Honda Africa Twin First Ride & Impressions
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Here is RyanF9s first impressions on the Honda African Twin. He also get's to try out the brand new Klim Krios Helmet. Full review coming soon. Check Instagram for some behind the scene "wasteland" photos of the shoot ( / fortnine .
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Ryan - had this bike for 18 months - you still have the best review of all I've seen - we are in agreement fully! And I love the bike faults and all! Really appreciate your no BS reviews.
Commenting on a 6yr old video, I know, but I gotta say that after watching your reviews for the ATwin I picked up a super low miles 2017 Africa Twin (manual transmission of course) and honestly it's freakin awesome! I know you said road feel was "vague" but I'm just not getting the same sense here. Off road I was really worried, as this is the heaviest I've gone with an ADV, but you're absolutely right about how effortless it really is off road that I'm wicked impressed. I love the predictable 270° parallel twin power as I think that's what makes the dirt so easy on it. It also really goes fine on the pavement, if you give her the beans she goes well enough, but it's also an adventure bike and not meant to be a race bike but man does she sound good. I've handled a few bumpy, frost heaved New England roads since I got it and even in the dirty late winter corners she really is a sweetheart on the pavement and soaking up the imperfections. All in all, I can't wait to see what my long term is like but so far I get the sense this will be a very long term relationship given their reliability. Hope this helps any folks looking around for one 6yr after this video release.
Even the GoPro knows you should bow in the presence of Africa Twin xD
Haha... well said. ~RyanF9
"I've been waiting my whole life for Honda to re enter the adventure market" me too....
... because it's an adventure bike and I've been riding it... lol... love it!
I really like your review style. No BS just your honest opinion.
Waiting for review. You always come up with interesting ideas on how to do it 👍🏻
This one should be insane. It has a "wasteland/mad max" theme and we got a drone for it too. Check out this photo from it: instagram.com/p/BK_pDBbjEIq/?taken-by=fortnine - NeilF9
Another great and honest review! LOL I have a sneaking suspicion that you holler "Whoo Hoo Hoo Hoo" when your riding and the cameras aren't rolling LOL Well done!
Fun watching this now, and seeing how far you've come with your videos.
Excellent video F9! Great real world review/impression!
Honda is a great bike - lightest machine in the big adventure market with 21 inch front wheel makes it very good off road. Thanks for your review Ryan.
Ride Camp Eat does a big adventure start at 1000cc then even the KTM 1090 is 207kg dry how much lighter is the AF ? 208kg 212kg dct
omg an honest review, good job.
Hey could u try the Royal Enfield Himalayan, probably the cheapest off-road adventure bike, and let us know your opinion, it would be different, I know it doesn't have any of the cool new stuff or anything but just let me know how u think it is.
the Himalayan will break in half on seeing the first pothole... the bike is a disgrace to all Off-road adventure bikes..
@@shajiljohn nonsense, people have already taken them around the world with no major problems. Watch itchy boots and everide.
@@RB01138 i owned that pile of garbage for a year, just visit my channel and have a look..
@@shajiljohn whoopdidoo. You can find other channels where they have taken them around the world.
@@RB01138 its my personal experience against some channel, whom will i believe?
I’ve got a 2021 ATAS and I LOVEit!
Tell me about it! 😃
Best Africa Twin review out there.
The AT will be my bike of choice when I tackle the TAT. I can't wait. No idea when I can do it yet..but sometime in the next 10 yrs.
come on man more on the Africa twin love your reviews can't wait to get my hands on this bike looking forward to your honest opinion are you ready to trade in that V-Strom yet!! ??👍
Haha yep - I'd trade my V-Strom for an AT in a heartbeat. If anyone out there is interested in making that deal... ~RyanF9
XR650 foot pegs fit perfectly!
And this steering lock!! LMFAO ahh bout time saw you drop one.
So different to the newer vids, come along way!
I love the honest on road review.
Would you trade your Strom for an Africa twin? Or if you had to start fresh, which would you buy?
And on top of that, what's your dream bike?
Hey Taylor! Yes, I would trade my V-Strom for an Africa Twin. In fact, the AT would be my first choice if I were starting fresh. Having said that, you couldn't pick more different ADV bikes. The Strom is really a sport-tourer that is surprisingly "okay" off-road. And the Africa Twin is like a dual-sport that is surprisingly "okay" on-road. But I think the AT excels most at what it does best. And I love off-roading more than anything, so it's a better bike for me. As for the dream bike, it'd be a coin toss between a BMW HP2 Enduro and a Ducati Hypermotard SP. ~RyanF9
KTM 1090 or 1290 Adventure R
FortNine what about between super tenere and africa twin, which is a better option? Occasionally off road.
Was that windscreen mounted GoPro sleepy? It kept nodding off...
That place looks suspiciously like Awesome Players' playground.
Have you tried the old transalps with the 21'' front wheel? If so, is this just a better version of that?
I was about to say the same. The sand pit, right?
Yep :) Ryan did seem to have an easy time on it though :)
It looks like it has been washed out thou...
That might be why
Yep! That's exactly the Awesome Players territory! :) Looks still fun as hell! :D
You can take of the rubber bits from the footpegs, which gives you metal pegs for off road.
PLEASE DO AN UPDATED REVIEW! The bike has changed a lot since then and i dont know wether to get one or not :)
Jeeze looks like the perfect bike for cattle country. Only about 5% of the roads are paved the rest is dirt or gravel. Plus this looks like it would do a awesome job of checking pasture land
Would love to see the new model revisited.
Wish I had your offroad confidence :-)
He qualifies as a cowboy. He said howdy!
You've come a long long way...
Looks epic in black. Not the big fan of the current headlights would love to have round headlights like the old one.
LOL love your reviews Ryan.. I even suggested your name as one of the motovloggers to watch out for. You have a lot of range and you stick to the point. Awesome stuff.
thanks, crossed this one off the potentials list ...
Nice video. Great job mate !
would love to have one. I gotta get a test ride sooner or later.
Thanks for all your videos! I ride, well rode, an f800gsa and loved it. I had been considering the new AT Adv Sport but now that my bike's totaled as of this wknd (over ambitious dirt power slides + truck = bent forks/broken clamps) I'm more seriously considering it. As you say hard to really rely on reviews...have you had a chance to ride it or have an opinion on it? I love the f800gs and know that's what you ride but would like a little more power for 2up and highway cruising.
Ryan, as a klr650 rider who loves dirt and is looking to upgrade. Would you recommend a big ADV like the AT or a used KTM 1190....or would you go to something smaller like a drz400 or ktm690?
Depends how you define "upgrade." The AT is definitely the right choice over a used 1190. KTMs aren't the greatest when it comes to reliability and work-ability, especially when you buy 'em used. Coming off a KLR I think you'd be much happier with the simplicity of the AT, especially since it's just as good off-road as the 1190. If you want to add some highway and pavement stuff to your life, go with that. If you want to go more dirt worthy, I'd take the 690 over the DRZ400 because it's way more fun. 350EXC is funner yet, if you just want a dirt bike with indicators. ~RF9
Thanks for the reply. I am definitely leaning towards the 690.
Great review.
is this in canada?? Because that place at 6:10 looks a lot like the one in the awsome players
I thought the same thing
2 years late but yeah they are from CA
Ryan do you have any plans for the 2020 model? I'd love to see some reviews again. Last one you did was for the T7, I guess, which dude, that bike is amazing, but I'd like to see your thoughts on the newer models of the AT
This is my next bike. I love my NC750x but it cannot come close to the twin.
Where was that filmed? I have yet to find great dirt path around Quebec city!
keep up the great work!
It was filmed on Scotch Road, north of Grenville QC. ~RyanF9
Thanks! Good Job!
Please do a cb500x 2022 review Ryan. Many thanks for all your hard work
Btw like to see a review of the big honda vfrx i think its called. its their v4 adventure bike similar to vstrom 1000.
I've got a V-Strom but never take it off road. Was thinking of swapping it for the Honda. After your review of how it handles on the tarmac, now I'm not so sure.
V-Strom to Africa Twin would be a big jump... The Suzuki is one of the most pavement-biased ADV bikes, and the Honda is probably the most dirt-biased one. There are a lot of options in between, which would probably be better if you're a road rider looking to dabble on the dirt :) ~RyanF9
Thanks Ryan, I guess I'll be sticking with the V-Strom then. I have my KTM 250 for dirt riding :)
Do the review for the Honda NC750X!! I want to hear a honest opinion.
i think it'll be cool if you'd tell us what gear your wearing when you ride. it seems like you change it up a bit cuz that gear your wearing looks dope
It was dope gear! You can find links to all of it in the description beneath this video. ~RyanF9
👌👍
Great video. I asked this question before on your coms system review but never got a answer. What gadgets do you use for your vlogging? I can see the GoPro so that answers that question, and from the coms system review you seem to rate the Cardo coms system better than Sena, so I am assuming you are using that? A follow on question is how good that combo (Cardo+GoPro) works when you are riding in pack and say listening to music from a mobile? Any issues?
Hey! Yep, video is done with a couple GoPros. I don't use a comm system at all for vlogging. Instead, I keep a Zoom H4n in my jacket pocket, and run a lav mic from that to the inside of my helmet to record audio. As for the Cardo setup, I have the most experience with the Packtalk. It works brilliantly streaming music from a cell phone, and is pretty flawless riding in a pack too. Best comm currently on the market, in my opinion. You can record audio from a comm system using something like Sena's GP10. But the audio quality is limited (still pretty good, but not "great"). ~RyanF9
FortNine follow up question if you dont mind. Given that the GoPro 5 is built differently the Sena audio pack wont fit it. Will the Cardo directly pair with a GoPro or Garmin Verb through Bluetooth for audio on video?
Many vid watcher, first time commenter. These are the trails and "roads" I like to ride. Similar terrain in places here in Eastern ON. But, the GoPro loses so much of the context. The terrain and angles get washed out. I cannot tell by looking how extreme the hill angles are in the sand pit. Or the depth and rise of the roller coaster black tracks. How deep the mud is. Or how loose the gravel may be. Have you ever considered doing some establishing shots? Just to give us a more accurate representation of the terrain. If this is something you have in other posts and I have missed them, please ignore all after the 3rd sentence.
Looks like you needed the ADVENTURE SPORTS version. It has more stock protection.
Do you think you'll ever review the Ducati Scrambler?
Not sure, we have not planned our shooting schedule for next year. RyanF9 did a write up on it though. You can check it out here: fortnine.ca/en/hipster-or-not-here-it-comes-the-2015-ducati-scrambler/ -NeilF9
bwahahaha that go pro keeps aiming down! Too funny " bwa whatever". Got to sit on one of these today at the Vancouver Motorbike show. Seems like its a solid bike for the off road.
Apparently Honda improved the front wheel road handling a lot for their 18MY. Would you confirm that ?
I test rode the Africa Twin with Dunlop tires and my cornering experience was nowhere similar to what you're describing! Right after that I jumped on a BMW 1200 GSA and I felt it was slightly inferior, cornering wise... hmm...
The suspension doesn't seem to have that much adjustability to create such a big difference, as your describing. Any chance your TKC80s were pretty much brand new?!
Just find it so odd that our experiences on the same bike were opposite universes apart...
Hey Ryan, I posted the following on your other AT review, but as you make so many great videos, I don't expect you to have time to reply to all the comments so I'll try here too.
In what way is the AT so bad on the street? I've owned a Busa for sixteen years and WeeStrom for eight and love them both. I ride the Wee for what it is and it's great! Is the extra soft ride or maybe OE tires on the AT really that bad on blacktop?
Thx
Hey! The AT isn't that "bad" on the street, it's just worse than almost every other adventure bike. You can still throw it around and scrape pegs all day if you like. Mainly the problems come from the 21 inch front wheel (which results in a vague handling feel) and the suspension. My problem with the suspension was that it rode so high in its stroke, so it would compress and rebound a lot in corners. As a result the bike feels unsettled or "squirmy" when you're really pushing it. I played with the settings on the suspension but couldn't get it much better. Hope that helps! ~RF9
Hi Ryan! I totally agree with your points on the Twins pavement prowess or lack there of! I waited for the colors (red white blue) to come to the states and it paid off. I still have factory rubber on those sweet gold rims and the bike is just not that into pavement. In the dirt though...feeling is awesome if even a little drifty. All your points are pretty spot on. Love your channel and peace from N.Y.
Pedro Mota rocks, original Transalp.
Ryan, when will you do the tiger xc review? Thanks!
I definitely dig it the 1000 cc gives you so much more flexibility then 600
at around 6:00 mins isn't it the playground of the Awesome Players?
Good eye. Yes, I believe it is. ~RyanF9
Nice. I wish I would life in Canada, you have so much more trails and dirt routs than we don't have here in Germany.
Yes, it is!
Can you do a KTM 1290
Super adventure S road and off road test
Nice looks awesome
..the worse it is on the pavement, the better it fares off-road & vice-versa.
And this thing just glides off-road!
Such a shame you found it to be lacking on pavement - would certainly be an amazing ride to try out!
4 yrs. on AT, don't find it lacking! Best bike of dozens ridden, just heavy for mud but dry ground no problem. Love it on pavement. Mine is dct.👍
How are the grip shifters I see your using them
howdy Ryan! any chance you remember the location of this video?
Of course! It's Scotch Road, near Grenville Quebec. The off-road portion of this video starts about here: 45.719559, -74.577659 ~RyanF9
what town are you close to when filming this video?
This is somewhere between Ontario and Quebec not far from Ottawa as far as i gathered. (Awesome Players channel's usual playground)
rick Grenville , scotch road.. love that place
do older used bikes, obscure bikes that will inspire new riders. good stuff as always!
Nice!!!!
Never ridden one, any good ?
hey F9i was wondering what is the best motorcycle gps systems and could you make a vide on it plzz
Tighten the camera mount!!! Please!!
6:10 isn't that were the Awesome Players dudes did some videos on Ural sidecars?
wich road was that??? when you were next to the lake at the begining??? thank!
Not sure what it's called ... but it's one of the offshoots from Scotch Road. I tried to follow it to the end, but the lake floods out the trail eventually. ~RyanF9
I had seen some were that it was automatic, but it looked like it had a gear selector
This one was manual. He talks about the DCT version also.
I'm surprised that you are able to find things about the Vstrom 1000 that you like more than the AT, other than off-road competence. Most people seem to pan the Suzuki other than for its on road handling and prefer the Super Tenere overall.
how does it stack up to your vstrom?
Couldn't pick more different ADV bikes. My Vee is like a sport-touring bike that is surprisingly "okay" off-road. And the Africa Twin is like a gnarly dual-sport that is surprisingly "okay" on-road. If I had to choose, I'd take the Honda. But that's because I love off-roading more than anything. ~RyanF9
hei what helmet you wearing looks nice
The new Klim Krios helmet: fortnine.ca/en/klim-krios-karbon-adventure-helmet
Ahhh good old scotch road.. my stomping ground
Hi, how does it compare to KTM990? Have you ridden one?
The Katoom is zestier on the pavement, but the Africa Twin is easier to ride off-road. By a fair bit. ~RyanF9
Wow, sounds so much like my 85 bmw k100... that sewing machine sound at idle
What road is that
2017 has the multi colours ;)
What helmet is he wearing
It's a Klim Krios. Crazy light, whistles above 80km/h, rather expensive. ~RyanF9
The Africa Twin is a sweet bike! I have a 2015 vstrom 650 is it worth it to switch to the twin? Does it do that much better off road?
Depends how often you ride off-road I guess. But to put it simply, the Africa Twin is *much better* off-road, yes. ~RyanF9
5:15 that's what she said 😳
She's bound to go down eventually better on dirt those stock hand gaurds are always crap
Bro please do a giveaway of a helmet.I really need a good one.Love from India
hi mate . would yiu charge your wee for one of those ? be honest please
Honestly, yes. The Vee is amazing on pavement and medicore off-road. The Africa Twin is amazing on dirt and mediocre on-road. But overall, I'd say the Honda excels most at what it does best. ~RyanF9
Looks pretty nimble not like super heavy
So is he saying it's better to ride off road with traction control completely off?
yes
DCT rocks far better than manual plenty of power it's almost perfect
AT 5:49 isn't this the place where awesome players come to ride?
me too
Gopro was not keen on looking at you. It was more interested in the bike.
yeah, this thing is good off-road until you drop it or crash it...
Well, I haven’t dropped my bike yet but I’m pretty sure it be easy to pick up it weighs 240 pounds that’s it
Why do parallel twins get such a bad rap from so many in the motorcycle world? It's not like they're all the same. They come in 4 known configurations (180º 270º 360º 315º) and all of them feel different, sound different, produce different torque curves.
I'm waiting for some company to realize how inexpensive a parallel twin is to manufacture compared to an L-twin, and make some high performance 270º machine with 180 horsepower. I mean comon!
other manufacturers can definitely build bikes to get through the warranty, and maybe a bit beyond that so you actually get your money out of it. BUT... Honda builds bikes for a lifetime, and everything, really... save for maybe some newer cars and stuff, don't know i won't buy them new because they have too much crap that has no choice but to cause problems. and that is the one thing you absolutely have to have in a real adventure bike. to be able to trust your bike to go hundreds of miles into the middle of nowhere, knowing it will make it back with maybe a tire kit and a few other tools because honda doesn't make every part, so some things just won't last forever. they may not be the fastest or best handling, but they are rarely, if ever, the worst and they always get the job done. you don't need 130hp on an adventure bike, period. that's a street bike with the capability to go off road, and still way more power than you would ever NEED. want, maybe, i get that... i like going fast. but hell, a vfr doesn't have the, well the 1200s maybe. but arguably the best street bike or at least sport touring ever has barely over 100. i think that's more than enough for an adventure bike. but then, i don't want abs, let alone traction and stability control, definitely not an automatic. although at least with the dct, i get why someone might, everything else is just being lazy and not learning to ride... save for a rain mode, i could see benefit there and also for abs. but the sould be set up where you can turn them off and not have to reset every time or at least a simple fuse pull, then if it's raining, i can throw it back in if i want. all the others seem to be street oriented, but off road capable. because that's what people probably want. the look, without the compromises. cause you can not have everything, ya just can't. but an adventure bike should be compromised more on the street cause it has more leeway there. i can ride a straight up dirt bike on the road fine, not the other way around.
Wait is that Ryan in overpriced Klim gear? How you like the new Krios helmet? The new AT looks cool.
Haha yep! The Krios is insanely light ... lighter than any ADV helmet I've worn by a long shot. But it also has a whistling problem above 80km/h and that's really annoying for a premium bucket. ~RyanF9
The africa is the queen of the desert.