Honda TransAlp ready for the humdrum and an adventure

Adventure bikes are tailor-made for South Africa. They are comfortable enough for daily commuting but equipped to hit the dirt over weekends.

It therefore makes perfect sense that Honda has loaded its bases. Slotting in between the smaller CB500X and bigger 1 084cc AfricaTwin, the Japanese manufacturer introduced the XL750 TransAlp to Mzansi this year.

Incorporating styling cues and technology from both its siblings, The Citizen Motoring was very impressed with this mid-sized adventure bike during a recent week-long stay with us. It looks good, feels powerful enough for any adventure and is easy to ride.

Tipping the scales at 208 kg, the Honda TransAlp is 9 kg heavier than the CB500X, courtesy of a steel diamond frame which weighs just 18.3 kg.

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Torquey engine

Its power comes from a 755 cc parallel-twin engine which sends 67.5 kW of power and 75 Nm of torque to the rear wheel via six-speed manual transmission with slipper clutch.

We managed to achieve the claimed fuel consumption of 4.3 litres per 100 km, which will give a range of close to 400 km on its 16.9-litre tank.

The Honda TransAlp offers a choice of five engine modes; Standard, Sport, Gravel, Rain and the configurable User mode. Each mode features different power delivery, engine braking, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and traction control settings.

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Both ends feature Showa suspension with pre-load adjustment. Up front, the 43mm fork allows a generous 200mm of travel, while the 190mm at the rear comes courtesy of Honda’s Pro-link system fitted to the aluminium swingarm, which uses the same castings as the Africa Twin.

The Honda TransAlp rides on spoked stainless steel wheels, 21-inch in front and 18-inch at the rear, while it has a ground clearance of 210mm.

Stopping power

The two-channel ABS features dual 310mm waved discs with two piston callipers at the front, with a single 256mm wave disc and single piston calliper at the rear.

The Honda TransAlp comes standard with a five-inch fully digital instrument cluster which is a joy to use.
It is not overly complicated, gives loads of information and withstands the brightest of glares.

A seriously nifty party trick is that the screens even showed when the side stand isn’t stowed, something that can save a rider an embarrassing moment.

It offers Bluetooth connectivity, a Type-C USB port under the pillion seat and an optional 12V power socket up front.

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Honda TransAlp looks good

Our test bike featured various extras, including an engine guard, skid plate, radiator grille, extended knuckle guards, high windscreen and rally pegs.

We really liked the gold-coloured rims, which come standard and work a charm along with the Ross White tri-colour paintwork.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week on the R209 999 Honda TransAlp. The extended windscreen and comfortable seating, together with generous mid-range torque makes it a great for touring, while the plush suspension feels great over gravel … and our imperfect tarmac