2027 Honda Africa Twin Enduro Sports: Longer Travel, Less Weight, 1,131cc

The Africa Twin has always been a big adventure bike that copes with dirt better than most. For 2027, Honda has built one that's actually made for it. The new CRF1150L Africa Twin Enduro Sports gets longer, fully adjustable suspension, more ground clearance and less weight than the standard bike, and keeps the full electronics package. It leads Honda's 2027 range for EICMA in Milan, where the whole family gets a bigger 1,131cc engine and a lighter frame, and the Adventure Sports offers Honda SENSING RIDE, a radar-based rider-assist system that Honda is putting on a motorcycle for the first time.

Honda's Enduro Sports press kit says the new model shares its engine, frame, swingarm, riding position and electronics with the standard Africa Twin. The difference is the hardware that touches the dirt, and how much of it Honda left off. Honda's global EICMA announcement describes the Enduro Sports' front suspension and styling as derived from the CRF450 RALLY, Honda's Dakar race bike.

What the Enduro Sports changes off-road

The forks are the headline. The Enduro Sports gets fully adjustable 49mm Showa closed-cartridge USD forks, which Honda calls CRF450RALLY spec, with 240mm (9.4 in) of stroke. At the back, a fully adjustable Showa shock works through Pro-Link and gives 230mm (9.1 in) of axle travel. The standard 2027 Africa Twin gets 220mm (8.7 in) and 210mm (8.3 in), so the Enduro Sports has 20mm (0.8 in) more at each end. Ground clearance goes from 240mm (9.4 in) to 260mm (10.2 in), the same 20mm gain that 1000PS points out in its breakdown.

That's also a step past the outgoing CRF1100L. Honda says the Enduro Sports forks replace the 45mm USD forks of the previous design. Visordown reports that the new standard bike's travel is 10mm (0.4 in) shorter than the old arrangement at each end, which puts the Enduro Sports roughly 10mm (0.4 in) ahead of the old 1100 front and rear. Honda's global release lists Showa EERA electronic suspension on the standard 2027 bike, but the Enduro Sports uses conventional, manually adjustable Showa units. That's a simpler setup, and some riders will prefer it when they're a long way from a dealer.

Weight comes down too. Honda lists a curb weight of 228 kg (503 lb) for the Enduro Sports with the six-speed manual and 239 kg (527 lb) with DCT. Visordown gives the standard Africa Twin as 237 kg (522 lb) manual and 247 kg (545 lb) DCT. That's the 9 kg (20 lb) Honda quotes for the manual bike, but only 8 kg (18 lb) between the two DCT versions, even though Visordown says the gap is 9 kg in either configuration. The Adventure Sports models are heavier still, so the Enduro Sports is the lightest Africa Twin in the 2027 range.

The cockpit is set up for standing. Compared with the CRF1100L, the handlebars are 10mm (0.4 in) narrower and sit 10mm higher and further forward, and the footpegs are 20mm (0.8 in) narrower and 10mm (0.4 in) further back, per Honda. MCN says the footpegs move 10mm forward, which contradicts Honda's own press kit. We're going with Honda. Seat height on the Enduro Sports adjusts between 870mm and 890mm (34.3 to 35.0 in), about 20mm (0.8 in) taller than the standard bike's 850mm to 870mm (33.5 to 34.3 in), according to Visordown.

Wheels stay at 21 inches front and 18 inches rear, with stainless-steel spokes and tubeless 90/90-21 and 150/70-18 tires, so you can plug a flat without pulling the wheel. Honda fits Metzeler Karoo Street tires as standard and approves Michelin Anakee Wild as the knobbier option. Brakes are dual 310mm (12.2 in) floating discs with radial four-piston Nissin calipers up front and a 256mm (10.1 in) rear disc. Rear ABS can be switched off.

The electronics follow the rest of the range. There are six riding modes (SPORT, TOURING, URBAN, RAIN, OFFROAD and the new OFFROAD+), and each can be customized. Honda Selectable Torque Control has seven levels plus wheelie control and can be switched off completely, and it uses a six-axis IMU. On DCT bikes, OFFROAD reduces clutch slip during gear changes, and OFFROAD+ lets you choose the shift program. Visordown says OFFROAD+ defaults to level 6 and lets you choose 5 or 6. Incline detection adjusts the shift pattern on steep grades. Honda SMART Key, cruise control and knuckle guards are standard, and Extreme Red is the only color Honda has announced.

Fuel capacity is 18.8 liters (5.0 US gal), split between the main tank and a new sub-tank under the seat. At Honda's WMTC figure of 5.1 L/100 km (46 mpg US) for the manual bike, the claimed range is about 370 km (230 miles). Honda quotes 5.4 L/100 km (44 mpg US) for the DCT, which works out to about 348 km (216 miles) on the same tank. That's our own math, not a Honda figure.

The new 1,131cc engine

Every 2027 Africa Twin gets the same engine. Honda takes the parallel twin from 1,084cc to 1,131cc with a bore that's 2mm bigger, now 94.0mm (3.70 in), on the same 81.5mm (3.21 in) stroke. Compression goes up from 10.5:1 to 12.1:1. The new engine also gets 52mm throttle bodies (up from 46mm), a redesigned intake, revised valves and cam timing, new pistons and con-rods, and a new clutch and gear ratios for the manual. The 270-degree crank and its uneven firing interval stay.

Peak power is 87.5 kW at 7,500 rpm, which is 117.3 hp in Visordown's and MCN's conversion. Torque is 119 Nm (87.8 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm. The CRF1100L made 75 kW (about 101 hp) at 7,500 rpm and 112 Nm (82.6 lb-ft) at 5,500 rpm. Honda calls that a 16.5% power increase, but its own kW figures work out to about 16.7%. 1000PS quotes 119 and 102 "hp," which match metric horsepower (PS), not the brake horsepower figure US riders usually see. Honda's global release also gives peak torque at 5,700 rpm, while the European spec sheet and both UK outlets say 5,750 rpm. Top speed is unchanged at 199 km/h (124 mph), but Honda says the bike pulls harder in gears one through five and cruises at lower revs.

Chassis changes across the range

The steel semi-double cradle frame is 0.8 kg (1.8 lb) lighter and the aluminium swingarm 0.6 kg (1.3 lb) lighter, for a combined 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) saving over the 2026 bike. The bigger change is where the fuel sits. Like the NXR750 that won four straight Paris-Dakars from 1986 to 1989, the new Africa Twin carries part of its fuel in a sub-tank under the seat. Honda says that, along with moving the battery, ECU, filler cap and airbox, lowers the center of gravity. Wheelbase is 1,585mm (62.4 in), with 27.5 degrees of rake and 117mm (4.6 in) of trail on the Enduro Sports. The cockpit is new on every model, with a 7-inch TFT touchscreen and a 5.7-inch information display, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Africa Twin 1100 vs 1150 vs Enduro Sports, side by side

Here's how the three Africa Twins compare, using Honda's figures and Visordown's for the standard 2027 bike. The 1100's travel is what you get from Visordown's 10mm reduction, and its bore is what you get from Honda's 2mm increase. Where none of our sources gives a number, we say so.

• Displacement: 1,084cc for the CRF1100L, 1,131cc for the 2027 Africa Twin and the Enduro Sports
• Bore and compression: 92mm and 10.5:1 for the 1100, 94mm and 12.1:1 for both 1150s
• Peak power: 75 kW (about 101 hp) for the 1100, 87.5 kW (117.3 hp) for both 1150s
• Peak torque: 112 Nm (82.6 lb-ft) at 5,500 rpm for the 1100, 119 Nm (87.8 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm for both 1150s
• Fork: 45mm USD for the 1100, 49mm Showa EERA on the 2027 Africa Twin, 49mm fully adjustable Showa closed-cartridge on the Enduro Sports
• Travel front and rear: about 230mm and 220mm (9.1 and 8.7 in) for the 1100, 220mm and 210mm (8.7 and 8.3 in) for the 2027 Africa Twin, 240mm and 230mm (9.4 and 9.1 in) for the Enduro Sports
• Ground clearance: not stated for the 1100 in these sources, 240mm (9.4 in) for the 2027 Africa Twin, 260mm (10.2 in) for the Enduro Sports
• Seat height: not stated for the 1100 in these sources, 850mm to 870mm (33.5 to 34.3 in) for the 2027 Africa Twin, 870mm to 890mm (34.3 to 35.0 in) for the Enduro Sports
• Curb weight, manual and DCT: not stated for the 1100 in these sources, 237 kg and 247 kg (522 and 545 lb) for the 2027 Africa Twin, 228 kg and 239 kg (503 and 527 lb) for the Enduro Sports
• Weight per kW, manual: 2.71 kg for the 2027 Africa Twin, 2.61 kg for the Enduro Sports

That last line is our own math. With the same 87.5 kW, the manual Enduro Sports carries about 4% less weight per kilowatt than the manual standard 1150. That's a small number on paper, but you'll notice the 9 kg (20 lb) every time you have to pick the bike up.

The rest of the range and Honda SENSING RIDE

The standard Africa Twin is still the all-rounder. It now comes standard with Showa EERA electronic suspension with Honda Skyhook control, an electrically adjustable screen and a Smart Key system, according to Honda's global release. The Adventure Sports is the long-distance model, with a 19-inch front wheel and a 24.2-liter (6.4 US gal) tank. Honda's global release rounds that to 24 liters. Visordown lists 210mm and 200mm (8.3 and 7.9 in) of travel, an 830mm to 850mm (32.7 to 33.5 in) seat and curb weights of 245 kg (540 lb) manual and 255 kg (562 lb) DCT. MCN puts its ground clearance at 220mm (8.7 in). Visordown quotes about 480 km (298 miles) of range at 5.1 L/100 km, but that consumption figure gives about 475 km (295 miles) from 24.2 liters.

Honda SENSING RIDE is the most important new technology in the range. Honda's global release says the Adventure Sports will be the first Honda motorcycle with it, and the system is only offered on the DCT version. Millimeter-wave radar units at the front and rear support Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Group Ride Assist, Distance Assist, Forward Collision Warning and Emergency Brake Assist. There's also Blind Spot Information, Rear Distance Information and Rear Collision Warning. Honda presents it as an option on the Adventure Sports, while Visordown and MCN treat the Adventure Sports Honda SENSING RIDE as its own model. Visordown lists it at 256 kg (564 lb), 1 kg more than the regular DCT Adventure Sports.

US pricing and timing

Honda hasn't announced US pricing or arrival dates for any 2027 CRF1150L model. Honda Powersports News has no 2027 Africa Twin release on its Africa Twin channel as of November 2, and neither Honda release we checked gives a price. MCN reports the Adventure Sports models are expected in UK dealers from March. 1000PS notes that the Enduro Sports press kit doesn't include a price or delivery date.

The big-adventure class is getting crowded, with the Triumph Tiger 1200, the CFMoto Ibex 950 and the KTM 990 Adventure we've seen in spy shots, while Kawasaki's KLE650 and Honda's own XR300L for India cover smaller bikes. The Enduro Sports is Honda's answer for riders who want a big twin that's built for rough ground. It doesn't have the most power in its class, but it has long, adjustable suspension, 260mm of clearance and the lowest weight of any 2027 Africa Twin. Until Honda's US arm confirms the model and a price, we can't say what it will cost here or when it will arrive.

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