Honda Africa Twin Enduro Sports: Lighter, Taller and Built for the Rough Stuff

• 240 mm of suspension travel at the front, 230 mm at the rear and 260 mm of ground clearance
• 228 kg (503 lbs) fully fuelled with the manual gearbox, 239 kg (527 lbs) with DCT
• 119 hp (87.5 kW) from the new 1,131 cc parallel twin

Until now, the Africa Twin came in two basic versions: the standard Africa Twin with a 21-inch front wheel and the Adventure Sports for long-distance touring. With the new CRF1150L generation, which Honda unveiled at EICMA 2026 in Milan, a third direction joins the line-up. This makes the Enduro Sports one of the most important new arrivals of the 2027 model year in the adventure segment. The name itself is not entirely new. Back in 2016, Honda showed a concept called Enduro Sports at EICMA, a slim off-road version of the Africa Twin of the time with plenty of lightweight parts. Ten years later, the idea goes into production, this time based on the completely revised Africa Twin. Honda summed up the development goal with the motto “Fun Anywhere. Blaze a Trail!”, meaning fun everywhere and finding your own way off the beaten track.

How does the Africa Twin Enduro Sports differ from the standard Africa Twin?

The Enduro Sports has longer suspension travel, more ground clearance, a taller seat and is lighter than the standard Africa Twin. Both models share the engine, frame, electronics and dashboard.

The differences are easy to put into numbers. The standard Africa Twin offers 220 mm of travel at the front and 210 mm at the rear, the Enduro Sports 20 mm more at each end. Ground clearance also grows by 20 mm, from 240 to 260 mm. The seat on the Enduro Sports sits between 870 and 890 mm, on the standard version between 850 and 870 mm. Fully fuelled, the standard Africa Twin weighs 237 kg (522 lbs), or 247 kg (545 lbs) with DCT. The Enduro Sports comes in 9 kg (around 20 lbs) lighter with both transmission options, making it the lightest Africa Twin of the new generation.

The biggest technical difference lies in the suspension. The standard Africa Twin and the Adventure Sports come as standard with the electronically controlled Showa EERA suspension featuring the new Honda Skyhook Control. The Enduro Sports does without it and relies on purely mechanical, fully manually adjustable suspension. The wheel sizes remain the same: like the standard version, it rolls on a 21-inch front wheel and an 18-inch rear wheel. Both also share an 18.8-litre tank. At the other end of the family, the Adventure Sports with its 19-inch front wheel and 24.2-litre tank is the counterpart for long-distance riding.

What suspension does the Africa Twin Enduro Sports have?

At the front, a fully adjustable 49 mm Showa upside-down fork with 240 mm of travel does the work, while at the rear there is an equally fully adjustable Showa shock with 230 mm of travel. The fork’s set-up is based on the CRF450 RALLY, the rally machine Honda races at the Dakar.

The fork uses a so-called closed-cartridge design. The damping works inside a sealed cartridge, separate from the rest of the oil in the fork. The shock is linked to the aluminium swingarm via the Pro-Link system. This linkage ensures that the suspension responds softly to small bumps and becomes progressively firmer over big hits.

The longer suspension travel also increases the wheelbase. On the Enduro Sports it measures 1,585 mm, 10 mm more than on its sister models. The steering head angle stays at 27.5 degrees. The turning circle is quoted at 2.6 metres, and the bike is 2,340 mm long, 945 mm wide and 1,440 mm high.

The wheels have stainless steel spokes and carry tubeless tyres in sizes 90/90-21 at the front and 150/70 R18 at the rear. From the factory, Honda fits the Metzeler Karoo Street. Riders who need more grip off-road can mount the knobblier Michelin Anakee Wild, which is also approved. Tubeless tyres have a practical advantage off-road: a small puncture can often be fixed with a repair kit without removing the wheel.

There is no special solution when it comes to brakes. At the front, two radially mounted Nissin four-piston calipers with sintered pads bite on floating 310 mm wave discs. At the rear, a 256 mm disc with a single-piston caliper slows the bike down. The two-channel ABS can be switched off, which matters off-road above all for the rear wheel.

What is the seat height of the Africa Twin Enduro Sports?

The seat can be adjusted between 870 and 890 mm. This makes the Enduro Sports the tallest Africa Twin of the new generation; the standard version starts at 850 mm, the Adventure Sports at 830 mm.

For shorter riders, that is a real hurdle, because there is no electronic lowering function like on the models with EERA suspension. The height is the price for the long suspension travel and the generous ground clearance.

Honda has changed the riding position across the entire new family, but on the Enduro Sports it is designed especially for riding while standing. Compared with the previous CRF1100L, the handlebar is 10 mm narrower, sits 10 mm higher and moves further forward. The footpegs are 20 mm closer to the bike and 10 mm further back. The idea is that riders standing up off-road can control the bike better without sacrificing seating comfort on the road. The seat has thicker foam in targeted areas and an extra pad at the rear for more support on long stages.

How much does the Africa Twin Enduro Sports weigh?

Fully fuelled, the Enduro Sports weighs 228 kg (503 lbs) with the manual gearbox and 239 kg (527 lbs) with the dual-clutch transmission. The permissible gross weight is 368 kg (811 lbs) and 378 kg (833 lbs) respectively.

Part of the saving comes from the new frame shared by all Africa Twin models. Together, the steel frame and aluminium swingarm weigh 1.4 kg less than on the 2026 model year. The Enduro Sports gets the rest from its slimmer bodywork, the short tail and doing without the electronic suspension.

Almost as important as the weight is where it sits. As on the sister models, some of the fuel is stored in an auxiliary tank under the seat. This lowers the centre of gravity. Honda has also repositioned the battery, ECU and airbox. The aim is to make the bike easier to handle when manoeuvring and in slow off-road terrain. With an 18.8-litre tank and a rated consumption of 5.1 litres per 100 km (DCT: 5.4 litres), Honda quotes a range of around 370 km for the manual version.

Engine and electronics of the Enduro Sports

The engine is identical across all three versions. The parallel twin now displaces 1,131 instead of 1,084 cc and produces 119 hp (87.5 kW) at 7,500 rpm. Peak torque is 119 Nm (87.8 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm. Compared with the CRF1100L and its 102 hp and 112 Nm, that is 17 hp and 7 Nm more. Honda achieved this with, among other things, a larger bore, a higher compression ratio and bigger throttle bodies. The characteristic 270-degree crankshaft remains. It provides the uneven firing order that is meant to give the rear wheel good traction off-road. The manual version gets a new clutch and revised gearing. Top speed is 199 km/h.

More important off-road are the electronics. Instead of four, there are now six riding modes: SPORT, TOURING, URBAN, RAIN, OFFROAD and the new OFFROAD+, which is intended for particularly tough terrain. Each mode can be adjusted directly. Engine power, engine braking and throttle response can be set in the Dynamic or Comfort levels.

The HSTC traction control has seven levels and draws on data from a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). It continuously measures the bike’s lean angle, acceleration and rotational movements. Honda has tuned the traction control so that riders can control rear-wheel slip more precisely off-road, in other words how much the wheel is deliberately allowed to spin. Wheelie control is also built in, and the traction control can be switched off completely.

How does the dual-clutch transmission work off-road?

Off-road, the DCT uses dedicated modes to shift in a way that gives the rider a better feel for the available grip. In OFFROAD mode, the clutch slips less during gear changes, and OFFROAD+ goes one step further in its calibration.

There is also incline detection, which adapts shifting behaviour to uphill and downhill sections. Riders who prefer to shift themselves can change gear using a button on the left handlebar, even in the middle of automatic mode. A foot shift lever is also available as an accessory for the DCT, and a quickshifter for the manual version. The fact that Honda offers the Enduro Sports with a dual-clutch transmission at all is remarkable. It means that riders who would rather not use a clutch off-road can also opt for the most off-road-focused Africa Twin.

Enduro Sports design: rally looks inspired by HRC

Visually, the Enduro Sports stands clearly apart from the other Africa Twin models. Honda calls the concept “Premium OFF Adventure”, with the rally bikes of its HRC racing department serving as the template.

The front end is more compact and slimmer. Two lightweight LED headlights sit beneath a small windscreen, with a high-mounted front mudguard below, just like on a competition bike. The tail is short and tightly cut, which leaves more freedom of movement when riding standing up. The LED tail light has a lens with a pattern Honda calls S-Glitter-Cut, which is designed to improve visibility. The windscreen is made from the plant-based plastic Durabio, and some bodywork and bracket parts are made from recycled plastic.

There is no choice of colours. The Enduro Sports comes exclusively in Extreme Red.

What standard equipment does the Africa Twin Enduro Sports have?

Despite its off-road focus, the Enduro Sports is well equipped. Standard features include cruise control, hand guards, a keyless Smart Key system and a new dual dashboard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The dashboard combines a 7-inch TFT touchscreen with an additional 5.7-inch info display. For off-road riding, there is a dedicated off-road screen with a compass. The new handlebar switches are backlit. The Smart Key controls the ignition, electric steering lock and fuel cap. A lockable smartphone compartment with a USB-C charging socket sits in the tank cover.

In terms of safety features, the Enduro Sports comes with an emergency stop signal. If the rider brakes abruptly above 50 km/h, the hazard lights switch on automatically. The indicators also cancel themselves. The system calculates when based on wheel speeds. This function can be switched off if required.

Unlike the standard Africa Twin and the Adventure Sports, heated grips are not part of the standard equipment. On the Enduro Sports they are available as accessories, as are a heated seat and an alarm system.

Where does the Enduro Sports sit in the market?

With the Enduro Sports, Honda is targeting a different group of buyers than with the radar-equipped Adventure Sports. Rather than competing with touring flagships such as the BMW R 1300 GS, it is more of a rival to off-road-oriented adventure bikes like the KTM 890 Adventure or the Ducati DesertX.

Compared with these middleweight models, the Africa Twin brings more displacement and, with the optional dual-clutch transmission, a feature that is otherwise hardly found in this segment. In terms of weight, however, it sits above its lighter rivals. The family now covers a wide range: from the off-road-focused Enduro Sports through the standard Africa Twin to the Adventure Sports with its radar system.

When is the Africa Twin Enduro Sports coming and how much does it cost?

Honda has not yet announced a price for Germany, and a German delivery date is also still pending. In the UK, the standard Africa Twin and the Enduro Sports are due to arrive at dealers in April 2027, one month after the Adventure Sports.

What accessories are available for the Enduro Sports?

For touring, Honda offers top boxes with 58 litres (plastic), 42 litres (aluminium) or 10 litres (soft bag). Panniers are available in plastic or aluminium with 70 litres each, as well as soft bags with 20 litres. However, the luggage range for the Enduro Sports is smaller than for the two sister models. On top of that, there is a centre stand, a tank bag, heated comfort seats, fog lights and an alarm system. The parts are available individually or in packs.

Frequently Asked Questions

➜ Find all technical specifications for this model in our motorcycle database: Honda CRF1150L Africa Twin Enduro Sports 2027.

➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: New Motorcycles 2027: All Models, Releases and Highlights at a Glance. Find all key information on this topic in one place.

➜ More on this topic in our overview: EICMA 2026: All New Models and Premieres from Milan at a Glance.