Hinksding
Race Dog
Over the weekend I was privileged to get hold of a brand new Africa Twin for a few weeks. :ricky: :ricky: :ricky: :ricky:
First of all I'd like to thank Specialized Adventures and Hardy de Kock to be part of Quest. During this challenging times on the farm this is the best kopdokter I could possibly ask for.
So, my thoughts. (I have to compare it with the only bike I've ever had, a 1200GS. So, I'm not bashing brands, its just a comparison)
This is just a short summery of what I noticed this far.
Looks? The AT is damn sexy. Love the colour sceme. The white with the golden mags and the bronze engine does it for me. I saw a black one in Hardy's "dealership" ( ;D), which also looked great, but a bit more conservative than the others.
The wind deflection/protection is better than my previous bike, apart from the screen that couldn't adjust. My length is just odd enough that the wind come off the screen right into my face. A screen extender would do the job.
I do like the seat and it's position. On the AT my legs are less cramped than it was on the 1200. The 1200's seat wins hands down, but the AT's seat is definitely not the gatsaag that you get on some other Adv bikes. Mommy also love the pillion seat.
I miss a centre stand on the AT, especially during loading and refueling, a centre stand would be handy.
Where I live, heated grips, is also a nearly "musthave".
The lights on the bike are very good. The dim and bright are on perfect heights. On Saturday I rode behind my Dad, and he complained that the bike's brights was almost too bright during the day. No spotlights needed on this Baby.
Engine and performance is superior. I still have to get used to the nippy throttle response from the V. Coming from a Boxer background, where I could easily use the retardation from the engine for deceleration is something that I couldnt apply that easy on the AT.(although its a bit early to tell). I also love the fact that the engine is, for a change, underneath the bike. :
It never bothered me on the GS, as I was never used to something else.
The BM, on the open road was a better option, but at this stage in my life I couldn't be bothered about a bike that handles well on tar.. The AT is anyway, far more than good enough in that segment. I live in some of the most remote parts of SA, so traveling long distances in one day is quite common, thats a factor that I can't ignore when buying another bike once we get some decent rain one day. When I had the GS, I wanted to compromise some BM tar capability for some more offroad capability, and that is exactly what the AT does.
More to follow. I have to go to sleep now, otherwise I dont have enough time to dream about the scoot in my garage.
First of all I'd like to thank Specialized Adventures and Hardy de Kock to be part of Quest. During this challenging times on the farm this is the best kopdokter I could possibly ask for.
So, my thoughts. (I have to compare it with the only bike I've ever had, a 1200GS. So, I'm not bashing brands, its just a comparison)
This is just a short summery of what I noticed this far.
Looks? The AT is damn sexy. Love the colour sceme. The white with the golden mags and the bronze engine does it for me. I saw a black one in Hardy's "dealership" ( ;D), which also looked great, but a bit more conservative than the others.
The wind deflection/protection is better than my previous bike, apart from the screen that couldn't adjust. My length is just odd enough that the wind come off the screen right into my face. A screen extender would do the job.
I do like the seat and it's position. On the AT my legs are less cramped than it was on the 1200. The 1200's seat wins hands down, but the AT's seat is definitely not the gatsaag that you get on some other Adv bikes. Mommy also love the pillion seat.
I miss a centre stand on the AT, especially during loading and refueling, a centre stand would be handy.
Where I live, heated grips, is also a nearly "musthave".
The lights on the bike are very good. The dim and bright are on perfect heights. On Saturday I rode behind my Dad, and he complained that the bike's brights was almost too bright during the day. No spotlights needed on this Baby.
Engine and performance is superior. I still have to get used to the nippy throttle response from the V. Coming from a Boxer background, where I could easily use the retardation from the engine for deceleration is something that I couldnt apply that easy on the AT.(although its a bit early to tell). I also love the fact that the engine is, for a change, underneath the bike. :
It never bothered me on the GS, as I was never used to something else.The BM, on the open road was a better option, but at this stage in my life I couldn't be bothered about a bike that handles well on tar.. The AT is anyway, far more than good enough in that segment. I live in some of the most remote parts of SA, so traveling long distances in one day is quite common, thats a factor that I can't ignore when buying another bike once we get some decent rain one day. When I had the GS, I wanted to compromise some BM tar capability for some more offroad capability, and that is exactly what the AT does.
More to follow. I have to go to sleep now, otherwise I dont have enough time to dream about the scoot in my garage.
