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Honda has finally ended the waiting and confirmed that one of its most anticipated models, the XL750 Transalp, is coming to the U.S. market as a 2024, barely squeezing under five figures at $9,999.
The middleweight adventure-touring category has been a hot one and, based on reader comments and feedback, there's a lot of interest in the Transalp in the United States. Ten months have passed since we posted our first look article on the Transalp, which has been available in Europe. It always seemed inevitable it would make it to U.S. shores, to fill the space in Honda's lineup between the mild CB500X and the adventure flagship Africa Twin, but you never know. Until now.
Just like the original Transalp more than 30 years ago, the new model aims for all-around capability, for urban commuting, long-distance touring, or dirt-road exploring. Or perhaps all three in the same week.
At the heart of the Transalp is the 755 cc parallel twin with a 270-degree firing order that many riders prefer, giving it a hint of the character of a V-twin. Following the usual practice, American Honda has not released estimated horsepower and torque figures for the Transalp. In Europe, its claimed output is 90.5 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and 55 foot-pounds of torque at 7,250 rpm.
Layered on top of that engine is most — maybe not all, but most — of the tech that adventure-touring riders will want.
The Transalp comes with four ride modes — Sport, Standard, Rain, and Gravel — and a fully customizable User mode. These modes adjust four levels of engine power, three levels of engine braking, two levels of anti-lock brake intervention, and five levels of Honda Selectable Torque Control, Honda's traction control. Off-road riders will be happy to know that traction control and rear ABS can be turned off.
I say "most of the tech" because I know some Common Tread readers will lament the lack of cruise control, while a few others may miss spoked wheels that allow the use of tubeless tires. If you want those features in the Honda line, you'll have to step up to the Africa Twin. If you want cruise and tubeless tires in a middleweight you'll have to consider a competitor like the Aprilia Tuareg 660, which has a starting price $2,300 higher. Of course the most direct competitor is the popular Yamaha Ténéré 700, which is very similarly equipped to the Honda and lists at $10,799.
Honda says the Italy-based designers were aiming for "sleek, simple, clean" shapes that create "a purposeful look and feel," and I personally think they nailed it. The original Transalp had a purposeful look, but the revival is naturally more modern and even slimmer and sleeker. Honda says special attention was paid to keeping the parallel-twin engine compact, by eliminating parts — there's no balancer drive gear, as the primary drive gear does that, and there's no liquid-cooled oil cooler — and making design choices such as putting the water pump inside the left engine cover. From the front, today's Transalp with its side-by-side cylinders looks narrower than the original Transalp with its smaller V-twin engine.
That original Transalp was arguably a machine ahead of its time. Powered by a 583 cc V-twin, it was only available for two years in the United States in 1989 and 1990, though it sold for much longer in Europe, and once it was gone it took on a bit of cult-bike status, due to its relative rarity. Given the interest in the middleweight adventure category in general and the Transalp in particular, I don't expect this Transalp to repeat history and fade from the lineup prematurely. I expect to see plenty of them on the roads of North America, whether those roads are paved or not.
| 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $9,999 |
| Engine | 755 cc, liquid-cooled, eight-valve, parallel twin |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Six-speed, chain |
| Claimed horsepower | NA |
| Claimed torque | NA |
| Frame | Steel tubular |
| Front suspension | Showa 43 mm SFF-CATM inverted fork, adjustable for preload; 7.9 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | Showa single shock, adjustable for preload; 7.5 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Dual two-piston calipers, 310 mm discs, with ABS |
| Rear brake | Single-piston caliper, 256 mm disc, with switchable ABS |
| Rake, trail | 27.0 degrees, 4.4 inches |
| Wheelbase | 61.5 inches |
| Seat height | 33.7 inches |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gallons |
| Tires | Tube type, 90/90R21 front, 150/70R18 rear |
| Claimed weight | 459 pounds (wet) |
| Available | October 2023 |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| More info | powersports.honda.com |
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