US-Spec 2024 Honda Transalp Will Be Down on Power
83 hp isn’t bad – but it’s not 90 hp
Back in May, Motorcycle.com broke the news that the Honda XL750 Transalp was coming to America for 2024, arriving a year after it’s been available in Europe. While we’re glad to see the middleweight adventure bike will finally arrive stateside, we can unfortunately confirm the U.S.-spec model will produce less power than its European counterpart.
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.
Having a U.S.-spec model producing less power than similar models in other markets is not new. We saw the same thing with the Kawasaki ZX-4RR, and it’s probably more disappointing to see in an Inline-Four sportbike than an off-road-capable ADV like the Transalp.
While we can be a little envious of European Transalp, we can at least concede that 83 hp from a 755cc Twin isn’t that bad, especially in the ADV segment. That’s the exact same EPA-certified peak output as the V-Strom 800DE, coming at the same 8,500 rpm, while ceding 21cc of displacement to the Suzuki. A full-powered Transalp, however, would bring it up to the realm of the BMW F 850 GS’ 66 kW, which is achieved with an additional 98cc over the Honda.
The unanswered question is whether the lower power output on the U.S. engine factored into Honda’s decision of whether to bring the Hornet over. The CB750 Hornet shares the same engine as the Transalp, claiming the same peak power output, and a decrease in power output may be a bigger issue on a naked streetbike than an ADV. Of course, that didn’t stop Suzuki and the GSX-8S from coming to the U.S., as it has the same engine as the V-Strom.
We’ll have to wait for American Honda to formally announce the 2024 XL750 Transalp before we can get any answers about the engine output or the Hornet. We expect that to come in the next month or two.
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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All the new bikes are ride by wire, so it is easy for the manufacturer to limit "full throttle" opening of the butterflies. If I owned one of these the fact it is neutered like that would bug me. American regs are keeping the ECU flashing industry in business.
It's how, not how much, especially in the off-road world.
Wow, you are really splitting hairs here...why so hard on Honda? You even failed to mention the first 750 transalp was made over 30 years ago, when all these other companies like KTM only offered a couple 2-stroke singles...is this journalism???