New Transalp in Two Wheels only slated

[coldo]

hi im new to the site but look in from time to time , i bought a 700 ta 2 months ago and love the bike and also have a 1988 600 ta import from italy ,imo the older bike is built much better built than the new one ,all the fastners and banjos on the brabes are like new on my old one ,but are starting to fade on my 700 ,the 700 is better to drive with a set of fatbars and rizer clamps and only the headshake at speed is a letdown ,i had a bmw 1100 gs before i bought the 700 and liked it but it is not for off road ,i have raced motocross for years and can honestly say that i would use the 700 rather than the bmw for an adventure ,ok the bmw is good on the twisties and the motorway but the ta is better for off road and if you are going on an adventure i would not be looking to be on motorways ,i have changed the gearing for motorway driving and the 700 is better to drive allround now ,my biggest gripe is build quality with the spokes and fastners ,

[Jonothan]

As the owner of both a BMW R1200GSA and a Transalp XL700VA, and having ridden an F800GS several times, I can honestly say that if there was a choice between an F800 and a Transalp for a European trip, I'd grab the Honda keys every time. Why? Because the Honda is more comfortable and is (dare I say this?) better screwed together.

I don't think that the Transalp should ever be compared against the likes of the big KTMs or a 1200 GSA, because they're very different beasts - and as has already been said, the XL700 is more akin to an SUV than a 4x4.

But as an all round package, the Transalp is a pretty amazing machine for most tasks.

However, would I spend more than 6½K on one? No, I wouldn't. I bought mine new last year in May, for cash at just under £5,000. For that money it was a bargain and now that I've fitted the Trax panniers and top box with the SW-Motech carrier and pannier rails, it does 95% of what my GSA does at half the price. Now that the price has gone up, it's looking less of a good buy and the smaller Beamers are going to put up some serious competition, if only for the cachet of the name and the high resale values.

J

[pdsquire]

The Transalp has always been more than the sum of its parts. On paper it is hopeless: to live with every day it is a breeze. As I live in central London and ride daily, I state on good authority that the 650 is simply everything you want for an urban bike. Not too fast but quick enough; comfortable; stable; manouevrable; utterly dependable; remarkably easy to beat sports bikes through tight bends; plenty of luggage room; not going to be nicked. I imagine the same is true of the 700.

I run my 2001 650 on knobblies because I do take it off road and it does well enough. It's not great, but it Will Not Stop. I have been out with several KTMs which are hugely better trail bikes, but why have they been made allergic to water?! I have twice dropped my Alp in streams - completely underwater - and it started after about 10 seconds. KTMs will stop when they get splashed and simply won't start. I've seen it myself. I can't vouch for the TA 700: I imagine it'll be as reliable and it will go off-road, but it is just not the right design.

And that's my gripe: Honda have simply given up. A 700 should still chug to the ends of the Earth like a 600 would, but why the Hell isn't it much, much better? A 700 is a bit of an improvement over my 1989 600 but in some ways it is not as good. IT SHOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT CLASS! Honda is THE innovative bike company and yet the TA 700 as nice as it is - and it's still better than many bikes - is just a variation on an old, old theme.

Mr Honda must be spinning in his grave.

[flyinwalrus]

I agree & disagree with some of the comments....yes its no africa twin nor a KTM but its an all round "adventure bike" If people moan about bash plates, noneof the bikes mention have standard kit thats up to strength against aftermarket stuff..and adventue bike will have some downfalls in the dirt, but willcope with the tarmac better too.... crikey a beemer 1150/12gs is hardly your 1st choice off roader is it!! and as for engine design theres none older than the XTZ!!!... beemers get plenty of probs ... trust me one of my mates is a bmw bike mech!! a ktm adventure 640(not now made but in same "class") is blinding off road and built to ride to africa tomorrow but 3k servicing & not as easy on road you pay your money!! tenere a legend yes i'll agree but is high stiff suspension for offroad andprob notquite as comfy.... at end of day for an adventure bike they'll all do the job...but anyone off on serious travel would mod any of them...honda always has that in built durability though eh.... cheers guys n gals i'll get off my box now lol

[pale rider]

i think the best thing i ever read about the transalp in a single line was:- "it is more competent off-road than MOST riders"

and i think that sums the bike up to a tee

most people if and but about bikes that lack abilities that they themselves dont have enough skill for anyways...

[StumpyFingers]

My 650 is a great machine, it does everything I want.
It is not to fast but is no slow coach either.
It is better off road than I am.
It handles continental journeys with no problems.
It has a good seating position, I can sit comfortably and see all around.
In standard trim it is thirsty
The plastics are cheap and nasty but cost a fortune to replace.
As for the rest I think Honda put too much compromise into the 700, They made it more of a road bike and ruined the styling.
The 650 RD03 and the 750 RD04 through to the RD07a Kept most of the same styling with slight changes. The Transalp got style changes everytime the engine was changed. If Honda had kept the same style throughout it would be a great family of bikes.

[Wee Jack]

So the Transalp gets slaughtered in another magazine review ?? Magazine reviews are the opinion of the testers not a true reflection of the qualities of the motorcycle. If the reviewer has just come from a previous day's testing a Blade or R1, of course he's going to think it's slow !! if he's just come from a test of a KTM offroad , of course he's going to say the Alp is not as good offroad.

I've owned a 650 Alp, a KTM990, among the very many bikes I've owned over the years and now run a 700 Alp.

Is it as fast as the KTM ? No
Does it handle like a KTM? No
Is it as good on rough surfaces as the KTM? No

But ............

Is the KTM as nimble in traffic as the Alp? No
Is the KTM as fuel efficient as the Alp? No
Is the KTM as cheap to insure as the Alp? No

What do you want from a motorcycle ?? thats the real question.

If I was asked to test a Ducati 1098 , I would probably slate it , because it does not do what I need from my motorcycle......... ie everyday transport , in all weathers , all year round , sunday runs, workday commuting and touring. My biking buddie on the other hand , who runs a Yamaha R1 , would probably make a terrible mess of the inside of his leathers if he was asked to test a Ducati !!!!!

The bike that best suits your needs , is the best bike in the world - for you.

[veodoble]

Hey Kakugo, please don't go into nationalistic considerations, I don't think Spanish manufacturing should have anything to do with that. I've owned bikes built in many places, and always have experienced similar issues with all of them. But ok, you're free to think what you want. Besides, is the new TA built in Spain? I didn't know that, I was only aware that Deauville is made here. Lots of Police Departments ride the Deaville here.

And about the main topic here, I now own a 2003 650 TA, and can't talk bad things about her. Just came from a trip down Andalucia, and after 2000 miles of 2 passenger and fully loaded bike I can only speak good things. I'm travelling to Greece this october, thru Balkans and all, and I'm very confident. Only thing I'm really considering to improve is the seat, and as I've browsed here in XRV my final decission is to make myself something like a sheepskin seat cover.

cheers to all.

[StumpyFingers]

AS has been said before When I read the specifications for the Transalp they make it look like a waste of money.
However when I got on one and rode it, it was a totally different machine.
It has its bad points, but overall it is an ideal bike for today.
It handles town traffic nimbly, it handles the twists and turns with ease.
It handles long trips with ease, in fact it does everything a rider needs.
It does not propel you at mind blowing speeds endangering life and licence.
That fact that it is made in Europe does have an effect on its quality, like the cars which the Japanese started to produce over here. Until they get the Japanese management and working practices I think the shoddy Finish will remain, Building to a price means cutting corners on materials cheap and cheerful unfortunately the wrong materials and finish in the wrong places.

[beep]

I have to largely agree with Two Wheels only's review, the TA700 is a bit of a disappointment. I've been looking for a mid-sized "adventure tourer" for a while and have test ridden nearly all the bikes on the market, some of them twice, including the TA, Tenere, F650GS (twin), F800GS and Vstrom 650. Clearly all these bikes have their plus points, for me the best ride was the F650GS, followed closely the F800GS. In the end I couldn't take the plunge with either of them due to all the bad press they get for niggling little faults.

The bike I'm most likely to buy would be the Vstrom, great performer, heavy feeling but doesn't quite inspire me enough to part with the cash (yet). Tenere and Transalp both lose a sale due to their seats, price and slightly disappointing engines (especially the Tenere). The TA's seat is just too low for me and the Tenere's seat is all wrong, as many have found it locks you into one place on the bike, not good for long distances. The TA's engine is okay but not a match for the Suzuki or BMWs which have a lot more power and feel sorted. The Tenere is just slow against this competition - even the TA feels a LOT faster.

Having owned a TA600 (great bike!!), I was expecting the 10+ years of development time to have improved the TA more than it has. Put the 700 in a TA600 chassis and you'd have great bike (better than the AT in many ways). Actually why don't they just bring back the AT with the new TA engine or am I just being daft - I'm sure it'd sell!? As for the new price of the TA700, it's simply too high, even the cheaper Tenere is now overpriced. The bargain of the bunch has to be the Vstrom.

So I'm now waiting for the 2010 bikes to be released. I doubt there will be any interesting new mid-sized adventure bikes for next year but you never know. Even a taller seat for the TA and lower price might tempt me, as would a restyled Vstrom. I simply don't want a large R1200GS wannabe. I'd even settle for a decent single, like the Tenere with either a lot less weight or more power (but without a KTM badge on the tank ;O) )

I have to agree with the comments about build quality, my old TA was certainly much higher quality than the new ones. However Hondas still seem pretty good compared to the competition, my FMX isn't showing any signs of falling apart or rust after two years.