The 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports has been launched in India. Yes! The name is quite a mouthful and that is because Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has not launched the standard Africa Twin in India, just the fully loaded ‘Adventure Sports’ model. The 2020 Africa Twin gets a bunch of updates, in terms of design, engine and even features. With the new-generation Triumph Tiger 900 launch just a month away, we are already salivating and licking our chops in the anticipation of pitting both these motorcycles together, but that is a story for another day. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports.
Engine
(Globally, The 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin is offered in a standard variant, as well as an Adventure Sports variant, but India gets only the Adventure Sports variant)
The biggest update to the 2020 Africa Twin is to the engine. It now displaces 1,084 cc instead of 999 cc and offers 7 per cent more torque along with 6 per cent more peak power. The basic architecture of the engine has been retained, but the parallel-twin mill now gets a longer stroke, up from 75.1 mm to 81.5 mm, and retains the same 92 mm bore. The 1,084 cc, parallel-twin has a compression ratio of 10.1:1 and puts out 101 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 105 Nm of peak torque at 6,250 rpm. The engine now gets lighter aluminium cylinder sleeves and redesigned engine casings, resulting in the manual transmission engine of the 2020 Africa Twin being 2.5 kg lighter than before, while the automatic DCT (dual-clutch transmission) engine is 2.2 kg lighter. The new Africa Twin has claimed fuel efficiency figures of 20.4 kmpl for the manual transmission version and 20.8 kmpl for the automatic DCT version. Yes! Indian ADV enthusiasts will get the option to buy either the manual or the automatic DCT variant.
Design
(A completely new touchscreen instrument panel is offered in the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin)
Look at the motorcycle closely and you will see that the front end has been slightly tweaked. The Africa Twin never had the typical ADV beak and it continues to not have that. We like it! But the LED headlamps are new and the DRLs are new too. Plus, the fairing now becomes slimmer and so does the waist of the motorcycle, giving it a sharper, meaner stance. The Adventure Sports model gets a bigger fuel tank, a taller windscreen and a bigger bashplate over the standard model.
Frame & Chassis
(The engine on the new Africa Twin gets a slight bump in displacement and makes more power and torque)
The new Africa Twin also gets a lighter frame along with a removable sub-frame and a lighter swingarm which is said to be more rigid. The motorcycle gets Showa 45 mm cartridge-type inverted telescopic fork with 230 mm suspension travel. Rear suspension is a mono-block aluminium with Pro-Link and a Showa gas-charged damper with 220 mm rear wheel travel. The Adventure Sports weighs 238 kg (manual variant) and 248 kg (DCT variant), which is significantly heavier than the competition. The braking is handled by 310 mm dual wave floating hydraulic discs with radial fit 4-piston calipers on the front wheel, and a 256 mm single hydraulic disc gripped by a single piston calliper.
Electronics
(The new Africa Twin gets a bunch of riding modes on offer as well)
The electronics suite of the 2020 Honda Africa Twin has also been updated, with the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), now powered by a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). The engine now features four power levels and three levels of electronic engine braking, with seven levels of HSTC. Honda has also added wheelie control with three levels of input. The new touchscreen instrument panel now offers Bluetooth audio as well as Apple CarPlay connectivity. The new Africa Twin gets four default riding mode options – Tour, Urban, Gravel and Off-Road, and two more additional, and customisable riding modes. The default riding modes also allow some customisation, with seven levels of HSTC, three levels of wheelie control system and the Sports mode in the DCT allowing three levels of gear ratios. The dual-channel ABS system offers on-road and off-road settings, and ABS on the rear wheel can be switched off completely.
Pricing & Rivals
The 2020 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports with the manual gearbox is priced at ₹ 15.35 lakh while the DCT automatic gearbox variant is priced at ₹ 16.10 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi. These bikes will be going up against the Triumph Tiger 900, which will be launched soon and the BMW F 750 GS/ F850 GS. The starting prices of the new Africa Twin is more than the starting prices of the other two and that might put a damper on people who are looking to buy one.
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