The Honda Transalp!
Believe it or not, Honda used to be serious about enduro and adventure motorbikes in the 1980s.
They released the very first model in 1986 and called it a 'new concept touring motorbike'.
It wasn't exactly a new concept.
BMW and other brands were also creating adventure models that
could eat up the highway miles and behave well off-road as well.
But of course it had Honda's legendary reliability which guaranteed it would become popular.
The first model was 583cc and ran from 1986 to 1999.
A bit heavy but it had the 21 inch front wheel for good off-road manners.
The second generation was 2000 to 2007 and engine was upped to a 650.
This is what I'm riding here in Romania.
Generation three?
2008 to 2012.
The engine went to 680cc and oddly they put the smaller 19 inch front wheel on.
And finally generation four.
In 2023 Honda released the XL750.
It went back to the 21 inch front wheel and
finally Honda got serious about shedding some weight.
Curb weight is 208kg which is similar to the competition - Yamaha's Tenere 700 and KTM's 890.
So how reliable is the Transalp?
The early 600 and 650 models?
Owners say the engine is incredibly reliable.
Generally the only issues reported by some riders are overly soft suspension,
soft brakes, and cheap plastics that break easily.
The Transalp 700 model?
Again, very reliable.
A few owners reported rattles in the head unit, spokes that rusted easily, and some head-shake.
What about the new Transalp 750 model?
It hasn't been around long enough to have any long-term reports.
Some great news.
Early reports indicate it will be cheaper than all its competitors:
KTM 890, Tenere 700, Aprilia Tuareg and even the Chinese made CF Moto 800MT.
We scanned a pile of current reviews to find complaints about the new Transalp.
And there isn't much to complain about.
Despite a range of settings, most test riders felt the ABS
and traction control aren't very good for off-road riding and just turned them off.
The windscreen isn't adjustable and one review mentioned some wind buffeting.
There's no quick-shifter.
The old style rims mean tubed tyres only.
However, all the reviewers pointed out that these issues come down to price.
The Honda XL750 is shaping up to be the cheapest model in
its class so obviously some bling will be missing.
The good stuff?
The short-stroke engine was a real hit with everyone.
It likes to rev and and has a strong top-end with 91 horsepower.
But it has plenty of low-down grunt too.
Unlike earlier Transalp models, the suspension and brakes are really working well.
Handling?
All the reviewers said the road handling was superb and could well be best-in-class.
It's very light and flickable.
The new Transalp 750 may not be as dirt-worthy as its competition,
but it really stands out as an 80/20 motorbike...
80% road riding and 20% off-road riding.
Ever owned a Honda Transalp?
Or thinking of buying the new one?
Let us know in the comments.