Honda Africa Twin - Between the Hedges

The Ducati 750 Paso was exchanged for this Honda XRV650 Africa Twin on 24th April 1991. It cost me £4800. This was a rare French import, reputedly hand-built by H.R.C. A very eccentric machine it was too.

The better known version of this bike was of course the 750cc model intended for the GB market. This 650cc variant would have passed for the same at a glance but keener scrutiny revealed quite significant differences. Body panels were different. The forks & brakes were beefier than the 750. The exhaust was handsomely finished in stainless steel. Generally the 650 was a more robust and well constructed bike than its more popular mass-produced 750 brother. When I took off the fairing covers I noticed that a number of parts such as pipes and joints had people's initials written on them in Chinagraph pencil. Perhaps it had indeed been hand assembled and this wasn't just sales talk. Anyone else come across this? Do email if you know.

Africa Twin Headlamps on the French Import

One of the inherent problems of any hybrid is that it has to be a compromise between two or more entities. As a road/trail bike however it must be said that the Africa Twin did a fairly impressive job. On the road it was simply magnificent at flicking and squirting through traffic. It could also download a surprising amount of usable torque/acceleration with gratifying results. Top speed was really academic because it became quite unstable at 98-100 mph - which to be fair, is more than amply rapid for any trail-bike. This overall picture of good manners was somewhat spoilt though by fairly questionable conduct on wet tarmac. It wasn't dangerous as such but required due care and attention as the front tyre wandered slightly on shiny roads and did not inspire confidence at all. Very possibly this could have been largely cured by fitting tyres other than the knobbly Bridgestones it was supplied with.

Off road, this bike could be huge fun. It was of course too tall and heavy for any heavy duty trials stunts but it could certainly tramp well off the beaten track. The low(ish) belly guard meant that it would tend to seesaw itself over larger rocks which could be quite a handicap - but truly, for a bike of this size and mass, its off-road potential was very respectable indeed.

The riding position was good. Sitting so high up gave great visibility in traffic. It was also extremely comfortable and long journeys presented no aches in the wrists or back. A friend once said it was the fastest armchair he'd ever sat in.