The Adventure Bike That Makes 500-Mile Days Feel Effortless
A decade or two ago, adventure bikes were specialized tools. The dual-sport-derived approach gave them off-road focus first, freeway abilities second. Fast forward to today, these once-specialized machines have gone all-in on versatility. They’re expected to do everything well, including endless highway runs. While all flagship ADVs can do these things well, some candidates simply make life easier during the 500-mile runs. Out of these, one automatic Honda makes a rock-solid case for itself.
What An Adventure Bike Needs To Feel Effortless For 500-Mile Days
The ideal motorcycle for 500-mile days would be a tourer. These are built with freeway stability in mind, feature engines that want to spend hours at 80 miles per hour, and come armed with relaxing technologies all over. So if you want to do this on an adventure bike, there are some things you would need from your machine.
Chief here is the highway bias. This comprises a few things, starting with a set of 19/17-inch wheels. The setup is much better for freeway runs than the off-road-biased 21/17-inch setup, bringing easier steering and cornering abilities. Next, you need ample wind protection, ideally via an adjustable windscreen and sizable bodywork to shield your legs. A big tank is welcome, too, so you need fewer fuel stops.
Then come the underrated bits that matter once the freeway ends and you enter the city for your stay. This is where usable tech comes into play. An electronic suspension with automatic lowering will make handling city streets easy, while an automatic transmission would mean no fatigue for your left hand in traffic. Additionally, bits like a large screen for navigation, overall dependability, and spare availability across the continent matter as well. Taking all these into account, one clear winner comes to mind.
The Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT Is Honda’s Long-Distance ADV Champ
We’re talking about the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT. Its range of abilities is as big as its name, right from city streets and occasional trails to the vastest of freeways in the US. That is down to its blend of a highly tractable powerhouse, a world-renowned automatic transmission, and high-tech underpinnings. The Adventure Sports also brings an extra road-bias over the base Africa Twin, courtesy of its 19-inch front wheel and semi-active suspension.
All of that together creates a package suitable for 500-mile days in the saddle. The overall stature and sturdy underpinnings bring the stability, while the relaxed ergonomics bring brilliant comfort. At the same time, the DCT and electronic suspension ensure unmatched convenience when the freeway ends and the final 50-mile city stretch appears. Finally, Honda’s reliability and dealer network add a layer of peace. There’s no other ADV of this kind on sale today.
There’s Plenty To Like On The Africa Twin Adventure Sports, Including The Price
Even with the premium equipment, Honda has made sure the Adventure Sports is attainable. It bears an MSRP of $18,599, which is quite a bit cheaper than nearly all other over-1000cc adventure bikes. And for the truly premium versions (Multistrada V4 Rally, R 1300 GS Adventure, or Tiger 1200 Rally Pro), the prices can easily go beyond $25,000. That leaves the Africa Twin truly in a league of its own, competing with less-equipped midweights rather than the flagships. Speaking of equipment, here’s everything you get.
Honda’s Renowned 1,084cc Parallel-Twin Engine Sits At The Center
We start with the powerhouse. The Africa Twin has Honda’s 1,084cc parallel-twin engine tuned for torque rather than horsepower via the 270-degree crankshaft and running a low compression ratio. This, along with the new ECU settings, valve timing, intake, and exhaust, helps make the engine more usable than ever before. As for numbers, you get 100.5 hp and 82 lb-ft, concentrated at just 7,500 and 5,500 RPM, respectively. The former is way lower than other over-1000cc ADVs, but the latter is right in the ballpark.
A Dual-Clutch Transmission Brings Convenience
The engine is simple, but the transmission is quite advanced (and the only one of its kind for an ADV under $20,000). There are six gears as you’d expect from a modern machine, but there are two clutches that operate electronically to do the shifting for you. There are two automatic modes—Drive and Sport—while the MT mode lets you take control of the shifting via handlebar triggers.
An interesting inclusion is the ‘G’ switch. Honda claims “reduced clutch slip, allowing the rider to more readily slide the rear tire via throttle input, in order to maneuver the bike.” Finally, although already proven over the years to last forever, the latest updates bring a retune “for smoother, more natural feel at low speeds.”
The Showa Suspension Adjusts Damping For You
While the automatic transmission means no stress of shifting on your 500-mile days, the semi-active suspension means no stress of varying road conditions. As standard, Honda sells the Adventure Sports version here with the Showa EERA (Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment) setup.
This reads the bike speed (from the ECU), the bike’s stance and attitude (from the Inertial Measurement Unit), and the fork behavior (from the stroke sensor) to automatically provide the smoothest ride possible. You can choose between four preset suspension modes (Hard, Medium, Soft, Off-Road) on the fly. Or use the ‘User’ setting to take matters into your own hands.
Lastly, the 45 mm forks and monoshock attach to an abuse-friendly semi-double-cradle chassis. It is carved from steel and joins hands with an aluminum subframe. Honda claims the setup can handle anything you throw at it—riding with luggage, riding two-up, or off-road riding. There’s also a dual-sided swingarm, carved from aluminum.
Large Fuel Tank And Dimensions Result In Over 550 LBs Of Heft
You’ll appreciate all the above tech when you look at the dimensions. This is not a small bike in any way, featuring a near-62-inch wheelbase, a 6.6-gallon tank between your knees, and 559 pounds of heft. The saddle height is high at 33.7 inches, too, but the electronic suspension lets you drop that to under 33 inches. Rounding things off is a set of 19/18-inch spoke wheels, wearing 310 mm dual discs at the front and a 256 mm rear single disc. All have Nissin calipers for company.
Full-Screen Navigation, Rider Aids, And Creature Comforts Come Standard
Last but not least, the Adventure Sports’ feature list proves its flagship nature. A 6.5-inch touchscreen TFT sits front and center, joined by a secondary LCD below. The second screen shows speed and range in a simple layout, while the larger one has Apple CarPlay for full-screen navigation. The latter is also the gateway to the rider aids. This comprises six riding modes (Tour, Urban, Gravel, Off-road, User 1, User 2), seven levels of traction control (independent of the ride modes), three levels of wheelie control, three levels of engine brake control, and switchable cornering ABS. Cruise control, USB charging, and LED lights round things off.
Source: Honda Powersports
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