We blast the long-awaited Honda XL750 Transalp adventure bike on- and off-road in Queensland’s stunning Hinterland region. Watch the INFO MOTO review here…
What we like:
- Incredible value
- Great engine
- Honda build quality
Room for improvement:
- Underwhelming suspension
- Gravel rider mode too invasive
- Low spec as standard
The new Honda Transalp ($14,490 plus on-road costs) is built on the same platform as the recently released Hornet naked bike, using the same 755cc parallel twin engine, tuned in this case to produce 67.5kW and 75Nm.
Tech features include a 5.0-inch TFT dash, smartphone connectivity with voice control, full LED lighting with self-cancelling indicators and a USB socket (optional). Five rider modes can be chosen, including Sport, Standard, Rain, User and Gravel.
Preload adjustable Showa 43mm forks provide 200mm travel at the front end, while a similarly adjustable Pro-Link shock gives 190mm of travel at the rear.
The braking package consists of dual twin-piston calipers squeezing 310mm ‘wave’ discs at the front end, while a single-piston caliper and 256mm disc is utilised at the rear.
Wire-spoked wheels are shod with tubed tyres, measuring 21- and 18-inches front-to-back.
Seat height is rated at 850mm, ground clearance 210mm, fuel capacity 16.9-litres and weight 208kg.
Three colour schemes include Ross White, Matte Ballistic Black and Matte Iridium Gray.
Honda Transalp rivals
The Honda XL750 Transalp enters the competitive middleweight adventure bike market that is occupied by the likes of the Yamaha Tenere 700, CFMOTO 800MT, Aprilia Tuareg 660 and KTM 890 Adventure, though at time of writing it is most closely positioned against the recently launched Suzuki V-Strom 800DE.
Like the Transalp, the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE is motivated by a new 750-class parallel-twin engine generating a comparable 62kW and 78Nm. Watch the INFO MOTO review of that bike below.
Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
Thanks for the review. Looking to put these next to their little sisters the 500X in our rental fleet in Vietnam when they are released here and its helped confirm its the right addition.