Honda Africa Twin versus Honda SP1

[Shep]

Sounds a bit stupid comparing the good old Africa with a hardcore sportsbike, but lets face it we all live and ride in the real world, and not on a race track.

I bought the SP1 a few weeks ago the original owner a good mate of mine paid £9500 for it brand new and then spent a further £2800 on it, so in my opinion it should be perfect, it is not!. I paid £3000 for it with 6000 miles on the clock, that is what i call devaluation !!!. To be honest i far rather use the Africa. Why?

1 It is way too powerfull for the road and feels crap unless you are doing 80 to 90mph+ like most sportsbikes when it starts to come alive. Now at those speeds on crowded British A roads you are either going to get killed or nicked pretty quickly.

2 It is like most sportsbikes very uncomfortable especially in town and at slow speeds. Becuase of the riding position, you have very little view and perception of what is happening.

3 Very expensive to run, tyres, maintenance, insurance

I went to Swizterland a few years back, my mate was then riding the SP1 another mate was riding a TL1000s and i was riding a new Yamaha R1 two other mates had BMW GS1150,s. I raced bikes for years and are known as a quick road rider. Confession time !!!! i was at 10/10ths and sometimes 11/10ths to keep with the boys on the BMW. They have got a good view, good leverage on the handelbars, can keep the power on hard over the rough roads, lots of low down grunt, and they are comfortable. In my opinion on real roads the big adventure style bikes will be far quicker and a hell of a lot more fun, on a racetrack a sportsbike will be quicker, but and this is a big BUT do we ride on racetracks every day? I will keep the SP1 but my first love is the Africa becuase quite simply it is FUN, FUN, FUN. Most of the sportsbikes are sold as simply fashion accesories for posing down the pub, "i have the latest and greatest" and trying to impress young women, which is why there are thousands of them allways for sale with only a few thousand miles on the clock !!!. The Africa is more for the real world

[doglegdon]

Agreed mate. I had an old Yam FZR1000 Genesis, back in the old days, when I had more meat on my bum bone. It brings back all too vivid memories of the nasty experiences of trying to tour with the bitch. Granted in the late 80's it was close to the "dog's nuts"- acceleration wise. State of the roads, amount of traffic and mentality of the majority of road users over here, kinda spoiled the fun of owning and using it as it was designed for.
(Just buy your non professional driving license in Philippines for +/- US$4.00, good for any vehicle up to 2 1/2 tons!)

[DaveS]

Totally agree with all of that.
I love adventure bikes for just those reasons.

[robelst]

I agree too, the AT's 60 bhp may seem tiny to today's standards, but those standards are dictated by image-troubled bike-mag stories rather than what many people really need and enjoy at the end of the day.
But in all honesty, the SP1 is an uncompromised (esp in Honda terms) race-replica with little focus on allround qualities so maybe the comparison is not entirely fair.

[stoo]

I agree too, the AT's 60 bhp may seem tiny to today's standards, but those standards are dictated by image-troubled bike-mag stories rather than what many people really need and enjoy at the end of the day.

Not at all - 60hp is fine.

It's a lot more interesting on a bike that's 140kg ready to ride, instead of 200+kg dry though.


Now if only the XR was electric start, had sensible oil change intervals, and could carry a bit more luggage than a small toolkit and a Ginsters pasty.

[Dilbert]

One other big advantage, dumbass car drivers sure as hell see you coming, "sorry mate I didn't see you" does not apply

[Chad]

the satisfaction of hauling and africa twin through the twistys just cant be beat well only by the exspression on the faces of the crutchrocket riders as you pogo round them


adv bikes every time for me any how

[Slimie]

Yes, plus one. I traded a VFR for a GS and was much quicker and much happier once I'd swapped! Even happier now.

I'd love a track bike but lack the cash and time, but that's where I think these bikes would be fantastic fun. No one coming the other way, no plod, a great surface and the chance to learn a line through each of the corners.

Having said that they are examples of amazing engineering, how in doG's name do they get 150+hp out of a litre engine and keep it boringly reliable? Somewhere there's genius at work, IMHO.

I still reckon the dirt's where the fun is, and it hurts much less when you DO fall off, eh Stoo??!!

Cheers
-Simon

[stoo]

I still reckon the dirt's where the fun is, and it hurts much less when you DO fall off, eh Stoo??!!

Cheers
-Simon

Fall off? me? You must be thinking of someone else

[Slimie]

I still reckon the dirt's where the fun is, and it hurts much less when you DO fall off, eh Stoo??!!

Cheers
-Simon

Fall off? me? You must be thinking of someone else

Yeah, you're right. I was thinking of me, McVicar and Quarryman. Not you, Stoo, nooooooooo, deffo not you