Model that now has a more track-oriented version has undergone positive engine adjustments; We tested the launch
Honda launched, at the end of last year, the CRF1100L Africa Twin 2026, which featured the great novelty of an unprecedented variant called Adventure Sports. With a smaller front wheel, it has a more on-road proposal than the classic one. In addition to the variant, engine and technological adjustments also make up the new bike.
At the invitation of Honda, AutoPapo went to Cuiabá (MT) and drove a few hundred km in Chapada dos Guimarães. We tested each of the three variants of the Africa Twin 2026 and could tell the difference between each model.
SEE ALSO:
At first glance, it cannot be denied: the novelty caused strangeness. After all, a big trail less “trail” loses part of its proposal. However, when running with the new version, you soon realize: it is still a CRF!
The Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin 2026 maintains the same base as the old one; The chassis, for example, continues to be made of semi-double cradle steel and aluminum subframe.
The structure changes a little in the new Adventure Sports version, since, to adjust the 19-inch wheel, the front suspension dropped from 230 mm of travel to 210 mm, and the rear went from 220 mm to 200 mm.
In the practice of driving, the change is easily noticeable, especially by the height of the handlebars, which leaves the arms lower and the shoulders less tense (especially for riders of smaller stature).
The CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports still has a lower seat than the traditional one, which can vary between 855 mm and 835 mm. The Africa 21 wheel is between 870 mm and 850 mm. The distance from the ground has also decreased: with 30 mm less, it is 220 mm from the ground.
The tank is also another differential. In the new version, the capacity was expanded to 24.8 L, against 18.8 L in the old one, a change that provides much more autonomy on this bike, which does between 16 km/l and 18 km/l.
All this culminates in a slightly smaller model that, due to the size of the wheel, is more agile and lighter for maneuvers and changes of direction. Even if the model has been urbanized, off-road performance is more impacted by the type of tire with which the model comes standard (which is not suitable for rough terrain) than by the size of the wheel. After all, as said, it is still a CRF.
It is important to highlight the engine update made in the 2026 version. With exactly 1.084 cm³ of capacity, the power of the CRF1100L is 99.3 hp at 7.500 rpm, while the maximum torque has undergone a slight increase and is now 10.9 kgfm at 5.250 rpm. From 2,500 rpm, the torque is already significant, which results in a very elastic engine, which does not require constant gear changes. The old generations of the engine had maximum torque above 6,000 rpm.
All of this transformed the bike. Now, the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin is much more “tame” while driving, and the vibration is significantly lower.
And this was also the biggest change in the classic 21-inch wheel variant at the front and 18 at the rear (here the same as the new version). Like the Adventure Sports, the two more track-oriented variants are also tamer and stronger in the engine.
With this, this rally champion remains one of the big names for rough terrain and high-performance races. Comfort, technology and performance abound in the model.
For the automated version 21 with DCT transmission (box also present in the Adventure Sports variant), a positive highlight also goes to the Showa EERA electronic suspensions, which adjust to different conditions. Five modes identify terrain type, weight, travel and other needs.
For those who still want a simpler variant, Honda keeps the MT version in the Africa Twin, that is, manual. The cheapest and simplest of the three has a 21 wheel and a six-speed manual transmission. Its front suspension doesn’t lose on travel, but it lacks the electronic technology.
In performance, the model is more “in the hand”, and the driver can change gears whenever he wants, thus being able to raise the engine speed more or less.
Finally, the new Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin arrives with three variants that do find their place in the market. Both the most conservative and the tech-savvy — and even those who don’t like off-road so much — can now have a model that specifically suits them.
The technologies only added to the model, which since 2021 already has a touchscreen and cell phone connectivity. However, everything has a price, and in this one it is high: from R$ 85.500 to R$ 116.513.
