New generation of the best-selling touring enduro: the new Honda Africa Twin for 2027

When Honda’s Africa Twin rolled into showrooms in our part of the world at the start of 2016, it quickly became a bestseller. With 95 PS, it was neither particularly powerful nor, at 228 kilograms, especially light, yet that was precisely what made it a success: as a mature, down-to-earth, all-round practical touring enduro for all situations, it set the benchmark somewhere between the mid-range and top-of-the-range European touring enduros.

Just over ten years and three model updates later, Honda is giving the Africa Twin a fundamental overhaul. The Japanese manufacturer describes it as the ‘most comprehensive update to date’: a new chassis, a new design and, at its heart, a thoroughly revamped version of the travel enduro’s existing parallel-twin engine. Its displacement has increased from 1,084 cubic centimetres to 1,131 cc, and as the cylinder capacity rises, so too do peak power and torque. A redesigned intake system, larger-diameter throttle valves, a revised valve train and cylinder head, as well as a higher compression ratio, are said to deliver just under 16 PS and 7 Newton metres more torque; in total, this amounts to 119 PS and 119 Newton metres of torque. Honda has retained the 270-degree offset crankshaft, which is standard for this class.

The parallel-twin engine is housed in a completely redesigned chassis: according to Honda, lowering the Africa Twin’s centre of gravity was a priority. To achieve this, the engineers in Tokyo relocated part of the fuel tank’s capacity to an auxiliary tank fitted beneath the seat, thereby shifting weight towards the centre of the motorbike. The base version of the Africa Twin is set to weigh 228 kilograms with a manual gearbox and 239 kilograms with an automated dual-clutch transmission, representing a weight saving of between 2 and 3 kilograms compared to the current generation, depending on the version.

Die Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports mit Sensing Ride

Foto: Honda

Three variants of the new Africa Twin

The large-displacement enduro will in future be available in three variants, rather than the current two: in addition to the base version and the long-distance-oriented ‘Adventure Sports’ with a 19-inch front wheel, the Japanese manufacturer is now also adding a model specifically designed for off-road use to its range: The version is called ‘Enduro Sports’ and features 260 millimetres of ground clearance, tubeless knobby tyres, unique ergonomics and a bespoke seat. The ‘Enduro Sports’ dispenses with the semi-active Showa EERA suspension found on its two sister models in favour of a fully manually adjustable 49-mm Showa fork. The design of the off-road version is also unusually distinctive: a distinctive front end with specially designed headlights, narrower fairing and a streamlined rear section – Honda refers to this as ‘focused design’. The Japanese manufacturer is thus responding to a trend that is sweeping across all segments: From the KTM 690 Rally and Ducati’s DesertX V2 to the upcoming BMW M1300 GS, more and more manufacturers are launching adventure enduros of various sizes, whose intended use – across different price and performance categories – extends far beyond riding on gravel tracks.

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Another trend that Honda is embracing with the new Africa Twin is the move towards more rider assistance: ‘Sensing Ride’ is the term used by Honda, and – as is now standard from BMW to KTM to Yamaha – it works using radar units. Radar-based adaptive cruise control (ACC) is no longer a rarity, but the integrated traffic jam function – designed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead even in stop-and-go traffic – is still quite uncommon. The ‘Group Ride Assist’ feature, which is designed to maintain a safe distance within groups, is also a rarity. Safety features such as a rear-collision warning system, collision warning and blind-spot monitoring are also part of the optional package, which will initially only be available for the long-distance-oriented ‘Adventure Sports’ models.

Prices for the new Africa Twin generation have not yet been finalised.