I've owned my 2017 AT manual for two seasons, 27k km. Great bike.
wrote about the AT when I got it a few years back. Most comments are still valid:
https://thetenerist.wordpress.com/2017/12/17/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new-bye-bye-super-tenere-hello-honda-africa-twin/
It's better than my 2012 tenere that I owned for 5 or 6 yrs, and 90k km:
-Better on rougher roads. The 21/18 tire combo is great. You can punt this thing down a ATV trail at fair clip. The tenere had a few close calls with me, where I almost broke the drain pans, even with a good plate (ACD)
-Better ground clearance. See above.
-Better valve adjustments once you get to it (more below). It's far better on the rough stuff than the tenere. No questions.
Idaho BDR never gave me any real issues. We did tackle a few of the pro sections with out problems. The AT kicked ass on the Lolo motorway (not really a motorway at all), and still had a blast ripping up the paved portion of Lolo pass a few days later.
ID BDR
-About the same power with less weight. Motor is quite good
-Chain? I don't care. Lube it every 600km. Still on the original chain and rear sprocket. I have changed the OEM front at 20 or 22k as it was starting to curl. Should see about 35k km out of the original chain/rear sprocket.
It's worse than the tenere:
-On longer days. It's not a super long distance bike. No cc. 2020 solves that.
-Valves are 24k km vs tenere 42k km.
-Whereas the tenere was six bolts, a hinged tank, and bam! you were at the air box, the AT is a bunch of swering, broken fairing pins, and wondering what the hell honda was thinking about.
On a positive note, the valves are uni cam, so exhaust valves are screw type, and not shim under bucket, and are easy to adjust. Valve cover is easy on off, whereas the tenere was a total bitch!
-Shaft vs chain? I had my shaft shit the bed due to the plug falling out out of the swing arm.. It wasn't a walk in the park to fix the outer seal.
I do not miss my Tenere. The AT has been good.
Now..the redesign. What pisses me off, is the fact that they didn't fix the inherent suspension issues. They are making the bike heavier, and if ridden as advertised, the 45mm forks do not stand up. The ATAS forks flex, and the regular forks are worse still.
They threw a bunch of shit gizmos on it, and they will sell well enough. But compare it to the Euro trash, and it simply doesn't measure up in terms of OEM suspension.
As an AT owner, I would not go to the 2020. They didn't fix what was the issues for me (and many other AT owners).
Like putting lipstick on a pig.
For guys that are considering DCT..There was a few people that had some serious issues with theirs that Honda couldn't fix.
@twinrider
is one that gave up on his and went back to a Tenere.