The ADV Motorcycle That Excels Everywhere
We have a variety of do-it-all motorcycles across the various segments today. But not every offering excels at doing it all. In general, adventure bikes are the best here, as they minimize compromises. Flagship ADVs take things up a notch by offering top-tier performance, ride-enhancing electronics, and unique underpinnings, including electronic suspension, to make the most of their adaptive layout. The BMW R 1300 GS is a solid option, and so is the Ducati Multistrada V4. However, Honda’s flagship ADV edges out these popular Europeans, thanks to standout features like a standard automatic transmission, while undercutting even the base trim levels of its immediate rivals.
Honda Excels At Building Do-It-All Motorcycles
The fame of a do-it-all motorcycle lies in its uncompromised versatility. These bikes are designed to seamlessly transition between touring, corner carving, commuting, and even trail riding. Based on the segments, certain do-it-all motorcycles also add frugality and utility to comfort and ergonomics. Surprisingly, every motorcycle segment has a few do-it-all offerings, and most of these come from Honda.
This even includes sport bikes, where the Honda CBR650R E-Clutch stands out with its relaxed ergonomics and the convenience of clutchless shifting. Among naked bikes, the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP and CB750 Hornet do commendable jobs at touching most bases. It is yet another Honda, the Rebel 1100 DCT, that shows us how versatile a cruiser bike can be.
Honda ADVs Elevate The Do-It-All Appeal
Generally, ADVs are best suited to a “do-it-all” tag because they blend on-road comfort with off-road capabilities. The rugged styling is purposeful for both dirt and tarmac. Touring, commuting, off-roading, and even moderate corner carving skills are all up the sleeve, too. Top-tier ADVs do this the best, offering the best of performance, technology, hardware, and comfort. While almost all major manufacturers have a bit of this premium segment, Honda stands out with the Africa Twin, which does it all without compromise, especially the loaded Adventure Sports ES model.
The 2026 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES Excels Everywhere
Price: $17,799
The standard Honda Africa Twin is already a well-rounded adventure bike that can do it all. The higher-spec Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES takes it up a notch by packing a bigger fuel tank, offering standard electronic suspension, smaller road-biased wheels, a larger windscreen, and reduced suspension travel to improve tarmac comfort. At the same time, the off-roading capabilities are still strong here.
The standard Africa Twin and the Adventure Sports ES models are related in the same way as the BMW R 1300 GS and the R 1300 GSA. But Honda does a better job of keeping the do-it-all balance intact despite the added features and heft on the Adventure Sports ES model. This balance is what helps the most tech-savvy Honda Africa Twin model excel everywhere.
A Torque-Rich Engine Makes It A Versatile Go-Anywhere Motorcycle
Powering the top-spec Africa Twin model is a familiar 1,084 cc parallel-twin engine. This engine’s versatility has been proven with its application on the Rebel 1100 cruiser bike and the NT1100 sport-tourer. On the Adventure Sports ES model, this engine has been tuned for meaty low- and mid-range torque.
This character helps the Africa Twin be peppy on urban roads, sit comfortably at midrange RPMs on highways, and deliver that extra punch to tackle challenging trails. It has a low compression ratio of 10.5:1, helping produce 100.5 horsepower at 7,500 RPM and 82 pound-feet of torque at 5,500 RPM.
Its Automatic Transmission Greatly Helps With Urban Rides
Shelling out an additional $800 can truly elevate the riding experience, thanks to the inclusion of an automatic Dual Clutch Transmission. Honda is one of the first manufacturers to mass-deploy DCT gearboxes on motorcycles. The origin can be traced back to the 2010 VFR1200F sport-tourer.
Over the years, the technology has been refined, and today it is versatile enough to be adapted for use on an ADV, a sport-tourer, and a luxury tourer. In fact, Honda recently updated its six-speed DCT on the Africa Twin to deliver a smoother and more natural riding feel at lower speeds. There are two settings here—Automatic and Manual. The automatic setting has two modes (Drive and Sport), and the manual setting offers more engagement via handlebar-mounted paddle shifters.
An example of how Honda has tweaked its DCT gearbox to work well on an ADV is the “G” (Gravel) mode. This helps reduce clutch slip and provides a more direct connection between the throttle and the rear wheel. In simpler words, it offers better traction, improved cornering, and the ability to be hooliganistic and slide over gravel or dirt without the sophisticated gearbox intervening.
A Massive Fuel Tank To Help It Go The Distance
One of the major differences between the standard Africa Twin and the Adventure Sports ES is a notably larger 6.6-gallon fuel tank. That’s 1.6 gallons more than the base model. Couple this with its claimed fuel economy rating of 48 MPG, and the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES translates to being an easy 300-plus-mile touring-capable ADV. Add in the optional side cases, top box, and other touring-focused features, and this top-spec Africa Twin easily replaces a full-fledged touring bike.
Adaptive Underpinnings Make This Honda Excel On All Surfaces
The Adventure Sports ES model shares the semi-double cradle frame with all other Africa Twin models. The sub-frame is also shared and is a steel unit designed for added strength to handle the load of an adult pillion and loaded luggage boxes. Differentiating it from its stablemates is a standard electronic suspension system with automatic damping and preload adjustability. It gets 45 mm Showa inverted front forks with 8.3 inches of travel, whereas the rear gets a Showa monoshock with 7.9 inches of travel.
The Showa EERA (Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment) technology is designed to adapt to different situations with multiple settings (Hard, Medium, Soft, Off-Road, and user-defined). Setting it to Automatic mode adjusts the spring rates in real time, helping this go-anywhere ADV excel at the handling game. Braking duties are taken care of by 310 mm dual discs coupled to Nissin four-piston calipers up front. The rear gets a 256 mm disc coupled to a single-piston caliper. Grip is provided by 19-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels wrapped in dual-purpose tires. This helps it strike a solid balance between on-road and off-road capabilities.
Complemented Further With Electronics That Touch All Bases
Honda has loaded the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES with top-tier electronics. Its cockpit features two displays—a modern 6.5-inch TFT touchscreen at the top and a slim LCD just below it. The former offers Bluetooth connectivity and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The smaller old-school display shows all the ride-related information, such as speed, range, and fuel level. Enhancing the riding experience on all surfaces are features like six ride modes (Tour, Urban, Gravel, Off-Road, and two user modes) and cruise control. Adding to its safety and assistance are features like seven levels of traction control, three levels of engine brake control, cornering ABS, and even three levels of wheelie control.
The Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES Slots In The Over-1000cc ADV Segment Well
Honda offers a calculated combination of a versatile parallel-twin engine, adaptive underpinnings with electronically adjustable suspension, and a tall, slim form factor with ample wind protection in the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES. Its rivals like the BMW R 1300 GSA, the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R, and the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally are solid. But they struggle to offer a balanced package like this Honda. To top it off, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES edges out its rivals by being aggressively priced at under $18,000. Even the base models of its rivals are more expensive.
Source: Honda Powersports
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