2018 Honda Africa Twin Receives 20 Bookings In A Week

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) Private Limited has already received 20 bookings in just the first week of the bike's bookings being officially opened at Honda dealerships in India. The 2018 Honda Africa Twin will be available in limited numbers for the first 50 customers and depending on market response, Honda will decide whether to order for more kits to assembled at HMSI's facility in Manesar, Haryana. The first generation Honda Africa Twin was launched in July 2017 and was also offered with bookings limited to just 50 motorcycles, but Honda ended up selling around 80 motorcycles in less than three months.

2018 Honda Africa Twin gets throttle-by-wire, updated traction control and more

Also Read: 2017 Honda Africa Twin First Ride Review

An official at Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India told Carandbike that a lot of prospective Africa Twin customers had even moved on to other brands because of non-availability of the previous generation model, but with the introduction of the 2018 Honda Africa Twin, there's been renewed customer interest in one of the most capable adventure touring motorcycles in the market right now. Deliveries of the new Africa Twin are expected to begin soon.

Also Read: 2018 Honda Africa Twin Bookings Opens; Priced At Rs. 13.23 Lakh

The 2018 Honda Africa Twin gets a few minor, but significant updates over the first generation model. A new lithium-ion battery reduces overall weight of the bike by 2.3 kg, but more importantly the new model gets throttle-by-wire technology, which offers four riding modes - Tour, Urban, Gravel and a customisable User mode. The throttle-by-wire system also offers an advanced Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) system, which is essentially a traction control system which offers 7 levels of adjustment now, compared to just a three-step system on the earlier model.

The engine of the 2018 Honda Africa Twin remains the same 999 cc, liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor, tuned to make 87 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 93.1 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. In India, Honda will continue to offer only the automatic dual clutch transmission (DCT), although an accessory gear shift lever can be fitted for those looking for a toe-shifting mechanism. Internationally, the Honda Africa Twin is offered both in manual and DCT variants. In India, the Honda Africa Twin competes against the Triumph Tiger 800, BMW F 850 GS, Ducati Multistrada 950 and the Suzuki V-Strom 1000.