How the new 2024 Honda Africa Twin Will Challenge the BMW R 1300 GS

The Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin, the brand’s top-of-the-line adventure bike, is likely to receive a major upgrade with new safety features and engine improvements. Several patents filed in the last few years have hinted at what the next-gen Africa Twin will offer, such as front and rear radars, direct injection and possibly even a supercharger for the new model. The bike’s parallel-twin engine may also get variable valve timing to enhance performance, efficiency and emissions compliance.

Radar Technology

One of the most anticipated changes for the 2024 Africa Twin will be front and rear radar systems that will enable adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection. This kind of tech is already available on some rival ADVs, such as the Ducati Multistrada V4, Triumph Tiger 1200 GT and Rally Explorer, and KTM 1290 Super Adventure. It is also widely assumed that the incoming BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, thought to be getting revealed later this year, will also gain radar assistance. Honda will probably include it in the 2024 Africa Twin to stay competitive in the open-class adventure market.

Engine Updates

The current Africa Twin was launched almost four years ago with a more potent parallel-twin engine, lower weight and upgraded components. The 2024 model is expected to have significant changes that will make it a new generation bike. One of the changes will be direct injection, which can improve the bike’s fuel efficiency and emissions by injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber at precise timings and amounts. This can also reduce the need for a complex and expensive variable valve timing system, which some competitors use to optimize valve overlap at different engine speeds.

Another possible change for the 2024 Africa Twin’s engine is the addition of a supercharger, which can boost the bike’s power output and performance. This is still a long shot, but Honda has filed patents for a supercharged parallel-twin engine that could fit the Africa Twin’s frame1. Honda wants to make the Africa Twin’s engine more lively to compete with other full-size ADVs that have a clear performance edge.

Launch Date

In India, the CRF1100L Africa Twin was introduced in 2021 with a bigger and torquier engine. The next-gen Africa Twin will also have an improved engine, with direct injection and possibly variable valve timing or supercharging. Recent reports also suggest that a future Africa Twin will have much more power. However, it’s not clear yet if the 2024 Honda Africa Twin will have a supercharged engine, or if that will come later. In any case, we should see the 2024 Honda Africa Twin at the EICMA 2024 show in Milan in November.