2023 Honda XL750 Transalp showcased at EICMA 2022

Honda has revived the Transalp name with the new XL750 Transalp which was showcased at EICMA this year. The middleweight adventure-tourer is powered by the same parallel-twin motor that features in the Hornet CB750 which was unveiled at the Intermot last month.

The new 2023 XL750 Transalp sits in a sweetspot in Honda mid-sized adventure bike line-up in between the CRF1100L Africa Twin and providing more off-road finesse than the NC750X (not sold in India) and CB500X.

The XL750's design draws some cues from the earlier Transalp models, with the tall windscreen and wind deflectors adding to the tall-boy stance. The overall look of the bike is clean, slick, simple. We likey! The 850mm seat height should be welcomed by Indian ADV riding standards, and Honda even has an 820mm low seat as an optional accessory.

Like on the Hornet CB750, the new Transalp is powered by a 755cc eight-valve Unicam parallel-twin with a 270° crank. The new parallel-twin produces a claimed 92PS of max power at 9,500rpm and 75Nm of peak torque at 7,250rpm which is identical to the output figures of the Hornet, but the throttle-by-wire system coupled with tweaked engine maps should favor more of touring and comfort. The XL750 gets four ride modes Sport, Standard, Rain and Gravel which combine mix and match between four engine power levels, three engine brake levels, two ABS levels, and five traction control levels. Yes, there's even a user mode for custom settings.

A five-inch full color TFT screen helps manage the electronics while also serving as the interface for the Honda Smartphone Voice Control system for Android and IOS devices.

Honda claims that the handling is light, nimble and confidence inspiring. Weight of the steel diamond frame is kept low thanks to optimisation of wall/pipe thickness and stiffness. For supple on-road performance and off-road bump absorption, suspension is top quality: Showa 43mm SFF-CA USD fork and rear shock (190mm travel, with adjustable preload) operating through Pro-Link. Dual two-piston calipers provide efficient stopping power while the tyres â€" 90/90-21 and 150/70-18 front and rear â€" are said to deliver versatility on or off-road. Customers will have the option of choosing either the Metzeler Karoo Street or Dunlop Mixtour tyres. Ground clearance is 210mm.

As of now, Honda has only confirmed that it will be sold in European markets with no clear indication as to whether it is going to bring the Transalp XL750 over to India, but if the manufacturer does opt to do so, it will go up against the likes of the BMW F850GS. What a fun battle that will be!