Honda Transalp Review – 1500 km with the new XL750

Honda XL750 Transalp Review

Bike Test by Wayne Vickers – Images RbMotoLens

The new Transalp is here and we have been able to throw a leg over it for an extended 1500 kilometre test period. It’s actually only been ten years since the ‘old’ one was discontinued, but it feels like a lifetime.

While it’s a little tamer than some of the early concepts that we all saw, I rate it. Love the styling, the size, the ergos and the overall fit and finish. Compared to its direct competitors it is clearly the smarter looker. I might be in the minority here too, but like Trev, I prefer the Iridium Grey colour scheme over the traditional white red and blue too. Very nicely proportioned. Good surfaces and undeniable Honda build quality.

And it doesn’t disappoint on the road. The overwhelming takeaway for me is how nice and light it feels on the go. It steers far, far better than you’d have thought a full 21-inch front wheel shod thing should be able to. They’ve done really well here. It’s an ace little handler on the sealed stuff. Very nice. Showa suspension is adjustable for pre-load only, although that adjustment is available at both ends which is a nice change from the common rear pre-load only affair.

It is spec’d more towards the comfort side of things from the factory. If you’re anything beyond an oompa loompa you’ll be setting it quite a way towards the firm end of the adjustment. Without any luggage or pillion I had mine set-up pretty close to maxed out. The rear actually was set to full hard. That allowed for ‘enough’ control on average pot-holed gravel roads and fairly easy fire trails (think – ones you’d take a stock dual-cab ute up).

Decent ground clearance spec at 212 mm and 200 mm of suspension travel, but it’s not a bike you’ll be laying the ears back and launching off drainage mounds often. Not the same as something like the Tuareg or a sorted T7. But that’s not where this bike is aimed.

This is an all-roads adventure-tourer, not a bike that you’ll be harrassing dirt bikes up gnarly trails. And on-road its comfortably a nicer handling thing than either of the more dirt oriented options. I’m personally yet to ride the V-Strom 800, but I’d be very surprised if it feels as small, light or nimble as Honda’s option.

The Transalp shares the same driveline as the Hornet we tested a little while back. A very spirited 755 cc parallel twin that arguably punches above its weight from an output perspective. 67 kw or 90 horespower and 75 Nm of torque is not to be sneezed at. Proper 270-degree crank makes it sound right too. It comfortably shades the Tenere 700, and bests the Aprilia Tuareg too in the hump department. Both of which are only 4 kilos lighter. And it also outpokes Suzuki’s new V-Strom 800 (but doesn’t quite match the Zooks torque figure), which is noticeably heavier. The CFMOTO 800MT only just pips it in both power and torque, but like those other aforementioned options, it too is noticeably heavier.

It’s quite the sporty engine. Likes a rev. Loves a rev in fact – which suits the brief of ‘mostly road stuff’. Just like the Hornet, I found the fuelling to be not quuiiite perfect around town filtering between cars which catches out a lot of bikes. But having a fiddle with the electronics and turning the engine braking to minimum solved most of that. When I say not quite right, I refer specifically to the transition from a lightly closed throttle to a lightly open one. No doubt Euro 5 plays a part there, but other manufacturers can get it right… Out of the urban, congested jungle its barely noticeable, I’m just a fussy s.o.b.

Speaking of electronics, the new Transalp comes with a bevy of ride modes, Rain, Gravel, Standard, Sport and a Customisable ‘User’ mode. All with their own settings for engine power, engine braking ABS and traction control. But it’s not all great news.

The dash design remains pretty ordinary with the same confusing circular setting design, and the switch-gear controls are not particularly user friendly. Honda still have some catching up to best practice there. And I did notice the screen already had some scratches on it from somebody cleaning it previously. I wonder if you could get a phone/tablet screen protector for it. Might be worth considering.

I need to call out the traction control in gravel mode specifically. Some other folks might say something like ‘its not quite up to it’, but lets call a spade a spade here… It’s just awful. Cutting in way too early and far too abruptly. It will actually upset the bike in certain circumstances, not bring everything back into line. And turning it off requires five button taps of two different buttons, three of those button taps being press and holds… None of the buttons are labelled ‘TC’ and you need to repeat the process every time you turn the key off – even when in ‘User’ mode, as it resets back to full TC on. I give the whole TC system minus five out of ten. And I’d give it a score of zero if there wasn’t any TC at all.

The other big miss for me is the lack of cruise control. On a bike that’s destined to be racking up the road miles, I find that omission bewildering. Yes the bike comes in at a very impressive price point of 16 grand ride away so I’m ok with it not being there for that base price, but… No cruise control option? At all? I struggle to understand that thinking.

Better news on the braking front. Really nice feel and power on the road. You’ll definitely want to flick to off-road ABS on gravel though. On any loose surface the road setting has the rear in particular not offering much effective braking at all.

Price wise though – its a genuinely compelling product. Even with the ‘Rally pack’ which includes the bash-plate and engine protection, the hand-guards and quick-shifter that’s still going to end up at just over 18 big ones. That’s a fair bit of bike for that money… I’m not sure many riders will need much more than that. Even the exhaust has a nice volume and note to it.

I’ll admit that at first I was disappointed that it wasn’t a more off-road oriented package, but I think Honda have been clever. This is a bike that will suit a LOT of riders. It’ll eat up road miles. Including gravel roads. And tyred-up right I’m sure it’d be quite the thing for sandier roads and big stretches in the outback too… I regularly saw 350-kilometres to a tank on tarmac. So it’ll get you places…

Its nice and light which makes it accessible and user friendly. And that handling on the road. Razor sharp for anything in the Adventure segment.

Quite the impressive debut for a new model. Very much so. In fact I’ll stick my neck out and say its probably my pick of the current crop of Adventure Tourers in the 600-800 cc bracket. With my more dirt-oriented pick being the Tuareg.

When Honda sort those TC and cruise control electronic annoyances and it’d be damn near perfect.

Welcome back Transalp. Now Honda, for those still missing the big XR… Can you just put the 500 twin in the CRF300 Rally frame for us please?

Honda XL750 Transalp at a glance…

The hits…

• It feels so light and agile and its on road manners are first class
• Plenty of hump from that engine, especially mid to upper revs
• Competitive price point for Honda quality

The misses…

• No cruise control even as an option?
• The TC is rubbish. And controls are frustrating
• Suspension could be a little firmer.

Honda Transalp XL750 Images