© RideApart.comCould Honda Soon Be Working On A New Transalp 750?
For some time now, Honda's been leaving all kinds of Transalp 750 breadcrumbs for eager moto enthusiasts to find. First, there were the recent trademark filings on the name, in multiple markets. Then, there were the teasers for the upcoming Honda Hornet, which is widely expected to be a 750 that shares the same engine-which is also suspected to be a new twin design, separate from the existing 750 currently found in the NC750X, Forza 750, and X-ADV.
Fast-forward to September, 2022, and Swiss motorcycle publication ActuMoto seems to have captured a Honda Transalp 750 test mule out in the wild, somewhere in France. From the story they tell, stumbling upon the bike was purely a happy accident while they were returning from the 2022 Hard Alpitour rally (also commonly referred to as HAT).
The team wanted to get some photos of the bikes they'd ridden to the event when they spotted this strange creature out grazing, then realized what it was. Their whole account is worth a read, so we'll be sure to stick a link in our Sources so you can check it out.
The bike shown in the photos is clearly labeled "Transalp," and you can spot a 750 designation as well. The wheels are spoked, and the front appears to be a 21-inch wheel-which lends weight to the expectation that the Transalp 750 will be a more serious middleweight adventure machine, and one that is actually capable of handling off-road duty.
The bash plate looks reasonably serious as well, which of course would be something you'd look for if you're planning an off-road excursion. While the bike doesn't have any luggage mounted on it, or any brackets installed to mount luggage, there's clearly plenty of space around the tail to mount panniers and gear up for journeys. The windscreen looks as though it should offer a reasonable amount of protection to the rider, although we can't tell a lot more about it from these photos.
What's most striking, however, is the fact that there's literally no disguise on this bike. It's just . there, out and about, and looking like a very-nearly-ready-for-primetime production model. (ActuMoto speculated that it caught the bike out shooting official promo photography for future brochures and/or advertisements-hence the complete lack of disguise-but there's probably no way to know for sure.)
When can we expect to see the official unveiling of the new Honda Transalp 750? After the ups and downs of the past two years, 2022 is looking like a return to (mostly) normal for two of the biggest global motorcycle industry events on the calendar. As I write this in September, 2022, both Intermot and EICMA are just around the corner-with the former in October and the latter in November. Hopefully, we won't have long to wait before the new Transalp 750 makes its world debut.
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Source: ActuMoto