RUST magazine: RUST#37
2019 Beta Enduro's tested, GS Trophy 2018, Honda Africa Twin, Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro ridden, Husqvarna FE350 Long termer, Project Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT, Triumph Street Twin update, Zard Exhaust , kit reviews and loads more!
2019 Beta Enduro's tested, GS Trophy 2018, Honda Africa Twin, Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro ridden, Husqvarna FE350 Long termer, Project Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT, Triumph Street Twin update, Zard Exhaust , kit reviews and loads more!
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adventure<br />
state with the same ease. I mentally<br />
and physically needed the clutch to<br />
finesse certain manoeuvres. Now this<br />
is a me thing as much as a bike thing<br />
– as others made the transition to DCT<br />
much more readily than me – but it<br />
could be a ‘you’ thing too.<br />
Also, I should add that with multiple<br />
settings on engine response as well as<br />
torque control I was possibly not on the<br />
right settings (for me). I ran with the<br />
settings the Honda Adventure Centre<br />
guys recommended, but there were<br />
other options and it is likely I could<br />
have found more joy there. And as a<br />
further caveat, I can report my old mate<br />
Jon Beck (a US journalist) recently<br />
tested the Adventure Sport DCT model<br />
in the Californian desert and found<br />
lots of joy there. So the response to the<br />
still newish tech that is DCT clearly<br />
depends a fair deal on rider preferences<br />
and terrain types. Given that some<br />
50% or so of all Africa Twins sold have<br />
been DCT, you can see there’s an even<br />
split. So while for now it doesn’t suit<br />
me, don’t take that as a measure that it<br />
won’t suit you.<br />
There is a bonus with the DCT – I<br />
liked the quick shifter arrangement,<br />
particularly on the down changes<br />
where the throttle is automatically<br />
blipped when you press the flapper<br />
on the handlebar, helping smooth the<br />
transition. There is some degree of<br />
finesse in the DCT, I don’t deny that.<br />
But who is it that said the greatest<br />
computer in the history of the world is<br />
the human brain. Maybe not my brain,<br />
but you know what I’m saying.<br />
Meanwhile… we’re probably back to<br />
the to the top of the story here. Yeah,<br />
the overall dynamic of the Africa<br />
Twin Adventure Sports in the offroad<br />
environment is almost entirely<br />
positive. Honda has cleverly stuck to<br />
traditional technologies here. That’s<br />
a steel semi-double cradle frame,<br />
with USD Showa forks and a linkageactuated<br />
Showa monoshock at the rear,<br />
riding on 21”/18” wire-spoke wheels.<br />
Conventional set-up that leads to<br />
conventional feedback – it feels like a<br />
dirt bike, just a darn big heavyish one,<br />
with mucho power.<br />
The added girth and weight of the<br />
Adventure Sports doesn’t impede it<br />
from being a decent off-road ride.<br />
Everything works as it should. There<br />
are a couple of go-to buttons in this<br />
instance. When the bike is stopped<br />
(they don’t work otherwise) stab at the<br />
off-road ABS setting and (on the DCT)<br />
G-button (for gravel) and these two<br />
immediately give you 75% of what you<br />
need in the dirt – a lockable rear brake<br />
and dirt-appropriate engine responses<br />
by way of reducing the clutch slip<br />
during gear changes.<br />
However – you knew this was<br />
coming – I wasn’t convinced as to<br />
the suspension settings for off-road.<br />
It was fine for gentle off-roading, but<br />
for medium to higher-speed stuff it<br />
felt like we needed firmer springs and<br />
more damping front and rear – or, as<br />
is the case with the high-end kit from<br />
Honda’s competition – a capability to<br />
electronically beef up the responses.<br />
The chassis set-up is capable of great<br />
things I’m sure, but I’d want the<br />
suspension to be ready to deal with<br />
such big hits as might come along and<br />
at the moment I’m not convinced that’s<br />
the case.<br />
A couple more niggles (I’m sorry,<br />
guys). I’d like bigger, better footrests<br />
still. Just spec ‘supercross’ or ‘rally’ –<br />
the new ones are bigger, better, but<br />
they need to be more still. And the rear<br />
brake pedal – yeah, that sat too low for<br />
standing riding (I like BMW’s solution<br />
of a flip-down added pedal) and the<br />
rear brake seemed to lack feel – a<br />
change of pads might help there.<br />
Overall though – please take<br />
w<br />
22<br />
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