As predicted, Honda has updated the Africa Twin series for 2024. The biggest chances are with the tech features, the bodywork, and moving the Adventure Sports sub-model more towards street utility, away from off-road use.

Across-the-line upgrades

All Africa Twin models will benefit from several upgrades, starting with new bodywork. The fairing is revised for 2024-and-onwards models, in order to provide more comfort over the long haul. Honda also added a five-way manually adjustable windscreen to its flagship adventure tourer.

The engine’s mechanical bits appear to be mostly unchanged. The Africa Twin series will still sport a 1084 cc parallel twin, but this year, Honda upped compression to 10.5:1 and tweaked the valve timing, intake system and ECU. As a result of the changes, Honda says the 2024 model “benefits from significant performance increases in both power and torque in the low and middle rev ranges.” In other words: No more muscle at the top end, where the twin still peaks at just over 100 hp. But max torque rises to about 83 lb-ft, and the engine now makes that grunt at 5,500 rpm. Previously, max torque came at 6,250 rpm. The designers also reconfigured the auto-shifting DCT gearbox to better take advantage of this revised torque delivery. It downshifts earlier now, and is supposed to better handle mid-corner power changes.

Both bikes now have the option of running tubeless tires as well, and come configured with such from the factory.

Check out that lower front end, and decreased ground clearance. While you can certainly off-road on this machine still, the Adventure Sports model is not as off-road capable as it was before. Photo: Honda

Updates to the Africa Twin Adventure Sports

The Adventure Sports model is becoming more road-oriented than before. The biggest change is a switch from a 21-inch front wheel to a 19-inch rim. This should quicken steering and perhaps drop the seat height a bit, but it will make it harder for the bike to roll over obstacles off-road. The new rim also gets a wider 110/80-19 front tire for better grip on pavement.

Honda also reduced the suspension travel of the Adventure Sports model by 20 mm (now it’s 210 mm up front, and 200 mm in rear), which should improve its on-street handling. There’s a new seat designed for touring comfort.

And one significant change: For some Euro markets, DCT is the only available gearbox for the Adventure Sports model in 2024. The same goes for the Showa EERA electronic suspension, which was previously an option as well—now it’s standard. At this point, we don’t know if this will also be true of the North American bikes.

Weight for the Adventure Sports model is 535 lb at the curb without DCT (again, we don’t know if that configuration will be available in North America or not). With DCT, the Adventure Sports model weighs 557 lb at the curb.

Meanwhile, the biggest upgrade to the base Africa Twin, which remains the off-road oriented model, is the availability of electronic suspension. Of course it still gets the same engine and bodywork updates as the Adventure Sports model. Photo: Honda

Updates to the standard Africa Twin

Now, the base model Africa Twin sits as the off-road model in the CRF1100L lineup. For 2024, the biggest change (along with the across-the-line updates mentioned earlier) is the availability of Showa EERA suspension. Like the Adventure Sports model, the standard bike now allows the rider to electronically adjust their suspension to match their riding style. As per Honda’s PR:

Five suspension modes are available:

MID sits between hard and soft, for easy handling in a wide range of situations. It is automatically selected with Urban riding mode.

HARD is stable, responsive and the firmest damping for two-up and fully laden touring. It is automatically selected with Tour riding mode.

SOFT offers a comfortable, secure ride on poor roads with lowest damping force. It is automatically selected with Gravel riding mode.

OFF-ROAD gives optimum dirt performance, with gradually increasing fork damping relative to stroke speed and firmer all-round rear shock damping. It is automatically selected with Off-road riding mode.

Whereas the above suspension settings are automatically selected according to the riding mode, in USER Riding Mode, the rider can adjust spring preload finely, through 24 steps, front and rear.

Manually-adjusted suspension is still the standard setup, though; the EERA suspension is only an option on this machine. Curb weight for the standard Africa Twin is 509 lb. Adding DCT bumps that to 533 lb. The ES model weighs 513 lb at the curb without DCT, or 537 lb with DCT.

North American availalbility?

At this point, we have no pricing or arrival date for these machines in the US or Canada, but we expect that info shortly.