Filipino riders have a long-standing love affair with on-road/off-road bikes or “dual sport bikes,” as Honda would call them.

It is to be expected because these types of motorcycles are best suited to tackle the varying road conditions our archipelago offers.

Hence, it is also unsurprising that adventure bikes are all the rage these days, and naturally, Honda aims to ensure a massive presence in this segment.

Just unveiled last month, the all-new XL750 Transalp is Honda’s latest middleweight contender in the adventure bikes segment, and it entices buyers with a competitive price tag of ₱598,000 and state-of-the-art features.

Powered by a 755cc, liquid-cooled, 4-Stroke, 8-Valve, SOHC (Single-Overhead Cam) parallel-twin, the XL750 Transalp offers 67.5 kW and 74.6 Nm with a twist of the throttle.

However, unlike its bigger sibling, the CRF1100L Africa Twin, the XL750 Transalp doesn’t have a DCT variant and only comes with a 6-speed manual transmission. 

Nevertheless, the XL750 Transalp is equipped with Selectable Riding modes to give the rider exceptional control. These riding modes, namely STANDARD, SPORT, RAIN, GRAVEL, and USER, let the rider customize the bike’s ride characteristics when taking on different riding conditions. 

Further boosting this bike’s versatility is a 5-inch TFT Full Color LCD Multi-Functional display with the Honda Smartphone Voice Control System (HSVCS) that allows riders to control their Bluetooth-enabled smartphone hands-free when using the Honda Road Sync App. This system permits access to several smartphone functions like calls, text messaging, music playback, and navigation.

Whether you are just enjoying a leisure ride in and around the city or taking a long cross-country adventure trip and every other journey in between, these features, when combined with the upright riding position, deliver an outstanding balance of handling, performance, and comfort.

Honda did not scrimp on safety as the all-new XL750 Transalp has a dual-disc front configuration with 2-Channel Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and a switchable rear ABS. This system gives you safe and responsive braking performance under any riding condition.

It also comes with the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) with wheelie control and the Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), a safety feature to avoid a collision. ESS provides a warning signal to someone behind when there's hard and sudden braking.

For some reason, though, they decided to go conservative regarding color options. The XL750 Transalp is only available in two options: Ross White and Matte Ballistic Black Metallic. It might not matter much as these bikes are meant to be covered in dirt and mud anyway.

Honda is offering us first dibs on the XL750 Transalp this coming Friday. It will be a very short saddle time because we won’t take it out of their testing facility yet.

We will share our experience with you right after.