Road Icon: Out of Africa
How a legendary race spawned a legendary bike.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Honda Racing Corporation
In 1979, 182 racers took to the starting line for the inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally, a grueling 6,200-plus-mile race on tarmac and off-road terrain, including vast stretches of the Sahara Desert. Of those competitors, 90 set off on motorcycles. They didn’t know it at the time, but the event would spark an arms race among motorcycle manufacturers that would result in several legendary models, including one from Honda whose very name still conjures images of adventure.
Photo Credit: Honda Racing Corporation
Despite scoring a Dakar win in 1982,Honda found itself falling behind the competition in the adventure bike category. The Japanese giant tasked its top R&D team to create a new model designed to conquer the deserts of North Africa. Those efforts resulted in the Honda NXR750, which dominated the race for four straight years, winning from 1986 to 1989. That bike is an icon in its own right, but it also spurred development of the Honda XRV 650 Africa Twin—a bike that fundamentally changed the relationship between rider and machine.
Taking inspiration from its earlier sibling, the Africa Twin was the first factory-built bike designed for both on- and off-road riding. The goal was to convey a sense of adventure and discovery, giving owners a motorcycle with a Dakar-winning heritage that was also a daily driver. Honda gave the XRV650 a rugged suspension built for desert rallies, paired with a water-cooled four-stroke V-engine that provided plenty of power. Surprisingly nimble, the bike handled just as well on pavement as it did dirt, sand and other terrain, quickly earning a cult following in the moto community.
Photo Credit: Honda Racing Corporation
According to lead designer Mogi Tomonori, the goal with the Africa Twin was to create a bike built for “crossing the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea, and charging across the Sahara Desert and Africa.” That versatility was virtually unknown at the time, even in other adventure bikes. The XRV650 proved incredibly reliable, too, completing several Dakar Rallies of its own in the “Marathon” category, something previously unheard of from a production bike.
The original Honda XRV650 Africa Twin was only in production for two years, before being replaced by a new model. But the bike left such an impression on motorcycle aficionados that it is still spoken about in reverent tones. It set a high bar for craftsmanship and engineering, making it much sought after nearly 40 years after its initial debut. Honda even reintroduced the nameplate in 2016, with current models continuing the legacy of this storied original. The brand’s success continues at the Dakar Rally, too, with Honda winning three of the past five races.
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This article originally appeared in Wildsam magazine. For more Wildsam content, sign up for our newsletter.
Kraig Becker is a writer in the RV, outdoors, and adventure travel space. Over the course of his career he has contributed to such outlets as Popular Mechanics, Outside Online, Business Insider, TripSavvy, Digital Trends, GearJunkie, The Adventure Blog, and countless others. An avid runner and cyclist, he enjoys camping, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and just about any other outdoor activity. His travels have taken him to seven continents and on many amazing adventures.
