Honda XL750 Transalp 2023 Launch Review

When the Honda Transalp was first released in 1986, complete with a 583cc V-twin engine, it was lauded for its temperament and praised as a great all-rounder. Yes, those traits were typical for the adventure genre, but in those days the Transalp sat well below the likes of the fire-breathing Fireblade sportsbike in the public adoration stakes.

As time went by, new Transalp models arrived in 2000 and then 2008, the model’s engine capacity creeping up to 680cc in its last iteration. However, outright power still topped the priority list for many bike buyers of the day, with high-powered road bikes enjoying favour well above that of any humble dual-sport.

Fast forward to 2023, however, and the narrative has changed. Machines in the middleweight adventure category now enjoy massive cachet, and that’s very much the case with the all-new Honda XL750 Transalp.

It’s the fourth version of the Transalp but very much a new frontier for the model, with Honda taking a fresh route that’s become increasingly popular in adventure circles: a parallel-twin engine format, complete with 270-degree crank. It’s the same engine as found in the new (but also returning) Hornet, which bikesales recently sampled for the first time at its local media launch.

Interestingly, Suzuki has also ditched the V-twin and followed the same parallel-twin path in 2023 with its new adventure and naked machines. And it’s easy to make a universal business case for the parallel-twin: it not only has advantages in terms of production costs, but it’s also more compact than a V-twin.

So, all in all, it was the perfect time to revive the Transalp moniker, also adding a third tier into the Honda adventure family in the process, the Transalp sitting alongside the premium Africa Twin and the more entry-level CB500X. The newcomers fits in beautifully between its siblings, in terms of both price and performance.

But in an increasingly cut-throat market segment, does the new Transalp still hit the sweet spot? With long-time Honda ambassador, multiple 500 GP winner and adventure company guru Daryl Beattie leading a ride through the Gold Coast hinterland, we set off to discover whether the Transalp project leader’s goal to “strike the right balance between urban agility, long-distance, on-road touring comfort, and off-road ability”, has come to fruition.

In line with the new Hornet’s sharp pricing, the Honda Transalp is now on sale in Australia for $14,499 plus on-road costs. Give or take on location, that equates to a ride-away cost of around $15,800.

With its 21-inch front wheel and parallel-twin engine, the Transalp takes its seat in the middleweight adventure market with rivals spanning the Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE ($18,590 ride away), Aprilia Tuareg 660 ($22,230 ride away), Yamaha Tenere 700 ($19,999 ride away) and BMW F 850 GS ($18,590 plus on-road costs).

However, dollars only paint a part of the overall picture, as the standard level of spec differs markedly between all four models – and there’s no doubt the Transalp is very much a ‘zero excess’ offering that buyers have to consider carefully, depending on what they what the bike to do. We’ll touch more on spec level as we push on.

The new Honda XL750 Transalp is powered by a 755cc parallel-twin. It’s a new configuration in this capacity zone for Honda, and it comes with 46mm throttle bodies and cylinders with a nickel-silicon carbide coating, like the Honda CBR1000RR-R and CRF450R.

The Transalp also shares a compact Unicam valve train design like the CRF450R motocrosser, and there’s no balancer drive gear – instead, it’s a part of the primary drive’s portfolio to spin the balance shaft. And it works a treat: there are no irritating vibes across the major Transalp touch points, and the mirrors provide crisp and unfettered viewing.

Peak power and torque are 91hp (67.5kW) and 75Nm, produced at 9500rpm and 7250rpm respectively. The torque peak chimes in quite early, which is why it’s such a versatile, adventure-friendly powerplant – a strong blend of mid-range power (3000 to 8000rpm) leading into a spirited, free-revving top end. The redline is 10,000rpm, but the soft-action rev limiter doesn’t kick in until 10,500rpm.

The throttle response is also crisp, with excellent fuelling. There’s so much mechanical grip, which is a wonderful place to be in without even factoring in traction control – which the Transalp has, of course, as a vital back-up on wet and gravel roads.

The engine, via its five ride modes (Standard, Sport, Rain, Gravel and the programmable User), provides four levels of engine power (or throttle response to use a more apt term, as all modes produce 91hp), as well as three levels of engine braking, five of traction control and two of ABS. Traction control and ABS (rear wheel only) can also be switched off in User mode, while it’s easy to toggle between all the ride modes on the fly.

The only incongruous part of the electronics setup is that in Gravel mode, traction control is pre-set to the second-highest level of intervention – so any major corrugations or uneven, slippery roads will quickly put the kibosh on forward momentum.

The gearing is quite tall and, combined with the light slip-and-assist clutch, makes the Transalp a great commuter – with its 208kg kerb weight and upright seating position only adding to that seamless integration into the hurly-burly of traffic. U-turns are also easy thanks to a wide steering lock.

Outside of the ABS, traction control and ride modes, other electronics on the Transalp include the excellent five-inch TFT screen, which also works well even in direct sunlight.

There’s a choice of four TFT ‘faces’, and it can be hooked up to Honda’s RoadSync app to take calls, listen to music, etc.

There’s also auto indicator cancelling, based on wheel speeds rather than timing, but items such as heated grips and a 12V socket aren’t standard. Both are accessories – the heated grips are $320.50 and the 12V socket $39.33 – but there is a USB charger under the seat.

One of the launch units was also fitted with an accessory quickshifter ($399.21), which definitely works best when the drivetrain is under heavier loads. If you just want to use your Transalp to tootle around town, the creamy-smooth six-speed gearbox is more than good enough.

The frame is the same as the Hornet’s: a steel diamond unit, but it’s been beefed up in the sub frame to handle the extra stresses of an adventure bike and a full suite of luggage.

Suspension is by Showa: an upside-down 43mm SFF-CATM (Separate Function Fork-Cartridge) and monoshock, both with preload adjustment but nothing on the damping side. The front-end of the Transalp is impressive, both under cornering and heavy braking, but the rear isn’t as compliant: it’s quite choppy and the high-compression hits do pack a punch. Preload adjustment on the rear requires manual adjustment.

There’s 200mm suspension travel at the front and 190mm at the rear, so it’s middle of the road between road-focussed adventure bikes and more hardcore offering such as the KTM 890 Adventure R. The launch route only traversed well-groomed dirt roads, so it was difficult to get a feel for the suspension’s efficacy in more difficult terrain – but the first move would be to max out the preload to try and smooth out some of the jarring. Ground clearance is a healthy 211mm.

The centrally laced wheels aren’t tubeless, which is uncommon these days, and the standard tyres are road-focussed Metzeler Karoo Street, which were fitted to all the launch bikes except one, which had knobbies after recently spending time in Beattie’s garage. Well, he is an adventure man through and through…

There were two non-adjustable windshields to try out: a standard one and taller (by 75mm) accessory touring version ($298.25). To be honest, the differences felt minimal, but the accessory one would definitely be worth the outlay if longer distances were on the menu – and that’s where I’d be heading on the Transalp.

There’s a one-piece seat unit, which wedges the rider in nicely and still provides plenty of room for a pillion without feeling like they are sitting in the clouds. Massive handrails are handy, too, while a pillion would also enjoy sinking back against an aluminium top box, which is available as a standalone accessory ($1028.70, including the base but not the $162.68 backrest) or as part of the ‘Top Box’ accessory pack, which also includes the base, backrest and centrestand, as well as a few other items.

There are four other accessory packs available: Adventure, Pannier, Rally and Comfort. Your local Honda dealer will have all the details on composition and pric, but suffice to say they provide a handy saving over buying individual items.

Among the accessories included in the packs are hand wind deflectors, crash bars, heated grips (they work well, too!), fog lights, a tank bag, enduro footpegs, aluminium panniers, a skid plate and windscreen deflectors.

Nissin brakes complete the chassis: twin-piston radial calipers gripping 310mm wave discs on the front and a single-piston caliper on the rear attached to a 256mm wave disc. The front brakes are more than potent, but the rear is a little underdone for the road but ideal off-road.

The front brake lever is span-adjustable, but the clutch lever isn’t. There is LED lighting all-round, with the rear indicators featuring an emergency stop signal where the hazard lights flash when the system detects a pre-determined level of deceleration. Like when you’re being blindsided by Skippy…

Colours are Iridium Gray Metallic, Ballistic Black Metallic and Ross White – the last one a nod to the original Transalp, and in my opinion the pick of the new crop.

The Transalp keeps everything simple in terms of no-fuss styling and bodywork, and that’s what it’s like to ride: it’s very much straight down to business with that light clutch, its slick gearbox and its body-preserving ergonomics. The electronics are easy to gel with too, and overall the Transalp is one easy-to-ride and forgiving package.

The bike looks and feels narrow, and the 850mm seat height is accessible for all shapes and sizes – but if that’s a bridge too far the accessory 820mm unit will look after the disheartened. The seating position feels like a mid-way point: you don’t feel like you’re right on top of the Transalp, but you don’t feel like you’re being swallowed up by the upper bodywork either. Perfect, really.

Much of the launch route was on tarmac at speeds below 100km/h, so there was plenty of time to get acquainted with the seat and ergonomics. The seat gets a little bitey after a while and, although the bar has width in that typical adventure way, it did feel too low when we ventured off-road.

At 100km/h, the Transalp is spinning over at just 3800rpm, so it’s a very relaxing ride.

It’s probably just a function of familiarity but riding with a 21-inch front wheel is now so commonplace that it feels normal – and so it is on the Transalp. Sweepers and tight hairpins on the Tamborine Mountain Road were devoured with ease by the 208kg machine, without a hint of understeer or any of the top-heavy feel that afflicts many taller machines. It’s not a massive fuel tank – 16.9L – so that obviously plays a part. It’s effortless, even when at a decent clip.

Back on the dirt, I also played around with the traction control settings in the User mode, and in the lowest setting (i.e. the least intervention) it produced some nice drift – and all very predictable thanks to the smooth power delivery.

Yes indeed, but with the qualification of first thinking hard about what you want from an adventure machine. Do you want all the creature comforts and mod-cons? Then the Transalp will have you perusing accessory catalogues from the get-go. If you’re on a tight budget, you may want to look elsewhere, but if customisation is your thing you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool commuter, the Transalp hits the bull’s eye, and for touring it provides unadulterated bliss on tight and twisty roads, while also purring along in absolute tranquility on straight sections. There’s a lot to like.

The new Honda Transalp has wide-ranging appeal, and tarmac is its really happy place. But, in a signature Transalp way, it’s also a bloody proficient all-roader.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, SOHC parallel-twin
Capacity: 755cc
Bore x stroke: 87mm x 63.5mm
Compression ratio: 11:1
Engine management: PGM-FI electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 91hp (67.5kW) at 9500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 75Nm at 7250rpm

ELECTRONICS
Type: Honda
Rider aids: ABS, traction control
Rider modes: Sport, Standard, Rain, Gravel and User

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Slipper/assist

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel diamond
Front suspension: Showa 43mm upside-down fork, preload adjustable, 200mm travel
Rear suspension: Showa monoshock, preload adjustable, 190mm travel
Front brakes: 310mm wave discs with Nissin twin-piston radial calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 256mm wave disc with Nissin single-piston caliper, ABS
Tyres: Metzeler Karoo Street – front 90/90-21, rear 150/70-18 (both tubed)

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 208kg
Seat height: 850mm (820mm option)
Ground clearance: 212mm
Fuel capacity: 16.9L

OTHER STUFF
Price: $14,499 plus on-road costs
Colours: Iridium Gray Metallic, Ballistic Black Metallic or Ross White
Test bike supplied by: Honda Australia
Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres