On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp

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On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
Volker Rost

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp

26th photos

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Until then, Honda had not had any luck with two-cylinder enduros.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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30 years ago this console was considered to be well equipped. Compared to the G / S, their instruments were extremely accurate.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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A stumbling block and actually a bit defenseless in the face of colliding stones: many found the plastic engine guard stupid.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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The Keihin carburettors are twisted against each other in the narrow V-neck of the engine.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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A trademark of the Transalp is its cleverly shaped silencer with its two tailpipes.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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And another trademark: the petrol tap, which is embedded in the cladding and is very easy to grip, shaped.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Golden anodized rims contrast with the solid, but “only” steel rear swing arm.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda has organized Transalp rallies several times. And gave out medals.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Fred Siemer
MOTORRAD Classic employees (62) to see you again with the first Transalp
Not the 650, not the late 600 with double pane, no, it had to be a Transalp from the first series when the owner of our photo model got his childhood dream back three years ago. Good for us and good for me, because it became particularly clear how sovereign this Honda was back then. I have never missed so little on an “old” motorcycle. If I wanted to be petty, I would want a little more braking and engine power. And heated grips: I’ve become more comfortable over the years than any old tranny.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
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Honda XL 600 V Transalp.

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp

Impressively consistent

Content of

When it debuted 30 years ago, the Honda Transalp was considered a revolution. In doing so, she was only impressively consistent, found and still finds MOTORRAD Classic employee Fred Siemer.

M.an can ask people which vehicle they dream of. And you can fathom which one they need. Both fall under market research, but the results could hardly be more different: method one, to name any example, leads to the current BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, method two to the Honda Transalp. Travel dreams will never come true with either one or the other. More on that later. But the second way resulted in a product in the mid-1980s that actually turned out to be a big boob on this side of cross slopes and racetracks.

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On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp

On the move with the Honda XL 600 V Transalp
Impressively consistent

R 80 G / S – forever without alternative?

Why does the load always commute at a higher speed? Why do so many engines die in heat? Why does your loved one no longer want to ride? Why numb fingers and feet? Many high-displacement enduros, namely the single-cylinder and Honda’s own, suffered 30 years ago from the fact that they were no longer used by knowledgeable owners for brisk off-road rides after work or for meticulously prepared desert crossings, but by everyone for everything. At the time, they were very popular in the MOTORRAD editorial team for excursions on third-class streets, a comparison trip to nearby Alsace also brought me closer to the advantages of this class: great handling, low weight, around 45 hp, sufficient brakes and a raised seating position impressed me deeply. But lousy benches and robust vibrations, depending on the design sometimes short range or cramped space conditions always bothered my tourist mood, and so I could understand why many swore by a BMW. R 80 G / S – forever without an alternative?

Replica of the enormous four-valve V2 engine?

In any case, Honda had not had any luck with two cylinders up until then, the XLV 750 introduced in 1983 had less than 10,000 sales worldwide within three years due to conceptual weaknesses. Then the Honda Transalp was announced. At first everyone believed in a replica of the enormous four-valve V2 engine with which Cyril Neveu was finally able to snatch a Paris-Dakar victory away from the BMW in 1986. Shortly afterwards it leaked out that a jagged and genre-typical decorated 500 with V-Twin was going through the experimental stage. At the latest by this time, however, the model strategists at Honda must have sharpened their eyes, because suddenly they cleared out the specifications of adventure outfit and rally behavior. Her calculation: If you drive to work in the morning, you don’t ask for a saucer in the colors of the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC). You don’t need a raised front wheel mudguard to get bread and you don’t need a 25-liter tank to get to the quarry pond. The Japan correspondent for MOTORRAD soon created a rather conservative picture of the upcoming Honda travel enduro.


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Honda Transalp.

Which couldn’t scare me, because I never stood on war paint and mostly welcomed practical ideas. Nevertheless, I cannot deny that the first photos intended for issue 21/1986 also alienated me: A frame-mounted full fairing, hidden radiator, carburetor and half the engine, its dimensions exceeded everything that could be imagined on a travel enduro up to that point. Sure, the Dakar racers of the same year wore similar bulky parts, but they somehow fell into the category of war equipment, right? On the much narrower Honda Transalp, on the other hand, it looked pretty good, and on top of that, it wore colors that looked damned like my father’s summer wardrobe. A look at the sparse data provided by colleague Hiroshi Kimura gave more confidence: V-Twin developed further from the VT 500, 55, for Germany probably 50 HP, swing arm with Pro-Link linkage of the shock absorber, dry weight around 175 kilograms . And all for 2,000 marks less than the G / S.

A delicate job

I had to leave the driving report and test to deserving old editors, when they had had fun, the first comparison was due. With the BMW, of course. A tricky task, because the Munich motorcycle was already on its way to the holy of holies. Under the Spanish sun we approached the matter very carefully, not leaving anything out. Motorway, dirt roads, tours for two, sporty country road swing. We were only able to simulate a full load, because we couldn’t find any suitcases for the Honda. In the end, the whole test shop confirmed what we had in mind since the previous photo trips: The old queen was discontinued, the Honda Transalp the better motorcycle by far. Brave Bayern warriors promptly beat their opinions on my ears: “To portray this mobile yoghurt pot from Honda as the ultimate is sheer mockery,” was one of the friendlier letters from the readers. The low front fender, the plastic engine guard, the sensitive fairing, the chain drive, the high compression, the lack of a kick starter – there were a thousand reasons that would stand in the way of a longer and carefree journey.


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Honda has organized Transalp rallies several times. And gave out medals.

And today? We know that readers can also crack some really nice nonsense. Today I am standing in front of a Honda Transalp from 1987, in wonderful condition by an admirer from the very beginning, and I am supposed to congratulate this deputy on her 30th birthday on behalf of MOTORRAD Classic. Because it has earned it with millions of trouble-free kilometers on all roads in the world, because it has influenced its segment like seldom a motorcycle before, because it has simply made thousands of riders satisfied and because that alone is more than many design and techno -Icons can make their claims. When I congratulate, I will place a very personal compliment and praise the people-friendly, forgiving nature of the Transalp. Company founder Soichiro Honda himself has repeatedly called for such virtues, and I suspect he would still be satisfied today. No, I’m sure: The Transe is a real Soichiro bike.

Fancy the Eifel curves? Why not?

There is no need to waste words about the starting behavior of a Soichiro bike. Neither about the seating position. Not even about the power output, the transmission, the driving stability and the straight-line stability on loose ground, because this is where the 21-inch front wheel stands out effectively. But Soichiro couldn’t do magic either, and that’s why would-be enduro bikes with their 19-inch wheels or the G / S with their lower focus on asphalt are a touch easier. Will they follow the chosen course as precisely as this Honda? I don’t really care, because I don’t want to compare. But enjoy how secure and encouraged I feel right away. I was away for many years, did the last Transalp comparison test – with the then brand new 650 – for MOTORRAD 10/2000 and have not ridden one since. Now I feel again that we have a friendship in which time does not matter. At some point and somewhere I meet her again, then our fun continues. Fancy the Eifel curves? Why not?


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At the beginning, Honda had no luck with two-cylinder enduros.

I hesitated only once: when my wife and I needed a mat to carry us for a MOTORCYCLE travel story on the dirt roads of Northern England in 1994, I initially thought of a larger single-cylinder enduro for weight reasons. But none of them could be found, so I finally took a Honda Transalp offered by Honda Germany. Of course, it scored points on the way to the ferry in Rotterdam because we could duck behind the panel at 140. After that, the space, braking, driving comfort and performance characteristics just as perfectly matched the narrow streets through the Yorkshire Dales National Park. However, the tours over stony and occasionally greasy mountain trails turned out to be the triumph of the Honda and a lesson for me. In two-person operation, you need a well-balanced vehicle with gently responsive, yet progressive suspension elements. Everything goes at trial speed, because even the best passenger in the world cannot stop on harder sections, and consequently you need a motor that accelerates as gently as silk and acknowledges every millimeter of slide valve stroke with a clearly defined expression of life. Somewhere up there at Tan Hill or High Birkwith my respect for the Transalp was rounded off.

Bike for short, medium, long and obstacle courses

Since then, my relationship with advertising has eased slightly, as this is exactly how Honda had touted the Honda Transalp in 1987. As a motorcycle for short, medium, long and obstacle courses. That was definitely not a lie, and therefore equally impressive as new. The next BMW enduro generation also promptly received at least a small windshield, encased more or less suitable weather protection – see Yamaha’s last 600 Tenere or Kawasaki’s 650 Tengai – various single-cylinder competitors. But the Transalp influence goes much further: together with the Africa Twin and BMW R 100 GS models introduced in 1988, it paved the road to success for the modern large enduro bikes. Anyone who wants to travel comfortably sits enthroned on a high seat behind an expansive plastic shell as a matter of course, and enjoys great driving comfort, plenty of space and a large tank. Not only the BMW or Honda logo is emblazoned on its flank, no, now everyone is taking part, even Ducati.

Stroll through the area addicted to pleasure

I personally don’t like any of these. Although the German enduro hero Bert von Zitzewitz once demonstrated to me on the occasion of a story for the “stern” what you can do with these big ships, I prefer to keep things moderate. My name is Fred and not Bert, I can drive less well and still want to wag freely over gravel passes. Then again, highly concentrated, filing down tricky combinations of curves or strolling through the area for pleasure. Sometimes explore third-order streets, sometimes take the Holden to the flower festival. Hardly any motorcycle can do it all without nagging. The Honda Transalp, on the other hand, always says yes in a good mood. And I say: thank you very much for that.

Technical data Honda XL 600 v Transalp


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(1987-1996) Price 1987: 8,540 marks

Technical specifications (PD06, manufactured in 1987)

engine: Liquid-cooled two-cylinder V-engine, two intake valves each, one exhaust valve each, operated via overhead camshafts and rocker arms, displacement 583 cm³, power 37 kW (50 HP) at 8,000 rpm

Power transmission: Multi-disc oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, secondary chain

landing gear: Single-loop frame made of rectangular steel tubes with double upper frame and split lower frame, telescopic fork at the front, Ø 41 mm, two-arm swing arm with central suspension strut controlled via a reversing lever, spring travel v./h. 200/190 mm, wire-spoke wheels with aluminum rims, tires 90/90 x 21 at the front, 130 x 17 at the rear, single-disc brake at the front, Ø 276 mm, double-piston floating caliper, drum brake at the rear, Ø 130 mm

Mass and weight: Wheelbase 1,530 mm, weight with a full tank of 204 kg

Top speed: sitting 163 km / h

technology

The two rectangular tubes aiming at the swing arm support already indicate that Honda relied on stable construction for the Transalp. A look under the tank and paneling confirms the assumption: to the left and right of the air filter, these pipes continue to a massive steering head, from there a really thick rectangular pipe leads down to split in front of the cylinder base. No wonder that the Transalp drove better straight ahead than all other enduros. Their chassis was further refined in 1989 with new or revised spring elements and a needle bearing for the Pro-Link lever. Honda only met criticism of the somewhat too weak front brake in 1997 with a double disc brake system. In the same year, production went to the Italian Honda plant, and for some time complaints about quality defects (paintwork, electrics) diminished the Honda Transalp’s almost impeccable reputation.


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That’s it, the almost indestructible V2. Later, slightly modified, it also powered the Africa Twin, NTV and VT 600.

The engine in particular earned a lot of fame. It is a 52-degree V-engine, but the crankshaft has two crankpins offset by 76 degrees. This ensures that the engine runs smoothly; the twin actually only vibrates very gently, a little more noticeably somewhere between 5,500 and 6,500 rpm. It has its roots in the VT 500 E, a slim cardan sports tourer, introduced in 1983. It was allowed to keep the three valves (two for the inlet, one for the outlet) and had to give up one of the six gears. In addition, a secondary chain was used because it is easier and allows a long rear suspension travel without technical pull-ups. In the beginning, defective valve stem seals occasionally caused high oil consumption and oil deposits in the combustion chamber, the seals were replaced in 1989 as part of a major engine renovation (oil circuit optimized, valves, springs and rocker arms come from the Africa Twin introduced in 1988). After that it was quiet, the entire engine of the Honda Transalp is considered to be exemplary in reliability. The 650 introduced in 2000 and the very heavily modified injection 700 presented in 2008 can defend this predicate.

Purchase check

Even though the once much maligned plastic parts are much more solid than contemporary competing goods, they deserve a critical examination. The things are slowly becoming rare in the first series (PD06 with “straight” and “sleek” disguise nose, Bj. 1987 to 1993 and 1994 to 1996). In models built up to 1993, the pressure of the driver’s weight can break the plugs of the CDI unit mounted under the seat – but this has long since been changed by previous owners to brackets in which the CDI units are installed horizontally instead of standing. The Honda Transalp models up to 1989 like to need a little oil, but too much – plumes of smoke during load changes, sooty exhaust ends – shouldn’t be. Always check the cooling system for leaks. Especially with early models from Italy (up to around 1999) carefully check the frame and swingarm for rust nests. The same applies, by the way, to the 650s built in Spain from 2002 and its successor with 700 cm³.

Market situation

Of the almost 19,000 PD06s sold in Germany, a few thousand are still running, the range – even very early models – is correspondingly good. However, if you want it to be in its original condition, you sometimes have to look a little longer. There are also enough PD10s and the following. Because they are not as popular as Japanese shemales, their price is often on a par with well-preserved 06s. If you are “only” looking for something good, you can find it for less than 1,500 euros, especially with mileages beyond 75,000 kilometers.

If you want to drive a really nice Honda Transalp, you usually pay 2,000 to 2,500 euros for an early and original PD06 with low mileage. Contemporary accessories include high windscreens, protective bars, main stands and luggage systems. The one from Hepco & Becker is not only one of the best, the indestructible junior suitcases also fit in well with the Transalp picture.

More information about the Honda Transalp

scene

Very good and lively website of the German Transalp friends at www.transalp.de

history

1994: The PD06 gets a sleeker face and again a careful technical update.

1997: With the start of production in Italy, the Transe is called PD10 and gets the second disc brake in the front wheel. There are some quality issues for the first two years.

Used Honda XL600V Transalp in Germany


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The Transalp model family is a cheap travel enduro alternative.

If you long for a cheap touring motorcycle, the Honda XL600V Transalp could be just right. It is an inexpensive alternative to more expensive travel enduro bikes and is still very well represented on the used market. Here is an overview of all used Honda XLV 600 V Transalp: used Honda XLV600V Transalp in Germany.

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