For 2018 Honda has updated its Africa Twin adventure bike platform and added a new model, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, shown above. (Photos by Steve Cox)
Honda?s reboot of the Africa Twin, a 998cc parallel twin-powered adventure bike that carries the dirt-worthy CRF1000L model designation, has been a hit. Introduced just two years ago, there are now more than 50,000 of them roaming back roads and trails around the world, with 8,000 in the U.S. alone, where the Africa Twin accounted for 20 percent of open-class ADV sales in 2017.
Read our 2016 Honda Africa Twin DCT touring review
The new Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports gets all of the same updates as the standard model, as well as more suspension travel, a larger gas tank and other upgrades. (Photo by the author) To maintain that momentum, for 2018 Honda has updated the Africa Twin and added the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, a taller, longer-range, farkle-heavy model. Updates to the Africa Twin platform include a larger airbox with a longer intake funnel and a new exhaust for better midrange and richer sound, lighter balancer-shaft weights for smoother engine feel and a lithium-ion battery that saves 5.1 pounds. Thanks to a new throttle-by-wire system, there are now four riding modes (Tour, Urban and Gravel, plus a customizable User mode) that adjust throttle response, engine braking and traction control. Other changes include a redesigned instrument panel, wider footpegs with stronger steel mounts and lower-profile ...