Price: from £17,599 | Power: 100.5bhp | Weight: 253kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: TBA
Despite the ‘Adventure’ name and tough, Dakar-inspired looks, Honda sees the Africa Twin Adventure Sports model as a more road-oriented tourer than the standard Africa Twin and for the 2024 model year it’s taken a big step in that direction with an array of updates aimed at boosting the bike’s continent-crossing ability.
The biggest single departure from the past is the adoption of a 19-inch front wheel and 110/80 tyre instead of the previous 21-incher and 90/90 rubber. Updated styling and the disappearance of the manual transmission version from the UK market also pushes the Adventure Sport towards its touring role, while electronic suspension – previously offered only on the higher-spec versions of the bike – becomes standard for 2024.
Pros and Cons
- That 19-inch wheel promises better handling on tarmac, where owners spend most of their time
- Engine revisions boost torque and low-end power
- Electronic suspension is now standard
- There’s no ‘cheap’ version of the Adventure Sports for 2024 – the old manual model with conventional suspension, which cost £14,749, is gone from the range.
- Riders who really wanted to use the Adventure Sport’s off-road ability will be against the 19-inch front wheel.
- DCT adds 11kg to the weight, and the non-DCT version isn’t being offered in the UK.
Review – In Detail
Price & PCP
For and against
Engine & Performance
Handling & Suspension (inc. weight & brakes)
Comfort & Economy
Equipment
Rivals
Verdict
Specification
The disappearance of a non-DCT version of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports for 2024 – at least in the UK market – means the starting price for the model has risen substantially. You’ll be asked for £17,599 for the standard bike, while a loaded model with the Plus pack of accessories will set you back £20,599. In 2023, there was the option of a manual-transmission version of the bike, without electronic suspension, for £14,749.
However, with the Showa EERA electronic suspension and DCT now standard, the 2024 model’s price could be viewed as a bargain. The same spec in 2023 listed at £20,399.
There are two colours on offer – Matt Ballistic Black Metallic or Pearl Glare White Tricolour.
The 1084cc parallel twin engine, with its SOHC ‘UniCam’ cylinder head inspired by the CRF450R motocrosser and a 270-degree crankshaft to mimic the firing pattern of a 90-degree V-twin, is largely familiar but contains internal updates that promise a useful extra punch at low and mid-range speeds.
The engine changes are shared with the standard 2024 Africa Twin, which will also remain available with the manual transmission and non-electronic suspension, while getting its own range of styling and technical updates. While peak power is unaltered at 100.5hp, torque rises to 82.6lb-ft – a 7% boost compared to the previous model – thanks to revisions including an increased compression ratio of 10.5:1 instead of 10.1:1, wider intake ducts, 65mm longer intake trumpets, and a new exhaust with a revised silencer to match the intake changes and improve both performance and sound.
More impressive than the torque increase itself is the way peak is moved down in the rev range to 5,500rpm, giving an overall curve that’s substantially higher than the old model’s and promising improved acceleration throughout the low and mid-rpm ranges.
There’s a total of six rider modes – Tour, Urban, Gravel, Off-Road and two rider-defined settings – each influencing the throttle response, power, ABS settings and traction control. The traction control itself has seven settings, all assisted by the bike’s IMU that measures acceleration and lean angle to control the level of intervention. Wheelie control is also standard, also tied to the IMU and with three settings to alter how high the front wheel can be lifted.
While the standard Africa Twin has the same engine, on the 2024 Adventure Sports it can only be had with Honda’s DCT seamless-shift transmission, allowing semi-automatic and fully-auto modes via two clutches and an electro-hydraulic control system. Like the engine, the transmission uses info from the IMU to work out when the bike is leaning over, preventing badly-timed auto shifts.
As well as being able to switch between manual and auto, the former using bar-mounted buttons for controls, with the option of a more conventional foot pedal, the DCT has ‘D’ and ‘S’ modes in its automatic setting, altering the shift points. A further ‘G’ setting tailors the shifts for off-road use.
The 2024 Africa Twin Adventure Sports’ chassis is shared with both the standard Africa Twin and the previous model but for the new model year there are a couple of key changes to alter the Adventure Sports’ position in the market.
Firstly, there’s no longer the option of a basic version without Showa EERA electronic suspension, and secondly the 2024 bike gets a 19-inch front wheel instead of the 21-incher of the old model and the standard Africa Twin.
The EERA suspension offers four settings – soft, mid, hard and off-road – all pretty self-explanatory, plus a ‘user’ mode that allows you to make more changes while on the move. The rear preload is also adjustable while moving.
The switch to a 19-inch front wheel, wearing a wider 110/80-19 tyre, instead of the old 21-inch rim is part of a clear shift towards an on-road focus. It might blunt the bike’s off-road ability slightly, but for the majority of the time it promises better grip and stability. Honda has also reduced the suspension travel for the Adventure Sports from 230mm front, 220mm rear to 210mm from and 200mm rear, dropping the centre of gravity and the seat height in the process to make the bike more manageable. Welcome, given the Adventure Sports’ hefty 253kg weight.
The combination of shorter suspension and a smaller front wheel means there’s 30mm less ground clearance than the standard Africa Twin, the trail is reduced from 113mm to 106mm and the wheelbase is cut from 1574mm to 1550mm.
Like the base 2024 Africa Twin, the latest Adventure Sports swaps from tubed tyres to tubeless ones, in this instance Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A41s are standard, with more off-road oriented Michelin Anakee Wild rubber as an option.
The radial-mount, four-pot brakes and 310mm discs are the same as the standard Africa Twin, coupled to cornering ABS controlled by a Bosch MM7.10 IMU that oversees the antilock, traction control, wheelie control and rear-wheel-lift control systems.
That reduced suspension height promises to make the Africa Twin Adventure Sports both more comfortable and more accessible by bringing down the seat height down to 835mm (adjustable to 855mm), while and optional low seat drops it to under the 800mm mark at 795mm. As well as being lower, the standard seat is 15mm thicker than the previous version, increasing comfort, with 8% more seat area to spread your weight on.
Like the standard Africa Twin, the Adventure Sport’s screen can be adjusted to five positions and sits on a new-look front fairing designed to improve wind protection and aerodynamics.
At 24.8 litres, the Adventure Sports’ fuel tank is 6 litres larger than the base model’s and with claimed economy of 57.6mpg it should be good for a range of over 300 miles.
Like the standard Africa Twin, the Adventure Sports features a big, 6.5-inch TFT colour touchscreen display, which can be operated with gloves on, to control its main functions and modes. Bluetooth is standard, as is Apple Carplay and Android Auto, with a USB port to the right of the display to physically connect a phone.
As well as LED headlights and DRLs, the Adventure Sports features three-stage cornering lights that automatically illuminate the inside of turns depending on lean angle, as measured by the IMU, and like previous models there’s a large sump guard despite the focus shifting further towards on-road use.
Options include a variety of packs – Rally Pack, Urban Pack, Adventure Pack and Travel Pack – to add more protection, luggage and equipment. There’s also the low seat option, a variety of side tank pads and an SC-Project slip-on silencer among the optional parts.
The 1084cc capacity of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, not to mention its high levels of kit and hefty price tag, tilts towards the larger end of the adventure bike market but its relatively tame 100.5hp output is more in keeping with the latest mid-range offerings from rival brands. On paper, the closest rivals might be the likes of Suzuki’s V-Strom 1050DE, with 106hp and 252kg weight, but the tech is more aligned with the likes of Triumph’s Tiger 1200 Rally Pro, which uses similar Showa semi-active suspension.
BMW F900 GS Adventure | Price: £12,350
Power/Torque: 105hp/68.6lb-ft | Weight: 246kg
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE | Price: £13,699
Power/Torque: 106bhp/74lb-ft | Weight: 252kg
Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro | Price: £18,095
Power/Torque: 148bhp/95.9lb-ft | Weight: 249kg
We’ll give a verdict once we’ve ridden the 2024 Africa Twin Adventure Sports.
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New price
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From £17,599
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Capacity
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1084cc
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Bore x Stroke
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92mm x 81.5mm
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Engine layout
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Parallel Twin
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Engine details
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Liquid-cooled OHC 4-stroke 8-valve UniCam, with 270° crank
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Power
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100.5bhp (75kW) @ 7,500rpm
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Torque
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82.6lb-ft (112Nm) @ 5,500rpm
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Transmission
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6 speed DCT seamless shift semi-auto, with manual and automatic modes
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Average fuel consumption
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57.6 mpg claimed
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Tank size
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24.8 litres
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Max range to empty
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314 miles
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Rider aids
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Lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, wheelie control, rear wheel lift control
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Frame
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Steel semi double cradle
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Front suspension
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Showa 45mm USD forks, 210mm stroke
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Front suspension adjustment
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Showa EERA electronic damping control with compression and rebound adjustment
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Rear suspension
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Pro-Link with Showa gas damper and remote hydraulic preload adjuster, 200mm travel
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Rear suspension adjustment
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Showa EERA electronic damping control with compression and rebound adjustment
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Front brake
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310mm dual wave floating hydraulic disc with aluminium hub and radial fit 4-piston calipers and sintered metal pads
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Rear brake
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256mm wave hydraulic disc with 2-piston caliper and sintered metal pads. 2-channel with rear ABS off mode.
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Front wheel / tyre
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19M/C x MT2.50 wire spoke with aluminium rim, 110/80-R19M/C 59V tubeless Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A41
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Rear wheel / tyre
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18M/C x MT4.00 wire spoke with aluminium rim, 150/70-R18M/C 70H tubeless Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A41
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Dimensions (LxWxH)
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2,305mm X 960mm X 1,475mm
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Wheelbase
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1550mm
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Seat height
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835/855mm (low seat option 795mm)
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Weight
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253kg
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Warranty
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2years/ unlimited
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Servicing
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TBC
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MCIA Secured Rating
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Not yet rated
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Website
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www.honda.co.uk
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What is MCIA Secured?
MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.
As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
- A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
- An ignition immobiliser system
- A vehicle marking system
- An alarm system
- A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
