As an ex-africa twin owner, I would say my biggest issues with the bike come down to it being too heavy for any kind of offroad, at least for anyone that isn't an expert and even then, the suspension is much too soft causing massive amounts of brake dive and when paired with a 21 inch wheel makes the front-end feel super vague while cornering I ended up not enjoying longer trips on tight twisties because I never knew what the front end of the bike was doing, I hated it for 2-up commuting because the brake dive was extreme. Every time I took it offroad I had very little confidence due to the weight of the bike (to be fair this was mostly my skill issue) and was worried about getting a several thousand dollar bill from a small fall. I guess another important thing to note is that when it was released it had very little competition. These days pretty much every manufacturer has a "mid sized" 270 degree p-twin ADV bike ( I know the AT is technically a large size but the engine output of the 1000cc is closer to what the smaller displacement bikes are putting out) and most are just as capable as the AT. The Vstrom 800de for example is very comparable with engine feel/performance, feels much lighter (despite weighing more) with much more compliant suspension and can be had for RM40k less than the AT. Tiger 900 is also similarly specc'd and cost 20k less. I could keep going but you get the point. Ultimately its not a bad bike at all, the fit and finish is fantastic, I personally think it looks fantastic in the original tri-color, super reliable, and engine is insanely fun. I just think these days we are absolutely spoiled for choice and you shouldn't be forced to spend another 4k sgd to upgrade the suspension for it to be usable (for its marketed purpose) on a manufacturers flagship product. Might be a hot take, not sure. I still enjoyed my time with the bike but I do not miss it like I do most other bikes I've owned.
Spot on comments about the AT and other models that might fare better. I think the main reason Jake got the AT is his other mates have it as well and this makes him feel safe jumping from the XSR.
@@angeleschongyt Haha glad it wasn't just me as I really wanted to like the bike. I tried several other bikes after my dance with the Africa Twin, from sports tourers to maxi scooters but have now found myself opting for lightweight offroad capable bikes (e.g. KLX250 and KTM Enduro bikes) as I wanted to improve my offroading skills and don't have much time to go on longer touring trips anymore. I'm planning on getting another full size ADV bike at some point. Right now the VStrom 800de is at the top of the list as the price is significantly less than the 1000cc class but still offers similar or better specs and the ergonomics fit me perfectly. How about you? What bike did you go for?
In the UK there is no doubt that the GS and other ADVs have had a dominant place in the market since the 2000s. I have a 10year old GS and it is great, but I am 6ft4 and not every bike works for me. But… there is also no doubt it is changing. I would say, based on what I see on the roads and in bike shops, we are back to nakeds, retros and some more road- focussed sports. You would think people might want a touring bike if they are moving away from their GS, but I don’t think many touring bikes get sold. But I think the main change is that I hear a lot of people saying it is more fun to ride a 80bhp machine than a 120+bhp machine on roads. I had an MT09 and it was amazing, but I was always holding it back or I was very quickly heading towards unmentionable speeds even on smaller roads. That was mad. So I think mid-capacity bikes are now more interesting to a lot of riders than before. And they are cheaper. The new GS is silly money and we are not as wealthy in the UK as we once were! And, let’s face it, there has never been a genuinely good looking ADV.
You made a truly observant statement at the beginning, that got me thinking. I was part of that generation that was building cafe racers as a young man, (Look closely at my thumbnail, it’s from 1975.), and now I’m all into upright sport tourers and ADV bikes. (Not to say I don’t still enjoy a good sport bike, I just have to have a chiropractor on speed dial 😆.) So maybe we as riders have come around to a more versatile form of motorcycle 🤔. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Direct Asia isn’t paying you enough for the add you’ve produced at the start of this video. Absolute masterwork 👍!
In my teenage years, while friends were talking about Honda SP and Busa, I was only thinking Harleys or cruisers in general. Into my 30's now and just gotten 2A, I settled with a practical bike, the CB400X after a year of CB190X. Height too short and wallet too lean to want a bigger bike next time. Though my end-game bike is probably the Tracer 9GT, for next time heh. Keep it up with the videos! Always enjoyed them!
Same with you, I made the upgrade from my CB400X to a 9GT. No regrets but the one thing you'll miss on the 400X is how little fuel it consumes compared to the 9GT. But tbh, the 400X is a lot more fun when exploring the B roads up north!
Sport Touring brother, its lighter and more nimble than adventure bike. I'm riding a Tracer 9 Gt and love it. No regrets. If getting an adventure bike then probably the middleweight one will be more appropriate. Like the Transalps 750, Suzuki V strom 800DE .
the OEM low seat will have the AT base model seat height at 820mm on the lower setting and 840mm on the higher setting. As for lowering links im not sure.
Yep, as mentioned the low seat in the low setting is about 820mm. You can reduce another 30mm or so with a lowering link. I have a small inseam aswell and my advice would be to get comfortable on a tall bike that weighs less than 180kg and only later step up to an Africa Twin. I'm much more comfortable on my KTM EXC with a 980mm seat height than I was with my Africa Twin's 820mm seat height, simply down to the weight difference. I've since gotten back on big bikes and now the 820mm feels low haha.
As an ex-africa twin owner, I would say my biggest issues with the bike come down to it being too heavy for any kind of offroad, at least for anyone that isn't an expert and even then, the suspension is much too soft causing massive amounts of brake dive and when paired with a 21 inch wheel makes the front-end feel super vague while cornering
I ended up not enjoying longer trips on tight twisties because I never knew what the front end of the bike was doing, I hated it for 2-up commuting because the brake dive was extreme. Every time I took it offroad I had very little confidence due to the weight of the bike (to be fair this was mostly my skill issue) and was worried about getting a several thousand dollar bill from a small fall.
I guess another important thing to note is that when it was released it had very little competition. These days pretty much every manufacturer has a "mid sized" 270 degree p-twin ADV bike ( I know the AT is technically a large size but the engine output of the 1000cc is closer to what the smaller displacement bikes are putting out) and most are just as capable as the AT. The Vstrom 800de for example is very comparable with engine feel/performance, feels much lighter (despite weighing more) with much more compliant suspension and can be had for RM40k less than the AT. Tiger 900 is also similarly specc'd and cost 20k less. I could keep going but you get the point.
Ultimately its not a bad bike at all, the fit and finish is fantastic, I personally think it looks fantastic in the original tri-color, super reliable, and engine is insanely fun. I just think these days we are absolutely spoiled for choice and you shouldn't be forced to spend another 4k sgd to upgrade the suspension for it to be usable (for its marketed purpose) on a manufacturers flagship product.
Might be a hot take, not sure. I still enjoyed my time with the bike but I do not miss it like I do most other bikes I've owned.
Spot on comments about the AT and other models that might fare better.
I think the main reason Jake got the AT is his other mates have it as well and this makes him feel safe jumping from the XSR.
Same here. Exact same reasons. What bike have you moved on to?
@@IzadK Yeah it definitely is easier if everyone has the same bike, especially for big trips where you might carry spare parts and tools
@@angeleschongyt Haha glad it wasn't just me as I really wanted to like the bike. I tried several other bikes after my dance with the Africa Twin, from sports tourers to maxi scooters but have now found myself opting for lightweight offroad capable bikes (e.g. KLX250 and KTM Enduro bikes) as I wanted to improve my offroading skills and don't have much time to go on longer touring trips anymore. I'm planning on getting another full size ADV bike at some point. Right now the VStrom 800de is at the top of the list as the price is significantly less than the 1000cc class but still offers similar or better specs and the ergonomics fit me perfectly. How about you? What bike did you go for?
In the UK there is no doubt that the GS and other ADVs have had a dominant place in the market since the 2000s. I have a 10year old GS and it is great, but I am 6ft4 and not every bike works for me. But… there is also no doubt it is changing. I would say, based on what I see on the roads and in bike shops, we are back to nakeds, retros and some more road- focussed sports. You would think people might want a touring bike if they are moving away from their GS, but I don’t think many touring bikes get sold. But I think the main change is that I hear a lot of people saying it is more fun to ride a 80bhp machine than a 120+bhp machine on roads. I had an MT09 and it was amazing, but I was always holding it back or I was very quickly heading towards unmentionable speeds even on smaller roads. That was mad. So I think mid-capacity bikes are now more interesting to a lot of riders than before. And they are cheaper. The new GS is silly money and we are not as wealthy in the UK as we once were! And, let’s face it, there has never been a genuinely good looking ADV.
You made a truly observant statement at the beginning, that got me thinking. I was part of that generation that was building cafe racers as a young man, (Look closely at my thumbnail, it’s from 1975.), and now I’m all into upright sport tourers and ADV bikes. (Not to say I don’t still enjoy a good sport bike, I just have to have a chiropractor on speed dial 😆.) So maybe we as riders have come around to a more versatile form of motorcycle 🤔.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Direct Asia isn’t paying you enough for the add you’ve produced at the start of this video. Absolute masterwork 👍!
In my teenage years, while friends were talking about Honda SP and Busa, I was only thinking Harleys or cruisers in general. Into my 30's now and just gotten 2A, I settled with a practical bike, the CB400X after a year of CB190X. Height too short and wallet too lean to want a bigger bike next time. Though my end-game bike is probably the Tracer 9GT, for next time heh.
Keep it up with the videos! Always enjoyed them!
Same with you, I made the upgrade from my CB400X to a 9GT. No regrets but the one thing you'll miss on the 400X is how little fuel it consumes compared to the 9GT. But tbh, the 400X is a lot more fun when exploring the B roads up north!
Sport Touring brother, its lighter and more nimble than adventure bike. I'm riding a Tracer 9 Gt and love it. No regrets. If getting an adventure bike then probably the middleweight one will be more appropriate. Like the Transalps 750, Suzuki V strom 800DE .
Love content that talks or is abt pragmaticism
Do a review on CF moto 800 explorer and Ducati multistrada or even better do a adventure touring motorcycle review across all brands😉
What about crosstourer. Although it is rare in sg now
Time to set a Tri333ple AT Adventure Ride! On x On?! 😁😁😁
Been looking for an adventure bike for touring….its either AT or CF Moto 800MT now after watching the video.
Hi have you considered the yamaha Tracer 9GT?
I hope I can own an African Twin in the future too..but for now I'll think my Honda CB350RS will do it, till I can afford a bigger bike.
patiently waiting for Screw It Season 2! 🤪🤙
For touring trips up north to Hatyai, Krabi etc which would be a better buy, GS or XR?
Test ride both. No one can answer that question. It’s for your own comfort, so try them
@@mohamedfauzibinmohamedjoha2328 best answer ever
@@tri333plethank you man! Sometimes some questions just impossible to be answered
What is the lowest seat height available for the Africa Twin? Sadly, I am severely vertically challenged, with short inseams.
the OEM low seat will have the AT base model seat height at 820mm on the lower setting and 840mm on the higher setting. As for lowering links im not sure.
Yep, as mentioned the low seat in the low setting is about 820mm. You can reduce another 30mm or so with a lowering link. I have a small inseam aswell and my advice would be to get comfortable on a tall bike that weighs less than 180kg and only later step up to an Africa Twin. I'm much more comfortable on my KTM EXC with a 980mm seat height than I was with my Africa Twin's 820mm seat height, simply down to the weight difference. I've since gotten back on big bikes and now the 820mm feels low haha.
I can’t watch your video when i open CC. Ur subtitles cover all the video🫠
@@ahyang94 hey buddy thanks for letting us know! We will fix it!
What if Tri33ple collab with Overkill?
huh lol
get the new BMW GSA!!
Too heavy for me. I am sticking to my CB350