The Honda Africa Twin DCT
Back in early January
Galen
offered me an AT with DCT to demo and I was pretty hesitant thinking I NEEDED a clutch. Galen hasn't steered me wrong yet so I said OK, I am interested in an AT so I will try this DCT thing.
WOW! So much fun, nobody and I mean nobody is getting off the line before you, you can take your clutch and fantasy and try to argue but its a hard no. But how was it otherwise? As a man who gew up driving stick and have driven everything from a Bison APC and snowcats, too offroad logging trucks a clutch and gears is my favored way to drive. I didn't miss the clutch at all but I did love riding with the "paddle" shifters and winding it out (I drove a Camaro for a week with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, wasnt nearly as fun).
DCT is Dual Cutch Transmission and you have no clutch lever or traditional gear shifter. When you hop on the bike at the right grip is the transmission mode selectors, the main selector is thumb controlled and is Neutral to the right and "Drive" to the left. A quick flip and you are away and the transmission will change all on it's own, up and down with set RPM. It really allows you to focus on traffic and other things. Want a more responsive setting, hold it for a second to the left again as your flying along and your in Sport mode, this is like a MAP switch and a Torque limiter in one. You can really feel the difference in acceleration, RPM shift points and engine breaking, Pick from 3 different levels in Sport mode.
On the right side if you move your thumb down just a bit is the A/M button (auto or Manual) you can select it at park or on the fly. After enabling Manual you will be in whatever gear you where in in the Auto mode and with a quick flip of the shifter paddles on the left side of the bars you are up or down a gear, right now. They are easily located right at the grip and within easy reach of your thumb (down shift) and first finger (up shift). I preferred the manual mode on the highway & offroad and used the Automatic in Sport 1 around town in stop and go traffic. There are also several Traction modes, Wet/Offroad, User, Urban etc. that deal with traction control as well as some effect on the Auto transmission modes).
I love this bike and it's exactly what I would want for longer dualsport adventure days, Longer ADV trips and my commute which is 4 hours half offroad between Peachland and Abbotsford.
Seriously give this bike a second look and consider an AT DCT model, if your in the market for a new ADV bike go see Galen and the team at The Honda Centre Burnaby and if you see a good used one come on the market let me know!
Back in early January
Galen
offered me an AT with DCT to demo and I was pretty hesitant thinking I NEEDED a clutch. Galen hasn't steered me wrong yet so I said OK, I am interested in an AT so I will try this DCT thing.
WOW! So much fun, nobody and I mean nobody is getting off the line before you, you can take your clutch and fantasy and try to argue but its a hard no. But how was it otherwise? As a man who gew up driving stick and have driven everything from a Bison APC and snowcats, too offroad logging trucks a clutch and gears is my favored way to drive. I didn't miss the clutch at all but I did love riding with the "paddle" shifters and winding it out (I drove a Camaro for a week with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, wasnt nearly as fun).
DCT is Dual Cutch Transmission and you have no clutch lever or traditional gear shifter. When you hop on the bike at the right grip is the transmission mode selectors, the main selector is thumb controlled and is Neutral to the right and "Drive" to the left. A quick flip and you are away and the transmission will change all on it's own, up and down with set RPM. It really allows you to focus on traffic and other things. Want a more responsive setting, hold it for a second to the left again as your flying along and your in Sport mode, this is like a MAP switch and a Torque limiter in one. You can really feel the difference in acceleration, RPM shift points and engine breaking, Pick from 3 different levels in Sport mode.
On the right side if you move your thumb down just a bit is the A/M button (auto or Manual) you can select it at park or on the fly. After enabling Manual you will be in whatever gear you where in in the Auto mode and with a quick flip of the shifter paddles on the left side of the bars you are up or down a gear, right now. They are easily located right at the grip and within easy reach of your thumb (down shift) and first finger (up shift). I preferred the manual mode on the highway & offroad and used the Automatic in Sport 1 around town in stop and go traffic. There are also several Traction modes, Wet/Offroad, User, Urban etc. that deal with traction control as well as some effect on the Auto transmission modes).
I love this bike and it's exactly what I would want for longer dualsport adventure days, Longer ADV trips and my commute which is 4 hours half offroad between Peachland and Abbotsford.
Seriously give this bike a second look and consider an AT DCT model, if your in the market for a new ADV bike go see Galen and the team at The Honda Centre Burnaby and if you see a good used one come on the market let me know!
