2021 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT: A Wobbly Review

First Impressions
This thing is gorgeous. From the shiny gold spoked wheels, to the aggressive looking headlights, to the sharp clean lines and contrasting colours on white, the 2021 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports CRF1100 (Tri-Colour scheme) demands attention. After I turned the key and the animated bootup sequence finished, the large TFT screen (Honda calls it the Multi Information Display) provided all the key information at a glance. Throwing a leg over, I immediately realized how tall it was as I dog paddled with my feet (I’m 5’7”). Pressing the starter button (cleverly built into the kill switch) I was greeted with a somewhat throaty but polite exhaust note.

The Multi Information Display is bright, has a sun visor, is high resolution and easy to read, and contains all pertinent information at a glance. It is also compatible with Apple Car Play, but I wasn’t able to get it working. There is also a low-tech display in case the TFT breaks or malfunctions.

Riding Experience
The Africa Twin, or “AT,” is a lot of fun to ride, and is the closest thing to a “do everything” bike I’ve come across! The 1,084 cc parallel engine is smooth and deceptively fast. There are no telltale signs like a high revving engine or buzzy handlebars to gauge how fast you’re going and you’ll quickly find yourself at ticketable speeds. Some may find this boring, others would say refined. And when you need to slow down, these brakes have incredible stopping power..

On road, it handled high speed sweepers and tight twisties with near sportbike precision. The offroading I did inspired confidence. The standing position felt comfortable for me, and this is where the DCT shone because you only needed to press buttons instead of thinking about coordinating your left hand with your left foot while changing gears, leaving more of your mental and physical effort to tackling the terrain and choosing lines. The stock Bridgestone Adventurecross Tourer AX41T tires (80% street / 20% off road) felt great on asphalt even in heavy rains, but were inadequate off tarmac for anything more than hardpack.

I also loved the electronically controlled suspension (Honda calls it “Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment or “EERA”) where you could easily adjust the firmness on the fly.

The rider position and seat were comfortable for me, and I could easily ride for a couple hours without needing to rest, and likewise, the standing position felt like I had excellent control of the bike.

The manually adjustable windscreen and body work provided excellent wind protection and deflected it over the peak of my helmet..

DCT: Love it or Hate it?
The model I tested had the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) that shifts automatically. No clutch lever or gear shifter. But there is a parking brake. I really tried to love the DCT but it was a challenge from the get-go. This being a new bike for me, I gingerly twisted the throttle to get moving and was quickly introduced to “snatchy” throttle response at slow speeds and low revs. I instinctively reached for the clutch with my left hand to smooth it out but only grabbed air. Over the course of the week, I overcame this slightly by dragging the rear brake, but it didn’t eliminate the problem. I also found the DCT shifted gears way too early for my liking in “D” (Drive) mode. I switched to “S” (Sport) mode, which helped, but even after a few days trying to reprogram my brain to like the DCT automatic shifting, I ended up using “M” (Manual) mode and using the paddle shifters (which can also be used in D or S mode).

As I mentioned above, the DCT was a great feature for off road situations.

In Sport mode, the DCT would seamlessly gear down to provide engine braking when slowing down, although I preferred using the paddle shifter to downshift manually for that.

Changing Modes on the Fly
One of my favourite features of the 2021 AT was the ability to change riding modes on the fly. For most asphalt, I used the “Touring” mode for "middle-of-the-road" ABS, Traction Control, Torque Control, and medium suspension. But if I came upon construction or otherwise rough road surfaces, I switched to “Gravel” mode where the soft suspension settings soaked up the bumps by merely clicking a toggle switch.

Complex Controls
The 2021 Honda AT has a lot of advanced technology and features. And I know the longer you own something, the less you have to think, but the starting sequence for me is too much:

1. Turn the key
2. Press starter button
3. Hold brake
4. Kick stand up (which was often a challenge depending on the surface and/or angle of the bike when parked)
5. Engage “D” mode on DCT
6. Engage “M” mode on DCT (can’t engage “M” mode directly)
7. Release parking brake
8. Toggle to select Riding mode if different than last time
9. Twist throttle to start moving
10. Paddle up shift
11. Hope to God you don’t have to use the turn signals or horn

Also note the left control has 16 buttons (see above video), several of which toggle or have multiple positions. Even canceling the turn signals requires deliberate thought: Am I going to push the downshift, horn or turn signal button?

What I Liked

• Looks: While this is subjective, I love the appearance. Although someone did mention they thought it looked a bit “Captain America”
• Handling: On or Off road, everything felt effortless
• Electronic suspension: Changing the firmness on the fly is amazing
• DCT: Was great when off road
• Brakes: Excellent stopping power with ABS that can be turned on or off

What Could Be Improved

• Height: Too tall for the average person. Maybe Honda could implement something like Harley-Davidson’s Adaptive Ride Height ? Or a motorized retractable kickstand?
• Too complicated / too many buttons: On the left control, there are 16 buttons
• Snatchy throttle response at slow speeds/ and low revs

Other Thoughts:

The 2021 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports appeals to:

• Adventure Riders
• Dual Sport Riders with a dirt biking background
• Tourers
• Tall people
• Adventure Posers

Other adventure motorcycles in this category are:

• BMW R 1250 GS
• Yamaha Super Tenere 1200
• KTM 1290 Super Adventure R
• Triumph Tiger 1200

Conclusion
The 2021 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports CRF1100 DCT is a handsome bike that handles well on and offroad with power to spare and is comfortable to boot. With lots of advanced features, it can deal with almost anything you could throw at it with ease. My main gripe is the tall seat height and snatchy DCT but both can be (slightly) addressed with the lower seat option or even a lowering kit (at the cost of clearance), and getting the non-DCT model, respectively. It definitely gets 2 paws up from me, and I would love to replace my 2016 Triumph Tiger 800 XRT with this, budgetary constraints notwithstanding.

Key Specifications
Displacement: 1,084 cc
Power:75 kW (100.5 HP) @ 7500 RPM
Torque: 105 Nm (77.4 ft-lb) @ 6250 RPM
Weight: 250 kg (551 lb) Wet
Fuel Capacity: 24.8:
Seat Height: Low Position: 850 mm (33.5 in.) / Standard Position: 870 mm (34.3 in.)
MSRP: $17,499 CAD (as tested with DCT)

Full specifications can be found on the Honda website.

PS. Please don’t call it the “African Twin”