Africa Twin reviews

[Fullerrj]

After about 9 months of owning I'd like to say that this bike exceeds any and all expectations!

It is heavy.. I won't lie.. but I am 5'11'' 150lbs and it is easily manageable and feels no where close to its actual weight.

plus this thing is just a beaut





Land Between the Lakes, KY
Feat. My Wife

 

[jpachard]

I’ll be selling my BMW R1200GS Rallye to pick one of these up. The BMW has served me well, two Colorado BDR trips and one Utah BDR, plus the trips back and fourth from CT.... it just isn’t a Honda... having rode XR650’s all around Baja I’m looking forward to coming back to big red...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Well, I did end up picking one up in August. Been riding it as much as I can, and love it. Almost done farkling it up. Bought most of the SW Motech catalog. Pretty happy with most of it. Only thing left to do is bash plate, pillion seat replacement cargo tray, and heated grips. Oh, and probably something with the foot pegs, but I haven't really had that much trouble with the stock ones yet.

 

[calicamper]

Any good feed back on the AT version? Yet?

I like the old clutch riding but after 65,000 miles of commuter riding on the CVT silverwing which left me with no complaints, the Auto African Twin is intriging.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

To me that would be sacrilege. So no.

But reading from other users, most seem to like it. There are a few who say they wish they had gone manual, but not a lot.

 

[calicamper]

I agree sacrilege. But I found my riding ability which is decent on the manual was even better on the auto. I could put all my skill/effort into riding and zero attention on the shifting, it took a big mind shift to get use to it. But that riding was all complex heavy traffic riding which really rewarded having the clumsy cvt which wasnt really half bad with that power plant. My trail riding experience has been all good with the MT but its all on small light bikes. I can see how good AT on challenging trail would pay dividens pretty quickly. Assuming they hold up?

 

[moose545]

I ride a 18' HD Heritage Softail but I saw a Triumph 1200XC or something the other day and it made me think, AT, Super Tenere thoughts. I want to do some trips and camp, and see how it goes. Just picked up my GX460 for trails and offroad/overlanding, so there's only time for one in a sense, both serve different purposes. It's a thought that's been messing with me the past month ever since I bought my truck finally.

 

[BritKLR]

Any new feedback on the AT? Looking at them along with the KTM 690/890. Would love to hear how they perform on technical rocky/boulder/scree/sand trails? 7-10 day camping trips? Maintenance? Thanks!

 

[Tex68w]

I had a CRF1000L AT AS for a while. It was a good bike if you plan to ride 50hwy/50off-road most of the time. I am not saying that it isn't capable off-road because it most certainly is, but it is also quite top heavy and it needs quite a bit of help with the springers, they are way too soft. Wheels, spokes and cases were prone to corrosion on the early models (1000cc) but reliability in terms of the motor/tranny is typical Honda. I love the looks of the bike, it has a tall, long-legged Dakar Rally thing going on and they have a pretty good aftermarket following as well. I think that the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is a very good peer to the AT albeit at a much higher price point, but it does come with cruise control and some other nice features.

In comparison to the KTM 690/790/890 I don't think that they compare. While the AT falls into the full size ADV bike category due to it's size/weight/displacement, it's power and performance are more in line with the 790/890. Rumor has it that there's a middle weight AT (650-900) in the works which would more directly compare to the Yamaha Tenere, but that has yet to be little more than conjecture.

If you want to tackle mostly gravel and fire roads and BDR's at best then the AT would be a killer option that also shines on the highway, but if you plan to spend more time in the dirt and you like to explore those trails less traveled by the bigger bikes then I'd be looking at the KTM 690/790/890 and the new Yamaha Tenere 700.

 

[BritKLR]

I had a CRF1000L AT AS for a while. It was a good bike if you plan to ride 50hwy/50off-road most of the time. I am not saying that it isn't capable off-road because it most certainly is, but it is also quite top heavy and it needs quite a bit of help with the springers, they are way too soft. Wheels, spokes and cases were prone to corrosion on the early models (1000cc) but reliability in terms of the motor/tranny is typical Honda. I love the looks of the bike, it has a tall, long-legged Dakar Rally thing going on and they have a pretty good aftermarket following as well. I think that the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is a very good peer to the AT albeit at a much higher price point, but it does come with cruise control and some other nice features.

In comparison to the KTM 690/790/890 I don't think that they compare. While the AT falls into the full size ADV bike category due to it's size/weight/displacement, it's power and performance are more in line with the 790/890. Rumor has it that there's a middle weight AT (650-900) in the works which would more directly compare to the Yamaha Tenere, but that has yet to be little more than conjecture.

If you want to tackle mostly gravel and fire roads and BDR's at best then the AT would be a killer option that also shines on the highway, but if you plan to spend more time in the dirt and you like to explore those trails less traveled by the bigger bikes then I'd be looking at the KTM 690/790/890 and the new Yamaha Tenere 700.

Great info. Thanks for taking the time to do the write up, it helps.

 

[Tex68w]

Great info. Thanks for taking the time to do the write up, it helps.

Great bikes, don't let me sway you away from considering one, just know that they are directly comparable to the others you're considering.

 

[Cabrito]

Any new feedback on the AT? Looking at them along with the KTM 690/890. Would love to hear how they perform on technical rocky/boulder/scree/sand trails? 7-10 day camping trips? Maintenance? Thanks!

Hey Paul,
I went from riding a KLR for years and moved up to a big bike. It's been a process that's for sure. Finding the replacement for the KLR has turned out to be the search for a unicorn of sorts. The closest I came to having it was my KTM 990 Adventure. The 990 had similar Ergo's to the KLR, but had tons of power and great brakes compared to my KLR. It was heavier, but the weight was low due to the dual fuel tanks. Sadly, my 990 was a bit of a lemon and I ended up selling it after a year or so. I test rode a AT and a 990 they same day and there was no comparison for me. The 990 won hands down based on one 5 mile test ride. The AT felt really big and top heavy. A lot like my V-Strom 650, but I'll bet that the AT is way better off-pavement than the V-Strom was.

My journey thus far with comparison to the KLR. (The only thing the KLR lacked in hindsight was power and brakes)
V-Strom 650 - Great power & Brakes, great on open highways, country roads, and smooth dirt, but in the rough stuff it sucked. It was heavy and felt heavy. It felt really large when sitting on it. I'm not sure I could pick it up by myself like I could the KLR.
KTM 990 ADV - Same as the Strom, but it was great in the rough stuff, and didn't feel big and heavy. It felt compact and light when sitting on it much like my KLR. I'm also not sure I could pick it up by myself because it was so good offroad that I never dropped it.
KTM 1090 R -Great power and brakes. Balance, and capability on all conditions (Haven't had it in the sand). Doesn't feel heavy when picking my way through rough sections at low speeds. I can't pick it up by myself (Or at least haven't been able to yet) and I've dropped it several times due to the height and weight, and poor parking spot selections. It does feel top heavy at first and my first impression was it felt like the V-Strom until I started riding it, and then there is no comparison to the Strom.

I got sick of waiting for the Yamaha T700 so I got the 1090. I wouldn't say that I've been disappointed, but I still yearn for a bike that has the capability, comfort, and reliability of the KLR with good power and brakes.

Last week I was at a BARF rally up in Cedarville, CA where I met some guys on T700's. One came from long time KLR, and the other from long term GSA, and they both raved about the T7. They both thought it was the perfect up/down size from their respective bikes. I actually think a lot about moving over to the T7 from the 1090.

I'd be willing to bet that the AT would have all the same good points as my 1090, but with the added bonus of Honda long term reliability. If you're ok with the weight and height it would probably be a great upgrade for the KLR. I'd also bet that if I'd chosen the AT over the 990 a few years ago I would still have it.