The 2020 Honda Africa Twin comes to the Indian market in both manual and DCT automatic formats, but only in the higher Adventure Sports avatar
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has launched the new and improved 2020 Africa Twin dual-sport (or adventure tourer) motorcycle in the country. The new Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin comes to the Indian market only in the higher Adventure Sports avatar. Ex-showroom prices start at Rs 15.35 lakh for the manual and hit Rs 16.10 lakh for the DCT automatic variant. Deliveries will commence in May 2020.
The previous-gen Honda Africa Twin was available only in the 6-speed DCT format in India. It was priced at Rs 13.5 lakh ex-showroom but carried way lesser equipment since it was in the lower standard trim. The 2020 Africa Twin is a capable and affordable alternative to the likes of the BMW R 1250 GS, Triumph Tiger 1200 and Ducati Multistrada 1260.
Powering the 2020 Honda Africa Twin is a new 1,084cc parallel-twin engine that is derived from the older 999cc unit. The power plant features a higher stroke while the bore remains the same. As a result, output figures stand at 102bhp and 105Nm. The previous model churned out only 89bhp and 93Nm of torque. As mentioned before, the adventure motorcycle arrives with a 6-speed manual transmission for the first time in the Indian market.
The latest version of the iconic Honda adventure motorcycle is also significantly lighter than before. The kerb weight stands at 243kg — still, a high figure compared to its competitors. However, the Honda Africa Twin comes with an extra-large fuel tank (24.2-litre) like a traditional cross-country rally motorcycle. In fact, the design of the modern-day Africa Twin pays tribute to the iconic Honda XRV650 Africa Twin that had won the Paris-Dakar rally four times back in the ‘80s.
The list of equipment on the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin comprises of a six-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), cornering ABS, wheelie and rear-lift control, 6.5-inch TFT instrument console with Apple CarPlay; cruise control, charging socket and a lot more. Compared to the standard version, the Adventure Sports variants also packs some extra bits to be an absolute weapon of choice over tough terrain.
The motorcycle comes with four riding modes: Tour, Urban, Gravel and Off-road. In addition, there are two programmable modes as well. The engine unleashes the best potential with the DCT powertrain, but hardcore off-road enthusiasts would always go for the manual variant.
