Spec comparo: 2020 Honda Africa Twin vs Ducati Multistrada 950 vs Triumph Tiger 900
Adventure bikes are a solution to a lot of problems, they answer almost all the questions one can have. Can it go off-road? Can it do trail riding? Can it do touring? Can it take on anything you throw at it? And the answer to all the questions is a big yes. Good news is that bike makers are constantly pushing their limits to bring changes to the existing product and make it better than the rest. Honda recently unveiled their new 2020 Africa Twin and it squares up against the Ducati Multistrada 950 and the Triumph Tiger 900. We are going to compare the Africa Twin with the competition in terms of specs, to see how it stacks up against its peers.
Engine and drivetrain
To start with the biggest, it would be the Honda Africa Twin with two liquid-cooled cylinders and a displacement of 1,085cc, then comes the Ducati Multistrada 950 with the same liquid-cooled L-twin cylinder set-up and a displacement of 937cc and lastly, the Triumph Tiger 900 with a 3-cylinder liquid-cooled engine and a displacement of 888cc.
Power figures
When it comes to power figures, let's start with the highest. First up we have the Ducati Multistrada 950 with a power of 113PS and 96Nm of torque, up next we have the Honda Africa Twin with a power of 102PS and a torque of 105Nm and lastly, we have the Triumph Tiger 900 with a power of 95PS and 87Nm of torque. The delivery of these figures is what determines the performance of an adventure bike on tough terrain.
The torque of the 2020 Africa Twin kicks in at an early 6,250rpm, at the same time the torque of the Ducati Multistrada is delivered at 7,750rpm. Both these numbers are further apart from each other which affects the overall performance, be it on tarmac or off-tarmac.
Dimensions
Here we will see the fuel tank capacity, wheelbase and weight of the bikes. The largest tank is on the 2020 Honda Africa Twin with a capacity of 24.8 litres and it weighs 226kg, whereas the Multistrada and the Tiger can hold up to 20 litres. The Ducati Multistrada 950 weighs 229kg which is three kilos more than the Africa Twin with lesser fuel tank capacity.
Pricing
Now, we come to what matters the most. If you're looking for an ADV among the three mentioned above, the one which won't reach very deep into your pockets will be the Ducati Multistrada 950 with a price tag of Rs. 12.84 lakh, ex-showroom, and after that will be the recently launched 2020 Honda Africa Twin priced at Rs. 15.35 lakh, ex-showroom.
The price of the Triumph Tiger 900 is yet to be announced but that is also expected to have a figure north of the Rs. 12 lakh price bracket. All said and done this is what the bout looks on paper, a proper showdown on the tarmac and off-road will have an entirely different result. And that will have to wait until we get the bikes at OVERDRIVE for a proper face-off between the three.