Looking forward to zipping around with reckless abandon on your new Honda Transalp? Well, when the new bike gets to the US (and we do know it’s coming), Americans won’t be getting the same performance that Euro buyers are getting. The US-spec machine will be significantly down on horsepower.
This news comes from regulatory paperwork that Dennis Chung of Motorcycle.com has uncovered. As Chung recently wrote:
In Europe, the XL750 Transalp’s 755cc Parallel-Twin claims a peak output of 67.5 kW at 9,500 rpm, which translates to about 90.5 hp. For U.S.-bound models, however, we can confirm the Transalp will claim an output of just 62 kW at 8,500 rpm, or 83 hp.
The proof comes to us from two sources: emissions certifications with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and vehicle identification number (VIN) filings submitted by Honda to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The VIN submission confirms the 83 hp output, while the EPA certification confirms the 62 kW output, plus its arrival at just 8500 rpm compared to the European model’s peak output coming at 9,500 rpm. The European Transalp has an indicated redline of 10,000 rpm, but we suspect the U.S. model will not rev as high, perhaps to meet noise requirements.
The 7.5-horsepower difference would be significant and noticeable to motorcyclists who rode the Euro-spec and US-spec machines back-to-back, but very few riders will probably get that opportunity. Will the low-80s horsepower be enough to satisfy power-hungry Americans? We’ll find out soon, but it’s worth noting that this detuning puts the Transalp on the same footing as the Suzuki 800DE, which also makes 83 hp. The Suzook is the Transalp’s closest competitor, and the parity of horsepower now puts them on a more even footing.
It’s also worth nothing this is the second high-profile motorcycle to see this happen in 2023. Earlier this year, Kawasaki’s ZX-4R came to the US with less horsepower than overseas markets—reportedly about 20 hp down from the Asian-spec 76 hp. The reason? Authorities wouldn’t let the ZX-4R rev to its potential, due to noise pollution laws.
Of course, it didn’t take long for tuners to figure out how to circumnavigate the neutered factory electronics, and it’s likely we will see the same with the Transalp when it comes to North America. Plug-and-play upgrades should give riders the full 90ish hp.
New Africa Twin Adventure Sports
In other Honda news: For some time now, there have been rumors of an update to the Africa Twin for 2024. Now, another Dennis Chung write-up at Motorcycle.com shows an Africa Twin Adventure Sports model update is filed for Switzerland for 2024. A new frame and engine (with more torque) are coming. Since the Adventure Sports model likely echoes changes to the base model Africa Twin, we expect an update on that bike in the near future as well.
