HONDA XL700V TRANSALP
“User friendly”. This was the descriptive term that came to mind almost immediately after I had left Honda South Africa’s Midrand headquarters astride an almost-new XL700V Transalp to take on the Pretoria-bound Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic on a very wet N1. Everything about this bike seemed to contribute to making the transition from my usual ride happen almost naturally. But as I got to spend more time on the Transalp, “user friendly” made way for an even more complimentary term.
Upon being offered a Transalp as my mount for marshaling the Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, I spent some time researching the latest incarnation of Honda’s 20-year-old dual-purpose bike. On paper, the Transalp looked decidedly underwhelming. Although the 680cm3 52-degree V-twin’s power output has been increased to 44.1kW from the 39kW of the previous-generation 650cm3 mill, with the Transalp weighing in at a fairly hefty 214 kg this didn’t exactly spell performance of the roll-back-the-tarmac type. But paper tells only part of the story.
In practice the bike proved to be responsive and nippy, displaying an eagerness that belies the cold hard facts. It is here where the torque of the V-twin comes into play, all 60 Nm of it. The Transalp pulls strongly from around 2 700rpm in any gear, making it an excellent choice for a commuter bike. The 841mm seat height adds to the bike’s aptitude for this role, allowing the rider a commanding view over the roofs of most of the surrounding traffic.
Of course, the Transalp isn’t primarily intended as a commuter, and relegating it to this role exclusively would be doing the bike a huge disservice. It cruises quite happily at an indicated 150km/h, and with the addition of some of the wide range of accessories Honda lists for this model – including a top box, panniers and a taller screen – the Transalp can be turned into a credible long distance tourer, albeit one best suited to one-up riding.
It was the handling department that suggested the second descriptive term: “confidence inspiring”. Staying in front of the bicycles around the 90-degree corners in Joburg’s inner-city streets proved to be easier than expected. Honda’s decision to replace the old Transalp’s 21-inch front wheel with a 19-inch version has contributed to the responsiveness of the bike, especially at low speed. The tyres, with a definite bias towards hard road surfaces, held their grip even when I cornered at higher speed. Unfortunately the Cycle Challenge didn’t afford me the opportunity to test the Transalp’s soft-road abilities, but other reviews suggest that it is more at home on tar than on sand.
Leaving home at 3AM for a 4AM briefing, I found that the Transalp’s multi-reflector headlight was another confidence-inspiring feature. Both low and high beams lit the way ahead commandingly, although I felt that the test bike’s headlight was set a little too high. Even so, I had no difficulty seeing in the darker portions of my route to Rivonia. I wasn’t overly fond of the ellipsoid shape of the headlight, but that’s a matter of personal preference. Besides, there is more than enough pleasingly attractive styling on the Transalp to counteract my mild dislike of the headlight.
If you’re in the market for a multi-purpose bike, the Transalp is definitely worth a look. And don’t be put off by it’s modest specifications; do yourself a favour and take one for a test drive. You’re bound to be pleasantly surprised.
Upon being offered a Transalp as my mount for marshaling the Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, I spent some time researching the latest incarnation of Honda’s 20-year-old dual-purpose bike. On paper, the Transalp looked decidedly underwhelming. Although the 680cm3 52-degree V-twin’s power output has been increased to 44.1kW from the 39kW of the previous-generation 650cm3 mill, with the Transalp weighing in at a fairly hefty 214 kg this didn’t exactly spell performance of the roll-back-the-tarmac type. But paper tells only part of the story.
In practice the bike proved to be responsive and nippy, displaying an eagerness that belies the cold hard facts. It is here where the torque of the V-twin comes into play, all 60 Nm of it. The Transalp pulls strongly from around 2 700rpm in any gear, making it an excellent choice for a commuter bike. The 841mm seat height adds to the bike’s aptitude for this role, allowing the rider a commanding view over the roofs of most of the surrounding traffic.
Of course, the Transalp isn’t primarily intended as a commuter, and relegating it to this role exclusively would be doing the bike a huge disservice. It cruises quite happily at an indicated 150km/h, and with the addition of some of the wide range of accessories Honda lists for this model – including a top box, panniers and a taller screen – the Transalp can be turned into a credible long distance tourer, albeit one best suited to one-up riding.
It was the handling department that suggested the second descriptive term: “confidence inspiring”. Staying in front of the bicycles around the 90-degree corners in Joburg’s inner-city streets proved to be easier than expected. Honda’s decision to replace the old Transalp’s 21-inch front wheel with a 19-inch version has contributed to the responsiveness of the bike, especially at low speed. The tyres, with a definite bias towards hard road surfaces, held their grip even when I cornered at higher speed. Unfortunately the Cycle Challenge didn’t afford me the opportunity to test the Transalp’s soft-road abilities, but other reviews suggest that it is more at home on tar than on sand.
Leaving home at 3AM for a 4AM briefing, I found that the Transalp’s multi-reflector headlight was another confidence-inspiring feature. Both low and high beams lit the way ahead commandingly, although I felt that the test bike’s headlight was set a little too high. Even so, I had no difficulty seeing in the darker portions of my route to Rivonia. I wasn’t overly fond of the ellipsoid shape of the headlight, but that’s a matter of personal preference. Besides, there is more than enough pleasingly attractive styling on the Transalp to counteract my mild dislike of the headlight.
If you’re in the market for a multi-purpose bike, the Transalp is definitely worth a look. And don’t be put off by it’s modest specifications; do yourself a favour and take one for a test drive. You’re bound to be pleasantly surprised.