A weekend farewell ride on our Africa Twin

First, I need to level with you. When Honda sent us the bike, I was not thrilled to learn we got the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) version. I mean, I’ll ride anything an OEM sends us, but like many of you, I like the whole shifting business with bikes. It’s rewarding and normal.

But I stayed open-minded about the DCT, and I’m so glad that I did, because our “dirt bagger” won me over in no time. I’ve got a few miles on the thing now, and I’ve decided that DCT is alright in my book. So would I actually buy this motorcycle? We’ll get to that.

Honda lent us this machine for a year and a half, and Fearless Editor Lance is pretty sure that’s the longest anyone has trusted us with a press bike. We’ve written so many articles with this thing, it’s not even funny. Lemmy rode it all over, including two-up and fully loaded, and gave it the "dirt bagger" nickname, and he and Spurgeon used it for their camping video, to give just a couple of examples. We used the Africa Twin for a lot of different things because this motorcycle is so versatile. My fussier, needier, and more specialized motorcycles were a lot less appealing while I had access to the all-rounder AT.

Honda finally asked for the thing back, and a truck is supposed to come next week to take it away. I thought the bike had one last adventure in it, so I grabbed the keys for a farewell ride. The result? What started as a quick weekend trip led me to some of the best east coast roads I’ve ever ridden, and a final cure for any transmission snobbery I’d been harboring.

Connecticut bound

Two of my best friends, Andrew and Michael, live in New Haven. When they first started riding with me back in school, we had the typical Craigslist rattletraps that everyone seems to start with. Cheap, broken, Japanese. You’ve probably owned a few yourself. While I stuck with those bikes (even though I know better), my buddies started modifying European modern classics. Andrew’s built Moto Guzzi V7 III Milano is one rad pasta-rocket, and Michael’s Triumph Street Scrambler feels like it’s had a Thruxton 900 engine swap. What better direction to point the AT than the Nutmeg State for a Saturday tour with some friends? On a Friday afternoon, I rode north for the long goodbye.

In my time riding the Africa Twin over the last year and half, I’ve quickly learned that DCT is the bomb in traffic. For all the virtues of a traditional clutch, I don’t know anyone who enjoys using one in congestion. In contrast, the Honda’s “auto” made the ride past New York City as painless as possible. DCT can be operated in three modes: Drive, Sport (three levels), and Manual via shift buttons. Sport 3 was pretty decent for just riding around, and Manual’s what you want when it’s time to have fun. I liked Drive least because it just short-shifts, but in the heaviest traffic, Drive earned its keep. It’s very smooth, perfect for the constant stop-start crawl of gridlock. Once the traffic clears up, click into Sport 3 or Manual. Honda’s parallel twin has all the power I’d want for a machine of this size, and it has a respectable roar when wound up. I’ll go so far as to say it’s pretty rowdy for a Honda twin.

Jamming up to rendezvous in New Haven was a breeze. Most ADV bikes will see plenty of street miles, even if the glossy brochure doesn’t show that, and the Africa Twin is more than ready for them. Its long suspension is a boon on broken northeastern roads. Another pothole? Who cares? The saddle offers plenty of room for moving around, and I comfortably rode this bike for hours at a time, stopping only for gas. For highway work with cargo, the tank’s good for about 150 miles before the gauge is on the last bar. That’s on par with Lemmy’s experience commuting this beastie. I arrived in New Haven at a fairly late hour and called it a day.

North by northwest

The next morning, we were joined by our pal Anthony, who rides a 1977 KZ650. My friends immediately nicknamed my Honda “The Tower,” since it looked to be double the height of the traditional bikes. They weren’t wrong, though I really do like the commanding view of the road from the AT’s cockpit. People seem to see this motorcycle, and they get out of its way.

Tower and company headed north on Connecticut Route 25 towards scenic U.S. 7, which would take us all the way up into the northwest reaches of the state. The farther we got from the busy coastal areas, the more fun the roads got. For me, that is. It made no difference to the AT. One of the bike’s best characteristics, I think, is that it just doesn’t care about anything. Potholes, traffic, slabbing it, winding roads, whatever. The Africa Twin does not care.

I’m not qualified to take over Lemmy’s Brap brap, nom nom article series, but it’s not a road trip without a lunch stop. I’d absolutely recommend The Cookhouse in New Milford. “Best barbecue in Connecticut, 13 years in a row,” they claim, and I believe them. They’ve got a killer smoked duck sandwich featuring a little blackberry jam. Like the DCT, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. 

Stuffed, we hopped on Route 4 at Cornwall Bridge, then picked up 41 at Sharon. “There sure are a lot of lakes around here,” I commented over our communicators. My friends kindly pointed out the giant sign we’d just passed: “WELCOME TO LAKEVILLE.” Good grief. Many jokes were made at my expense for the rest of the trip. “Hey Andy, look at all those trees. Wonder where we are? Maybe Treeville?”

The ridge roads around Lakeville are just beautiful, as are the views of the, uh, many lakes that I’d noticed. As a Pennsylvanian, I can only dream of remote roads as smooth as these. Plan a fall ride here if you get the chance. Connecticut’s scenic routes are very popular with motorcyclists in the warm months. We used this guide to choose some of our trip.

U.S. 44 took us out to the spectacular roads around Barkhamsted Reservoir. (It is illegal to use anything other than an old-timey name for any place in Connecticut.) As we blasted through the leafy tunnels of Tunxis State Forest, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of A Perfect Ride. You know the sort. The roads are good, the group’s good, the weather’s good, the bike’s good, it’s turn after turn, and… wait, I’m feeling this way on a DCT? At one time, that might have surprised me. I know better now.

My rainy journey back to Philadelphia was The Imperfect Ride. The Africa Twin, as usual, did not care. Joe Zito had just mounted a set of Michelin Anakee Adventure tires, which impressed me with their handling on wet roads. The bike’s shield and fairing kept me decently protected, and I was glad to know I had Honda’s ABS and traction control onboard. Bring waterproof gear, and you’ll be fine. By the next morning, the bike was back in the ZLA motor pool, ready to leave us at last.

Thanks for the memories, AT

That Africa Twin introduced me to dual-clutch transmissions, took me all over the northeast on a bunch of trips, and totally won my approval in the end. I’m not the only one, either. Two Zillans have already picked up Africa Twins of their own. Based on my experience, I think the CRF1000L is a pretty good answer to the Just One Bike Problem, which isn’t so hypothetical for many riders. Would I actually buy one? My search history shows that I’ve been on CycleTrader more than usual… but for now, no. I have the Too Many Bikes Problem. If I ever make some room in my garage, I really do think the AT could be a contender for a spot. On top of that, I’d absolutely cross-shop manuals and DCTs.

The larger lesson here is that it doesn’t matter what you have the keys to. Just ride it. Get some friends together, plan that trip you’ve been talking about forever, and make it happen.