The off-road motorcycle model inspired by the Dakar Rally is sold in two versions, Standard and Adventure Sports, launched on February 3.

Accordingly, Africa Twin 2023 has been upgraded to meet the needs of offroad and long-distance travel needs roadsters. The cover maintains the design from the previous version, fully covering the chassis with optional color schemes, inspired by the Honda CRF450 Rally that won the Dakar 2021.

A representative said that Africa Twin 2023 has a sitting position with a moderate handlebar height, a low windshield that provides a solid control feeling, wide visibility with a sitting or standing position. Its frame is made of aluminum. Front shock absorber is reverse stroke, 45 mm in diameter. Showa’s single rear shock absorber is adjustable via a knob.

The standard Africa Twin is geared towards off-road performance, while the Adventure Sports is designed for the longer runs. This high-end version is equipped with Showa EERA electronic shock absorbers that automatically adjust spring preload and compression release according to operating conditions. Four driving modes include: offroad, hard, mid, and soft. Windshield has 5 levels of adjustment. 24.8-liter fuel tank allows for a range of up to 500 km, according to calculations from Honda. Tires are tubeless.

From 2020, the Africa Twin series uses a 1084cc engine with 2 cylinders, 8 valves, single camshaft for maximum capacity of 101 horsepower at 7,500 rpm. Maximum torque of 105 Nm is at 6,250 rpm. Emissions meet Euro 5 standards.

According to Honda, the Africa Twin engine uses a 270-degree crankshaft configuration with a non-uniform ignition order, promising to bring a warm but powerful sound. The cylinder head design has been changed. Throttle is larger at 46 mm; the tilt angle has been redesigned to optimize the engine intake air flow. ECU settings and injector angles are changed to create direct fuel injection into the combustion chamber with 2 spark plugs. The exhaust system applies ECV technology, similar to the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade series.

Accordingly, the system will automatically open the exhaust valve, improving performance at high rpm while delivering a more powerful sound at low rpm. The remaining parameters of the engine remain the same as the 2021 version.

The engine continues to inherit support from the electronic system controlled through the 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), including: TBW electronic throttle integrated with cruise control automatic throttle, HSTC torque control, ABS in cornering, head lift control, and tail lift control. The car has 6 driving modes; 4 come with pre-set parameters including Tour, Urban, Gravel, and Off-road; the remaining 2 modes are for the driver to set up: engine force, dynamic braking force, and ABS settings depending on actual operating conditions.

The Adventure Sports version is equipped with a 6-speed DCT, providing the ability to choose intelligent gearshifts depending on speed, vehicle inclination, and road surface inclination, helping to reduce manipulation and help the driver focus more on enjoying the journey. According to a representative of Honda Vietnam, in the 2023 generation, the DCT gearbox control software is fine-tuned to make the operation and engine control in gears 1 and 2 smoother.

Africa Twin’s display screen is a 6.5-inch TFT touch screen that can be customized according to the driver’s needs. The front light has an integrated emergency stop function. When braking suddenly, the hazard lights will signal to warn other vehicles. The system also has the function of automatically turning off the signal by comparing the front/rear wheel speeds, calculating the time to cancel the light command in the situation.

The car’s front lights use double LED bulbs, integrated with DRL daytime running lights that change brightness according to ambient conditions. The lighting system has the function of lighting according to cornering conditions, automatically adjusting the projection angle and light intensity according to the speed, direction of the turn…

The two versions of Africa Standard and Adventure Sports are priced at VND 590.49 million and 720.49 million, respectively, including VAT. The bike is expected to be available at the genuine dealer system from February 15, comes with 2-year warranty with unlimited mileage.

Source: vnexpress.net