The Honda Africa Twin is a bike that needs no introduction, and it was even on sale in India for many years – although we haven’t been seeing it in BigWing showrooms lately. So far, it’s only been available with a single 1,084cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine churning out 102hp at 7,500rpm and 112Nm at 5,500rpm. While Honda’s bikes are typically accessible, these numbers aren’t exactly manageable for anyone, especially when venturing off-road. It would appear that Honda agrees and is preparing to offer a lower-displacement version. There’s also a flagship CRF off-roader, expected to be based on the current Africa Twin.
- CRF motorcycle is expected to be based on the Africa Twin 1100
- Africa Twin 850 could get an all-new engine
Honda’s two new ADV motorcycles: What do we know?
Are these going to be the largest CRF and the smallest Africa Twin in recent times?
First things first, while we don’t have a lot of information to go on, the images tell us that both motorcycles stick to the design language of their predecessors. The CRF appears to be an off-roader based on the current Africa Twin, without its inclination for touring. Hence, we expect it to share similar specifications, with possibly longer-travel suspension and fewer features. Interestingly, Honda had revealed a concept sketch for an Enduro Sports version of the Africa Twin all the way back in 2016 and a concept build at EICMA two years ago. This motorcycle could very well be the production version of that concept.
The Africa Twin 850, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery because Honda currently does not have an 850cc engine in its portfolio. As such, this could be an entirely new platform, downsized from the bigger Africa Twin, or a bored-out version of the 755cc parallel-twin seen in the XL750 Transalp. There is also an Africa Twin 850L, and in Honda speak, that refers to a larger bias towards off-roading. Since it’s a lower-displacement version, it is likely to be smaller and possibly have fewer features than its bigger brother. Honda recently teased three new adventure motorcycles, and these three could just be it.
While we don’t know much about these motorcycles, the first day of EICMA 2026 is tomorrow, so we should know more soon.
Images: panupongjprider (Instagram)