News Round Up: The Glorious Honda Africa Twin

We round up all that's currently known about the 2016 Honda Africa Twin

By: William Connor

May 18, 2015 at 7:50am ET

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Man, it has been a whirlwind with Africa Twin announcements dropping every minute. Here is everything we know so far (with lots of pictures).

These specifications are the current rumors swirling the digital confines of the internet. Some we know for sure: 1000cc parallel twin, chain drive, optional DCT transmission, and a 21 inch front wheel. The rest is conjecture and wishful thinking.

Most of the guesses about the bike has stemmed from Honda's own statement of aiming for a 50/50 bike. That's a pretty high mark in the adventure world for off road prowess, and this has not been attempted since KTM stopped making the 990 Adventure.

Estimates say the bike will weigh somewhere in the mid-400 pound range (dry). The leaked renderings show the gauges mounted high and easily readable from the seat or a standing position. It also shows a chain final drive marking a departure from the best selling bikes in the category. (BMW) Chain drive might not be ideal for maintenance, but it does offer the ability to tailor the bike for gearing and also makes repairs easier in the field. Choosing a chain makes the bike lighter and mimics other featherweight ADV bikes like the Multi Strada or KTM's 1050 Adventure. Coupled with a 21 inch front wheel, the off road claim starts to look doable.

Another interesting design is the location of the air box. Patent drawings show a side mounted air box. That side mounted air box allows the tank to move forward and the ergonomics to be more of a dirt bike. That means the rider can get up over the front wheel more and help with traction off road by weighting the front wheel.

The Africa Twin will also be fitted with a factory skid plate. Let's hope it is more robust than most, and is designed to hold at least the weight of the bike. Most factory bash plates are not load bearing and are nothing more than window dressing

The rest of what we know is simply captured in leaked images, a rocking video, and more guesses. Seriously though, listen to the video and let's hope the bike matches that performance when it's released!