Honda Transalp 650 Review

Welcome to the Adventure Motorcycle Traveller Reviews. Here’s a 40,000-mile review of the Honda Transalp 650 by round-the-world motorcycle traveller Cemil Gulasi.

By Cemil Gulasi

Motorcycle traveller - aka Jem Goose

Quick info

Bike: Honda Transalp 650
Year: 2003 model
Price: Purchased for 3500AUD (1,704GBP) with 24,000kms/15,000miles on the clock
Miles covered: 64,000kms / 39,800miles
Years owned: since August 2023

Honda Transalp 650

Engine: 647cc, V-twin, liquid-cooled, carburetted
Power: 52 bhp
Torque: 40 ft-lbs
Kerb weight: 210kg
Seat height: 843mm
Tank capacity: 19 litres (stock tank)
Tyres: 21 and 17
Front suspension: 41 mm leading-axle telescopic fork (non-adjustable, 220 mm travel)
Rear suspension: Pro-Link monoshock with adjustable compression damping (172 mm travel)

Prep

Why this bike?

Price and reputation. My close friend Tommy (Two Dirty Wheels) who rides a Transalp 600 recommended the Transalp 650 when I was preparing for my big trip.

I owned a Yamaha XT660R back in 2007 and covered about 25,000kms on it before selling it to fund my trip to Australia. So a Yamaha Tenere 660Z was high on my list – along with Australia’s favourite adventure bike – the Suzuki DR650. But both models with low mileage are often priced close to the pointy end of my budget, which was 8,000AUD (3,895GBP)

Modifications

I was left with plenty of change after purchasing the Transalp, so I did the mods below to build my own Transalp 650: “The Tractor”.

Progressive Springs front and rear: Hyperpro – this is a must-do mod for adventure touring. Stock fork springs bottom out easily and move a lot under braking, stock rear spring is soft and sags under the load. Upgraded suspension improved overall handling, braking and off-road rideability.
Comfort and stability: Wide footpegs from SW-Motech) and a foldable gear lever (aftermarket for Honda CR125).
Crash bars: Givi – crash tested, they bend easily but it takes the stress away from the chassis to avoid any major damage. They are easy to put back into shape. Good for attaching small bags to keep an even weight distribution too.
Spotlights: Gooeylights – adjustable brightness for better visibility, crash tested and passed with minor damage.
Handlebars: I fitted a higher Protaper handlebar, alloy handguards from Barkbusters, Oxford heated grips, a Quadlock phone holder and a generic USB port from Amazon. The new handlebar setup makes a big difference in comfort and safety, I found this setup ideal for long distance touring. Nothing too bulky or out of place, all controls are easy to reach.
Full exhaust system: Arrow/Mivv for the exhaust and a high-flow air filter (K&N). These mods saved a bit of weight and improved performance.
Front sprocket: Superpinion front sprocket (KT Bike). Reduces the risk of excessive wear and tear on the drive shaft output spline.
Luggage rack: Givi rear rack (second hand and modified to fit).
Windscreen: A higher windscreen was fitted from motorcyclescreens.eu.

Total cost of the modifications was around 3,000AUD (1,460GBP). The standard bike is very soft and unexciting to ride, but these mods really transformed it to a great all-round adventure tractor.

Luggage

Kriega OS panniers with carry plates and Kriega side bags and a rear bag.

I chose Kriega as I got a bit of a staff discount when I was working for a motorcycle company. They have been going really well apart from the wear and tear on the anchor points on the OS-32 panniers.

I am a bit concerned about that as they will become useless if they break, so I have been supporting the bags with bungee hooks. I will contact them once I am back in Australia to see if it can be repaired under their 10-year Warranty.

Update: I contacted Kriega and they will be replacing them under their 10 year Warranty. Customer service from the head office was really good and they were easy to deal with. I have also been informed that they have updated the anchor points to avoid this issue in the future.

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Travel

Reliability

It takes a beating and keeps on ticking. The Honda Transalp is never going to let you down.

I had a bad crash at the beginning of the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. There were no bent wheels, forks, busted seals or anything major. Rode back 450kms without a front brake due to a snapped cable and I was back on the road after three days of duct tape and zip-tie work and some alignments.

I didn’t need to alter my route or change my riding style. Being an old Japanese bike, you don’t need to look for a special part if you have a crash. Aziz at BikeHouse Dushanbe replaced the snapped brake hose banjo bolt assembly with a $10 aftermarket car part and 30,000kms later it’s still going strong.

The chain guide broke off due to age-related wear and tear while I was on my way to Krasnoyarsk. I couldn’t find a replacement but Sanya from Motozona workshop modified a chain guide we found at the local shop and installed it.

One of the water pump o-rings failed due to age-related wear and tear in Kazakhstan, aftermarket o-rings didn’t work so we used a liquid sealant.

The rear cylinder head gasket started weeping very slowly at around 45,000kms, it was replaced by Atalay at MotoTamirhane in Bodrum. It’s a common wear and tear so I was carrying a spare genuine head-gasket with me.

Servicing

Recommended oil/filter change is at every 12,000kms/8,000miles but I change oil and filter at every 10,000kms or a bit earlier depending on the ride conditions.

Valve inspections are recommended for every 12,000kms but they hardly need any adjustments.

Air-filter is under the fuel tank – it’s a bit of work to get to, but not difficult.

Maintenance and parts

It’s easy to maintain and source parts. the Transalp 650 shares the same oil filter with many other popular and current Japanese motorcycle models so they are easy to source when you are on the road. Genuine, aftermarket and second-hand parts are widely available in Europe.

Very easy to work on and service, I would recommend Honda or K&N brand oil filters when available as the other brands are a bit longer which leaves less room to remove.

Long distance comfort

The Transalp 650 has a very comfortable seat for both rider and pillion. Aftermarket screen and wider footpegs add extra comfort. Covering long distances has never been a pain.

I rode two-up with my girlfriend for about 25,000kms in mixed conditions (winding mountain roads of France, Catalonia, Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Russia/Altay region. Light off-road, awful washboards and steep climbs of Kyrgyzstan, endless straights of Kazakhstan and Mongolia) and all was good.

Throw in 35,000kms of solo, mixed conditions with decent off-road rides (Australia, South-Eastern Turkey, TET trails, Georgia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pamir Hwy, Mongolia and Russia) too.

Good and Bad

What's good?

Ease of use for on and off-road. The power delivery is so linear and consistent which makes it very hard to stall. It can climb any hill and get out of any mess without upsetting the clutch. The V-twin engine sounds great and makes me smile every time I rev it.

Customisable. There are so many aftermarket parts still available to make it your own.

Great value for money. Unlike the Africa Twin which went up in value a lot since the legend Adam Riemann started featuring it on his channel, the Transalp 650s are still relatively easy to purchase at a good price.

Pillion comment. Very comfortable seating position, easy to get on and off.

What's not?

Fuel Consumption. This must be the Achilles’ Heel of the Transalps. Two-up, fully loaded with 40kgs of luggage we average around 19 to 20kms per litre. It goes down to 18kms if we cruise at 120kph.

Solo with 30kgs of luggage I average around 22kms per litre. Up to 25kms if I cruise under 120kmh.

Fuel tank is 19 litres, so the range is not bad but it is expensive, especially in the EU where fuel costs nearly twice more compared to Australia and parts of Central Asia.

Carbies and altitude changes. You need to manually adjust the fuel/air mixture when riding at higher elevation. Cruising speeds are fine but slow riding can be difficult due to loss of power. And fuel consumption gets even worse. No need to mess with the needles, just keep a flat screw-driver handy.

Improvements?

I reckon I have done all the necessary improvements. And the carbs were adjusted for the new exhaust system, but I will get it Dynotuned and maybe change the needles to improve fuel economy when I ship the bike back to Australia.

Verdict

It’s a bit of a cliché saying but the Transalp 650 is a perfect example of ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. It’s a good bike to ride on road and off-road. V-Twin Honda adventure bikes have taken many riders all over the world since 1988 and there are so many reasons for that. They are fun, reliable and easily customisable motorcycles to ride and make great memories with.

About the author

Cemil Gulasi

A Turkish/ Australian motorcyclist who loves to find new routes to ride and learn about old crafts in different parts of the world. Prior to his ‘big trip’ on his Transalp 650, he has done many rides in Europe, Turkey, Australia and South East Asia on various different motorcycles. His partner recently got her full licence and they are now planning to continue ‘the Big Trip’ on two bikes.

Follow Cemil’s awesome adventures on Instagram: @jem.goose