Honda Transalp XL750
Honda’s Transalp has built up a loyal following since its launch back in 1987. The Paris-Dakar-inspired machine didn’t sell in any great numbers in the largely sportbike-obsessed UK - but the ruggedly no nonsense 583cc, 50bhp V-twin proved plenty popular in Europe, winning an eclectic fanbase of round-the-world adventurers, big-mile tourers, couriers and daily commuters who valued its ability to go-anywhere and do-anything in a solid, reliable and typically Honda kind of way.
It kept on motoring and selling decent numbers for 14 more years – before getting tweaked for the road in 2001, with a bigger 647cc engine and a bit of a facelift. The softening continued in 2008, with a new 680cc motor and a 19-inch front wheel (instead of a 21-inch). And then it was discontinued without fanfare in 2013, after a few years of struggling to hold its own against the bigger, badder and more capable generation of ‘adventure bikes’ including Honda’s very own Africa Twin and the increasingly dominant BMW R1100GS (which had showed its worth on a global scale in the hands of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman).
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Esta historia es de la edición June 2023 de Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
