Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin: More Focused Dirt, Adventurous Bike.

Honda is reviving their Africa twin with the new Honda CRF1000L, with an upcoming 1000cc dual-sport motorcycle, manufactured by Honda. Like its celebrated predecessors, the CRF1000L Africa Twin is thoroughly equipped for true adventure, with a potent engine and dynamic chassis ready to cover continents on or off-road. From the start of CRF1000L Africa Twin project there was one motorcycle that consistently impressed with its balance of usability, pose and handling, on road in the dirt, the seminal XRV750 Africa Twin. It proved a worthwhile benchmark, even when set against today's myriad choice of adventure motorcycles. The machine that now bears its name may share no common part with the old model, but it inherits to the full the essence and spirit of what made the XRV750 Africa Twin so good. The Africa twin will feature the option of a new evolution of Honda's Automatic Dual Clutch Transmission(DCT) technology which remains unique to Honda in motorcycling. This latest evolution has been specifically developed and programmed to provided off-road ability.



The CRF1000L Africa’s Twin 1000cc parallel twin power plant draws heavily on Honda's off-road race experience in the form of the CRF250R/450R competition machines and uses the same four valve unicam head design for compact overall dimensions. A lightweight cast camshaft, using the same materials as the CBR1000RR Fireblade, operate the valve train and twin spark plugs , fire the fuel/air mixture in each combustion chamber. Strong and linear power and torque deliver instant response anywhere in the rev-range accompanied by a satisfying, characterful deep growl as rpm rises. A 270 degree phased crankshaft gives the power delivery a distinct character as well delivering excellent feel for rear wheel traction. Biaxial primary balance shafts cancel vibration. The engine's short height contributes to the CRF1000L Africa Twin's excellent ground clearance, another prerequisite for a true adventure machine. It also uses clever packaging of components to both dynamic and aesthetic effect. The water pump is housed within the clutch casing and the water and oil pumps are driven by a shared balance shaft. Further reducing engine size is the lower crankcase design, which stores the oil and houses the pressure fed pump.



The lightweight six-speed manual gearbox uses the same shift-cam design as found on the CRF250R/450R to ensure positive changes and is equipped with an assist slipper clutch. A steel semi double cradle frame provides the perfect balance of high speed stability, also while fully loaded matched to genuine off-road ability, agility and sheer strength. Mass centralization, with items like the battery packages at the rear of the cylinder head, this contributes to a low center of gravity. The long travel Showa inverted forks are fully adjustable and feature dual radial-mount Nissin four-piston brake calipers and 310mm 'wave' style floating discs. The Showa rear shock has hydraulic spring preload adjustment. Like the CRF450R Rally, the CRF1000L Africa Twin uses 21/18 inch front rear spoked wheels. To tailor the overall electronics package to capably tackle any conditions on or off-road, the Honda Selectable Torque Control(HSTC) system offers three levels of control and it is possible for the rider to turn off the ABS for the rear wheel.



The CRF1000L Africa Twin will be available in four color variants; CRF Rally, Tricolor, Silver and Black. There will be several versions of the Africa Twin, the price from which this bike starts is $13,269 onwards. The bike looks attractive and neatly built, now the question that is left is, how the bike performs on mud?