New York

IT IS common practice for companies to inject new products with a frisson of dare by naming them for gutsy pursuits or enticing destinations. But a Rolex Submariner may never plumb the ocean's depths, and a Kia Sedona won't always be traversing red-rock landscapes in Arizona.

The Honda Africa Twin comes by its name honestly, though. The motorcycle is a go-anywhere adventure bike that is the consumer-market descendant of a racing machine with a heroic résumé.