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Honda XL 750 Transalp Review (Baujahr 2023)

Honda's new travel enduro has to prove itself

16.05.2023

Photos: Motorradtest.de

With the new Honda XL750 Transalp, Honda is clearly looking at the success of the Yamaha Ténéré 700. Whether the restart of the almost legendary Transalp from 1987 was successful, Volker and Dietmar clarified during an extensive test drive.

Just as beautiful as the original in the Tricolore livery

When you see the new Transalp in the Tricolore livery, you inevitably have to think of the first Transalp (XL600V) from 1987. And it's not just the look that's similar, the new XL 750 has fortunately taken over the low weight. It weighs only 208 kg ready to ride, not bad for a modern travel enduro. Honda offers gray and black as other colors. The golden rims, which we also know from the original, only have the color version "Ross White". That's why our choice of colors is fast!

As we walk around the machine, we are surprised by the slim, sporty, sinewy silhouette. Not a gram too much, but long, tall and narrow. And the machine is really big: 2.32 m long with a wheelbase of 1.56 m. For comparison: A BMW 1250 GS is 12 cm shorter! The seat height of 850 mm is at a normal level, but unfortunately cannot be adjusted. You also sit upright in the saddle, which is typical for a travel enduro, and the rather low-mounted footrests give a comfortable knee angle. So everything is clear for the long, fatigue-free tour.

Dimensions of the Honda XL 750 Transalp

That's what it's like to sit on the new Transalp.

The XL750 has 92 hp and can therefore be easily throttled to the A2 machine. There are plenty of accessories that Honda puts together in five equipment packages. Of course, you can also book individual components, but then there are no discounts. Here are the packages with prices and contents:

Adventure: 975 €	Side guards, LED auxiliary headlights, radiator grille
Comfort: 370 €	3L tank bag, wind deflector, comfort footrests, 12V socket
Rally: €1,235	Quickshifter with blipper function, engine guard, engine guard plate, rally footpegs, handguards
Travel: 1.490 €	Side cases (26 & 33 L volume) + straps + inner pockets, aluminum panels, heated grips
Urban: 1.045 €	50 L top case + carrier + inner pocket + backrest, high windscreen, center stand, aluminum panels

360 degree tour around the Honda XL750 Transalp

Technology of the XL 750 Transalp

The relationship to the sister model CB750 Hornet (-> test) becomes clear when looking at the cockpit: The Transalp also has the 5-inch and easy-to-read TFT color display with the on-board computer, which is eager to provide information. Four riding modes (including Gravel & Rain) as well as a configurable user mode are included as standard. Here you can adjust the power, the engine brake, the 5-fold traction control and the ABS.

Unfortunately, Honda has forgotten a cruise control, which is not available in the accessories program. However, there are heated grips that we would recommend to any frequent rider. The fact that the 12 volt USB socket also has to be booked is annoying, but we don't want to forget that the bike only costs 10,500 euros - you just have to accept one or two compromises.

Full LED light including daytime running lights, ESS emergency stop flashing system, hazard warning lights and Handy-Connect including navigation solution are included as standard. You can also book a QuickShifter incl. Blipper, which was not included on our test bike - we didn't miss it.

That's how it drives

We were pleasantly surprised by the sound of the new Transalp. We would have expected a rather subtle rumble, but instead it trumpets clearly perceptibly from the big bag. The engine has a crankpin offset of 270 degrees, this old farmer's trick makes the machine boom wonderfully bassy. The stationary noise is 94 dbA, Honda is not stupid...

The first few meters with the Honda are then also wonderfully smooth. You immediately feel familiar with the bike, the low weight does not pose any problem for the rider and all the trappings just feel like Honda. The operation is easy, the clutch force is low, the gearbox shifts easily and precisely - and the machine falls wonderfully into the curves. This is remarkable because the bike has a 21 inch front wheel rim and comes with a Metzeler Karoo Street mixed tire. Of course, there are also beautiful wire-spoke rims, anything else would have been inappropriate.

So the Transalp rides quite smoothly and conveys a mixture of casual cruising and sovereign gliding. It is not a sports machine in terms of character, although the engine would certainly have what it takes. However, instead of wanting to set lap records, you rather enjoy the ride and just let yourself drift. All this, as well as the comfortably tuned chassis, will not make even longer distances a torturous tour - quite the opposite: With this machine you can easily drive all day without it getting tiring.

As I said, the engine can also be different! The 92 hp go to work briskly, if you want to. At maximum acceleration, even the front wheel tends to climb, but the wheelie control prevents this. From 3,000 rpm, the engine feels right at home and willingly continues to rev up to maximum power at 9,500 rpm. At full throttle, the deer roars as much as it can and we wouldn't have thought the bike could do at all. Compared to the Africa Twin with the 1,100 cc in-line twin, however, the Transalp lacks a little punch from the rev cellar. Nevertheless, it is not slower at the start (0 to 100 km/h), because the weight difference is 18 kg. When she pulls through, however, she has to admit defeat to her bigger (and more expensive) sister. Nevertheless, the XL750 is a fast bike and always provides enough power reserves even in pillion mode with a passenger.

At the front, unfortunately, only 2-piston floating calipers on the 310 double discs. Still brakes well.

The brakes are also okay, even if they are not high-performance stoppers. So far everything is okay - and the low price has to come from somewhere. However, we did find a few points of criticism: The clutch lever is not adjustable and looks a little cheap, the lack of cruise control is a mystery to us and we would have liked the 12 volt socket to be in series production. Many interested parties will probably book the missing main stand, but it is still understandable that it is not screwed on in series - this not only saves money, but also weight.

Honda gives a two-year warranty on the XL750 Transalp with no mileage limit. Some competitors have already reached four years. It's strange that Honda is still lagging behind with its proverbial quality. You can take a look at the competitors of the new Transalp here in a data comparison.

>>> data comparison Honda XL 750 / Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE / Aprilia Tuareg 660 / BMW F 850 GS / KTM 890 Adventure / Triumph Tiger 900 <<<

Result

The Honda XL750 Transalp is a worthy successor to the original Transalp 600 V. It's simple, but well done. Honda has had the customer "Africa Twin" in its range for many years, which is a) better equipped and b) noticeably more expensive. In this respect, the new Transalp is a useful and good addition to Honda's adventure bike program. We are sure that the Transalp XL750 will be one of the top places in the registration statistics as early as May. Anything else would be a surprise from our point of view.

The test bike was once again provided to us by "motofun", a large Honda dealer in Kaltenkirchen, north of Hamburg . If you are thinking of buying a Transalp, you are cordially invited to a test drive there. Go ahead, really put you in a good mood!

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