The Africa Twin is Back: CRF1000L Africa Twin Confirmed for 2015

[Deleted member 1183]

Scooter chassis?

As the frame is shared with the Integra and that is a scooter, then I suppose it can be labelled as such. However the majority of standard motorcycle chassis do not have dipped top rails. They are a clear nod to scooterism. This is not a negative aimed at the NC. Quite the contrary. Whenever the NC gives a good account of itself in the company of more powerful motorcycles, I love telling their owners that it is a dressed up scooter. That does not go down too well.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Honda will offere lower seat, standard seat and high seat for AT. Lower is 830 (If I remember correctly, might have been 820), standard will be 850-870 and high 900mm.
Also, Hebco&Becker will offer their luggage with Honda logo and it can be bough from dealers, not H&B.
And I freakin love this bike, I got a chance to sit on it before it was even showed to public

From what I have read, the Africa Twin comes with 34 inch standard seat, 33.5 lower seat position. One article in Cycle World say Honda will offer a rear suspension lowering kit that lowered the seat height to 32.5. Lowering kits do change how the bike will ride and handle.

 

[dduelin]

View attachment 27629

As the frame is shared with the Integra and that is a scooter, then I suppose it can be labelled as such. However the majority of standard motorcycle chassis do not have dipped top rails. They are a clear nod to scooterism. This is not a negative aimed at the NC. Quite the contrary. Whenever the NC gives a good account of itself in the company of more powerful motorcycles, I love telling their owners that it is a dressed up scooter. That does not go down too well.

Though the definitions are blurry, scooters generally have their engines mounted to the swingarm not to the frame, have small diameter wheels, and a step-through frame with an open space or platform for the operator's feet. If operated in a jurisdiction that requires licensing for machine and/or operator there are clear distinctions between motorcycles and scooters using the above and other descriptions. If you are going to use the word scooter as a noun you might as well know what it means.

Ironically, the Integra lacks three of the things that make a scooter a scooter and often scooters have large underseat storage area and do not have chain drives, the former being handy for urban transportation and the latter reducing regular maintenance. The Integra loses the frunk and retains chain drive. Lose lose for a scooter.

BTW, there are lots of motorcycles with low (dipped) frame rails. No one would typically think of them as scooters.......rather think Sammy Miller and trials motorcycles.

https://www.google.com/search?q=images+of+trials+motorcycle&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

 

[Old Can Ride]

Every state has different rules as to how a registration type of vehicle will be applied to a title. In Texas for 2 wheels under 50cc is a "moped", and 2 wheels over 50cc is a motorcycle................. So, many units I personally consider scooters are motorcycles on the title in Texas. Also, 3 wheelers are "moped" or "motorcycle" by cc on the title, but what is a Piaggio MP3 in Texas? I don't know!

 

[Deleted member 1183]

Though the definitions are blurry, scooters generally have their engines mounted to the swingarm not to the frame.

Ironically, the Integra lacks three of the things that make a scooter a scooter.

BTW, there are lots of motorcycles with low (dipped) frame rails. No one would typically think of them as scooters.......rather think Sammy Miller and trials motorcycles.

My FJS 600 had its engine mounted directly to the frame with the swingarm pivoting in line with the front pulley. That is one of the reasons I chose it. I also looked at the big Burgman and the Tmax for similar reasons.

I am wondering what we should call the Integra, if not a scooter ? I admit the lines are blurry but for now, Honda is calling it a scooter.

I have owned Trials bikes in the early days of my offroading and there is certainly a dip where the seat should be, the purpose being to keep that aspect of the chassis as low as possible to allow the acrobatics that are required to get these amazing motorccles over the obstacles that they can negotiate. However the frame rails run directly from the stem head to the rear of the main frame as per the norm, and do not have a dip or even a curve in them midway, like our beloved NC's.

I suppose we could debate this ad nauseum, and I am not suggesting that our NC's are actual scooters but they certainly share the same chassis as a two wheeler that Honda markets as a scooter. For me, that adds even more to the quirkiness of this motorcycle.

 

[dduelin]

The Africa Twin.

 

[dduelin]

First ride review goes pretty well for the Africa Twin DCT. I related closely to the writer's honesty approaching the DCT and coming to appreciate it. If this bike reviews well as time goes on both in test reviews and in owner real-world comments it I believe it will be the game changer for DCT.

Go here to Lucky Striker's blog HOME and click on the AT review:

LuckyStriker's World: 2015 Honda CRF 1000L Africa Twin impressions

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

The Africa Twin.

Wow! I'm liking the AT more and more. Now lose the tubes and add cruise control and in a few years, I may be able to get one.

 

[nerrrd]

Every state has different rules as to how a registration type of vehicle will be applied to a title. In Texas for 2 wheels under 50cc is a "moped", and 2 wheels over 50cc is a motorcycle................. So, many units I personally consider scooters are motorcycles on the title in Texas. Also, 3 wheelers are "moped" or "motorcycle" by cc on the title, but what is a Piaggio MP3 in Texas? I don't know!

Slightly off-topic, but just to add to the 'motorcycle/scooter' ambiguity, here in New Zealand the national transport agency defines one of these as a 'car' - no motorcycle licence or registration required (which means it costs less than half what any other conventional scooter would cost to register).



Yamaha's trike bike oddity is a car in NZ | Stuff.co.nz

 

[Old Can Ride]

1st showing of Africa Twin 1000 in Poland.

Artur Lewandowski, a Blue Knight friend in Poland, was invited to the first showing of the Africa Twin 1000 at Honda D&D Wrocław this morning. Here is the picture he sent me. Honda Africa Twin 1000 is a month ahead for time in Poland.

 

[iSlander]

1st showing of Africa Twin 1000 in Poland.

Artur Lewandowski, a Blue Knight friend in Poland, was invited to the first showing of the Africa Twin 1000 at Honda D&D Wrocław this morning. Here is the picture he sent me. Honda Africa Twin 1000 is a month ahead for time in Poland.

View attachment 27695

Actually Poland showing was the same time it was here, Polish dealer got hold of the bike and showed it to the people. I got to see the bike couple of weeks ago too, but in Tallinn

 

[miw]

Tallinn? Beautifull place... I've been there....

 

[iSlander]

Tallinn? Beautifull place... I've been there....

Yep, in Tallinn

 

[Old Can Ride]

It appears a few writers just go to ride the Africa Twin and are now giving their thoughts.

First Ride: Honda Africa Twin! | ZA Bikers

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

Very impressive write up. I'm hoping Honda will add cruise control and tubeless tires in the future. I hope they gave it a healthy charging system so I can have my heated gear and enough lighting to see me from the moon.
I'm sure it will take me a few years to recover from the divorce that I'm going through, but it looks like Honda may have hit one out of the park from this write up.

 

[670cc]

I'd wait until a journal like Motorcycle Consumer News (US version) does a test to get some unbiased opinions. I don't depend on any publication that gets advertising dollars.

 

[Old Can Ride]

If anyone is going to purchase this bike, you can not get a confirmed out the door price from any dealership, currently. They all want $500 down, and you will get the first one they receive. I know I would not give any dealership $500 non-refundable down payment without a out the door price.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

If I decide to buy this bike, it will have what I want, or it won't happen. My NC is not going anywhere and has already proven its worth. I have plenty of time to see if the Africa Twin will be a good stable mate to the NC.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Very impressive write up. I'm hoping Honda will add cruise control.

Like you I would have liked to have seen cruise control. I believe everyone is amazed by how nice the DCT is in the dirt. Honda was serious about the dirt with this machine, so tubes that can be driven with lower tire pressures is understandable to me. Yes, you will have to install rim locks to run with low tire pressures..

[video=youtube;Ocg9b2elIMM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocg9b2elIMM[/video]

 

[Deleted member 1183]

This is the second review I have seen to date. It is gushing indeed. The other tester brought along a KTM to compare and I believe he gave a reasonably unbiased opinion. Sadly the norm at such launches is for everyone (almost) to suggest that the relevant bike is the best thing since the sliced pan and then as ownership progresses we find out the issues. I believe this bike could be a good one but I will wait to see some comparison tests first, before making up my mind.