RIDER'S SEAT
Gravel and User. Each mode features modifications to the power level, traction control, engine braking and ABS intervention. On most other bikes these days Sport mode – which maximises power and performance – tends to be a little too twitchy, but on the Transalp it felt like the de facto program for ultimate enjoyment. Despite the neutered ECU tune, Honda’s Transalp combines responsive power delivery, an angry soundtrack and tight handling package that makes for an extremely fun and boisterous mount on pavement. Braking is handled by a twin set of 310 mm discs up front and a single 256 mm unit in the rear. Initial bite is good with decent feedback through the lever. The softness of the suspension will show itself with a bit of nose-dive under hard braking, but the weight transfer never felt like it caused the front to push. The ABS unit overseeing things can be toggled to off-road mode, which cancels the pulsations at the rear so induced lock-ups to tighten a turning radius in the dirt is easy work. Speaking of, the Transalp won’t baulk when the pavement ends. The fine folks at “Ride the Highlands” (see sidebar) recently pulled the wraps off of their new Timber Trail Loop which combines a decent amount of gravel and forest access roads to deliver a fun adventure ride. I tackled a sizable chunk of the dirty bits from its southern portions and the Transalp didn’t falter at all. In Gravel mode the power was chopped enough to keep roosting to a minimum, but the traction control and ABS settings were optimised to allow for slippin’ and slidin’ when you wanted to. The Transalp I was on was also outfitted with the larger ADV pegs, and that made the feel from a standing position extremely communicative to help steering from the pegs – I’d definitely recommend the upgrade even if dirt riding isn’t your main
attraction to this bike. The lower ground clearance never became an issue, but none of the dirt on this portion of the loop was all that gnarly. If I were looking to focus on honing my enduro skills, the Transalp wouldn’t be my first choice as the Yamaha T7 and Aprilia Tuareg are both ADV bikes engineered to excel in those situations. But if the riding you’re aiming to do is a healthy mix of road and fire road/cottage trail adventuring, the Transalp presents a convincing argument. I really grew to appreciate the honesty of this bike over my two weeks with it. From its looks to its dimensions to its power delivery and ergonomics, it doesn’t promise to be a “big dirt bike” that can tackle off-piste insanity. This is an adventure touring mount that rewards as much on pavement and long distance rides as it does when the asphalt ends. And, with regard to those lost ponies, Honda’s warranty ends after one year so a reflash to match its European cousin can solve that without too much worry, so there’s no complaints here.
“This is an adventure touring mount that rewards as much on pavement and long distance rides as it does when the asphalt ends.”
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