Honda Transalp Confirmed For Canada

Hey there, ADV geeks—the much-awaited Honda Transalp has finally been confirmed for Canada!

The original Transalp had a production run from the 1980s through 2008 in Europe, but it was only sold in Canada in 1987. It had a reputation as a solid travel bike, better-suited for the street than hardcore dirt riding. Nevertheless, it was a popular machine overseas, and ever since it was canceled, people hoped for its return.

That return was confirmed in 2022, when Honda built a new Transalp around its parallel twin 750 engine (as also used in the CB750 Hornet naked bike). But even as that machine debuted last year, it was not confirmed for Canada. Now, that’s changed—we know it is coming as a 2024 model.

What to expect

Here’s what we told you, in our write-up from the 2022 show circuit:

“Honda has brought back the Transalp adventure bike for 2023, based off the CB750 Hornet platform that we saw released earlier this year.

That means we get a 755cc parallel twin Unicam engine, with 270-degree crank, four-valve heads, six-speed gearbox, assist/slipper clutch, and throttle-by-wire. Although it’s mechanically the same as the Hornet, Honda says it’s retuned for ADV duty. Max claimed output is 90 hp at 9,500 rpm and 55 lb-ft of torque at 7,250 rpm.

Of course, there’s a comprehensive electronics package on the bike. Honda’s Euro press release says “Electronic rider aids run via Throttle By Wire (TBW) and include 5 riding modes, 4 of which contain pre-set combinations of Engine Power, Engine Braking, ABS and Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) with integrated Wheelie Control. The 5th ‘User’ mode allows the rider to fix their own preferred combination.” So, you can set the bike’s electro-trickery to your own preference, or just select one of the factory settings.

Hondas are typically known for sensible fuel consumption numbers, and the new Transalp is no different. It’s supposed to do as well as 23 km/l, which allows you to extend that 16.9-liter tank as far as 390 km, which will no doubt cut into the sales of aftermarket tanks. Very few buyers will ever realistically need to push beyond 300 km.

The Transalp uses a lightweight steel diamond frame, even lighter than the frame on the CB500X, with integrated subframe. Showa provides both front suspension (SFF-CATM Separate Function Fork) and rear suspension, with 200 mm of travel and 190 mm of travel respectively. Both front and rear end are adjustable for preload.

Front braking comes from dual 310 mm discs with two-piston calipers; in back, there’s a solo 256 mm disc with single-piston caliper. The machine comes with dual-channel ABS. The front tire is an offroad-friendly 21-incher, and there’s an 18-inch tire in rear. In Europe, riders will get either Metzeler Karoo Street or Dunlop Mixtour tires.”

Since then, we’ve seen one major difference between the Euro-spec bike and the US-spec machine. The bike headed for the States is limited to 83 hp, due to anti-pollution laws (it’s speculated that this is due to engine noise, not tailpipe emissions. Similar regulations saw the ZX-4R limited to less horsepower than overseas models, despite having the exact same engine). We have seen no indication as to whether Canada’s machine has the full power, or watered-down US output.

Here are some other details we didn’t have at the release:

• A rear rack comes standard
• Rear ABS can be switched off for gravel riding
• An up/down auto-blipping quickshifter is optional, and a low seat
• A USB charging socket comes standard under the seat
• For 2024, Canada’s only colour choice is Matte Black Metallic
• And the most important details of all: Canadian pricing is $13,499 ($12,599 MSRP plus $900 freight/PDI charges) plus taxes and fees, and the bike goes on sale here on September 20 (tomorrow!)