2020 Honda Africa Twin to be launched on March 5 in India
Honda is set to launch the CRF 1100L Africa Twin on March 5 in India. The motorcycle was showcased in two variants at the EICMA in 2019.
It gets multiple updates including the engine along with a cosmetic changes which includes a refreshed fairing and a lighter frame. The two variants are the Africa Twin and the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, which is a long-distance touring version. We are expecting Honda to bring the Africa Twin with a 6-speed manual gearbox along with the 6-speed DCT automatic gearbox to India, unlike the outgoing model which was made available only with the DCT automatic gearbox. The motorcycle will be locally assembled like the outgoing model.
The 2020 Africa Twin is now equipped with a new engine that displaces 1,084cc instead of 999cc. The parallel-twin mill gets a longer stroke, increasing from 75.1 mm to 81.5 mm, and keeps the same 92mm bore. The 1,084cc engine churns out 102PS at 7,500rpm and 105Nm of peak torque at 6,250rpm. The engine gets lighter aluminium cylinder sleeves and redesigned engine casings, leading to a 2.5kg drop in weight for the manual transmission engine while the automatic DCT engine is 2.2 kg lighter.
The electronics in the 2020 Africa Twin has also been revised, coming equipped with the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), which is powered by a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). The engine now comes with four power levels and three levels of electronic engine braking, with seven levels of HSTC. Wheelie control with three levels of input has also been added to the features list. The new 6.5 inch TFT touchscreen instrument panel offers Bluetooth audio as well as Apple CarPlay connectivity. The motorcycle also comes with an off-road mode with three modes of its own for the rider to choose from.
The 2020 Africa Twin will rival the likes of the Triumph Tiger 900 and is expected to be priced competitively to attract customers.