The Paris-Dakar Rally, or the Dakar Rally (which it is now known as, even though it is held in the Middle East) has been the proving ground and inspiration for many of the most famous adventure motorcycles.
Over four decades ago, the Yamaha XT500 demonstrated its ruggedness in this gruelling 6000-mile off-road event and so did the BMW R80 G/S, Cagiva Elefant and Yamaha Super Ténéré (which is named after a particularly challenging desert section of the Rally that once saw some competitors lost for two days in a sandstorm).
However there is one bike many consider the ultimate two-wheeled Dakar racer – the Honda Africa Twin.
More accurately, that bike was the NXR750 – Honda’s factory prepared desert raid bike. The Africa Twin is the road going spin off we can all buy, and it’s got a fascinating story behind it.
The start of things to come
Honda’s first taste of Dakar success was in 1982, the fourth running of the event, when Cyril Neveu rode a heavily modified air-cooled XR500R built by Honda’s R&D department.
Neveu was a seasoned Dakar champion, having taken a Yamaha XT500 to overall victory in the first two editions, but this year also proved a landmark year for the rally itself. Hapless car competitor Mark Thatcher (yep, the former Prime Minister’s son) put the event in the spotlight after getting lost for six days while competing in a Peugeot 504. It led to not only a major international search party but also worldwide headlines about this previously niche event!
Ironically the Dakar Rally was now a global sensation, with a dangerous allure, and winning brought with it huge prestige. Honda wanted to go big and so Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), the division responsible for developing and building factory race bikes for all the major championships, were called into action.
They developed a liquid-cooled four-stroke off-road racer that used a 780cc SOHC V-twin engine designed specifically for dominating in the desert. Debuting at the 1986 Dakar, the NXR750 prototype won its first Dakar with Neveu at the controls again. The combination won again in 1987, before the bike evolved into the NXR800V, which won the 1988 and 1989 rallies with Edi Orioli and Gilles Lalay respectively.
Despite 1989 being Honda’s last Dakar victory until 2020, when American Ricky Brabec took the win, the NXR had created the base for an all-new road bike – the Honda Africa Twin.
From race to road
Developed directly using knowledge from the NXR project, the RD03 Africa Twin XRV650 arrived in 1988. Powered by a somewhat unique 647cc SOHC V-twin motor, the RD03 run three-valve heads with two inlet and a single exhaust valve. Producing 52bhp and weighing 195kg, it was billed as a ‘race-replica’ of the four-times (in a row) Dakar winner and sold well to both adventure riders and those who just loved the fact it came with a huge fuel tank.
In fact, the RD03 won the Marathon class of the Dakar twice, which was a production-based race-within-a-race. Interestingly, in Europe the Africa Twin came with a headlight guard while the Japanese model lacked this feature.
Go big!
After two years in production, 1990 saw the second generation of Africa Twin arrive. Now called the RD04 Africa Twin XRV750, it grew in capacity to 742cc and gained not only an upgraded chassis but also a new oil cooler to help it run at a consistent temperature in extreme situations. Producing 62bhp, it helped give the Africa Twin more versatility on the tarmac without making it a handful when off-road.
A new generation
In 1993 the Africa Twin evolved again, this time to become the RD07 Africa Twin XRV750. Featuring a new square-section, semi-double cradle, frame that was lighter than before with a lower centre of gravity, the Africa Twin’s suspension was also enhance and a tubeless rear tyre fitted, which was a nod towards the bike’s increasingly tarmac-based buyer.
The air filter was also moved to the front of the tank to make access easier and a cool ‘Tripmaster’ onboard computer fitted – which was basically a set of digital clocks mimicking a Dakar bike’s set-up. In 1996 this bike evolved slightly into the RD07A, through a new front fairing and screen, as well as a new ignition system and bigger exhaust silencer before the final update arrived in 2000. In 2003 the Africa Twin was dropped from Honda’s model range.
The Africa Twin is reborn...
Having teased a ‘True Adventure prototype’ at various motorcycle shows throughout 2015, in 2016 Honda relaunched the Africa Twin. No longer a V-twin, the parallel-twin CRF1000L Africa Twin bears no relation to the CRF450 Rally that Honda had been using in the Dakar Rally since 2013, but it carries the famous Africa Twin name. Honda also deliberately made their adventure bike a very capable off-roader.
Since that time the Africa Twin has evolved, in 2018 gaining ride-by-wire alongside a ‘big tank’ Adventure Sports model before growing in capacity to 1084cc to become the CRF1100L Africa Twin in 2020. Now with the option of semi-active suspension as well as a popular DCT gearbox, the current Africa Twin might be lightyears ahead of the original model in terms of tech but it still has the spirit of adventure right at the heart of its development ethos.
