The “Africa Twin” moniker is one of the most celebrated names in motorcycling, so naturally, we were excited when Boon Siew Honda called us to pick up the new Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin.
During the heydays of the Paris-Dakar Rally, the HRC-built NXR-750 tore up the Saharan dunes to four victories. It was no small feat. Being in the late-80s means there was no gimmickry of the modern bikes.
The first Honda Africa Twin was the XRV650, produced from 1988 to 1989, but the truly iconic XRV750 Africa Twin made its debut in 1989 for 1990 model year.
It is powered by a 752cc, four-sparkplug V-Twin (hence its name) and had all the trappings of an adventure bike including twin large headlamps, long-travel suspension, engine bash plate, wire spoked wheels, semi-off-road tyres. In short, it looked like it just got off the rally and straight into the dealerships.
Although the Africa Twin had stiff competition from the BMW R 100 GS, Yamaha Super Tenere, Cagiva Elefant, et al, the big Honda was a success. In fact, production carried on until 2003.
Many fans and even motojournalists cheered when Honda announced their plans for a new Africa Twin. Heck, the romantics among us got teary-eyed when they recalled their exploits on the AT in the 90’s.
Designated as the CRF1000L Africa Twin, it’s a dual-sport more oriented towards off-road riding.
The new bike has a slim and tall front profile. Besides that, the front looks like an extended forehead above the tightly arranged headlamps. It’s the “Dakar styling” where a pace note scroller/GPS sits behind screen.
Moving back, the rear part of the bike from the head onwards invokes the profile of the XRV750. This is especially true when you view the back of the fuel tank and seat. Anyhow, we felt that Honda did a great job of amalgamating design elements of the old bike to the new.
First impression? Oh my! This thing’s tall! We’ve tested plenty of tall dual-sport bikes, mind you. Of course, the Africa Twin isn’t as tall as motocrossers or enduros but it’s definitely the tallest among dual-sport bikes. Someone had adjusted the rear shock’s preload all the out to lower the rear end, but I still had to hang one leg in the air when I stopped.
I knew I should’ve worn my platform shoes. Just kidding.
However, traffic lights became my No. 1 enemy (for the moment). That’s because I had to first determine if the road was slanting to the left or right, before shifting my buttock and leg out while coming to a stop. The slim profile helped a lot, but the badly adjusted chassis meant that the handlebar was sitting too high up, making the bike feel like it’s carrying bricks on its fuel tank.
We decided to ride it to Kuantan together with the Honda X-Adv.
The engine’s torque was impressive, keeping the engine rolling at low revs at highway speeds. The 998cc parallel-Twin uses a 270oto mimic the firing order of a 90oV-Twin, so a smooth character was expected. It produces 94 bhp and 98 Nm of torque.
The AT picks up speed quick to the sound of a rumbling engine. Small pops accompanied the DCT upshifts.
But we wished the front end has a little more high-speed stability and the handlebar moved around at higher speeds. We could expect this of dual-sport bikes with high handlebars but the AT’s moved the most. Then again, this bike is biased towards off-roading.
As such, it didn’t like being slammed into corners. You need to brake and release early, coast a bit to let the chassis settle down before turning in. Similarly, you need to be super smooth with the gas during the lean to straight up transition. Being throttle happy will send the handlebar waggling back and forth.
These handling traits disappear when the road turns to no road. There’s a large button marked with a “G” (for gravel) right next to the instrument panel. Pressing that switches into gravel ride mode and the corresponding levels of electronic intervention.
The softly sprung suspension absorbed the bumps easily and the bike seemed to float. Again, the bike’s slim waist was advantageous as it lets you move around while standing up.
However, it still felt top heavy for me. It possibly has to do with my height. At 167cm, I’m probably too small for the bike. A person from 180cm and up ought to reap the benefits of its ergonomics.
Oh yes, the test unit was fitted with Honda’s proprietary DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission). It’s actually a semi-automatic/semi-manual gearbox. The rider could select D (Drive), S (Sport) or M (Manual). N (Neutral) position needs to be selected manually.
Shifting is via toggles on top and below the left switch cluster.
In D, the bike drives like a giant scooter. The transmission takes care of the upshifts and downshifts automatically. The rider can intervene at any time, but it upshifts early for smooth power and fuel savings
In S, shifting is still automatic but it will hold on to a gear until peak torque before shifting up. The gearbox will downshift when a certain limit is reached, and it will blip the throttle automatically. The rider can also intervene at any time.
In M, the rider is in charge of gear selection. The engine will also auto-blip the throttle when downshifting.
Just like the VFR1200, the Africa Twin with DCT doesn’t feature a clutch lever and gear lever. This is when you have re-learn how to ride a motorcycle.
Using the fully automatic “D” feature was convenient but bear in mind that it shifts when you least expected it to. Like upshifting in the middle of a corner or downshift when you’re rolling to a stop. We found out the hard way.
I was riding with my wife as the pillion. The transmission was in D-mode, 2ndgear as I filtered past two rows of cars. It suddenly kicked down to 1stgear without warning. But since there was no clutch lever, it felt like the engine had cut out, followed by that sickening feeling of a bike toppling over.
There was a BMW 3-Series on our left, but thankfully my reflex kicked in and I pushed out my left elbow which landed on the car’s driver side window. It held the bike up from falling onto his car!
So, lesson learned. I tried S-mode for a while then decided to just use M-mode anytime I ride.
Nearing my house, I shifted into 1st(you can’t shift into N when the bike’s moving) and stopped to let a car pass. I reapplied a little bit of throttle to drive the bike up to my gate.
BUT! The engine “caught” like what happens when you release the clutch lever with no engine RPM. It put out a “CLACK!” Again, no clutch lever. My reflex tried to reopen the throttle but it didn’t catch. The bike went over on the right side like a poor tree while blasts of profanities violated my neighbours’ ears. And I swear I didn’t touch the brakes!
It meant that you can’t pussyfoot with the throttle.
We know, it sounds like we didn’t enjoy ourselves with the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin. But we assure you that it was okay 75% of the time. It was too bad that the DCT and height needed too much concentration.
It’s a nice bike to ride if you’re an Africa Twin and Honda fan, not bad if otherwise.
The caveat is you need some time to learn it, especially if you opt for the DCT version. Besides that, the ergonomics really need some getting used to as it’s rather different from other dual-sport bikes we’ve ridden.
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ENGINE |
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| ENGINE TYPE | 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 8-valve, liquid-cooled, parallel-Twin with 270o crankshaft |
| DISPLACEMENT | 998 cc |
| BORE x STROKE | 92.0 mm x 75.1 mm |
| POWER | 93.8 hp @ 7,500 RPM |
| TORQUE | 98 Nm @ 6,000 RPM |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | N/A |
| TRANSMISSION | Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) |
| FUEL SYSTEM | Electronic fuel injection with ride-by-wire throttle |
| CLUTCH | Multiple-plate wet clutch with slipper feature |
| CHASSIS | |
| FRAME | N/A |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Showa cartridge-type upside down ø 45 mm forks, adjustable for preload, compression damping and rebound damping |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Monoshock with Pro-Link Arm, remote gas reservoir, remote preload adjuster, adjustable for rebound damping |
| SUSPENSION TRAVEL FRONT/REAR | 252 mm / 240 mm |
| FRONT BRAKE | 2x radially-mounted 4-piston monobloc calipers, ø 310 mm floating discs |
| REAR BRAKE | 1X single-piston floating caliper, ø 260 mm brake disc |
| ABS | 2-channel ABS (rear disengable) |
| TIRES FRONT/REAR | 90/90-R21; 150/70 R-18 (both tube type) |
| STEERING HEAD ANGLE | N/A |
| TRAIL | N/A |
| WHEEL BASE | 1,580 mm |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 920 mm standard, 900 low seat position |
| FUEL TANK CAPACITY | 24.2 litres |
| WEIGHT (READY TO RIDE) | 243 kg |
Boon Siew Honda (BSH) aims to put the Honda brand in top position in 2019.
BSH is confident in achieving this goal by setting the benchmark in each motorcycle segment through their range of models and brand positioning.
BSH Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Keiichi Yasuda said that their confidence was boosted by the company’s performance in 2018. The official Honda motorcycle distributor in Malaysia sold almost 156,000 units last year. It marks an outstanding 28.7% gain from the 121,000 units sold in 2017.
Boon Siew Honda (BSH) telah melancarkan tiga model baharu bagi permulaan tahun 2019. Model-model tawaran terkini dari BSH adalah Honda Super Cub 125, Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP dan Honda CB1100 RS. Pelancaran motor baharu diadakan sempena pengumuman strategi utama BSH dalam menjadi jenama peneraju dalam industri motosika di dalam negara.
Selepas lebih 60 tahun dan jualan unit mencecah 100 juta di seluruh dunia, jelmaan Honda Super Cub C100 kini kembali untuk 2019 dalam bentuk Honda Super Cub C125. Bersedia untuk merempuh pasaran Malaysia, Super Cub generasi terkini merupakan kombinasi reka bentuk klasik bersama ciri-ciri moden seperti enjin 125cc SOHC empat-lejang dengan sistem suntikan bahan api yang mampu menjana 9.1hp @ 7,500rpm dan 9.98Nm tork maksimum pada 5,000rpm.
Super Cub C125 juga dilengkapi dengan ciri-ciri moden yang lain seperti pakej lampu LED, sistem kunci pintar Honda, tempat duduk yang boleh dibuka secara elektronik, tangki minyak 3.7-liter dan banyak lagi.
Terdapat tiga pilihan warna menarik iaitu biru mutiara (Pearl Niltava Blue), merah mutiara (Pearl Nebula Red) dan hitam (Pearl Shinning Black). BSH akan menawarkan model Super Cub C125 pada harga RM13,999 (harga jualan tanpa insurans).
Selepas perkenalan Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade di KLIMS 2018, BSH teruskan momentum superbike mereka dengan melancarkan model Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP.
Jentera yang direka khas untuk penggunaan litar memberi gaya tunggangan yang lebih hebat dalam pakej yang lebih ringan (195kg) bersama teknologi canggih menghasilkan pecutan dan kuasa menakjubkan.
Berkonsepkan “Next Stage Total Control”, model Fireblade SP didatangkan dengan enjin 1,000cc empat-silinder berjaya menghasilkan 189hp pada 13,000rpm dan 114Nm tork maksimum pada 11,000rpm. Model ini juga merupakan model Honda pertama yang dipasangkan dengan pakej suspensi elektronik pintar dari Ohlins.
Spesifikasi menarik yang lain adalah:
Model Fireblade SP didatangkan dengan warna HRC Tricolor pada harga RM114,999 (harga jualan tanpa insurans).
Model terakhir dalam barisan motosikal Honda berkuasa tinggi yang memberi kejutan kepada ramai yang hadiri pelancaran sebentar tadi adalah Honda CB1100 RS. Gaya 70an ‘sporty’ memberi sebuah imej yang retro dan juga moden pada model motosikal ini.
Reka bentuk ini diserlahkan lagi dengan tangki minyak unik tanpa kesan pateri, lampu utama bulat dan dua instrumen jenis dial jenis LED. Enjin 1,140cc empat-silinder model ini mampu menjana 88.5hp pasa 7,500rpm dan 91Nm tork maksimum 5,500rpm.
Rekaan casis unik memberi sebuah imej motosikal yang lebih agresif dan ditambahbaikkan lagi dengan pakej suspensi hadapan Showa Dual Bending Valve (SDBV) dan suspensi belakang Showa berkembar dengan remote reservoir.
BSH akan menawarkan model CB1100 Rs dalam warna hitam metalik (Darkness Black Metallic) dan perak metalik (Mat Beta Silver Metallic) pada harga RM75,999 (harga jualan tanpa insurans).
Untuk maklumat lanjut, layari www.boonsiewhonda.com.my.
Boon Siew Honda launched three more models to the Malaysian market today to kick off 2019. They are the Honda Super Cub C125, Honda CB1100RS, Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP.
Being of different segments, the additional models provide Malaysian motorcyclists with even more choices in Honda motorcycles.
Honda started a revolution when they introduced the Super Cub C100 in 1958. The Super Cub has evolved over the last 60 years. By then, it had become the largest-selling motorized vehicle of all time with more than 100 million units sold worldwide.
The Super Cub is now back in the guise of the Super Cub C125.
While its styling is reminiscent of the original Super Cub, the new bike is thoroughly modern.
It is offered in Pearl Niltava Blue, Pearl Nebula Red and Pearl Shining Black.
The CB1100RS harks back to the days when Honda’s inline-Four engines were the king. Specifically, it started with the CB750 in 1969, which was rightfully called “first superbike.”
Since then, Japanese motorcycles with multi-cylinder engines, round headlights, high handlebars, and bench seats became known generically as the UJM for Universal Japanese Motorcycle.
The UJM styling is timeless as Honda continued selling the CB line-up such as the sublime CB 400 Super Four VTEC and later the CB1100 over the years in many markets around the world. Except Malaysia.
Perhaps 2019 is the year to remember with the launch of this bike.
As with its predecessors, the CB1100RS looks like a 70’s bike but it a modern motorcycle in its essence.
It looks like a torquey machine judging from the spread between maximum torque and peak power.
The Honda CB1100RS is available in Darkness Black Metallic and Matt Beta Silver Metallic.
The “SP” version of the CBR1000RR Fireblade brings more fire to the table. It is endowed with more power, less weight and equipped with more technology compared to the “standard” Fireblade.
While other manufacturers kept pushing up the power output of their superbikes, Honda chooses to adhere to their “Next Stage Total Control” philosophies. You could say “What’s power without control?”
The Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP is offered in HRC Tricolor only (no Repsol thank you very much!).
Boon Siew Siew Honda has launched new colours and striping for the 2019 Honda Wave Alpha and 2019 Honda BeAt.
The Wave Alpha is the current leader among the small capacity cub segment in Malaysia. This is due to Honda’s brief in producing it as the motorcycle for the masses.
For 2019, Honda updates the bike with new colours and graphics to appeal to both the matured as well as the younger audiences.
The model is offered in two variants. The first features cast wheels and a front disc brake. The other variant features spoked wheels and drum brakes on both ends.
The new colour schemes for the disc brake variant are Pearl Megallanic Black with yellow striping, Vivacity Red and Pearl Nightfall Blue.
As for the spoked wheels variant, the colour schemes are Vivacity Red, Pearl Megallanic Black and Pearl Nightfall Blue.
The disc brake model is priced from RM 4,516, while the spoked wheels model is from RM 4,275 (basic selling prices excluding road tax, insurance and registration). The new Wave Alpha is available from today onwards.
This is the third generation BeAT after being first introduced in 2016. The BeAT is popular for its great looks and fuel economy, as well as storage space.
Its powered by a 108cc, PGM-FI fuel-injected engine. Power is fed to the rear wheel via a V-belt.
The new BeAt is now equipped with a sidestand sensor which incapacitates engine start and accidental acceleration. The engine also cuts out when the sidestand is lowered. Additionally, the model also features Combi Brake System which activates both brakes to increase braking power besides stabilizing the bike under hard braking. A Smart Lock System assists with being stationary on a slope – more like a manual Hill Start Assist system in the larger bikes.
There are four new colours for the 2019 BeAT: Vivacity Red, Space Magenta Metallic, Pearl Nightfall Blue and Pearl Megallanic Black.
Boon Siew Honda prices the BeAt from RM 5,365 (basic selling price excluding road tax, insurance and registration).
The new BeAT will be available from next week onwards.
Boon Siew Honda introduced a new colour for the 2019 Honda X-ADV line-up called Matt Moonstone Silver Metallic. It complements the present Grand Prix Red and Matt Bullet Silver colours.
The Honda X-ADV is a groundbreaking cross-platform motorcycle. It incorporates a number of features that are only found in individual motorcycles in the body of a scooter.
First up, the liquid-cooled, 745cc engine produces 54 bhp (40.3 kW) and 68 Nm of torque. It means that the bike isn’t a run-of-the-mill scooter.
Secondly, it is equipped with Honda’s proprietary Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). The DCT is a 6-speed manual gearbox but can be operated in Drive and Sport full-automatic modes or in fully manual model.
Thirdly, the X-ADV has a Gravel model for off-road riding, hence the knobby tyres. There’s no other scooter which boasts such capability. The front wheel is a 17-inch unit for tackling the rough.
With such engine power and capabilities, the Honda X-ADV makes for both a practical daily commuter and long-distance tourer. We have ridden the bike all the way to Kuantan and back in comfort. The adjustable windscreen it tall in its highest adjustment, keeping windblast off the rider’s torso.
The underseat storage compartment is large and supplemented by cubby holes up front.
The new colour is available from December 2019 onwards at Honda Big Wing Dealers. The Honda X-ADV is priced from RM 63,229 for standard colours and from RM 65,499 for special colours.
The 2018 Honda Rebel 500 lightweight cruiser gets new colours, as announced by Boon Siew Honda.
The Rebel 500 made its debut in Malaysia in 2017. Many have taken a liking to it since then. Priced from just RM 32,399.00, it represents a great value for money.
It is a good-looking bike by any account. Styled like a bobber with a wide front wheel, owners can look forward to customizing it to their hearts’ content. The 471cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-Twin engine provides punchy torque yet linear in its response.
Being small in size also means the bike is accessible to a wide variety of riders. The Rebel 500 features a seat height of only 690mm and a kerb weight of just 191 kg.
Front and rear disc brakes take care of braking duties. The rear Showa shocks are adjustable for two-step preload.
Boon Siew Honda have added new colours to the 2018 Honda Rebel 500 range. The new colours are Matt Axis Grey and Pearl Cadet Grey. The existing Graphite Black and Millennium Red are retained.
The new colours are available from December 2018 onwards at all Honda Big Wing dealers.
(Click on this link to read our full review of the 2017 Honda Rebel 500.)
Boon Siew Honda (BSH) baru sahaja mengumumkan pilhan warna baharu bagi dua model Big Bikes tawaran mereka untuk pasaran Malaysia iaitu Honda Rebel 500 dan juga Honda X-ADV. Menuju ke tahun 2019, Honda Rebel kini ditawarkan dengan dua warna baharu manakala terdapat satu lagu pilihan baharu untuk model Honda X-ADV. (more…)
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