Honda drops big CRF1100L Africa Twin upgrades for 2024

The legendary Honda Africa Twin is receiving updates ready for 2024, with changes to both the CRF1100L and the higher-spec Adventure Sports edition. The changes for the coming year focus on styling, practicality, performance, and technology. 

With two bikes (and a number of sub-models) getting updated on this one, we’ll focus first on the updates that affect all the models, then drill down into the finer points of each updated machine.

2024 Honda Africa Twin updates - applicable to both versions

Still instantly recognisable as an Africa Twin, the new bike’s updates centre around the front fairing and while they do alter the aesthetic they are also aimed at improving long-distance comfort and helping to incorporate the five-position adjustable screen. 

The 1084cc engine has also received updates for this year and boasts changes to the intake, combustion, and exhaust to produce more low and mid-range torque, and a seven per cent increase of peak torque meaning 112Nm (82.6 lb-ft) is now available. Peak power for both the CRF1100L and the Adventure Sports remains the same as before at 75kW or 100.5bhp.

Honda has also fettled the DCT system of the bikes, and the focus was on matching the DCT shifting schedules to the new torque delivery but also improving the rideability and feel of the system. The shifting schedules have been tweaked to facilitate earlier downshifts, and also better detect when the bike is taking a corner to try and prevent those mid-turn changes that some earlier DCT systems could be prone to. Honda has also worked to make the first initial opening of the throttle, when the DCT system first engages, feel more natural like the bike is being operated with a normal manual clutch and transmission.

The upshifts from first to second gears have also been adjusted on the DCT models with the aim being providing a more natural clutch feel thanks to improvements to the hydraulic control of the system.

Both bikes also no boast the option to fit tubeless tyres, something that should make mid-trail punctures a little easier to fix. The frame, sub-frame, and CRF450R-inspired swingarm of both machines remain the same for 2024.

2024 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin updates

The lighter, smaller and more off-road focused version of the Honda Africa Twin will now be available with both Showa manually adjusted suspension at both ends, and, as a first on the smaller of the Africa Twin models it can be specced with trick Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERA) kit, for on-the-fly damping adjustments when riding on and off-road. 

The suspension stroke of the new EERA kitted bike remains the same as the manually adjusted machine (230mm front/220mm rear) and the system measures the bike’s speed from the ECU, attitude from the IMU and fork behaviour via the stroke sensor. In this way, Honda is stating the new EERA-kitted bike can make tweaks to the suspension in as little as 15 milliseconds from the calculations being made.

The EERA on the CRF1100L Africa Twin features five selectable suspension modes:

Mid which sits between hard and soft, for easy handling in a wide range of situations. It is automatically selected with the Urban riding mode. 

Hard which offers stable, responsive and the firmest damping for two-up and fully laden touring. It is automatically selected with the Tour riding mode.

Soft which offers a comfortable, secure ride on poor roads with the lowest damping force. It is automatically selected with the Gravel riding mode.

Off-road for optimum off-road performance, with gradually increasing fork damping relative to stroke speed and firmer all-around rear shock damping. It is automatically selected with the Off-road riding mode.

There is also a User mode which allows the rider to adjust the suspension with 24 steps of adjustment. 

Both the manually adjusted suspension bike and the EERA version have Ground clearance of 250mm, with a wheelbase of 1575mm and rake and trail of 27.5°/113mm. Wet weight for the manual gearbox bike will be 231kg (manually adjusted suspension) and 233kg for the electronically adjusted bike. DCT versions of the CRF1100L Africa Twin will weigh 242kg for the manually adjusted suspension bike and 244kg for the electronically adjusted suspension bike.

2024 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports updates

A significant change to the chassis of the new Adventure Sports sees the model offered with a 19-inch front wheel instead of the more off-road-biased 21-inch front found on the model before. The front tyre is also wider than before (110/80-19 as opposed to the 90/90-21 of before) which for the first time pegs the Adventure Sports edition of the bike as the defacto choice for road touring and less extreme adventure riding.

To match the new wheel size the suspension of the Adventure Sports has also been refined, with slightly less stroke now on offer from the flagship machine. Previously the bike had 230mm of front and 220mm of rear travel, and that has now been reduced to 210 front and 200mm rear for improved on-road handling.

For those looking to take on a tour in any weather, the new Africa Twin Adventure Sports has received updates to the upper fairing and side panels which, matched to the five-position adjustable screen, should provide improved long-distance comfort and protection from the elements.

For 2024 the Africa Twin Adventure Sports edition will come equipped with Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERA) as standard, not the optional addition it was previously. Like the smaller of the Africa Twin models, the Adventure Sports boasts Mid, Hard, Soft, Off-road, and User base suspension settings. The new more road-biased Africa Twin Adventure Sports boasts ground clearance of 220mm (30mm less than CRF1100L Africa Twin), a wheelbase of 1550mm, and rake and trail of 27.5° /106mm. Wet weight is 243kg for the manual gearbox bike and 253kg for the DCT option.

Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin