So it’s true. There is indeed a new Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adventure Sports headed our way for 2020, and thanks to newly-published vehicle certification filings discovered by Motorcycle.com we know several new, key details.

The documents filed confirm the existing 998cc mill has received a capacity bump from 998cc to 1084cc, which will increase horsepower from 94 to 101 @ 7500 rpm. And while not yet confirmed, peak torque is expected to rise from 73 to 79 ft-lbs @ 6000 rpm. This measured expansion is one way Honda is getting ahead of looming EU 5 and 6 emissions restrictions, which would potentially decrease output in the existing engine by roughly as much as is being gained here. Don’t be surprised to see similar compensatory bumps in displacement across brands.

Close inspection of the low-resolution black-and-white photos filed with the documents reveal many additional changes to the Africa Twin, including upgrades to its chassis, electronics suite, and bodywork.

A generously-sized TFT display will now summon all of the bike’s readouts, while its electronic assets are accessed via the high-resolution touchscreen. The display is nestled atop a more streamlined fairing, which incorporates intake channels that appear smaller and lower than those on the previous design. The AT’s distinctive twin headlights look to be slightly larger and instead of bulging, both are flush to the fairing.

There is also a new (presumably still steel) frame and detachable subframe for the Africa Twin that houses an unchanged drivetrain, still available in both models as either standard or DCT. Beefier plating protects the new twin’s bottom end and reworked exhaust.

Moreover, the windscreen on the standard model is quite a bit shorter than on the original, giving it a more-aggressive off-road look. In turn, the shield on the AS version is much larger by comparison. Both models are equipped with redesigned hand guards that appear more substantial than the flimsy issue on the original ATs.

By all accounts the standard Africa Twin’s fuel tank is larger for 2020. It was assumed it would utilize the more voluminous 6.4-gallon tank already in use on the Adventure model, but in the photos it appears the Adventure Sports tank is still larger.  

Out back, the tail section of the bike has been trimmed, and while the standard version features tidier grab rails, the AS edition wears a more substantial tail rack than previous.

The AS version also receives cross-spoke tubeless wheels and a deeper, more comfortable-looking seat than the tall, flat original design. We can’t tell for sure, but there might be cornering lights beneath the headlamps on this pricier edition, though any stock crash guards are notably missing, at least in these design certification photos.

We don’t believe the 2020 engine will feature the DOHC system slated to replace the AT’s existing Unicam, or the revolutionary Direct Fuel Injection Honda has patented to manage the 1100cc mill more efficiently. We do expect Honda, with its involvement in highly-sophisticated automobile racing technology, to lead the motorcycle industry with this feature and that we’ll see the more precise DI on the Africa Twin no later than 2022.

The next level of reveal for the 2020 Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adventure Sports is likely to be the Tokyo Motor Show in late October. We’ll keep you up on all the details here.

Photos: Motorcycle.com

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.