[naveenroy]

Hello there everyone! Time to start another thread - this time an ownership thread.

Some people in the forum know me as a person who is not very interested in cars but in motorcycles. Even my signature has only the motorcycles I owned in it.

In the very first iteration of my signature (IIRC), it was

Suzuki Max 100R 2000 - 2002 | Royal Enfield Thunderbird 2005 -

Around 2010, the Royal Enfield was giving me hell! There was not a day that I didn't have trouble with the bike and there came a time I just couldn't trust it to take me to and from work. I remember the days when I would just spend close to 30 mins just getting the bike to start before I went to work. I just wanted out. Thankfully before I could pour some petrol and burn it in protest, I managed to get a nice, new, gleaming Honda CBR 250R. I changed my signature to

Suzuki Max 100R 2000 - 2002 | Royal Enfield Thunderbird 2005 - | Honda CBR 250R 2011 -

I slowly moved to using the CBR more even though I used the RE to commute nearly daily. But the problems persisted with the RE. Compared to the bulletproof reliability of the Honda, the RE was no match. It is at this time that I really started falling in love with the Honda. It never gave me trouble, it was fun to ride. A friend from my RE club even mentioned - "Naveen, you will not only own a Honda CBR, you will end up buying a Goldwing". Hahaha, a twist of fate eh?

By the end of 2012, I decided I'd had enough of the RE. I even started a thread - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...cbr-rider.html If you read that thread, you can feel the angst I had about the RE. I even mentioned - "This post is not about chest-thumping Bullet lovers too. This is not for those people. This is not for people who try and say things like "A Royal Enfield is god" etc. Yes, I was one of you. If you are so interested in the Royal Enfield - please buy the TB from me. PM me for a price." Looking back at that post, that line is hilarious to me. An RE brings about such extreme passion in people eh? Either you totally love it or totally hate it.

I had some great rides on the CBR. The longest was a solo ride South Indian Coast to Coast ride - 1975 kms, 7 days, 3 states - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-3-states.html

I would have been very anxious doing a ride like that on the RE. The Honda - just gave me so many miles without one hitch. It was a very nice ride, something that helped me do some soul-searching at a critical moment in my personal life. I still look back to that ride with some great memories.

That did it with the RE for me. With the cash I got from selling that junk of a machine, I ended up buying a Hero Impulse (Honda NXR 150 BROS) - again a Honda. I see a pattern emerging here

Though I had some good times with the Impulse, I felt it was very under powered. And I never got down to putting a Karizma engine in it. And I NEVER took it off-road. Bleh. But the most sad part about it all was that I had bought the Impulse with the idea of taking it to the mountains that year. Something to check off my bucket-list. Sadly, I never managed to do it that year because my dad fell ill. I still have to check that off my list!

But all in all, it was a pleasure to own the Hero Impulse and the Honda CBR 250R. I used them both regularly and I rode from Bangalore to Kanyakumari many times over the years on the CBR - ending up unannounced at home to meet the folks. The CBR just ate up the miles without one hitch.

Time flew by and I am now in the US. It took me a few months of observation and reading up to see how motorcycling works here. Thankfully I was driving even then and I learnt driving road sense here. I was still itching to ride though. Took the Basic Riders Course at the MSF here. Good stuff. But very basic for regular riders like us. I wrote of my experiences here - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...ml#post4345490

And then came the time to get my own motorcycle. I cannot hope to ride the motorcycle everyday. At most, I can take it to the metro station (around a mile away from home) every other day. I hope to use it for some long rides with my wife as pillion. If she really doesn't like it, I will be forced to do a few rides to satisfy my inner motorcycling demon and do that one long ride I've always wanted to do - ride to Alaska! If Google is tracking my search history (duh!) they would have sent a motorcycle salesman straight to my home. Research, drool, Youtube videos, research, drool and wait. Patience. It was hard. I initially decided on the Versys 650. I even contacted Mobike008 here - he has a wonderful ownership thread on his Versys - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...000-km-up.html. I looked at used machines, knowing that you get wonderful deals for used stuff in this country. But a honest thought crept in - will I be able to blast past distracted cagers on the freeways? Many told me that yes, you can on the Versys.

But the mind kept wandering, looking at bigger bikes. Some that I looked and drooled at, in order of preference:

* Honda Africa Twin - manual, no DCT. I did not want the DCT since I really want to use the clutch and shift. But other owners say the DCT is really good.
* KTM 1190 (maybe 2015 models)
* Ducati Multistrada
* Kawasaki Versys 1000
* Suzuki Vstrom 1000
* Triumph Tiger (maybe as a last choice)

I looked for used ones from the above list. Prices were good but something was holding me back. I got some great deals on the KTMs. Finally the lovely wife asked me why I am not even considering getting a new motorcycle. Those were the magic words If that was the case, I wanted only the Honda Africa Twin. Riding season was upon us and there were some great deals on 2017 Honda Africa Twin machines. I launched a DDOS attack on CycleTrader. I was even ready to ride more than 300 miles to pick up a new Africa Twin. Some dealers gave me great prices - but at the other end of this vast country. Btw, I have never had so much trouble getting a motorcycle after I had decided on one back in India. Here, the pricing is all jhumla. They post up some enticing price online, you call in and they add thousands of dollars on top of that price and call it the OTD (Out the Door) price! Highly irritating I tell you. They have additions like crate opening price, rolling bike out price, holding bike upright price added in. But I did get some great salesmen who really hated these additions - true motorcycle fans.

I finally saw a great deal at a dealer close to home - some 30 miles away. We called in, went to see the bike and the salesman - D was great. Chatted with him a bit, told him how many years I have been riding and we exchanged some riding stories. We discussed the pricing a bit and finally decided on a great deal! But sadly, the finance guy - C walked in. He bluntly told me that there is no way he can offer the bike at that price. He also asked me why I was looking for such a large machine and that he can give me a better deal on another machine. But well, I wanted only the AT and so we said bye and walked off. Something with the way C treated me didn't go well and I came home and wrote a scathing review of the place. 10 minutes didn't go by and C called me. He was very apologetic and was very honest about it. He cleared the air and said that he hadn't known about my riding experience etc and that he had too many people walk into the store and look to purchase large machines without knowing anything about it. We spoke for a bit and here is the clincher - offered me a deal on the bike and that he will keep it off the floor for 5 days and that I could make a decision by then. It took me a few more days of searching but I finally decided to call him and he stood by his word. Got a loan and with the paperwork done, I was out with the bike in a few days time.

It has been a bit of a ramble so far but hold on. On the US motorcycle thread, someone asked me what prompted me to decide on the Honda AT. To be honest, I didn't want to upgrade from a 650 in a few years. I know that the Honda is capable to last a very long time and that I would keep it that way. The engines are bullet-proof as far as my experience goes. Hondas are respectable machines here and they have enough service spots etc. The AT has had great reviews everywhere. As to be expected, it is not a speed machine like the KTM. Some of you purchase motorcycles by looking at dyno values, performance specs etc. Can I tell you that I purchased the AT without even a demo ride? Somehow I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed even if I was to purchase it blind. And so far, I haven't been. I am 5'10" and the AT is just about the right size for me. The seat height is 880–850 mm (34.5–33.5 in) and I usually wear a 32 inch inseam. As you can see from the photos below, it is quite comfortable and in real riding boots, should be a breeze. The selectable Torque control helps in preventing rear wheel spin and has 4 levels - Off, 1, 2 and 3. Bike comes with ABS and you have a switch that you can use to turn off the ABS for the rear wheel. You cannot turn off the ABS for the front. Wheel sizes are Front: 90/90-R21 tube type Rear: 150/70-R18 tube type. Thankfully Honda has a well priced extended warranty that is available. I will purchase the 5-year warranty as soon as I near one year on this bike. Labour costs are very high in this country!

The first ride from the dealer was great! Bike had just done 9 miles on the odo! It was a totally different experience to be able to ride a motorcycle on the freeway here. I found it so much easier than driving a car. Funny thing is that cars were giving me way. Cagers are scared of bikes - when they see them that is.

A few days back, I took my wife out for a short ride and I can say that we dropped the bike that day - thankfully it was a soft drop and no damages to my wife either. Ok, here are the pictures and I will add more in a few days time.

[naveenroy]

And to go by Team-BHP standards (which are way too high), I have been asked to update this thread with more information. And like the mods say, many people do use our amazing forum to make informed decisions. I don't want to let them down. So I have broken down some vital information on the bike - purely from my perspective

The riding experience:
Exemplary. That is the word that I associate with this bike. The ride is just wonderful.

Comfort:
I am on the OEM seats - which are very comfortable. My wife finds it much better than my older CBR seats too. The seat is made of some kind of material that is a little soft but firm too. Did I make sense?

What I like:

• Ride quality. The bike feels great on the road. This is my first big bike and I am not at all worried about the engine size of the bike. This is something I think every Africa Twin rider will agree on!
• Roll on the throttle and feel the machine build up power. It is certainly not like a KTM machine where it just rears to go. I am reminded of a lion slowly working up speed when chasing down its prey. Not a cheetah for sure!
• The bike has been really well put together. The engine is tucked in so beautifully that you will not really realize how large it really is.
• Legendary Honda quality - usually bullet-proof reliability
• I feel the switches etc are of much higher quality than I experienced on my CBR - I know, I know.
• The colour scheme.
• The lights are very good and light up very well, bright for road use.
• Easy to stand up and ride
• Bike feels planted when taking curves. I didn't expect that from this machine!
• OEM mirrors work great. I see no need to add aftermarket mirrors.

What I don't like:

• The front end dives a bit at stock setup. I need to fiddle with the suspension settings to fix this.
• Everything other than the stock bike has to be paid for - for instance the center-stand
• Cost of labour in this country. Will force me to do any maintenance on the bike myself
• There there isn't a 12v adapter that comes with the bike. Cheap but a pain to put in. Dealer charges a bomb for this. Have to set time aside to get this done or use a PC-8.
• When the radiator fan kicks in, you can feel a bit of the heat on your shins. But to be honest, it is better than my CBR
• A bit of a clunk when slotting to 2nd gear. Might get better as I munch some miles

General observations:

• There is no air-conditioner
• I have put in the OEM Honda top case just in case I need to go grocery shopping. Any excuse to take the bike out
• The bike feels fine in city traffic. It feels comfortable to ride on in 1st or 2nd gear
• But it sure feels great on the highway. I haven't gone past 70 mph on the highway but when I did that, I know that there is so much in reserve that I can tap into
• The OEM exhaust sounds great! I am just wondering how an aftermarket exhaust will sound. But I don't think I will get one....just dreaming
• There is a bit of wind buffeting at the top of my helmet. I need to observe it more and see if I can change something
• Turning radius is great! I can easily turn in just more than a car's width - important for parking situations here. Handlebars turn way more than I have seen on a big bike
• Braking is good. I've not had a cause for panic anytime but will update as I go along
• Wife was a little scared of getting on and off after that fall but is getting used to the tall pillion seat

I'll just end with something you guys might find surprising - the price of the 12v adapter is $75 or so. Labour costs to put it in? $550.

I'll leave you guys with some pics of the console and the switches etc.

Showing the CRF display when you turn off the bike






Torque Control turned off


Rear ABS turned off


Showing trip details






Average details


Average Speed




Left hand controls


Selective Torque control switch


Right hand controls with the hazard light switch

OT - hats off to the rest of you who post up such awesome reviews! I cannot imagine how much time and effort goes into writing a great review. I know there is so much more that I can add in here but I will try to add in any information as replies to your questions. Gotta appreciate Team-BHP reviews more now!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Big Bikes Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Sheel]

Congratulations Naveen and a big one

Now, no one stops you to going places, except you, yourself, go out, explore and pen few travelogues

Why not the Multistrada?

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Congratulations Naveen and a big one

Now, no one stops you to going places, except you, yourself, go out, explore and pen few travelogues

Why not the Multistrada?

Thanks Sheel. Yes, as soon as I get the bike out of the city on a longish ride, I will be able to get it dirty.

As you read, I did consider the Multistrada but even used ones were quite pricey. When I got a great deal on the Africa Twin, my heart didn't even waver LOL

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

I did consider the Multistrada but even used ones were quite pricey. When I got a great deal on the Africa Twin, my heart didn't even waver LOL

Congrats on the new acquisition. Can you tell us the OTD price of African Twin and general OTD pricing about Ducati's? Here in India, Ducatis are relatively competitively priced. On some of the leftover 1200- S there is a discount of Rs 3,5 - 4 lac bringing the price about same as Africa Twin

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Congrats on the new acquisition. Can you tell us the OTD price of African Twin and general OTD pricing about Ducati's? Here in India, Ducatis are relatively competitively priced. On some of the leftover 1200- S there is a discount of Rs 3,5 - 4 lac bringing the price about same as Africa Twin

The OTD for the 2017 Manual Africa Twin here was 11400 green ones. AFAIK, I got the best deal for at least a 500 mile radius for certain. The Ducati's were at least 2500 to 3000 costlier - and this depends only on the dealer's whims and fancies. But easily around 2800 for sure. If the Ducati matches the Africa Twin on pricing there, that is a good price. But honestly - the AT is around 15 lakh INR out the door? Swooon....

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by naveenroy

The OTD for the 2017 Manual Africa Twin here was 11400 green ones. AFAIK, I got the best deal for at least a 500 mile radius for certain. The Ducati's were at least 2500 to 3000 costlier - and this depends only on the dealer's whims and fancies. But easily around 2800 for sure. If the Ducati matches the Africa Twin on pricing there, that is a good price. But honestly - the AT is around 15 lakh INR out the door? Swooon....

Awesome choice of a Bike there Naveenroy! Wish you and your wife a lot of good miles and smiles.

Good you stayed away from the Ducati. (Ducati - Making mechanics out of riders since 1926).

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Awesome choice of a Bike there Naveenroy! Wish you and your wife a lot of good miles and smiles.

Good you stayed away from the Ducati. (Ducati - Making mechanics out of riders since 1926).

Thanks a lot! Not sure if my wife is really going to enjoy it but she will try for sure

Haha, I didn't want to hurt Sheel's sentiments. The Ducati wasn't too high on my list because of that specific reason. Nice to own but damn, the service costs and maintenance?!

[v12]

Congratulations Naveen on the Africa Twin! Nice review too. Really surprised to read about the exhorbitant labour costs - that's very high even compared to Indian standards. I have had a look at the Africa Twin only once - and I couldn't believe they could pack this motorcycle in such a narrow frame. They managed to keep the width so narrow that it would feel like a tall RX100 in traffic.

Congrats again and ride safe Naveen. Would be great if you could add some more detailed pics.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by v12

Congratulations Naveen on the Africa Twin! Nice review too. Really surprised to read about the exhorbitant labour costs - that's very high even compared to Indian standards. I have had a look at the Africa Twin only once - and I couldn't believe they could pack this motorcycle in such a narrow frame. They managed to keep the width so narrow that it would feel like a tall RX100 in traffic.

Congrats again and ride safe Naveen. Would be great if you could add some more detailed pics.

True - when you sit on the bike, it feels nice and compact. Many people will be fooled by the sight of the bike vs the engine size. Sure, I need to take some good pics - the bike deserves it.

[black12rr]

Congrats Naveen on wonderful bike. What crash and Engine bars are you thinking ? Keep the thread running , will be watching very closely.

BTW why you dint consider 2018 AT ? although it would have been little pricey, but upgrades would have been worth it. The 2018 ATAS are rolling, but regular 2018 ATs have started selling there?

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by black12rr

Congrats Naveen on wonderful bike. What crash and Engine bars are you thinking ? Keep the thread running , will be watching very closely.

BTW why you dint consider 2018 AT ? although it would have been little pricey, but upgrades would have been worth it. The 2018 ATAS are rolling, but regular 2018 ATs have started selling there?

Actually the unsold 2017 models can be scored for a great deal under $11k. (In cities with big volumes). 2018 models are $15k, you can get a lot of farkles for $4k.

[Haroon]

Congrats Naveen on the Africa Twin.
Nice choice after reading your background story of bikes. As for dropping the bike (esp with a very precious cargo on the pillion seat ) its normal with tall bikes so thats just part of the learning experience. But the AT is built like a tank and with just the right amount of electronics (less things to go wrong on the bike!) added to the rock solid Honda reliability, it will last a lifetime.

While the old 750 itself was a brilliant bike, this new avatar has only got even more lovely.

Wish you many many enjoyable miles of fun.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by black12rr

Congrats Naveen on wonderful bike. What crash and Engine bars are you thinking ? Keep the thread running , will be watching very closely.

BTW why you dint consider 2018 AT ? although it would have been little pricey, but upgrades would have been worth it. The 2018 ATAS are rolling, but regular 2018 ATs have started selling there?

I am looking at the GIVI set. Good set for the price. TBH, I didn't even consider the 2018 ATs because of the price. And like GutsyGibbon has mentioned in his post, you get a great deal on older model motorcycles that have been sitting on the floor. Interesting concept here - the 2017 model (this specific bike that I bought) has been on the floor for months. And the salesman just wanted it gone - because the bike is taking floor space and they are actually losing money on it everyday - since the dealer is paying the loan on the bike. And yes, I can use those thousands on farkles, drool drool.

The 2018 AT AFAIK have been selling already.

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Actually the unsold 2017 models can be scored for a great deal under $11k. (In cities with big volumes). 2018 models are $15k, you can get a lot of farkles for $4k.

True - that is a considerable amount of money that I can use for getting loads of accessories.

Originally Posted by Haroon

Congrats Naveen on the Africa Twin.
Nice choice after reading your background story of bikes. As for dropping the bike (esp with a very precious cargo on the pillion seat ) its normal with tall bikes so thats just part of the learning experience. But the AT is built like a tank and with just the right amount of electronics (less things to go wr
ong on the bike!) added to the rock solid Honda reliability, it will last a lifetime.

While the old 750 itself was a brilliant bike, this new avatar has only got even more lovely.

Wish you many many enjoyable miles of fun.

Thanks Haroon - nice getting a comment from you. Loved your threads of long rides with your better half! Yup, when we dropped the bike, my wife had even tried propping up the bike with her leg. I made clear that the bike isn't as precious as she is and we can always drop the bike - parts can be replaced. And yes, in a moment of panic, I didn't think of the right way to pick up such a big bike. But I will remember henceforth.

Yes, those are the wonderful points about the Honda too - the right amount of electronics and Honda reliability. Thanks again.