Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.
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Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

26.05.2022 /
Honda X-ADV 750 in CRF1000L Africa Twin on the field

Matjaz is an experienced motorcyclist, but primarily and almost every day mostly (maxi) scooter. It prides itself on the comfort of an automatic transmission and good wind protection, as well as the practicality of an underseat luggage compartment. However, off-road riding is not alien or disgusting to him - he recently became the proud owner of a beautiful Cagive T4 350. My little one has always been fond of motorcycles on 18- and 21-inch wheels ... Wanted to test if Honda's off-road scooter is really as off-road as they are trying to us convince, and if as such it can be an alternative to a serious big enduro bike, which is undoubtedly the Africa Twin.

Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

From city to highway

And we went: from the center of Ljubljana, where they quickly fall in love with an automatic transmission with a dual-clutch (from DCT to X-ADV), to the gray sunny Gorenjska track in autumn. There at the maximum speed 745cc inline twin it follows Africa without any problems (which, to be honest, is not one of the busiest among analogs), it can even move at a speed of about 150 km / h without stress and unpleasant drafts around the body. However, the experienced scooter will quickly notice that a very wide middle ridge takes up space for the feet or feet. Not only will you not be able to ride a bale of hay between your legs with the X-ADV (but let's face it, not many Gilera Runner scooters can), your boots will also stick out in the back if you want to ride with your legs outstretched. ...

Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

At the same time, the sister on the 1.000-cubic-foot highway is sovereign and stable until the first three-digit number with a two comes first. If you have the strength and if conditions permit, you can effortlessly and fearlessly maintain a speed of 180 km / h on the highway. high speeds. Here I would like to point out one more thing: when the next day I took the better half on a trip to Jezersko, it was all over. comfort, offered to the passenger by the Africa Twin aircraft, was a pleasant surprise. It should be understood that less, more evenly distributed power has its advantages: even when we drive through Africa more quickly, the ride is still soft and non-aggressive. It's true that the suspension is soft enough for off-road use, but it gives a very good idea of ​​what's going on with the car. In short: Africa is not a nerve engine. On the KTM 1090 Adventure, she got sick before Draggoshe…

This was followed by several kilometers of asphalt turns: the scooter should ride well and can compete with a real bike as long as the ground is level; it reacts better to bumps in corners than Africa, which behaves as if it does not notice such small things at all (but the driver does not feel them). Nothing fancy: the smaller wheels and suspension with less travel (153,5mm front and 150mm rear) just can't do what the big wheels and the really solid suspension found on the Africa Twin (230 / 220mm) just can't do. This is felt even more when the asphalt pavement is finished and crushed stone begins; first good and fortified, and then, hey, such that two passenger car crankcases were recently smashed on it.

If you're an enduro person, you want to ride while standing.

Yes, the X-ADV was fitted with Dunlop Roadsmart off-road tires instead of off-road tyres, but look, Africa too was tuned not to some brutal off-road tires, but to classic Dunlop Trailmax off-road tires. About driving on rubble like this: as long as the rubble is beautiful, paved, the X-ADV rides pretty well. However, the Suzuki Bandit 1250, for example, is not much worse on such a road. Africa offers all the conditions for such a situation, only one small mistake - exhaust shield anxiously touching my right heel (though I wear # 45 boots). Anyone who finds a solution will receive a great honor in the company of travelers in Africa. Well, if you are going to ride these routes frequently, I also recommend replacing the pedals with wider, non-rubberized pads for better foot contact and better stability. And one more thing: before driving off-road, be sure to first turn off the traction control handle, otherwise you will not go anywhere or you will have the feeling that something is wrong with the engine, because it is constantly at a trot.

Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

So X-ADV? This prevents standing up, which is the basis for off-road driving. If you try to get up anyway, you will hang from the handlebars in an uncomfortable squatting position, as if you were skiing on water. However, you won't find such a situation in off-road guides. There is only one thing left for you to do: deal with the section of rubble in a sitting position or enter the password to search for honda x-adv off-road pegs, which in English means off-road pedals, in a web browser. and buy them. They are manufactured by Rizoma and are also offered by Honda as accessories. And something else bothered me: a weak feel on the rear brake lever, which doesn't work best when pressed lightly, but locks up quickly when pressed harder.

And how does the transmission work in such cases? Be sure to select manual shift mode (using the +/- buttons) and expect the gear ratio or gap between first and second gears to be too large, although of course the solution is still much better than the classic CVT scooter. ... It's the same with off-road behavior: the X-ADV doesn't feel like it needs long kilometers of bad roads, but on the other hand it's clear that this off-road is much, much better than city maxi scooters like the Syma Maxsyma 600i. which I was riding. In the spring he lost his way and quickly gave up.

Thus, we can come to the following conclusion: the X-ADV 750 is by far the most off-road vehicle in its segment, but there is no need to fear that crowds of brave motorcyclists will choose a scooter. But you know how things are with soft SUVs (crossovers or SUVs) in the automotive world: gentlemen and ladies buy them because they are modern nowadays, because they make it easier to park on the sidelines and because they give them an active feeling. sporty, athletic style. more nature-related specimens of the human species. Few people really need high ground clearance and four-wheel drive.

Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

A little more about costs: fuel consumption it differed by a little less than a liter throughout the trip; X-ADV drank 4,8, Africa pa 5,7 liters per hundred kilometers, but in both it drops a liter lower when driving slowly. The scooter costs 11.490 euros (or 10.690 in the autumn campaign) and the full traveler costs 13.490 euros. 12.590 euros. Whether this or that option is better or whether it is worth subtracting a little less than two thousand, this time it's up to you. Because we believe that Honda does not address the same set of riders with them. Dot.

Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

A word more about motorized exploration of distant corners: soon there will be someone who will recognize this place. Yes, in Tabornishka's photo, Shia's house, to which a crushed stone road leads. The road is used mainly for the care of huts and alpine huts, and according to the caretaker (and the cook), people who, firstly, have small children or, secondly, are no longer able to go hiking in their old age. age (although in their youth they also walked and climbed in the Himalayas). They have no problem with motorcyclists as they are rare and attentive to beautiful nature. At the same time, we turn to adrenaline junkies: if they can't tame the need for loud rage and enduro etiquette, they'd better park in the valley and walk up the hill. Thank you for your understanding.

Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

Face to face: Matyaz Tomažić

I first encountered the X-ADV in the spring when I installed tires with a slightly more off-road profile. And he really was able to cope with well-groomed gravel roads without problems, and in the city he turned out to be even better, overcoming classic urban obstacles. The real point is that the X-ADV is too much of a scooter and too small an off-road enduro bike, and there are too few scooters and too many bikes in the city. At least for me. In the field, it would be hard to bear the groan of plastic and the suspension, which still has its limitations, but in the city, I lacked useful storage boxes for small items and some of the ergonomic practicality that I uncompromisingly expect from a maxi scooter. I admit, however, that with him, now that he wears road tires, I really enjoyed the tarmac. The resentment is limited to the rear brake, and I generally resent Honda for limiting all of their inline-twins to lockup at 6.500rpm in general. Looking back at Kawasaki's GPZ/ER6 and BMW's F800, I think it's really a waste of this engine's potential. Well, let it sneak up after 100.000 kilometers, “we’ll get it”, just don’t steal joy. But still: with an excellent gearbox and rich equipment, the X-ADV deservedly became one of the best in its class.

The Africa Twin traveler was understandably more convincing on the route Matevzh and I took. Where the X-ADV stumbled like an approaching donkey, the Africa Twin bounced lightly like a young chamois. It is difficult to convince those who understand this segment of motorcycles that Africa is superior to any area. However, I believe this is an extremely versatile bike that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who is thinking about it. Power is not the best, but this is not a slow bike, its trump card is comfort, ride quality suits every rider. Loaded with suitcases, he can definitely travel the world. In the end, however, the fact that the new generation rightfully bears the Africa Twin name cannot be ignored. For those who have also experienced the motorcycle through the memories of history, this certainly means a lot.

And if I return to the essence of this test. Is X-ADV the equivalent of Africa? This is if your goal is a bar on the far edge of Kamenyak. But I also went there several times with Xin-Ling. And personally, X-ADV did not disappoint me, it eventually led me to the mountain, where I ate most of the struukli. Otherwise, the difference is still too big, and the scales are, understandably, heavily skewed in favor of the classic enduro bike. But he would like to. Both.

Test: can an SUV be an alternative to enduro travel? Honda X-ADV 750 in Africa Twin.

Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

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