Africa Twin test ride

[Adventure Boy]

Good unbiased write up Tim well done mate, nice and informative Im now waiting for Davy,s report on his ride Yesterday I only rode the DCT for about an hour last week and wished it was the manual version ive ordered just to get a feel of it, I am once again in 2 minds again after buying a new KTM690 Enduro R on Friday and still owning the new Versys 1000
I know the Versys will be better on road and the KTM will be better Off road, Ill see what happens when they say mine is ready to collect !!

 

[Timolgra]

Well, after report like that I'm gonna have to sell the 1190














Like feck am I

It does sound really rather nice though and I like the way you put it in a class of it's own, I get that and that kinda appeals to me.

Nice report and very nice pictures

Are you tempted then.................................?

Andres

When I arrived at the dealers I automatically went straight to look at an 1190R (again), which was all very exciting of course...... until.....

I started typing a reply that was turning into waffle so deleted it

 

[Wreford Miles]

Thanks Tim, that's a tryfan report, it sounds like a tryfan bike and tryfan pictures btw, where did you take them?

If it was not written by you I would not have 'Adam and Eve'd it'

 

[Timolgra]

Before we all get swept away on a DCT wave I had DCT on a Crosstourer for over a year and it was only when I rode a bike with gears again did I realise what I was missing. It's clever and functional and competent for sure. After you've owned one for more than an afternoon you will realise that it lacks the buzz of biking - banging it up down the gears and having fun.

Nice quality pics dude

I appreciate what your saying mate, but have to say there's no attraction at all for me in an AT without the DCT, it's what this bike is about and it's very simple to still 'bang up and down the gears'.

Without it, well just another parallel twin trailie.
With it, that's when it's in a class of it's own.

 

[GS TRV]

What's the camera btw? It takes stonking pics.

 

[Timolgra]

What's the camera btw? It takes stonking pics.

LX7 mate

 

[Gossy]

LX7 mate

Stunning photos

 

[Arsey]

Tim,

Fabulous pictures.The tricolour looks so much better than the red !!

I loved my ride on the manual AT but the more reports I read,the more pleased I went with ordering a DCT.

You said you flicked up and down with the buttons,but did you spend much time riding in in D or S auto mode ?


Would you be happy riding somewhere in D then using S modes 2 or 3 once there or did you need manual intervention to get the best out of it ?



Engineer,

Like Tim said,the bike feels very light and he was riding the DCT which I think is 240kgs !!!

I rode the manual which is 230kgs and it felt lighter than my SuperEnduro which weighs 185kgs dry !!!!

It's all about the balance and where the weight is carried !! May I suggest you go ride one and you may change your mind about it being overweight !!!

 

[Timolgra]

You said you flicked up and down with the button,but did you spend much time riding in in D or S auto mode ?

I didn't like the D mode as it was changing gear too often for economy by the feel, I think there's 3 S modes, and generally I was in the middle one.

Sometimes you can crack the throttle in say 3rd and it'll hold the gear like it knows what you want but I'd need more than a few hours to trust that 'intelligence' alone, in the more aggressive S mode it will hold that gear.

The point I'm laboring to make is you may not want the bike to change up shortly before a downhill, off camber bend. So my preferred mode was in the aggressive S
and using the button to change down.

You're right about the weight, even wheeling the bike around on stones it felt light.
A very confidence inspiring big trailie.

 

[Arsey]

I didn't like the D mode as it was changing gear too often for economy by the feel, I think there's 3 S modes, and generally I was in the middle one.

Sometimes you can crack the throttle in say 3rd and it'll hold the gear like it knows what you want but I'd need more than a few hours to trust that 'intelligence' alone, in the more aggressive S mode it will hold that gear.

The point I'm laboring to make is you may not want the bike to change up shortly before a downhill, off camber bend. So my preferred mode was in the aggressive S
and using the button to change down.

You're right about the weight, even wheeling the bike around on stones it felt light.
A very confidence inspiring big trailie.

Sounds perfect !

The first big trip I'll be taking mine on will be to Scotland/Outer Hebrides so I can envisage pottering up in D mode assuming we are on m ways for part of it then sticking it in S mode and using a mixture of auto and manual modes.

You say in your report that you would only consider the bike in DCT mode otherwise it's just another trailie-but to be fair,the manual does have probably the nicest gear box of any bike I've ridden in the last 35 years and of course it has that fantastic balance.I don't know what it is that Honda have done,but I felt it as soon as I took the bike off the side stand and pulled away-it really is a bike that is more than the sum of it's parts.And you seem to have experienced it too.So I'm really looking forward to the DCT !!! I can definitely see another trip to the RDGA later on in the year and perhaps the AT will get the nod over the Versys for my Dolomites trip in July,though most of that will be two up.
Obviously your off road experience is much greater than mine and your time on the DCT was limited but would you take it to ride the TAT over say your 640 Adv ?

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

..............

I started typing a reply that was turning into waffle so deleted it

Giles could learn a thing or two from you

Andres

 

[Timolgra]

but would you take it to ride the TAT over say your 640 Adv ?

There's no bike I'd take on the TAT over my 640, that's why I have it, it's why I sold a stonking 690, my BM Rallye bike etc.

 

[Arsey]

There's no bike I'd take on the TAT over my 640, that's why I have it, it's why I sold a stonking 690, my BM Rallye bike etc.

Ok,rephrase,having ridden the TAT and a DCT,do you think the average numpty rider would manage the former riding the latter !!

 

[Timolgra]

Ok,rephrase,having ridden the TAT and a DCT,do you think the average numpty rider would manage the former riding the latter !!

99.9% of the TAT is easy peasy, so the AT would give a very comfortable ride ....... but do you need an £11k bike to ride the TAT?

 

[Arsey]

99.9% of the TAT is easy peasy, so the AT would give a very comfortable ride ....... but do you need an £11k bike to ride the TAT?

No but the TAT is on my hit list and if I already have a bike that will cope with it,then it will save buying a smaller traillie that I wouldn't get as much use out of once home ! I certainly wouldn't attempt it on my 950 SE !!!



















(oh,and it's a £9.4k bike )

 

[Davy F]

I can totally get where TRV is coming from. I've done about 500 miles on a CrossTourer DCT on two separate occasions plus around 100 miles on a DCT equipped NC700X and now the Africa Twin DCT. I do rate the clever DCT system and this Gen 3 iteration is even better than before. It makes riding a bike so effortless and amazingly gives you more time to think or see other things going on around you. BUT, I do love that 'man and machine in perfect harmony' feeling when you ride down a challenging road snicking up and down the gearbox and getting it just right. And as fabulous as the DCT is, I think that I may lose a little bit of interest in the long run. I'm not decrying anyone considering buying the DCT version and I think it's great that the choice is there.

 

[Timolgra]

Giles could learn a thing or two from you

Andres

Sigh .....

I was saying that the 1190R I was looking at was just being traded in by someone who'd taken the AT out the day before

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Sigh.........

How do you like my new weighing scales?



Andres

 

[Timolgra]

Sigh.........

How do you like my new weighing scales?



Andres

Awesome Andres, you've been on one Larry's photography courses

 

[Engineer]

Tim,

Fabulous pictures.The tricolour looks so much better than the red !!

I loved my ride on the manual AT but the more reports I read,the more pleased I went with ordering a DCT.

You said you flicked up and down with the buttons,but did you spend much time riding in in D or S auto mode ?


Would you be happy riding somewhere in D then using S modes 2 or 3 once there or did you need manual intervention to get the best out of it ?



Engineer,

Like Tim said,the bike feels very light and he was riding the DCT which I think is 240kgs !!!

I rode the manual which is 230kgs and it felt lighter than my SuperEnduro which weighs 185kgs dry !!!!

It's all about the balance and where the weight is carried !! May I suggest you go ride one and you may change your mind about it being overweight !!!

As soon as I get the chance to test ride one I will