The 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp brings the name back to the United States for the first time since 1990, this time as an all-new mid-sized adventure motorcycle with a $9999 MSRP. It sits in the middle of the company’s ADV range and is neither intimidatingly large nor powerful.
Honda positions the Transalp as less dirtworthy than the CRF300L Rally and standard Africa Twin, and more ready for off-pavement riding than the Africa Twin Adventure Sports, CB500X, and NC750X. Gravel roads are its specialty, and it’s also an agreeable street touring mount.
Power comes from an oversquare 755cc parallel twin with a Unicam valvetrain and a 270-degree firing order, paired with a 6-speed transmission and an assist-and-slipper clutch. Acceleration is deliberate rather than exciting, which helps keep the Transalp easy to ride for all but the newest motorcyclists.
Sport, Standard, Rain, and Gravel modes combine levels of power, traction and wheelie control, engine braking, and ABS. A User mode mixes any of those levels and can turn off traction control and ABS. That setup transformed the Transalp on slippery, rocky roads during our test.
The frame is 10% lighter than the CB500X’s. The 21-/18-inch wire-spoke wheels carry street-oriented Metzeler Karoo Street tires, and ground clearance is 8.3 inches. Up front, 310mm wave discs with two-piston calipers handle the braking.
Showa suspension provides nearly 8 inches of travel at each end, with a 43mm inverted fork and a linkage-assisted remote-reservoir shock. Only spring preload is adjustable. The soft damping brings comfort and traction, and hard riding uses up the travel fairly easily.
The 33.7-inch seat height can be lowered with an accessory seat. A 5-inch TFT display and LED lighting are standard. Adventure, Touring, Comfort, and City accessory collections add items such as handguards, panniers, heated grips, and a top case. Matte Black Metallic is the only color.
Benda motorcycles are beginning to make a ripple on US shores with four intriguing and competitive models, courtesy of its partnership with Keeway Group. We were impressed with the Napoleonbob 500 and have now gotten our gloves on the persuasive, entry-level 2026 Benda Chinchilla 300, with its modest MSRP of $4999. It would be difficult to design a more welcoming entry-level cruiser than this easy-handling, visually appealing boulevard bobber. Editor Don Williams and Associate Editor Kelly Callan discuss the Benda Chinchilla 300 and how it actually rode for them.
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Our guest this episode is Jesse Merriman, Chief Technician for Jeremy McWilliams at the Arch Motorcycle racing project. Arch Racing was founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reevs to compete in the Moto America Super Hooligan race series. Teejay Adams chats with Jesse about the Arch motorcycle and the challenges of extracting the absolute most from an air-cooled V-Twin racing engine and custom chassis.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
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