Matt, thank you for the review. I appreciate your viewpoint. I purchased a Transalp a couple of months ago and for that bike to be any good it has to live above 5000 RPMs. Then it actually has some spirit. Also the fueling below 4,000 RPMs is horrible and I'm working with a company to get that taken care of with a new ECU map. Also, had you turned traction control off in the user mode you would have been much more happy.
@@gregs5738 I did notice the bike was happier over 5k rpms. Demo rides are challenging, we were not given time or instruction to adjust the ride modes. I was not completely familiar with the modes.
I recently found your channel and really like your reviews. It would be great if you could get your hands on a Husky Norden 901 Expedition to review. Concerning your Tuareg, I’ve not heard you mention excessive heat around your feet, especially on the right side, like so many others have. That makes me wonder if it’s overblown. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your fudture videos.
I would love to try out a Norden. I just don't see any around here where I live. I haven't seen them available for test rides at the rallies I have attended either. As for the heat from the Tuareg, I think it is overblown. My right foot was absolutely cooked on my Tenere riding in Big Bend doing slow speed work. The Tuareg has not been any worse for me. I notice the heat the most when the ambient temperature is in the 80s. It is something I notice but it is not bad enough to keep me focused on it, if that makes sense. Thanks for the feedback.
I put TracTive +25mm suspension on my Transalp 750 and a bigger rear sprocket because it is geared so tall that even gearing it down it still has a better taller 6th than my Tuareg 660 and I don't even get on my Tuareg any more since now my Transalp XL750 is way smoother for long distance and as good off road and has more horsepower than the Tuareg, oh and I did I say the Honda Transalp XL750 is more reliable than the Tuareg 660? And now I have MC Cruise control on my Transalp 750, so my Tuareg 660 is for sale.
@@Texasgolf I like to know, especially when temperatures start approaching freezing. I am afflicted with the engineering sickness that requires my brain to quantify everything I do in numbers. I track every single mile I ride by each month, the number times I sleep in a tent, how many miles each tire has on it and I like to know when I am riding in 116 degree heat as well. I acknowledge it's a sickness.....
Great review! I’m struggling to decide on a 2025 T700 or Transalp… I’m glad to hear that you like Transalp…. Leaning towards it…. But not sure if it will be available IN USA by April… Thanks
Honda make some great motorcycles. Unfortunately, they usually forget to make them fun. Vanilla is the perfect description, soulless. I'm sure they will sell a lot of them, and the owners will love them. I just cant face the blandness of riding a Honda. I had an early Transalp 600 it was possibly the most boring bike Ive ever owned, bikes should never be boring.
Sports mode , light it up on road …this bike is not boring …think 3rd gear power wheelie …no it’s not a Ducati in the corners …it however can go at a good speed in the twisties …standing position is excellent for a 175cm rider…I stand more than I sit .
I am sure this is a great bike in the twisties. Demo rides limit what we can do on the bikes. The steering seemed a bit slower and neutral compared to other bikes I have ridden. My Tuareg just has a different feel to the Transalp. The Transalp feels like a nice platform to start with and the modify the heck out of it to turn it into the bike we all really want. The short amount of time I had the bike did not allow me to get a good feel for the different ride modes. It was my first chance to ride this bike and it was impressions.
Was wondering if you would get to the Transalp. I started watching your videos when I got a KTM 390, and have since switched to the Transalp and a KTM 350 EXC. I think your review was mostly accurate but a few points. Many reviewers get on dirt and then complain about gravel mode because they didn’t understand the bike, thinking it was off-road mode. It isn’t. It is a safety feature for new riders to keep anything from slipping. You get off road mode by going into user mode and turning off traction control and reducing ABS to front wheel only. Also the bike is made for high RPMs. Not so good at slow speed work but a blast when you are coming on to it at higher rpm’s. It has a ton of scat when you are at the right rpm’s. And finally I’m surprised you didn’t notice the lower center of gravity, being a T7 owner. I really dislike a top heavy bike; that and the road handling drew me to this bike.
Great points. I was not fully familiar with the different ride modes. I noticed when I was editing that I didn't mention the center of gravity but you are absolutely correct, the balance of the Transalp is much much better. I think if I had waited for the Transalp to be released instead of buying of the T7 I would never have turned to the Tuareg. I thought the engine was great at all RPM ranges but it came alive at the higher RPMs. At the price point it is a good bike and the ability to add cruise control makes it a great choice for adventure riding.
change the spockets,one tooth less front,one more rear.transalp was never an off road animal.its an on/off bike with touring capabelities and its perfect for that.buy the 2025 mobel ,i think honda imroved all the cons.and dont ask tubeless and cruise control.itchy boots is traveling with a 1987 xt600.
Most of us are not Itchy Boots so I will choose comfort and getting long distances as quickly as possible. I see the potential in the Transalp but by the time money is spent getting it modified to work for me I would have exceeded the cost of a Tuareg. I know reliability of Japanese bikes will always be the winning factor for a lot of riders, but modern bikes have come a long ways. I can see adjusting the gearing but I wouldn't do it without getting 100s of dirt miles in to see how it really handles it. Thanks for commenting.
Matt, thank you for the review. I appreciate your viewpoint. I purchased a Transalp a couple of months ago and for that bike to be any good it has to live above 5000 RPMs. Then it actually has some spirit. Also the fueling below 4,000 RPMs is horrible and I'm working with a company to get that taken care of with a new ECU map. Also, had you turned traction control off in the user mode you would have been much more happy.
@@gregs5738 I did notice the bike was happier over 5k rpms. Demo rides are challenging, we were not given time or instruction to adjust the ride modes. I was not completely familiar with the modes.
I recently found your channel and really like your reviews. It would be great if you could get your hands on a Husky Norden 901 Expedition to review. Concerning your Tuareg, I’ve not heard you mention excessive heat around your feet, especially on the right side, like so many others have. That makes me wonder if it’s overblown. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your fudture videos.
I would love to try out a Norden. I just don't see any around here where I live. I haven't seen them available for test rides at the rallies I have attended either. As for the heat from the Tuareg, I think it is overblown. My right foot was absolutely cooked on my Tenere riding in Big Bend doing slow speed work. The Tuareg has not been any worse for me. I notice the heat the most when the ambient temperature is in the 80s. It is something I notice but it is not bad enough to keep me focused on it, if that makes sense. Thanks for the feedback.
I put TracTive +25mm suspension on my Transalp 750 and a bigger rear sprocket because it is geared so tall that even gearing it down it still has a better taller 6th than my Tuareg 660 and I don't even get on my Tuareg any more since now my Transalp XL750 is way smoother for long distance and as good off road and has more horsepower than the Tuareg, oh and I did I say the Honda Transalp XL750 is more reliable than the Tuareg 660? And now I have MC Cruise control on my Transalp 750, so my Tuareg 660 is for sale.
@@cliftonsr I can see you were able to transform the Transalp into an amazing bike. What about the tubes, any aftermarket tubeless wheels available?
@@advmatt Or you can use Honda Africa Twin rims and use the Africa Twin bearings
@@cliftonsr good to know.
Also, the front and rear suspension is adjustable for preload.
@@gregs5738 good to know. I would like to see compression and rebound in the suspension.
Sounds like you're still loving the Tuareg, it is so good right out of the box.
Thanks for the review.
Vanilla is Honda's design goal. You buy a Honda for reliability, and lack of surprises. - Frank
Why is everyone worried about outside air temperature being displayed lol
@@Texasgolf I like to know, especially when temperatures start approaching freezing. I am afflicted with the engineering sickness that requires my brain to quantify everything I do in numbers. I track every single mile I ride by each month, the number times I sleep in a tent, how many miles each tire has on it and I like to know when I am riding in 116 degree heat as well. I acknowledge it's a sickness.....
When I switxh between bikes I miss it! Not sure why, just enjoy knowing. - Frank
Great review!
I’m struggling to decide on a 2025 T700 or Transalp…
I’m glad to hear that you like Transalp…. Leaning towards it…. But not sure if it will be available IN USA by April…
Thanks
@@moulin680 I recommend you get a test ride on the Taureg just for reference. You make the Transalp a much better bike long term.
Honda make some great motorcycles. Unfortunately, they usually forget to make them fun. Vanilla is the perfect description, soulless. I'm sure they will sell a lot of them, and the owners will love them. I just cant face the blandness of riding a Honda.
I had an early Transalp 600 it was possibly the most boring bike Ive ever owned, bikes should never be boring.
@@Hutchie2112 amen to that. Bikes should never be boring.
Sports mode , light it up on road …this bike is not boring …think 3rd gear power wheelie …no it’s not a Ducati in the corners …it however can go at a good speed in the twisties …standing position is excellent for a 175cm rider…I stand more than I sit .
I am sure this is a great bike in the twisties. Demo rides limit what we can do on the bikes. The steering seemed a bit slower and neutral compared to other bikes I have ridden. My Tuareg just has a different feel to the Transalp. The Transalp feels like a nice platform to start with and the modify the heck out of it to turn it into the bike we all really want. The short amount of time I had the bike did not allow me to get a good feel for the different ride modes. It was my first chance to ride this bike and it was impressions.
Was wondering if you would get to the Transalp. I started watching your videos when I got a KTM 390, and have since switched to the Transalp and a KTM 350 EXC. I think your review was mostly accurate but a few points. Many reviewers get on dirt and then complain about gravel mode because they didn’t understand the bike, thinking it was off-road mode. It isn’t. It is a safety feature for new riders to keep anything from slipping. You get off road mode by going into user mode and turning off traction control and reducing ABS to front wheel only. Also the bike is made for high RPMs. Not so good at slow speed work but a blast when you are coming on to it at higher rpm’s. It has a ton of scat when you are at the right rpm’s. And finally I’m surprised you didn’t notice the lower center of gravity, being a T7 owner. I really dislike a top heavy bike; that and the road handling drew me to this bike.
Great points. I was not fully familiar with the different ride modes. I noticed when I was editing that I didn't mention the center of gravity but you are absolutely correct, the balance of the Transalp is much much better. I think if I had waited for the Transalp to be released instead of buying of the T7 I would never have turned to the Tuareg. I thought the engine was great at all RPM ranges but it came alive at the higher RPMs. At the price point it is a good bike and the ability to add cruise control makes it a great choice for adventure riding.
@@advmattI’d have gotten the Tsureg as well, if it weren’t for the absence of a dealer network where I live. You never know, I might yet.
change the spockets,one tooth less front,one more rear.transalp was never an off road animal.its an on/off bike with touring capabelities and its perfect for that.buy the 2025 mobel ,i think honda imroved all the cons.and dont ask tubeless and cruise control.itchy boots is traveling with a 1987 xt600.
Most of us are not Itchy Boots so I will choose comfort and getting long distances as quickly as possible. I see the potential in the Transalp but by the time money is spent getting it modified to work for me I would have exceeded the cost of a Tuareg. I know reliability of Japanese bikes will always be the winning factor for a lot of riders, but modern bikes have come a long ways. I can see adjusting the gearing but I wouldn't do it without getting 100s of dirt miles in to see how it really handles it. Thanks for commenting.