RIDE REVIEW I 2024 HONDA XL750R TRANSALP
P86
to the lowest level (there are
three adjustments for that),
the ABS and TC off, and once
you're set, the bike comes
alive. But as was evident from
everyone's keys being left on
during long breaks, most of
the editors, including yours
truly found it frustrating that
turning the key off meant go
-
ing through the entire, not-so-
simple process of putting ev-
erything back where you want
it for off-road. If you leave the
key on and use the kill switch,
the ABS and TC stay off, and
there are no surprises when
you get going again.
Aside from that little peeve,
the bike performs incredibly
off-road. It's nimble and light
on its feet, and the weight is
perfectly centered for full-
throttle rear-wheel drifts as
well as tight technical terrain.
There's no top-heavy feel,
and you can lean the bike
way over for something like
a spin-around, 180° turn on a
tight trail, and it never feels
too heavy or like you're going
to drop it. The quickshifter
is fantastic for both on- and
off-road, and I rarely even
touched the clutch once the
bike was rolling. Even in tech
-
nical terrain, very little clutch
is needed to manipulate the
459-pound (wet) machine.
With all the rider aids,
a quickshifter, and self-
canceling turn signals—none
of which are offered on the
Yamaha Tenere 700—the
Transalp would send Yamaha
scrambling, as it is just as ca
-
pable off-road as the Tenere,
with the suspension being the
only limiting factor. I had an
absolute ball riding this bike
in the dirt, but if I owned one,
I would completely replace
the suspension for better off-
road control, as the standard
Showa suspension offers no
adjustment for anything other
than preload. Bummer. But
that's how they're able to hit
the incredibly low price point
of $9999. Good suspension
drives up the price of any new
model, and, let's face it, the
