2024 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
Tuned Mid-Range In A Trustworthy Shell
Honda's big adventure bike runs a 1084 cc parallel twin making 102 hp at 7,500 rpm and 83 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm, and the shape of that delivery tells you what the machine is for. The chassis is genuinely dirt-capable rather than a styling exercise: a 21-inch front wheel, an 18-inch rear, 9.8 inches of ground clearance, 9.0 inches of travel up front and 8.7 inches at the back. The rider-aid package is complete from the factory, with ride modes, traction control, wheelie control, ABS and cruise control, plus a TFT that runs wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. DCT and Showa EERA electronic suspension sit on the options list.
It ages the way a Honda is supposed to age. Build quality is clean, reliability is the strongest thing about the bike, and there is enough aftermarket support that you can spec it for the trip you actually take rather than the one in the brochure. It suits riders who cover real distance and want the motorcycle to be the least complicated part of the journey. The honest caveat: at 102 hp it isn't hunting the biggest output numbers in the liter class, and at 505 lb wet with a 34.3-inch seat, it wants a confident rider once the surface turns loose or the parking lot slopes.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 102 hp (75 kW) @ 7,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 83 lb-ft (112 Nm) @ 5,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 1084 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front tire | 90/90-21 |
| Rear tire | 150/70-18 |
| Ground clearance | 9.8 in (249 mm) |
| Front travel | 9.0 in (229 mm) |
| Rear travel | 8.7 in (221 mm) |
| Seat height | 34.3 in (871 mm) |
| Wet weight | 505 lb (229 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Connectivity
Swing a leg over and the first thing you register is height. At 34.3 inches the seat puts you well above car roofs, and at a standstill with 505 lb underneath, you want a boot flat on the pavement rather than a tiptoe. Rolling, that weight sinks into the wheelbase and stops being a topic. The bars are wide and sit close to you, the pegs land where your feet already are, and the stance is upright and neutral enough that I stopped thinking about my position within a few miles. The twin has a real pulse to it, a low offbeat thrum you feel through the footpegs at a steady cruise, never a buzz at the grips. It is a quiet bike to spend a day on, and that is the point: hours go by and you climb off without stiffness to walk out.
FI-ECU Wheelie Control software recall
A software error in the fuel injection ECU can cause miscalculated traction control settings when Wheelie Control is enabled, potentially leading to hesitant acceleration or engine stall. Affects 2022 and 2024–2025 models; recall NHTSA 24V-882 requires an ECU reprogram.
Left handlebar switch cluster recall
A stop-sale and recall campaign covers 2020–2025 Africa Twins for a potentially faulty left handlebar switch assembly that can affect horn and high-beam operation. Honda has not yet provided parts for all affected units.
TFT display failures
Some owners experience blank or flickering TFT screens, often requiring replacement. Honda extended the warranty on the display until 2033, but the issue remains a concern for long-term reliability.
Where this Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CRF1100L Africa Twin is actually built for.
This is your bike. Steady at interstate speed, happy loaded or two-up, and reliable enough that Beartooth and Going-to-the-Sun stay the story instead of a roadside repair.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
The 21-inch front and 9.8 inches of clearance are real, but 505 lb is real too. Great on desert miles and fast fire roads, hard work in tight technical sections.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
It won't chase outright power on Mount Lemmon, but for 300-mile days on the Blue Ridge it's calm, comfortable and easy to ride fast without effort.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
