Is a more powerful Honda Africa Twin ‘Turbo’ on the way?
Patents appear to reveal a more powerful version of the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin could be on the way with turbocharged capabilities
A more powerful version of the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin could be on the way after a patent application was submitted showing a tweak to the engine to allow a turbocharger.
The Japanese firm’s flagship adventure motorcycle remains one of the most popular in the class despite the 98hp 1084cc parallel twin giveing away both size and power to its main rivals, such as the BMW GS 1250 Adventure and KTM 1290 Super Adventure.
It is a disparity that Honda appears to be aware of based on drawings filed for the twin engine that shows a potential solution for a turbocharger in the form of a twin screw compressor.
Similar in ethos to the supercharger found in the Kawasaki H2/Z H2, which offers medium-high rev range flexibility, the Honda version is designed to enable more torque in the lower end. This would help improve the Africa Twin’s longer range touring capabilities, while retaining its abilities in the rough stuff.
In the patent the compressor is mounted above the Africa Twin gearbox and would use two injectors for each cylinder.
While this would appear to suggest a more powerful version of the Africa Twin is on the way, Honda has a tendency to get patents in as it develops new technologies for potential use further down the line once it has refined it.
Indeed, it is anticipated Honda will be more likely to bring a new smaller version of the Africa Twin - expected to use the revived Transalp moniker - to market first with an EICMA 2021 pencilled in provisionally.
This model will likely use an 850cc engine and will be pitched as a more lightweight off-roader in a similar vein to the popular and acclaimed Yamaha Tenere 700.
