Honda, throughout 2022 had put us all in suspension for the new Transalp. The motorcycle was finally presented in Milan a few days ago and the truth is that it lived up to the wait as we must not forget that it is followed by a heavy name with a huge history in Europe and Greece.
The new XL750 Transalp for 2023, brings yet another competitor into the middleweight adventure bike category.
The first Transalp arrived back in 1987 and proved popular around the world before disappearing from the Honda lineup in 2012. The Transalp name has always been synonymous with reliability and the ability to get from A to B, wherever A or B may be.
The Honda XL750 Transalp is powered by the same parallel twin engine found in the recently announced Honda CB750 Hornet, which puts out 90.5bhp and 75Nm of torque, squaring the Transalp up against rivals like the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and BMW F 850 GS.
The throttle control is ride-by-wire, and it pairs with a six-speed transmission with a slipper clutch. There’s also a de-tuned A2 license option available, which can be reconfigured back up to full power once the rider has an unrestricted license.
The XL750 Transalp comes equipped with five riding modes: Sport, Standard, Rain and Gravel, and User. The user allows the rider to customise the bike’s handling to suit their needs.
Information is displayed on a full colour, 5-inch TFT display, and other electronic rider aids include anti-wheelie control and ABS and traction control which can be switched off on the rear wheel. It also comes with smartphone connectivity for navigation, music, calls, and messages. And there’s LED lighting throughout.
The new Transalp is built around a steel diamond frame that weighs 18.3kg, and the entire bike has a wet weight of 208kg, which makes the bike very approachable for off-road riders and for beginners alike.
Showa suspension is fitted at the front and rear of the bike, with 200mm and 190mm of travel respectively. Combined with a ground clearance of 210mm, the XL750 should be plenty capable of tackling trails.
The brakes are a two-piston caliper working with dual 310mm discs at the front, and a single-piston caliper paired with a 256mm disc at the rear.
Wheel sizes are off-road biased with a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear, with spoked wheels and tubed tyres: either Metzeler Karoo Streets or Dunlop Mixtours depending on your intended riding style.
The fuel tank has a 16.9-litre capacity, and with a claimed fuel consumption of 65mpg, that should work out to a potential 180-mile distance between fill-ups.
The seat is an easy-going 850mm in height, with a low 820mm seat available as an option.
