Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports (vários upgrades para 2018)
Passaram sensivelmente 2 anos desde que fui dos primeiros em Portugal a testar a Africa Twin CRF1000L, a convite do Director de Relações Públicas e Marketing da Honda Portugal - Carlos Cerqueira.
Pois passados estes 2 anos a marca parece querer manter viva a atracção que este nome tem no Mundo do Motociclismo e lança assim a sua Adventure Sports.
São upgrades (variadíssimos) que a marca fez à versão actual, sem no entanto levar a efeito rasgos evidentes a nível de design.
As alterações são muitas e deixo aqui a descrição de tudo quanto foi divulgado pela própria Honda às publicações que iniciaram hoje a divulgação desta nova "Adventure Sports" e que pode p.ex. ser encontrado na VisorDown.com.
"Called the Africa Twin Adventure Sport, the new version has a larger tank – up from 18.8 litres to 24.2 litres – a higher riding position, greater ground clearance and longer-travel suspension, plus heated grips and an extended fairing.
Along with the base-model, it benefits from a ride-by-wire throttle with three riding modes, extra traction control levels, plus a revised intake and exhaust and ‘more responsive power delivery and engaging engine sound,’ according to Honda.
It also celebrates the original XRV650 Africa Twin’s 30th anniversary with a new paint scheme.
Honda says the extra tank capacity boosts range to over 500km (310 miles).
Ground clearance is 270mm, 20mm more that the base model’s, while the stroke length of the 45mm Showa cartridge-type inverted front fork is up 22mm to 252mm. Rebound and compression damping are fully adjustable.
The Africa Twin Adventure Sport’s kerb weight is 243kg for the manual version or 253kg with Honda’s automatic Dual Clutch Transmission system, with 2.3kg saved by a new lithium-ion battery.
The base-model also gets a lithium-ion battery and is 2kg lighter than its predecessor, at 230kg for the manual edition or 240kg with DCT.
A modified airbox improves the mid-range response, as does a lighter balancer shaft weight, while exhaust revisions make for a more 'evocative howl', Honda says.
The 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels are now made from stainless steel, and block tyres are approved for fitment for 2018, according to the firm.
The riding modes offer different levels of power and the Honda Selectable Torque Control - or traction control - now has seven levels and off.
A quick-shifter is available as an option on the manual version.
The updates and new version were revealed in Milan this evening ahead of the Eicma motorcycle show.
Mr K. Morita, Honda’s Large Project Leader for the model, said: “Our CRF1000L Africa Twin has proven itself a worthy successor to the original and very much the ‘Go Anywhere’ machine that we set out to make.
“Over the last two years it’s a motorcycle that’s covered millions of kilometres, and we have received plentiful feedback from owners."
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/new-honda-africa-twin-adventure-sport
