I liked yours so much that after selling the Tiger 12GTPro we came close to buying one. I just really wanted to stay with a shaft bike so got the Guzzi.
Africa Twin
- Thread starter Sierra1
- Start date
Honda has a 19” front wheel now who knows maybe next up grade will be a shaft drive. Guess it depends on who Honda thinks they are losing sales to BMW or KTM. Looks like they went after KTM because unloaded it does feel like a big ole dirt bike. I sold my 690 because after I got the AT I didn’t ride it. I’m comfortable on the AT on anything but single track. Have 23 Beta 390rr for that
Donk
Well-Known Member
FWIW Honda is now listing the '24 Africa twin on it's US website. The one with 19"/18" wheels so it really is a '24 model. Don't know when it will be available but that's a start.
Just in time for y'all's snow to be gone.
I have a 21 AT DCT adventure Red ,White ,and Blue in my garage it has a 21 inch front wheel 19 inch rear ..
THINGS MISSING
-shaft drive
-center stand
-heated grips
-power outlet
-comfortable seat missing…like sitting on a 2x6
-5 gal fuel tank
-an array of windows like cascading menus and settings to memorize
-poor fuel economy over 75 mph combined w small fuel tank the yellow light is on regularly when pounding tarmac to a destination at speed.
Think carefully before you pull the trigger on a new Africa Twin.
THINGS MISSING
-shaft drive
-center stand
-heated grips
-power outlet
-comfortable seat missing…like sitting on a 2x6
-5 gal fuel tank
-an array of windows like cascading menus and settings to memorize
-poor fuel economy over 75 mph combined w small fuel tank the yellow light is on regularly when pounding tarmac to a destination at speed.
Think carefully before you pull the trigger on a new Africa Twin.
Attachments
Not an apples to apples comparison in my opinion. Sounds like you have buyers remorse with your AT.I have a 21 AT DCT adventure Red ,White ,and Blue in my garage it has a 21 inch front wheel 19 inch rear ..
THINGS MISSING
-shaft drive
-center stand
-heated grips
-power outlet
-comfortable seat missing…like sitting on a 2x6
-5 gal fuel tank
-an array of windows like cascading menus and settings to memorize
-poor fuel economy over 75 mph combined w small fuel tank the yellow light is on regularly when pounding tarmac to a destination at speed.
Think carefully before you pull the trigger on a new Africa Twin.
-shaft drive - modern chains are much lighter go 30K+ miles and cost a couple hundred bucks and an hour of labor to replace. Ability to change gearing on non DCT model is a plus
-center stand - adds weight but is easy to add for couple hundred bucks if you have to have one.
-heated grips - simple add less than $100 gives the option to use your favorite ones and not be locked in to the OEM ones.
-power outlet - most people do all kinds of wiring adds for electric gear, GPS, a tire pump, and etc. Adding a power outlet that doesn't blow the use with anything other than a phone or GPS plugged in is a big plus.
-comfortable seat missing…like sitting on a 2x6 - I hated the OEM seat on my S10 as bad as the one on my AT and almost every other bike I have had. Many people change seats or there wouldn't the huge after market there is.
-5 gal fuel tank - If your mission in life is to pound blacktop you should have bought an Africa Twin Adventure Sports model with a bigger tank than an S10.
-an array of windows like cascading menus and settings to memorize - Most people seem to want the extra tech that keeps getting more and more complicated on most new bikes. I personally don't like it on any bike.
You forgot to mention the 50+ pound lighter weight difference, extra ground clearance, and better off road manners with the 21" front wheel of the AT when riding dirt roads of true off road.
That's the only thing not easily tweakable on your AT is the 5 gallon tank.
I still own my S10, AT and a T7. I ride them all regularly and they all have different missions for me. That said, if the T7 or other middle weight bikes out there now were available when I bought the AT, I wouldn't have bought the AT. The T7 is a 125 pounds give or take lighter than the S10 and much better on dirt and lots of fun on blacktop. As I am getting old I find smaller lighter bikes much easier to manage on blacktop or dirt. YMMV
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SuckSqueezeBangBlow
Well-Known Member
I think the new 2024 ATAS has a 6.8 gal tank (24.8 L) as well as heated grips. No center stand is not a big deal as you can get an Outback package with protection bars, skid plate, center stand and racks.
I would prefer shaft drive but as has been said the modern chain and oilers are pretty good.
My stock seat on the Tiger Explorer is the most comfortable seat I have ever had on a bike, custom made or not, however I have never had an RDL.
Seriously looking at that '24 Africa Twin and hope to see one this weekend.
I would prefer shaft drive but as has been said the modern chain and oilers are pretty good.
My stock seat on the Tiger Explorer is the most comfortable seat I have ever had on a bike, custom made or not, however I have never had an RDL.
Seriously looking at that '24 Africa Twin and hope to see one this weekend.
I have had the same thoughts about converting the S10 and AT into one bike, except for the BMW thinking part. Having rented a few BMW's on tours in Europe, I have found they are nice bikes to rent but I wouldn't want to own one.
I haven't really seen anything that tickles my fancy even remotely except for the new ATAS coming out. My 2012 S10 only has 65K on it and the 2016 AT only has 25K. Both are very well set up (read expensive) and dialed in for me and have a lot of life in them still. I will most likely keep procrastinating and keep what I have for now. LOL
Donk
Well-Known Member
I agree with you on the never another Beemer part. You may find your Japanese bike is made somewhere else!
That is a growing concern. The best I can tell, the bigger bikes will continue to be built in Japan, but not so much the smaller sizes. Who knows.
I cheated on my big girl today, she took me to the Honda dealer. There were three “Honda experience days”. I rode the CRF1100 DCT for the first time. First thought: lightweight, terrible ergonomics, way to low seat, unreachable buttons while hands on the bars. Then riding: the DCT is fantastic when accelerating, busy trafic etc. Various ride modes which I fiddled with a bit. But the DCT is sloooowwww when going from cruising to suddenly hammering it. I can do that much faster on the S10. Was an hours ride following a guide, most guys couldn’t keep up. I rode the CRF between the hornets and CBR…R’s. No problem staying on their tail, pegs scraping. Fun ride but wouldn’t buy it, glad my old girl waited patiently for me and took me home again. She whispered “told you so” when I put her back on her spot. Yeah the Super Tenere is a keeper!
cyclemike4
Well-Known Member
I like to get out and do demo rides when ever I can. I will ride about anything I can get on. You never know what you might or might not like. The last time I rode the Africa Twins all they brought was the dual clutch bikes. they all had the shortest seat available and the tallest windshield available. I didn't like that set up at all. I have to say the dual clutch worked fine but I didn't like it and would not buy one on the Africa Twin. I do agree though when it comes to grunt and pulling out of the corners the Africa Twin can't match my Super T. Not sure if it was the dual clutch or just the bike didn't have the same grunt. I do like the way they look though.
Bmwdumptruck
Well-Known Member
Amazing how many times we read guys saying they wish this bike or that had shaft drive. IMHO if Honda ever intended to make the AT with shaft they’d have done it from the start. But even knowing they were going to spread the drivechain across at least one more model, the NT, they obviously have no intention of ever doing so. Just as Yamaha will never build a new S10 based on the 3cyl 900 triple and alter it to shaft drive. If they ever build the triple into a Tenere model I’m 99.9% sure it’ll be chain driven like it’s stablemates. Got half an eye on a Tracer or XSR myself, quite fancy one in place of the FJR and Pan.
And comparing the AT to any Shaft driven bike like a GS or our S10s Isn’t really fair either. Compare it to similar bikes like the Suzuki Vstrom or KTMs 890. Honda, and Yam for that matter, are never going to chase the horsepower like KTM, Ducati and BMW. Honda have been there, done that, and had their fingers burnt repeatedly. Both H And Yam have long since settled for simple main stream models leaving the rest to fight out for best this or that honours.
As I’ve said before it’s just such a shame Yam didn’t see the potential of the S10 drivechain and build a TDM, Bulldog and Naked R9T equivalent model. All would have been pretty easily achievable. They could have started by making an Enduro version, basically an 17” alloy wheel version of the S10.
The thing that actually puts me off the AT is the oddball tyre sizes. Having owned a ST1300 Paneuropean for nearly 12 years I’m already fed up with hunting down odd ball tyres. The FJR is so much easier with conventional 17” tyres.
And comparing the AT to any Shaft driven bike like a GS or our S10s Isn’t really fair either. Compare it to similar bikes like the Suzuki Vstrom or KTMs 890. Honda, and Yam for that matter, are never going to chase the horsepower like KTM, Ducati and BMW. Honda have been there, done that, and had their fingers burnt repeatedly. Both H And Yam have long since settled for simple main stream models leaving the rest to fight out for best this or that honours.
As I’ve said before it’s just such a shame Yam didn’t see the potential of the S10 drivechain and build a TDM, Bulldog and Naked R9T equivalent model. All would have been pretty easily achievable. They could have started by making an Enduro version, basically an 17” alloy wheel version of the S10.
The thing that actually puts me off the AT is the oddball tyre sizes. Having owned a ST1300 Paneuropean for nearly 12 years I’m already fed up with hunting down odd ball tyres. The FJR is so much easier with conventional 17” tyres.
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Which size do you not like about the AT, the previous 21”…or the new 19”?
The 21” I rode handled perfectly fine on tarmac.