2024 Honda Africa Twin
- Thread starter Burke
- Start date
Except for the steep price. Most like the bike and what it offers and have positive reviews.
the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
I think the DCT on my NC 750X is brilliant. If I were taking it off road I'd probably go with the manual, but if I go off road it's because I've missed a turn 
Dual Clutch Baby!
I have a friend that rides his 2018 (?) Africa Twin mostly off road. Not groomed unpavement but hardcore single track. I talked him into DCT in 2018 when he bought it and after a few thousand miles he told me it wasn't my fault but he wished he had taken the manual. Then he did one of those BDRs and came back an evangelist. That was years and tens of thousands of miles ago. Lots of people focus on the "giving up part" and can't see the "what DCT gives part." It's hard to really understand it on a short demo ride when everything is odd about it.
I have a friend that rides his 2018 (?) Africa Twin mostly off road. Not groomed unpavement but hardcore single track. I talked him into DCT in 2018 when he bought it and after a few thousand miles he told me it wasn't my fault but he wished he had taken the manual. Then he did one of those BDRs and came back an evangelist. That was years and tens of thousands of miles ago. Lots of people focus on the "giving up part" and can't see the "what DCT gives part." It's hard to really understand it on a short demo ride when everything is odd about it.
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Donk
Site Supporter
Ridden both and both are good. If I were buying I think I'd go manual with the quick shifter but that's just me and I realize by doing that I might as well go DCT. I also like doing slow parking lot maneuvers which favor a clutch. Again once you get used to balancing rear brake and throttle on the DCT it's pretty much the same. I believe DCT bikes have larger rear brakes just for that reason. Final answer manual today but DCT is both cool and the future.
Of course the best Africa Twin is the NT1100 if Honda would just get their head out of their arse and bring it to the States.
Of course the best Africa Twin is the NT1100 if Honda would just get their head out of their arse and bring it to the States.
bdalameda
PaleoCyclist
I have a 2019 Africa Twin DCT. I've had it now for 4 years. It takes some getting used to in the beginning and some riding techniques especially off-road have to change but I would not go back. Riding on twisty and steep mountain roads are a joy with the DCT. You do not lose any control as you have manual mode to back up the automatic shift and it is positive and not at all like an automatic transmission in a car. If anything it lets you concentrate on riding technique rather than thinking about clutching and up and down shifting in tight or steep conditions. Also the engine cannot stall when plonking along over ruts etc. I found that riding in the mountains is much more relaxing and at the end of a long day I am less tired. It is fun to use the thumb shifters blasting into or out of a curve. The DCT shifts far faster than you can shift a manual transmission as well.
Dan
Dan
the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
I'd say it took me about 3 weeks of daily riding to get really used to my DCT trans. After that it's been sheer bliss riding it. So simple and easy (or you can make it a bit more complicated if you want with the manual button and paddle shifters) Don't miss a clutch at all. (although I have a manual shift 6 sp CB1100 I also ride that does have a clutch and I have no issue riding it either) I can literally walk my DCT 1 mph into it's garage parking space with zero chance of stalling it.
I've got around 1500 miles on my 2024 Adventure Sports 6MT and I'm liking it so far. It's got the 19" front wheel and is surprisingly capable in the twisties, but lacks the torque of the ST13. I have to downshift more often to avoid what feels like lugging (I don't think what I'm feeling is "parallel twin character"). I rode dirt bikes regularly from 8 to 18, when I had to sell my CR250 to help cover college expenses. My first "street" bike was an XL600R, so having the AT is kind of a homecoming. Dirtbikes, even huge ones, are just so darn nimble.
I normally kept my ST's stock windscreen near the bottom of its travel. The only time I raised it very high was in heavy rain. I find the AT's stock screen in the lowest position is fine for me (5' 11" - 1.8m). I'm getting fewer dead bugs on my helmet visor, and I don't really feel any wind using my hand until near the top of my helmet. I do get more wind on my arms and shoulders though, but I'm fine with it even at highway speeds - it's a bike, right, not a car.
And so far, the seat is plenty comfy for me. It's not cushy, but there's no lingering discomfort after hours in the saddle. Opinions vary widely on seats though. And it's nice to still have great range. Any bike that claims to be for adventure or touring should be able to approach 250 miles between stops.
Regarding the gearbox - I like shifting. My cars have always had 3 pedals. The engagement for me is a big part of the fun, but to each his own. And my recently departed ST had 170k miles on the original clutch. In other words, they're reliable. What happens when one of the DCT shift solenoids fails (when you're far from home)? I bet you can't just use the other 3 gears. If the AT's clutch cable broke, I could probably make do with vice grips attached to the lever on the side of the engine case (I know this doesn't apply to an ST13).
I normally kept my ST's stock windscreen near the bottom of its travel. The only time I raised it very high was in heavy rain. I find the AT's stock screen in the lowest position is fine for me (5' 11" - 1.8m). I'm getting fewer dead bugs on my helmet visor, and I don't really feel any wind using my hand until near the top of my helmet. I do get more wind on my arms and shoulders though, but I'm fine with it even at highway speeds - it's a bike, right, not a car.
And so far, the seat is plenty comfy for me. It's not cushy, but there's no lingering discomfort after hours in the saddle. Opinions vary widely on seats though. And it's nice to still have great range. Any bike that claims to be for adventure or touring should be able to approach 250 miles between stops.
Regarding the gearbox - I like shifting. My cars have always had 3 pedals. The engagement for me is a big part of the fun, but to each his own. And my recently departed ST had 170k miles on the original clutch. In other words, they're reliable. What happens when one of the DCT shift solenoids fails (when you're far from home)? I bet you can't just use the other 3 gears. If the AT's clutch cable broke, I could probably make do with vice grips attached to the lever on the side of the engine case (I know this doesn't apply to an ST13).
Manuals are reliable but 14 years of DCT in bikes proves they are Honda reliable as well but to your point, a failure in the RBW will render both pushbikes. Remember when all the rage was cables to carbs and computerized fuel injection was just a problem waiting to happen? What, no kick starter?, what do you do when the battery takes a dump? It's good that Honda options both gearboxes to suit rider preference.
bdalameda
PaleoCyclist
The DCT is more complex no doubt but very well proven and reliable. Honda has been building DCT bikes now for 14 years. Have people had problems with the DCT, yes but few and far between. Std clutch models have had issues too - also very reliable.
Donk
Site Supporter
I think Honda has got the DTC pretty well sorted. I can see picking one transmission or the other based on personal preference but not on reliability. The DCT is as reliable as the manual.
I'm not saying that DCTs are unreliable. I'm sure they're just as reliable as CVTs and conventional automotive slush-boxes. And when you hear of individual clutch failures (conventional dry/wet clutches or DCTs), it's difficult to know how much of the failure is attributable to the operator. But an increase in complexity (e.g., sensors, software, solenoids) means more potential failure points, which normally comes with a decrease in robustness (and lower MTBF). The "clutch" portion of a DCT and conventional clutch (springs, plates, bearings, etc.) are very similar. It's the added stuff that concerns me, as they're additional potential points of failure.
I had a similar reaction with the BMW ShiftCam system. When I first heard about it, my initial thought was that I wouldn't want the added complexity.
And as I said in my initial post - I like shifting my own gears. That's the only reason I went with the 6MT (reliability wasn't considered). If Honda hadn't brought over the manual Adventure Sports model this year, I was going to buy a new Super Tenere. The DCT would've robbed me of some of the joy that I get while riding - and I knew it would bother me EVERY time I got on it.
Also - apologies to the OP for the diversion in the thread.
I had a similar reaction with the BMW ShiftCam system. When I first heard about it, my initial thought was that I wouldn't want the added complexity.
And as I said in my initial post - I like shifting my own gears. That's the only reason I went with the 6MT (reliability wasn't considered). If Honda hadn't brought over the manual Adventure Sports model this year, I was going to buy a new Super Tenere. The DCT would've robbed me of some of the joy that I get while riding - and I knew it would bother me EVERY time I got on it.
Also - apologies to the OP for the diversion in the thread.