Honda CRF1000L AFRICA TWIN merged threadfest

Here, mostly, internet press releases. Interviews. Dealer leaks. Seems like general knowledge, really.

Yep! Except that looks more like a portrait of what I imagine Ashman looks like, and where he does most of his riding to...

So where on the internet, or what interviews, press leaks, dealer leaks, etc. have the info about "The V engine thing has played out, the V4, probably not the success they wanted."?

Or "...we'll see a True Adventure themed single for broader markets and a smaller twin at some point."?

Or "...the word was that the AT was delayed because it needed more work and refinement, so other models could be closer to market than planned if they were already in the design process."?

Those were the things I believe Motard Menace was asking about... And I'd love to see the links you've got for all those things you mentioned...

But the truth is it's all in your head, right? Nothing but unfounded conjecture and dreaming, right? Just more of your pollution of an endless number of threads, eh?

Love your hat, BTW.

Dallara



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The Honda X range of motorbikes is expected to continue. These are Honda's soft off roaders, ie the 80/20 bike. Good for touring with some limited ability to be managed on unpaved roads, but quickly hit their limits with the surface gets tougher than well formed gravel.hard packed surfaces.

The CFR1000L is a new breed of bike from Honda for current times, and as i have said before it plugs a current gap in the Honda model range. It is a 50/50 designed bike more true to the adventure genre than the soft adventure bikes mentioned above. I enjoy the VFR1200X for what it is, a really nice touring bike that can be managed on some unpaved roads. But I'm under no illusions that the 'X' series of bikes from Honda are anything but road touring bikes with very limited unpaved capabilities. The CFR1000L is not in my view pure off road bike. It is an adventure touring bike at home on paved and unpaved roads, and manageable on the really rough surfaces but not at home for long on pure dirt, sand, single track stuff.

In time, and I purely speculate here, I would think Honda will develop a range of 50/50 adventure touring bikes of different sizes based around their Dakar bike and the CFR1000L. I'm even willing to speculate that some of those at the smaller end of engine size will make damn good dirt bikes. But of course, I have no way of knowing this. It is all speculation/wishful thinking on my part.

The bits I know from a range of public sources are:
- the CFR1000L is a 50/50 adventure touring bike
- production starts later this year for sales in Europe
- sales to the rest of the world come on stream progressively from quarter one 2016

I would expect the final specs will be released close to when the bike will go in sale in Europe.

Cheers...

I don't think that Honda is done yet the XR650L will surly be replaced in the near future and a 450 will be in the mix as well.

Yes this is what I was referring to. Ash seems to have an inside track to the thoughts and inner workings of Honda which I doubt. I actually know from direct contact with Honda NA they are very tight lipped about stuff and if I have come to learn anything about Honda its that they are completely unpredictable and march to a different drummer compared to other manufactures. They do what they want because they are Honda. They swing for the fences most of the time and strike out more then most but also hit more home runs. AN example of how tight lipped they are is this AT. They showed the concept bike last year and then you heard zip, bupkis until a well timed release now. Anyway I digress....my point was to make the statements Ash has made is pure assumption, speculation and wishful desires and nothing more..... Honda might just make this a 1500cc for all we know..........

Australia, late 2015. Three models.

1, Non ABS, presumably traditional gear shift.
2, ABS, manual transmission.
3, ABS, auto thingy.

That's my guess and I'm thinking it's a goodun

There, fixed it for ya'!

Dallara



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I guess you haven't read the past few pages of this thread, where this entire issue has been discussed ad infinitum?

If you had taken the time to do so you might have seen that 650cc's is *ONLY* mentioned on their mobile device web page, and is *NOT* mentioned on their main, normal browser web site, eh?

Now, let me ask you a question... If this new Honda is, indeed, a 650 then why is Honda calling it a CRF1000L?

I can't wait to hear your answer...


http://powersports.honda.com/street/adventure.aspx





Dallara







p.s. - and come to think of it, isn't this thread called "Coming soon: The all new Honda CRF1000L AFRICA TWIN threadfest"???
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Better take a long, hard look at that web page URL on your browser and see if there is an "M" in there just ahead of Honda and then tell me who is being "obtuse"...

Here's a screen shot I *JUST* took of their normal browser "Adventure" web page...





I'll wait while you check that URL.


Dallara




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Show the entire URL in safari. You're looking at the mobile site and if you show the entire URL you'll see that "powersports.honda.com" is preceded by "m." as in "mobile".

Edit also below the little Facebook/Twitter/share/BS - there is a link to "View Full Site"

Nope, that's why I said "it seems" a lot. I'm just basing it on the general knowledge and looking at what has been discontinued lately, what is extra long in the tooth, and how Honda tends to group its products by series. As I said, Honda said that True Adventure represents a type of product or range of product (I forget the actual words), and that has held, with the Africa Twin being a model within the True Adventure "range". The 90 degree V motorcycles are all basically gone at this point, which is a shame, but then, they were never really put in bikes that the people really wanted. In fact, I'm trying to think if Honda has any V-twin bikes at all now that aren't cruisers. And speaking of cruisers, when Honda got into them, they got into them big, as they did with sport bikes. When they decide to follow a trend, they tend to do it big and well. It's when they try to START a trend that they end up being too far ahead of the curve to make it stick.

And just from looking at the press and perusing what's for sale, new and used, it seems to me that the CB500X is blowing away the other two bikes in the series in sales. That's gotta have Honda thinking. The other thing is that Honda always tends to do a wide range of product when they have a hit, with various engine sizes. CrossRunner/CrossTourer. Gold Wing/Silver Wing. Interceptor 500/750/1000. Etc, etc. As long as the sales support it.

It's irrelevant to me whether you take me seriously or not, but I'll be happy to compare motorcycle and riding CV's if you'd like. And I figure ADVrider put the emoticons there for us to use 'em, so lots of people use 'em - just like me.

Further, I doubt Honda would be showing the same icon for one bike, calling it CRF1000L all over the place, and "working on" a completely different 650 to show only on their mobile web page. Let's try and remain logical, shall we?

But back to a point of yours I'd like to revisit, I guess we have established I'm not the one who is "obtuse", eh?

Dallara



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Actually what it clearly shows is someone has put the wrong number in for a bike called the CRF1000L on a single website out of all Honda websites, particularly when its the mobile version of the US website when the US isn't even in the first release schedule.

There has been exactly zero indication of Honda working on a 650.
No one in Honda has mentioned it, not one anywhere has mentioned it but for you when it shows up on your iphone then its "clearly in the works" as the only option rather then just an error on behalf of a guy who was punching in the data who didn't have a displacement listed and thought he'd just do a quick google to find it, saw 650cc next to africa twin in the google results and punched it in.

They aren't "clearly working on" a 650cc CRF1000l until they either announce it or someone at honda at least makes even the slightest mention of a lower CC version.


As for who sounds like a blow-hard, you did read your last post right? "north of the mason-dixon blah blah on a road of my choosing blah blah..."

"emote icons....professional appearance"

seriously...

PM sent. Can't wait to hear your reply.

And I'll be happy to make you the same offer for a ride if you ever venture South. I'll be happy to oblige you, either place.

Just a note of advice here... You might want to check those web URL's first next time, Valentino.


Dallara




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1. There won't be a non ABS model. Abs is soon to be mandatory (or it may already be) in the EU. And this bike appears to be EU centric in its development. Models will be DCT and Olden days box

2. There is no 650. Thats a typo on the mobile site. it will be gone soonish.

2a. There may be other TA models later but there a long ways off. not worth talking about. There is no "True Adventure Family" it's the Africa Twin and that's it for now.

3. If you look over the last thread there are two people on this thread in particular that have been proven to know stuff. Two people that I listen to a little closer than others. One is a Kiwi who thinks about what he says. and the other is a grumpy old Texan who doesn't give a shit what he says Both are proven reliable sources.

4. there is no four.

Maybe both camps are right and the Africa Twin will be a 1650cc bike?

NOOooooo....

Speculation, Conjecture, I object your Honor.

Are you high?

Thats a IT!

[/endthread]

This may have been what I read and I may be making a bit of a leap, but I don't think so. It is an odd choice of words for a single bike. But it makes sense if they are going to be changing the direction of their previous efforts towards more dirt capable bikes, plural.