What saw as Honda’s grand comeback to the ADV world, the CRF 1000L Africa Twin was one of the perfectly balanced machines from the Honda stable, a trait that is synonymous to a majority of the brand’s line-up. A lot of time had gone to engineer it and making it work better on multiple riding conditions and so it does effortlessly without any compromise.
Now, Honda is firing on all pistons to bring in newer products into the ADV segment, and we might have just stumbled upon the next big thing coming from the Japanese Red Winger. These patent images that fell on our lap recently showcasing a new Honda ADV model paying homage to the great ‘80s era where adventure motorcycling was a stigma in itself.
The Africa Twin is a well-made motorcycle, however, has a major drawback. It’s like a double-edged sword actually. Being big, heavy and powerful, it’s perfect for pro-riders, but for folks entering the segment will steer away from it for the same reasons. Luckily Honda knows this and is working on to get a smaller adventure motorcycle that can be more accessible and easier to ride for beginners, and for those who want something more nimble and down to earth.
And we believe this is the bike Honda is working on behind closed doors of its factory. Bringing design cues from the ‘80s, this neo-retro model takes structure from the original 1980 BMW R80GS and has a large fuel tank and plenty of travel on the front and back suspension. Shouting retro is also the twin-pod headlight assembly that will come with LED setup and DRLs’. Just like what Moto Guzzi will be making from the V85 ADV machine.
Although Honda’s attempt here is to give it a vintage appeal, we see the twin rear spring shocks missing at the rear. Instead, a single monoshock unit looks to be doing the suspension duties here. The front unit gets protected by retro-style fork gaiters. Braking department sees a single disc unit upfront and not a twin setup. The instrumentation is offset on one side and the crash bars extend to protect the lower area of the engine too.
Of course, you can argue that there are other models under the Red Wing’s umbrella to quench your adventure thirst. From the CRF250L, CB500X, NC750X, and even the NC800X to some extent can take you on the off-beaten tracks, but then again, they are nothing like the Africa Twin alternative for the millennials.
The obvious engine choice for Honda will be a 750cc powerplant that is running on the current NC750X (and X-ADV). It will come right in the middle of the line of fire from new production models hitting the roads soon, like the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and KTM 790 Adventure. There are already the Triumph Tiger 800 and the BMW F 800 GS running the show currently for their practical accessibility and outstanding cross-country ability.
With such competitions spicing the game, Honda might also decide to go for a 650cc motor instead. There is also no adventure or touring model from Honda in this segment currently. As a matter of fact, Honda’s very first XRV650 Africa Twin ran in the mid-weight category using a 650cc mill.
Honda might just look to bring back the same magic with their retro adventure motorcycle, and allow more riders to taste the adventure life of the ‘80s. Expect to see their concepts in the next couple of Tokyo Motorcycle Shows where it is considered prime time for revealing new models.