r/africatwin

Hello,

Wanted to see if there are any advanced/intermediate riders who take their ATAS off road? In majority of social media posts about the AT I notice more road oriented touring with road biased tires, and not many that are utilized in off road terrain, or have knobbier tires. I have a 2019 ATAS with 21” front wheel and longer suspension travel and have ridden it many times on miles of dirt trails and desert double tracks and have found it rather capable and fun. Alas, from the majority, it seems the ATAS is considered a luxury road touring vehicle and not represented much as a rugged off road motorcycle.

Yes, I understand that the size and weight of the AT is considerably more than a capable dual sport under 700cc. More expensive to replace broken parts and heavier to lift if dropped. Am I mistaken to believe the ATAS has plenty of potential for more demanding off road capability? I’ve seen as many YouTube videos that use the ATAS as a platform for BDR riding, etc. but want to hear from real people who have personally experienced the AT in an off road context.

Probably the weirdest mash-up question, since these are very different motorcycles, but hear me out.

I'm 40 years old, 6ft tall, 190lbs, athletic build. I currently own an NX500, which was my first bike and I'm very confident riding it, especially on tight low speed maneuvers (u-turns, figure 8s, etc at 3-8mph). I bought it with the intention to move up to an Africa Twin.

My riding is just cruising on back country roads, going to church, and running small errands in a mid size town in NW Indiana. I do plan on doing some longer rides up to Michigan in a couple of years but for now I just want something comfortable on two wheels to wind down after a hard day.

The 2024 Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT I'm looking at, I can get for ~$15k as soon as Honda clears the recall on them, and I've wanted one due to the smaller front wheel, lowered ride height, and electronic suspension. To me, it does not feel top heavy like the standard Africa Twin does and the seat is more comfortable. I do like the seated position of the Africa Twin, as it allows me to use my feet to support myself on some of the...frankly garbage roads we have up here.

The 2025 Goldwing Tour DCT I'm looking at, is of course 2x the price and almost 2x the weight of my NX500, but cost is a minor factor in my decision here and the center of gravity is very low. I have a limited opportunity to ride both, and it would only be in the parking lot of the dealership. I do have kids, and at some point they'll want to go on rides with me so the Goldwing Tour is a consideration, but it might be a few years until that happens. My oldest daughter is 8 and she can’t wait to go riding. I have no plans for long road trips in the foreseeable future.

My main concern is that the Goldwing won't be much fun to drive since it's *such* a relaxed ride. I’ve heard some people call it boring and disengaged (I’m here to ask your opinions on it). The Africa Twin seems like it would be more engaging to ride, while still being comfortable thanks to the suspension. Side note: I can ride a manual motorcycle just fine, but I would prefer a DCT for my next bike as it's more fun for me to row gears in my 124 Spider. Main concern with the Africa Twin is my daughter being able to safely ride on the back.

What are your thoughts? I'm not considering any other motorcycles. I figured I’d ask actual Africa Twin owners.

Doing an oil change it uses 4.2L of oil

It makes me curious isn't that a lot for only a 1000cc engine?

My car (Subaru forester with a 2.5L engine) uses the same amount of oil for an oil change (4.2L)

What do you think is the engineering reason these engines have such high oil capacity?

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a new Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT 2026 and I’m looking to replace the stock seat.

For me, the original seat feels too narrow and not comfortable enough, especially in the main seating area where it becomes too slim. I want something that is:

• as comfortable as possible for long road rides
• wider than stock in the main seating area
• made for comfortable seated road riding — I do not plan to stand on the bike or use it for serious off-road riding
• easy to install, so that any normal motorcycle mechanic can fit it without problems
• preferably black or another dark color
• seat heating is not necessary

For reference, I am 187 cm tall and weigh 83 kg.
The bike is grey, and I am based in Valencia, Spain.

I would really like to hear from people who have actually replaced the seat on their Africa Twin / Africa Twin Adventure Sports and were genuinely happy with the result.

Which brands or models would you recommend?
Corbin, Russell Day-Long, Seat Concepts, Sargent, Touratech, or something else?

Most importantly, I’m looking for a seat that is noticeably wider and more comfortable than stock, not just “slightly better”.

Thanks a lot — real owner feedback would be very appreciated.

I’m really close to buying a Honda Africa Twin, but I’ve learned the hard way that I sometimes buy bikes based on excitement and only discover the annoying stuff later.

With my last bike, there were a lot of little ownership frustrations that I wish I had known beforehand — maintenance access, reliability quirks, electrical issues, expensive parts, things that only owners really know after living with the bike for a while.

So before I pull the trigger on the Africa Twin, I’d love to hear the honest downsides from actual owners.

Not looking for a review or “it’s the best bike ever.” I specifically want to know:
- What annoys you about owning it?
- What breaks or wears faster than expected?
- Any electrical problems or weak points?
- How difficult is maintenance/access to parts?
- Expensive repairs?
- Weight issues off-road?
- DCT pros/cons if you own one?
- Anything you wish you knew before buying?

For example, I already noticed small things like battery access seeming annoying, and I’ve heard the electronics can be vulnerable in crashes or rough off-road use.

Basically: what are the real-world ownership downsides that YouTube reviews don’t talk about?

if you'd bought a used '21 dct with only 7k miles for $11k and got 16k more miles out of it before stripping the countershaft would you consider replacing the shaft, or does it seem too expensive of a repair, and so would either look at another engine or selling it as is?

Hi everyone,

I'm (over)thinking redesigning my travel setup and need a few ideas how to hack/bodge this. 😁

I'm looking for a way to carry my tools (2 bags) and 2 water bottles on the bike and I can't find a good spot for them.

For context, I travel with a touratech tail bag on a tail rack, and moskomoto 55l scout duffel on a passenger seat, in front of that touratech bag. Large moskomoto molle pouch strapped to the beaver tail (current water storage).

In the front I have two 8l givi canyon crash bar bags and moskomoto nomax tank bag.

And this works good for me, but...

I carry my tool roll and a tnf base camp travel canister with spare parts inside duffel bag, which is a lot of weight up high and also inconvenient in case I need to get to it during the day.

I was thinking strapping my tools and parts to passenger foot pegs and strapping water bottle holders to the grab handles.

But can't find any bags that fit neat there.

Any ideas for bags, holders, mounts...?

Thanks and ride safe everyone! ✌🏻