27YM Honda CRF1150L Africa Twin range: Enduro Sports and Adventure Sports

Honda's flagship adventure platform turns a decade old next year, and the Japanese manufacturer is marking the milestone with the broadest Africa Twin line-up yet. For 27YM, the updated CRF1150L Africa Twin arrives alongside two further variants: the all-new, off-road-focused Enduro Sports and the thoroughly updated Adventure Sports. The Adventure Sports is also available in a new top-of-the-range Honda Sensing Ride specification, bringing radar-assisted rider aids to the parallel-twin adventurer for the first time. 

The Africa Twin has become the second best-selling model in Europe's 1000cc-plus adventure segment, with more than 120,000 units sold since its 16YM reintroduction. For 27YM, Honda has rebuilt the engine, redrawn the chassis and overhauled the dashboard, then given riders the clearest choice yet between the two sides of the Africa Twin's dual personality. 

A new 1,131cc engine for the whole range 

All three variants share the same reworked parallel-twin powerplant. Capacity rises to 1,131cc through a 2mm larger bore, now 94.0mm, while the 81.5mm stroke stays the same. Peak power climbs 16.5% to 87.5kW at 7,500rpm, with torque up to 119Nm at 5,750rpm. 

Honda has not simply bored out the previous engine. Higher-compression combustion chambers, running at 12.1:1 (up from 10.5:1), work with larger 52mm throttle bodies, a redesigned intake tract and revised cam timing and valve lift to deliver stronger drive from low in the rev range. The manual transmission versions get a new clutch and revised gear ratios, giving more immediate drive through the first five gears and more relaxed motorway cruising up top. 

Both the Enduro Sports and Adventure Sports are available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or Honda's six-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT); the Adventure Sports Honda Sensing Ride is DCT-only. All three gain a fresh set of default riding modes – Sport, Touring, Urban, Rain, Offroad and Offroad+ – with in-mode customisation for engine power, engine braking, Honda Selectable Torque Control intervention and throttle response. 

Africa Twin Enduro Sports: built for the trail 

The Enduro Sports is an all-new model for 27YM, sitting alongside the standard Africa Twin as the off-road-leaning choice in the range. The concept is simple: take the revised CRF1150L platform, shave 9kg off the standard Africa Twin's kerb weight and spec the chassis for serious off-road work. 

Ground clearance is set at 260mm, the Enduro Sports runs a 21-inch front wheel and an 18-inch rear, and a 90/90-21 Metzeler Karoo Street is fitted as standard. Riders who want more aggressive off-road performance can specify Michelin Anakee Wild block-pattern rubber from the factory. CRF450RALLY-spec Showa 49mm closed-cartridge upside-down forks give 240mm of travel at the front, while the fully adjustable Showa rear shock works through Honda's Pro-Link linkage with 230mm of rear-wheel travel. Kerb weight is 228kg for the manual transmission model and 239kg with DCT. 

Styling takes direct cues from Honda's HRC rally machines. The front end is dominated by ultra-compact dual LED headlights, a slim screen and a high-mounted mudguard; the tail is pared back to minimal bodywork. Handlebars sit 10mm narrower, 10mm higher and 10mm further forward than the previous CRF1100L, while the footpegs are 20mm narrower and 10mm further rearward. The combination is designed for confident standing control when the sealed road ends. 

The Enduro Sports seat is adjustable between 870mm and 890mm, with increased foam thickness at the hip contact area and extra padding toward the rear for longer days in the saddle. An 18.8-litre fuel capacity – split between a conventional tank and a sub-tank sitting beneath the rider – gives an approximate WMTC range of around 230 miles. Honda offers the Enduro Sports in a single, variant-exclusive Extreme Red colour scheme. 

Africa Twin Adventure Sports: touring capability, further upgraded 

The Adventure Sports takes the same engine and chassis architecture in a different direction. It's the choice for riders whose adventure typically starts on the motorway and ends several hundred miles later, and Honda has used 27YM to sharpen the touring tools rather than the off-road ones. 

Suspension is the headline change. Showa Electronically Equipped Ride Adjustment (EERA) is now fitted as standard, and gains Honda Skyhook Control for the first time. The system continuously manages damping force according to the bike's vertical and pitch movement, with the Suspension Control Unit reading vehicle speed from the ECU, machine attitude from the IMU and fork movement from the stroke sensor, then adjusting damping every millisecond. The result, Honda says, is improved tyre contact with the road and a steadier ride over broken surfaces, without blunting the precise handling the Africa Twin is known for. 

Fresh 49mm Showa USD forks (up from 45mm) deliver 210mm of travel at the front, with 200mm at the rear. A new Minimum preload setting lowers seat height by a further 5mm beyond the standard 830mm to 850mm range, giving shorter riders more confidence at a standstill. Electronically Controlled Combined ABS (eCBS) balances front and rear brake distribution, and Vehicle Hold Control prevents roll-back on an incline before you pull away. 

Ergonomics mirror the Enduro Sports' repositioned bars and pegs, but the Adventure Sports keeps a 19-inch front wheel and runs Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A41 or Michelin Anakee Road rubber as factory fitment. The electrically adjustable screen now moves through 130mm of height and 10 degrees of rake, flanked by standard wind deflectors. 

Convenience features sit well ahead of the Enduro Sports. Dual LED headlights gain cornering lights and daytime running lights, a lockable storage compartment in the fuel tank cover houses a smartphone and a USB-C socket, and heated grips, knuckle guard extensions and an aluminium rear carrier are all standard equipment. Fuel capacity of 24.2 litres gives an approximate WMTC range of 298 miles on the manual transmission model. Two colours are offered: Pearl Glare White (Tricolour) and Mat Ballistic Black Metallic. 

Honda Sensing Ride: the new range-topping specification 

Exclusively available on the Adventure Sports DCT, the new Honda Sensing Ride specification brings a full radar-based rider aid package to the Africa Twin for the first time. 

Front and rear radar units feed a suite of Riding Support functions, including Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Group Ride Assist, Distance Assist and Emergency Brake Assist. Alongside those, Attention Support features – Forward Collision Warning and Brake Pulse – work with awareness functions including Blind Spot Information, Rear Collision Warning and Rear Distance Information. Together, they watch the traffic around you and prompt the rider when something needs attention. 

We'll be covering Honda Sensing Ride in more depth in a dedicated article, including how each function interacts with Honda's DCT and when it's most useful on a long-distance ride. 

Which 27YM Africa Twin is right for you? 

The choice between Enduro Sports and Adventure Sports is clearer this time around. If your adventure genuinely leaves tarmac – rocky trails, forest fire roads, byways and green lanes – the Enduro Sports is the one Honda has built for it, with the suspension travel, ground clearance and stripped-back weight to match. The 21-inch front wheel and 870mm minimum seat height will favour taller, more experienced riders, but the reward is a platform that will go further off-road than any Africa Twin before it. 

If your mileage is mostly dual carriageways, border crossings and overnight stops, the Adventure Sports has the tools: a 24.2-litre tank, Skyhook-managed electronic suspension, standard heated grips and an electrically adjustable screen. Add the Honda Sensing Ride specification on top, and the radar-based rider aids turn long motorway stints into a noticeably less fatiguing experience. 

The Enduro Sports and Adventure Sports share the same engine, the same riding modes and the same new 5.7-inch vehicle information display paired with a 7-inch full-colour TFT touchscreen, so neither variant feels like a lesser version of the other. They're simply pointing at different riders. 

The 27YM Africa Twin range at a glance 

Find the 27YM Africa Twin at Vertu Motorcycles 

Vertu Motorcycles represents Honda across several UK locations, and our colleagues will have the full 27YM Africa Twin line-up on the floor as the model year arrives in showrooms. To talk through the differences in person, discuss part-exchange on your current bike or line up a test ride, book an appointment at your nearest Vertu Motorcycles dealership. 

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