Thanks for your test. I guess the 'take away' from your trip is that it wasn't as rubbish as the weather might have made it, and some of that is probably down to the Transalp. It is an understated bike, but surprisingly good at a wide range of tasks. 17,500 kms (about 11k miles) in on mine (in Australia) I can add that this sense continues, and even improves, over time. The vibes that you notice on the test ride DO ease over miles, giving you a sweet, smooth engine after about 5,000 kms. With remarkable economy, and a 400 km range (250 miles). This bike 'grows on you', and after almost a year, I have found it very easy to live with. No issues, and miles and miles of cheap fun. It is vastly better on loose surfaces with coarser tyres of course - I am running Pirelli STRs, which are stupidly dear now (in spite of coming out of China and Indonesia...) but last quite well, and do both jobs. I got about 6,000 kms from the rear, and 11,000 from the front. Thanks for your thorough test of this surprisingly good machine. I hope you go on to enjoy many miles on it - hopefully in some sunshine...
You can tour on anything. I did four southern European tours from England on an XT500 in the '80s. I saw stacks of them in Portugal and Greece with German plates.
Yes agree, my Honda xl500s took me to many different places. I never worried about cruise control, quickshifters, heated grips, etc, I'd never heard of them, and even if they were available, all I could afford to do was ride the bike.
@@1990-t1j interesting, the xr500 and xl500s were very popular here in Australia, I think the Yamaha looked better, I traded my 1979 xl500s for my Transalp in 2024. I felt sad, the end of an era, but the guy who bought it was thrilled to get it so it wasn't too bad.
exactly this, i am piss bored of how any old twit in this so called modern age thinks a bike has to be in a box and labelled to do a job, it is ludicrous, like yourself i grew up riding the old trail bikes and a bike was a bike and you rode what you rode on whatever terrain you were handed, road, off road whatever.....isn't that why we fell in love with bikes?
Honda should give us a crossover 750 with 17 inch wheels, longer travel suspension for the road, wide bars and small fairing, drop in cruise control and e-clutch. People will buy them like crazy.
i would love that but it will never happen unless the Chinese start getting significant market share , Honda wants you to upgrade to their flagship models, they don't want you happy with a medium cc bike that has everything you may need.
@@silotx Honda, of all motorcycle manufacturers must understand, that not all riders want a 270 kg behemoth of an Africa Twin just to tour on the road. Especially when bikers are getting older and older on average and rather buy a 200 kg RE himalyan than giving up on the lifestyle alltogerher.
If you are riding offroad (adventure bike riding) its easy enough to split a tyre in the middle of nowhere on sharp rocks or broken tree branches, switching out a tube takes 30 mins with a couple of hand tools and you are good to go. Harder to do that with a tubeless tyre and not sure ADAC will always come green laning to save the day! Other question is why would you need cruise control when you are riding an adventure bike? When you are not on the blacktop you are constantly adjusting power to control traction? If you want a road tourer then tubeless and cruise may make sense, but you can add cruise about €300 and convert to tubeless tyres (but then why bother with spoked wheels)! Horses for courses I guess. I picked up my Transalp in August and have just over 6000km in past 8 weeks and its not a bad compromise, price was great and its the least "gadgetry" bike I could find. The main complaint I have as a "boomer" with modern bikes is all the electronics, ride by wire, fuel injection, fuel mapping, quick shifters, riding modes ABS and plethora of other S*** that is there to go wrong according to murphy's law when its most inconvenient and you least expect it! I guess if you are a millennial or Gen z it may make sense! When I learned to ride in 79 we had a cable from throttle to carb that provided all necessary riding modes and a brake lever that you could use as required to either lock or not lock you front or rear wheels as necessary. Cable actuated clutch that you soon learned how to avoid using when changing gear by tweaking the throttle appropriately to unload the engine, who needs electronic quick shifter on a bike to change gear?. Simple, reliable, easy to fix and maintain yourself!
@@markparsons5677 I am +90% road and a bit green lane. I am too old for serious off roading. Glad that the previous owner of my AT 2017 changed the wheels to tubeless. But each to each own.
Why B- for touring? What A* bike are there in the similar £10k price range with better touring abilities (comfort/weather protection/load bearing capacity/fuel range)?
I rode one earlier this year and the thing that stuck out the most was how weak the acceleration is in 5th and 6th. I got far better pull out of my A2 restricted Tiger 850 Sport.
I bought it after lots of research and I'm in love with it.
Nice, what did you come from?
Thanks for your test. I guess the 'take away' from your trip is that it wasn't as rubbish as the weather might have made it, and some of that is probably down to the Transalp. It is an understated bike, but surprisingly good at a wide range of tasks. 17,500 kms (about 11k miles) in on mine (in Australia) I can add that this sense continues, and even improves, over time. The vibes that you notice on the test ride DO ease over miles, giving you a sweet, smooth engine after about 5,000 kms. With remarkable economy, and a 400 km range (250 miles).
This bike 'grows on you', and after almost a year, I have found it very easy to live with. No issues, and miles and miles of cheap fun. It is vastly better on loose surfaces with coarser tyres of course - I am running Pirelli STRs, which are stupidly dear now (in spite of coming out of China and Indonesia...) but last quite well, and do both jobs. I got about 6,000 kms from the rear, and 11,000 from the front.
Thanks for your thorough test of this surprisingly good machine. I hope you go on to enjoy many miles on it - hopefully in some sunshine...
any feedback on touring two up with the transalp?
You can tour on anything. I did four southern European tours from England on an XT500 in the '80s. I saw stacks of them in Portugal and Greece with German plates.
Yes agree, my Honda xl500s took me to many different places. I never worried about cruise control, quickshifters, heated grips, etc, I'd never heard of them, and even if they were available, all I could afford to do was ride the bike.
@@tonyjourneyman1944 The XL500S was the bike I wanted, but an XT500 came up for sale half a mile away.
@@1990-t1j interesting, the xr500 and xl500s were very popular here in Australia, I think the Yamaha looked better, I traded my 1979 xl500s for my Transalp in 2024. I felt sad, the end of an era, but the guy who bought it was thrilled to get it so it wasn't too bad.
exactly this, i am piss bored of how any old twit in this so called modern age thinks a bike has to be in a box and labelled to do a job, it is ludicrous, like yourself i grew up riding the old trail bikes and a bike was a bike and you rode what you rode on whatever terrain you were handed, road, off road whatever.....isn't that why we fell in love with bikes?
Honda should give us a crossover 750 with 17 inch wheels, longer travel suspension for the road, wide bars and small fairing, drop in cruise control and e-clutch. People will buy them like crazy.
i would love that but it will never happen unless the Chinese start getting significant market share , Honda wants you to upgrade to their flagship models, they don't want you happy with a medium cc bike that has everything you may need.
@@silotx Honda, of all motorcycle manufacturers must understand, that not all riders want a 270 kg behemoth of an Africa Twin just to tour on the road. Especially when bikers are getting older and older on average and rather buy a 200 kg RE himalyan than giving up on the lifestyle alltogerher.
This is almost the description of the NX750 with a few less elements, which sells very poorly 😊✌🏻
@@furiouspat3956 what is an NX 750?
@@whatsgoingon71 sorry, NC750X
Looks a decent bike, nice vid.
Why do you expect a 21" front wheel to be a negative?
Nice vid!
Ich liebe Sie - unter 6000 - sehr geschmeidig - über 6000 geht die Post ab - wunderbar - genau mein Bike
Tubeless please and I would be interested.
Why are all the Japanese middleweight adventure bikes tubed and no cruise control?
If you are riding offroad (adventure bike riding) its easy enough to split a tyre in the middle of nowhere on sharp rocks or broken tree branches, switching out a tube takes 30 mins with a couple of hand tools and you are good to go. Harder to do that with a tubeless tyre and not sure ADAC will always come green laning to save the day! Other question is why would you need cruise control when you are riding an adventure bike? When you are not on the blacktop you are constantly adjusting power to control traction? If you want a road tourer then tubeless and cruise may make sense, but you can add cruise about €300 and convert to tubeless tyres (but then why bother with spoked wheels)! Horses for courses I guess. I picked up my Transalp in August and have just over 6000km in past 8 weeks and its not a bad compromise, price was great and its the least "gadgetry" bike I could find. The main complaint I have as a "boomer" with modern bikes is all the electronics, ride by wire, fuel injection, fuel mapping, quick shifters, riding modes ABS and plethora of other S*** that is there to go wrong according to murphy's law when its most inconvenient and you least expect it! I guess if you are a millennial or Gen z it may make sense! When I learned to ride in 79 we had a cable from throttle to carb that provided all necessary riding modes and a brake lever that you could use as required to either lock or not lock you front or rear wheels as necessary. Cable actuated clutch that you soon learned how to avoid using when changing gear by tweaking the throttle appropriately to unload the engine, who needs electronic quick shifter on a bike to change gear?. Simple, reliable, easy to fix and maintain yourself!
@@markparsons5677 I am +90% road and a bit green lane. I am too old for serious off roading.
Glad that the previous owner of my AT 2017 changed the wheels to tubeless.
But each to each own.
Why B- for touring?
What A* bike are there in the similar £10k price range with better touring abilities (comfort/weather protection/load bearing capacity/fuel range)?
Tiger 850. Tracer 9 GT(slightly used) tiger 900 GT Pro(used).
But for the money, nothing beats a 1090 Adventure.
Bike built for long distance riding and no cruise control,come on Honda!!!
Nobody would buy the Africa Twin, if they added a cc.
You can retrofit one
Atlas Throttle Lock
I have been riding motorbiks since 1986, i never had cc and can surely live without.
@@janzzen9095 Thats fine. I want one. And that is fine as well.
I rode one earlier this year and the thing that stuck out the most was how weak the acceleration is in 5th and 6th. I got far better pull out of my A2 restricted Tiger 850 Sport.
Wow English Begbie!
This has got to be the worst tour video ever made.
Even better with tubeless tyres and perhaps e clutch ……..!!
E clutch and cruise control would make this bike a legend.