After its reintroduction to Honda’s lineup at the end of 2023, the Honda XL750 Transalp gets its first round of updates for the 2025 model year. New styling, new colors, and most importantly, new suspension settings highlight the changes for 2025, and I took it for a 175-mile “quick spin” to check them out.
Photos by Simon Cudby
While we had many positive things to say about the pre-’25 Transalp, its suspension wasn’t one of them. It’s softly sprung and light on damping. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about it with the available settings. In other words, there is no easy fix. We weren’t the only ones who felt this way, so Honda responded by tweaking the bike’s 43mm Showa SFF inverted fork and single Showa rear shock’s internal valving for 2025. You still can only adjust the spring preload at both ends.
When we first tested the 2023 Transalp, we found the suspension to be acceptable for casual and somewhat spirited street riding but in need of improvement for anything beyond relaxed off-road riding. However, when we later compared the Transalp to the Yamaha Tenere 700, the Honda’s suspension clearly stood out, but not in a good way. In comparison, the Transalp’s fork and shock easily bottom out with minimal damping resistance in either direction, leading to an unsettled ride, even on the pavement. The 2025 suspension is a noticeable improvement, however. I had the chance to ride the ’24 Transalp back-to-back with the ’25, and I could clearly feel the difference, especially in how the new suspension performs much better at speed, allowing me to hit big bumps with more comfort and confidence than on the ’24 model. Smaller to medium-sized bumps are no longer a problem for the Transalp, but you still need to be cautious with larger bumps at speed, as the suspension tends to compress quickly, bottom out, and rebound just as fast. However, this only occurred when I was really pushing the Transalp, probably not how most riders will intend to use it.
The Transalp suspension is designed with a lot of sag under its own weight, so there is room to bump up preload if you want. If you plan to ride the bike aggressively, you might want to even consider going to a stiffer spring in the back.
The 2025 Transalp also gets a new five-inch TFT display with Honda’s new RoadSync smartphone app, which was recently introduced on the latest Gold Wing grand tourer and other CB models. A new thumb dial on the left handlebar, which controls the bike’s electronics, was designed to help you navigate through the new screen more easily.
The new dash and thumb-actuated control module are indeed much easier to navigate than the previous versions. Plus, the display is easier to see in sunlight and simpler to read overall. I found the 2024 display to be overly analog, displaying too much information on the screen to read at a quick glance. Sometimes simpler is better, and Honda nailed it with this new setup.
To handle the varied off-road terrain I’d be riding, Honda equipped my bike with Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tires and an aftermarket skid plate, necessary mods for anyone planning to take the Transalp off-road. I scraped the bottom of the Transalp on the rocks multiple times and was grateful for the skid plate. The Bridgestones performed well off-road but also handled the highway twisties without much compromise.
The 2025 Transalp features a new air duct on the windshield, designed to improve airflow and aerodynamics. It looks good, too. Pearl Grey and White color options are also new, as the 2024 model came in just black. Both new colors come with gold wheels and the same price.
One issue we had with the previous model was that you had to reset your ABS and TC settings every time you turned off the ignition, which would revert to the manufacturer’s settings. That hasn’t changed, unfortunately. Plus, there’s no simple way to turn ABS or TC on or off or adjust them quickly. A simple on/off switch or button, especially for ABS, would have been a welcome improvement. Maybe next time.
Luckily, the few but important changes to the latest Transalp didn’t increase the price. The 2025 Honda Transalp still carries the same appealing $9999 MSRP. A big improvement with no added cost? I’ll buy that.CN
VIDEO | 2025 Honda Transalp XL750 First Ride Review
2025 Honda XL750 Transalp Specifications
| MSRP | $9999 |
| Engine Type | 4-stroke, parallel-twin |
| Displacement | 755cc |
| Fueling | PGM-FI; 46mm throttle bodies |
| Transmission | Manual 6-speed |
| Final Drive | 16T/45T; chain |
| Front Suspension | 43mm Showa SFF-CATM inverted fork w/ preload adjustment |
| Rear Suspension | Pro-Link system w/ single Showa remote-reservoir shock |
| Front Wheel | 21 in. |
| Rear Wheel | 18 in. |
| Wheelbase | 61.5 in. |
| Seat Height | 33.7 in. |
| Fuel Capacity | 4.4 gal. w/ 0.9 gal reserve |
| Weight (curb, claimed) | 463 lbs. |
Click here to read the 2025 Honda XL750 Transalp Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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