Honda XL 750 Transalp
Can a great sport tourer also be a great adventure bike?
With so many midsized adventure bikes to choose from why the Transalp? Simple most adventure bikes are good on pavement gravel and dirt roads. Beyond that expectations get a bit unclear based on who you listen to. Some riders will try to convince you that they can carve up super technical off-road including roots, rocks, steep hills, and single track on a 5/600-lb adventure bike without a problem. I’m sure some do, and some also do double backflips on their dirt bike. I’m going to suggest that in both cases it is a function of world-class riding skill and so highly irrelevant to most riders who would regret it if they tried either.
Simply said most adventure bikes are too heavy for serious technical off-road riding. For that type of riding, I trailer my two-stroke race bike to the trailhead and blast away. I don’t worry about getting into an impossible situation because I can pick the bike up a dozen times by myself whether on the side of a hill or in a mud bog, it’s no problem. If however I”m looking for a bike to get me to the trailhead then a lightweight (<400lbs) or ultra-lightweight(<300lbs) adventure bike is best.
For most (not all) adventure riders the mission of the midsized sized adventure bike (over 400 lbs) is clear; provide comfort and capability on-road while giving me the option to venture onto some not-too-technical dirt excursions with sufficient confidence to handle a dirt road or jeep trail without fretting. With that in mind, the Transalp becomes a strong candidate to provide the most potential for value for your dollar.
Overall the Transalp is lighter than most, better balanced, and very comfortable as a daily driver or sport tourer. With a little effort and not a lot of money we should be able to build one of the most versatile midsized adventure bikes. Either way, we will soon find out.
Project Transalp 750
This season I will be upgrading and accessorizing the Transalp to maximize its potential. It will be used as a daily driver, sport tourer, and I will also run some tight technical single track (because it’s the northeast and we’ve got a lot of that up here). Mostly to gauge how capable I can make this bike off-road. As always all upgrades, maintenance and mods will be illustrated for you in how-to videos or in a blog on my website, or both.
Thanks for checking in…much more to come.
