2026 Honda Africa Twin vs 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure - Spec Comparison
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2026 Honda Africa Twin
The 2026 Honda Africa Twin is a versatile middleweight adventure bike designed for riders seeking genuine off-road capability combined with on-road comfort. Its 1083cc parallel-twin engine delivers 101 horsepower with strong mid-range torque, making it equally adept at highway cruising and challenging terrain. Best known for reliable performance and approachable handling, the Africa Twin suits both experienced adventurers and those new to adventure touring.
2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure
The 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure is a long-distance adventure tourer for riders crossing continents. Its 1,254cc boxer twin makes 136 hp and 143 Nm through a six-speed gearbox and shaft drive. A 29.9-litre tank, ride modes, traction control, hill start control and ABS are standard. It weighs 268 kg with an 890 mm seat.
2026 Honda Africa Twin vs 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure: the key differences
Both are adventure bikes, so this is a like-for-like choice.
- The 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure makes 35 hp more (101 vs 136 hp).
- The 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure has 38 Nm more torque (105 vs 143 Nm).
- The 2026 Honda Africa Twin is 37 kg lighter (231 vs 268 kg).
- The 2026 Honda Africa Twin has a 19 mm lower seat (871 vs 890 mm), which helps shorter riders.
- The 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure carries 11.1 litres more fuel (18.8 vs 29.9 L).
2026 Honda Africa Twin: Built for long-distance adventure riding that mixes highway miles with genuine gravel, dirt, and rugged trail sections.
2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure: Built for long-distance adventure touring: a 30-litre tank, shaft drive and boxer torque devour highways, backroads and light off-road trails fully loaded.
Verdict: Choose the 2026 Honda Africa Twin if you want lighter weight and a lower seat. Choose the 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure if you want more power, more torque and a bigger tank. Check the full table below for every figure, and the size comparison for fit.
| Specification | 2026 Honda Africa Twin | 2026 BMW R 1250 GS Adventure |
|---|---|---|
| Other | ||
| Category | Adventure | Adventure |
| Color Options | Matte Black Metallic | Black Storm Metallic/Black/Agate Gray, Ice Grey, Light White/Racing Blue Metallic/Racing Red, Gravity Blue Metallic |
| Comments | Small windscreen. Model Id: CRF1000L. | 3 Ride Modes (ECO, Rain and Road). Traction Control. Hill Start Control. |
| Fuel Tank Material | Metal | - |
| Fork tube size | 45 mm (1.8 inches) | 37 mm (1.5 inches) |
| Brake fluid | DOT 4 | DOT 4 |
| Tire pressure front | 33 PSI (2.3 Bar or 225 kPa) | 36 PSI (2.5 Bar or 250 kPa) |
| Tire pressure rear | 36 PSI (2.5 Bar or 250 kPa) | 42 PSI (2.9 Bar or 290 kPa) |
| Sprockets | 16/42 (front/rear) | - |
| Chain size | 525 | - |
| Engine | ||
| Capacity: | 1084.0 ccm (66.15 cubic inches) | 1254.0 ccm (76.52 cubic inches) |
| CO2 Emissions | 133 CO2 g/km | - |
| EPA Certificate No. | THNXC01.1CSD-011 | - |
| EPA Est. Fuel Consumption | 5.67 L/100km (41.5 US mpg) | - |
| EPA CO Emissions | 0.9 CO g/km | - |
| Engine Type | Parallel Twin, four-stroke | Boxer, four-stroke |
| Fuel Consumption | 4.90 litres/100 km (20.4 km/l or 48.00 mpg) | ✓4.80 litres/100 km (20.8 km/l or 49.00 mpg) |
| Bore x Stroke | 92.0 x 81.5 mm (3.6 x 3.2 inches) | 102.5 x 76.0 mm (4.0 x 3.0 inches) |
| Compression | 10.1:1 | 12.5:1 |
| Cooling System | Liquid | Liquid |
| Fuel System | Injection | Injection |
| Starting | Electric | Electric |
| Ignition | Full transistorized ignition | - |
| Aspiration | Naturally aspirated | - |
| Valves Per Cylinder | 4 | 4 |
| Lubrication System | - | Dry sump |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 101.0 HP (73.7 kW) @ 7500 RPM | ✓136.0 HP (100.0 kW) @ 7750 RPM |
| Torque | 105.0 Nm (10.7 kgf-m or 77.4 ft.lbs) @ 6250 RPM | ✓143.0 Nm (14.6 kgf-m or 105.5 ft.lbs) @ 6500 RPM |
| Power/Weight Ratio | 0.4367 HP/kg (wet) | 0.5073 HP/kg (wet) |
| Top Speed | - | 193.1 km/h (120.0 mph) |
| Chassis & suspension | ||
| Frame | Steel semi-double cradle type with high-tensile strength steel rear sub-frame | Two-section frame, front- and bolted on rear frame, load-bearing engine |
| Front Suspension | Showa 45mm cartridge-type inverted telescopic fork with dial-style preload adjuster and DF adjustments | BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 37 mm, central spring strut |
| Rear Suspension | Monoblock aluminium swing arm with Pro-Link with SHOWA gas-charged damper, hydraulic dial-style preload adjuster and rebound damping adjustments | Cast aluminium single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever; WAD strut (travel-related damping), spring pre-load hydraulically adjustable (continuously variable) at handwheel, rebound damping adjustable at handwheel. |
| Front Wheel Travel | 231 mm (9.1 inches) | 210 mm (8.3 inches) |
| Rear Wheel Travel | 221 mm (8.7 inches) | 220 mm (8.7 inches) |
| Rake (fork angle) | 27.5° | 24.9° |
| Trail | 114 mm (4.5 inches) | 97 mm (3.8 inches) |
| Ground Clearance | 250 mm (9.8 inches) | - |
| Transmission | ||
| Gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed |
| Transmission Type | Manual | Manual |
| Final Drive | Chain | Shaft |
| Clutch | Dual clutch. Wet, multi-plate with coil springs, aluminum cam assist and slipper. | Wet clutch with an anti-hopping function, hydraulic activation |
| Brakes & wheels | ||
| Front Brakes | Double disc. Switchable ABS. 4-piston calipers and sintered metal pads | Double disc. ABS. Floating discs. Four-piston calipers. |
| Front Brakes Diameter | 310 mm (12.2 inches) | 305 mm (12.0 inches) |
| Rear Brakes | Single disc. Switchable ABS. 2-piston caliper and sintered metal pads. | Single disc. ABS. Floating disc. Two-piston calipers. |
| Rear Brakes Diameter | 256 mm (10.1 inches) | - |
| ABS | Yes | Yes |
| Front Tyre | 90/90-21 | 120/70-R19 |
| Rear Tyre | 150/70R-18 | 170/60-R17 |
| Dimensions & weight | ||
| Wheelbase | 1575 mm (62.0 inches) | 1504 mm (59.2 inches) |
| Overall Length | 2330 mm (91.7 inches) | 2207 mm (86.9 inches) |
| Overall Width | 960 mm (37.8 inches) | 953 mm (37.5 inches) |
| Overall Height | 1395 mm (54.9 inches) | 1430 mm (56.3 inches) |
| Seat Height | ✓871 mm (34.3 inches) | 890 mm (35.0 inches) |
| Wet Weight | ✓231.3 kg (509.9 pounds) | 268.1 kg (591.1 pounds) |
| Fuel Capacity | 18.80 litres (4.97 US gallons) | ✓29.90 litres (7.90 US gallons) |
| Oil capacity | 4.70 litres (4.97 US quarts) | 4.00 litres (4.23 US quarts) |
| Reserve fuel capacity | 3.80 litres (1.00 US gallons) | 4.00 litres (1.06 US gallons) |
"Best" (✓) reflects that single spec only, not overall suitability - a bike can win on paper and still be the wrong choice for you. Ties are all marked; specs with no clear better/worse direction (e.g. displacement, wheel size) are never marked, only tinted where bikes differ.
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