Riding to the tune of the 2023 Honda XL750 Transalp

Honda has a number of research & development and design studios located around the world, but it was Honda R&D Europe, based in Rome, Italy, that was tasked with designing the revived 2023 XL750 Transalp. First introduced in 1986 as a “middleweight adventure motorcycle” in the form of the XL600V Transalp, Honda ended production of the Transalp with the 2011/12 XL700V.

In some quarters, it is considered one of the motorcycles that laid the foundation for the adventure segment that dominates the market today. From a SA perspective, adventure motorcycles make up, on average, 60% of the leisure road motorcycle market. And, increasingly, it does feel like manufacturers are producing more middleweight adventure-touring motorcycles, which is why it makes sense that Honda has thrown its hat back into the ring.

With the revival of the Transalp in 2023, Honda states that, “In creating the perfect lines for the Transalp’s bodywork, our Rome R&D designers’ aim was to strike a balance between aerodynamic performance and wind protection at speed matched to a sense of lightness and freedom at low speeds.”

They achieved this, and then some. It took me a short while to get used to the “fixed fairing and screen” — meaning that the fairing did not move when turning the front wheel — but the protection/deflection provided by the screen from the wind was as a close to perfect that I have experienced. There was minimal turbulence pushing on my helmet and shoulders, especially when opening up the throttle on longer stretches of tar.

The XL750 is wonderfully balanced and light, whether lane-splitting during rush hour, on gravel roads or on the open road, all of which I had to navigate in the week that I spent with it. I found a great gravel road between Magaliesberg and Hartbeespoort that ran for at least 5km. It was a pleasure to ride the XL750 solo on this road because, at no point did I feel unsafe or had to be overly cautious. Standing on the pegs for the duration of the stretch, I even had time to take in the sights of the farmland and the Magaliesberg mountain range in the distance.

The XL750 has the same 755cc, liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine as the CB750 Hornet with maximum power output of 67.5kW at 9,500rpm and maximum torque of 75Nm at 7,250rpm. On the dirt roads, the torque when throttling up was easy and didn’t jerk me backwards, which contributed to the ease of the ride. Both the engine and “steel diamond” frame were designed to be light, tough and compact.

It has a six speed transmission with a chain final drive, and Showa 43mm front suspension and Monoshock damper with Pro-link swingarm on the rear. For stopping, the front brakes are dual ‘wave’ discs with axial mounted two-calipers while the rear brake is a single ‘wave’ disc with a single-piston caliper. The XL750 has 21” front and 18% rear stainless steel spoked wheels.

The fuel tank capacity is 16.9l with a stated fuel consumption of 23km per litre. I put in at least 200km on tar and gravel without having to fill up again. The head and tail lights are LED and I loved that the indicator cancels automatically so I wasn’t riding for distances with the indicator on because I forgot to switch them off. A small inconvenience in general terms but a great feature.

The TFT (Thin Film Transistor) is a 6.5-inch touch panel multi-information display built into the fairing just below the screen and provides all you need at a glance, including the time, speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, coolant temperature and gear selected. I particularly like how the Honda TFT shows small images of Power, Engine break, Torque and ABS levels depending on which rider mode you are in, which are: Standard, Sport, Rain, Gravel and User. You can also link via Bluetooth to the TFT and interact with your smartphone using the Honda Smartphone Voice Control system, a 4-way handlebar switch and a helmet headset. I didn’t try this. There is also a USB C charging slot underneath the pillion seat — not the most convenient place but you can charge when parked — and there is the option of mounting a 12v socket.

The Honda XL750 comes in the signature Honda Ross White Tri-colours: Matte Ballistic Black and Iridium Grey Metallic. I lean towards the Ballistic Black, which is understated yet sleek.

There are variety of accessories available including top box, rear panniers, side pipes, LED fog lights, quickshifter, heated grips and a tank back. They have put together five packs, namely Urban, Touring, Adventure, Rally and Comfort with the most relevant accessories.

Overall, I enjoyed riding the Honda XL750 and, if you are looking for a middleweight adventure motorcycle that is an all-rounder, this is definitely a motorcycle to consider.