Honda has launched the 2019 Africa Twin at Rs 13.5 lakh (ex-showroom, India). As with the previous years, 50 units will be brought to India in the first lot, and Honda has opened bookings for the bike, with deliveries expected to start next month.
The 2019 model receives a new Glint Wave Blue Metallic colour scheme, with gold accents on the handlebar and spoked wheels. The 2019 Africa Twin will be available at Honda’s Wing World outlets, spread across 22 cities in India.
Apart from the new colour scheme, the bike remains identical to the 2018 Africa Twin which received a sizeable update. The Africa Twin features a throttle-by-wire (TBW) system and a seven-level Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) system, which is Honda’s terminology for traction control. It also gets three levels of power and engine braking, and four riding modes – Urban, Touring, Gravel and User – each of which can be programmed individually.
The Honda Africa Twin is powered by a 998cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine making 89hp at 7,500rpm and 93.1Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. While it is available with two transmission options internationally– a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed DCT – India receives only the latter. Further functionality for the DCT comes in the form of Honda’s Incline Detection technology that spots if the motorcycle is going up or down a slope and then selects the appropriate gear. You can read our first ride report of the 2018 Africa Twin here.
While the 2019 model may not have received any substantial updates, it is rumoured that Honda has plans for a larger-capacity Africa Twin that we could expect in 2020.
Honda, however, hasn’t announced any plan to bring its Africa Twin Adventure Sport to India – a bike that comes with increased suspension travel, a larger fuel tank, wider fairings and a taller windscreen.
Ved Janve
Dinshaw Magol
