When you read First Ride motorcycle reviews nowadays, it can be fun to read about what’s new but it’s tough to really get a feel like for how a bike will perform for years if you’re going to plunk down your own money on it. Moto-journalists get the bike for a day or two and maybe put a couple of hundred of miles on it. Then they’re in a rush to get a story out to get the biggest share of eyeballs the next day online. So if you want to know what it’s really like, you’ll have to wait months for a long term review. That’s why I enjoyed this test from MotoQuest on the new Africa Twin.
MotoQuest outfits all of their bikes with Pelican bags, headlight protection, skid plates, and crash bars. All of the Africa Twins they acquired are the manual transmission variants – no DCT automatics here. Riders are typically more willing to abuse rental bikes, so seeing how MotoQuest’s fleet of Africa Twins have done after 30,000 miles in Alaska seems like a legitimate test of what these bikes are capable of. Unlike many magazine reviews, there’s legitimate criticisms here: “The fork seals are a constant source of attention and all of our machines have had fork seals replaced at least once. Another area of concern is the casting that facilitates footpeg mounting. This component also serves as a housing for rear brake actuation and if the bike goes down it takes the brunt of the force transmitted through the footpegs. Availability of spare parts has been an issue at times. The aforementioned footpegs and mounting casting have been backordered for awhile along with handlebars for the Africa Twin.” In the grand scheme of things, that ain’t bad.
To read more about what MotoQuest had to say based on their experience with the AT, head on over to their site! After seeing these photos, I just want to ride an AT in Africa myself. If you’re looking for inspiration, three years ago I rode my R1150GS up to the top of Alaska and had a blast in the process. It’s probably the best motorcycle trip I’ve ever taken and I highly recommend you find a way to do the same, whether it’s with a personal bike or a rental with a company like MotoQuest.
Photos from MotoQuest