17/05/2026
1987 Honda Transalp XL600V
The Honda Transalp XL600V is a "mid-size" adventure motorcycle that allows riders to comfortably enjoy long-distance, large-scale riding on a wide variety of roads, from city streets to highways, and from mountain roads to dirt roads. Released in March 1987, the Transalp XL600V was developed incorporating technology derived from the "NXR750," a racing machine that won the Paris-Dakar Rally for two consecutive years in 1986 and 1987 (motorcycle category). This chassis layout featured a frame and suspension structure designed for enhanced off-road capability, as well as a large fairing with good aerodynamic characteristics to reduce rider fatigue at high speeds. Powered by a lightweight, slim, and compact 52-degree, 4-stroke, water-cooled V-twin engine. This engine featured dual 34 mm carburetors and a large-capacity air filter, as well as two spark plugs per cylinder and a three-valve system with two intake and one exhaust valve. The engine also incorporated Honda's unique phase-shifting crankshaft to reduce vibration. Furthermore, the engine's power characteristics are designed to provide highly tractable and powerful acceleration in the mid to low speed range, which is the most commonly used range, reducing rider load while achieving comfortable riding on paved roads and excellent handling on rough terrain. This motorcycle was produced until 1999, with several changes such as a dashboard, updated styling with a more modern fairing, a new headlight, and the addition of dual disc brakes. This model was then replaced by the Transalp XL650V with a new 647cc engine with greater torque and a revised chassis for better touring comfort.
2023 Honda Transalp XL750
The Transalp 650cc was introduced in 2000, followed by the Transalp XL700V with fuel injection and a 19-inch front wheel in 2008. However, the Transalp XL700V was discontinued in 2012. After a hiatus of approximately 10 years, Honda reintroduced the motorcycle with the Transalp XL750 in 2023. This motorcycle returned to its "Adventure" roots with a 21-inch front wheel. The XL750 TRANSALP was developed with the concept of "Adventure Touring: A new generation, versatile motorcycle with the right size that meets all needs from daily commuting to world tours." This new model replaces the old V-twin configuration with a more powerful, lightweight and sophisticated 755cc parallel-twin engine. This engine exhibits strong torque characteristics with a pulsating sensation at low and mid-RPM, and furthermore, has a feeling of sufficient power even at high RPM, with a smooth power characteristic that turns smoothly. The bike also uses an assist & slipper clutch that reduces the load on the clutch lever and prevents the rear wheel from lifting when downshifting. The Transalp XL750 features a diamond frame with an integrated rear frame, optimized for layout and weight reduction across various sections, combined with Showa (Hitachi Astemo Co., Ltd.) SFF-CA™ inverted front forks, and Pro-Link suspension with excellent trailing ability at the rear, combined with a lightweight and highly rigid aluminum swingarm. This contributes to comfortable riding in all conditions, from city streets to unpaved roads. In addition, a large, functional windscreen that combines wind protection and aerodynamic performance contributes to reduced riding fatigue and increased cruising comfort. In terms of equipment, the vehicle and smartphone are connected via Bluetooth®*4, enabling music playback and call operation via a switch on the handlebars and voice input using HSVCS. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with advanced electronic control technologies that support riding and enhance rider comfort, such as a "throttle-by-wire system" that contributes to immediate throttle response, five riding modes that allow the rider to select pre-set power characteristics according to riding conditions and preferences, "HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control)"*5 that suppresses front wheel lift and rear wheel slippage, an automatic turn signal that automatically stops turn signal operation when changing lanes or after turning right or left, and an emergency stop signal that quickly notifies vehicles behind of sudden braking.