[Bhatman510]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

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

2018 Africa Twin? Or Adventure Sports? DCT or Manual?

[davids4x4mm550]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

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

Hi Congrats.... Did you book the 2018 in India?

[naveenroy]

No, this is in the US. Manual, 2017 Honda Africa Twin. Will be posting up the ownership review soon - still working on it.

[davids4x4mm550]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

No, this is in the US. Manual, 2017 Honda Africa Twin. Will be posting up the ownership review soon - still working on it.

oh great congrats . Looking forward to your review.

[sachinwadhwani]

Originally Posted by Bhatman510

2018 Africa Twin? Or Adventure Sports? DCT or Manual?

Eyes closed DCT. I own one.

Between ATAS and 2018 AT, the ATAS only makes sense if you're a very hardcore ADV rider and can handle that size and weight offroad, and if you need that bigger fuel tank. Otherwise 2018 AT DCT has it all.

[davids4x4mm550]

got this quote for the 2018 AT in Pune

[ACM]

This Bike seems to make the most sense in the 12L+ OTR range.

1) Safety: Automatic cars are safer and so are bikes. The mind is not thinking of changing gears even subconsciously. It can focus on the more important braking and road ahead situation.

2) Comfort: Effort to press clutch and change gears is removed.

So if you can spend 12L to 30L Africa Twin DCT seems to be the bike to have provided you can flatfoot it.

Forget the colourful looks.

Honda anyways implies greater reliability.

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by ACM

This Bike seems to make the most sense in the 12L+ OTR range.

1) Safety: Automatic cars are safer and so are bikes. The mind is not thinking of changing gears even subconsciously. It can focus on the more important braking and road ahead situation.

2) Comfort: Effort to press clutch and change gears is removed.

So if you can spend 12L to 30L Africa Twin DCT seems to be the bike to have provided you can flatfoot it.

Forget the colourful looks.

Honda anyways implies greater reliability.

Beg to differ ... any bike with a Up/Down quickshifter is as comfortable on the highway.

A Multistrada 950 or 850GS or Tiger would run rings around the Africa Twin unless you plan to take it offroad.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by ethanhunt123

Beg to differ ... any bike with a Up/Down quickshifter is as comfortable on the highway.

A Multistrada 950 or 850GS or Tiger would run rings around the Africa Twin unless you plan to take it offroad.

The Point is not about going faster (running rings around) but about safety and comfort.

Anyone who has experienced an automatic for a long period of time would realise that one less function for the human mind to think about and act upon means lesser effort and stress and more safety and comfort.

A manual say BMW 3301 can be more exciting but not more comfortable or safer than an automatic one.

DCT has the added benefit of faster than humanly possible shifts.

Am Not talking about racing or even rallying but about the basic riding functions.

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by ACM

The Point is not about going faster (running rings around) but about safety and comfort.

Anyone who has experienced an automatic for a long period of time would realise that one less function for the human mind to think about and act upon means lesser effort and stress and more safety and comfort.

A manual say BMW 3301 can be more exciting but not more comfortable or safer than an automatic one.

DCT has the added benefit of faster than humanly possible shifts.

Am Not talking about racing or even rallying but about the basic riding functions.

Well i have driven quite a lot of automatic cars as well as manual cars - while automatic's are conveinient in city traffic - no way did i feel safer. Infact on the US freeways - automatic cars lead you into boredom and sleepiness for having nothing to do. Anyways it can be our personal opinion unless you have some statistics to show automatic cars are safer.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by ethanhunt123

Well i have driven quite a lot of automatic cars as well as manual cars - while automatic's are conveinient in city traffic - no way did i feel safer. Infact on the US freeways - automatic cars lead you into boredom and sleepiness for having nothing to do. Anyways it can be our personal opinion unless you have some statistics to show automatic cars are safer.

I think you are both arguing a moot point. It has to come down to personal preference. Hardcore motorcyclists here have tried the DCT and come back amazed. Even I wanted to try it though for me, I wanted the "joy" of using the clutch and gear shifter. And honestly, if the DCT was priced as same or lesser than the manual, I would have surely considered buying it - the reviews are that good.

And driving automatic cars on US freeways make you sleepy and bored? CARS make me bored! See that is an example of a moot point

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ACM

1) Safety: Automatic cars are safer and so are bikes. The mind is not thinking of changing gears even subconsciously. It can focus on the more important braking and road ahead situation.

I'm still skeptical on the cornering abilities of the Africa Twin though - a scenario an automatic car will never need to worry about.

Through a set of corners - being in the right gear is almost everything. May be because I didn't get the chance to try this on the AT yet - but I doubt it could be a 'safer' bet to have this additional thing to worry about during such scenarios. Yes, worry - because a wrong move by the gearbox could upset the balance in a corner.

Only real advantage I see is in the cities - the DCT is absolute 'twist and go' convenience there. Surely one less thing to worry about, as you say.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I'm still skeptical on the cornering abilities of the Africa Twin though - a scenario an automatic car will never need to worry about.

Through a set of corners - being in the right gear is almost everything. May be because I didn't get the chance to try this on the AT yet - but I doubt it could be a 'safer' bet to have this additional thing to worry about during such scenarios. Yes, worry - because a wrong move by the gearbox could upset the balance in a corner.

Only real advantage I see is in the cities - the DCT is absolute 'twist and go' convenience there. Surely one less thing to worry about, as you say.

Forget the cornering. But the Africa Twin DCT performs so well offroad - isn't going off road a much better test of its capabilities than even cornering?

This is what a friend here told me - gone are the days of automatics being unreliable on curves and stuttering to find the right automatic gear. These engines are so refined that they shift even better than a human can.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Forget the cornering. But the Africa Twin DCT performs so well offroad - isn't going off road a much better test of its capabilities than even cornering?

May be yes. I'm frankly not an offroader yet who could even comment authoritatively even on the basics of it. Offroading such machines (including my Versys) is an activity meant for those with a good cash backup.

Cornering is more of a scenario I could relate to. Hence my doubts there.

Speaking of offroad reminded me of this image that the Bangalore dealer published yesterday. Africa Twin at Khardungla Pass -

[ACM]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I'm still skeptical on the cornering abilities of the Africa Twin though - a scenario an automatic car will never need to worry about.

Through a set of corners - being in the right gear is almost everything. May be because I didn't get the chance to try this on the AT yet - but I doubt it could be a 'safer' bet to have this additional thing to worry about during such scenarios. Yes, worry - because a wrong move by the gearbox could upset the balance in a corner.

From an Engineering point of view and being a DCT type of AT cars user over last 10+ years I feel a DCT is less likely to put us in the wrong gear vs a human being doing the same. As we say computers will do exactly as they are programmed to do each time. Humans cannot repeat the same perfect gear changes nor compute too many parameters at the same time.

I recently began a search of Bikes and a key preference was Automatic Transmission. A DCT is the best kind of Auto T one could wish for. Gear changes should mostly not even be noticed. Africa Twin is the only well priced Super bike close to that requirement. Currently I drive three cars in a two person single driver household and so am even contemplating ridding my self of the BMW 3.0d X3 zx TC AT or EcoSport DCT AT for the Africa Twin anticipating safety, convenience, comfort, reliability, reasonable snob value and INCREASED thrill compared to even the 30d Engine due to the combination of driver aids including DCT.

Will of course do a test drive first. Versys is also of course in the top 3 options.