2024 Honda Transalp | First Ride 

I hear (pun intended) it sounds good too.

@IRQ1Conflict 3rd gear around 4k rpms to 8k there's an amazing induction noise that radiates from the headstock. And it power wheelies in first gear with the tc turned down so it's an absolute riot tbh.

thats how i feel about my Husqvarna 701 Supermoto :)

Honda is following Yamaha's lead with their MT series of motorcycles.Lightweight and torquey is sure a winning formula off course with a reasonable price.

Have you reflashed the ECU?

Do you know anyone who has installed the Veridian?

@@Romenet310 BigRockMoto have a video about that.

Happy Birthday Sir! Consider this video your gift. haha

Hey Jesse, 3 months in, how has it been?

Curb weight is 459.

Yup Chase ain’t really the specs/ umbers guy when it comes to his reviews.

Exactly. His reviews are different but still enjoyable. Just don't expect a technical breakdown. @@Adventure_blac

I got a new Hornet a few weeks ago here in Ireland. I've only put up about 400 miles so far. It's great but the throttle is a bit snatchy, you have to be very delicate with it or the bike will fly off on you. It wil probably improve the more I get used to it. How's the GSX 8S?

@@johnflavin1602 I had to try looking for throttle snatch (by running it at very low RPM) before I noticed any so I'd rate the throttle response of the 8S as pretty smooth. Congrats. on your new Hornet!

you just gotta shift into 5th gear below 80. maybe im just used to thumpers but all my bikes have chugged at the super low RPMs doesnt bother me

My long termer is an NC and i have the Transalp on test this weekend. Obviously a 53bhp 750 and a 91bhp 750 are going to feel way different but the NC is way more relaxed as a daily rider. The EU spec Transalp is pretty peaky and while it goes like a train when rung out I'm sure I want to do that hour after hour touring in the Alps. Perhaps the US spec is ideal where they've cut a little of the top end and pushed the torque a little lower in the rev range.

Don't know about 2020 as I did a trip this September in Europe with a rented 2021 NC750X DCT, and on Sport 1 mode it switches to 6th at around 90-95km/h which is 57 mph. No way you need to switch to 5th at 80mph. Makes no sense. If you want to overtake aggressively then yes, you will need to downshift. No way to overtake quickly at 57mph with 6th gear. You might even switch to 4th or even 3rd at that speed. I would also say that if redlining both then NC750X (2023 model) feels faster or the same speed as Transalp up to 50-55mph. However, on higher speeds Transalp wins easily. NC750X doesn't have pull after 50-55mph, Trasnalp still has until about 75-85

While obviously slower and less characterful i felt the CB500X was a more balanced package and you could feel that it had matured in to a really refine product. Great bikes.

Which one would you prefer? I'm looking at a 23 cb500x but the transalp is very tempting

@@alexanderthoj2851 it depends on your priorities really. The CB is a great bike, nicely finished, refined and has plenty enough poke with good suspension and brakes. The Transalp is a lot more expensive but a lot more potent. It's probably less forgiving and you need a bit more skill to get the best out of it. The finish looks a little more budget than the CB in some respects. In short if the CB is enough for you then the Transalp will probably be a waste, if you find the CB a little bit boring, the Transalp will certainly give you a bigger hit of excitement.

@@alexanderthoj2851I still love the piss out of my 500X, and I just got off of riding a Diavel V4 in Florida for a week. I think I want a Transalp after road-tripping with my wife on the back of the 500X, but only because I like to get away from people. As a solo rider the 500X is more than enough for everything. Both this XL750 and CB500X are pretty good off-road too. They both fill the same niche imo, but the 500X is the more affordable to operate, efficient, and flickable option while the 750 is a faster, more cruiser oriented, and better bike to load up with weight by no small margin.

I did recently get to take my dad’s XL750 for an extended ride and more recently hit 10,300 miles on my 23 CB500X.

It's still roughly 85 hp so not much difference between us and uk

Torque does a lot!

Not only in the UK. I am from Germany and got my Transalp in May. On every dyno the Transalps in the European spec produce around 93 hp in real life. My bike has around 94 hp with a SC Project muffler. I also shed off weight, which is around 202 kg now. It pulls and revs!!! It is so much fun. A bloody fantastic bike! Sorry for you guys. But also with 85 hp the Transalp engine still has its fantastic character. Just get an ECU flash.

I demo road Transalp twice. Once separately and another time just before test riding NC750X. I also yesterday test road V-Strom 800RE. To me, even NC750X feels faster up to 40-50 miles an hour than Transalp . V-Strom 800RE significantly faster than Transalp until about 60-70 mph. With 800RE whenever you open the throttle (in A mode) fully no matter revs, you need to hold yourself to handlebars. Transalp doesn't even get close to this feeling. Even next to redline it just barely catches up with 800RE. I'm really so confused about all these reviews saying how torqy and fast is Trasnalp, I just don't feel it (and yes, I tested in Sport mode). I thought maybe US version is tuned very differently, but commenters below that they feel the same in Europe (I tested Trasnalp in UK and in Lithuania. The only differentce I noticed between bikes between countries is that UK version had a weird clutch, like engagement is basically at the moment you release clutch, so it was not convenient, but this I guess is adjustable) Also, the 3700-4300 revs range is not really usable in Trasnalp, because too vibey, one will always switch gears to not be cruising in it. Before 3700 almost no vibrations, just on the tank. After 4300 it's acceptable, but not good. I guess similar like 8000RE after 5000-5500. Don't get me wrong, I still might end up buying Trasnalp. I loved 800RE I tested yesterday, seems very superior bike (by engine, gearbox, seat, start and release throttle is much gentler/even), but wind protection is unbearable (and that's often something unfixable. You put another screen and it's still shit most of the time), it just buffets all the time to the point my hands starts to move handlebars. Meanwhile Trasnalp sitting position is better and wind protection is insanly good (at least with deflectors, haven't tried without deflectors. I tried both short and large windscreens, both are great). I just wish that Transalp would only vibrate as much as 800RE and would have the same amount of power (in the feeling, not on paper) (tubeless would be nice too). Tomorrow testing Triumph Tiger 900GT

@@PovilasPanavas i appreciate your comment. Do you have a place I can go to to see all of your reviews? Like a forum. It was very insightful and would love to keep up to date with your test rides for my future bike purchases.

Also it is more expensive than Aprilia Tuareg which has CC and fully adjustable electronics. Tried to see if it also had quickshifter as standard but not sure.

@@getty6974 no it's not aprilia is more expensive. And aprilia motorcycles depreciate quickly because it's a niche market and reliability is poor

@@MotoCampAdv Well could Be market difference but here in Finland Tuareg is 500€ cheaper brand new than a transalp

Name any ADV bike, other than the Aprilia Tuareg 660, that has cruise control and costs less than $14k USD. As much as I would like to have CC on the Transalp, unless you have money to burn it's just not worth the premium you have to pay for a bike to get it, IMHO. Honda has laser focus with their marketing on this bike, they know what compromises to make to hit their target price. The only big miss, I would say, is thinking that their target buyer would prefer tubed wheels to tubeless.

Just for comparison, in Australia the Transalp is about $15,740, on the road, whereas the Tuareg is about $22,500. Although we had to wait a long time for it, at least we get the choice of three colour schemes, and the 90 hp. The Aprilias appear to be subsidised in some markets (including the UK?) but without the subsidy, that is the price difference. Say about 35% more. The Aprilia is a great bike, with higher-level components, but is far more off-road dedicated than the Honda, with a taller seat and a shorter first gear, or the Tenere for that matter. Both those models come with narrow, higher seats, direct hot air at the rider's legs, and no rack. But the Transalp is a bike that can surprise you, especially for its price. And NO heat on the rider. The cheaper buying price allows for some modifying to make it more capable on dirt roads (it's not a trail bike, and no 750 is in my view) but it is more competent on loose surfaces than I thought it would be. I must have done close to 1,000 kms on dirt tracks/roads. I am 5,500 kms in, and have just fitted Pirelli STR tyres, bash-plate, 'bear grip' footrests, a lighter rear rack, etc. I bought the bike with reservations, but have been pleasantly surprised by it. The engine becomes smoother, and engine noise diminishes, as you go. It feels better with the handlebar risers reversed, which makes the steering feel much better. I am liking it more than I expected to, and expect this model will sell well. As to 'who is it built for'? A lot of people, mostly over about 5' 8" (and 50 years old?) who want an all-round bike, with decent performance and remarkable economy, not too heavy, and for not too much money. The tank capacity is actually 16.9L officially, but can be filled above the baffle in the tank. It is able to cover over 400 kms on a tank, or about 250 miles, and is relatively light for its general specification. Much lighter than the equivalent Suzuki.

seven fiddy is betta

Eh? He rated it a 'pass' or "I wouldn't buy"

👍🏾

No it's not . The exhaust sits lower and from there the ground clearance is 8.3 inches . Go actually look at one at least dude.

You bought a rc390 for off road lol

@@MotoCampAdv rc390 for a different purpose. Just had budget for one bike. And I did look at one in person. The bike is built to have a skid plate because it sits low. It’s not really low that would be ridiculous. But for technical riding it’s low.

@@jyrvo it's an adventure bike dude . Sorry you bought a KTM built in India . I sold mine for the Honda

@@MotoCampAdv haha yeah I know I’ve heard the jokes. haha I’ve only had adventure bikes and wanted to try sport for the first time. Trust me if I was 2 days late to the bike store I would have got the Transalp. 🤙 Congrats on your bike bro.

8k oil changes, 16k valve check

Not as good

Nope. Check out what is "touring" and what "adventure" means.

@@podunkman2709 In reality they'll be used for similar duties and the differences largely cosmetic. The Transalp probably sits between the pure road going Tracer 7 and the more hard core Tenere 700 but i doubt many will go offroad on the Transalp nor will many use a Tenere 700 to solely tour on tarmac.

Any ADV bike with CC is at least $4k more than the Transalp. I think Honda made the right compromise in order to hit that $10k price point - something had to give.

​@@alozbornecruise control would've given them an immediate hit at they price and it's not a difficult feature to implement. Really big whiff

​@@alozbornean extra button and software update probably cost 100 bucks more. Im sure the next facelift they will add cruise control.

Tenere

Only from the spark arrestor , exhaust mods uncorks it. And also it's 84 USA and 91 UK

what is a spark arrestor? im getting one and looking at ways to unlock the 91 hp@@MotoCampAdv

It is throttle by wire already...

@@tbillington you’re right I’ll edit my comment thanks

It would take an entire video for that. lol

I have ridden both for half an hour, transalp feels lighter, slow manover and turn are great on transalp. Similar seat height and upright position, Both are more upright that v-strom 650 xt that I own. And I like more upright position because of backpain. I owned a Kawasaki versys which is very upright in sitting , so I am looking at these two for a change. Both are betterl/more confident at 150kmh speed than versys 650. Versys and transalp are much more fun that v-strom also.

​@@chaseontwowheels a video comparison definitely needs to happen

No offense but he would have to own one and do a long-term review comparison.

If u know what is "touring" and what "adventure" means (most bikers have no idea). So cfmoto is more touring.

Then it won't be cheap😅, and probably be priced the same as AT manual

800 easily, not ridden either but after sitting on them at a dealer the 800de is quite a beefy bike, while the transalp has a narrower profile. Both are quite tall but the transalp feels a good bit smaller and lighter than the 800de.

@@lucinxar2931 Thanks

Get a nc750

Fortnine did a great video on that topic, I highly recommend you watch it! But long story short, it has to do with the difference between noise and emissions tests in the US and the EU.

LOL yes me too!

Me too. It sounds like its taking a jab at the t in lgbt. Or it's some kind of a high side jacknife situation that involves your transmission somehow. A trans slap

@@davidbielski3484 I guess using the quickshifter counts as a trans-slap 😁

It looks nothing like a KLR650, and 18/21 is basically standard in this segment. These bikes are apples and oranges

I bought one yesterday and it reminds me a lot of a klr. Funny you say that. Obviously much smoother and more powerful than the klr though

traitor !

It's ground clearance is 8.3 inches the sump sits above that and under a skid plate .

KTM790 is china made. Both are more expensive than Transalp.

@@podunkman2709 In Turkey they're the same price as the Transalp. The China made KTM I've been hearing from reviewers is feeling "No Different" than the Austrian made KTM after extensive testing. Even some BMW engines are china made. And actually not "made" but "assembled" should be the word we're both looking for. China has improved immensely in this area and will soon dominate the world.

I've got one on test today and I'll be reporting that and through the pegs, though the peg rubbers are removed on mine.

not the same segment buddy

I disagree, the AT is a lot bigger but the power comes in far more smoothly and far lower down. ~The At is far easier to just duff around on.

ECU flash literally buys the US market the horsepower, but I will admit the red white and blue color way is a much better than the basic bitch black honda went with. Also continuing this topic, seriously WTF honda?! Selling the red white and blue model everywhere BUT the US? Seems a tad rude.

The engines styles couldn't be more different. The original was a plodder that was soft and predictable, the new one is peaky and slightly fussy off a closed throttle. Completely different characters and that's an issue.

@@BikingChap yes,thats exactly why honda made it easy and quit at lows,if you want to rev it and have fun,there you go.

upper class *touring features.

@@Hadgerz and what "touring features" are those, that the IBEX 800 T doesn't have?

China boy, eh ?

VstromDE is the Toyota Thundra.... I rather a Thundra than a Ridgeline. Its easier maintenance on the vstrom than the transal; air filter, oil change, value check, etc vstrom is designed for easy accessing

Another echo . Did you ride one or just watch adventure undone videos ? I'm guessing the later

​@@funyunmaybe if it was 50+lbs lighter

@@MotoCampAdv the de feel lighter than the transalp and it also feel faster.. downlow faster

@@MotoCampAdv tested ride them, even the tenere, which is the heaviest and slowest of the three. I'm getting a DE once it available, there's a few transalps and teneres around my area

Is that a bad thing?

@@HA_Horizons that's what I'm trying to figure out

It is a throwback to a model that ran from '89 till '90 so that makes sense.

Throw back dude you missed the memo

Buy a touring bike not an adv

@@MotoCampAdv That argument makes no sense. This is a $10000 multipurpose machine that Honda themselves markets as a touring/adv bike.

@@beaulunawolf1198 get the Africa twin if cruise control is a necessity . This is a bike made for rider engagement and you can tell by how it rides , try one you might buy one

It's illegal in Georgia and most of the southeren US unfortunately, cost me an R3 a little while back when a dumbass (stolen) van wasn't looking forward at a red light.

It's growin on me..

458

@@MotoCampAdv 459 is pulled straight from the Honda us website. Also every us publication I’ve seen says 83 horsepower in the US and 90.5 in Europe

​@@Adventure_blaci am suprised that number did not go up. 459 is the same number that the european version got and the euro version does not include the 12 volts socket and quick shifter. I would assume that would have added 3 pounds but the US site shows the same euro number.

Having ridden both i tend to agree with this guy. I normally prefer Adventure bikes but great while this engine is, it doesn't quite gel as well with the rest of the bike as the Hornet does.

what’s wrong with tube tires?

Omg the hills people die on. Really no outside temp is a deal breaker? Use an app my dude

I don't care about CC but an outside air temp would be nice especially given the other useless info on there.

Whining about no outside temp gage!?......you're sitting on a bike..Outside!...you need a digital gage to tell you if you're warm or cold?

Too much power for the 5'1" people.

Why power to weight ratio is the same . This is cheaper and lighter. Do some research

Africa twin has more power and its design for off road while the transalp is design for city riding. The Africa Twin is equipped with a 1084cc parallel-twin engine. While the Transalp has a 750cc V-twin engine@@MotoCampAdv

A *lot* more money and weight. Easier bike to get the best out of mind you.

It's not gutless but it's definitely a peaky motor and I've found it's a little fussy off a closed throttle, more so than the Hornet. In short it's a cracking, potent and characterful engine but to my mind more suited to a sunday blast type bike like the Hornet where it works so well than a long distance adventure / touring bike where i feel the peakiness and twitchy throttle would start to frustrate after a while.