2024 Honda XL750 Transalp Wails Beautifully, Carves Up Backroads

• Honda is reviving its most iconic adventure touring nameplate, the Transalp, for the US market in 2024 and the results are in.

• Known as the 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp, the middleweight adventure bike splits the difference between overweight tourer and dual sport.

• With an engaging 755cc inline twin, adjustable suspension on both ends, and uber-comfortable ergonomics, the Transalp is back and better than ever.

I promise this won't be a whiny male diatribe about the importance of height. However, the length of your inseam does matter when it comes time to swing a leg over an adventure bike's saddle. At least in most cases, it does, as the ever-popular and fast-growing adventure motorcycle category continues to bulk up and grow a few inches with each generation.

Cubic centimeters are increased, hard bag attachments become standard, and the once fancy adaptive plus electronic suspension is now run of the mill, at least at a certain price point. The pioneers of adventure riding will tell you that you really don't need any of it. Also true: a dual-sport, a backpack, and some extra gas will deliver the same experience.

But there is a more nuanced approach to understanding why the adventure class has become so large and so expensive. I mean, seriously, since when did it cost $18,000 (not including gear and luggage) to go get lost in the woods with your friends?

Enter the 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp, a perfect anecdotal example of reasonable displacement, size, and pricing in the modern adventure bike world. Released to the US market for 2024, the Transalp nameplate is one that is steeped in cult-status nostalgia, seeing as Honda only sold the original Transalp for two years (1989–1990) in the US.

At its core, the original Transalp blueprint has remained largely modern, centered around a 755cc liquid-cooled, 270-degree crank, Unicam inline-two-cylinder.

That's good for 83 hp at 8500 rpm and 55 lb-ft of torque, though the mid-to-high revolution range is where the bulk of the power is available thanks to its short stroke.

Noticeably, the Transalp checks the passion box better than its smaller adventure lineup sibling, the CB500X. Powered by a 471cc parallel twin, the CB500X's engine is easy to use and smooth enough save for brief windows of seat buzz, though it lacks much in the way of excitement.

If the smallest of the three twin-cylinder engines in Honda's adventure lineup is agricultural, the Transalp's engine wails beautifully as you twist beyond 4000 rpm. Low-end torque is plentiful for the abundant stop-and-go traffic here in New York, but the linear increase in power as you climb to 10,000 rpm is a smooth reward all on its own.

Choose your riding mode carefully, as the effects on throttle response and power delivery are palpable. Traction control, engine braking, and ABS are all adjustable through the modes as well, though these changes aren't as apparent behind the bars.

This middleweight powerplant is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission with a slipper clutch plus a quick shifter up and down. Just like the CB1000R we rode earlier this year, the shift action is precise and simple to use without much feeling through your feet or hands. Similar to other Honda bikes, too, the clutch is rather light and easy to feel out in traffic.

The quick shifter requires certain footwork, and it's much more satisfying to bang through a set of upshifts than downshifts.

Being mindful of your throttle position and energy state will allow for smooth, clutch-less deceleration, though. For highway cruising or off-road crawling, Honda has clearly made strides to create a dynamic gear ratio, too.