@@charierasiplease removing the rear wheel on the road is a pia and also requires a centrestand, also most rear tyres are very stiff and are a pia to get them off the wheel. It will take at least an hour to do if you're not that experienced. A tubeless tyre can be plugged in 5 mins
@@charierasiplease Less risk for punctures and you can fix it yourself without many tools. Tubeless tires are lighter, more comfortable and runs cooler so they last longer. In other words for any serious long trip or adventure riding away from civilization tubeless tires are the only option. Tubed tires are only suitable for motocross and enduro tracks where you want a really strong rim but nowhere else.
I had a Transapl 25 years ago and I loved it to bits. Never missed a beat, and I was trashing it all the time. This new one is surely HIGH up my shortlist.
The review of this bike sounds exactly the way I feel about my 1989 Honda Transalp, I've been riding it for thirty years and it's never missed a beat. It's great on the road and competent offroad
This segment is pretty awesome with the Transalp and DE, now. Incredibly good rigs! Still, and inexplicably, there is NO excuse to not even offer cruise control on these bikes. If the manufacturers think it'll force buyers into the next category up, they're crazy. What it will do, though, is kill some sales, even sending more into the used market for those next-level bikes that have it. For anyone who ACTUALLY does miles, it's a no-brainer. Wrist-rest and throttle lock sales will surely see a bump. Thanks for a great review, MB!
Agree, even Aprilia’s Tuareg 660 has Cruise Control. I, for the life of me, can’t figure out why Honda and Suzuki haven’t put this simple feature on their middle weight ADV motorcycles. It’s enough to prevent me from buying, one. Cruise Control should be considered mandatory. 6:47
Agreed, I'm willing to accept no cruise on a sub 8k bike, or on a dual sport, but I get a adv touring bike so I can handle the long slab haul to the trail head.
Personally cruise control is overrated. I've had it on my 750GS for the last 2.5 years and I've maybe used it 6 times, more out of novelty than anything else and I've done plenty of touring on that bike.
The AT is a fantastic bike but said goodbye after 2 yrs, just too heavy for me as a YAP (young aged pensioner), The TA is a lot lighter so gonna have a demo soon.
Great review. Jumped on the configurator and just about everything is an optional accessory and £££'s. When spec'd similar to others it really isn't much cheaper!
I feel like ‘extreme’ internet opinions often forget about the average, real world consumer; the fact that this bike is a seemingly solid all rounder with a great price point, decent amount of tech and the Honda reputation will probably be enough for it to be a successful platform. It’ll also help to keep customers who started on the CB500X within the brand since they might not want to make the big jump to an AT
The main question isnt 'is this the middleweight adventure bike to buy in 2023?' but rather : how available will this bike be in 2023? because supply issues have been an on going problem in most parts of the world and most have 6months upto a year of waiting lists. Remember the NT1100? all these new bikes suffer the same issue, way too high demand and zero supply.
What we need are more adventure style bikes for short legged riders. I’ve a 27 inch inside leg. But prefer both feet on floor. So 850mm seat height is a no go.
Honest is moving in the direction of appealing to those of us with shorter leg range. They just came out with the CRF300L"S" which is the short model so it is significantly lower than the typical CRF300L. Pretty cool to see, cause you don't see many other manufacturers appealing to riders who may want something lower to the ground but still with the ability to do some off-roading.
There's a low seat option , which makes it much more accessible to those of us vertically challenged riders. My local dealer has told me that they'll have that option available for test rides.
Very good review as always. I had an Africa Twin 1000 and found the wind buffeting terrible and tried what most people assume is the problem, increasing the height. No different. So, I tried increasing the width by adding cardboard cut-outs roughly the same shape as the OEM accessory ones. Completely solved the problem for me. Even tried the usually successful Airflow (no good). So, size does matter, the width not the length. I do agree about the colours. It would have been good to have one red or blue like the XL650, or the two-tone blue/green XL600 (which I had, excellent bike)
Great video, mate! Good to hear that it is a good allrounder. Will get mine in May…in black. Will be a good road addition to my 1100 AT. My beloved AT will stay for sure. She is my offroad horse.
Bike specced like the one in this video is around €16.700. That’s 30% above base price of €12.899 where I live. And then you are still left with a bike with tubed tires, no cruise control and only adjustable pre-load. Not so cheap considering the competition. Tuareg 660 still the best option imo
Looks like a great bike here in Thailand. Where the paved road ends with no warning and you have miles of gravel roads then back to pavement. Where a road bike would bottom out very quickly, this seems to be a great design for a country, not known for it’s upkeep of roads.
Nearly every bike coming out is called an Adventure, at least this one is called something different. I dare any journo to get hold of a Honda Goldwing, put dirt tyres on it and do a review on the new Goldwing Adventure. You would create another niche market for sure.
I missed the press launch for that one but working on getting a press bike asap. It looks a bit on the weighty side but that’s not everything so perhaps it’ll be a winner on the road
Great review. I absolutely loved the original of transalp. I was a little disappointed to not hear a comparison to the original. I guess I’ll find out next month when i rent one to go up north.
Thanks for the review. Regarding the Power to Weight ratio, I personally use Power to Weight including driver weight, because that is what we find while riding, you see, the Power has to move the bike and the driver. I get better comparisons while comparing quite different bikes regarding weight. This ratio is more realistic for me. Also I use an average weight of 95kg for the full geared driver. Nice rides!
Great review. I've been looking to replace my VFR800 for some years but nothing floated my boat. I wanted something lighter, comfortable and practical. This bike ticks all this boxes for me and I placed my order in February. As for colour, I went for the white, the other choices were too dull.
@@MrStarfockerx I'm two months into ownership now. It's a very different bike to the VFR. Everything is different from the riding position to the character of the engine. Although tall it's much easier to move around in my drive. It's a very rapid bike and doesn't feel any slower than the VFR. The handling is not as sharp but you'd expect that with those large wheels but it corners very well. So I'm very happy with my purchase.
I have a fully kited CRF300L Rally for really rough trails and trips to remote areas. But I would absolutely love the TransAlp for commuting, longer touring trips and cruising mountain roads and trails in Colorado and Utah.
Like the original Transalp 600 that inspired this bike, it is going to prove to be well more capable on trails than the MOTOBOB's of TH-cam think. When was the last time a major manufacturer popped a 21" front wheel on a bike just to ride down a couple of gravel tracks now and again.
Are you kidding! Keeping my V85TT enough clearance and suspension stroke for the purpose. No chains no drive chain counterbalance or cam chain. No water jacket. Very reasonable service intervals. Very reliable. And so comfortable.
Absolutely agree with the colour scheme. The white version is the best by far, but that still doesn't mean much. So much wasted opportunity there. Oh well...
Is it just me? I thought the price quite expensive when you can buy the acclaimed Aprilia Tuareg 660 for £8,999 (advertised on the web), But as ever a good review and I think you correctly pigeon holed the Transalpine . I have a CRF300Rally for the off road stuff and the Transalpine looks like an approachable touring bike.
Looks wise I'd say all adv bikes look the best without any excess crap on top (no crash bars, panniers, rear pillion grab rail, stock pipe & 5 heatshields, pillion pegs) cull all the excess stuff and thin the backend out of bulk and add a light set of GL Coyote bags to it and a slim pipe with a more serious set of 80/20 tyres and I think the tricolor will start to look a lot more serious. All adv bikes with the 20kg of garbage bolted to them look like blokes driving F150 and Ranger Raptors with the entire catalogue 4wd shops strapped to them - (plastic/protection/mass over substance and purpose). Check out the stripped back T7's of ARiemann1 or Pol Tarres - an XL750 for fast gravel/fire roads and globe touring with light soft luggage I think will look killer, aggree though that in stock trim I think other Honda's outshine it (the AT in tricolour looks alot tougher to me for example) :)
What equipment does it have over the hornet to justify the additional 2.5k price? It seems like adventure bikes are a couple of grand more because ADV riders can afford it rather than any difference in manufacturing costs
In a world with ever increasing prices it's great to see that Honda understand their customer base and the concept of price points. People are starting to get fed up with being mugged off with essentially overpriced wank machines. Honda are keeping it real and offering a fantastic package at a tempting price.
The positive spin on the 21 inch front "makes easy find decent off rubber ". Since it primarily an on road bike the 21 inch front will seriously limit the ability to get good on road rubber.
I feel like this XL750 kind of bridges a weird gap between the Tenere 700 and the Tracer 9 GT. It takes some queues from the Tenere with its significant offroad capabilities. On the other hand, it is packed with tech and is well suited for long miles on the road like the Tracer. All of that topped with unbeatable Honda reliability makes the Transalp a real competitor in today's market, especially when you consider the price. I wasn't even in the market for a bike like this, but I am now considering I may want to head in that direction.
I love Honda but I hate this bike. I hate things engineered to do one thing but dressed up like they are something else. I hate guys who put street tires on trucks and I hate street bikes dressed up like they are dirt bikes. Don't get me wrong, you can ride a dirt road on it, but the second you smash the bottom and pinch the exhaust, the jig is up. Its a goldwing light, set up to look like it can do dirt but with no DCT or cruise control. The DCT I can forgive, its nice in city traffic, but not cruise control. The F750 GS has cruise control and if I'm buying a dirt bike that can't leave the road for over 10k, you best damn well believe I'm getting cruise control. I don't see this thing selling and I'm convinced they don't want it to sell. They want you to buy the gold wing AND a dirt bike. This is just their counter to the T7 which we all know can't compete with it.
It isn’t cheap at all considering the lack of cruise control, only adjustable pre-load and tubes tires. Accessories are pushing the bike 30% above base price if you want a bike specced like the one in this video. And most of these accessories aren’t considered optional extra’s, but are more or less mandatory (crash bars, heated grips, center stand)
@@JeffMax I get what you are saying but I'd never get official honda accessories (or any manufacturer accessories) anyway. I'd wait for the aftermarket to catch up and spec it out to my own liking for way less cost. I mean besides accessories, I can't think of another bike that offers this much at this price in terms of power, offroad and onroad ability, and modding opportunity.
@@2WheelPursuit Honda reliability isn’t what it used to be. Loads of first hand statements from people with issues with their Africa Twin for instance. Yamaha clearly walks away with the reliability trophy. I wouldn’t buy a Honda for this reason in these days to be honest. Suzuki is currently offering 6 years warranty or 100k km’s in the Netherlands. That 800DE is looking as a better proposition with standard quickshifter, bash-plate, adjustable suspension & bolt-on subframe for even less money than the Honda.
Would be a really tough call (assuming you're in the market) between a new Transalp with a few choice accessories vs a low mileage Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Rally Pro. I know which I prefer the look of, but having had plenty of hondas over my motorcycling career, (including an original XLV600 and currently an excellent CB500X) if the new Alp is anything like its bretheren it should be super reliable, easy to ride and relatively cheap to own. I guess it comes down the X factor when you come to test ride both bikes...will just have to wait for the opportunity, and watch out for the inevitable group shoot-outs. Note that if you went for a base model 900 Rally, there wouldn't be much in it price wise...something else to consider: on paper, the new V Strom is a better bike if you plan to do more off the beaten track. I'm still semi-holding out for a Norden 501 and Honda's rumoured NX 500, both of which should be in the 'goldilocks zone' for tourable dual sports...two-wheeled first world problems eh?
Hey Buddy! Great Minds, Think Alike! I'm in the same Boat - split between getting a pre-owned Tiger 900 Rally Pro (2021/5K kms) and a new Transalp. I know spec-wise they are Oranges and Apples. My riding usage is city and touring; My riding style is pretty Hooliganish. So, here in India (no T7s, Tuaregs or KTM 790/890s here. Even the Honda AT comes in a lowered suspension model) the Tiger 900 Rally is the bike that checks all the boxes. The Maintainance Costs are the Only Red Flags. So, enter the Transalp: it's light and nimble: makes for a good project bike - rally seats, suspension upgrade etc along with Honda's reliability and affordability. Also, makes for a better Daily Do-it-All. So, What would you suggest?
As someone that is eyeing the Tenere but was curious about this when it was announced, this hasn't convinced me. You're making some serious off road tradeoffs for a more road-centric bike but without any of the features that would make riding the road more bearable. If they had included cruise control or carplay features then maybe. Also the front end styling isn't doing this bike any favors.
Got fed up of waiting to see this and bought a Moto Morini X-Cape, tubeless tyres , brembos , marzocchi forks , 7"tft , backlit switchgear , tyre pressure sensors, connectivity , USB ports ....a very capable bike and I'm 2½ k up ! Yes I know its Chinese built but the finish is good and I've racked up 7k miles since July 2022 never missed a beat ! Don't regret my decision as this is extremely vanilla , I'm sure it'll sell well but it's hardly setting anyone's knickers alight is it ?
Great review as usual! My initial thought was a comparison with the Tiger 900 but at £4-5 (i.e. 50%!) more, it's not really fair. A much better comparison is actually my current Tiger 800 XCx from 2015 (Tiger vs Transalp) which for weight (196kg dry vs 208kg wet), bhp (95 vs 90.5HP), torque (79Nm vs 75Nm) and seat height (840mm vs 850??) is pretty comparable except I do have cruise control (though not gold rims!). So I won't be looking to trade in for the new Transalp, but an interesting prospect for second-hand market in a couple of years time. Thoughts?
YES! I agree this bike NEEDS cruise control and a tubeless wheel option........ I prefer the Matt Black over this RWB color option.......... BUT above all else IT!!!! needs to be imported to the USA ......... WE here for some reason simply are not get the same models Europe gets to enjoy....... THAT ABOVE ALL ELSE HONDA needs to fix...... We see the new Release of bikes each spring and then get the RUG jerked out from under us learning we wont get them........ GRRRRRRRRRRR very frustrating.......
Tubed tires are curious on an otherwise really well thought out machine. If long distance travel to remote places is in the books - tubeless would have to be factored in to the cost. In my mind - any travel can become remote with a tube tire flat. A 10 minute repair can become a 3 day ordeal. That said - it looks worth it to add another grand for tubeless. And for what it's worth - the silver really emphasizes the clean design IMO. But yes- a boring color selection, and in the US we'll probably just get black. dang.
think this is Honda staying in their lane and not trying to attack the yams T7. I think supply will be a huge deciding factor for new buyers because if dealers cant keep them in stock and raise prices who knows wtf ppl will choose.
@@davidmatthews3093 If you do long distance, cruise control is excellent. Yea you can do without but why ? Like heated jackets, yea you don't need them but once you've had one you do not want to go back to freezing for no reason.
Thanks for the review, mine it is coming in June, long time to wait and comment until then.. What infos do you have regarding the maintenance: Air Fiter, Oil Change, Valve adjustments, etc.? the service intervals, greetings from Romania !
Ex "American", an Asian expat for the past 15 years, with summers spent in Europe including weeks long riding trips. My current stable is made up of two Asia only 150s, dual sport and CB150x adv, the updated CRF250 (still a 250 here) and the big bike, 350 Royal Enfield Hunter. In Europe I ride F800GS. I wonder how many of us (riders) out there think this is not what we wanted or asked for. Where the hell is our true adv unicorn, a 35-40 hp engine, decent suspension (unlike the sponge Rally 300 joke), 170 ish curb weight, no rider modes, blue tooth, cruise control!!! or massaging seats. A decades long joke and middle finger to us by all the big manufacturers. But wait, as strange as it sounds and from the "wrong" land, there is the Kove 450. Might be too hardcore for this aging guy, but I hope it is as good as the initial reviews say, I hope it's reliable, I hope it might wake up the rest.
It's not horsepower that overtakes cars, it's *torque.* Horsepower is an arrival point in any particular part of the rev range but is not an indicator of acceleration (which is what 99% of people are actually referring to). So many 'expert' commentators have an opinion about horsepower figures, but really have no idea what they're talking about.
Torque in relation to weight and other resistances... but for example the old transalp 2008 with like 50 hp was in almost all cases so absurdly much faster and easyer of the traffic lights/stops that you have to be careful not to ram those bricks.... just like almost all motorbikes.... it dont take that much
Great review. Thank you. I think this will be a big hit for Honda. No cruise control takes it off my shopping list sadly. Hope they fix this later. Veridian Cruise makes an electronic cruise control for this bike. I have decided to buy one and fit the cruise control.
I got a Tansalp to go with my 450 L and the 300,s in Australia we must have more dirt roads than anyone Its very good i have put up some vids have a look it might tell you if it can off road
This new parallel twin engine from Honda is looking like a revelation that they need to compete right now. Not just compete, its looking like the bike to beat same with the Hornet.
Good review. Given it is a bit more road biased then hardcore off road, cruise control should be standard, if not an option at least. Surely cruise control is a cheap production feature these days.
They should play around with the trim options and come up with something similar to what Yamaha did with the Tenere - a more offroad version with adjustable suspension, a smidgen taller, and standard protection for a couple of thousand more. There is room to still come up under the Africa twin and not munch into Africa Twin sales
You mean as standard? That’s a tough one - the base price is really good and I think they can only hit that by being pretty strict with what’s standard fit and what’s an accessory. If it’s any consolation the accessory quickshifter is good 👍
When you power the bike off, does the modes reset to some default? Or have they improved it to remember your settings so you don't have to reselect when I'm doing long offroad days?
It was very evident that it had a tendency to almost feel like dead weight pulling to left or right until you got the speed up. Most bikes I have ridden didn’t give that heavy feeling. If you started to turn took a little more effort.
It seems all the companies are doing the same thing- KTM is releasing the SMT 890 in 2024 with the same engine as the ADV/Duke. I will definitely be waiting to take a transalp and SMT for test rides- I want a 2 up tourer, that isn’t ultra expensive, super heavy and fun to ride - but more road biased. I’ll sure these bikes will be a good fit for a lot of people. Hopefully they will have a future option to add on cruise control- considering its ride by wire it shouldn’t be that difficult.
An excellent review. I've been hanging on for the Transalp for some time now. Personally I like the looks and the specs. As to off- road ability I never really expected Honda to bring out a T7 killer, as some predicted, and thought it would more likely be a road focussed adventure tourer and that's what they've delivered. The big disappointment for me is the decision to go with tubed tyres. That surprised me when the Africa Twin is tubeless as is some of the competition like the Tuareg. That's a deal breaker for me I'm afraid. Be interested to see if Honda go tubeless with it in two or three years (as they did when the AT went from CRF1000 to 1100). Lovely bike but not for me at the moment.
@@t.otterstrom2372 yeah, I also don't get it. I ride real offroad tracks with my 1100 AT sporting tubes and I am always happy about it. No puncture so far...the T7 also got tubes for a reason.
Tubeless tyres are a huge safety factor for anyone travelling on-road. The fact that they are also the easier option when repairing a puncture off-road is simply the icing on the cake.
I was about order a Transalp (1st big motorbike, 90% tarmac, 10% easy gravel). And you know what? I bought a BMW F750GS instead... I bought it loaded with extras for the same price of a fairly "naked" Transalp. Bmw has an aggressive discount policy (probably because the model ain't particularly new). But it's a sweet road bike with electronic suspension and cruise control. It doesn't pretend to be more off-road oriented than what it is, so I've got a 19" tubeless too... In the end, I think I got a better bike for my needs. Now, I'm just sorry I delayed my decision waiting for the Transalp. I still find the Transalp a cool bike, but I think Honda made a mistake pretending to be something they don't want it to be. If It is so much road oriented why not a 19" tubeless with cruise control? It's a costly pretend game, imo.
I'm wondering what Honda will put this engine in next, I'm thinking I would rather have some wind protection than go for the Hornet and I'm OK with the looks of the Transalp but not really convinced I would ever take it off road so something with street tires with some wind protection would probably serve my style of riding better. Maybe a "ST750" next? I guess one can hope!
All its advantages and disadvantages are somehow understandable to me, except for one: why neither the CB500X nor the XL750 show the outside temperature? Even the Moto Guzzi V7 could show it, but touring bikes couldn't.
I like the bike. I really wish it came with cruise control and tubeless wheels.
Go for the tuareg then
out of curiosity, new rider here, why tubeless?
@@charierasiplease removing the rear wheel on the road is a pia and also requires a centrestand, also most rear tyres are very stiff and are a pia to get them off the wheel. It will take at least an hour to do if you're not that experienced. A tubeless tyre can be plugged in 5 mins
@@charierasiplease Less risk for punctures and you can fix it yourself without many tools. Tubeless tires are lighter, more comfortable and runs cooler so they last longer. In other words for any serious long trip or adventure riding away from civilization tubeless tires are the only option. Tubed tires are only suitable for motocross and enduro tracks where you want a really strong rim but nowhere else.
@@francescoporcari8597 I would but the dealer network is small and the closest one to me is 4.5 hours away.
I had a Transapl 25 years ago and I loved it to bits. Never missed a beat, and I was trashing it all the time. This new one is surely HIGH up my shortlist.
I owned a 1990 Transalp for 12 years. Loved that bike!
The review of this bike sounds exactly the way I feel about my 1989 Honda Transalp, I've been riding it for thirty years and it's never missed a beat. It's great on the road and competent offroad
This segment is pretty awesome with the Transalp and DE, now. Incredibly good rigs! Still, and inexplicably, there is NO excuse to not even offer cruise control on these bikes. If the manufacturers think it'll force buyers into the next category up, they're crazy. What it will do, though, is kill some sales, even sending more into the used market for those next-level bikes that have it. For anyone who ACTUALLY does miles, it's a no-brainer. Wrist-rest and throttle lock sales will surely see a bump. Thanks for a great review, MB!
Agree, even Aprilia’s Tuareg 660 has Cruise Control. I, for the life of me, can’t figure out why Honda and Suzuki haven’t put this simple feature on their middle weight ADV motorcycles. It’s enough to prevent me from buying, one. Cruise Control should be considered mandatory. 6:47
They don't want to cannibalize sales on their larger bikes.
Agreed, I'm willing to accept no cruise on a sub 8k bike, or on a dual sport, but I get a adv touring bike so I can handle the long slab haul to the trail head.
@@bwlyon the ONLY complaint with my Tenere 700 is lack of cruise control. Hell I came to this video because I thought the transalp would have it :(
Personally cruise control is overrated. I've had it on my 750GS for the last 2.5 years and I've maybe used it 6 times, more out of novelty than anything else and I've done plenty of touring on that bike.
I like the TransAlp… nice looking bike and great spec…
But I still think a second hand Standard Africa twin would be the better buy.
I have an AT1000, and i've seen this the other day, also tried the Hornet. Yep, i'm sticking to my AT.
The AT is a fantastic bike but said goodbye after 2 yrs, just too heavy for me as a YAP (young aged pensioner), The TA is a lot lighter so gonna have a demo soon.
I wish the headlight was more Dakar like
Agreed - would finish it off nicely
Great review. Jumped on the configurator and just about everything is an optional accessory and £££'s. When spec'd similar to others it really isn't much cheaper!
I feel like ‘extreme’ internet opinions often forget about the average, real world consumer; the fact that this bike is a seemingly solid all rounder with a great price point, decent amount of tech and the Honda reputation will probably be enough for it to be a successful platform. It’ll also help to keep customers who started on the CB500X within the brand since they might not want to make the big jump to an AT
The main question isnt 'is this the middleweight adventure bike to buy in 2023?' but rather : how available will this bike be in 2023? because supply issues have been an on going problem in most parts of the world and most have 6months upto a year of waiting lists. Remember the NT1100? all these new bikes suffer the same issue, way too high demand and zero supply.
Truth! We can’t even get Africa twins here in Nevada
@@jakeviolet2195 They are everywhere in the UK, I wonder why other countries seem to be struggling for them.
I'm in Texas and have yet to see a Yamaha Tenere 700 anywhere at any dealer or on the road.....I keep looking.
@@jakeviolet2195 Me too.....
@@Devastator123 I think the Japanese have given up on the USA and just focus on Europe.
What we need are more adventure style bikes for short legged riders. I’ve a 27 inch inside leg. But prefer both feet on floor. So 850mm seat height is a no go.
Honest is moving in the direction of appealing to those of us with shorter leg range. They just came out with the CRF300L"S" which is the short model so it is significantly lower than the typical CRF300L. Pretty cool to see, cause you don't see many other manufacturers appealing to riders who may want something lower to the ground but still with the ability to do some off-roading.
There's a low seat option , which makes it much more accessible to those of us vertically challenged riders. My local dealer has told me that they'll have that option available for test rides.
XT250 with lowering kit
Brilliant first look at this bike and thanks for the seat height comments. I'm going off for a test ride on one of these as soon as I can!
Very good review as always. I had an Africa Twin 1000 and found the wind buffeting terrible and tried what most people assume is the problem, increasing the height. No different. So, I tried increasing the width by adding cardboard cut-outs roughly the same shape as the OEM accessory ones. Completely solved the problem for me. Even tried the usually successful Airflow (no good).
So, size does matter, the width not the length.
I do agree about the colours. It would have been good to have one red or blue like the XL650, or the two-tone blue/green XL600 (which I had, excellent bike)
Put the CB500X 19" and 17" wheels on that and you have the perfect road tourer. Simple as that.
They don't need to be that big for road use touring
Great video, mate! Good to hear that it is a good allrounder. Will get mine in May…in black. Will be a good road addition to my 1100 AT. My beloved AT will stay for sure. She is my offroad horse.
Bike specced like the one in this video is around €16.700. That’s 30% above base price of €12.899 where I live.
And then you are still left with a bike with tubed tires, no cruise control and only adjustable pre-load.
Not so cheap considering the competition.
Tuareg 660 still the best option imo
Yeah, the base AT1100 starts at 15k here.
Bought one today..same colour scheme...fantastic bike..
It was pleasure to meet You on press launch 😉 greetings from Poland
Looks like a great bike here in Thailand. Where the paved road ends with no warning and you have miles of gravel roads then back to pavement. Where a road bike would bottom out very quickly, this seems to be a great design for a country, not known for it’s upkeep of roads.
Nearly every bike coming out is called an Adventure, at least this one is called something different. I dare any journo to get hold of a Honda Goldwing, put dirt tyres on it and do a review on the new Goldwing Adventure. You would create another niche market for sure.
Have you seen what's required to service the air filter on the TransAlp? Outrageously designed!
Wow I've been waiting to see the real road review of transalp and I'm impressed!
I really like this. Maybe a bit too safe with the styling, which is a shame, but I like!
As a Pedro mota fan, I will forever be allured by transalp and what it is capable of
Thank you, Now I have one more to add to the compare list.
My pleasure! A great bike at this price 👍
Now i really wanna see the review of Suzuki V Strom 800DE from you
I missed the press launch for that one but working on getting a press bike asap. It looks a bit on the weighty side but that’s not everything so perhaps it’ll be a winner on the road
Right now for adventuring, this and the new BMW F900GS are my biggest interest. Can't wait to hear you compare these two.
Excellent idea 👍
Great review. I absolutely loved the original of transalp. I was a little disappointed to not hear a comparison to the original.
I guess I’ll find out next month when i rent one to go up north.
I love the white with retro red/blue color scheme. That'd be the one for me.
Many people love that new engine with great horsepower and affordable price. Especially as prices keep increasing
Great video and the graph for rider modes was super informative and helpful!!
Great review and great bike. Please keep on producing this good stuff.
Thanks for the review.
Regarding the Power to Weight ratio, I personally use Power to Weight including driver weight, because that is what we find while riding, you see, the Power has to move the bike and the driver. I get better comparisons while comparing quite different bikes regarding weight. This ratio is more realistic for me.
Also I use an average weight of 95kg for the full geared driver.
Nice rides!
Great review. I've been looking to replace my VFR800 for some years but nothing floated my boat. I wanted something lighter, comfortable and practical. This bike ticks all this boxes for me and I placed my order in February. As for colour, I went for the white, the other choices were too dull.
I have the same bike VFR800X and I agree with you about this Transalp like an interesting bike .
In fact it's a logical bike.
@@MrStarfockerx I'm two months into ownership now. It's a very different bike to the VFR. Everything is different from the riding position to the character of the engine. Although tall it's much easier to move around in my drive. It's a very rapid bike and doesn't feel any slower than the VFR. The handling is not as sharp but you'd expect that with those large wheels but it corners very well. So I'm very happy with my purchase.
Just seen one at my local dealer, it’s beautiful. Seems like I will test ride and buy. Cheers.
Black with gold wheels would be sick!
I have a fully kited CRF300L Rally for really rough trails and trips to remote areas. But I would absolutely love the TransAlp for commuting, longer touring trips and cruising mountain roads and trails in Colorado and Utah.
The Aprilia Tuareg 660 is lighter: 204 kg with 18 liters furl included (wet weight). Also is not top heavy like the T7. 82 HP.
It's certainly no "Baby Africa Twin" but pretty good if you want an all rounder.
except it isnt - shit on dirt isn't it...............
MCN appear to disagree.
Like the original Transalp 600 that inspired this bike, it is going to prove to be well more capable on trails than the MOTOBOB's of TH-cam think. When was the last time a major manufacturer popped a 21" front wheel on a bike just to ride down a couple of gravel tracks now and again.
Are you kidding! Keeping my V85TT enough clearance and suspension stroke for the purpose. No chains no drive chain counterbalance or cam chain. No water jacket. Very reasonable service intervals. Very reliable. And so comfortable.
Absolutely agree with the colour scheme. The white version is the best by far, but that still doesn't mean much. So much wasted opportunity there. Oh well...
Is it just me? I thought the price quite expensive when you can buy the acclaimed Aprilia Tuareg 660 for £8,999 (advertised on the web), But as ever a good review and I think you correctly pigeon holed the Transalpine . I have a CRF300Rally for the off road stuff and the Transalpine looks like an approachable touring bike.
Looks wise I'd say all adv bikes look the best without any excess crap on top (no crash bars, panniers, rear pillion grab rail, stock pipe & 5 heatshields, pillion pegs) cull all the excess stuff and thin the backend out of bulk and add a light set of GL Coyote bags to it and a slim pipe with a more serious set of 80/20 tyres and I think the tricolor will start to look a lot more serious. All adv bikes with the 20kg of garbage bolted to them look like blokes driving F150 and Ranger Raptors with the entire catalogue 4wd shops strapped to them - (plastic/protection/mass over substance and purpose). Check out the stripped back T7's of ARiemann1 or Pol Tarres - an XL750 for fast gravel/fire roads and globe touring with light soft luggage I think will look killer, aggree though that in stock trim I think other Honda's outshine it (the AT in tricolour looks alot tougher to me for example) :)
Love the look of this bike, maybe a contender when my VFR 1200x is too much bike for me. Brill review, thank you Motobob 👍🏍
What equipment does it have over the hornet to justify the additional 2.5k price? It seems like adventure bikes are a couple of grand more because ADV riders can afford it rather than any difference in manufacturing costs
Nice review. The looks are in line with most adv bikes. Not gorgeous but not ugly.
Think the bigger GS is really ugly but this isn't so bad.
The blue seat makes it pretty. I don’t want pretty. I’ll have to look at the other paint options.
With a high front mudguard, I don't mind the look at all. Cheers and thank s
Good upgrade from my cb500x but seat height maybe a challenge looking forward to seeing it down under when it’s released.
In a world with ever increasing prices it's great to see that Honda understand their customer base and the concept of price points. People are starting to get fed up with being mugged off with essentially overpriced wank machines. Honda are keeping it real and offering a fantastic package at a tempting price.
i bought a cb500x model22 last year but man would i love to own the TA! It's such a nice looking bike! :D
Ride the wheels off of your CB and wait until they offer cruise control :)
I love this bike. I have the 500x, the Transalp will be perfect. Love the retro looks.
The positive spin on the 21 inch front "makes easy find decent off rubber ". Since it primarily an on road bike the 21 inch front will seriously limit the ability to get good on road rubber.
At least make the 19" an option.....
I feel like this XL750 kind of bridges a weird gap between the Tenere 700 and the Tracer 9 GT. It takes some queues from the Tenere with its significant offroad capabilities. On the other hand, it is packed with tech and is well suited for long miles on the road like the Tracer. All of that topped with unbeatable Honda reliability makes the Transalp a real competitor in today's market, especially when you consider the price. I wasn't even in the market for a bike like this, but I am now considering I may want to head in that direction.
I love Honda but I hate this bike. I hate things engineered to do one thing but dressed up like they are something else. I hate guys who put street tires on trucks and I hate street bikes dressed up like they are dirt bikes. Don't get me wrong, you can ride a dirt road on it, but the second you smash the bottom and pinch the exhaust, the jig is up. Its a goldwing light, set up to look like it can do dirt but with no DCT or cruise control. The DCT I can forgive, its nice in city traffic, but not cruise control. The F750 GS has cruise control and if I'm buying a dirt bike that can't leave the road for over 10k, you best damn well believe I'm getting cruise control. I don't see this thing selling and I'm convinced they don't want it to sell. They want you to buy the gold wing AND a dirt bike. This is just their counter to the T7 which we all know can't compete with it.
It isn’t cheap at all considering the lack of cruise control, only adjustable pre-load and tubes tires.
Accessories are pushing the bike 30% above base price if you want a bike specced like the one in this video. And most of these accessories aren’t considered optional extra’s, but are more or less mandatory (crash bars, heated grips, center stand)
@@JeffMax I get what you are saying but I'd never get official honda accessories (or any manufacturer accessories) anyway. I'd wait for the aftermarket to catch up and spec it out to my own liking for way less cost. I mean besides accessories, I can't think of another bike that offers this much at this price in terms of power, offroad and onroad ability, and modding opportunity.
Not to mention it is a Honda so it will literally last forever.
@@2WheelPursuit Honda reliability isn’t what it used to be. Loads of first hand statements from people with issues with their Africa Twin for instance. Yamaha clearly walks away with the reliability trophy. I wouldn’t buy a Honda for this reason in these days to be honest. Suzuki is currently offering 6 years warranty or 100k km’s in the Netherlands. That 800DE is looking as a better proposition with standard quickshifter, bash-plate, adjustable suspension & bolt-on subframe for even less money than the Honda.
Lovely, comfy, good sutying. Need a change to have tubeless tires
Would be a really tough call (assuming you're in the market) between a new Transalp with a few choice accessories vs a low mileage Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Rally Pro. I know which I prefer the look of, but having had plenty of hondas over my motorcycling career, (including an original XLV600 and currently an excellent CB500X) if the new Alp is anything like its bretheren it should be super reliable, easy to ride and relatively cheap to own. I guess it comes down the X factor when you come to test ride both bikes...will just have to wait for the opportunity, and watch out for the inevitable group shoot-outs. Note that if you went for a base model 900 Rally, there wouldn't be much in it price wise...something else to consider: on paper, the new V Strom is a better bike if you plan to do more off the beaten track. I'm still semi-holding out for a Norden 501 and Honda's rumoured NX 500, both of which should be in the 'goldilocks zone' for tourable dual sports...two-wheeled first world problems eh?
Hey Buddy! Great Minds, Think Alike! I'm in the same Boat - split between getting a pre-owned Tiger 900 Rally Pro (2021/5K kms) and a new Transalp. I know spec-wise they are Oranges and Apples. My riding usage is city and touring; My riding style is pretty Hooliganish. So, here in India (no T7s, Tuaregs or KTM 790/890s here. Even the Honda AT comes in a lowered suspension model) the Tiger 900 Rally is the bike that checks all the boxes. The Maintainance Costs are the Only Red Flags. So, enter the Transalp: it's light and nimble: makes for a good project bike - rally seats, suspension upgrade etc along with Honda's reliability and affordability. Also, makes for a better Daily Do-it-All. So, What would you suggest?
As someone that is eyeing the Tenere but was curious about this when it was announced, this hasn't convinced me. You're making some serious off road tradeoffs for a more road-centric bike but without any of the features that would make riding the road more bearable. If they had included cruise control or carplay features then maybe. Also the front end styling isn't doing this bike any favors.
Got fed up of waiting to see this and bought a Moto Morini X-Cape, tubeless tyres , brembos , marzocchi forks , 7"tft , backlit switchgear , tyre pressure sensors, connectivity , USB ports ....a very capable bike and I'm 2½ k up ! Yes I know its Chinese built but the finish is good and I've racked up 7k miles since July 2022 never missed a beat ! Don't regret my decision as this is extremely vanilla , I'm sure it'll sell well but it's hardly setting anyone's knickers alight is it ?
I think the Morini Xcape looks epic, could be a good one. Good on you !
The perfect KLR is now a Honda. I would wrap it in lime green. Looks like a wonderful, all-purpose machine. Still keeping my Gen1 KLR though.
Great review as usual! My initial thought was a comparison with the Tiger 900 but at £4-5 (i.e. 50%!) more, it's not really fair.
A much better comparison is actually my current Tiger 800 XCx from 2015 (Tiger vs Transalp) which for weight (196kg dry vs 208kg wet), bhp (95 vs 90.5HP), torque (79Nm vs 75Nm) and seat height (840mm vs 850??) is pretty comparable except I do have cruise control (though not gold rims!). So I won't be looking to trade in for the new Transalp, but an interesting prospect for second-hand market in a couple of years time. Thoughts?
YES! I agree this bike NEEDS cruise control and a tubeless wheel option........ I prefer the Matt Black over this RWB color option.......... BUT above all else IT!!!! needs to be imported to the USA ......... WE here for some reason simply are not get the same models Europe gets to enjoy....... THAT ABOVE ALL ELSE HONDA needs to fix...... We see the new Release of bikes each spring and then get the RUG jerked out from under us learning we wont get them........ GRRRRRRRRRRR very frustrating.......
Agreed we have been forgotten in the USA...... all the Japanese brands have no inventory here....
Sounds like a skill issue mr american
89 for sale here!👍
Tubed tires are curious on an otherwise really well thought out machine. If long distance travel to remote places is in the books - tubeless would have to be factored in to the cost. In my mind - any travel can become remote with a tube tire flat. A 10 minute repair can become a 3 day ordeal. That said - it looks worth it to add another grand for tubeless.
And for what it's worth - the silver really emphasizes the clean design IMO. But yes- a boring color selection, and in the US we'll probably just get black. dang.
If you can find one....
think this is Honda staying in their lane and not trying to attack the yams T7. I think supply will be a huge deciding factor for new buyers because if dealers cant keep them in stock and raise prices who knows wtf ppl will choose.
What a great bike and I wold love one but I'm very fond of my vfr800x and it does what the transalp does .
It would have been the best new adv bike if it has cruise control.
I disagree. Personally I’ve never found the need for cruise control on either 2 or 4 wheels.
@@davidmatthews3093 If you do long distance, cruise control is excellent. Yea you can do without but why ? Like heated jackets, yea you don't need them but once you've had one you do not want to go back to freezing for no reason.
Too bad there's no cruise control. Aprilia might be the choice for a do it all middle weight. Suzuki and Honda have made good bikes though.
I can't define a motorcycle as a touring bike if it is chain driven.
???
I'm not an off road rider but like the stance and comfort of this style, great review I will be trying one of these
I'm still leaning towards the Susuki, it has better suspension and seems to be more rugged. However, at $13k US...Why not the KTM 890 for $14k?
Sounds good, but I can't reconcile with the tubed tyres, as for me, it would spend most of the time on-road.
Thanks for the review, mine it is coming in June, long time to wait and comment until then.. What infos do you have regarding the maintenance: Air Fiter, Oil Change, Valve adjustments, etc.? the service intervals, greetings from Romania !
Ex "American", an Asian expat for the past 15 years, with summers spent in Europe including weeks long riding trips. My current stable is made up of two Asia only 150s, dual sport and CB150x adv, the updated CRF250 (still a 250 here) and the big bike, 350 Royal Enfield Hunter. In Europe I ride F800GS. I wonder how many of us (riders) out there think this is not what we wanted or asked for. Where the hell is our true adv unicorn, a 35-40 hp engine, decent suspension (unlike the sponge Rally 300 joke), 170 ish curb weight, no rider modes, blue tooth, cruise control!!! or massaging seats. A decades long joke and middle finger to us by all the big manufacturers. But wait, as strange as it sounds and from the "wrong" land, there is the Kove 450. Might be too hardcore for this aging guy, but I hope it is as good as the initial reviews say, I hope it's reliable, I hope it might wake up the rest.
Should make it with a DCT version with manual override option, tubeless and with cruise control.
Best review on this bike so far. My sub wasn't a waste. Lol.
It's not horsepower that overtakes cars, it's *torque.*
Horsepower is an arrival point in any particular part of the rev range but is not an indicator of acceleration (which is what 99% of people are actually referring to).
So many 'expert' commentators have an opinion about horsepower figures, but really have no idea what they're talking about.
Torque in relation to weight and other resistances... but for example the old transalp 2008 with like 50 hp was in almost all cases so absurdly much faster and easyer of the traffic lights/stops that you have to be careful not to ram those bricks.... just like almost all motorbikes.... it dont take that much
Great review. Thank you. I think this will be a big hit for Honda. No cruise control takes it off my shopping list sadly. Hope they fix this later. Veridian Cruise makes an electronic cruise control for this bike. I have decided to buy one and fit the cruise control.
This will go on my short list. Another great review.
The size seems perfect for the USA.
Great review and comparisons ❤
I got a Tansalp to go with my 450 L and the 300,s in Australia we must have more dirt roads than anyone Its very good i have put up some vids have a look it might tell you if it can off road
This new parallel twin engine from Honda is looking like a revelation that they need to compete right now. Not just compete, its looking like the bike to beat same with the Hornet.
Good review. Given it is a bit more road biased then hardcore off road, cruise control should be standard, if not an option at least. Surely cruise control is a cheap production feature these days.
They should play around with the trim options and come up with something similar to what Yamaha did with the Tenere - a more offroad version with adjustable suspension, a smidgen taller, and standard protection for a couple of thousand more. There is room to still come up under the Africa twin and not munch into Africa Twin sales
Not having a quick shifter is a missed opportunity. KTM 890 adventure is a better bike than this by a mile and I would go for it.
You mean as standard? That’s a tough one - the base price is really good and I think they can only hit that by being pretty strict with what’s standard fit and what’s an accessory. If it’s any consolation the accessory quickshifter is good 👍
@@motobob Not sure the base price is that good? £2500 more than the Hornet..for what?
was gonna get one but fund the Kove 800x super adventure...
As always a great and balanced review 👍👍👍
No Bike Shortcomings (The BIG ones) were mentioned....
Missed the mark on the headlight looks department other then that great machine
When you power the bike off, does the modes reset to some default? Or have they improved it to remember your settings so you don't have to reselect when I'm doing long offroad days?
great review motobob :))
It was very evident that it had a tendency to almost feel like dead weight pulling to left or right until you got the speed up. Most bikes I have ridden didn’t give that heavy feeling. If you started to turn took a little more effort.
Thanks for the review this is my ideal bike.
It seems all the companies are doing the same thing- KTM is releasing the SMT 890 in 2024 with the same engine as the ADV/Duke. I will definitely be waiting to take a transalp and SMT for test rides- I want a 2 up tourer, that isn’t ultra expensive, super heavy and fun to ride - but more road biased. I’ll sure these bikes will be a good fit for a lot of people. Hopefully they will have a future option to add on cruise control- considering its ride by wire it shouldn’t be that difficult.
An excellent review. I've been hanging on for the Transalp for some time now. Personally I like the looks and the specs. As to off- road ability I never really expected Honda to bring out a T7 killer, as some predicted, and thought it would more likely be a road focussed adventure tourer and that's what they've delivered. The big disappointment for me is the decision to go with tubed tyres. That surprised me when the Africa Twin is tubeless as is some of the competition like the Tuareg. That's a deal breaker for me I'm afraid. Be interested to see if Honda go tubeless with it in two or three years (as they did when the AT went from CRF1000 to 1100). Lovely bike but not for me at the moment.
Only the AT Adventure Sports has tubeless rims.
This confuses me every time, how can it be a deal breaker if it has tubes? You guy's like to ride over spike strips or what?
@@t.otterstrom2372 yeah, I also don't get it. I ride real offroad tracks with my 1100 AT sporting tubes and I am always happy about it. No puncture so far...the T7 also got tubes for a reason.
Tubeless tyres are a huge safety factor for anyone travelling on-road. The fact that they are also the easier option when repairing a puncture off-road is simply the icing on the cake.
So buy whatever bike you want and upgrade to tubeless rims. Really not that hard to figure out.
Supply issues in France, on the bright side you get a 5-year warranty here.
I was about order a Transalp (1st big motorbike, 90% tarmac, 10% easy gravel).
And you know what? I bought a BMW F750GS instead...
I bought it loaded with extras for the same price of a fairly "naked" Transalp. Bmw has an aggressive discount policy (probably because the model ain't particularly new). But it's a sweet road bike with electronic suspension and cruise control. It doesn't pretend to be more off-road oriented than what it is, so I've got a 19" tubeless too... In the end, I think I got a better bike for my needs. Now, I'm just sorry I delayed my decision waiting for the Transalp. I still find the Transalp a cool bike, but I think Honda made a mistake pretending to be something they don't want it to be.
If It is so much road oriented why not a 19" tubeless with cruise control?
It's a costly pretend game, imo.
Love the channel really good content.
shame Honda didn't put a detachable subframe on the Transalp.
I'm wondering what Honda will put this engine in next, I'm thinking I would rather have some wind protection than go for the Hornet and I'm OK with the looks of the Transalp but not really convinced I would ever take it off road so something with street tires with some wind protection would probably serve my style of riding better. Maybe a "ST750" next? I guess one can hope!
It's begging for it!
Cbr750f?
Thanks for review. Here's one for the algorithm 💥
All its advantages and disadvantages are somehow understandable to me, except for one: why neither the CB500X nor the XL750 show the outside temperature? Even the Moto Guzzi V7 could show it, but touring bikes couldn't.
I would like to see it in the pearl organic green like the cb500x. I would also like to see honda make a more off road version of the 500x