Honda Africa Twin 2024 Review

Progress knows no bounds in the ever-evolving adventure motorcycle landscape.

Electronic suspension, smarter electronics and fang-dangled screens have become commonplace in a segment which, only 10 years ago, was relatively limited for choice.

And now it’s Honda’s turn to show us the progress of its most popular adventure bike.

The Honda Africa Twin has come in for a mid-life facelift for 2024, bringing an increase in torque, the option of electronic suspension across more models, an updated front cowl and windscreen, and the introduction of tubeless tyres.

As before, there are three CRF1100L Africa Twin models that will all go on sale in Australia in the second half of 2024: the base Africa Twin, the mid-spec Africa Twin ES (Electronic Suspension) and the flagship Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES, which has been made more road-centric than before.

To test its wares, we’re throwing the mid-level Africa Twin ES into some of the best country that Australia has to offer.

bikesales recently joined Daryl Beattie – a 500cc Grand Prix winner and owner of Daryl Beattie Adventure Tours in Australia – on a 3500km cross country adventure from Carnarvon in Western Australia to Alice Springs in the Red Centre.

 The result of Honda’s mid-life update really spoke for itself.

How much does the 2024 Honda Africa Twin cost?

We wish we could tell you.

Honda Australia isn’t revealing pricing details for the 2024 Africa Twin just yet, and declined to give us a ballpark clue.

But given the updates, and prices continually creeping up across the adventure segment, we’d speculate the entry price will climb incrementally over the outgoing model’s $22,999 (plus on-road costs) starting price – probably to something closer resembling $24,000 plus on-road costs for the entry Africa Twin.

From there, you could safely expect the middling Africa Twin ES variant we focussed on to start at about $27,000 before on-road costs (up from the outgoing price of $26,199 plus ORCs).

At the top of the tree is the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES, which we expect to be priced from about $32,000 plus on-road costs for 2024.

DCT automatic versions of the Africa Twin will add a premium on top of those prices, too.

Of course, these prices are hearsay for now, so stay tuned for Honda’s full pricing announcement closer to the 2024 Africa Twin’s release in the second half of 2024.

What powers the 2024 Honda Africa Twin?

The 2024 Honda Africa Twin once again utilises a 1098cc parallel-twin four-cylinder engine, but boasts some running improvements along the way.

In fact, the lion’s share of changes of have taken place around the engine. Upping the compression ratio form 10.1:1 to 10.5:1, along with tweaked valve timing, intake ports and computer settings have resulted in a 7 per cent torque boost to 112Nm, now arriving 750rpm lower in the rev range at 5,500rpm. Peak power stays at 75kW.

You can have your choice of a six-speed manual transmission, or an optional DCT automatic.

Additionally, our test bike is fitted with a magnificent-sounding SC Project exhaust system, which would undoubtedly add more horsepower, as well as a $300 Honda Genuine quickshifter – which as we’ll discover, is money really well spent.

One annoyance with Honda’s configuration of the Africa Twin line-up is that you can only get the larger 24.8-litre fuel tank on the more road-centric Adventure Sports model. The two lower-spec versions make do with an 18.8-litre capacity, which is good for about 340km on test.

What equipment does the 2024 Honda Africa Twin have?

In addition to those engine improvements, both the base Africa Twin and the Africa Twin ES offer greater wind protection courtesy of a new windshield and front cowl design, subtle changes to the intake and exhaust system, plus tubeless tyres for 2024.

The front screen itself offers five levels of manual adjustment; simply unclip both sides of the screen and slide it up or down.

Those features come over and above cruise control, a swish 6.5-inch TFT screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity, six rider modes (including two user-selectable options), seven-level traction control, three-level wheelie control, cruise control, cornering ABS (with an off-road setting) and LED daytime running lights.

The touch-screen automatically dims depending on external light and can be navigated with gloves on. With that said, the screen menus are dense and not that intuitive to navigate, while the switch block is festooned in 15 different buttons that are not backlit, which makes operation on the road and at night near-on impossible.

Both models offer a 12-volt charging outlet and a USB-A port up front, while the Africa Twin ES also brings heated grips as standard.

Fully adjustable Showa upside-down forks ride up front, offering 230mm of travel, while a 46mm Showa adjustable monoshock resides at the rear fit with prolink and 220mm of travel. Ground clearance is rated at 250mm, while the seat height can be configured to either 850mm or 870mm.

The Electric Suspension system fitted standard the mid-spec Africa Twin optimises the damping force depending on stroke speed and conditions, effectively aiming for comfort at low speed and stability at high speed.

The ES can be configured across four different setting, while pre-load can be electrically adjusted to riding solo, riding solo with luggage, riding with a pillion or riding with a pillion and luggage.

Elsewhere, Honda has reserved many of the 2024 changes for the flagship Adventure Sports ES model, which now gains a small 19-inch front wheel, reduced suspension travel and a lower seat height and ground clearance, plus a redesigned seat plus its larger 24.5-litre fuel tank – all aimed at making it easier to manage on longer journeys. We will revisit the flagship model down the track to see how those changes feel.

The Africa Twin is backed by a two-year warranty. See the Honda website for full servicing details.

The base Africa and mid-spec Africa Twin ES can be had in three colourways: Grand Prix Red, Pearl Glare White (Tricolour) and Mat Ballistic Black Metallic.

What’s the 2024 Honda Africa Twin like to ride?

Put simply, the Honda Africa Twin is right at home in the Australian desert.

Our circa 3500km, nine-day cross-country trip from Carnarvon to Alice Springs reinforces the all-rounder appeal of Honda’s big-bore adventurer, whether it’s the level of composure and protection on the open black-top, its poise and control over high-speed dirt washouts and corrugations, or simply, the level of inherent comfort.

Reacquainting ourselves with the Africa Twin – having not ridden one since the CRF1100L version first materialised four years ago is a cinch.

The rider triangle is conducive to standing up or sitting down for your 175cm-tall  correspondent, there’s minimal buffeting on the open road courtesy of the cowl redesign and everything is within easy reach, with swept-back ‘bars and the typical adventure bike layout that tends to wrap around you.

Having the five-setting windscreen is a major boon for open road touring. The coverage is much greater than the predecessor, which means less fatigue and far greater comfort.

We reckon Honda has missed a golden opportunity not to update the Africa’s touch-screen layout and the switchblock which operates it. It’s dense, fiddly and confusing, even after nine days on board…

But that aside, the Africa Twin is a machine that promotes confidence, and certainly isn’t shy on grunt.

Initially, you’d be forgiven for feeling a little intimidated by its sheer size and weight (approaching 240kg in this spec), upon hitting the dirt. It is a big machine and on loose surfaces it pays to forward plan your way through faster, tightening radius corners…

Similarly, thick sand and the heavily mixed terrain of the Australian outback is nothing to be overlooked on a bike with such a significant reciprocating engine mass.

It means the Africa Twin is best served by open roads. It will happily navigate tighter tracks, but will often require some coercion and aggressiveness from its pilot.

But more seat time quickly instils trust in the chassis and front end, while the diligent traction control system can have you wagging the Africa Twin’s tail quite readily when set to its weakest parameter. Or, if you really want to discover the bikes potential, you can switch it off.

Either way, the changes to the Africa Twin’s engine for 2024 have conspired to bring more torque and more immediacy across the rev spectrum. With torque peaking lower in the rev count, the 1084cc engine simply percolates faster to get you out of thick sand, perform an overtaking manoeuvre or simply blast between corners.

The expediency of the engine is no doubt complemented by the optional $300 quickshifter fitted to our test bike. The existing shift is smooth and well-oiled, and the ability to perform clutch-less changes up or down simply exploits that character trait, and plays on the Africa’s thoughtfully-spaced gearbox ratios.

Meanwhile, the aural combination of the quick-shifter and SC Project exhaust is simply addictive. You never tire of the ignition cuts on upchanges, and the smooth bass-laden acoustics across nine days of riding. With the Africa Twin’s 270-degree crank angle taken into play, this is a sweet-sounding adventure bike.

On-road, there’s no doubt the electronic suspension elicits more control and a greater performance bandwidth for the Africa Twin compared with the ordinary passive suspension. The level of road holding and agility is quite impressive for a machine with a 21-inch front wheel, and even when ridden aggressively, the chassis of the big 240kg machine feels taut and engaging.

Meanwhile, off-road the electric suspension brings excellent levels of stability and poise through corrugations, large washouts and occasionally, jumps. The suspension manages to impart important feedback through the top of the stroke, with some of the expected pitter-patter, yet feels controlled and holds up nicely and consistently with its bottoming resistance.

Furthermore, we found the different suspension modes quite handy in tailoring the Africa Twin to its surrounding environment. You can firm or soften the front and rear depending on the conditions, and feel a tangible difference each time.

The forks hold up nicely when taking full advantage of the Africa’s dual 310mm front brakes, and even at high speed, the bike feels tied down and perfectly poised with everything happening underneath it.

Only on the harshest of obstacles will the suspension give way to thudding or crashing, but even when it does, the Africa is relatively quick to recover and does so quite gracefully.

As ever, the big redeeming feature of the Africa Twin is the way it’s put together, too. Across 3500km, there are no squeaks or rattles, no unsightly panels and no vibrations. Not even a flat!

Instead, we emerge from each day feeling relatively fresh and energised, ready for whatever the desert has to throw at us.

Should I buy a Honda Africa Twin?

It totally depends on what your adventure plans look like.

To us, the Africa Twin still serves as one of the ultimate all-rounder machines. It’s not as road-centric as some adventurers on the blacktop, just as it isn’t as well versed as others in the rougher off-road conditions.

However, the Honda endured everything we threw at it recently to emerge completely unscathed from a big outback adventure.

It means that even with some of its specification oversights, and the carryover infotainment screen and switchblock, the Honda presents as a more compelling adventure bike than ever before.

The ball is now in Honda’s court to hopefully price it accordingly.

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Type: Liquid-cooled Unicam four-stroke 22.5º parallel-twin
Capacity: 1084 cc
Bore x stroke: 92mm x 81.5mm
Compression: 10.5:1
Fuel system: PGM-FI electronic fuel injection w/ 46 mm throttle bodies (Throttle By Wire)

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 75kW at 7,500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 112Nm at 5500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Gearbox: 6 Speed manual (or optional 6 speed DCT)
Clutch: Wet, multiplate with coil springs, Aluminium Cam Assist and Slipper clutch
Final Drive: O-ring sealed chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Semi double cradle
Front Suspension: SHOWA Telescopic inverted fork with an inner tube diameter of 45mm, and an electronic control unit (SHOWA EERATM) with compression and rebound damping adjustments, 230mm stroke
Rear Suspension: Monoblock aluminium swing arm with Pro-Link with Showa gas-charged damper, hydraulic dial-style preload adjuster and rebound damping adjustments, 220 mm rear wheel travel
Front Brakes: Four-piston hydraulic calipers w/ 310mm disks; ABS
Rear Brakes: One-piston hydraulic caliper w/ 256mm disk; ABS
Instrument Display: 6.5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Front Tyre: 90/90-21 – Michelin Anakee fitted on test
Rear Tyre: 150/70R-18 – Michelin Anakee fitted on test

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS
Ground clearance: 250mm
Height: 1395mm
Seat Height: 850-870mm
Wheelbase: 1575mm
Rake: 27 º
Trail: 113mm
Fuel capacity: 18.8 litres
Claimed wet weight: 240kg

OTHER STUFF
Price: $27,000 plus on-road costs (estimated)
Colours: Grand Prix Red, Pearl Glare White (Tricolour) and Mat Ballistic Black Metallic.
Test bike supplied by: Honda Australia
Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres