[erey]

A first review.

http://rustsports.s3.amazonaws.com/AfricaTwinSpecial.pdf

very positive IMHO

This new Africa Twin is sporting ... Seriously sporting.
Bottom line - yeah it's a missile.

The parallel twin motor is something of a gem.
Honda have fooled the bike, and us, into thinking we're riding a 90 degres vee-twin, like a Ducati motor or perhaps more intentionally recalling the power charateristics of the 52 degrees vee-twin motor in the old Africa Twin.

The important thing here is the engine has character.

The CRF designation is correct. In spirit yes, but also given the technological links to Honda's off-road competition range, it is part of the 1000L's DNA.

21-18. Those two numbers tell you Honda are serious. The y've proven to be the optimal sizes for off-road competition motorcycling.

The ergos feel spot on; totally natural, whether standing or seated.

The finishes are as you'd expect from Honda.

It is the bike we've been hoping for - probably more. The guys that created this bike knew exactly what they were doing.

**** Honda ... I know which I'd buy.

Un autre avis, celui du patron de Touratech USA. Les 6 raisons:
1. This bike can do it in the dirt
2. Traction control modes can be changed on-the-fly
3. Honda reliability is legendary
4. She's a looker
5. It's little in the middle
6. This motor screams! If you rode it blindfolded you might think it was a KTM.

 

[JustPlainBill0]

"Very positive IMHO"? Something of an understatement erey. The guy is wetting himself with excitement over the AT and over his own riding skills on gravel and trail "well graded pistes". Oh well, moto journalists do tend to exaggeration....

Too bad he didn't put in much about it's behavior on paved roads and at highway speeds. I expect we will get more on that as time goes by, but I recently rode an ATK 605 with similar long travel suspension and 18' & 21" wheels on a paved road (piste?) and was uneasy with it's handling and stability at 65 mph. It's something you can get used to but I might not want to bother, since any off-road benefits to that configuration aren't high on my priorities.

 

[Nessuno]

are they journos? and why did they get exclusive first test?

 

[erey]

Just read the article. They aren't invited to Sud Africa and use the Touratech bike.

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Someone that worked before for Touratech and now try to start a motorbike magazine. I think.

Like other articles, you must separate the good from the excitement.

JustPlainBill0, are you sure the AT is the right bike for you?

 

[x32792]

Advertisement Copy is the repetitious statement of benefits and features.

 

[alba]

I approached that review with skepticism. Who are these guys and why did they get an exclusive review? Did they wh0re themselves out just to be first? However after reading it I thought it was one of the best reviews of any bike I've read (meaning the review, not the bike). I thought they gave their honest opinion of the bike in the short time they had it. I liked that they listed the credentials of the rider, cause I was wondering who they were. I want my reviewers to have extensive experience so they can make critical comparisons to the competition. I liked that they talked about how the DCT felt, that despite is being pretty good it wasn't for them. It will be exactly what some folks want but it's not for this guy.

At the end of the day when was the last time you read a bad review about a brand new bike?
Have you read a bad review about the F800GS? I haven't, but I know owners who complain about the butter soft wheels and crap suspension. Never seen a mag talk about those issues before. This review was much better than I expected but one benefit for us US folks getting it months after everyone else is that there will be real world reviews before we have to put our money down. I was all set for a CCM GP450 until I read owners ride reports.

 

[JustPlainBill0]

Just read the article. They aren't invited to Sud Africa and use the Touratech bike. <SNIP> JustPlainBill0, are you sure the AT is the right bike for you?

It is definitely NOT the bike for me erey. Except for the wire spoke wheels and long travel suspension, I find it to be a full grown NC700. That's a compliment, not a complaint since all the NC700 needs is 40 more horsepower to be perfect for me. But the AT is (over)priced to meet or beat the competition in a hot market segment (unlike the NC700). But I might buy one anyway because it's the nearest thing to the "bike for me" I've found (except for a supercharged NC700 concept bike). I'm watching reviews and rider reports for more data to make an informed decision. A little healthy skepticism is a good thing when you read or watch such reviews.

Further, and this might be why I continue making input here, I believe forums like this serve Honda as unpaid focus groups and that they pay attention to forum participant views and ideas. So, where better to lobby for the NC1000XD than here?

 

[Adventurer]

Further, and this might be why I continue making input here, I believe forums like this serve Honda as unpaid focus groups and that they pay attention to forum participant views and ideas. So, where better to lobby for the NC1000XD than here?

This is true. Chances are they're listening and I surely know General Motors does on forums relating to it's vehicles, they make it very obvious, they're actively posting on some communities

 

[alba]

Some videos on the RustSports site as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLpIT6Z-ACQ

https://youtu.be/9oHMTpB0RNw

 

[FullThrottle]

Was hoping to see them post a video of it in action but this is good too and they mention the traction control.
Here they are embedded for easy clicking.

 

[Adventurer]

Good coverage of the traction control which how they explained it's pros and cons to be in line with what i'll have to put up with, just don't want to get uncomfortably tail happy

 

[Nessuno]

I approached that review with skepticism. Who are these guys and why did they get an exclusive review? Did they wh0re themselves out just to be first? However after reading it I thought it was one of the best reviews of any bike I've read (meaning the review, not the bike). I thought they gave their honest opinion of the bike in the short time they had it. I liked that they listed the credentials of the rider, cause I was wondering who they were. I want my reviewers to have extensive experience so they can make critical comparisons to the competition. I liked that they talked about how the DCT felt, that despite is being pretty good it wasn't for them. It will be exactly what some folks want but it's not for this guy.

At the end of the day when was the last time you read a bad review about a brand new bike?
Have you read a bad review about the F800GS? I haven't, but I know owners who complain about the butter soft wheels and crap suspension. Never seen a mag talk about those issues before. This review was much better than I expected but one benefit for us US folks getting it months after everyone else is that there will be real world reviews before we have to put our money down. I was all set for a CCM GP450 until I read owners ride reports.

I'm starting to think that the real solution to off road shifting is a Rekluse clutch. Especially if the DCT is a bit ho-hum...

 

[alba]

I'm starting to think that the real solution to off road shifting is a Rekluse clutch. Especially if the DCT is a bit ho-hum...

I've been hoping someone would give a comparison between the two. I know about 10 or so GS/KTM types who rave about the Rekluse, so I was hoping DCT was essentially a factory fitted version of the same thing.

 

[Dusty]

What's the difference between the two clutches?

 

[alba]

I just went to the Rekluse page to find out what it is. Seems like that is just an auto-clutch, not an auto transmission, that fits on to your existing clutch mechanism. That would explain how you can add it fairly easily to a whole range of bikes. The advantage is it will prevent stalls at low speeds (like DCT) so you can focus on the terrain and not the bike. The owner of a local off road training school raves about it and I know he is a pretty good rider. I would guess the other advantage it has over DCT is the weight. Couldn't find any weight figures on it but it doesn't look like a whole lot of extra kit, at least compared to DCT. I wouldn't be surprised if they bring out a version for the AT as they already have a bunch of CRF bikes listed.

So what does DCT give you then? Other than an auto-tranny I don't know. I think dual clutches are used in race cars to minimize shifting time but I might be wrong there. Doesn't seem that important on a bike like that AT.

 

[Adventurer]

I just went to the Rekluse page to find out what it is. Seems like that is just an auto-clutch, not an auto transmission, that fits on to your existing clutch mechanism. That would explain how you can add it fairly easily to a whole range of bikes. The advantage is it will prevent stalls at low speeds (like DCT) so you can focus on the terrain and not the bike. The owner of a local off road training school raves about it and I know he is a pretty good rider. I would guess the other advantage it has over DCT is the weight. Couldn't find any weight figures on it but it doesn't look like a whole lot of extra kit, at least compared to DCT. I wouldn't be surprised if they bring out a version for the AT as they already have a bunch of CRF bikes listed.

So what does DCT give you then? Other than an auto-tranny I don't know. I think dual clutches are used in race cars to minimize shifting time but I might be wrong there. Doesn't seem that important on a bike like that AT.

That's the reason I thought DCT was used since in racing it's all about time and then of course dependability on what they put into a vehicle.

 

[alba]

Another video of the two guys chatting but more of the conversation is in this one. Very interesting...

 

[Paige]

I just went to the Rekluse page to find out what it is. Seems like that is just an auto-clutch, not an auto transmission, that fits on to your existing clutch mechanism. That would explain how you can add it fairly easily to a whole range of bikes. The advantage is it will prevent stalls at low speeds (like DCT) so you can focus on the terrain and not the bike. The owner of a local off road training school raves about it and I know he is a pretty good rider. I would guess the other advantage it has over DCT is the weight. Couldn't find any weight figures on it but it doesn't look like a whole lot of extra kit, at least compared to DCT. I wouldn't be surprised if they bring out a version for the AT as they already have a bunch of CRF bikes listed.

So what does DCT give you then? Other than an auto-tranny I don't know. I think dual clutches are used in race cars to minimize shifting time but I might be wrong there. Doesn't seem that important on a bike like that AT.

not alot of kit at all!!