THE Honda Africa Twin is 18 years old this year. It may be old enough to buy a pint but is it man enough to go head-to-head with the mighty BMW GS?
We rode the Tricolour dual clutch (DCT) variant, which means no clutch lever and no gear lever. You jump on, push a button and within seconds you are riding.
The 1,000cc parallel twin fuels beautifully, with power and torque in abundance.
The DCT gearbox is a gem and while traditional bikers might turn up their nose, once you have tried it, we guarantee you will see the benefits, as well as the quality.
We aren’t the only ones who think so. Honda has sold nearly 3,000 Africa Twins since their relaunch in 2016 and the percentage of those models with DCT over traditional transmission is growing.
Mechanicals aside, the Africa Twin has real presence on the road.
It is tall with broad shoulders – and in this white, red and blue paint, it seeks attention rather than shying away from it. We love how it looks, proud and rightly so.
The gold-spoked wheels complete the look, though we would prefer it if the tyres held their own air rather than needing tubes like an old Raleigh Mag Burner.
For comfort and practicality, the Africa Twin scores 12 out of ten.
Plush suspension makes easy work of motorways and dual carriageways and it is capable enough to entertain in the twisty sections.
That 21in front wheel feels a bit wayward in slow corners but trust it not to do anything you don’t want and you will find the Africa Twin is a willing riding partner.
Being a Honda, you can expect great build quality everywhere, rather than just the touch points.
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Switchgear is easy to use and makes sense – just the right amount of tech, without needing hundreds of buttons to control it.
And the one thing the Africa Twin does better than any other bike in the adventure sector is to offer a viable alternative to the mighty German Boxer.
The base model is cheaper by £1,000 and used examples have now dipped below ten grand. If you have done your best to avoid the adventure bike market, now is the time to have a look. The Africa Twin offers one of the best seats in the house.