Motorcycle specifications HondaXL 750 Transalp 2026 Between the road and the cliffs

A true Swiss Army knife, this Transalp. Comfortable, efficient, roadworthy and never shy of venturing off-road, the Honda lives up to its name and its lineage. The manufacturer keeps a very close eye on it, with regular updates. Revised for 2025, it also receives improvements in 2026.

The first of these is a touch-up on the suspension side. As the Transalp is bound to change terrain as it travels and/or feels like it, the staff had the good idea of adding compression and rebound adjustment to both fork and shock absorber. As it was already possible to adjust the preload, the bike is now adjustable all over.

A new shoe blends in better with the machine's physiognomy. But the big bonus for 2026 is the optionalE-Clutch, Honda's robotized clutch.
After making its debut on the CB 650, the little electro-motor unit simplifies riding the Transalp. The clutch lever? No need (unless you want to keep a classic riding style). With this technology, a flick of the boot is all it takes. The E-clutch does an amazing job of smoothing out gear shifts, while being as fast as a shifter. I'll summarize the interaction between the systems at the end of the article*. In any case, clutch management adapts to the situation to be always efficient; even off-road, where it can stabilize gear shifting according to rear-wheel jerks.

The E-Clutch also does the job when the rear wheel slips. As the rider no longer needs to touch the clutch during starts and stops (whether deliberate or not), he can concentrate more on the situation at hand. A real plus, especially for novices or during unexpected technical phases.
The system also acts on the throttle according to the current driving mode. It doesn't just act on the clutch; it also takes care of the engine for optimum gear shifting.

The Transalp dynasty continues

Two years after its launch, the 750 Transalp was back on track. Did it need it? Not really, no. But even if it had to undergo a few changes to comply with Euro5+, we might as well take the opportunity to tweak a few things. A slimmer sight glass, for example, or a vent in the new bubble to improve air circulation, and also a new display with the addition of the Honda RoadSync App for more functions. Mechanically, the twin obliterates standards without loss of power, while a small dose of firmness is added to the suspension (which it will appreciate). A new backlit instrument cluster controls multiple functions, and an emergency brake signal function (the warning light is activated during heavy braking).

In short, the Transalp has secured its future without upheaval. Its appetites, combined with the process of common platforms, have led to a certain ideology in its motorization. After 25 years of V-twins, the engine is now a parallel twin. Less expensive to build, less cumbersome and lighter, this propulsion system takes the trail to a very promising summit.
92 horsepower! Honda's mid-size trailers had not accustomed us to this. All becomes clear once you discover that this block is shared with the 750 Hornet. A good dose of wattage, making it a good-looking machine in this segment. The days of 50/60 drunks on the go are now a thing of the past. The free zone now rakes in 80 to 100 horsepower.

The 755 cm3 produces 91.8 hp at 9500 rpm. The maximum torque value is a little lower, at 7250 rpm, where it reaches 7.7 mkg. Even if the internal ribs are super-square, Honda has worked hard to ensure a responsive response at low and mid-range speeds, i.e. the most demanding ranges for this type of machine.
As on the Hornet, the engine benefits from Unicam technology to achieve a compact cylinder head, optimized "Vortex Flow Ducts" intake feeding 46 mm throttle bodies, liquid cooling, 4 valves per cylinder, a limited-slip clutch and 270° timing to give it character. However, throttle control is less "sporty" on the trail than on the roadster.

Let's put our finger gently where it hurts. A trail bike has to be light. This is a sine qua non if you want to go anywhere. This isn't really the case here, with the bike claiming a full 210 kilos (E5+ put 2 kilos on it). That's a long way from a CRF 300 L... but still 6 units less than the 700 of another era.
Yet this is hardly surprising, given that the Transalp is in the (low) middle of the pack: 204 kilos for the Yam Ténéré or theAprilia 660 Tuareg, then.... 230 kilos for the 800 V-Strom, 227 for the 750 GS..

Whatever the protagonist, an enduro-style game is out of the question. However, the Honda's part-cycle keeps the exploration theme alive. The front wheel measures 21 inches, the universal size to get you where you want to go. Its 9 cm-wide tire will allow you to carve your furrow and engage as you should. The rear also boasts the right dimensions for a real trail bike, with a 150 over 18 inches. All mounted on spoked rims, of course.

While the frame's tubular-steel structure may seem very classic, the engineering behind it makes it robust enough to withstand its joyful outings, while remaining light at 18.3 kilos, compared with the CB 500 X 's 10% heavier cousin. But that's nothing to brag about either - a KTM Super Adventure trellis frame weighs in at around 10 kilos. And it has to take 160 grunts...
As the thin tires will take care of handling, Honda has opted for stability and homogeneity, with a long wheelbase of 1,560 mm and a 27° caster. The relatively open steering angle of 42° makes it easy to make U-turns while barely moving out of the way.
The suspension also plays its part. The hardware appears more than adequate, with a Showa inverted fork with separate SFF-CA functions and a Pro-Link shock absorber. Both are adjustable, but only in preload. Generous travel completes the suspension package, with 200 mm at the front and 190 mm at the rear. Reassured by its 21 cm ground clearance, the 7 1/2 Transalp can smile. Sidewalks, roots and dinosaur bones can be crossed without hesitation.

The Transalp has evolved in all areas, including braking. Who remembers its small 256 mm discs? Who cares now that the rider can count on 310 mm discs, with 2 pistons in each caliper. ABS is present, with the option of deactivating it at the rear for off-road fun. To prevent the action of the 256 mm rear disc, go to User Mode.

The last point where the Transalp enters a new world is electronics. All the Transalp's creators had to do was go to the R&D department, and they came back with a Ride by Wire throttle, torque control (5 settings), engine brake management (3 settings), adjustable ABS, several engine power levels (4), a 5-inch color TFT screen to monitor all this and more (4 display themes), as well as 5 Riding Modes. Here are their prerogatives:

Sport: engine power is set to 4, ABS to 2, while engine braking and torque control are set to 1, to enjoy maximum performance with minimum intervention from the electronics.

Standard: with this intermediate mode, engine power and torque control are set to 3, while engine braking and ABS are set to 2.

Rain: a mode adapted to difficult conditions, with engine power set to 1, engine brake and ABS set to 2, and torque control set to 5, for a smoother, safer ride.

Gravel: for off-road use, with power set to 2, engine brake to 3, torque control to 4 and ABS to 1.

User: this mode allows the rider to define his own settings for each function and store them in memory: from 1 to 4 for power, from 1 to 5 for torque control, from 1 to 3 for engine braking. ABS intervention on the rear caliper can also be disconnected.

Another good point. Thanks to the ergonomic design of the controls, the horn no longer takes up half the available space. Efforts to improve daily life on board are well underway, with a USB socket and luggage rack as standard, smartphone-bike interaction via Bluetooth, automatic turn signals, an upright, natural riding position that also allows you to stand up off-road, and almost 17 liters of fuel on board - enough to ride for a good while without having too much weight in the tank.
Not glop: the seat is a little high, at 850 mm; the bubble is not adjustable; the handguards and engine cover are optional; and the USB is located under the seat; it would have been more practical to fit it in the cockpit. However, the space is available... as an option.

Then there's the tricky question of pricing. In the past, a Transalp cost around 10% more than a Hornet, with which it shared neither engine nor chassis. Honda has been unable to maintain this small price differential, but the 750 is now priced to take on the 700 Ténéré, 660 Tuareg and 900GS. To name but a few.

With the return of the Hornet and Transalp, Honda has hit the mid-size segment hard. The trail combines all its strengths, with a clear appetite for off-roading - much more so than the previous generation. The competition can tremble. Even theAfrica Twin is not immune to having a few customers stolen from it.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos

* What does the E-Clutch do?

Ignition timing and engine injection are controlled according to parameters such as vehicle speed, throttle opening angle, engine speed, pressure on the gearshift pedal, clutch motor reducer angle, intermediate shaft speed and gear engaged. The clutch itself is controlled by a two-motor actuator located inside the right-hand engine cowling.

When downshifting, the ride-by-wire actuates the throttle, adapting engine speed to the speed of the rear wheel for even smoother gear changes.

The rider can select an "operating feel" to adjust the intensity of the force required on the gearshift pedal. Three settings are available: Hard, Medium and Soft, each of which can be selected independently for upshifting and downshifting. The system also prompts the rider to downshift - via a symbol on the dashboard - if it detects that the bike is engaged in a higher gear at a certain speed.

The clutch lever can be used normally at any time. After use, the Honda E-Clutch system reactivates in less than a second above a certain engine speed, and after 5 seconds at low engine speeds. If the rider wishes to deactivate the system for a particular journey, he can also do so via the switch on the left handlebar, once the vehicle is stationary and in neutral. Switching to manual mode is indicated by the letter "M" on the dashboard.