These three Adventure Tourers offer can munch miles and attack mud at the same time.
The Rs. 12 lakh -14 lakh Adventure Tourer space is getting crowded with more and more manufacturers foraying into this segment. Triumph has had its Tiger 800 series in this space for quite a while now, but 2017 has seen two more entrants come into this segment to challenge the Triumph’s monopoly. Honda earlier launched the hardcore Africa Twin, and now Ducati has brought in its baby Multistrada.
Physical Overview
Designed with off-roading in mind, all three of these bikes are tall and hefty. However, it’s the Honda Africa Twin which look like the most dedicated off-roader with its raw, old school design. Both Ducati and Triumph have more of an urbane look comparatively. Triumph Tiger 800 series also has the more off-road focused XCx model, but the XRx model featured here competes better with Ducati’s dual purpose stance. The Multistrada 950 borrows a lot of design cues from the fatter Multistradas, with the ‘beak’ fairing being the most prominent.
| Ducati Multistrada 950 | Honda Africa Twin | Triumph Tiger 800 XRx | |
| Length (mm) | 2,280 | 2,334 | 2,215 |
| Width (mm) | 995 | 932 | 829 |
| Height (mm) | 1,470 | 1,478 | 1,350 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,594 | 1,574 | 1,530 |
| Ground Clearence (mm) | 184 | 250 | NA |
| Kerb Weight (kg) | 229 | 245 | 216 |
Electronics & Off-roading aids
The Africa Twin has Honda Selectable Torque Control, ABS which can be switched off for the rear wheel and traction control and traction control with four settings.
The Ducati Multistrada 950 offers four preset ride modes with throttle-by-wire which adjusts ABS, four throttle response modes with output - Urban, Touring, Sport, and Enduro. The power output of this Italian motorcycle also varies depending upon the selected mode.
The Triumph in comparison misses out on most of the fancy tech of the other bikes, but gets the basics covered – ABS which can be manually turned off, and ride-by-wire throttle.
Engine & Gearbox
This is where the Honda Africa Twin has something to boast about – it is one of the few motorcycles in the world to feature an automatic transmission, a 6-speed dual clutch to be precise. Other two bikes do with conventional manual gearboxes. Duacti is the most powerful in this group with its L-twin motor churning out 111bhp. The Triumph Tiger XRx, despite having one extra cylinder over both Honda and Ducati, is the least powerful.
| Ducati Multistrada 950 | Honda Africa Twin | Triumph Tiger 800 XRx | |
| Displacement (cc) | 937 | 999.1 | 800 |
| Cylinders | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Power (bhp) | 111 | 85.9 | 94 |
| Torque (Nm) | 96.2 | 91.9 | 79 |
| Cooling System | Liquid Cooled | Liquid Cooled | Liquid Cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed mnual | 6-speed Dual Clutch Automatic | 6-speed manual |
Brakes
The Ducati Multistrada 950 uses twin 320mm front discs, alongside Brembo calipers and 265mm rear disc.
The Triumph Tiger XRx is stopped by twin 308 mm discs with twin calipers at the front and single 225 mm disc at the rear.
The Honda Africa Twin makes use of 310mm dics with 4-pistoncalipers at the front and 265mm 2-piston calipers at the rear.
Pricing
The ex-showroom, Delhi pricing of all these adventure tourers are closely matched. At Rs. 11.95 lakh, the Triumph is the most affordable one here, which makes sense keeping in mind it’s the least powerful and misses out on a lot of electronics. Ducati comes in at Rs. 12.60 lakh, which makes it a stellar value-for-money option keeping in mind what all it has to offer. The Honda is priced at Rs. 12.90 lakh.
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