Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1262717
2020 HONDA CRF1100L AFRICA TWIN & ADVENTURE SPORTS ES R I D E R E V I E W P76 have cruise control, even better. The cruise control is on the right side of the handlebar, which is a bit of an an- noyance, but hey, at least Honda fitted the system in the first place. With the new adoption of myriad electronics in the AT line- up, Honda's done an amical job of trying to make the various sys- tems easy to access and use/ change, but I feel the interface is a little clunky. Honda's rammed so much info into the dash that it's a bit overwhelming to use and I feel they should have hired a good UX designer to make the systems a bit more intuitive. It's not entirely Honda's fault, as there's just so much stuff to fiddle with, especially if you're running the DCT and semi-auto suspension, but the execution simply wasn't there for me. If I were in the market for an Africa Twin, I'd likely go for the base model with a manual gearbox, simply because the suspension on the base model is excellent, it's got a manual preload adjuster for a passenger, and you get cruise control. The Adventure Sports (in DCT option) only makes real sense if you're going mainly touring on road, with the occasional dirt road. However, I feel Honda has almost tried to be too smart for its own good. I loved the almost analog nature of the pre-2020 model for its excellent design ex- ecution and overall simplicity in a market that seems hell bent on throwing every electronic aid/ feature it can at the rider, often unnecessarily. The 2020 edi- tions are great bikes, but I long for the older ones. CN We opted for the excellent Bridgestone AX41 knobby for the base model. S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2020 HONDA CRF1100L AFRICA TWIN/ ADVENTURE SPORTS ES ($14,399/ $15,199 DCT / $17,199/$17,999 DCT) ENGINE: .............. Liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder DISPLACEMENT: ...................................1084cc BORE X STROKE:........................ 92 x 81.5mm COMPRESSION RATIO: .............................10.1:1 ELECTRONICS: .................. 6-axis IMU, Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), Corner- ing ABS, variable riding modes, engine brake control, G-Switch, Showa electronic suspension (EERA, Adventure Sports) TRANSMISSION: ........6-speed manual / DCT semi-automatic CLUTCH: .........Wet multi-disc, manual / DCT semi-automatic CHASSIS: ........................ Aluminum twin-spar FRONT SUSPENSION: .............45mm inverted Showa telescopic fork / 45mm inverted Showa telescopic fork w/EERA REAR SUSPENSION: ....... Pro-Link system w/ single Showa shock / Pro-Link system w/ single Showa shock w/ EERA FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL: .......................... 9.1 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL: ............................9.4 in. FRONT BRAKE: .......... Dual 4-piston hydraulic calipers, 310mm discs; ABS REAR BRAKE: ..........Single 1-piston hydraulic caliper, 256mm disc; ABS FRONT TIRE: ................................90/90-21 in. REAR TIRE: ............................... 150/70R-18 in. RAKE: ............................................................27° TRAIL: ......................................................4.4 in. WHEELBASE: ............................................62 in. SEAT HEIGHT: .....................34.3 in. / 33.7 in. FUEL CAPACITY: .................5.0 gal. / 6.5 gal. WEIGHT (CURB, CLAIMED): ........Base model: 510 lbs. / 524 lbs. with DCT. Adventure Sports: 530 lbs. /553 lbs. with DCT COLOR: ......Matte Black Metallic/Pearl Glare White/Blue