By Dave Carr
Road Test Review: The 2025 Honda Transalp 750.
As the clubs unofficial “Guzzi guy” I needed to replace my 2nd smaller bike-a Moto Guzzi Stone 850 with a bike with more leg room as I’ve entered the knee arthritis/tendonitis stage of life. I still have the Stelvio and looked into a few bikes but the Transalp stood out. A Saturday morning visit to Razee and a test ride sealed the deal. With a 34″ seat height, near perfect seat to peg ratio and Honda reliability it was even better than expected. With 83Hp and a 6-spd quick shifter transmission it was a fun bike to ride. At 460 lbs it was light and easy to ride and held the road well. The TFT has several views to choose from and 6 riding modes. Within the modes the user selects, there are settings to further control how much power and traction control you want. Plenty of suspension for light off road rides with 7-8″ of travel front and rear. It’s also a very easy bike ride with easy clutch release and a smooth ride. The cons of the bike, include no center stand, skid plate or hand guards, heated grips or CC. As an ADV bike these should be standard but to keep the price down to $9999, I get it. The stock seat could also be more comfortable but a gel seat pad and a Harbor Freight top box I already have, make it comfortable to ride long distances. I bought the factory center stand to make chain maintenance easier, etc. Looking forward to putting more miles on it as the weather improves and a well known vendor does a flash of the ECU which adds 10 more HP and reviews are all positive. Lastly, it was nice NOT to have a 300 page owners manual in several languages when reading.
Ride often and be safe!
The Blizzard of 2026 With No Power & Moto Guzzi To The Rescue
With the blizzard of 2026 now behind us, I was one of the unlucky ones who had no power from 6am to 9pm. With no heat and the only existing charge on my phone declining, I needed to at least have some type of communication/entertainment. With 38″ of snow I needed to get creative. It was easier and a shorter walk from my house to the garage than my driveway. After trudging through up to 4-5ft snow drifts, I made it to my garage where my MG Stelvio had been on the trickle charger all winter. Hit the starter and it started right up. Next task: Plugged my phone into the bike’s USB port and was glad to see it “rapid charging” Did this a few times during the 15 hr power outage. At 9:02pm the lights came back on and the rest is history. See pic of backyard snow drifts from garage view.
