Adventure Bike Showdown: Honda Africa Twin v. BMW, Triumph and KTM
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- For the full review, head to www.bennetts.c...
For 2016 Honda introduced the brand new Africa Twin, also known as the CRF1000L. But how good is it? Bike Social introduced it to its nearest on-road biased rivals and headed to the Black Mountain Road in Wales. BMW R1200GS, Triumph Tiger 800 XRT and KTM 1050 Adventure take up the challenge.
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I don't understand why there was 1200GS in that test group? in my humble opinion there should be F800GS instead?
+Two Wheels Adventures (because it's kind of rubbish) What? No, I didn't say anything !?
+SnoopyDoofy :o
+Two Wheels Adventures ;)
Chris Hart
It was just a a light-hearted comment. Glad to hear you like your bike, that's all that matters. But damn, 80 MPG? Your sure about that?
Yep. Should have been the KTM 1190 Adventure against the GS, not the 1050. Plus Triumph Explorer 1200 in place of the 800.
if you want a road bike, don't ride an adventure bike, ride a touring bike
when the guy does not like offeoad bikes... why the f**k is he part of an endure test?
African Twin wins in all categories
I test rode all the bikes here and bought the Tiger, I know the AT is better off road but couldn't care a hoot about that as I have a WR250F and there is not an adventure bike on the planet that is better than that off road. In my view the Tiger is the best road adventure bike. The Honda is nice but that screen is an absolute cunt, it causes major wind buffeting I couldnt even last 5km on it.
Definitely not in speed mate.
These bikes are similar CC class, but all have different purposes. In my opinion, it would be more helpful to perform a comparison between the Africa Twin, Tiger XCx, F800GS, and KTM 1190 Adventure R . I recommend comparing these bikes because I consider them the definitive Adventure bike from each manufacturer considering their superior offroad performance compared to their counterparts. The KTM clearly overpowers all of these, but, again, is probably the most capable offroad of any current KTM ADV bike since the 950 and 990 aren't produced anymore (I don't think the 990 is, anyway).
Ok i agree MAICO Owner
Doesn't seem like a fair comparison. The BMW has a smaller displacement bike, and/or the Triumph has a bigger displacement model. Apples and oranges, really.
Pointless waste of a group test. I'd go so far as to say a deliberate fit up. The F800GS is £9800 in base spec, everybody knows which BMW you should be reviewing
+Rob W It was a test/review for the starbucks crowd *yawn* Ride the damn thing off-road people like it was meant to be and stop bitching there is no heated grips. Plenty of other "road" bikes versus these 4. This video was painful to watch.
OR...the review was targeted at exactly who buys these bikes. As 99% of the buyers of these machines never take them offroad AT ALL, how they perform as latte getters is far more important to the prospective buyers than sand dune performance.
Nice videography, but you never once left the tarmac???
Would love to see an adventure bike test that is more 50% on road and 50% trails and off-road. Apples to apples comparison would be better such as the BMW F800GS Adventure as this is more of what people are deciding between instead of the larger road oriented R1200. Also leave out reviewers that are "road riders only" or "off road riders only". Get real adventure tourers. and pile on camping gear.
Looks like a good group of lads, a good group of bikes, fantastic roads to ride on!!
Living the dream.........
I think i need to change my job ;-) Good work guys!
Wouldn't the BMW F800GS be a better comparo than the 1200?
This comparison is irrelevant: KTM 1050, Triumph Tiger 800 XRT and BMW R1200GS is a crossover bikes with a 19 inch front wheel, while Africa Twin is a true touring enduro with a 21 inch front wheel. It's a different subclasses - they're no match for each other. Africa Twin should be compared with other true touring enduros: BMW F800GS, Triumph Tiger 800 XC, and BMW 1190 Adventure R - that's the only real competitors to the CRF1000L.
+Chris Hart, so you made your precise conclusions based on the UA-cam videos you've watched? Wow, that's such an accurate way to find out the real point of any motorcycle! You're gotta be a hardcore pro rider!
LOL
Good review fella's, I'll be buying an Africa Twin in 2017. It will be interesting to see what (if any) changes Honda make, as there are a couple of small yet important improvements that can be made. I have to say I'm reviewed out and I've found it hard to find a bad review of the AT!! So the fact that its generally a lower price than its competitors I think I'll also take the skinflint route... Ta very much
Great job guys can you please make one compare them off road!? 👍
+moulin6801 I doubt they all can ride off road with the whining they did.
Truth is, hardly anyone rides £10,000 plus bikes through shit. The GS is more of a tourer and in Adventure form it's the best bike in the world.
Hey man, I don't know where you live, but here in the USA, people put the $14,000 + bikes through hell! Look at March Moto Madness videos and some of the videos that post of my local rides. I have been doing it with all my bikes, got water in the engine of a new R1200GS with 1500 miles once, and other guys pushing these bikes even harder... You know why?? If you trash the bike, your $500 insurance diductable is the same no matter if your bike cost $6,000 or $20,000 :)
moulin6801 Yeah if you don't crash it, you have a piece of shit that's worthless.. In the UK, people like to ride on the twisty roads and go touring across Europe. Then when a newer better bike comes along their bikes are still worth a ton, unlike some flooded out pile of steaming turd. It's called an investment. If I was rich, sure I would trash everything too. The false security people have with their insurance is a complete joke my friend. I'd rather keep my no claims bonus. They'll fight you to the death anyway over here before they pay anything out, and it will take months upon months (without a bike) Insurance is cheap for me, another pristine BMW isn't.
Hey, I hear you.... But I am telling from my own experience and from the people I ride with, GS giants! :)
Great one guys! Testing Adventure touring bikes on Tarmac! Very UK orientated.
Should have used the KTM 1190 instead of the 1050
If you want a road-biased ADV, Honda has a VFR800X and a VFR1200X which I think is more on the same level as the GS than the Africa Twin which is more offroad biased.
+cagednm69 Actually GS is quite an offroad capable bike;will kill the VFRs at offroad.Hate gs myself;too heavy,too expensive and iphone level maintenance.But it was the only bike for years that was both an excellent tourer and enduro.You can
I'm sorry but comparing CRF1000L to 1200GS is like comparing true off road 4x4 to the SUV.
Try comparing apples to apples because this review is full of ******
i agree tbh. the africa twin isn't really suited for this crowd. the vfr1200x is more suited to this category
let's stick to the topic of the video , "adventure bike showdown" , i think 1200gs is not suited for this crowd. because all other are proper off road capable bikes. 1200gs just is not , I agree that 1200gs is a monster when talking about road touring , but off road not so much.
All those complaining for not using f800, well right now I am between Africa twin and r1200gs. So for me this is perfect
I'm surprised nobody has tested the Africa Twin together with the 1190R yet. They are the only big adventure twins with 18/21" wheels. The price is pretty different but bikes are generally cheap whatever way you look at it, so I would guess I'm not the only one debating between the two :)
The 800GS is to weak for this bunch, makes sense why it isnt included. Great review guys! Keep it up!
They have a guy who has "no interest in going off-road" doing a review on an ADV bike?!! That's ridiculous! The whole point of an adventure bike is to go off-road! The BMW is an overpriced pig, it belongs on the road. Obviously if you're not going to hit the dirt you're not going to buy the Honda, but for me, wanting to hit the trails I would NEVER get the BMW
tonyinfinity can you say why not BMW? if you were counting on having a passenger together with you on an offroad trail, would you still not choose bmw? thank you
*****
Too heavy for anything "offroad" besides a dirt road. I've helped guys pick up their heavy BMW's numerous times on the trail usually they are struggling to pick them up in a creek. I actually had to ride one guys bike out of the creek for him because he couldn't do it. Then I get a boot full of water helping people who can't handle their overgrown "ADV" bikes.
For anyone who wants to ride off road, the Honda wins. And off road doesn't mean some dirt or gravel road that a minivan can go down. I'm talkin' Enduro stuff.
you are right... but BMW GS 800 is still good on trails too... anyway my favorit is Honda AT
SUPERNOVA It will be in the BMW shop every few thousand miles for the outrageously expensive service. Good mags in waiting room
so... how about honda africa? yours opinions?
a 1200gs just for road? may as well get a goldwing
Typical GS hater clueless comment. Very few can afford more than one bike. GS does everything, Swiss Army Knife. So I mostly ride on road but can and do occasionally off road which could never do on a goldwing. And it does on road better than a goldwing anyway.
Gregory Beckner so is a Vstrom, Africa Twin, Ktm Adventure but at the fraction of the price.. And I'm sorry getting a gs for the road says a lot about the rider.
+Gregory Beckner
have you ridden/owned a gs? i've always been skeptical of the shaft drive. honda is putting a shaft on the vfr1200x too. how does it do offroad?
+Gregory Beckner the GS is a very good bike it does a lot of things well but it does none of those things outstandingly well if I was going to go on road across States I would be on a Goldwing if I was going to go Canyon blasting I would be on a GSXR or a CBR not a GS pheasant to go off-road I don't know if a 600-pound GS would be my bike of choice
+Scott Rosenboom
Agreed but if you commute on your bike as I do and need to jump medians or cross fields to avoid traffic, if on a road trip you see a dirt road leading into the woods that you would like to explore, if you need a bike that can carry a load of stuff or a pillion or both, if you want to carve the occasional twisty and don't care about keeping up with the R1 up ahead....well you get my drift. I don't know of too many bikes that do all that, certainly not a goldwing. The riding position is perfect for me, don't like to slouch. BTW it "only" weighs 525 wet before gear. Heavy but doable. I have about 8k on my 2015 without a single squawk.
What the hell? You review 4 adventure bikes, and argue the BMW would be better if it started to rain? No offroad testing - I don't quite think the review matches the bike style
The BMW is in a whole different class and price scale. I've ridden the Triumph 800x and a BMW GS and thought the Triumph would be better offroad. Anyone who's ever had to dig out a 700 lbs adv out would agree..lol
Love the Africa Twin and hope to ride one soon. Great review! Though the GS is in a different class it's great to see how these middle weights compare to it.
Since you brought the GS1200, why didn't you include the Yamaha Super Tenere? Why is no one putting the Yamaha in with these tests?
I like the music. Name of song & artist?
Agreed putting the GS in the group when it is both larger capacity and a much bigger ticket price seems ill thought out. The GS 800 would have been a better balance.
I choose the KTM 1050 after recently testing Africa Twin and the KTM. Very little in the riding experience. The KTM has design elements I prefer like the smaller front and alloys and simple switchgear. I ordered mine fully loaded with centre stand , heated grips, 12v and self cancelling indicators. Boxes and tank bag. it came in around £9,300 - just £8,300 base price. So much better value than the Africa Twin. No brainer for me
Gary Bickley how's your riding experience with 1050? Some problem? (I'm scare of ktm reliability) Thinking between new Africa and 1050.. thx buddy!
Mixed, not great. Message ne for a phone call
F800GS is more suitable for this comparison not the 1200
As a Californian I don't understand all the negative comments, I thought they had some good insights. Am I missing something as a non-Brit?
why use the ktm 1050 adventure and not the 1190 adventure R? that would have been more competitive with the bmw 1200
For those living on mudisland (UK) why don't you get a boat or a Massey Ferguson ?
wow!! amazing job !! keep it up
No multistrada?
Isn't the VFR1200x more evenly matched to the 1200GS?
you should have had the triumph 1200 explorer instead of the 800 triumph for testing
lol, typical dad-bod, can't ride for shit review. "See, I don't like offroad and I love huge engines, but I also loved those Ewen McGregor videos and such. I have too much money, love Latte's, wearing the latest textile jackets that show off my pot belly, and secretly have an account on Ashley Madison. What bike should I get?"
Lol great insight.. Didn't factor in the Ridiculous maintenance for the BMW too.
Yeah i get a big powerfull adventure bike , just to go to some cafe and drink latte.
Just who is it that you think has the wherewithal to buy these bikes? Super duper 20 year-olds? Lol.
Yeah! from this I think the BMW and the Triumph are bike SUV's and the Honda and Ktm are Propper ADV's capable to go off road and do a lot of shit that many can't do.
Christin Hale and Mark Drummond - how hilarious. I often compare BMW and Tiger 1200 type adventure riders to Apple, iPhone loving idiots who swallowed the marketing and are as much as love with the idea of "who" the product makes them as much as what it can (or can't) actually do. So how interesting that you both use the same retort as these Apple fanatic in the face of criticism. "You're just jealous because you can't afford it". HAHAHAHA, whatever it takes to make you feel better about yourself and your myopic decision.
For the record, I'm not 20, I have a 2016 R1, a KTM 690 Enduro, and a WR250X in the garage. I could easily afford a BMW GS or whatever if I wanted to, but I did the research, rode with people on them and saw how bad they are offroad, and decided to spend the dollars somewhere else.
I have had doctors and lawyers and commercial pilots covered in all the official BMW clothing, on brand new GS1200's look down their nose at me in the Australian outback and tell me they are on the best bike that exists for this trip (subtle hint that I'm not), before I left them in my dust because they had to stick to the easy stuff.
The "adventure" (in quotes, I will emphasize) is for wannabe's with more dollars than sense.
Then if someone won't go off road, why not a touring bike? the thing is I have 2 bikes one for commuting and the other for fun (for 2 Years now I ride 365 days a Year all weather)! now I'm starting to look for adv bikes! and the thing is I don't wan't a Swiss Knife of a Bike and I hope Bike manufactures don't go that way cause it's gibberish... because it's full of things that won't just cut it!!! the worst thing I gues if you go on adv Bike must be like after a 2 day journey you decide to go to a land mark to see the sun set or something, and there is a realy fucked up trail like 100 meters and there is no way around so you have to call it a day find the tarmac and ride home dweelling on your heated grips that stoped working cause the bike falled in a mud puddle and now you're seeing the sunset on the highway...
Why not their bigger brothers? Tiger 1200 and Adventure 1290 are the same prize and spec. Pointless.
The bigger KTM and Triumph are neither the same spec or price as the Honda. In the review I talk about why we chose these particular rivals for this test. Sure, we could have another day running then off-road with 3, 4, or even 5 more bikes but we'd have ended up with a 30 minute documentary!
We'll have a look at doing something else later this year 👍🏻
+Michael Mann In that case why the GS 1200? The smaller GS would be appropriate.
+Simon Ploumas a fair point sir but the GS is widely recognised as THE benchmark in the off-road/on-road, do anything, go anywhere class.
+Michael Mann Thanks for the reply
If you get the gs 1200, why not get the ktm 1190
The BM is the existing King and an ideal benchmark. The 1050 KTM is the closest match for the Africa Twin as an on-road bias bike. Read the review for more.
Why is the tiger 800 there?
If you're going to have the 1200 GS, I feel like a better comparison would have been to include the Triumph Explorer, which made HUGE improvements this MY, and the KTM 1190 Adventure R. Leave the Honda at the dealer.
what's wrong with the Honda
Scott Rosenboom Nothing is wrong with it, I think it's an excellent bike, actually. It's just not realistic as a comparison to the 1200 GS. They aren't really aimed at the same section of the ADV community and they don't really have anything in common. Ride safe ~ Justin
what the hell is the gs1200 doing in this showdown??? Or why didn't you use the ktm 1190?? The comparison doesn't seem very useful.
Clickbait. Am I the only one that missed the 'Adventure' bit?
The fact that not one person said how shit the aerodynamics of the AT is and how the wind turbulence is like being continually smacked on the head. Shows that these so called reviews are nothing more than advertisements and none of these "journalists" want to offend the bike companies.
Not sure you should have had the 1200 GS in this line up, or at least have the new 1200 Explorer included... The new Explorer is another step up and all the electronic toys work a lot better than on the 800 XRT (I know, I have one) and also has electronic suspension, but also handles better which is a huge advance on the old 1200... Considering the new 1200 Explorer is available now, the timing of this video with choice of bikes is a bit weird...
Other than that, an enjoyable discussion where all the salient points were covered so thank you for that! :-)
***** I did think it a weird line up...
Chris Hart True, but fielding a 1200 against other 800s and 1000s when they have their own off road 800 available? That was what I meant... Whats wrong with the 800GS? The Tiger was an 800... My point was that if they fielded the 1200GS, why not use the new Explorer 1200 instead of the 800?
+Chris Hart doesn't the 1200 GS have the same power? 128bhp?
Chris Hart I've ridden the new Explorer and it feels as light as my 800 Tiger. Very impressive. Hence on a complete par with the 1200GS. On the Speed Triple has 138bhp. The Explorer has a longer stroke, and therefore more torque but less power...
Tiger 1050 would've been a better choice?
Should have been an F800GS for sure! Winner is KTM hands down!
7:58 seconds i'll never get back, don't waste your time with this review.
why do people keep comparing Africa Twin to GS1200? i don't understand
Fabio Concha its the segment it will compete in.
Good location choice.
So if you want to ride long distances and off road buy the Africa Twin. If you feel like you need heated grip to ride to skegness then get a GS and pay 4 grand more. Seems legit!
First the Honda is bland, followed by a bunch of ways it isn't. Did you say it was bland because saying Honda's are bland is a cool thing to do?
Good stuff. But "Adventure Bikes" that haven't been put through their paces off road seems like half the story.
Apples and oranges,r1200gs compared with a roadie tiger,a 1050 and the africa twin..i mean gosh,why didnt you bring a max scooter to this comparison ?!
Not much of an Adventure Bike comparison, you're testing these bikes on the street. The one with the biggest seat and most street features is going to win. These are Adventure bikes, why didn't you get them off the pavement?
Why would you get four adventure bikes for a comparison and not take them off road? I own a 1200GS and they are a terrific bike. Excellent on the road and good on the dirt. I have ridden a KTM and they are exceptional on the dirt but not as good a the GS on the road. I was looking forward to hearing what others had to say about them but this test was, frankly, irrelevant.
Comaprission of Adv bikes with Tiger XR instead XC, really???
Larry J Exactly!
You lot heard of the F800??
Definitely F1200GS is the most powerful and got highest torque
I still want an S1000GS
need a ducati multistrata enduro now!
You guys should have an Honda Goldwing 1800! what's the point of an fugly adventure looking roadbike?
1050 ktm? euro model
Weird review. . . . Why did you compare the BMW 12 to the KTM 105 and the Tri8. . . this is NO comparison, it's 4 very different bikes! Seriously, you could so easily compare the Tri12 with the BMW12 and the KTM119 and the Africa1000. Now THAT would be a comparison/review/test.This is so illogical and silly.
yes, compare on offroad
😁😌😁
two minutes into the review, i hear him complaining about the crf1000 not having heated grips and adjustable windscreen, both of witch it does, i close the video.
"the weights help it because it feels more secure"
Dafuq???????
It may feel secure in his eyes, but the thing is, he is unsecure. It feels more secure because it moves slower, the direction changes are more lazy on a heavier bike and thus feeling more "secure".
In truth, the word that belongs there is, slower.
What a thing to say in a review, next time get riders who know what they are talking about.
Second, why would you compare a tiger 800 with a gs1200. At least get the tiger explorer to play in the same class.
Shitty test... Adventure bikes and only on asphalt ??? ooo come on !!! That mamoth GS1200 have nothing to do in this group, take GS800 thats the same class... and drive some crosscountry !!! this is probably the worst comparation on youtube
Yamaha? Guzzi? Ducati?
what a weird mix up.
Why a 1050 KTM ??? should be either of the 1190 R
GS should be the 800 and not the 1200...
This are dual purpose bikes. How about going in to the dirt? This review doesn't make any sense.
The image and video editing are so good, and it's a shame to do such an amateur review with no details at all. It was really disappointing.
Thank you for sharing anyway.
The big BMW ... but the little Tiger ? Yeah ... but didn't make sense.
I like the offrode part xD
BMW 1200 GS?
I like this video!!!! very cool! 정말 멋진 영상입니다.!!! 최고!!!
I own a tiger 1200 and I have toured all over europe in mine and i have loved it that much I ave just bought the new 1200 2016 tiger as well... The BMWs age badly and the reliability of them has always been controversial.
The africa twin looks the part but for road riding it really is not the bike for the job.... The KTM is not even in the same league as the others...
triumph has a better engine,gearbox better handling plus awesome sound.
Why not wait and take the new tiger 1200? It's supposed to be be great not that adventure bikes are really my thing.
The Africa Twin has many rivals depending on how/what each rider's focus is. We felt this selection was the closest match for its on-road capabilities.
We'll see about an off-road bias test 👍🏻
The King Is The Africa Twin
If you reckon the africa twin is bland, maybe because youre only riding it on the road, like in this whole video. Bland riders more like.
were is the dirt?!
the only bike the honda should really be compared to is the ktm
It's interesting. 3 of these bikes are 95 horsepower bikes, around the £10000 mark. The 1200 is 125 horsepower, and as they said, in the spec they have, £14k. I own an 800GS, that's the bike that should have been in this review.
But of course, the 40 year old, has too much money, just wants to go up and down the motorway crowd ask for this.
Also, how can you call the 1050 uncomfortable? It's absolutely the opposite.
Also, "needs heated grips"? Bollocks. Absolutely bollocks.
I just don't understand why ADV bikes are reviewed on tar - surely the whole point is all types of road capability. Road bikes are better on tar!! And I agree with the other comment about comparing similar spec bikes. Not very helpful.
Lol, They test a bunch of bikes that can be used off road in some capacity, and then moan that the bikes have some off road features. Then they try to compare a KTM 1050, instead of the 1190. Shame, could have been a good review, but ended up being complately pointless.
Adventures starts off road in my opinion. Non of these bikes are true adventure bikes, they are big bikes for a 80 on road 20 off-road use and can not survive a real adventure like singeltracks, up hill, mudd puddles etc*. A true adventure bike should have a kickstart for when the electronics fail. It should be light enough to pull and push around in off road circumstances and it should have enough height, fuel and options for luggage. So, I think that they are great bikes but no adventure bikes. And that is not a problem of course but they should not be called that way.
But, the vid looks like a honest review. Cheers!
* that is, in the hands of the average ride. Great riders, former dakar guys for example can get these machines anywhere I suppose..I am not one of them ;)
would you mind saying which bike would you choose for yourself and which would you consider meeting those requirements for it to be true adventure bike? thank you
of course, a fair question. I would go for a Yamaha Tenere or Honda TransAlp but most all: the ktm 640 adv. These bikes are road and dirt capable, lowweight and have enough power to do the job. I fell in love with the ktm because it is the best of both worlds: gigantic fuel capacity, ground clearance, very agressive, great suspension and a kickstart + electricstart.
There is a big aftermarket and the machine does everything. The only downside: it is expensive to maintain and probaly to high for most people. Please excuse my grammar. I am not a native speaker.
Gs, gs, gs, blah blah blah....... I’d take any of the others......proven gs is most unreliable and gains the most recalls. Tiger brilliant engine and frame, value you can’t argue. Honda is what it is, best bike of the group in my opinion engine, solid, handling, spot on, balance planted, brakes great. Ktm.... adds another bike to the test nuff said.
Hello Friends, I think that this comparison does not make sense. First, the power of each one is not the same. Second, NW are not the same in each bike. It would be better for the next comparison you better doing with the same horse power and NW.
In my opinion KTM, Triumph and Honda are in the same level. Them with different character. But the BMW is out of context.
I love the KTM and Triumph. BMW the queen. Honda veteran resurrected.
And the winner is the Super10
Wierd test... why Triumph 800 and not the 1200 when u have the BMW1200??
Hi Johan, the 800 is much more road-biased which was the purpose of the test. We could have equally have taken the 1290 KTM yet it the 1050 is much close to the Africa Twin in terms of price and power.
all looks great for africa twin but this fuel tank 19l for adventure bike lol its not like you have petro station every 150 miles in the desert
30 mpg? 19 liters =5 gallons (US) @ 50mpg =250 miles or 400km. More than enough for most people.
do people even know what adventure riding is anymore?
Ok guys, this review offers two things:
1. 4 guys sitting around talking.
2. Repeat video clips of the bikes on your typical touring roads.
You really should have hit the road and trails with GoPros to demonstrate how the bikes actually perform. This never happens. Blah.
that's the weirdest comparison I have watched. why the gs1200 and not 800. or why not triumph explorer 1200 instead of the 800? then you talk about the tiger not being good off road and u don't have the off road version. stupid bike selection.
the gs is a street bike
the best place to ride these adventure bikes are in india ladakh manali himalya
So adventure bike testing....and not one spec of dirt? The ktm and Africa Twin would have left that BMW in the dust. Worthless video.
If u are doing a adventure bike shootout why do u let Mr road bike have such a overpowering opinion. He even says he has no desire to hit the dirt road!111
where is the Yamaha it's an incomplete test without the Yamaha sorry
Send me £10,and I'll tell you where that road is!😉