Honda XRV 750 Africa Twin
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Buy the best, it’s less bother in the long run.’ This is a Honda that oozes old school quality, from the days when the company was a genuine market leader in all things two-wheels, keen to create brand new concepts. STEADY NOW It’s just enough power to see the tall machine push past an indicated 110mph flat out, although the Africa Twin can cruise all day at 80-90mph on a motorway. Two other factors; increasing vibration from the motor, plus a bit of helmet buffeting from the screen, also conspire to make 80-ish about as fast as you want to go. Especially off-road. This bike is an off-roader in the same way that a Range Rover is good for rounding up sheep in the Outer Hebrides – great on paper, but mildly insane in practice. I did try a little excursion along a farm track, but even at 40mph the bike simply slithered through mud in any direction it felt like going, not where I was pointing the front wheel. The bike actually handles much better than something this tall and heavy has any right to. It dives a little bit too much on the brakes of course, but if you get everything done long before the turn, the Africa Twin can hustle its way around corners very well indeed, with lots of feedback from the suspension allowing the rider to push the tyres that bit more. Ground clearance is also very good, much better than the Honda’s big brother Varadero 1000 by the way. PRACTICAL LESSONS The thing is, journey times were pretty much identical on the Honda. The only annoying feature on the XRV for me is the hard, enduro type saddle, which doesn’t belong on what is in reality, a touring bike. Honda should have changed it years ago. There’s also a lack of space under the seat, with a small cubby hole being insufficient, even for a lightweight pair of waterproofs. It’s also worth remembering this bike has an old fashioned 21 inch front wheel, restricting your tyre choices. The Varadero wins on comfort, with a bigger fairing and wider, softer saddle, making it the better choice for two up riding, but the old Africa Twin still has a little bit of the spirit of adventure inside its crankcases. It’s also cheaper, at just over £6,300 on the road, although you can get them for about £5500 from the parallel import dealers. For that sort of money, you are buying a bike that rivals machines like the BMW R1150GS in terms of on/off road ability, overall durability and future re-sale value. You don’t see such a thing as a cheap Africa Twin secondhand – I’ve looked! The XRV deserves to be developed further, retaining its genuine character, its strength of purpose, that still gets under your skin. A modern 750cc V-twin motor, kicking out about 70bhp, with a tweaked chassis and touring seat option, would be a fantastic bike – trouble is, it make the Varadero 1000 redundant overnight, so I don’t see Honda producing a new Africa Twin. This is the last of a line that stretches back to those great days of the Paris-Dakar in the 80s, when the factories went in with big guns blazing, building monster off-roaders, which became softer, more touring roadsters, when made street legal. Honda got it right first time with the XRV750, so while they’re still making them, get yourself a demo ride. |