VOLUME 57 ISSUE 25 JUNE 23, 2020 P69
As for the brakes, they are
the same across both models in
the dual front four-piston Nissin
radially mounted calipers biting
310mm discs, and a single-pis-
ton caliper clamping a 256mm
disc at the rear. Cornering ABS
is mandatory, of course, but
comes with an Off-Road mode.
Overall, the base model has
dropped a claimed six pounds
to measure 501 pounds for the
manual and 524 pounds for the
DCT. The Adventure Sports has
lost three pounds to measure
a claimed 530 pounds for the
manual and 553 pounds for the
DCT.
RANGE—ELECTRONICS
Even after the motor and chassis
changes, the biggest change for
the new decade of Africa Twins
comes in the electronics. Part of
the appeal of the old model was
its basic electronic layout—that's
all gone, as Honda goes head-
long against electronic stalwarts
BMW and KTM to see just how
many gadgets they can fit on
their ADV bikes.
As mentioned, the Adventure
Sports gets the Showa elec-
tronic suspension, adjustable
via the new 6.5-inch TFT display
touch screen dash that has three
different display settings. The
suspension allows for 24 differ-
ent possibilities within each of
the four modes, as it will let you
change compression, rebound
and preload within a given mode.
However, both bikes come
with a Bosch six-axis IMU, four
preset riding modes and two
customizable modes that let you
fiddle with engine power output,
traction control level, engine
brake control, G Switch level,
suspension damping (on the
Adventure Sports) and wheelie
control. You also get, for the first
time on any Honda other than a
Gold Wing, cruise control, and
the dash comes with Apple Car
Play, so the dash becomes an
extension of your iPhone.
Thankfully, Honda has not
linked the traction control to the
various ride modes like they did
on the 2017 CBR1000RR, so you
can vary the amount of TC you
want regardless of mode.
FROM THE HOTSEATS
For our test on the base model,
Honda threw us a curve ball and
gave us one with the semi-auto
DCT so we could really test it out
off the beaten path.
