The term “adventure motorcycling” is pretty self-explanatory. It’s all about traveling long distances in a variety of terrain, including well-laid-out tarmac on a freeway, sweeping corners in the mountains, and loose sand and rocks on dirt trails. This is one of the reasons why adventure motorcycles are some of the most versatile machines out there. A full-size ADV is often viewed as having big fuel tanks, large wheels, and a seating position that towers over most SUVs on the road. And to carry all that weight, you need a powerful engine.
Honda sells a variety of adventure motorcycles in the States. And they all serve a different kind of customer. For example, the NX500 is a great entry-level adventure tourer for beginner riders, while the Transalp 750 and NC750X DCT are great, practical options in the middleweight adventure touring segment. At the top of the line sits the Africa Twin, which is among one of the most versatile motorcycles on sale in the market currently. Naturally, being a full-size ADV, it is also the most powerful motorcycle in the lineup.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources such as Honda Powersports.
The Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES Is The Most Powerful Honda Adventure Bike In 2025
Power Output: 100 HP
Honda first introduced the Africa Twin in 2016, and it has managed to become a popular choice among adventure motorcycle fans. There are multiple reasons behind its success. For starters, it has always been able to undercut the competition in terms of price. Secondly, there is a strong focus on practicality and convenience, with features like an optional dual-clutch transmission. Its parallel-twin engine is a proven mill with impressive reliability.
The Honda Africa Twin is offered in two variants — Standard and Adventure Sports ES. The prices start at just $14,799 ($15,599 for DCT) and $17,599 ($18,399 for DCT) for the two variants, respectively. While both motorcycles use the same engine in the same state of tune, the Adventure Sports ES is the more road-biased version of the two with a smaller 19/18-inch wheel setup.
It Uses A Parallel-Twin Which Blends Performance And Reliability
Optional DCT Adds To The Convenience
Powering the Africa Twin is a 1,083cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that puts out 100 horsepower and 89 pound-feet of torque. It’s natural to think that 100 ponies is not a lot of power for a full-size ADV, right? Well, to some extent, yes. But, what Honda has tried to do here is make the power more accessible for day-to-day use by offering a good spread of torque.
The engine uses a 270-degree firing order which, apart from helping improve low-end performance, also gives the engine a distinct character compared to parallel-twins with a 180-degree firing order. Another benefit of having the power lower down in the rev range is that the engine runs much calmer with lower stress levels. As a result, it also offers better reliability. That’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT Engine Specifications
|
Engine Configuration |
270 degree parallel twin, liquid cooling, Unicam SOHC, 4 valves per cylinder |
|
Displacement |
1,084 cc |
|
Bore x Stroke |
92 x 81.5 mm |
|
Compression Ratio |
10.5:1 |
|
Power |
100 HP @ 7,500 RPM |
|
Torque |
82 LB-FT @ 5,500 RPM |
|
Fuel System |
PGM-FI electronic fuel injection |
|
Transmission |
6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission with G Switch |
|
Final Drive |
Chain drive |
Add the convenience of the dual-clutch transmission in the mix, and you can actually enjoy riding the Africa Twin without having to worry about making the shifts. If required, there is an option to make manual shifts manually using the paddle shifters on offer. Honda offers six ride modes on the Africa Twin – Tour, Urban, Gravel, Off-road, and two user-customizable modes, which allow the rider to set the power delivery according to their mood and preference.
Adventure Ready Chassis Complements The Performance On Offer
19/18-inch Wheel Setup On The Adventure Sports ES Makes It More Agile
The underpinnings of the Africa Twin consist of a semi-dual cradle frame, which is pretty standard for a motorcycle of its class and purpose. Honda has made an effort to make the motorcycle feel light on its feet by placing the heavier components near the center of gravity. The swingarm is derived from the CRF450R motocrosser but is strengthened to handle the ADV’s extra weight and workload.
The 19-inch front wheel on the Advenuture Sports ES, compared to the 21-inch unit on the standard version, makes the motorcycle feel more agile and eager to turn-in, making for an enjoyable riding experience on the road. The rear continues to be an 18-inch unit, so in case you decide to venture off-road with the touring version, the motorcycle is more than capable of handling some rough stuff.
Chassis and Suspension Specs
|
Frame Type |
Semi-double cradle |
|---|---|
|
Front Suspension |
45mm Showa USD fork, Showa EERA with compression and rebound damping adjustment, 8.3 in. travel |
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Rear Suspension |
Showa Pro-Link monoshock, Showa EERA with compression and rebound damping, 7.9 in. travel |
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Front Brakes |
Dual 310mm discs with four-piston radial calipers |
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Rear Brakes |
Single 256mm disc with single-piston caliper |
|
Front Tire |
110/80-19 |
|
Rear Tire |
150/70R-18 |
The real highlight of the package, though, is the semi-active suspension. It is only available on the Adventure Sports ES version. There’s a Suspension Control Unit on board which takes continuous data from the six-axis IMU, ECU speed input, and fork behavior via a stroke sensor. Using this data, the control unit continuously adjusts the damping of the springs along with the rear preload. As a result, you can expect the suspension to be in its right settings to offer the optimum damping regardless of the surface you are riding the motorcycle on.
No Lack Of Features On the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES
6.5-inch TFT Supports Wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay
Features have become an important part of a motorcycle riding experience, and Honda is well aware of that. The Africa Twin comes equipped with a 6.5-inch TFT which supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It has a secondary LCD placed below the TFT, which shows information like your speed, gear position indicator and warning lamps. Strange or smart? You let us know in the comments below.
Moving on, there are six ride modes on offer, along with switchable ABS and traction control. There’s also wheelie control on the Africa Twin, so in case you thought there was not enough performance on the Africa Twin, this should clear your doubts. To help with touring, the Africa Twin comes with a decently sized 6.6-gallon fuel tan,k which should allow you to travel longer distances between fuel breaks. Honda also offers a long list of accessories, including things like a quickshifter, hard panniers, center stand, and more.
Notable Features
- 6.5-inch TFT display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Six-axis IMU
- Seven-level Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC)
- Three ABS modes, lean-sensitive
- Wheelie Control
- Six ride modes: Tour, Urban, Gravel, Off-road, and two user-customizable modes
- Dual LED DRLs and headlights
The Africa Twin Adventure Sports S Has Plenty Of Competition
Not All Of Them Match Its Versatility, Though
Adventure motorcycling is now more popular than ever. Hence, there are plenty of rivals to the Africa Twin, including Ducati Multistrada V2, BMW F 900 GS and Harley-Davidson Pan America ST. If outright performance is what you want, then the Africa Twin loses out to all of its aforementioned rivals. The Harley-Davidson Pan America ST is the most powerful of them all with a 150 horsepower V-twin, followed by the new Multistrada V2 with its 115 horsepower engine.
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES vs. Competition
|
Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT |
Ducati Multistrada V2 S |
BMW F 900 GS Adventure |
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special |
|
|
Price |
$18,399 |
$19,595 |
$15,075 |
$19,999 |
|
Engine |
270-degree parallel twin, Unicam SOHC |
90-degree V-twin, intake VVT |
270-degree parallel twin, DOHC |
60-degree V-twin, VVT on all valves |
|
Displacement |
1,086 cc |
890 cc |
895 cc |
1,252 cc |
|
Power |
100.5 HP @ 7,500 RPM |
115 HP @ 10,750 RPM |
105 HP @ 8,500 RPM |
150 HP @ 8,750 RPM |
|
Torque |
82.6 LB-FT @ 5,500 RPM |
67.9 LB-FT @ 8,250 RPM |
68.6 LB-FT @ 6,750 RPM |
95 LB-FT @ 6,750 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
535 LBs (wet) |
439 LBs (wet) |
542 LBs (wet) |
569 LBs (wet) |
Finally, you have the BMW F 900 GS, which comes with a 105-horsepower parallel-twin. All of these motorcycles also get plenty of features. Having said that, the Africa Twin provides the best balance of performance, usability, reliability, and features without costing a bomb. Also, it is the only one among its competitors to come with an automatic transmission, albeit as an option.