The premium adventure biking segment is heating up in India thanks to the growing disposable income and a penchant for glamorous two wheels. India clearly has the biggest market for two wheelers which is evident with the growing number of brands entering the country. Biking clubs for all popular models have sprung up all over the country with the most prominent being clubs for RE Bullets, Thunderbird, Yamaha R15, Pulsar 200NS, Avenger, Yamaha RD 350, Jawa and Yezdi Motorcycles, Mahindra Mojo, Triumph Motorcycles, Harley Davidsons, Ducati’s, Kawasaki Ninja and many more.
Come any weekend, you will spot a bunch of them gathering around the outskirts of the city preparing to ride out for an overnite trip or just for breakfast. Another growing trend is the fascination for adventure motoring with avid riders exploring remote terrains which were almost inaccessible earlier.
With the entry of brands such as Kawasaki with their Versys 650 / 1000 or Triumph with the Tiger 800 XR, XC and Explorer variants or the Ducati with their MultiStrada models and BMW with 1200GS, riders today have a wide choice of go-any-where bikes at premium price points. The latest entrant to this segment is Honda’s globally acclaimed adventure bike the Africa Twin.
Honda Africa Twin is Honda’s first 1000cc variant assembled in India and will be sold at an inaugural price of Rs 12.90 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi. This is sweet news for adventure bike lovers, however, only the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) transmission variant will sold in India.
Also known as the Honda CRF1000L, the Africa Twin was purpose build for the popular Dakar Rallies and continues to be a hot favourite for many motorists across the world. The adventure tourer is powered by a liquid-cooled 998 cc, parallel-twin engine which churn out 87 bhp of power and 92 Nm of torque. The engine is mounted on a lightweight, chassis designed specifically for both on and off-road use. The seat height of 850 mm make it the tallest bike in its category and uses 45mm upside down Showa suspension. To know more about the AT and it’s history, try this link – Honda Africa Twin
Honda Africa Twin Vs Triumph Tiger 800 XCx Vs Kawasaki Versys 1000:
Comparing the Africa Twin to its competitors in India, the bike will pit directly against Triumph’s Tiger 800 XC variants with similar specs but the latter boasts of a triple cylinder 800 cc engine churning out 94 bhp of power (can go upto 98 bhp with aftermarket exhaust) but lesser torque. However, the Tiger XC variants score over the AT with its superior WP suspension that can cross over mighty obstacles with utmost ease and a dream to ride on the tarmac due to its more powerful triple engine. The Versys 1000 is the most powerful and the smoothest among the three with it’s 4 cylinder engine producing 114 bhp and 102 nm of torque. However, the Versys is a soft-roader and cannot handle very rough terrain like the Africa Twin and the Tiger XC variants.
We are eagerly waiting to get our hands on the Africa Twin to get a feel of the bike and its full potential. Till then, let’s drool over these pics.
Moto Adda 