By PETER THOEMING
7 August 2006

The ground is shifting in the motorcycle world. Sure, there are always changes, but lately they seem to be accelerating. Sports bikes are drifting towards tourers by becoming more comfortable; naked bikes are getting handling packages that bring them closer to sportsters; dual sports machines are picking up power boosts to the point where they can challenge anything on the road.

Everything is moving closer together, in some ways. But true all-rounders are still rare despite all this convergence, which makes it all the more surprising that one genuine all-rounder motorcycle is celebrating its 20^th birthday.

Yes, the Honda Transalp is two decades old.

Held back in the Australian market by its lack of capacity – that’s cylinder capacity, not the capacity to do things – the Transalp has nevertheless gathered a lot of loyal friends in that time. That’s not really surprising. The bike is so competent that it must have been well and truly ahead of its time when it was first introduced.

The Transalp is in fact the complete all-rounder. I knew that it made a good commuter, city courier’s bike and open-road explorer, but I had not had the opportunity to spend much time off road with it. ‘Off road’ meaning on gravel and dirt tracks – not motocross or even trail riding.

So I headed off for a few days to explore South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. The ride began in Adelaide, when I picked the bike up in the rain. Puttering out of the city over North Adelaide’s variable tar, I was pleased to find that the Bridgestone Trailwing tyres coped remarkably well with the wet and slippery road surface. Even in the rain I was able to concentrate on navigation and not the bike’s behaviour, which was distinctly welcome. Not that it’s hard to get out of Adelaide, but it had been a decade, at least, since I’d done it.

The next thing was a long transport stage past Gawler and up to Clare. The rain was more like dense mist, just thick enough to be annoying but not enough to clear itself from my helmet visor; once again I was pleased that the bike pretty much looked after itself and left me with the job of somehow seeing where I was going.

The rain stopped after Clare, and I really began to enjoy myself. All the way up to the southern Flinders Ranges I found that the comfortable and relaxed seating position of the Transalp really came into its own. I arrived at my overnight stop quite happy, without feeling sore or uncomfortable. It was cold, too, so the protection offered by the small screen and the plastic hand guards was distinctly welcome.

The relatively small engine capacity of the Transalp could be a drawback on these sorts of long, tarred-road rides, but the six valve 650 cc vee twin is quite capable of pushing the bike along at 110 km/h or even a bit faster without breathing hard. And that’s all we really want to do on transport stages, isn’t it? If you do want to stretch the bike’s legs beyond that, you’ll be pleased to know that it gets a second wind above about 7500 rpm. Rev it and it responds quite happily, but at a cost in fuel.

The engine comes into its own once you’re on the dirt or gravel I discovered that on the next day, when I tackled the back roads and tracks of Flinders Ranges National Park. There’s enough power and torque to keep you moving at a comfortable speed. Unlike one of the bigger bikes along on this ride, the Transalp does not have the excessive torque that can end up spinning the back wheel in the occasional patch of slippery mud.

The suspension was surprisingly good in all of the conditions I encountered, except for one long stretch of nasty little corrugations, which made the steering feel rather vague. I know that you’re supposed to accelerate until the corrugations even out, but I didn’t have the nerve to fly across gravel outback roads at 100 km/h.

The word that comes to mind when I think of the Transalp is ‘balance’. I think the bike is a real winner. If I were to change anything I would probably work the suspension over a little, not because it’s vital but because you can usually make improvements over the cost-conscious factory specifications. The main thing would be to stiffen up the front a little; unfortunately the 41mm leading axle fork is not adjustable. It should be possible to turn the bike into a real flyer on the gravel without sacrificing its pleasant road manners.

The Transalp is a well-balanced and versatile machine that will take you to work during the week, out over your favourite bit of scratcher’s road on the weekend and into the bush on holidays. You can carry a pillion without much fuss, too, on the comfortable rear seat pad.

Did I say that the ground is shifting in the motorcycle world? Well, it had better get a move on – it hasn’t even begun to catch up with the Transalp yet!

AT A GLANCE
Model: Honda XL650V Transalp
Price: $12,990 (plus on-road charges)
Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance
Power: 39 kW at 7500 rpm
Torque: 55 Nm at 5500 rpm
Engine: Liquid cooled 520 degree vee twin, four-stroke, SOHC, three valves per cylinder, digital ignition
Bore x stroke: 79 x 66mm
Displacement: 647cc
Compression ratio: 9.2:1
Transmission: 5 speed, hydraulic multi plate wet clutch, final drive by O-ring chain
Suspension: Front, 41mm leading axle telescopic fork, travel 200 mm. Rear, ProLink with adjustable compression damping, travel 172 mm
Dimensions: Seat height 843 mm, dry weight 191 kg, fuel capacity 19 litres, wheelbase 1505 mm
Tyres: Front, 90/90 21. Rear, 120/90 17
Frame: Single loop tubular steel
Brakes: Front, twin 256mm discs with two piston calipers. Rear, single 240mm disc.
Fuel consumption: Average on test 4.9 litres per 100km, unleaded
Range: 387 km
Colours: Pear Breezy Blue / Sparkling Silver Metallic.