My idea of what Honda thought: "provide an upgrade path from the CB500X but DO NOT touch sales of the Africa Twin"
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Honda Transalp 750
- Thread starter cabanza
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Interesting. Makes me wonder if Rally Raid will want to offer an upgrade packed like they do for the CB500X. But then, there wouldn't be as much to upgrade.
I think it would be cool to see an economical headlight housing replacement that would provide a bolt on AFT look or the old transalp look updated ... but doesn't look like there is much room to play around in that area.
Attachments
From what I've heard, no.
SMH...
I still can't figure out why my '19 Africa Twin doesn't. They went to throttle by wire on the '18 model, still no cruise. Just doesn't make sense.
Same as my wife’s 2017 F700GS. The throttle by wire 800cc F bikes are the only ones ever without cruise as an option. Maybe it was to people to buy the 850cc bikes.
sweatmachine
Beef loving Texan
No cruise, no tubeless tires/wheels. Swing and a miss.
I still don't get the tubeless hangup, but most of my bikes have had tubes.
Plugging a puncture is way faster than changing a tube!!!!!!!!
sweatmachine
Beef loving Texan
Less unsprung weight without a tube = better handling.
sweatmachine
Beef loving Texan
Fewer tools to carry to repair a flat as well!
How do you reseat the bead on a tubeless setup if it comes off? What do you do when you get larger tire damage than just a simple puncture? My answer to both of those is carry a tube and tools. Tubeless wheels and tires would just mean that I need to carry a plug kit in addition to what I always carry. I guess it's a matter of perspective depending on where you like to ride.
Simmons1
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I have made both my AT and T7 tubeless and also carry tubes. You use the compressor and if you can't get the bead to seat you put a tube in. On wheels with safety beads there is a lot higher chance the tire stays on the bead if you don't ride on it flat very long. If the tire is pluggable you are fixed up and moving a lot faster with a whole lot less effort than putting in a tube. A plug kit takes virtually no space and weighs next to nothing. I would kick myself if I had a simple pluggable flat and had to remove a wheel to put a tube in when I could plug and go.
Out of curiosity, did you carry tubes and tools for a flat when you had the Gold Wing?
I've considered sealing the rear wheel on my Twin for exactly why you've said. The reason I haven't is that it adds an extra mode of failure and I just don't get punctures regularly. Doesn't make sense when I'm comfortable changing a tube even if it does take longer.
On the Goldwing I had only a plug kit and compressor. I'm honestly not sure I could've gotten a wheel off of it for a more in depth repair had it been necessary. It was only used for riding with my mom and never really went off the beaten path. Given all that, I felt it was sufficient.
Coming back to the topic of the thread, the new Transalp, I just don't get writing it off over it having tubes. It's an adventure touring bike that's ostensibly designed to take you to out of the way places. That means the need to be able to effect self rescue in the foreseeable, if somewhat unlikely, circumstance of getting a flat. Already expecting to have to change a tube just ensures you'll be prepared for that. I fail to see how it's a major downside or a good reason to write off an otherwise good looking bike.
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I agree. I do like the convenience of being able to plug and go when it works but it's not a show stopper for me and I'd certainly consider a bike that had tubes if the rest of the package was capable and made sense.
In terms of practical use, I've only been unable to fix a tire on the trail once and it was when my tubeless bead broke and I couldn't re-seat it. I've since started carrying a tube.
I could see an objection for someone who plans to run 80-20 tires and almost always be on street or mild dirt roads, but for someone who plans to ride BDRs or significant challenging "Adventure" rides, they are likely to carry a tube anyway.
First video I've seen of the 2023 Transalp in the wild (turn subtitles)
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StromXTc
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I don't think we're in Texas anymore
Yep, that is traffic on a whole other level
Here is a 2nd video of the Transalp in the Vietnamese Wild
Just remember you can’t just convert the price on the website as it includes tax. I think UK is 20-22%. Germany is still 19%.
True the article acknowledges that and makes a guess, we don't even know if it is coming to the US this year or what one color we would get.
"Now, for my USA readers that are wondering what that £9,499 price would be here in America for the 2023 Honda Transalp… Sadly, we can’t do a straight conversion from European pounds to US dollars as it doesn’t work that way but if we do a little math, the 2023 Transalp 750 price for the US market should come in around the $10,000 – $11,000 mark.
Which makes the 2023 Honda Transalp 750 split the middle between the CB500X at $7,499 and the Africa Twin at $14,499, pretty much making the NC750X, borderline obsolete at its $9,399 price point when we’re talking about adventure motorcycles… unless you want something strictly for the street and is only available with a DCT automatic transmission."