Honda CRF 1100 Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Bikes

• 2021 Honda CRF 1100 Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT Review

While researching the development and history of the Africa Twin I was impressed by what I learned. When Honda entered the 1986 Dakar Rally they went on to win four straight victories, an extremely rare feat for any manufacturer in their inaugural season. This race bike, the NXR750, would go on to become the inspiration for the production model we know and love today. Having been a longtime fan of Dakar and what it embodies, when I was given the opportunity to swing a leg over the current Africa Twin, it was exciting.

After the production version of the Africa Twin was launched in 1988, the line-up went through several upgrades over the years, but production eventually ceased in 2003. Then, after a 12-year hiatus, the Africa Twin was reborn in 2015. Known for being a more off-road oriented bike in the adventure segment, it did not disappoint.

The same can be said for the latest iteration. The 2021 model comes in two variations, the Standard in Pearl White (with blue and red accents) and the Adventure Sports ES, in Darkness Black Metallic. Both have been available in either manual or DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission) transmission options, but new for this year are the Showa Electronic Suspension, Apple Car Play, and Android Auto.

DCT was first introduced in the 1200VFR in 2010 and the Goldwing received its DCT in 2017. It behaves like the automatic transmission in your car and, if you’ve ridden a scooter, you’ll be familiar with the twist-and-go functionality. Orders for Africa Twins outfitted with DCT have been steadily increasing over the years and now comprise 37% of all models sold. Honda has been investing a great deal of time and money into this technology. I had never tried DCT so was curious to learn what the riding experience would be like.

• My Thoughts

The motorcycle looks great. You can see some of the design’s heritage, but gone are the rounded styling cues in favor of a more modern angular approach. As the technician was going over the bike, I couldn’t help but be impressed at the package that Honda put together. You have lean-sensitive ABS, four factory and two user ride modes, throttle by wire, cruise control, heated grips, 12-volt and USB accessory outlets, adjustable windscreen, paddle shifters, and a 6.5-inch TFT display that even shows your power, engine braking and traction control settings along with Bluetooth, Apple Car Play, and Android Auto. Man, motorcycles have come a long way.

Being a DCT model, a parking brake is placed where one would normally find a clutch lever. There is also no shift lever, at least not one like those of regular motorcycles.

After a briefing/crash course, I disengaged the parking brake and shifted into… Drive. This was familiar from four-wheeled vehicles, but definitely a first for me on two wheels. A little twist of the throttle and a slightly concerning momentary note from my left hand and brain “can’t find the clutch lever,” and away we went. Over the next couple hours I would still find myself reaching for the clutch or trying to downshift, but eventually I adapted.

I decided to head up Pacific Coast Highway in order to spend some time getting acquainted with this bike and the DCT system. I figured the familiar canyons snaking through the Santa Monica Mountains provided a great place to start. After that, it would be down to San Diego for some off-roading. For a bike weighing 553 lb. wet, this one eagerly and effortlessly accelerates and sounds great, too. It doesn’t feel too tall and handles well at cornering speeds as well as slow speeds.

• Getting Used to DCT

At first this felt weird. Even though the brakes are obviously the primary means to arrest acceleration, it felt odd not having the clutch to modulate power delivery during slow-speed maneuvering. To its credit, the throttle response is pretty smooth, and there is the feel of a friction zone. Honda saw fit to give the rider four drive mode variants (D or SI, SII, or SIII) that can modify any of the six user (four factory and two user) modes. This includes Touring, Urban, Gravel and Off-road. The standard D mode is mellow, almost dull. It quickly shifts through the gears to keeps the rpms down under 3,000. This sometimes leaves the rpms too low for my taste. I imagine it’s there for fuel economy and/or to have a mild setting for new riders on big bikes. For those craving more, thankfully the S modes wake up the bike, not only offering shift points higher in the rpm range but staying in gear longer before upshifting. I spent a good amount of time in SII as it just felt like the right balance for the mix of spirited street, freeway and canyon riding I enjoy.

For off-road, there is a dedicated mode which will take some of the snap out of the throttle input in order to be more forgiving over rough stuff, but you can dial it back up with the S modes. Between the factory ride modes and the fine tuning, every rider should be able to find a combination to their liking. There’s also a slew of rider aids (traction control, wheelie control, engine braking, power delivery, ABS) available with their respective range of settings and, while I tend to prefer the lowest settings, I’m a big fan of modern ABS in those “Oh shit!” braking scenarios. Each aid can be dialed in according to rider preference and, again, there should be a setting for everyone as Honda has given the rider a good range of flexibility.

• Engine and Drivetrain

Powering the Africa Twin is the recently enlarged 1084cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected Unicam parallel twin, making 101 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 77 ft.-lb. of torque at 6,250 rpm.

The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission available in manual or DCT with a 525-chain drive. The dual-clutch transmission has one clutch to handle gears 1, 3, 5 and the other for gears 2, 4, and 6. This makes for very fast and smooth shifting and the bike will also match revs and downshift smoothly. The handlebar-mounted shift levers are responsive and make shifting off-road easier, as well. The 16T/42T sprockets allow you to cruise at 70 mph at a comfortable 4,000 rpm.

• Chassis, Suspension, Wheels, and Brakes 

The long-travel front suspension is a 45mm inverted fork with 9.1 inches of travel while the rear suspension is a Pro Link single shock offering 8.7 inches of travel. I was impressed that a suspension that can soak up baby head rocks so well still felt firm and planted in the canyon corners with minimal under-braking dive.

New for 2021 is the electronic suspension by Showa, which can be modified from the dash. There are pre-load presets for single rider with/without luggage and likewise for two-up. In addition to those factory presets you can also manually adjust the front and rear suspension damping, again, all from the dash.

Whether you’re on the Adventure Sports ES or Standard you’ll get tubeless, wire-spoked 90/90-21 front wheel and 150-70-18 rear, which feel agile on the streets and roll over obstacles off road. The Adventure Sports ES DCT I tested came with Metzeler Karoo Streets, which I have ridden before. They are more than adequate off road while being confidence-inspiring cornering on the road.

Braking is handled by twin 310mm rotors and two four-piston hydraulic calipers up front and a single 256mm piston hydraulic caliper in the rear. Braking feels firm and responsive both in terms of lever feel and seat of the pants.

• Dimensions and Capacities

While the standard Africa Twin tips the scales at 501 lb., the touring-oriented Adventure Sports ES comes it at 530 lb. wet/ready to ride. The DCT variants add 23 lb. to either model, while fuel capacity is increased from 5 to 6.5 gallons to allow for extra range on those long rides.

The seat height is either 34.3 or 35 inches. At 5 foot, 9 inches with a 30-inch inseam it doesn’t feel too tall or too big. The bike feels agile for its size, both on and off road, and slow-speed maneuvering feels very comfortable.

The ergonomics are comfortable whether sitting or standing and, while the tank is big, the seat is narrow to allow moving around on the bike off road. If I nitpicked, the seat could be a bit more comfortable for longer rides, but I’m assuming this is because it is new and still needs to break in.

• Technology

As mentioned earlier, this bike has much of the same tech (and then some) as more expensive bikes in the 1000cc and up class. The big news for 2021 is the addition of Android Auto and Apple Car Play for navigation and music. Other features include heated grips with five settings, cruise control, turn signal cancellation, and access to the menu from the left grip cluster. The 6.5-inch TFT display is large and clear and you can customize what is shown for each riding mode.

The cornering lights are a new feature. Often on slow, tight corners our eyes are adjusted to high beams, so when suddenly looking through the corner into the darkness it’s quite the adjustment. The cornering lights really helped with this.

• Summary and DCT Notables

I had a great time testing this bike. There’s a lot to like both on and off road, and all the new the technology really adds to the experience. If I had to decide I’d probably get the manual version. That being said, I understand why the DCT is becoming more popular. It really shines off road, where it’s easier to shift and won’t stall on hill climbs.

When you consider the competition, the Africa Twin is very competitive in terms of how much you get at the price point.

I couldn’t really find any significant knocks. While I prefer having a center stand, on the Adventure Sports ES it’s not a deal breaker. I did find that sometimes the rider aids—mainly traction control and rear wheel ABS—despite being turned to their lowest/off-road settings intervene more than I liked on the more technical off-road sections, which left me second-guessing settings instead of focusing on riding. I’ll chalk that up to a personal preference and not being as familiar as a long-term owner would be.

All in all, the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT is a do-anything motorcycle that can take you far, in comfort, with confidence, and in charge whether there are roads or not. And isn’t that what this market segment is all about?

• Additional Specs 

• Cylinder Configuration: Parallel Twin
• Displacement: 1048cc
• Compression Ratio: 10.1:1
• Valvetrain: SOHC, 4vpc
• Clutch: 2 multiplate, Wet
• Wheelbase: 62 inches
• Rake: 27 degrees
• Trail: 4.4 inches

Powersports.Honda.com

MSRP: $17,999

 

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 • PROS:

• Shifting is smooth and very fast, no missed shifts.
• Off-road shifting in difficult scenarios made easier by grip-mounted controls.
• Cannot stall the bike, great for climbing hills and when you stop on the street you can go hands-free immediately if needed.
• Fewer activities for your brain to manage so more bandwidth available for other tasks at hand.

• CONS:

• Transmission cannot anticipate what is up ahead, so system is reactive not proactive.
• Slow-speed maneuvers seem a bit more technical since there is no clutch to modulate throttle inputs.
• Slightly more prone to whiskey throttle since you have no clutch to modulate power input. Off-road mode is much more forgiving in terms of throttle response and aids in this, but still a possibility.
• When you park and turn the bike off the bike is in neutral not in first gear so if there is an incline you will have to remember to apply the parking brake.

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Christopher Scott is a freelance photographer in Los Angeles, CA. Unlike many who rode as kids, he discovered motorcycles in his late 20s. After a four-year hiatus from motorcycling, in which he sold virtually everything and worked as a tour guide, he is now leading a nomadic lifestyle on a BMW F650GS Dakar. His favorite thing to do is to explore new places on two legs, two wheels or by 4x4. Instagram: @cscott_creative

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