American Honda has announced that the highly anticipated Honda XL750 Transalp is coming to the U.S. market for the 2024 model year.
The Transalp was originally introduced in Europe in 1986, first showing up in the U.S. for the 1989 model year with a liquid-cooled, 600cc 52-degree V-Twin with 3 valves per cylinder bolted into a full-cradle frame with a box section swingarm. A 41mm fork provided almost 8 inches of travel up front, and Pro-Link suspension offered 7.5 inches of rear-wheel travel.
Unfortunately, timing and American attitudes about motorcycles, combined with the on-road/off-road orientation of the bike, meant the Transalp only lasted two years in U.S. market.
Related: Retrospective: Honda XL600V Transalp: 1989 – 1990
However, fast forward three decades, and not only have times changed, but so has the Transalp, and after seeing considerable success in the European market, U.S. buyers are clamoring to give this new-generation middleweight adventure bike another spin.
“As the adventure category continues to thrive and evolve, customers are more eager than ever to get out and explore,” said Brandon Wilson, American Honda manager of Racing & Experiential Marketing. “The all-new, midsize XL750 Transalp joins Honda’s iconic Africa Twin and pocket-adventurer CB500X to complete our popular True Adventure lineup, ready to deliver unforgettable outdoor experiences to U.S. ADV enthusiasts from coast to coast.”
In the company’s announcement, Honda called the XL750 Transalp, “friendly but tough—perfect for extended touring trips, as well as the urban cut and thrust, and all points in between.”
See all of Rider‘s Honda coverage here.
The 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp features a liquid-cooled 755cc parallel-Twin with Honda’s Unicam design, 4 valves per cylinder, and 270-degree crank. It has a 6-speed gearbox, throttle-by-wire, a slip/assist clutch, and a standard quickshifter. The bike now comes with five ride modes – Sport, Standard, Rain, Gravel, and rider-customizable – that regulate power delivery, engine braking, and ABS intervention. It also has Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) for increased or decreased rear-wheel spin.
Speaking of wheels, the 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp rides on 21/18-inch front/rear spoked wheels. For stopping power, gone is the rear drum brake, replaced by a 256mm disc, and the front now has dual discs (310mm) instead of the previous single. ABS is standard and can be turned off for the rear wheel. Suspension travel is still comparable, with a 43mm Showa SFF-CA inverted fork offering 7.9 inches of travel and Showa Pro-Link rear shock providing 7.5 inches.
The seat height is 33.7 inches, and Honda offers an available 32.6-inch accessory seat. It has 8.3 inches of clearance, a 4.5-gallon fuel tank, and a curb weight of 459 lb.
The Transalp has a 5.0-inch full-color LCD display with four display options, self-canceling turnsignals, and a USB-C port under the passenger seat. The 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp will be available in October in Matte Black Metallic starting at $9,999.
For more information, visit the Honda Powersports website.
Check out more new bikes in Rider‘s 2024 Motorcycle Buyers Guide
Oh Honda, why must you torture us so? No tricolor paint job and an impending announcement of less performance numbers than our European counterparts!
Is this the man the myth the legend?
I think so lol
Transalp 750 hits the sweet spot on size, power and price. Should be a sales sucess and a great ride. Clearly a road biased adventure bike but still carries some adaquate light off road capabilities…I could see this being a great all-arouder for a one bike garage!
I’d like to see the specs on this bike to see if it would have enough ooomph to tow my small trailer, if so I could be a buyer!
WELL it WOULD! hit the ” SWEET SPOT ” had CALIFORINA kept their big COMMY mouth shut …… Now the Transalp will get detuned and wont produce its full 90 hp that the EU enjoy …….. AND as typical the US only gets one of the 3 colors produced ……… HONDA USA is a flipping JOKE……..
Mark they also forgot tubeless tires and Cruise control . HONDA IT’S 2024 basic equipment . Then don’t call it a Adventure bike . It’s a Transbike .
I’ve read elsewhere that the US model will be down on horsepower (83 hp) vs the EU version (90.5) which isn’t great. Looks like the US will also only get the black version vs the white with red and blue accent colorway seen in many reviews of the bike so far. Kind of ironic that the US won’t get the red white and blue version. However, still looks like a great addition to the competitive middle-weight ADV segment.
Oh my God you are so right!
So very ironic!
Because the US is the only country with a flag that’s red white and blue!
The Russian and French flags are red, white and blue.
We insulted the French.
How about the Russians. Thier flag is red white & blue also. Most Americans have no idea. So being true red white & blue could mean all kinds of things.
Joins a growing stable of middle weight adventure bikes, a group I am quite fond of. It looks small, but it might just be the pictures. I’ll be looking for a 800cc give-or-take adventure bike next year, so this will be on my list!
At first glance, it looks very similar to my 2016 Africa Twin
If one of these companies building the $10-12k middle weights would put cruise control on, even as an option, I think they’d blow away the competition.
Try the Moto Guzzi V85 TT. I got one in spring and love it.
Me too…. the V85TT is AWESOME.
Throttle by wire, quick shifter, ride modes, abs intervention, selectable torque control, self-canceling turn signals, touring potential…but no cruise control. Honda always manages to disappoint it’s customers.
I couldn’t agree more. Even if it adds a couple hundred dollars to the MSRP. There will be some that disagree with having CC on a motorcycle; I get it to a certain extent.
But once you have ridden a bike with CC…it’s not as appealing to ride a bike that doesn’t have it.
never had cc on a moto but use in my truck all the time. I think it would be great for use on the straights from and to the fun stuff.
I had hopes this fascination with matte finish paint would have died off by now. Might be a nice bike but I just can’t make myself by a bike that the paint looks like it is sun baked. Would it kill them to offer it in 2 colors.
It seems thru the years that Europe consistently gets the leading edge Hondas well before they are available in the US. Finally this bike is here ….albeit lower spec for no rationale reason
Early talk suggested it would come in a DCT! It’s too bad it doesn’t! Bummer! Looks great in that black though!
There really was never that conversation.
Picking up my 91 hp white color tomorrow . But I live in thailand so don’t have to settle for the detuned model.
Just a temporary issue for us. A simple ICU re-map and whalla, HORSEPOWER!!
Maybe this will be the push for Yamaha to offer the Tracer 7 in the USA
I ride a Tiger 900 and would prefer a 750 ish power model. I really liked my CB500x, but it was not enough power on the road. The 4.5 gallon fuel tank is too small – really needs to be 5-5.5 so it has good touring range.
Still, I will test ride one when it could the the NW. 🙂
Why don’t you like the Tiger 900? I ask because I was considering buying one but on the fence with the Taureg or Tenere, and now the Honda.
Too bad it doesn’t come with DCT transmission.
Leave it to Honda USA to disappoint us again. A detuned version in flat black. I’m thoroughly convinced that Honda has no interest in the US market.
So the motorcycle manufacturer (finally) figures out we need a USB port as standard equipment. Great. But why on earth would you put it under the seat? So we can all figure a way to snake a cable up to the handle bars? I don’t understand why Honda goes half way on the job when it knows EVERYBODY wants to plug in SOMETHING (usually a phone, of course).
Once again it’s a good thing none of you are the general buying population because spec wise the Transalp and the Yamaha Tenere are very close with the Honda showing 83 hp and an RTR weight of 459lbs and the Yamaha Tenere 700 with hp of 74 and an RTR weight of 452 and dealers struggle to get enough Tenere’s to cover the Buying publics demand and I’ll bet that the Honda will be the same. Asa for the dude wanting a trailer hitch…are you fricking kidding! Where do you ride? I ride everywhere from the Baja peninsula to the jeep passes in the San Juan mountains of Colorado and pulling a trailer isn’t an option in either place. Buy a touring bike.
Cutting cost by offering only 1 matte black color makes sense. No cruise control; doesn’t.
It didn’t cut any costs. They make other colors, just cost not to spread the love to the USA.
Very disappointed in Honda USA . Lower Hp and only one color that’s not a color. No Cruise.. might just keep my KTM 390. ( great bike on and off road).
From reading many of the pissy comments in here about a promising new adventure motorcycle in the U.S., I think I understand why Honda is being cautious. Maybe tone it down a bit guys – huh? I mean, what do you expect, someone to build you a motorcycle to YOUR exact specs? Arrogance on display for sure. Geez.
Always upvote ADV bikes! Surprised it took so long for Honda to join the mid size market. They should have brought the 1000 cc Varadero over to the US years ago. I have a KTM 1190 ADV and 790R and I have hit my aftermarket bash plates plenty. On the Transalp I am seeing an exposed exhaust and what looks like a deep cast aluminum oil sump hanging way below the engine. With no frame near by, installing a bash plate will be difficult and not stout. This bike does not seem to be very dirt ready. It is 100 lbs more then the 790 R with a lot less HP. Even it is used for fire roads, conditions can deteriorate and become more challenging than anticipated
Once again shorter riders get ignored. It’s now a highly competitive segment and so any manufacturer wanting a seat at the table needs to impress with features and value. At least offer something to stand out from the field while keeping up with competitors. I think manufacturers deliberately short the list of features in order to get buyers to opt for the bigger displacement bikes. On my wish list is an ADV bike in the mid displacement range with shaft drive and cruise. Cruise should be easy to do now that everything is drive by wire.
Check out the offerings from Moto Guzzi
I traded my vstrom in on a v85– loving it for two years now.
I still have a 1990 T/A with a couple engine mods. I can’t wait to try out the new model!