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2027 Honda Africa Twin Revealed: Bigger Engine, Three Versions and Radar
Honda's 2027 Africa Twin: a 1,131cc twin with 117 hp, the new Enduro Sports, a radar-equipped Adventure Sports, full specs and what we know for South Africa.
The Africa Twin is ten years old in its modern form, and Honda marked the anniversary in Milan on 2 November, the evening before EICMA opened, with the biggest update the bike has had. There is a larger engine, a lighter frame, semi-active suspension as standard on the road-going versions, a new off-road model called the Enduro Sports and, at the top of the range, an Adventure Sports with front and rear radar.
It matters here more than most launches. The Africa Twin has always been at home on South African gravel, Honda says it has sold more than 120,000 in Europe since the name returned in 2016, making it the second most popular model in Europe’s 1000cc-plus adventure class. All of the figures below are provisional until Honda confirms them.
A bigger, stronger twin
The parallel twin grows from 1,084cc to 1,131cc, which is why the model code changes from CRF1100L to CRF1150L. Honda quotes 117 hp (87.5 kW) at 7,500 rpm and 119 Nm at 5,750 rpm, up from 75 kW and 112 Nm. That is about 16% more peak power and 7 Nm more torque, a real step for a bike whose engine has always been praised for its character rather than its numbers.
The gain comes from changes throughout the engine: a redesigned intake with larger throttle bodies, a revised cylinder head and valve train, a higher compression ratio, and new pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft and balancer shafts. Riders still choose between a six-speed manual gearbox and Honda’s six-speed DCT automatic. There are six riding modes, Sport, Touring, Urban, Rain, Off-road and a new Off-road+, and each can now be adjusted within the mode rather than only through a separate user setting.
A lighter frame and smarter suspension
Together the steel frame and aluminium swingarm are 1.4 kg lighter. More importantly, part of the fuel now sits in a sub-tank under the seat, which lowers the centre of gravity. On a heavy adventure bike that is the change you feel most, at walking pace in a rutted two-track or when the bike starts to move around on loose gravel.
Showa’s semi-active EERA suspension, an option until now, is standard on the Africa Twin and the Adventure Sports, with 49 mm forks. It now uses Honda’s Skyhook control, which adjusts the damping as the bike pitches and rises over bumps to keep the ride smoother without losing the sharp handling the Africa Twin is known for. Preload is still fully adjustable, and a new Minimum setting lowers the seat by 10 mm on the Africa Twin and 5 mm on the Adventure Sports. The Enduro Sports does without the electronic suspension and uses fully adjustable conventional Showa units instead. The riding position changes too: the handlebar is narrower, higher and further forward, the footpegs sit slightly further in and back, and the seat has new foam and a new shape for long days.
Screens, keys and comfort
The dash is now two screens: a 5.7-inch display for the essentials and a 7-inch colour touchscreen that starts up in five seconds and has a dedicated off-road page with a compass. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless, and the new switchgear is backlit. A lockable pocket in the tank cover holds a large phone and has a USB-C socket, and a Honda Smart Key looks after the ignition, steering lock and fuel cap. Cruise control, heated grips and hand guards are standard across the range, along with an aluminium rear carrier and new twin LED headlights with cornering lights.
The Africa Twin
The standard bike stays closest to the original formula, with a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheel, 220 mm of suspension travel at the front and 210 mm at the back, and an 18.8-litre fuel load. It weighs 237 kg ready to ride with the manual gearbox, or 247 kg with DCT, and the seat sits at 870 mm in its standard position or 850 mm in its low position. It comes in Pearl Glare White Tricolour or Matt Sandstorm Beige.
The new Enduro Sports
The Enduro Sports is the version South African gravel riders will look at first. It is the lightest of the three at 228 kg, or 239 kg with DCT, and the most capable off-road. Its forks share their specification with Honda’s CRF450RALLY Dakar bike, travel grows to 240 mm at the front and 230 mm at the rear, and ground clearance is 260 mm. The seat is correspondingly tall, at 870 to 890 mm, and Honda estimates a range of about 370 km.
The Adventure Sports and Honda SENSING RIDE
The Adventure Sports is the long-distance tourer. It carries a 24.2-litre tank, rolls on a 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel, and has a lower seat at 850 mm, or 830 mm in its low position. Its electric screen moves through 130 mm of height, with wind deflectors on each side. It weighs 245 kg with the manual gearbox and 255 kg with DCT.
The range-topping Adventure Sports Honda SENSING RIDE, which weighs 256 kg and comes only with DCT, adds radar at the front and the back. It brings adaptive cruise control with stop and go, group ride assist, distance assist and emergency brake assist, plus warnings for forward collisions, vehicles in the blind spot and traffic closing from behind. On the long national roads that make up so much South African touring, adaptive cruise and blind spot warnings are genuinely useful rather than gadgets.
The three versions side by side
| Africa Twin | Enduro Sports | Adventure Sports | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 21-inch front, 18-inch rear | 21-inch front, 18-inch rear | 19-inch front, 18-inch rear |
| Suspension travel | 220 mm front, 210 mm rear | 240 mm front, 230 mm rear | 210 mm front, 200 mm rear |
| Fuel | 18.8 litres | 18.8 litres | 24.2 litres |
| Seat height | 850 to 870 mm | 870 to 890 mm | 830 to 850 mm |
| Weight (manual, DCT) | 237 kg, 247 kg | 228 kg, 239 kg | 245 kg, 255 kg |
The Adventure Sports, with its 24.2-litre tank and 19-inch front wheel. Image: Honda 
The Enduro Sports, the lightest Africa Twin at 228 kg. Image: Honda 
Enduro Sports: 260 mm of ground clearance and longer-travel suspension. Image: Honda 
The Africa Twin with aluminium panniers. Image: Honda 
The new 7-inch touchscreen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Image: Honda 
The 2027 Africa Twin: all figures are provisional until Honda confirms them. Image: Honda
What it means for South Africa
Honda South Africa has confirmed that the new Africa Twin will arrive here in 2027, along with the new Fireblade, though it says local specifications, prices and exact dates are still to be confirmed. In the meantime Honda is offering R20,000 worth of accessories with the current Africa Twin, terms applying, which is worth weighing up if you are deciding whether to buy now or wait.
For everything else revealed in Milan, read our EICMA 2026 round-up.
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