30 years on, the Africa Twin’s combination of friendliness, durability and capability remains legendary. And now you can snap one up at auction.
Over the last handful of years, the adventure and dual-sport bike categories have blossomed from a niche of vehicles largely chosen by obscure hobbyists into a major section of the motorcycle marketplace. Just look to Honda: The 2015 UK relaunch of the Africa Twin and its introduction into the US for the first time in 2016 was met with great fanfare. But to understand the present, you have to look to the past. This 1992 Honda XRV750 Africa Twin currently up for grabs on Bring a Trailer is a great example of why the modern versions were so heavily anticipated by the adventure bike community.
Speaking of history: As written about in Silodrome‘s brief history of the Africa Twin, in 1988, Honda entered the dual-sport market with the original 647-cc version of the Africa Twin. Honda wanted to capitalize on its reputation for building economical and sturdy motorcycles by offering a commercial model based on the Paris-Dakar winning NXR750. The first generation Africa Twin only lasted as the XRV650 for two years; in 1990, Honda changed the bike over to the XRV750, which added displacement to bump the horsepower from 56 horsepower to 62. The bike was a phenomenal success; all the XRV750 Africa Twin variants are known for being friendly, controllable and bulletproof, making this vintage dirt racer a perfect bike for anyone itching to get out there and get dirty to this day.
This particular Africa Twin up for auction is a beautiful example of a legendary dual-sport. It is powered by a 742cc six-valve V-twin paired with a five-speed transmission, and has 47,000 miles on the odometer. Appointments include an Arrow exhaust system, pannier rack from Hepco & Becker, crash guards and incredibly Nineties-spec decals. Recent maintenance includes a new D.I.D. chain, sprocket, and a recent oil change and filter.
This classic beauty is being offered from a seller in Germany; these bikes weren’t offered here originally, but the 25-year import laws mean this bike is a great European import candidate. As of this writing, the bidding stands at a modest $1,200 with four days remaining. Get after it.
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