Honda Africa Twin

[jackdd]

 

DCT version: https://www.aphonda.co.th/hondabigbike/motorcycle/adventure/africa-twin-adventure-sports-dct

MT version: https://www.aphonda.co.th/hondabigbike/motorcycle/adventure/africa-twin-adventure-sports-mt

 

According to the Honda Big Wing shops they get the new Africa Twin Adventure Sports next week and i will most likely buy one (they didn't say anything yet about the regular updated 2018 model, but maybe then as well).

 

Anybody else here riding an Africa Twin already or going to get one?

Obviously not made for Bangkok traffic, but i expect some fun outside of the cities ?

The price is clearly too high compared to other markets, but that's how it is with imported products in Thailand, the competitors are not cheaper

[eisfeld]

I have a 2017 Africa Twin with DCT. A bit over 20,000 km on it now. Did lots of short rides in heavy Phuket traffic (not as heavy as BKK of course) and also long rides from Phuket all the way to Vientianne Laos with a bit of offroad including through small rivers etc. One could say I covered a good range of riding scenarios. I should post a review but I think I'm gonna do that in the other AT thread.

 

I think the AT is the best bang for the buck when it comes to adventure bikes in Thailand. The Versys isn't too bad but I prefer the AT much more with added oomph and much nicer character due to 270 degree crank. The Ducati Multistrada 950 is also nice but quite a bit more expensive and you never know with Ducatis regarding reliability. The BMW 1200 GS is overpriced (double AT price) and imho too fat. The new 850 GS is nice but I'm not sure if available in Thailand yet, also not a super big dealer network.

 

The AT is a pretty good bike. When it comes to DCT or manual: definitely test ride the DCT. Mine is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it shifts like magic, you cannot feel it. Just amazing. And sometimes it shifts like a total newbie rider, rocking you a bit back and forth. Especially at slow speeds, shifting down is not so great. BUT the 2018 model has seen quite some changes in this department. Now there's ride by wire and it blips the throttle when shifting down. I believe that can make a huge difference but I haven't had the chance to ride the new model yet. The missing possibility to blip the throttle or feather the clutch is probably what makes the slow speed downshifts not so nice on the older models (just a guess).

 

When thinking about which version (Adventure Sports or normal) to get: definitely test-ride or at least test-sit on the Adventure Sports model because the normal AT is already quite high and the Aventure Sports even higher. Apart from the added height, bigger fuel tank and crashbars, there's not that much different and I personally would choose the normal version. I only like the larger fuel capacity but mine can go 300km easily on a full tank and that's more than enough for the riding I do especially if you want to take a break every 2h or so anyways. Oh and the Adventure Sports is 13kg heavier.

Edited July 19, 2018 by eisfeld

[jackdd]

22 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

I think the AT is the best bang for the buck when it comes to adventure bikes in Thailand. The Versys isn't too bad but I prefer the AT much more with added oomph and much nicer character due to 270 degree crank. The Ducati Multistrada 950 is also nice but quite a bit more expensive and you never know with Ducatis regarding reliability. The BMW 1200 GS is overpriced (double AT price) and imho too fat. The new 850 GS is nice but I'm not sure if available in Thailand yet, also not a super big dealer network.

The direct competitors for the Africa Twin are the BMW 850 GS (i recently read some news that BMW is recalling all bikes because there is a problem with the engine, so will probably take a while until it's in Thailand) and the Triumph Tiger 800. Price wise both similar to the Africa Twin. The main reason why i want the Africa Twin is the DCT but of course another point to consider is the dealer network, which also would me lead to the Africa Twin.

 

26 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

When thinking about which version (Adventure Sports or normal) to get: definitely test-ride or at least test-sit on the Adventure Sports model because the normal AT is already quite high and the Aventure Sports even higher. Apart from the added height, bigger fuel tank and crashbars, there's not that much different and I personally would choose the normal version. I only like the larger fuel capacity but mine can go 300km easily on a full tank and that's more than enough for the riding I do especially if you want to take a break every 2h or so anyways. Oh and the Adventure Sports is 13kg heavier.

Yes, these are definitely valid points and if i look at it totally objectively the regular version might be the more reasonable choice.

But the Adventure Sports is just more special than the regular version so my subjective feeling is: I want this ?

The height should be ok, i'm not the smallest person. When sitting on the regular Africa Twin i can put my feet flat on the ground.

I watched a lot of reviews of the Adventure Sports so i know that it's high. I'm always wondering when i see all the posts of Thai people on Facebook who write that they booked the Adventure Sports, if these people know how high this bike is and that it's probably too high for the average Thai.

 

[eisfeld]

I forgot about the Triumph Tiger 800. Looking at the Triumph Thailand website, I think they still got the old model with the monochrome LCD here, not the new one with color TFT. So I wouldn't consider that bike, knowing that a much updated model will be there "soon". Same situation as the BMW.

[jackdd]

10 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

I forgot about the Triumph Tiger 800. Looking at the Triumph Thailand website, I think they still got the old model with the monochrome LCD here, not the new one with color TFT. So I wouldn't consider that bike, knowing that a much updated model will be there "soon". Same situation as the BMW.

Triumph has both on their website, no idea if the new model is already being sold

Old: https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.th/bikes/adventure-and-touring/tiger/2018/tiger-800

New: https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.th/bikes/adventure-and-touring/tiger/2018/800

They increased the price for the new model. I don't know how well it sold, but assume not so well, so maybe they used the Thai logic which one can see in many areas "if i don't sell many i have to increase the price to make more profit per unit"

[eisfeld]

Right so that's also an option. Personally I'd always pick the AT because it looks much better to me and the dealer network is the best in Thailand. For anything but a touring/adventure bike, I'd consider a lot of other brands here.

[Hummin]

Im also considering the Africa twin, but also looking at this one. Quite good budget bike compare to anything else, and I know one who have more than 250 000 km on a previous model.

 

Honda NC750X

https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2017/11/06/2018-honda-nc750x-first-look-9-fast-facts/

[jackdd]

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Im also considering the Africa twin, but also looking at this one. Quite good budget bike compare to anything else, and I know one who have more than 250 000 km on a previous model.

 

Honda NC750X

https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2017/11/06/2018-honda-nc750x-first-look-9-fast-facts/

Yes, that's i nice bike indeed, i do especially like the integrated storage.

I was thinking about it as well, but decided it's too much street orientated for me and it could have a few more horse power (not that more horse power are "needed" on Thai roads, but it's just for the kick)

I think the 2018 model is not in Thailand yet, but if the Africa Twin is comming now it will probably come soon as well

[Hummin]

20 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Yes, that's i nice bike indeed, i do especially like the integrated storage.

I was thinking about it as well, but decided it's too much street orientated for me and it could have a few more horse power (not that more horse power are "needed" on Thai roads, but it's just for the kick)

I think the 2018 model is not in Thailand yet, but if the Africa Twin is comming now it will probably come soon as well

New Honda start delivering now from Honda Big Wing. So if you order now, you will have it in  2 months or so depends on colour you choose. Starting price 630 000,-

 

For a 1000 cc thats a nice price. However 2017 model is 550 and 580, 

[eisfeld]

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Starting price 630 000,-

Where did you get that from? The top model Adventure Sports DCT is listed at 625k on the AP Honda website. 595k without DCT. The same 550k and 580k as before for the normal model MT/DCT.

[Hummin]

12 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Where did you get that from? The top model Adventure Sports DCT is listed at 625k on the AP Honda website. 595k without DCT. The same 550k and 580k as before for the normal model MT/DCT.

The lady in Honda Bigwing told me, so happy to know you got other prices. Your prices is delivered Bangkok? 

 

Edited July 19, 2018 by Hummin

[jackdd]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

The lady in Honda Bigwing told me, so happy to know you got other prices. Your prices is Bangkok? 

Afaik Honda Big Wing prices are fixed. So you get the prices which you can see on this website in every Big Wing shop (at least for the one in Udon Thani i can confirm it): https://www.aphonda.co.th/hondabigbike/en

[Hummin]

4 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Afaik Honda Big Wing prices are fixed. So you get the prices which you can see on this website in every Big Wing shop (at least for the one in Udon Thani i can confirm it): https://www.aphonda.co.th/hondabigbike/en

I guess she just said wrong to me then! 

[Bung]

Africa twin has a 21" front wheel, are you really going that hard off road to warrant it? Triumph TIGERS new XRT has a more road biased 19" front. 

 

Honda's dealer network won't help you much unless you're near a big wing outlet and I'm not convinced about the DCT's reliability. 

[eisfeld]

As jackdd mentioned, Bigwings prices are fixed and delivered to whatever Bigwing dealer you want.

 

10 minutes ago, Bung said:

Honda's dealer network won't help you much unless you're near a big wing outlet and I'm not convinced about the DCT's reliability. 

 

 With more dealers, your chances of being near a dealer are higher, not sure what you are trying to say. BTW, with the AT you get 2 years of 24/7 roadside assistance.

 

I haven't heard anything bad about the DCT reliability. Of course anything more complex can have more failure modes but they've been making DCT bikes for a good number of years now and I don't think they have a bad reputation.

[Scott]

Troll post removed.  

 

[Bung]

13 hours ago, eisfeld said:

As jackdd mentioned, Bigwings prices are fixed and delivered to whatever Bigwing dealer you want.

 

 

 With more dealers, your chances of being near a dealer are higher, not sure what you are trying to say. BTW, with the AT you get 2 years of 24/7 roadside assistance.

 

I haven't heard anything bad about the DCT reliability. Of course anything more complex can have more failure modes but they've been making DCT bikes for a good number of years now and I don't think they have a bad reputation.

You maybe nearer a dealer that says "Honda" on the outside but they are scooter dealers and won't be able to help with an AT problem. You'd need to either wait for parts to be delivered or just get your bike trucked home. Really, these modern bikes are so reliable that a breakdown is highly unlikely. It'll be either accident damage or flat tyres. 

[jackdd]

14 hours ago, Bung said:

Africa twin has a 21" front wheel, are you really going that hard off road to warrant it? Triumph TIGERS new XRT has a more road biased 19" front.  

Probably i'm not going that hard off road that this would matter, it's a big Adventure Bike and not an Enduro, so the number of people who go hard off road with it is most likely very small.

But as i said before, main reason for the Africa Twin is the DCT. And you would have to compare the Tiger XRT which costs 645k with the standard model Africa Twin which costs 550k... 100k more.

 

20 minutes ago, Bung said:

You maybe nearer a dealer that says "Honda" on the outside but they are scooter dealers and won't be able to help with an AT problem. You'd need to either wait for parts to be delivered or just get your bike trucked home. Really, these modern bikes are so reliable that a breakdown is highly unlikely. It'll be either accident damage or flat tyres. 

16 Honda Big Wing shops outside of Bangkok vs 8 Triumph shops outside of Bangkok. But in the end it does of course also depend on where somebody is living. For example here in Udon we have a Honda Big Wing but no Triumph. In for example Chiang Rai there is no Honda Big Wing but a Triumph, so maybe somebody who is living there would favour Triumph.

[eisfeld]

41 minutes ago, Bung said:

You maybe nearer a dealer that says "Honda" on the outside but they are scooter dealers and won't be able to help with an AT problem. You'd need to either wait for parts to be delivered or just get your bike trucked home.

My point was that with more dealers, your chances of being next to one are higher. As jackdd wrote, there are twice as many Bigwings than Triumph dealers so your chance of having one not far away are twice as high. Nobody is talking about the small Honda scooter shops. Parts availability is also a good point and actually favors Bigwing again because in my experience they stock a lot of parts and the ones they don't take about 3 days to max 1 week to arrive from Bangkok. Contrast that to some other brands where one can wait literally months for a part from Europe. Note: the last point was not regarding Triumph, I've had no experience with them. But I do have a lot of experience with Bigwing as I own 2 big bikes from them for about 4+ years and done about 70k km on them, touring all over Thailand. And I have been in the situation where I needed their roadside assistance (flat tire) or looking for a dealer nearby while on the trip (service and few small pieces). It's a reassuring feeling that I know I can reach a dealer and rely on them if you want to do bigger trips with your bike.

 

Dealer network is just one out of a bunch of factors though. It's certainly not the be-all-end-all argument. The biggest factor will always be if one likes a certain bike and thinks it'll do what one wants to do with it.

[Bung]

I don't worry about having a dealer nearby because if you're out in the mountains none are nearby. 

 

I put more emphasis on having a reliable bike to begin with, do my own maintenance (so you know everything has been checked over and when a wear part is due for replacement), install some crash bar protection, carry a tyre repair kit and ride sensibly. 

[BBJ]

I have the Africa Twin and most of my riding is off road.  If you're an occasional off-roader, the bike is fine.  The 21" wheel won't matter one bit on these pothole-riddled roads, in fact, you'll benefit from it.

 

Unfortunately, I don't get a chance to ride mine much with only 8,000km in 2 years, most off-road though.  I've had it down dirt tracks at 130kph plus, off-road areas that generally smaller off-road bikes go and it does a great job.  Slow, tricky sections too.

 

I wasn't too happy with my dealer in the early stages, and I would recommend alternative dealers if you buy this bike.  PM if you want to know.

Edited July 20, 2018 by BBJ

[Hummin]

So, if you do not ride any dirt roads almost at all, what bike would you recomend? I a typical recrational driver on roads, but want to make more trips outside the common roads in north and south.

 

Would I need an AF for that kind of driving at all? 

[Ks45672]

19 minutes ago, Hummin said:

So, if you do not ride any dirt roads almost at all, what bike would you recomend? I a typical recrational driver on roads, but want to make more trips outside the common roads in north and south.

 

Would I need an AF for that kind of driving at all? 

Get a Honda wave..... 

[jackdd]

15 minutes ago, Hummin said:

So, if you do not ride any dirt roads almost at all, what bike would you recomend? I a typical recrational driver on roads, but want to make more trips outside the common roads in north and south.

 

Would I need an AF for that kind of driving at all? 

If you just stay on roads obviously every bike will do it, it mainly depends on what you like. If you want comfort then an "adventure bike" is of course a good choice, there are also adventure bikes which are clearly made for the road, to name a few at which you can look, probably there are more: Kawasaki Versys, Suzuki VStrom, Ducati Multistrada, Yamaha Super Tenere, Honda NC750X, Honda VFR1200X

[South]

OP, I had a test 'sit' on an AT at Bigwing Rama 3. For me at just under 190cm I found it very tall and what put me off it was the seat. I found it very narrow and presumably quite uncomfortable on a long ride. They didn't have anything else I fancied so I called in at the Ducati dealers just down the road and ended up getting a 950 Multistrada. I looked at the 1200 (now 1260) too but on viewing/reading some comparisons between the two I opted for the 950. So far, I am very pleased with it which, to be honest surprised me as I have been a loyal Honda man pretty much all my riding years. The Ducati is a little more expensive, doesn't have a big dealership here but it could be a bike worth checking out. Tomorrow I have a long ride, 1400km but will split that over 2 possibly 3 days depending on the weather. Safe riding.

[eisfeld]

The seat on the AT is narrow at the front on purpose because it allows you to easily stand up and control the bike with your legs during offroad sections. On the road, make sure you sit all the way to the back near the pillion seat. I do wish it was a tad bit wider there though, but it has worked OK for me on a full days worth of riding from Hua Hin to Phuket.

[South]

Did that little journey in two days, 12 hours riding in total .... not hanging about. Can confirm ... Multistradas have an uncomfortable seat after 1000km's. Have been walking around like John Wayne since ?

 

Oh, to Eisfeld, yes, I know. Been riding bikes since the 70's.

[papa al]

On 7/20/2018 at 1:03 AM, BBJ said:

  The 21" wheel won't matter one bit on these pothole-riddled roads, in fact, you'll benefit from it.

 

So:

1. won't matter one bit,

or

2. will benefit.

Which?

 

papa finds 21" rolls thru pot-holes much better than 17".

Edited July 23, 2018 by papa al

[Hummin]

On 7/20/2018 at 4:04 PM, Ks45672 said:

Get a Honda wave..... 

Not even my mother in law riding a Honda wave!

[eisfeld]

11 hours ago, papa al said:

 

papa finds 21" rolls thru pot-holes much better than 17".

As someone who is used to a 21" front: what potholes? ?