RUST magazine: RUST#37

2018 Honda CRF1000L/L2
reach for the nonexistent clutch
and attempt to gear down on the
nonexistent shifter but I overcame this
pretty smartly and once my brain had
made the association with the setup I
found that the DCT worked really well.
In fact, the most surprising result after
the two days riding was that I would
have chosen the DCT over the manual.
At no time am I ever going to ride these
bikes on the edge, or over my ability
to control the throttle effectively using
the DCT. I found the DCT had a sweet
spot and I didn’t struggle with loss
of traction on the rear wheel without
the clutch. I need to admit that I was
extremely reluctant to give the DCT a
go but I’m glad I did. The DCT on-road
was in my opinion also better than
the manual. It’s ‘fit for purpose’ and on
long rides would be the more desirable
option and less tiring.
The bike felt capable off-road and
tracked well notwithstanding the soft
suspension. The on-road off-road
tyres (Metzeler Karoo 3s) worked well
and offered a good amount of traction,
although they were overwhelmed in
the mud.
So, would I recommend buying
one? I would say yes. To me the AT’s
a little unrefined compared to the
BMW GS or the Triumph Tigers but
that’s what makes it so appealing. It’s
a very competent and fun machine to
ride and to me the slower evolution to
being tech driven like its competitors is
a positive. The styling and heritage of
the AT is also a big draw card – it has
the credentials and the brand appeal to
potential buyers associating the latest
AT with either earlier versions or the
old XL600 trailies. And I have to say
I’m closer to understanding the appeal
of adventure bikes after my ride than I
was before.
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