Looking at a second bike to hack around on. Don't need speed or power just economy, comfort and reliability. They look sound from reviews and reports but would value the opinion from anyone who has had one?
I had a 1989. It was a nice bike but sort of like slow motion. I traded it in for a 1990 1100 Katana that I still have. But like l said it was nice.
I had one in the mid 90s. I regularly got mid 30s for mpg. Other than that, it was good. I sold it and got a Valkyrie since they get about the same mileage in my experience.
Transalp are excellent bikes. They were only available in the USA in 1989 and 1990. There is a strong community of Transalp riders to this day for several good reasons: They are extremely reliableĀ one or two known issues that are very easy to deal with They are light amd have a 21" front wheel which makes them fun offroad The engine, though only 50hp, is a great example of Honda engineering ahead of its' time. Compact, light, fun torgue, smooth and can get great gas mileage (I regularly got over 50mpg on my last Transalp) They can be modified with longer suspension, bigger tanks, stronger brakes and loads of electrical options very easily. Its no wonder that they are still available in Europe and quite popular there. Parts can be found fairly easily except for the plastics. The only reason that i sold mine was that I have the Transalp's bigger brother...the Africa Twin
I bought a '97 600 Alp in 2000. The first one with twin front discs, so breaking was OK. Overall quality was not OK, as this was the first model that was made in Italy. You could hear it rusting away. Should've bought a pre -'97 with single disc... But still, I rode it two up to very remote places and it never let me down like the Beemers would do, years later. Sold it when it started using oil at 120K. Now, would choose a pre-97 Japanese 600, a 650 or a 700, if you want ABS and FI. The latter has a 19 inch front wheel, also I'm not sure you can get one at your place. For a historical line up and other stuff, see http://www.motorradonline.de/einzeltests/gebrauchte-honda-transalp-richtig-kaufen/215737 It's in German, but google translate is your friend
I have a 1989 US model. Great reliability, comfort, carrying capacity and mileage. I average 50 mpg in mixed use riding. They are great daily riders, I commute on mine through the week, saves a ton of $ over driving my truck.
I'm having one of those "easy to deal with" issues-- maybe you can help. I blew a CDI on my 1995 Honda Transalp 400 (Japanese model). Trying to find a CDI, but only one Chinese site (direct order) lists one. THis is the ND06 model. Do you know where this part might be available? Apparently this is a common issue for bikes of that vintage, but of course, the bike is useless without it. Otherwise, I am enjoying my Transalp (had it a year). Good for city riding in that you can see over or through the SUVs. And good for country road riding. I am not such a huge fan of this vintage Transalp on freeway riding-- not enough power for my taste, and the older windshields don't create much of a bubble (might be able to custom out of that).
Yup, the CDI is a pain. Same for the 650 Africa Twin. I fixed one by cutting the back off the box and re-soldering every connection. It's fiddly but it worked. May not for you but has to be worth a try. I had a 600 Alp, 650 Alp and 650 AT. The 650 Alp was easily the best bike. The 600 is a fun and engaging ride but IMO uses too much fuel for the engine size and power. If you aren't bothered but that and the mediocre range, it is a lovely machine.
Bought a Transalp XL600V (1994, Japan-made) with 38 000 km in August and drove some 6 000 km through Europe, a half on highways, a quarter in Alps (oh those mountain passes! Grossklockner, Furka, Grimsel, Stelvio etc.). Not a single mechanical failure. My friend rode with me, she had 70-something thousands km on her 1991 XL600V. In her bike, neutral indicator lamp burned out. Reliable, comfortable, good pull. Not sporty, not too fast. Nice for cruising 130 on highways but you can get off the main track to some gravel roads. Thought it's a bit heavy to lift if you fall (if you've got some luggage on the seat, and the bike is higher than cruisers/sports, of course - dual sport!) Yet actually, I've bought it after half-an-hour ride, my ass whispered to me: "yeah, that's what I want to sit on many hours a day for three weeks!". Motorized sofa, I call it. Nice bike.
