Honda Africa Twin[2017]

 Honda’s ‘Africa Twin’ moniker was made famous by the XR750 which was a four-time winner at the Dakar rally. The Africa Twin with its liquid-cooled 998cc parallel-twin engine puts out 86bhp at 7,500rpm and 92Nm at 6,000rpm through a six-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) which is a top-of-the-line variant and will be the only option sold in India.

The Africa Twin comes with the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), switchable rear ABS; which allows ABS to be switched off for the rear wheel and traction control, both offering different modes for different conditions. Traction control has four settings, off and levels 1-3. Level 1 is the most aggressive while level 3 is easy on the rider.

The Africa Twin's 21-inch front wheel with its inverted cartridge type, fully adjustable, Showa 43mm upside-down front forks provides enormous suspension travel of 230mm - the largest in its class. The rear shock also features a fully adjustable Showa with an 18-inch wheel to handle all sorts of terrain with a range of rebound and compression settings. The motorcycle has a class-leading 250mm of ground clearance and a seat height of 860mm. The Africa Twin with a fuel tank capacity of 23-litres has a kerb weight of 208kg – 222kg.

Competitors for the Honda Africa Twin at its introductory price are the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx, Kawasaki Versys 1000, Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and the Ducati Multistrada 950.   

Produced at the manufacturer’s Manesar plant, the motorcycle would be the first litre class from HMSI’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and is only available in Victory Red colour option.