl Glare White colour schemes for 2022. 

On the other hand, prices for the higher-spec Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports model start at £14,749 ($20,371). The Adventure Sports DCT model will cost you £1,200 more at £15,949 ($22,028). The bike is available in Pearl Glare White (Tricolour) and Matt Ballistic Black Metallic. 

For 2022, the Africa Twin features no notable updates and costs £100 more than the previous generation model. 

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Honda plans 850cc parallel twin

Honda has filed a patent in Japan for a new 850cc parallel-twin engine to replace the current NC750 range and possibly also go into a smaller Africa Twin.

In Australia, there is only the NC750X, but there are several other 70cc models overseas.

The new model will not only have a new engine to meet the more stringent Euro 5 emission regulations but also a new chassis.

Parallel twin

Honda 850cc parallel twin

A bigger parallel twin means they can meet the emissions targets without having to reduce power output.

The patent drawings also show a dual-clutch transmission, so it should have a semi-automatic gearbox.

Just because the patent drawing shows a naked street bike doesn’t mean anything. Honda wouldn’t want to telegraph its true intentions by showing the engine in an adventure bike.

We think it would be an excellent engine for an Africa Twin.

While the Africa Twin has this year gone from 1000cc to 1100cc, there is room for a smaller and lighter model to compete with the mid-sized Triumph Tiger 900 and BMW F 850 adventure models.

Honda patents

This is one of a blitz of patent applications by Honda over the past couple of years.

Some are quite weird and impractical, but others may actually make it to market.

We suspect Honda is just trying to dominate intellectual property on motorcycle inventions, rather than planning to put them all into production.

The patents include:

Forks Goldwing patentGoldwing forks patent

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

2020 Honda Africa Twin Review | CRF1100L Test

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports Review


When Honda first released the Africa Twin in 2016 it dropped into the market at an absolute bargain price point and, save for the optional DCT system, the CRF1000L was one of the simpler and more low-tech options in what is an increasingly crowded adventure bike market-place.

The relatively basic but very affordable $15,499 package was an instant hit and globally Honda have shifted almost 100,000 Africa Twins since the model was introduced.

Honda Africa Twin Camp

Honda Africa Twin Camp

Honda staged the launch of the much anticipated new Africa Twin with an adventure through the NT in conjunction with Daryl Beattie Tours.

More recently a higher-spec Adventure Sports model was added, with a bigger tank along with a few more bells and whistles, and now for 2020 we have an all-new second generation Africa Twin range.

Lighter, nimbler, more powerful and with an extensive suite of top shelf electronic smarts to go with its boost from 998cc to 1084cc, the latest Africa Twin certainly pushes Honda’s adventure option to a higher level of sophistication.

Honda Africa Twin Day DevilsMarbles

Honda Africa Twin Day DevilsMarbles

The range topping CRF1100L Adventure Sports ES with DCT and electronic suspension retails for $26,499 +ORC

The price has also risen with the entry point now starting at $19,999. The larger Adventure Sports model retails at $23,499 with DCT adding another $1000. The range topping Adventure Sports ES, complete with excellent Showa electronic suspension, wears a $26,499 sticker price.

Honda Australia launched the much anticipated new Africa Twin with a major adventure ride through the Northern Territory staged by Daryl Beattie Adventure Tours.

Honda Africa Twin Swag

Honda Africa Twin Swag

First night set-up near Uluru – Accommodation was not five star but instead five million stars as we swagged it after Daryl’s truck driver / head chef / Scooter prepped dinner out of the truck which saw us feast on steak along with potato bake and mushroom sauce.

I chose the top of the range machine complete with DCT, just as I did during the New Zealand launch of the first model a few short years ago. On that launch of the original I also chose to ride a bike on the standard tyres complete with luggage, despite the vast majority of the riding being off-road. I wanted the worse case scenario, so to speak. 

Honda Africa Twin Day Original

Honda Africa Twin Day Original

Trev rode the original Africa Twin around the South Island of New Zealand when the model was first launched in 2016 – Link to original review

My Adventure Sports mount for the vast majority of this 2020 dalliance in the desert rode on the new Showa EERA electronic suspension. With the amount of sand work we were in for, the standard rubber had been replaced by more serious Michelin Anakee Wild.  I ended up sticking to this machine for 95 per cent of the trip, only switching to the manual base model machine on the final afternoon. I also repeated the testing approach I used on the original bike, that is, let the bike’s electronics do their magic, while I just ride the thing.

Honda Africa Twin Ayers Rock Bikes Day

Honda Africa Twin Ayers Rock Bikes Day

The new 2020 CRF1100L Adventure Sports model alongside the base machine (red)

Through soft sand to mud and rock strewn floodways, I just let the DCT shift when it wanted and the other electronic smarts to do what they were designed to do.  You can’t test this stuff by turning it all off once you hit the tough stuff! I put my trust in the bike and was handsomely rewarded.

Trust and confidence is never more needed than when faced with negotiating sand on a large motorcycle. Keeping the throttle on and speeds up, while atop a writhing beast pretty much wandering where it wants, is some real teeth/butt clenching stuff when you are not accustomed to riding sand all that often. Button off and you are in the shit. It really is a case of gripping the bike with your knees, leaning back and trying to sail across the sand, keeping the front light and the rear wheel driving, and the poo inside your bottom.

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Sand is always a challenge on a big adventure bike when you don’t ride on it all the time

I am not one to make sort of blanket statements without rigorous back-to-back comparison testing, but in this case I am going to make an exception.  The Africa Twin is simply the most confidence inspiring big adventure bike on the market. It’s stability and ability to keep tracking true, even when the rider had started to lose his composure, simply amazed me time and time again.

That big 21-inch front combined with some fairly lazy geometry sees the Africa Twin pull you safely out the other side of some seriously shitty situations. On more than a few occasions I was almost resigned to an inevitable upcoming face-plant, only for the bike to carry me through. I didn’t come out the other side of these scrapes with fist pumping jubilance, just a sigh of relief that I had made it. Time and time again that was thanks to the unflappable stability of the bike.

Honda Africa Twin Day LongRoad

Honda Africa Twin Day LongRoad

Some of the easier open dirt roads also kept you on your toes as they constantly changed with softer sections and bull-dust – Click for a short onboard video

I remained steadfastly committed throughout the, at times very challenging, almost 2000 kilometre test route to evaluating the bikes smarts. The DCT was left to make the shifting decisions itself, the traction control and ABS in their most minimal intervention off-road settings, the electronic suspension set to off-road mode with no extra tweaking of the parameters, using all of Honda’s latest systems to their fullest and coming out the other side very bloody impressed.

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Honda Africa Twin

For sure, all these challenges could have been overcome on other options in the marketplace, but I feel 100 per cent confident in stating that this latest Africa Twin is the easiest to ride big adventure bike there is on sale today. If your off-road skills and confidence are not up to scratch, but you want the comforts and luggage capacity afforded by a large adventure machine, while still getting out and amongst serious terrain that will challenge your mettle, then you won’t do it easier on anything else.

Honda Africa Twin Group

Honda Africa Twin Group

A bit of a rest and re-group while trying to find some shade in the 40-degree days. Most tourists don’t head up this way until May in cooler temps

It is fair to say that Honda have, in recent times, been more than a little behind the pace of electronic smarts seen on European machinery. No more.

The new Fireblade is now at the absolute extreme upper echelon of current motorcycle electrickery, and the Africa Twin now shares almost all the smarts that are seen on the $49,999 CBR1000RR-R SP. Including the top shelf Bosch six-axis IMU that equips the electronic systems with all the sensory inputs required in order to deliver one of motorcycling’s most sophisticated suite of rider aids.

Honda Africa Twin Day

Honda Africa Twin Day

A horde of Hondas

Even the DCT shift response now takes some of its cues from the angles the bike is transitioning through, which has helped to raise the self-shifter experience further. There are up-down paddles on the left bar, and you can even option up a conventional foot shifter if you must, but I never felt that need and instead let the ECU pick the gears throughout the whole adventure. 

If trying a DCT out for yourself be sure to select one of the more sporting shift programs. If left in D for dumb then the machine shifts really early on the up-shifts, and is very slow to down-shift. Tweak the response up to Sport, which has three further sub-levels of aggression, of which I preferred the middle setting, and the down-shifts are much more urgent, the more brake pressure you use the quicker the system will shuffle down the gears. Most riders on the launch were from more of a dirt background, and thus generally use less front brake than I, and it was these guys that preferred to manually down-shift the bike when setting up for some corners as without those front brake inputs the automatic system is not quite as responsive.

Honda Africa Twin Day Swag

Honda Africa Twin Day Swag

Camping at Devils Marbles for the night – Honda CRF1100L Adventure Sports ES / DCT

Once you have tuned your own ECU, read brain, to how the system works, then it never catches you out by doing anything unexpected. It generally knows when you want to be feathering the throttle through a corner, and will then hold that gear until you return to a more upright and less aggressive stance on the bike, where it will then up-shift and resume normal operation.

The DCT pretty much does what it says on the box and does it very well. Around 25 per cent of the previous model in Australia were optioned with DCT and Honda have sold more than 100,000 DCT motorcycles globally. The technology is well proven and in this latest generation is excellent. The G mode for a more direct throttle feel via a quicker lock-up on the clutch packs is retained from the previous model and holds the lower gears much longer again. 

Honda Africa Twin Sunset

Honda Africa Twin Sunset

The sunsets were pretty epic in the desert

Despite the significant ten-kilogram weight penalty, you can probably tell I am a bit of a fan of the DCT, so is Daryl Beattie.  Daryl has used previous generations of the DCT Africa Twin exclusively for many desert crossings in sand that most of us would struggle to ride a proper dirt-bike in, and he and his crew are now converts to the DCT bikes. More than once both himself and his Daryl Beattie Adventure Tours lead rider, Peter ‘Budda’ Luczkowski, have forgot to pull in the clutch when rolling to a stop on a conventional bike and almost gone down at walking pace as they spend so much time on the DCT bikes. 


Daryl Beattie

“I’m really happy on both the Manual and DCT. The gearbox on the manual CRF1100 is really nice and a quick-shifter would compliment that even more. But if it’s down to a final decision then I really enjoy the DCT for all round commuting and adventure riding on weekends… make sure you select the correct DCT mode that best compliments the scenario you are in.”


The Africa Twin has now also gained the excellent Apple CarPlay integration first introduced with the latest Gold Wing model (link). I have used this system on the Gold Wing and for general road touring found it absolutely brilliant.

Honda Africa Twin Dash CarPlay

Honda Africa Twin Dash CarPlay

Apple Car Play is standard across all models on the 2020 Honda CRF1100L – Click for Honda video that showcases the screen functionality

Unfortunately though, in order for the CarPlay functionality to be activated, a bluetooth headset must be paired to the system. I had no bluetooth system fitted to my Shoei adventure helmet so never got to use the CarPlay system during my time with the Africa Twin. Even when using a bluetooth equipped helmet, should your batteries in the bluetooth unit go flat, you then lose all the CarPlay functionality, including navigation. This shitted me no end on the Gold Wing, and frustrated me that I was not able to use the CarPlay system on the Africa Twin. Somebody come up with a hack for this stupid nanny state induced stumbling block please. Thanks.

The 6.5-inch touch screen display though is brilliant, and its functionality closely resembles that of the 5-inch screen seen on the latest Fireblade SP, just on a slightly bigger scale.

Honda Africa Twin Dash

Honda Africa Twin Dash

2020 Honda CRF1100L Dash offers a wide variety of lay-outs – Click for video that walks you through the basics of customisation

There are a myriad of screen lay-outs on offer and engine response (four levels), engine braking (three levels), shift programs, traction control (seven levels plus off), ABS (with on and off-road modes but only the rear can be switched off) and three-level wheelie control are all able to be separately tailored. It is the most comprehensive and customisable system of controls I have sampled and is navigated via a large switch-block on the left bar.

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Modes

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Modes

Customisable user modes offer a massive amount of individual tailoring

If anything it is perhaps a little too complex, but you can still just use the variety of pre-set modes if you don’t want to bother with delving too deep into the individual functions. It is simple enough if you want it to be. 

There is a narrow greyscale LCD below the main screen that provides the most basic of information. While that quickly dusts up, the main colour screen is seemingly impervious to dust due to some sorcery in its chemical composition that somehow repels airborne particles. While the big screen can take a few seconds to get its shit together on start-up, the small screen is instantaneously awake and ready for action. I guess the small screen might stay functional too in the case of a big off where you smash the big unit.

Honda Africa Twin Dash

Honda Africa Twin Dash

2020 Honda Africa Twin instrumentation is comprehensive – All models get the trick new dash with Apple CarPlay functionality and the second smaller LCD

A well protected USB port is provided on both models with the Adventure Sports also scoring a merit style cigarette power adaptor on the opposite side.

The electronic suspension system does not automatically sense load and adjust pre-load to suit, but instead gives the rider the freedom to choose how much pre-load they want set on the rear suspension via the touch-screen menu and the bike then takes care of it. The electronic suspension adds two-kilograms to the weight of the bike in comparison to the also quite high-spec’ fully-adjustable conventional Showa kit.

Honda Africa Twin Dash Controls

Honda Africa Twin Dash Controls

Takes a little while to master the switchgear and unfortunately it is not back-lit

There are four default modes for the suspension damping response, Soft, Mid, Hard and Off-Road. These settings are for both ends of the bike and are further customisable through 24-steps in each mode. As we were predominantly off-road throughout the 1750 kilometre adventure I left the system in the off-road setting at medium, but after eating too many pies I did set the pre-load to rider and luggage to allow for said pie weight.

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Modes EERA

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Modes EERA

This graphic shows the additional configurable suspension options on an EERA equipped machine on right

The damping response is controlled on the fly every 15 milliseconds (0.015s) on information derived from suspension stroke sensors along with vehicle speed and a myriad of other information such as throttle position and brake pressure etc. It even detects when a jump is being made and firms up both ends ready for the landing. I didn’t do any jumps as I fear that no system can cope with landings as ungraceful as mine, this white boy can’t jump and all that.

I have a fair bit of experience with most electronic suspension systems on the market and have ridden on pretty much all the progressive generations of Sachs and Marzocchi ESA systems used across BMW models, and also the WP systems used by KTM and Triumph. I reckon that while the Showa set-up on the Africa Twin feels stiffer in response than most, it also perhaps feels the most natural and linear in its damping response. 

The Africa Twin boasts a huge 250 mm of ground clearance and the suspension strokes through a generous 204mm at the front and 220 mm at the rear. They’re pukka off-road specs.

Honda Africa Twin Day Lunch

Honda Africa Twin Day Lunch

A lunch stop served from the support truck and Chef Scooter

A major benefit with all electronic suspenders is the aforementioned ease of tuning that really comes into its own when touring. As you take luggage on and off the bike or leave your pillion at the motel room while you head off for a fang your preferred set-up is only a couple of button presses away.  The manually suspended bikes do offer a hand-wheel for rear pre-load though that does add a little user friendliness to the conventional suspension experience.

I must quantify my experience here though by saying that I am yet to ride the Africa Twin in anger on tarmac. I will arrange to remedy this in the near future by getting my hands on an EERA equipped CRF1100L shod with decent road rubber to see how it performs under duress along the rigours of something like the tortuous series of turns that make up the fabled Eildon-Jamieson Road. I will report back after I have, but I think this is where perhaps the electronic suspension will really earn its $2000 price premium and prove worthwhile for those that really like to have a decent crack on the black-top.

Honda Africa Twin Day Lunch Iytwelepenty Davenport Ranges National Park Old Police Station Waterhole

Honda Africa Twin Day Lunch Iytwelepenty Davenport Ranges National Park Old Police Station Waterhole

The Iytwelepenty / Davenport Ranges National Park is a wonderfully remote visitor experience for adventurous four-wheel drivers wanting to see the real Territory. A great place for swimming is Old Police Station Waterhole where we stopped for lunch on the second day of your Daryl Beattie Adventure Tour

It will also be interesting to see how much agility Honda have traded to gain the amazing levels of stability that the bike enjoys off-road. I did play around with some tight low-speed manoeuvres with the steering on full lock, in which the machine did well, but am keen to see how well the machine holds a line on the tarmac. The frame is completely new and the chassis design is much more off-road focussed than before, right down to a swing-arm that is modelled from Honda’s CRF450R motocross machine.

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

Likewise, while the braking performance and response was great off-road, I am yet to see how the stoppers cope with a full load of luggage heading into downhill tarmac bends. Its pretty safe to say though that Honda has that base well covered with radial four-piston Nissin calipers clamping 310 mm disc rotors.

Honda Africa Twin Brakes Nissin

Honda Africa Twin Brakes Nissin

Radial mount Nissin four-piston calipers

What some people might see as a distinct disadvantage for long-distance touring is the lack of shaft-drive. It must be said though, that riding the Africa Twin reminded me of how much nicer chain-driven bikes ride corrugations and rough terrain.

Good chains have long service lives these days and after initial break-in are very unlikely to require adjustments between rear tyre replacements. There is also no need to clean and lubricate modern chains all the time with most research suggesting that leaving them be, within reason, returns better results than covering them in lube that just picks up more dirt.

Honda Africa Twin Michelin

Honda Africa Twin Michelin

We ran on Michelin Anakee Wild rubber. You can tell this machine is a DCT bike as it has an extra caliper under the swingarm for the parking brake

The Adventure Sports model rides on tubeless tyres while the more minimalist model has tubes. Most adventure bikes tread the middle ground and ride on a 19-inch front to retain their sporting potential on sealed surfaces but with all Africa Twin models riding on a 21-inch front, and similarly off-road specific 18-inch rear, it is clear as to where the design priorities of the engineering teams were focussed, they’ve got dirty minds…

Honda Africa Twin Michelin

Honda Africa Twin Michelin

When the going gets really rough that 21″ front is a god-send

This is also no doubt why Honda has not endowed the bike with the massive power numbers boasted  by the European opposition. Those figures are definitely up in the new model though, with power increased by seven per cent and torque up six per cent. Combined with a four-kilogram weight saving over the previous model, that adds up to an overall ten per cent better power-to-weight ratio.

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Engines

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Engines

CRF1000L versus CRF1100L

The boost from 998 cc to 1084 cc is achieved via a lengthened stroke from 75.1 mm out to 81.5 mm.  Claimed power is an even 100 horses in the old scale with 105 Nm of torque peaking at 6250 rpm.  The new engine is Euro5 certified and has been comprehensively redesigned while the larger 46 mm throttle bodies are actually much more compact than before and deliver their mix through larger valves that are lifted higher.

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Honda Africa Twin Trev

2020 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports with DCT and Showa EERA

The difference is appreciated throughout the rpm range and the response from a closed throttle to pick-up is markedly improved. This is particularly noticeable on a DCT bike where you can’t ride a clutch against the rear brake for feet-up full-lock turns, in these scenarios the new model is far easier to control.

While the bike sounds great as you ride by onlookers, unfortunately that aural pleasure is never really appreciated from the cockpit. That’s a bit of a pity as it would certainly add a little more to the riding enjoyment if you could hear that really nice exhaust note while you ride.

The Africa Twin purrs along at around 3300 rpm when cruising at 100 km/h and the NT speed limit of 130 km/h sees the parallel twin turning over at 4200 rpm.  The bike gets to 200 km/h quick enough.

Honda Africa Twin Trev Wheelie Mono

Honda Africa Twin Trev Wheelie Mono

I forgot I had the bike in its lowest power setting when doing this for the camera but it still got it up easily enough for a few gears

Despite being generally somewhat of a horsepower fiend (what me…), I never once wanted for more power during this particular adventure. That’s obviously because it was predominantly off-road and all three days were fairly taxing, thus energy conservation was key. I am generally a poor adherent to the needs for hydration but with temperatures nudging 40-degrees even I was needing to replenish my drained camelbak halfway through the day.

We were out in the desert good and proper with no phone reception, no shops and no real creature comforts. It was a swag come night time which coincided with the shift change as the flys handed over their duties to the mosquitoes who pulled the night-shift.

Honda Africa Twin Swag Flys

Honda Africa Twin Swag Flys

The fly on my swag certainly lived up to its name on this trip

I lost count of how many flies I either swallowed or inhaled through my nostrils. Along with the whole Coronavirus thing going around I thought for sure we had also walked into some biblical pestilence that signalled pending armageddon.

The most comfortable place to be was actually astride the Africa Twin. I did have some reservations at first as the thinned down seat started to bite a little when halfway into the opening 920 kilometre day.

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Honda Africa Twin Trev

2020 Honda CRF1100L adventure in the NT

It never got any worse though and in fact I was so busy trying not to die on the following two days that it was not butt comfort that was front of mind, but instead more the integrity of my pooper valve, less I shit myself from yet another challenging rock and gravel strewn floodway interspersed with sandy drops in and out of said floodways. The area had recently recorded record unseasonal rains and some of the tracks were in pretty unusual shapes after big movements of subsoil and detritus.

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

Was a very early start on day one of the adventure

Getting on and off the bike is also much easier than before, something that is particularly welcome in the Adventure Sports. Honda spent a lot of time trimming where they could to make climbing aboard the bike a less dramatic experience for most folk.

Our lead rider Budda is only 164cm, that’s five-feet four-inches in the old scale, and struggled to get on and off the previous model but can now mount the new model much more comfortably. At 850 mm the seat of the Adventure Sports is a massive 50 mm lower than before, while retaining that huge 250 mm of ground clearance and generous suspension travel. The seat is also 40 mm narrower and that adds to yet more amenity that can be appreciated by all.

Honda Africa Twin Fuel

Honda Africa Twin Fuel

Getting on and off the bike is so much easier than before – A great boon for 5’4″ lead rider Budda

The standard seat can also be set in the 870 mm position for those a little more generously endowed of leg, while an optional high seat pushes the perch further up to 895 mm. An optional low-seat pushes the perch down to only 825 mm, without losing any of that ground clearance or suspension travel. 

Overall the cockpit is a pleasant place to spend time. That gorgeous colour display is standard across all models and while the Adventure Sports scores a much taller five-stage adjustable windscreen, opinion was split as to whether that was actually an advantage. I spent 95 per cent of my time on the Adventure Sports and only the last 100 km or so on the smaller bike thus don’t feel qualified to make a convincing call either way.   

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Honda Africa Twin Trev

Opinion was divided over whether the larger screen was the go over the smaller item

If in your mind light is always right then the more minimalist base model with its slimmer 18.8-litre fuel cell has a 14-kilogram advantage over the Adventure Sports ES. In Australia the base bike can only be had with conventional suspension.

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

The base model CRF1100L can’t be had with DCT or electronic suspension in Australia

The Adventure Sports boasts a 24.8-litre fuel cell that promises realistic touring ranges in excess of 400 kilometres, even if up it for the rent. It also has more expansive body-work that provides better protection from the elements along with integrated pannier mounts in the rear sub-frame.

I can’t stress enough how important that last feature is for those that like running hard luggage such as the optional aluminium panniers. The difference that having the luggage mounted in tight towards the centre-line can’t be overstated when it comes to the overall dynamics of a machine when fully loaded.

Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports

Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports

The Adventure Sports comes with pannier mounts tightly integrated into the sub-frame

If opting for base model I would consider soft luggage rather than having pannier racks moving all that weight so far out from the bike which, in my experience, turns many bikes into turgid turds. You can fit the integrated mount system from the Adventure Sports though, with the optional rear carrier accessory kit (08L88-MKS-E00) to get the same luggage amenity that is standard on the Adventure Sports. 

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Features

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Features

2020 Honda Africa Twin

Cruise control is standard on all models but only the Adventure Sports scores factory heated grips and three-stage cornering lights. Tyre pressure monitoring is not available on either model, even as an option, which is a bit of a drawback compared to what is otherwise an impeccable specification list.

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Features

CRFL Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adv Sports Features

2020 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports

Both bikes have hand-guards as standard with the Adventure Sports guards much larger and offering more wind protection. Neither though are particularly strong and off-road oriented guys would be better off replacing them with proper alloy-bar backed Barkbusters.

The Africa Twin feels very well built and engineered. The bikes never got hot, nothing flapped about or worked loose and I never heard any rattles or squeaks at any point in time. Thus it does exude a certain sense of quality that can be appreciated, and despite the price rises the Africa Twin still offers great value for money and seems pretty damn bullet-proof.

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

Honda Africa Twin Landscape

The Africa Twin still makes a convincing argument on the basis of value despite the price rise

When jumping on the base model manual bike for the last stretch into Alice Springs it definitely felt more lively thanks to its more compact size and reduced weight. That the base bike also has good quality conventional Showa suspension and that brilliant screen, complete with Apple CarPlay as standard, makes its $19,999 price point really look attractive. In Australia this variant of the Africa Twin is not available with the DCT transmission.

Honda Africa Twin Ayers Rock Bikes Day

Honda Africa Twin Ayers Rock Bikes Day

The new 2020 CRF1100L Adventure Sports model alongside the base machine (red)

As good as the base bike is, for me I reckon it would be the burger with the lot Adventure Sports that would get my money, if I could stretch the budget that far. The DCT really is a great thing, and is going to make even more sense for open road touring or city commuting. I figure you might as well have the electronic suspenders too while you are at it.

In summary, the 2020 Africa Twin is the most dirt-capable large capacity adventure bike you can buy. Both expert off-road riders or relative novices will really appreciate the off-road chops of the new model, which is now more dirt ready than it ever was, and sets a new standard in regards to off-road performance in this 1000cc+ segment. 

Honda Africa Twin Police

Honda Africa Twin Police

Not guilty!


2020 Honda Africa Twin Specifications

Source: MCNews.com.au

Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L unveiled

The worst-kept secret in motorcycling has been confirmed with Honda unveiling the full tech specs for the bigger, narrower and higher-tech Africa Twin CRF1100L at the AIMExpo motorcycle show in Ohio, USA.

Of course, the biggest news is that the engine has gone from 998cc to a longer-stroke 1084cc with power up from 70kW to 75kW. All details that had already been tipped.

Yet weight has dropped from 243kg to 226kg and 236kg for the ducal-clutch transmission (DCT) model.2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

It’s largely thanks to a lighter engine and gearbox and a slimmer and lighter frame, subframe and swingarm inspired by the CRF450.

With the extra tech and power, we expect a price rise, but there is no word yet on pricing or availability.

They currently cost about $A17,499 for the standard and $A19,999 for the DCT (plus on-road costs).

Bigger engine2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

The bigger Euro5-compliant engine will now make it more competitive with the BMW, Ducati, KTM and Triumph adventurers.

It not only has 6% more power, but also 7% more torque at 105Nm.

Stroke has been lengthened from 75.1mm to 81.5mm but the bore remains the same at 92mm.2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

Honda has made the CRF1100L 2.5 lighter (2.2kg in the DCT version) with aluminium cylinder sleeves and redesigned engine casings.

It features a larger 43mm throttle body, smoother air intake profile, new ECU and more direct fuel injection to improve efficiency.

Exhaust gas flow is controlled in a similar way to the CBR1000RR for a better note.

Better tech2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

To compete with the current crop of big adventurers, Honda has added a raft of electronic rider aids to the CRF1100L.

It’s all thanks to a six-axis inertial measurement unit-managed.

Rider aids include optimised off-road “torque control” (basically traction control that manages power and engine braking), three-level wheelie control, two customised riding modes and now four default riding modes.

The new mode is “off-road”.

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

It also has an LED headlight, automatic indicator cancel and a USB port.

The new touchscreen instrument panel has Bluetooth audio and Apple Carplay which only works when your phone is plugged in, not via Bluetooth.2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

That means the screen will show your phone’s satnav and call details as well as some apps such as Spotify.

Cosmetics are slightly changed, but the suspension and wheels are the same.

Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin specs2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

ENGINE
Type SOHC liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve parallel twin with 270° crank and Uni-cam
Displacement 1084cc
Bore & Stroke 92mm x 81.5mm
Compression Ratio 10.1:1
Max. Power Output 75kW at 7,500rpm
Max. Torque 105Nm at 6,250rpm
Noise Level 73dB
Oil Capacity 4.8/4.3 (5.2/4.7 DCT)
FUEL SYSTEM
Carburation PGM-FI
Fuel Tank Capacity 18.8L
CO2 Emissions 112g/km MT

110g/km DCT

Fuel Consumption 4.9L/100km (20.4km/L) MT

4.8L/100km (20.8km/L) DCT

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Starter Electric
Battery Capacity 12V-6Ah Li-ion battery (20hr)
ACG Output  0.49 kW/5,000rpm
DRIVETRAIN
Clutch Type Wet, multiplate with coil springs, aluminium cam assist and slipper clutch

DCT – 2 wet multiplate clutches with coil springs

Transmission Type 6 speed manual (6 speed DCT)
FRAME
Type Semi double cradle
CHASSIS
Dimensions (L´W´H) 2330mm x 960mm x 1395mm
Wheelbase 1575mm
Caster Angle 27.5°
Trail 113mm
Seat Height 850/870mm (low seat option 825mm, high seat option 895mm)
Ground Clearance 250mm
Kerb Weight 226kg (DCT 236kg)
SUSPENSION
Type Front Showa 45mm cartridge-type inverted telescopic fork with dial-style preload adjuster and DF adjustments, 230mm stroke
Type Rear Monoblock aluminium swing arm with Pro-Link with Showa gas-charged damper, hydraulic dial-style preload adjuster and rebound damping adjustments, 220 mm rear wheel travel
WHEELS
Type Front 21M/C x 2.15 wire spoke with aluminium rim
Type Rear 18M/C x 4.00 wire spoke with aluminium rim
Rim Size Front 21″
Rim Size Rear 18″
Tyres Front 90/90-21M/C 54H (tube type)

(Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross Tourer/

AX41T Metzler Karoo Street)

Tyres Rear 150/70R18M/C 70H (tube type)

(Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross Tourer/

AX41T Metzler Karoo Street)

BRAKES
ABS System Type 2 channel with IMU
Selectable ABS MODE with on-road and off-road setting
Type Front 310mm dual wave floating hydraulic disc with aluminium hub and radial fit 4-piston calipers and sintered metal pads
Type Rear 256mm wave hydraulic disc with single piston caliper and sintered metal pads. 2-channel with rear ABS OFF mode.
INSTRUMENTS & ELECTRICS
Instruments LCD Meter, TFT 6.5inch touch panel multi information display
Security System Immobiliser, security alarm (optional)
Headlight LED
Taillight LED
Electrics Daytime running lights, Bluetooth audio and Apple Carplay, USB socket, auto turn signal cancel, cruise control, emergency stop signal, IMU, HSTC, wheelie control

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Honda Africa Twin CRF1100 photos leaked

Leaked photos of the upcoming Africa Twin CRF1100 show the two variants to be unveiled on Monday at the AIMExpo motorcycle show in Ohio, USA.

Honda has also released a second teaser video which only shows the model’s new LED headlights and extra LED riding lights.

Meanwhile, black-and-white photos of the standard and Adventure models have been leaked which provide a lot more details.

However, they don’t provide any clues about the expected engine from 998cc to a longer-stroke 1084cc.

The bigger engine capacity will make it more competitive with the BMW, Ducati, KTM and Triumph adventurers.

Performance is expected to increase slightly from 70kW to 75kW, but weight may also be up from 243kg to about 250kg.

It is not expected to have direct injection as Honda has only recently applied for that patent, albeit with a drawing of an Africa Twin.

The bigger engine will meet the coming tough Euro5 emissions regulations and be 3dB quieter.

Leaked photos

2020 Honda Africa Twin standard and Adventure leaked
Standard

What the leaked photos do show, apart from some subtle styling changes, is that the standard model has been stripped down a little.

It now has a smaller bash plate, flatter seat, less rear bodywork, a shorter windscreen and spoked wheels with tubed tyres.

The standard also doesn’t feature any pannier mounts, so this is obviously a lighter and more adventurous model.

2020 Honda Africa Twin standard and Adventure leaked
Standard

Meanwhile, the Adventure model looks set for more adventure touring.

2020 Honda Africa Twin standard leaked
Adventure

It has a taller windscreen, the extra LEDs, bigger fuel tank, bigger bash plate, pannier mounts, possibly a lower seat and cross-spoked wheels with tubeless tyres.

They are also expected to get a new horizontal TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and a bolt-on subframe.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Honda patents direct injection, active aero

Honda has been busy this past year filing several interesting patents including the most recent for active aero and direct injection, possibly in the Africa Twin (above).

Active aero is like those cars that deploy a rear spoiler at certain speeds, only this deploys MotoGP-style winglets.

Ugly Ducati MotoGP bike direct
Ducati winglets

Direct injection is widely used in diesel engines to improve efficiency and decrease emissions. Basically it squirts the fuel at high pressure directly into the combustion chamber.

These new patents join the following over the past year:

Not all of these may make it into production, but these latest two patents seem more commonsense.

Active aeroHonda patents active aero direct

The patent drawings for Honda’s active aero system seem to show a new sportsbike with an inline-four engine.

It features winglets with servo motors that deploy at certain speeds to increase downforce.

Several MotoGP bikes, Ducati’s V4, Aprilia’s RSV4 and their upcoming RS660 all have fixed winglets.

Aprilia RS 660 concept is half a Tuono
Aprilia RS 660

Honda’s active aero idea to have winglets attached to servo motors to deploy them at high speed makes a lot of sense as the winglets are only effective at high speed anyway.

Although we wonder whether the extra weight of the servo motors and cabling will cancel out the added efficiency of the winglets.

Direct injection

Next year’s Africa Twin is expected to be a CRF1100L with increased engine capacity from 998cc to 1084cc with a double overhead cams instead of single.

Power is expected to increase from 70kW to 75kW.

But now it appears it will also get direct injection as their patent drawings show.

To meet tougher Euro5 emissions targets and not lose power, manufacturers are making bigger engines.

Just look at other adventure bikes from Ducati, KTM and BMW which have increased engine capacity.

Direct injection makes a lot of sense because it avoids unburnt fuel being wasted.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Honda teases new CRF1100L Africa Twin

Honda has released a teaser video that shows a rapid dust trail across the desert and the words “True Adventure” which could be the tipped CRF1100L Africa Twin.

CRF1100L

It is expected the 998cc engine from the CRF1000L will be upgraded to a longer-stroke 1084cc unit in the CRF11009L.

The bigger engine capacity will make it more competitive with the BMW, Ducati, KTM and Triumph adventurers.

Performance is expected to increase slightly from 70kW to 75kW, but weight may also be up from 243kg to about 250kg.

It is expected the new engine will meet the coming tough Euro5 emissions regulations and be 3dB quieter.

It is also suggested the standard tank may be increased from 18.9 litres to 24.2 litres like the Adventure Sports model.

2018 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L
2018 Adventure Sport and standard model

Last year, Australia’s Safari Tanks introduced a $1140 34-litre tank for the Honda Africa Twin to allay touring concerns and provide up to 500km of range. 

There could also be some styling tweaks, although the video shows nothing of the bike.

Many expect the 2020 CRF1100L Africa Twin to go on show at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show (24 October – 4 November 2019).

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

What We Love About The Honda Africa Twin CRF1000L And What We Hope To See Next

At Motorcyclist, we’ve been huge fans of the Honda Africa Twin since it first came out in 2016. And with rumors of an upcoming, larger-displacement AT swirling around the Internet, we’ve been thinking about what could make it even better.

For the last several months, I’ve been borrowing my buddy’s 2016 model and it’s been a great all-weather companion thanks to its utility, character, and build quality. Best of all, it’s kept me riding while my fancy Italian sportbikes—divas that they are—have been holding out for Tuscan-esque sunshine.


RELATED: Honda Africa Twin Redondo Beach Police Motorcycle Ride-Along


There’s a lot to love about the AT, but I can’t help but consider what I hope Honda brings out for the new model—always a fun exercise when you get wind of something new in the moto world.

What We Love

The AT feels like a wrecking ball.

The first time I rode the Africa Twin, I felt like I could run through a brick wall. Between the tall in the saddle stance and the thumper-esque engine note, it gives the impression of being a big dirt bike. And since handling is super stable, the rider feels a bit unconquerable on the thing.

The motor is one of the recent greats from Honda.

The Africa Twin is kind of gnarly for a Honda, kind of unrefined. But in a good way. The parallel-twin engine has honest-to-goodness character, and the exhaust note snaps and burbles under deceleration, encouraging gratuitous revving at stoplights. More importantly, the power delivery is great off road and is exceptionally usable on the street. With 65 pound-feet of torque available at 5,500 rpm—and not too much less than that delivered at the bottom-end of the rev range—it’s easy to slide the rear end around on the loose stuff. And mated with a peak output of 82.4 hp that hits at 7,500 rpm it’s easy to use every last bit of it all the time.

It’s utilitarian and hard wearing.

The red, black, and white paint looks best splattered in mud and road spray. What’s great about the AT—and ADV bikes in general—is that they’re meant to be ridden hard. They aren’t pretty or fussy and they don’t mind getting their feet wet. As a cold-weather companion, the AT has been a stalwart for me. It fires right up on frigid days, its nuts and bolts haven’t started looking fuzzy after blasting through salt-caked roads, and it’s made me feel secure and in control on sketchy road surfaces.

After coming indoors from a satisfying 30-degree ride and wrapping my hands around a hot cup of coffee, it seems a natural posture from which to ruminate on what I love about the bike that just delivered me safely home. And at the same time, I wonder what Honda’s got up its sleeve next. Here’s what I’ve come up with and what I’m hoping for myself—in case, you know, I get to borrow the new one for a while too.

Changes That Could Broaden The AT’s Appeal

Improved road handling.

Off-road, the AT comes into its own. But on the road, the 21-inch front feels vague—not unexpected, but it’s not all down to the 21-inch front/knobby double whammy. There are other bikes with that combo that are easy to scrape the pegs on all day. And even running OEM rubber, the AT’s front end doesn’t communicate what it’s doing on pavement.

Multiple specs.

I’m cool with Honda pursuing the more off-road crowd, but when it built the Adventure Sports and delved deeper into the off-road realm, it ignored the fact that the base model was already pretty off-road biased. What’s made bikes like BMW’s GS models so successful is that they can be whatever the rider wants them to be. The point of a big ADV—for many riders, anyway—is that it can go off road but it’s first and foremost a great road bike.

To satisfy a broader range of customers, maybe Honda could take a page from the Euro manufacturers and build multiple specs. Keep the Adventure Sports as the more off-road-focused model, and then massage the base AT so it’s better on the road. Giving it a 19-inch front wheel would be a start. As it is, Honda doesn’t offer a bike that really competes with a Ducati Multistrada 950, Kawasaki Versys 1000, or the slew of larger-displacement road warrior ADVs, like the BMW R1200GS or KTM 1290 Super Adventure. The Africa Twin should be the Honda to do it. But it isn’t.

A new TFT dash.

With a base price of $13,599, the Africa Twin should have a TFT dash. It’s 2019.

Updated electronics package.

For 2018, Honda gave the Africa Twin a revised electronics suite with a ride-by-wire throttle and seven-level traction control, but we’d like to see more changes. We’d expect cornering ABS to be included on the new model. Also, standard heated grips across the model range would be very welcome. And a heated seat.

Up/down quickshifter.

Even though DCT, Honda’s automatic transmission, works well, I’d rather save the additional weight and have a sweet-working quickshifter. And at the price point, a good quickshifter should be a no-brainer.

More power.

The Africa Twin’s motor is a gem and a very usable package on the street. It has great torque throughout the rev range, and since it only revs to around 8,000 rpm, you can take it into the red all the time. It’s good fun and very addicting. So why not capitalize on its best feature? More is almost always better.

A centerstand that’s easier to use.

It’s not as though the Africa Twin is unusually heavy for the breed, so it shouldn’t be so hard to put up on the centerstand. It’s like Honda mounted it in the wrong spot or something. It takes more muscle than my tethered-to-a-screen dad bod can reliably muster, and I’m not afraid to admit it. It’s the motorcycle’s deficiency, not mine (I’d like to think).

Are you an Africa Twin owner? What would you like to see on the next-generation model? Comment below.

Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com

Redondo Beach Police Chief Keith Kauffman On a New Kind Of Motorcycle Cop

Lately, we’ve been spending time with the Redondo Beach Police Department, logging some hours in the saddle of a Honda Africa Twin alongside motor officer Bill Turner and speaking with Keith Kauffman, Redondo Beach chief of police.

Kauffman has championed a change of approach to policing by motorcycle, especially as regards the equipment issued to officers. More effective motorcycles, better training, and safer gear are self-evident essentials Kauffman wants to provide to the riders under his direction. This conviction has led him to scrap the typical Harley-Davidsons or BMWs seen in many agencies in favor of the CRF1000L.

“I’ve been riding adventure bikes for a long time,” Kauffman explains. “I had a KTM 990 Adventure S. I had that for 10 years almost. In fact, I just sold it. I’d always thought, ‘What are we doing as policemen riding these huge, touring bikes, when there’s these other platforms that are lighter, that have suspension?’ Everything just seems to be better for the application that we actually use it for, especially in a municipality.

“We’re in and out of traffic. I’ve always seen in my entire career, guys on motorcycles getting in between cars in tight spaces while they’re trying to solve a crime or a crime in progress, going up and down curves. That’s the benefit of the motorcycle. That’s why they’re still used. But the platform I’ve always thought has been wrong.”

But a stock model off the showroom floor won’t cut it. There are police-specific accessories, crash protection, lighting assets that had to be developed. Honda proved willing to take on the challenge.

“We have great friends and supporters at Honda,” Kauffman continues. “We have a Redondo Beach Police Foundation. Honda had donated some of the side-by-side Pioneers to that foundation. So I called them. I made the pitch and I said, ‘Listen. We want to design a new police motorcycle and we think the Africa twin could be the one.’ They believed in us. Said, ‘How many you want?’ They gave us two.

“From there we had to fabricate the whole bike. Nobody had lighting for it. Nobody had the right crash bars and siren mounts and gun mounts, all the things police would need. So Jeff (Weiner, American Honda) said, ‘I know a fabricator.’ Then he ends up calling Roland Sands. Of all people, we get Roland Sands, right? So we took the bike down there and said, ‘What do you think about doing an adventure bike?’ He goes, ‘You know what? We’ve been wanting to build one. We haven’t built one yet.’ We basically said, ‘We want to build the baddest-ass police motorcycle in America.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah. I’m in. We can do that.’ ”

Yet having a few motorcycles built by a world-renowned custom designer isn’t an end point, it’s just the start. The two active CRF1000Ls are more of a proof of concept to show other agencies the Africa Twin is a highly effective asset for a police force. The next step would be to develop police-ready versions that are decked and ready for purchase, which is exactly what Kauffman is working on now.

“We’re going to start duplicating,” Kauffman says, “and having a dealership that currently builds out ST1300s start building out Africa Twins. It’s one thing to bring the concept to market. That was a big deal. It took us a long time. There was a lot of trial and error, and we came up with a fabulous product. But it’s another thing to now get other people on board. The reality is it’s got to be turnkey.

“So that’s what’s happening right now. Huntington Honda is actually working on the templates for a new Africa Twin police motorcycle that will be turnkey. Anyone can buy it. It’s great. The bikes are inexpensive. Once we get the outfitting down, it’s going to be way cheaper than buying an ST. It’s going to be half the price of a BMW.”

But even having models outfitted for duty might not be enough, at first. Kauffman’s conviction that a change in motorcycle policing didn’t just come about out of thin air, but after years of experience seeing poor training processes, inappropriate machinery or gear, and stubborn resistance to change.

One instance that Kauffman cites is a recent trip to the Police Unity Tour in Washington, D.C. for Police Week. He and his colleagues stood by watching proceedings, a large group of cyclists converging on the capital after a 300-mile ride and escorted by police motorcycles.

“I’m sitting there talking with a fellow rider—this guy named John Bruce, one of our sergeants,” Kauffman relates. “I’m looking at all these Harley’s come in. We’re looking at the way that officers across America are dressed, wearing the cavalry boots. Even some of them bloused, wool pants, open-face helmets, leather ears. I’m just shaking my head going, ‘This is stupid. Our job is dangerous enough, yet look what’s going on.’ I think the main thing that I’ve seen in my career, kind of the quote, is that I think law enforcement is blinded by tradition. You can’t see the forest through the trees. Everything is progressing around us, yet to make change in our industry is difficult.”

That discussion with Bruce prompted the initial look into adventure bikes as a viable platform for police units. But even as one new idea arises and takes shape, a whole host of other issues come to the fore.

“We’re questioning everything. The uniforms, the helmets, everything. I’ve had the horrible experience of burying three cops, all due to motorcycle accidents on duty. If you do that enough… I’m to the point in my career where obviously now I’ve been fortunate enough to make it to a spot where I have influence and I can effect change. If I don’t do it, who’s going to do it? So I’m trying to go out swinging here, and it’s hard to do. It’s hard to convince people.

“So many people get hurt on police motorcycles. We’re either going to stop using them, or we’re going to use the right product with the right safety gear, and then we could have a whole other conversation about the level of training that we get because it’s too antiquated. Blinded by tradition.”

However, the conversation about training has already started as well, at least for Kauffman. He recently took an Africa Twin to the motor school and was met with resistance.

“I went through motor school on the Africa Twin,” Kauffman says, “and I did it on an automatic, the DCT. When we brought that bike to the motor academy, they said right away, ‘Well, you’re not going to be able to do it because it doesn’t have a clutch.’

“I said, ‘Okay. What won’t I be able to do?’ ‘You won’t be able to do the cone patterns because you don’t have clutch/throttle control. We don’t allow you to use the rear brake.’ I thought, ‘Okay. Let me practice then. No rear brake on a DCT and see if I can get these cone patterns down.’

“I’m not an expert rider. I don’t have time in the saddle like you or like Bill Turner. But the reality is, on that bike, I could beat the vast majority of the field even without a rear brake because the bike is so superior. It’s lighter. It’s balanced better. It has a better turning radius. Seating position is better. Everything was better. So I was able to navigate those cone patterns without using a rear brake at very, very slow speeds. But what even struck me as more odd is if I could do those cones better using a rear brake, why wouldn’t the school let you do it? It’s again, blinded by tradition.”

And the training for Kauffman didn’t stop there. As many with backgrounds in bikes know, getting expert-level coaching at a track can pay huge dividends on the road. So the Africa Twin went to the track, and Jason Pridmore gave his input.

“The first day I brought that bike out to the track, Pridmore was there and he watched me ride it and then he gave me some tips. I went back out and I started turning the bike with my legs. My seating position was different. I started to understand the concepts of trail-braking. Everything he taught me was opposite of what I was taught in a school.

“He would ask me, ‘Why do you do that?’ I’m like, ‘Well, that’s what they taught me.’ He goes, ‘But, okay, that would be for maybe a Harley-Davidson motorcycle or the old Kawasakis, but you’re talking about a 2018 Africa Twin with dual Brembo front disc brakes. You only need one or two fingers on the brake.’ It was crazy.

“My riding got way better in one day. But I was also sick to my stomach because I’m like, ‘Here I am running a police organization and the next kid who wants to ride a motorcycle, our tradition says we’re going to stick him on an ST. We’re going to throw him into this motor school and he’s going to be taught an antiquated method, probably from the ’80s.’ Why are we doing that? The whole system has to change. That’s what we’re working on, all of it. The bike, the training, the equipment. None of it makes sense to me.”

Unfortunately, the effect of subpar education and equipment is already taking its toll. Many departments around the country are opting to discontinue motorcycle police units all together, rather than seek to make motorcycle policing safer for the officers on two wheels.

“They’re removing their programs,” Kauffman continues. “Motor cops. Getting rid of them. They’ll put parameters on them. ‘Well, we don’t want you riding during the peak traffic in the evenings when it’s dark because it’s too dangerous.’ Well, I don’t know. How about let’s get on the right bike with the right equipment and do the right training and do the right enforcement and save more lives in the outcome. It’s just harder to do. Those are kind of the struggles that I deal with and the things that I see.”

Kauffman and those in his court are facing the challenge of changing minds head on though. Last year they rode a few Africa Twins in the same Unity Tour that first prompted the thought to make the switch to adventure bikes. With a full suit of appropriate gear too.

“So now imagine all these motorcyclists from across America coming through the National Law Enforcement Memorial, and here are two guys on Roland Sands-designed, badass Africa Twins, wearing Alpinestars gear, full-face helmets. Literally we were the laughing stock, which is awesome.

“Then any of those motor cops that would come over and look at that bike, I would say, ‘Here’s the waiver. Get on it.’ ‘Well, I don’t think it will do this or that, or it doesn’t have a clutch so you can’t…’ I’m like, ‘Here’s the waiver. Stop talking and get on the bike.’ You know what? No one would do it because they know it’s better.”

The resistance to troubleshoot isn’t just a matter of motorcycles either, in Kauffman’s estimation. Training practices throughout the process of becoming an officer need reworking.

“We’ll send someone to a police academy with a gun,” Kauffman says, “like a hand-me-down because they’re in the police academy. They might fail. I’m not saying we do this now, but I’m saying law enforcement in general.

“Let me give you the scenario. So Adam’s going to go to the police academy and we send you with some piece-of-crap, old gun. You’re going to go and you’re going to fire 5,000 rounds through that gun during training. You’re going to come back to us and you’re going to be a police officer.

“Then we’re going to take that from you and we’re going to hand you a different one and go, ‘Here you go.’ Stupid. Why would we do that? Why wouldn’t we give you and let you train with the tool you were going to use? Same thing happens in motor school. ‘Oh, he’s going to go to motor school? Yeah, he’s probably going to drop that bike a lot because of whatever.’ So here’s a piece-of-crap, old bike, not the type or even one you’re going to ride. You go through the school and you come back and we put you on something else. Some agencies put guys on completely different models. Why would you do that?”

Thankfully for officers entering the Redondo Beach PD, that will no longer be the case. The current fleet of two RSD Africa Twin bikes and a single, stock CRF1000L (used as a training bike) will be joined by more soon. There will be more DCTs on the fleet, but clutch versions as well. Kauffman’s approach is to have a motorcycle that’s appropriate.

“What I care about is I want the bike to fit the rider. So if I’ve got a Bill Turner and he wants to ride the clutch version of the Africa Twin instead of the DCT, so be it. I don’t care. Here’s where I care: If I’ve got a brand-new kid who’s never ridden a motorcycle before, who’s not getting clutch-throttle control, why are we going to do all of this when the DCT is superior?”

You can also believe that Kauffman and his crew will be back in full force for the next Unity Tour, championing the Africa Twin as best as they can to colleagues from around the country. Because change is what is key, opening minds to the possibility that things can be better, not only for a department’s bottom line, but for the riders who already risk enough putting themselves in the line of duty.

“Maintaining the status quo of anything, it can be challenging to even do that,” Kauffman tells us. “In any organization, any agency, it doesn’t matter. Any culture. Maintaining status quo sometimes can even have a challenge. But it’s much easier than effecting change. I think the only thing I want to leave law enforcement with when I’m all done, when I’m off surfing and I hang up the guard belt, I want people to say, ‘That guy, he was a horrible cop but he would go after change. He wasn’t afraid of that.’ If that’s what I leave with, then I’m happy.

“So many things that we do in our industry just don’t make sense. When you push, people get scared. They get nervous. But if you provide good support and you have good leadership from the bottom up, not someone at the top pushing the message down, when that happens, then change will occur.”

Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com

Honda Africa Twin Redondo Beach Police Motorcycle Ride Along

We’re standing on a side of the road in Redondo Beach, California, next to Honda police bikes, lights flashing. We just pulled over a couple who made an illegal left turn on a quiet street near an elementary school, but my partner for the day, motor officer Bill Turner, is in his usual jovial spirit. He hands them a warning.

It’s Tuesday morning, two weeks before Christmas. Dispatch chimes in on the radio, a 211 call, police code for a robbery. A man in a black Audi snatched a purse containing $10,000 a few miles east of us. It’s a desperate time of year for some. We listen attentively as drama unfolds.

Since we’re on bikes, I presume we’d be the ones to pursue. But Turner says it’s too dangerous, and even though the villain is a couple of miles across town, slogging through endless South Bay traffic lights is a drag. We’ll get the next guy.

We’re riding CRF1000Ls. Mine’s stock, his a custom-outfitted Africa Twin built by Roland Sands Design. The Redondo Beach Police Department wanted to try something different from the standard-issue ST1300. The department has six of them sitting idle in the garage.

“I always thought, ‘What are we doing as policemen riding these huge touring bikes when there’s other platforms out there?’ ” Chief Keith Kauffman says. “Everything seems to be better for the application that we actually use it for, especially in a municipality.”

Kauffman makes a valid point. After all, the 6.2-square-mile seaside city is well away from the dangers of parked rush-hour traffic or after-hour high-speed chases.

“We’re not on freeways like the California Highway Patrol. We’re not traveling at high speeds, catching up with cars over long distances.”

Enter Honda’s Africa Twin. The RBPD has two of the machines already and two more on order in an effort to upgrade its motorcycle fleet. Redondo Beach officers have been turning to bikes for patrol duty since 1914.

Posted at a busy intersection on the north side of town, we’re hunting speeders. After 25 years on the job, Turner has a keen eye for drivers with lead right feet. Because it’s hearsay without evidence, he pulls out his lidar-enabled speed gun—and the batteries are dead. Sgt. Steve Sprengel hands him the batteries from his gun, but those are out of juice too. “Be right back,” he says before running to the station to get fresh AAs.

Locked and loaded, Turner takes aim at a low-slug car. “Aim for the front license plate,” he tells me before squeezing the trigger. The gun beeps, displaying the driver’s speed: a few mph over the 35 mph limit.

“If they’re only a few mph over, we let it slide. Your turn.”

Despite hundreds of hours of Duck Hunt experience, it takes me a few tries to remember how to play this game. A black BMW zooms toward us. I aim and squeeze the trigger. The display flashes 57 mph. On go the lights and siren, and away we go. Well, away Turner goes. I fumble with the controls. Click-click-click. The battery’s dead.

Turner handles business before coming back to check on me and my stranded CRF. “I told you not to leave the key on,” he chuckles, only half joking. Sprengel calls over the radio, and a few minutes later another officer in a Ford Explorer pulls up with a battery charger.

While we’re waiting, I ask if the person in the BMW received a warning.

“The people who get warnings are generally folks who are honest,” he explains. “If you stop someone for doing 60 miles an hour and they go, ‘No, I was doing 35. You must have had a different car.’ Well, you’re the only car on the road, versus someone who says, ‘Yeah, I was going downhill, and I let the speed get away from me.’ Cars are so smooth nowadays, it’s easy to happen.

“The poor guy earlier who made the left turn, he actually said, ‘I was going to make a U-turn, and then I saw you guys and panicked and made the left turn, and I looked up and saw the sign.’ ”

The woman in the BMW received a speed infraction. After another couple of minutes, my Africa Twin fires up, and we’re back on the road, en route to a fender bender.

We’re second on the scene. Thankfully, there are no injuries, but the crumpled Prius is clearly going to need a tow. The first responding officer says he’ll handle it, so we head for lunch.

The RSD-outfitted Africa Twin looks menacing compared to Sprengel’s Honda ST. With its slim rear end, the holstered AR-15 rifle hanging off the back of the ADV machine is especially fearsome.

“Before the North Hollywood shootout, only SWAT guys were carrying shouldered rifles,” Sprengel tells us. “After that, almost all agencies in Southern California began going to a rifle in addition to a shotgun in their car. That incident was one of the biggest events in law-enforcement history to change the way we do stuff.”

But bank-robbing maniacs dressed in black aren’t the only things that motor cops have to worry about. Consider the open-air environment of a motorcycle, and a lot of things can happen when you’re on patrol.

“Our job is dangerous enough,” Kauffman says. “Law enforcement is typically blinded by tradition. That’s why I want to give our men and women the best tools possible for the job.” That includes riding gear.

“A lot of departments are transitioning to them,” Sprengel says of his $600 armored Motosport Kevlar pants. He pairs them with an equally functional pair of Sidi boots.

“Now we actually have a good motorcycle boot and pant. If you go down in these things, they say at 100 miles an hour, you won’t burn a hole in them.”

When it comes to hand protection, however, motor officers are more fickle. Outright protection isn’t as big of a priority as the ability to work a trigger.

“It’s important to keep our hands free,” Sprengel says. “Instead of trying to pull off a typical motorcycle glove, these deerskin gloves shake off easily. So, safetywise, it’s better for us, yet still gives a little protection. It’s hard to get your finger in the trigger wall with most gloves that include hard knuckle protection.

“Of course, we’ll practice at the range that way, but it’s better to shoot without gloves,” he adds.

Turner and I ride in staggered formation as we patrol the south side of town. It’s everything I can do to keep pace with my partner, even at the speed limit on a moderately busy thoroughfare.

“I think I got my first dirt bike in ’83 or ’84. I started racing Ascot, but I sucked at it,” Turner laughs. “I quit for a while when my parents stopped paying for it. Later on, I got back into it. I was about to get hired here, but I destroyed this finger (he waves his all-important trigger finger). Finally, my doctor said, ‘Aren’t you trying to get hired as a cop? You need to stop racing.’ ”

Despite doctor’s orders, Turner returned to racing after joining the department in the fall of ’93.

“I started again after I got hired,” he says with excitement. “But it’s just goofing off for fun now. The last race I did was a couple of years ago at the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix.”

Out of nowhere, he fires up the lights and sirens, and we pull in behind a small beat-up pickup truck, the bed sagging with tools and equipment. As we approach the vehicle from the driver’s side, I ask what the driver did. “He ran a red light,” Turner replies. I never saw it.

The driver owns up to it, citing the heavy load as the reason why he didn’t slam on the brakes. Turner lets him off with a warning.

“It’s an expensive ticket,” he grins afterward.

The rest of the day is a blur of citations and fender benders, drivers either not paying attention or purposefully trying to skirt the rules of the road. Finally, Turner navigates us to Redondo Dog Park, where he aims his Africa Twin at the sidewalk.

The afternoon sun lights up the grass as we cruise through, saying hello to local dog owners who are either taking a late lunch or skipping out early from work.

“Believe it or not, a lot of cars are broken into during the day here,” he says.

His eyes scan the area as we do a quick lap through the top and bottom parking lots. The coast is clear, so we head back toward the station, rounding out an eight-hour day in the saddle.

“It’s something I’ve just always wanted to do ever since I was a kid,” sums up the sarge when we’re back at the station. “There’s ups and downs to it, but it’s a good profession. The community engagement, the camaraderie, the friendships you make, and the opportunity to do different things, it just makes for an incredible time,” he says.

“If you’re going to work hard and put yourself out there, on the line, you’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing. We’re pretty lucky.”

Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com