[ Kenny Sagawa, Webike News Chief Editor ]

A vision to make a true hardcore off-road model

Many new models are showcased at the EICMA2016 Milan Show now held in Milan, Italy. Among those new models, the new trend of the offroad motorcycles are worthy of attention.

HONDA has unveiled its concept motorcycle, “AFRICA TWIN EUDURO SPORTS CONCEPT.” The base model of this concept model is the new Africa Twin released in Japan this spring; a model that has won the admiration of the media. Its offroad performance has been upgraded and made into an enduro sport model. It adopts lightweight parts of the motocross enduro machine, “CRF series,” to many places.

Now this is the Big Offroad with advanced offroad running performance!!

As its R&D theme “Queen of the Off-Road” tells, this new concept motorcycle promotes a light and sporty impression. It looks unlike the rubbish masculine character of other big offroad or adventure models.

It was designed by the Honda R&D Europe S.R.L located in Rome. And it is apparently more advanced in terms of offroad running performance and mobility than the “Africa Twin Adventure Sport Concept” exhibited at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show held this spring.

Did they merge the motocrosser “CRF” and “Africa Twin”!?

From what we can see in the pictures, their basic structure, such as its engine, main frame, or swing arm seems to be the same. Yet the vehicle height seems to be higher and the road clearance seems to be wider, probably because the stroke amount of the front & rear suspension are expanded. It adopts a light single disc brake for the front and rear.

Furthermore, the cowls, like its windshields, are made more compact. Same as the CRF, it adopts a front fender that can be installed on the upper tube. The seat and the seat cowls are especially designed. It has been made into a true offroad style by having a TERMIGNONI racing exhaust and block-patterned tires.

An onboard computer, that makes it look like a rally machine, is placed in the cockpit. The handlebar even comes with a brace pad that has a CRF logo on it.
It definitely is a mega-enduro motorcycle that looks like the combination of the CRF and the Africa Twin.

Even speaking of the adventurer tourer models, that are becoming the world trend, they mainly focus on on-road field. Yet this concept model takes one step further and invades into a deeper field. It is the machine that many offroad freaks have been long awaiting for.

Smell of the boom of “small adventures”

Besides the Africa Twin, HONDA has released other models, including the CRF250 RALLY, which is reminiscent of the Paris Dakar Rally model CRF450RALLY. They also exhibited their new category motorcycle, X-ADV, whose design and equipment are full of adventurous spirit. It exquisitely blends the comfortable urban ride with convenience. HONDA has announced the sales plan in Japan. They are aggressively promoting offroad motorcycles, indeed.

[CRF250 RALLY]

[X-ADV]

On the other hand, other manufactures are releasing new motorcycles as well. SUZUKI has released the V-Strom250, and KAWASAKI has released the VERSYS-X300. BMW has newly unveiled its G310GS, based on G310R. Lots of attractive 250cc-300cc dual purpose models are rushing in!

If I quote the title key word, I now sense the arrival of the “Small Adventure Models” coming next!

[V-Strom250]

[Versys‐X 300]

[G310GS]