2018 Honda Africa Twin – What Else Can You Buy

Honda had run out of stock of the first lot of the Africa Twin within 100 days of its launch, last year. Now, the company has launched the new and improved 2018 Africa Twin in India at Rs 13.23 lakhs (ex-showroom). However, with just 50 units up for grabs, it is possible that you might miss out on the chance to get your hands on one. So here is a list of the other motorcycles that you can buy for a similar budget -

We start off with streetfighters. For Rs 12.79 lakhs, you can land yourself a Suzuki GSX-S1000F. This litre-class streetfighter borrows the powertrain from the previous generation GSX-R1000, which has been tuned to make it a practical everyday motorcycle. If you want something more exotic, you can look at the Aprilia Shiver 900. This Italian streetfighter is powered by an 896cc V-twin engine which delivers 92bhp and 90Nm of torque, and is priced at Rs 12.95 lakhs.

Adventure touring motorcycles are the latest rage, and there are five of these that you can buy with this budget. First up is the most popular of them all – the Triumph Tiger 800. For Rs 13.26 lakhs, you can get hold of the XRx variant, which is a road-oriented model featuring alloy wheels dual-sport Pirelli tyres. At its heart is an 800cc triple, which delivers 94bhp and 79Nm of torque. The Kawasaki Versys 1000 and Suzuki V-Strom 1000 are Japanese litre-class adventure touring motorcycles. They aren’t exactly as off-road-worthy as the Africa Twin, because of the alloy wheels and road tyres, but should be adept on the tarmac. The Kwaker is churns out 116bhp and 102Nm of torque, and is priced at Rs 12.91 lakhs. The Suzuki is less powerful at 100 horsepower, and will set you back by Rs 13.54 lakhs.

The Ducati Multistrada 950 is the only Italian adventure-touring bike you can have in this list. As compared to the big daddy – the Multistrada 1200, it is lighter and gets a more manageable 937cc V-twin engine. It churns out 111bhp and 96Nm of torque, and retails at Rs 12.9 lakhs. The BMW F 850 GS is the only bike here to ride on spoke wheels and off-road-oriented tyres, although it is also the least powerful of the lot. The 853cc parallel-twin produces 93bhp and 92Nm of torque. The F 850 GS can be yours for Rs 13.7 lakhs.

If you don’t have any intentions of going off the tarmac, then you can look at sports touring motorcycles. The Suzuki Hayabusa is, by far, the most iconic sports touring motorcycle. It is powered by a 200 horsepower inline four engine. Thanks to local assembly, it is also a value-for-money package, retailing at Rs 13.68 lakhs.

There are four options if you don’t mind a cruiser. There are two Harley-Davidson Softail models from different genres. The Street Bob, priced at Rs 13 lakhs, is a stripped down, bobber-style motorcycle. The Low Rider on the other hand, is inspired by custom chopper motorcycles from the 1970s. It rides on 19-inch front and 16-inch rear cast alloy wheels to give it a laidback look. It retails at Rs 13.69 lakhs. Both are powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engines, displacing 1745cc. Moto Guzzi also has two contenders, the V9 Bobber and the V9 Roamer, both of which are priced at Rs 13.22 lakhs. They share the same platform and are powered by identical 853cc transversely-mounted V-twin engines. They might have a modest output of 55bhp, but exclusivity is guaranteed.