Adventure bikes are often referred to as the SUVs of the motorcycle world. It is pretty easy to see why, too. They offer us the ability to go off-road, travel, and are usually versatile enough to handle the daily commute if called upon. Above all else, they represent a certain lifestyle, and marketing departments from pretty every manufacturer have run with this.
Just like their automotive equivalents, not all is equal in the world of adventure bikes. Each bike offers a different balance between street and off-road performance. These two, usually mutually exclusive attributes, need to co-exist in one motorcycle and almost never result in an even balance. We feel that this particular middleweight gets the closest.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Honda. Whereas, the opinions are our own.
10 Adventure Bikes That Combine Indestructible Builds With Modern Features
Adventure bikes continue to capture the imagination of travel enthusiasts all over the world, blending modern features and trail-ready performance
The Honda Transalp Is The Most Practical And Balanced Adventure Bike You Can Buy Right Now
MSRP: $9,999
Honda certainly knows a thing or two about making practical motorcycles. Pretty much since the company came into existence, reliability has been a defining feature, followed closely by ease of use. This might seem like a relatively straightforward thing, but some manufacturers certainly still seem to get this wrong. The Transalp is a great example of how Honda goes about making bikes that are easy to use, practical, and on trend.
We initially thought the Transalp was going to be Honda’s answer to the Tenere 700. But the Yamaha is quite different. It leans into the off-road side far more, sacrificing pretty much all its long-distance comfort in the name of off-road performance. Its dirt-bike seat remains a bone of contention, but the latest Tenere offers more features than ever before, clearly caving to market demands.
The only other Japanese alternative in the middleweight space is the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE. It is both heavier and more expensive than the Transalp, and although it loses most spec-sheet wars, it is still a realistic alternative. Another more expensive option comes in the form of the Aprilia Tuareg. Although it is expensive compared to the Japanese bikes, it is affordable compared to the other European options and offers the same level of performance as those more sophisticated bikes.
The Transalp Has A New Versatile Parallel-Twin Engine
Power: 90 Horsepower
In recent times, we are seeing more and more motorcycles making use of a 270-degree parallel-twin. It has proven to be the best option for this middleweight class because it strikes an ideal balance between performance, efficiency, and manufacturing costs. In a world where global emissions restrictions punish multi-cylinder motorcycle engines and big singles punish the rider, this is the happy medium.
More Than Enough Power For The Real World
So far, Honda’s workhorse has proven reliable, but it is still pretty new, and even for a brand like Honda, teething issues are not uncommon. The fact that 90 horsepower is actually pretty good for an engine of this size is almost a moot point these days. For the middleweight class, it is all about mid-range performance. That is what translates into actual usable power at road-legal speeds, and with almost all of its 55 pound-feet of torque available from 2,000 and 6,000 RPM, it is fair to say that it nails that part of the brief.
The Versatile Honda Motorcycle That Excels At Both Work And Play Is The CB750 Hornet
Meet the Honda CB750—the all-rounder bike that handles commutes, weekend blasts, and everything in between without breaking a sweat.
The Transalp Has All The Right Features
The problem with modular platforms like this is that the engine needs to work in different kinds of motorcycles. While the parallel-twin offers a fantastic balance in terms of performance, the packaging presents an altogether different challenge. Not only do you now need to somehow make it work in another chassis, but you still need it to work within other constraints. It is for this reason that it falls short in one area: ground clearance. On paper, it might not seem like much of an issue, but that is because Honda doesn’t sell this bike with any form of skid plate.
In our opinion, this is its only real weakness, and it will only be an issue if you are doing some serious off-roading. Other than that, the suspension travel is perfectly acceptable, the weight figure is not too bad at 463 pounds (dry), and it offers a selection of modern features. It comes with a ride-by-wire throttle, five ride modes, a quickshifter, and ABS, which can now be switched off at the rear wheel while you are on the trail.
A Modular Adventure Bike
Honda priced the Transalp in such a way that there will be room in the budget for pretty much any accessory that helps transform it into what you need it to be. This is a brave move, because if you were to look at it from another perspective, you might say the Transalp is effectively getting sold unfinished. In reality, Honda knows what the market wants. Most off-road adventure enthusiasts will ditch a basic stock skid plate and street-biased tires almost immediately.
Those who spend more time traveling will appreciate the added comfort and the extra money to spend on luggage. This modular approach is unusual, but it is fair to say that Honda came prepared. There are already several in-house solutions available on the options list, and you don’t need to feel compelled to give Honda more money because there is also a pretty robust aftermarket for these bikes. In short, it has already worked.