The middleweight, multicylinder adventure-bike market has never been better than right now. But until recently, Honda didn’t have a serious contender in this category in the US market with nothing sitting between the Africa Twin at the top and the CRF300L Rally at the bottom. The introduction of the XL750 Transalp to the US for 2024 changed all of that, bringing the name back to our shores after a long hiatus—last offered in 1989 to 1990 as a 583cc V-twin. Even better is the fact that the 2025 model gets updated (as the platform has been available in Europe since 2023) with small upgrades that improve an already solid and affordable package.

Although updates may seem minor, they address some areas that customers tagged as “in need of improvement,” such as tweaks to the suspension settings, an upgrade to the new TFT display and control pod, an improved windscreen, and new headlights. One thing that hasn’t changed is the MSRP which is still set at $9999, undercutting the European competition by as much as $7000 when compared to offerings from BMW and KTM; and it’s $1700 less than the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE and $1000 cheaper than the Yamaha T7..embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }A 755cc Parallel-twin EngineLike most of the competition, the parallel twin has become the engine of choice in the middleweight ADV segment. Why? Less complexity means reduced manufacturing costs and lower emissions, while also delivering usable low- to midrange torque that pays dividends on road and in the dirt. In the case of the Transalp, it shares the same 755cc unit with the CB750 Hornet. The liquid-cooled engine has a single overhead Unicam design, four valves per cylinder, a 270-degree crank that mimics the power pulses of a V-twin, and is fed by Honda’s Programmed Fuel injection system (PGM-FI). Like its street counterpart, the Hornet, the Transalp has a more traditional-looking exhaust silencer, which not only is attractive but provides a bit more clearance for off-highway excursions.

When you hit the road, this engine immediately lets you in on its little secret: Parallel twins are amazingly good around town in everyday riding situations like urban congestion and traffic. Using the bottom-end torque, leaving stoplights is smooth and almost effortless, while the light clutch and smooth power delivery keep stop-and-go traffic from being taxing. But as we discovered when riding the Hornet back in June, the engine has a really sporty nature too, making corner exits on twisty mountain roads fun and aggressive. An unexpected feature at this price point is the inclusion of an up/down quickshifter as standard, which makes keeping the engine on the boil easy.

While the engine performs well on the street, on gravel roads and trails it’s even more impressive. Excellent tractability and an abundance of low-end torque allow you to tiptoe through rocks and ruts at low rpm without worrying about stalling the engine. Hill climbs, loose rock-strew trails, and sand can be ridden in first or second gear, giving you some options to maximize traction. Most of the time in these situations we’d opt for second, which provided good drive while also helping to manage traction with the TC turned off.

Our ride day on the Transalp consisted of a 170-mile loop of which two-thirds was on dirt. We cycled through all of the primary ride modes including Sport, Standard, Gravel, and Rain. Ultimately, because we spent so much time on the dirt, we settled on a custom User mode set up with max power, TC disabled, and ABS to the rear turned off. We tried the Gravel setting on some smoother dirt roads and it works pretty well, allowing a bit of rear-wheel spin, but never allowing the bike to snap sideways. But to get the maximum drive with the chunky Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross tires we preferred TC off completely to utilize the parallel twin’s smooth delivery to manage traction.

Chassis and ErgonomicsWhile open-class ADV bikes may offer a lot more horsepower, that also tends to come with the penalty of additional weight. Looking within Honda’s own adventure model family, a base-model Africa Twin weighs a claimed 510 pounds with a full tank of fuel compared to the Transalp’s 463. Almost 50 pounds is significant when applied to off-road handling. Compared to the middleweight competition, the only machine in the class that undercuts the Transalp in terms of wet weight, is the Yamaha Ténéré 700, and only by a couple of pounds. So what does that mean in the real world? It means the Transalp is more manageable in the dirt, with less mass to wrestle when cornering, braking, and at slow speeds when you’re dodging rocks and ruts. On road, it allows the bike to be more responsive on tight and twisty roads.

Changes to the suspension settings for 2025 are the only updates to the chassis. The Showa shock only has provisions for preload adjustability, but the damping settings have been updated for 2025 with increased rebound and compression. Travel at the rear measures 7.5 inches while the bike’s ground clearance is rated at a claimed 8.3 inches. At the front is a 43mm Showa Separate Function cartridge fork with preload adjustability while rebound and compression damping circuits have been reduced slightly for better off-road compliance; travel measures 7.9 inches.

Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross tires replaced the stock Metzeler Karoo Street rubber for our test and were set at the recommended street settings per Honda’s request to avoid pinch flats with the tubes—which brings up the fact that a tubeless wheel/tire combo would be a welcome change for the future. Overall, there really isn’t much to complain about with the Transalp’s updated suspension settings. On the road the ride is plush enough for all-day riding comfort, but well damped for a quick street pace with very little unwanted movement or wallowing. On dirt fire roads the Showa units offer a controlled ride with surprisingly good damping. It’s only when jumping the bike at speed off large water bars that the Transalp bottoms out completely, and that can be excused considering that it is an affordable 460-pound adventure machine and not an enduro.

The Transalp’s dimensions are very similar to much of the competition, with a 61.5-inch wheelbase and front end geometry measuring 27 degrees of rake with 4.4 inches of trail. For reference those numbers are very close to the Africa Twin figures, which has a 1/2-inch-longer wheelbase, identical rake, and just a tiny bit more trail. Overall, the bike finds a good compromise between stability and agility.

Ergonomically, we find the Transalp quite comfortable for a long day riding. The footpeg position keeps the knees bent at a reasonable angle that keeps cramping to a minimum. The nonadjustable seat is set at 33.7 inches, which for this 5-foot-11 tester was just about perfect. For those seeking a lower saddle, an accessory unit drops that down to 32.6 inches. Handlebar placement proves to be relaxed for on-road riding, but tall enough to be a comfortable reach when standing riding off-road. Protection from the windscreen is really good, with almost zero buffeting when wearing a moto-style helmet. A taller touring windscreen is also available as an accessory.ElectronicsThe new 5-inch TFT display is bright and easy to read, even when covered in dust. Navigation of the menus is straightforward with the left-bar control pod. New for 2025 is iOS and Android connectivity via Bluetooth and Honda’s RoadSync app. Like other models from Honda, a helmet communication device is necessary to utilize much of the functionality such as navigation.

The Transalp features five ride modes that are enabled by ride-by-wire throttle control. In the customizable User mode the rider can change settings with four levels of power, three levels of engine-brake, two levels of ABS (in addition to being able to switch off rear ABS), and five levels of Honda Selectable Toque Control (aka TC); wheelie control is integrated into HSTC, which can be turned off completely in the User mode. The single biggest miss on this model is the exclusion of cruise control, which would also utilize the RBW setup that is already present. New for 2025, headlights use a pair of LED projectors for the high and low beams. Another miss is that the bike’s USB socket is under the seat and not on the instrument cluster where a bar-mounted smartphone could be charged.

Overall, the Transalp’s electronics package and interface are easy to use and logical. Our final complaint would be that if you set up a custom User mode without TC and rear ABS, and you cycle the key, they will return to the default “active” setting, then you have to navigate back through the menus to deactivate them. Using the kill switch and not the key when you come to a stop holds your settings, but it can be a bit annoying after a fuel or snack stop.

Has Honda Found Middleweight ADV Bliss? For 2025, the Transalp is available in two color combinations: White (actually, red, white, and blue) or Deep Pearl Gray. On Honda’s website you can find a list of 23 accessories with everything from ergonomic options to protective parts and heated grips, and the skid plate and crashbars on our testbike. Ultimately, middleweight adventure bikes are seeking the perfect balance between power, weight, and touring performance. On road you need the power to accelerate when loaded with luggage, while off-road you want the bike to be light enough to be manageable in tricky situations. Complaints are few as detailed above, but perhaps the two most glaring exclusions are cruise control and tubeless wheels; hopefully Honda will address those in the future.At $9999 the Transalp is a great adventure-bike platform. In terms of on-road and off-road performance the bike is fun and totally capable in a wide range of riding conditions. It exhibits the balance we are looking for in a middleweight ADV machine, with a fun and responsive engine and nimble handling both on road and off. With a few smart accessories, this bike can hang with all but the most extreme (and expensive) bikes in the middleweight class. Overall, at this price, the Transalp is well worth consideration.

2025 Honda Transalp Specs