never saw something like that , not aware of other failures like yours.
CRF1100 weakness: Fairing Support Brackets
Had been seeing too much movement of the instrument cluster the past couple of rides.
Finally got around to examining it closely...
The factory brackets welded to the steering head are a weak duty POS design.
I only have about 9000 miles on the bike, with the vast majority of them on the highway.
Yeah, I have taken it on some pretty rough dirt roads at speed, but one would sort of expect a bike with the reputation of being an "Africa Twin" to hold up to that.
Guess I get to strip it down, reweld it, then come up with a brace/gusset that will prevent a recurrence.
Anyone else experience this?
(Yeah, the rig has a sidecar and leading link front suspension. That should not have changed the design parameters around the pathetically weak fairing support brackets.) No additional weight on faring/instrument cluster whatsoever. No additional lights, GPS, or any other accessory.
Bike had never beenn dropped or crashed.
View attachment 79373
![Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive fuel system Fluid Auto part]()
![Automotive tire Sculpture Statue Art Artifact]()
So this whole mess weighs 28 lbs with the windshield attached on the adventure sport. It hangs cantilevered off of these four tabs that are only 2mm thick.
![Wheel Automotive tire Vehicle Tire Combat vehicle]()
Honda screwed the pooch on that design.
![Tire Automotive tire Tread Gesture Wood]()
![Automotive tire Sculpture Statue Art Artifact]()
Stripped for welding...
![Automotive tire Motor vehicle Bicycle tire Personal protective equipment Bag]()
I'm sorry, but this is a total piece of shite design, to lever 28 lbs of crap against two 2mm pieces of sheet metal with over a foot moment arm.
Someone in Honda's design studio should commit sepuku over saving a couple of yen vs. doing it right.
![Automotive tire Finger Bicycle chain Tread Rim]()
![Automotive tire Gas Auto part Cylinder Metal]()
Finally got around to examining it closely...
The factory brackets welded to the steering head are a weak duty POS design.
I only have about 9000 miles on the bike, with the vast majority of them on the highway.
Yeah, I have taken it on some pretty rough dirt roads at speed, but one would sort of expect a bike with the reputation of being an "Africa Twin" to hold up to that.
Guess I get to strip it down, reweld it, then come up with a brace/gusset that will prevent a recurrence.
Anyone else experience this?
(Yeah, the rig has a sidecar and leading link front suspension. That should not have changed the design parameters around the pathetically weak fairing support brackets.) No additional weight on faring/instrument cluster whatsoever. No additional lights, GPS, or any other accessory.
Bike had never beenn dropped or crashed.
View attachment 79373
So this whole mess weighs 28 lbs with the windshield attached on the adventure sport. It hangs cantilevered off of these four tabs that are only 2mm thick.
Honda screwed the pooch on that design.
Stripped for welding...
I'm sorry, but this is a total piece of shite design, to lever 28 lbs of crap against two 2mm pieces of sheet metal with over a foot moment arm.
Someone in Honda's design studio should commit sepuku over saving a couple of yen vs. doing it right.
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That's very disappointing from Honda, they have to stop that "where else can we shave off some weight?" game.
I even hesitate to ride standing up, thinking of those skinny footpeg brackets, and tremendous forces created when bouncing off road
. And they do snap occasionally.
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That whole instrument cluster + windscreen bracket should have been supported to bike frame with additional brackets/bars at the highest points since Windscreen generates some decent forces.
![Bicycle part Automotive design Rim Automotive exterior Auto part]()
That OE bracket is also very flimsy and full of weak points, that fail over time, due to windscreen forces
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![Bicycle Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Wheel Bicycle tire Bicycle frame]()
And then you have the aftermarket offerings, like this Camel brace/GPS mounting bracket... that ADDS additional weight to that whole front assembly
camel-adv.com
I even hesitate to ride standing up, thinking of those skinny footpeg brackets, and tremendous forces created when bouncing off road
. And they do snap occasionally.
That whole instrument cluster + windscreen bracket should have been supported to bike frame with additional brackets/bars at the highest points since Windscreen generates some decent forces.
That OE bracket is also very flimsy and full of weak points, that fail over time, due to windscreen forces
And then you have the aftermarket offerings, like this Camel brace/GPS mounting bracket... that ADDS additional weight to that whole front assembly
Honda Africa Twin Windscreen Brace
Honda Africa Twin Windscreen Brace 2016 - 2019 Honda Africa Twin (Standard and Adventure Sport models).*Not compatible with the 2020-up CRF1100L* The Problem: Customers demand lighter weight bikes, especially in the ADV bike segment; manufacturers do their best to deliver. To keep the weight...
camel-adv.com
@Beowulf , did you have a navi or something attached to the upper bar above the instrument cluster?
Like this?
![Sports equipment Gadget Display device Electronic device Plant]()
I was noticing that even on the highway, there would be speeds at which the harmonic resonance would wobble the navi bad enough to make it unreadable without concentration!
When I looked into this online, I found some stories like yours. Sorry I cannot easily find links to them for the forum at the mo.
This problem is common enough for Camel ADV to make a Honda Africa Twin Windscreen Brace.
![Land vehicle Fuel tank Motorcycle Vehicle Automotive lighting]()
I got one and fitted it. Now its rock solid.
Seems that the design of this whole front end is perhaps too reliant on that single mount from the head tube.
Like this?
I was noticing that even on the highway, there would be speeds at which the harmonic resonance would wobble the navi bad enough to make it unreadable without concentration!
When I looked into this online, I found some stories like yours. Sorry I cannot easily find links to them for the forum at the mo.
This problem is common enough for Camel ADV to make a Honda Africa Twin Windscreen Brace.
I got one and fitted it. Now its rock solid.
Seems that the design of this whole front end is perhaps too reliant on that single mount from the head tube.
If you are referring to this?
Yes it was just an example (drz400) here's one of AT failures
Broke a foot peg mounting
Has anyone else had this problem broke my right side foot peg mount I lost momentum after clipping a rock on a loose gravel road on a steep up hill and had to lay it down Picked it up got back on and realized my foot peg was gone No replacement parts in in Canada they are on back order ...
www.africatwinforum.com
I took a closer look at the dash brace and where it all connects...
Red shaded is the add on dash brace, and below is where the whole dash assembly is attached to the headtube.
So still hanging out there, but the vibrations are under control.
If you are referring to this?
View attachment 79507
Yes it was just an example (drz400) here's one of AT failures
View attachment 79506
Yeah happened to me in Albania on tour...
broke it first when on a silly drop on a hill in a town. Was in the wrong gear and stalled it
![Wheel Tire Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive lighting]()
![Crankset Automotive tire Bicycle chain Wheel Bicycle tire]()
The people were amazing. A guy helped me pick my bike up in the traffic and then directed me to a shop that may help. They couldn't but then sent me further down the road to a guy working on a truck. He looked at it for a second and then whipped out this welder and within 30 min he'd welded it back on!
I stood and even jumped on it and it held!
Later in the day I was off road again and had a fall at speed! Only about 30kmh but a nasty one that had me slide on that side of the bike about 3m before my beast came to rest just short of a deep washout.
The repair was good from top down, but this fall snagged the footpeg from underneath and tore it off again.
I had to do a bush repair to get going again off road...
![Plant Automotive tire Wood Twig Motor vehicle]()
I knew this was not going to take me the 3000km I still had to get home so I found a metal working in a small town the next morning and got this done to get me home...
![Automotive tire Motor vehicle Wood Bicycle chain Bicycle part]()
I would not be too critical of Honda for this cast aluminium part. It held up to a ton of abuse over the years. Cannot count how many times I have dropped the bike on it.
Just for ref: the right side mounting location is cast steel not aluminium. I guess had to be for the side stand mount.
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