The original Honda XRF750 Africa Twin was a bike that inspired many adventures. After a 650cc version appeared in 1988, the swap to a slightly lower spec and price, plus bigger V-twin engine, meant that it was the rugged choice of commuters and those going off the beaten track. Oddly it disappeared in 2003, just as the BMW GS range became popular. But not only has the name returned with the 2016 CRF1000. It’s low, narrow and economical. So if you want to treat your dual sport bike, be pleased that the new Avon TrailRider tyre sizes fit the Honda Africa Twin.
The 2016 Honda Africa Twin returned as the CRF1000L to a world of 1200cc adventure bikes. Which made it easy to stand out by using a 94bhp parallel twin engine. The lower power isn’t massively exciting, but it means that it can be a relatively narrow dual sport bike, with a comparatively low seat height, and means you can be comfortable and in control.
And having decent tyres will help that even more. The Avon TrailRider is now available in a 150/70 R18 rear size. Which means it will fit both the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin, and the recent KTM 1090 Adventure.
The Avon TrailRider Tyres:
So why change the tyres? The TrailRiders are described as adventure touring tyres. So they’re designed to be a split between 90% Tarmac performance, and 10% off-road. So if you’re planning to travel long distances by road, but still need to cope with dirt and gravel, they have enough off-road ability to offer decent performance on the loose stuff. And they’ll be better on long journeys than a set of knobblies.
The Avon TrailRider tyres use the firms ‘3D Sipe’ technology. That means the tyres have 3D interlocking ‘teeth’ inside the tread slits to warm more effectively, and disperse water, whilst still being stable.
The tyres also use a new tread compound with more silica for improved wet weather grip. And they should last a while, as in addition to the silica mix, they also have a multi-compound tread that’s harder in the centre. That will help them cope with high mileages, while the softer compound on the edges means you can still hustle around corners.
The Avon trailerRiders in a 150/70 R18 rear are available now from all approved dealers of round rubbery things.
Leave a Reply