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Africa Twin Engine Rumored to Be Used in More Honda Road Bikes

Honda is rumored to at least consider using the engine of its all-new CRF1000L Africa Twin adventure machine in other models. The first speculations include a new, liter-class Deauville and a CB/CBF1000 range.
2016 Honda Africa Twin 1 photo
Photo: Florin Tibu
Africa Twin project leader Tetsuya Kudo says that this won't happen, but these days one can't simply believe everything the OEMs say, and more important even, what they deny. Often, what was first denied eventually came into being, sometimes in a slightly modified form.

The age of one-engine-per-model motorcycle industry is coming to an end and this is happening really fast. Manufacturers are maximizing profits and standardizing their line-up by using platforms, not unlike the car manufacturers have been doing for decades already.

This means that a bike manufacturer spends a certain amount of money on engineering, and delivers a new engine on the market to be used in a number of different bike models. Some variations are also engineered and tested alongside the new engine, such as new mappings, new transmissions and the likes.

Keeping the same engine allows the OEM to make motorcycling better

Running only several engines in multiple series allows the manufacturers to focus on making them perform better and reduce the number of different spare parts needed to keep the bike population functioning properly.

The Africa Twin engine is powerful enough for bikes like the Deauville or the CBF, and it also has plenty of torque to make the ride as thrilling as it gets. With RbW and multiple mappings, the CRF1000L mill could provide quick acceleration and the grunt needed for effortlessly passing even when riding two-up and fully loaded.

Not sure how the shaft drive of the Deauvilles could be adapted to the CRF1000L engine, but Honda is quite resourceful when it has to.

The DCT would doubtlessly be a wonderful addition to the tourer, in a way following the steps of the Yamaha FJR1300. And with the existing engine also being available with a traditional gearbox and shifter, the offer would be even wider and more appealing to a greater number of customers.

Something tells us that Honda is working covertly, but until more info surfaces, we'll have to make do with the guessing game for a while. Until then, here are some Africa Twin live photos from EICMA.
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