Middleweight twins are all the rage right now, and the competition to produce the hottest bike with the coolest price in this category is getting fierce. Honda’s new 750cc twins are right in the eye of this storm with their super-competitive pricing.
The new Honda Hornet that was launched towards the end of last year already set the precedent for the Big H’s pricing with its rather appealing £6999 price tag. That’s £1k less than its biggest rival, the brand-new Suzuki GSX-8S (£7999), and £500 cheaper than the ubiquitous naked roadster, the Yamaha MT-07 (£7500).
The same competitive pricing trend continues with the new Honda Transalp, another old name from Honda’s back catalogue that shares the new 755cc twin engine platform with the new Hornet. Honda has now announced that the OTR price of the Transalp will be £9499 when the bike hits the showrooms in April 2023. The first 150 customers who place an order will also benefit from the limited offer of a complimentary Datatool STEALTH GPS Tracker that includes the first 12 months subscription and fitting cost.
That’s a strong price in the market where Suzuki’s new V-Strom 800DE costs £10,499, while Yamaha Tenere sets you back £10,100, and the Triumph Tiger 850 Sport is yours for £10,095, although you could grab the smaller Triumph Tiger Sport 660 for £8945.
The Transalp offers a tempting package for those looking for a modern middleweight adventure tourer. It features a 755cc parallel twin motor with a 270° crankshaft, delivering 90bhp and 75Nm torque. The electronic aids include five riding modes, providing different levels of power output, traction control, wheelie control and engine braking characteristics. The frame is steel, the wire-spoked wheels off-road sized (21”/18”), and with the launch colour schemes and graphics, it all makes the latest XL750 easily identifiable as a modern day Transalp.