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Old 29th December 2017, 12:57   #61
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

Horses for courses.

Daily ride in city - Would prefer a naked - Z800/Z900/Street Triple
Touring - Africa Twin/Tiger
Sunday Rides - Busa/Ducati SuperSport
Track focussed - RC390 - CBE, Daytona - MMST, R1/S1000RR/GSK - Buddh

Put percentages in the above and weightage and choose the bike that most suits you (factoring in cost as well).

Like Jaggu said, diff people have different needs. For me, right now, my Z800 is the best combo for how/where/when I ride.

To each his own guys, chill!!
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Old 29th December 2017, 16:06   #62
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

Got to ride the Africa Twin on the highway recently. Although I've ridden the bike inside the city more than a couple of times this was different as this was on an open highway and just after riding a Ducati Multistrada Enduro.

Ergos: Very comfortable rider triangle, i could flatfoot on both sides and the bike felt light and manageable. Handlebar reach is relaxed and good for long distance riding and also for stand up riding.

Performance: Riding modes really make a big difference here. D mode upshifts early and you will feel a slight jerk when it does. At 100kmph bike is in 6th gear.
S mode: Rode it in S3 mode which is full power and it makes the engine more responsive and at 100kmph it stayed in 2nd gear. Revs till redline in this mode.
G mode: Gravel mode makes throttle response smoother, something i felt will work great while offroading on loose gravel.

Did not try the manual mode for long but it's something i definitely want to try in future.
throttle response and acceleration feels smooth/linear and in no way intimidating. On/off throttle transition is the smoothest I've ever experienced. Strangely, riding AT on highway felt odd because once over 80kmph everything feels the same, it is fast no doubt about it but the muted exhaust note and super effective wind protection masks the speed very well

I'm putting my overall observations in terms of pros and cons
Pros:
1. Comfortable tourer. Long days on the saddle no problem.
2. DCT: Takes away a lot of rider fatigue, especially in situations like heavy traffic and broken roads.
3. FE: Around 20 kmpl.
4. Windscreen: Very effective design.
5. Maintenance: Uses the same oil as my CBR650f and CBR250r. Overall spare parts cost and service costs are inexpensive.
6. 820mm seat height.

Cons:
1. Tube tyres. (I hear showroom has an option of tubeless conversion).
2. Short footpegs.
3. Available in only one color.
4. Manual shift option would have reduced the price and I feel it would have sold more.

Overall I felt this bike is for those epic 30+ days touring where rider fatigue is the real concern, And especially after riding Multistrada Enduro this felt like a toy which I can properly thrash around. Now, only if it weighed 20kilos less .
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Old 29th December 2017, 21:04   #63
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by Mashblue View Post
Cons:
1. Tube tyres. (I hear showroom has an option of tubeless conversion).
2. Short footpegs.
3. Available in only one color.
4. Manual shift option would have reduced the price and I feel it would have sold more.
Check out this thread out at ADV rider. Plenty of tubless options:
http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...194486/page-12

Footpegs are easily replaceable (aftermarket or pegs off of a XR650)
Cant get different plastics?
Too bad India doesnt get the manual. Super smooth shifts and really light
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Old 29th December 2017, 22:22   #64
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by Red Liner View Post
Also there are a lot of personal under the table insinuations here. I apologise to proton for my jibe.
Hi Red Liner, no offense taken. I guess I´m partly to blame with my vague posts. So a knock on the head sometimes sharpens the mind wonderfully, as you can see with my last post where I finally managed to say what i meant to say. Sometimes a little friction is good! Sweetness and light can be a result!

Great posts from others, shedding even more light on factors to consider when springing for a bike.

Apologies to Mobike008 too, for the heated reply, which was uncalled for. It´s a little difficult to gauge the tone of someone´s post on the Internet. I´m sure we would all be having a good laugh if this conversation had taken place in a coffee shop.

Have a great night all, as I´m logging out, as I´m having some work on hand. Thanks again for the good discussion.
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Old 31st December 2017, 11:17   #65
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by proton View Post
Hi Red Liner, no offense taken. I guess I´m partly to blame with my vague posts. So a knock on the head sometimes sharpens the mind wonderfully, as you can see with my last post where I finally managed to say what i meant to say. Sometimes a little friction is good! Sweetness and light can be a result!

Great posts from others, shedding even more light on factors to consider when springing for a bike.

Apologies to Mobike008 too, for the heated reply, which was uncalled for. It´s a little difficult to gauge the tone of someone´s post on the Internet. I´m sure we would all be having a good laugh if this conversation had taken place in a coffee shop.

Have a great night all, as I´m logging out, as I´m having some work on hand. Thanks again for the good discussion.
Nice post.

It is true that understanding the tone of a person's post is pretty vague when on the internet and can be easily misconstrued. I have been a victim of those situations plenty of times so I know how it feels

I also didn't mean any offense and was just asking you to be not so vague or abrupt in your response. Anyways, let the bygones be bygones and enjoy a good laugh on the last day of 2017 and continue with our healthy debates that is what this wonderful forum is all about

On that note, Wish you all motorcycle and car enthusiasts a great 2018
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Old 8th January 2018, 13:11   #66
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by ringoism View Post
...Anyone who thinks they need a train or truck to do Manali-Leh on less than 1000cc is in a dreamworld... You only have to be able to do a steady 80-90kmph on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway to ride safely with the average flow of traffic
P.S. Intended: "Delhi-Manali-Leh" - hope that was apparent in what I was responding to and what followed... point being that mid-sized bikes are more than enough for both expressway and hill road...

But not re-opening this discussion... am firmly "resting my point"... :-)

Thanks,
Eric

Last edited by ringoism : 8th January 2018 at 13:13.
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Old 28th April 2018, 01:06   #67
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by proton View Post
Rather than address the relevant points of your post, the issue can be answered by providing the factors that influence the person who is a potential buyer:

Directly relevant factors for choosing for local use (AKA buyer resonance!):

- Differentiates between reaching destination fatigued as a result of riding a buzzing 650 or lower and reaching relaxed.
Appreciate your inputs. We always have two sides to a coin. While I also felt attracted to the Africa, I was quickly turned off as soon as I realized that I wouldn't be able to squeeze much out of it. I've learned from GTO to use my vehicles and other things for as long as I can. And it'd have been a challenge to put even 15,000km/year on the Africa.

Back to your point. A 650 doesn't equal buzzy palms. If it's buzzy, then something is either wrong with the engine or the buzz is part of the package.

Since we're talking about ADVs, the ability to have fun off-road needs to be an integral part of the bike. And extra weight always plays spoilsport when playing around in the dirt.

Besides, legal speed limit in India is 100km/h AFAIK. Sure you can hit 250 on the Yamuna expressway but not without stepping on the wrong side of the law. Even a Himalayan can do 110km/h, easily. I've done 80-90km/h for about 6 hours in a single sitting on the Impulse. No buzzy feeling. I swear. A Versys 300 will obviously be smoother and it can also hold a higher speed.


Quote:
- Knows big machines are actually safer, for highway cruising and overtaking, because of power delivery available at lower rpms. And you may need power left to get out of a sticky situation or to complete the overtaking maneuver.
Wants/needs to do some off-roading, either as part of the journey or separate mud plugging.
Moving from the buzz to engine heat. How practical is it to ride a liter class to work in Bangalore? Or Mumbai? How does extra heat impact the safety? And how bout managing that extra weight at every stop light?

The extra power doesn't make a bike safe. In fact, it makes it unsafe. Knowing that the extra power can kill you, respecting it, and learning how to control it makes the bike safe. Until that happens, the rider is a threat to her/himself and to others.


Quote:
Originally Posted by ringoism View Post
There is an awful lot between a 1200GS and a CRF250. How about some middle-ground here?
Exactly my point. A CRF250 L or Rally fits perfectly for Indian consumers. While a middleweight can serve as the upper limit for the power hungry.

Quote:

I once rode (pillion) down from Rotterdam to Lyon, southern France, through Belgium and Luxemborg, on a BMW K75... at times cruising at 150kmph... and can honestly say that the only time we were truly enjoying ourselves was when we got off the multi-lane and (attempting to avoid a very expensive toll) ended up on some little-used would-be shortcut that went up over the Alps. Yeah, we got lost and arrived at our destination late. So what? Saw some great things and stopped in some great places along the way.
-Eric
I can attest to that. During my ride from Dharuhera to Pune, Google Maps took me through a "shortcut" and I got to ride through grape farms on broken village roads with the aroma of red wine keeping me company.

That was the most memorable part of my 36-hour ride.

The other time I decided to take an alternate path and Google again guided me home through a small-time village. I got to experience rough patches, straights, speed breakers, rumble strips, and twisties. A great mix for my commute back home.
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Old 28th April 2018, 01:42   #68
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by MaheshY1 View Post
Exactly my point. A CRF250 L or Rally fits perfectly for Indian consumers. While a middleweight can serve as the upper limit for the power hungry.
You have a good point. The NC700 has a smooth efficient engine. It has the best gas mileage in its class, and is a very low rev engine for cruising comfort. If Honda slaps a bigger gas tank on this engine, it would be a great fir for the Indian market. If one maintains regular speeds of 60mph, one can expect a crazy outcome of 75mpg. Slap on couple knobby tires, and you are all set for adventure touring. In the US market Honda prices NC700x at Rs5.2L. With localization, if they pull off a sub Rs5L bike, it would sell like hot cakes.
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Old 28th April 2018, 05:45   #69
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon View Post
You have a good point. The NC700 has a smooth efficient engine. It has the best gas mileage in its class, and is a very low rev engine for cruising comfort. If Honda slaps a bigger gas tank on this engine, it would be a great fir for the Indian market. If one maintains regular speeds of 60mph, one can expect a crazy outcome of 75mpg. Slap on couple knobby tires, and you are all set for adventure touring. In the US market Honda prices NC700x at Rs5.2L. With localization, if they pull off a sub Rs5L bike, it would sell like hot cakes.
NC750X is releasing in the USDM market...has a tad more power.

Rumor mill keeps grinding about a 650/750 Honda ADV bike which is tempting..
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Old 28th April 2018, 07:14   #70
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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NC750X is releasing in the USDM market...has a tad more power. Rumor mill keeps grinding about a 650/750 Honda ADV bike which is tempting..
Bhatman510, I see your location is SJ. If the pricing matters, now would be a great time to pickup any remaining previous model year NCs. I think there is a $1000 Honda rebate, and the dealers would be trying to offload these asap. Dealers usually throw in other rebates. Go to a dealer that does heavy volumes and, checkout a new unsold - previous model year bike before the 750 hits the showroom. You may be in for a sweet surprise. The 50cc would hardly make a difference that one can notice.
https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/...2%AE-121295452

Last edited by GutsyGibbon : 28th April 2018 at 07:15.
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Old 28th April 2018, 10:10   #71
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon View Post
Bhatman510, I see your location is SJ. If the pricing matters, now would be a great time to pickup any remaining previous model year NCs. I think there is a $1000 Honda rebate, and the dealers would be trying to offload these asap. Dealers usually throw in other rebates. Go to a dealer that does heavy volumes and, checkout a new unsold - previous model year bike before the 750 hits the showroom. You may be in for a sweet surprise. The 50cc would hardly make a difference that one can notice.
https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/...2%AE-121295452
Lowest price I found in Hayward was for 10k out the door...I totally want the AF DCT in the HRC colors...but I also just picked up a 2011 Vstrom...which has been fun so far. Maybe ill look again....Thanks!
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Old 4th May 2018, 23:26   #72
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by MaheshY1 View Post

Moving from the buzz to engine heat. How practical is it to ride a liter class to work in Bangalore? Or Mumbai? How does extra heat impact the safety? And how bout managing that extra weight at every stop light?

Here's the thing.

There are situations where having a small bike can be a disadvantage right from the get go:

A husband wife team started off with a 1200gs and a 650gs. He had to slow down all the time. Finally he sold the 1200 and bought a second 650. Problem solved!

Easily solved by downgrading.

But there are other situations where people won't downgrade, either by trading in rides for slower ones or by slowing down:

Quote
By the way, I had a foreigner on GS for company on two days and he used to just disappear into horizon while I struggled to do basic distance. Guy from UK who was on tour of India, the 6 foot 5" frame still fresh in my memory from last year.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...ml#post4330017


The great thing about travel is the interesting people you meet. I remember lining up at 5 in the morning for one of the one hundred free tickets for the PETRONAS towers tour. The next guy in the queue had the exact same camera I had. I'd custom chosen it because of its fantastic low light capabilities, and so had he. I began to tell him about the nice shots I got in the underground level of the Taj, when he told me I shouldn't miss the Alhambra when I visited his country. Every brick was cut and presented for measurement at night. If it was one millimetre off, the cutter's head came off!

So these are the wonderful experiences you miss if you can't keep up with the rest of the group. And I'm not at an age when I need or want to compromise. On retiring, I plan to move to Lucknow to access even Nepal via Raxaul. May even start a motorcycle holiday agency.

PS Speaking of Alhambra, I'll be spending the next two weeks in Spain and Italy. So ciao!
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Old 5th May 2018, 08:50   #73
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

I still can't understand why 150km/h isn't enough. It's well above the legal speed limit and should be the upper limit for tourers in India. There's no point in going past 150 on a public road; and that, even a Versys X300 can do.

Last edited by MaheshY1 : 5th May 2018 at 08:51.
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Old 5th May 2018, 11:32   #74
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

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Originally Posted by MaheshY1 View Post
I still can't understand why 150km/h isn't enough. It's well above the legal speed limit and should be the upper limit for tourers in India. There's no point in going past 150 on a public road; and that, even a Versys X300 can do.
It is absolutely enough.


That said, a bigger capacity engine allows you to do one thing very well. 120+ cruising speeds at a much relaxed lower rpm. This is key to overall comfort, fatigue levels, and even engine component life. Cruising at 120 kmph at 8,000 rpm is not going to be very good.

However, you buy a bike for use where you are. Being in Bangalore, and having wanting to experience 600+ cc adv tourer, the versys fit my bill. Would i upgrade over this to a twin or a beemer. Hard to say. I haven't even been using 60% of the potential power band of the versys.

Lastly, if you are going to regularly hit longer highways, a bigger capacity motorcycle is the best option. If you live in the mountains, it doesn't really make much sense.

Summary: Buy according to your use case there is none and never will be a one size fits all.
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Old 13th June 2018, 01:43   #75
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Re: A Closer Look - Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin DCT

So I changed my signature a few days back. Added another motorcycle in there. Time to write a review?

Last edited by naveenroy : 13th June 2018 at 01:45.
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