Honda Africa Twin app

5th February 2016

CGI | Android | iPhone | CRF1000L

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Honda Motorcycles has launched a new app for the forthcoming CRF1000L Africa Twin. And as with all technology, there are both exciting and worrying implications.

How does it work? Well, we're not entirely sure. But it's something like this; using all the latest CGI and 3D modelling and augmented reality technology, you first load the app onto your iPhone or similar smartphone or tablet, and then you use the rear camera to take a picture of your garage, or yard, or bedroom or wherever. Then you place a cut-out CGI bike image in the appropriate space. The image isn't projected, note. It just appears in your camera viewfinder as a 2D overlay.

The software then makes it possible to spin the bike image around, enlarge it, look at it from any angle, and even change the colours (CRF Rally, Africa Twin Tricolor and Matte Ballistic Black Metallic). Then you can capture the image and send it to friends or upload it to social media or whatever.

We've no information on whether other operating systems are catered for, so you'll have to do your own legwork. And we haven't yet tried this app, so we've no idea how effective it is. But we wonder how long it will be before these applications hook up with Google Maps so that you can ride your motorcycle more or less anywhere on the planet from the comfort of your armchair, bed or bathtub. Gotta happen.

Meanwhile, we're waiting until someone develops the Carol Kirkwood (weather girl) app. We figure we'll be doing a fair amount of placing with that piece of software.

iPhone users click here

Android users click here

Carol Kirkwood fans dream on

UPDATE: We have tried this app, and it works very effectively. You really can place the bike in your garage or living room and turn it around and change the colour and whatnot. You can squat down and look through the wheels and have someone snap your photo, or just stand beside it and pose, and there have got to be many more creative uses. If there was a criticism, it's simply that the Honda bike image is very sharp whereas your camera image might be a little grainy. Just load the app, fiddle with it and have fun. It could be the future of bike marketing.

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