Ask any motorcyclist if he remembers the day he got his motorcycle delivered. Then step back, and you will notice his eyes light up as he tells you the whole story of that auspicious day. Delivery day is full of excitement and anticipation of owning a new vehicle and if you are getting yourself a Honda Africa Twin, it becomes all the more special. These days though, people are breaking everything else but the coconut.
A few days ago, we reported a brand new Kia Carnival hitting a wall in a head-on collision and now, this Africa Twin is a part of the similar drama but the damage is nowhere as close.
Watch video
https://www.facebook.com/boseashutosh/videos/3302581219800695
The video showcases the rider taking the Honda Africa Twin out of Honda’s BigWing showroom which retails the Japanese bikemaker’s premium offerings. In a normal situation, a bike is taken out of the showroom while taking it down through a ramp but since this is the Africa Twin we are talking about, the rider decided to ride the stairs. Now, this might not seem like a daunting task for the Africa Twin because the Honda is capable of pulling off stuff more insane than this. But things soon go wrong as the motorcycle’s sturdy bash plate makes a solid impact on one of the steps, breaking it in the process.
What went wrong?
We don’t have any word regarding the damage but there’s one thing which everyone will agree on: Bash plate saved the day! Although we don’t support such antics, the reason behind this mishap is the rider’s wrong approach. It is clearly visible that he keeps grabbing the front brake, which results in a wheel lock and for the front forks to completely compress, reducing the bike’s GC. Things could’ve taken a wrong turn had the front anchored in position, causing the rear to lift, making the bike topple or flip sideways.
If you ever have to ride the stairs to save your life though, never touch the front brake, use your body as ballast to allow the forks to compress and rebound naturally, leave the bike in a low gear and use the throttle gently to gain speed which you can manage. But if you can save your life any other way, don’t do it.
The whole scenario shouldn’t distract you from the fact that the Africa Twin is a very capable motorcycle and if ridden in an appropriate manner, can do a lot more than just climb down the stairs. The 2020 Africa Twin Adventure Sports (Honda’s first BSVI compliant big bike in India) was launched in both Manual (for the first time) and DCT transmission variants by Ricky Brabec (Reigning 2020 Dakar Rally World Champion from Monster Energy Honda Team) at an event in March 2020. Prices start from Rs. 15.35 lakh (ex-showroom, pan India) for the manual gearbox version. The Automatic DCT variant retails at Rs. 16.10 lakh.
Also read: Brand New Volkswagen Polo Gets Crash Tested By Driver, Seconds After Delivery [Video]
Smaller, slimmer and 5 kg lighter, Honda’s off-roader legend got a new bigger engine, new lightweight chassis, new electronics, new suspension, and is power-packed with loads of new features for total control on all terrain! Adding more to this is a full range of genuine Honda accessories including a top box, visor, quick shifter, main stand, rally step, engine guard, front fog light, windscreen (smoke) and more available for both versions of the Africa Twin.