After 16,000 miles on the Honda Transalp XL750, I’ve finally recorded the long-term review I’ve been meaning to make.
This isn’t a first-ride impression, and it’s not a spec-sheet performance. It’s the real-world version. The bike as a companion. The bike as transport. The bike as something you actually live with.
And here’s the headline: the Captain has been brilliant. Reliable, capable, easy to ride, easy to trust. It’s an 80s icon reborn in the 2020s, and it didn’t take long to understand why the Transalp name has regained hero status. I’ve enjoyed it. Properly.
In the video I walk through the bike and the way I set it up for real use — the engine character and riding modes, the quick shifter, comfort, the seat swap (official black seat, 20mm lower than the original blue one, which made a massive difference for my confidence at stops), heated grips, luggage, and the practical bits like Quadlock and cameras. Not as “sales items”, but as part of honest ownership: what worked, what helped, and what made the bike easier to live with over time.
So why am I selling it?
Not because it failed me. Not because it isn’t good enough. Quite the opposite.
I’m handing the Captain back to HGB so it can go to a new owner who’ll use it properly, because my life has changed since Phoenix came along. I’ve shown that both the Transalp and the Vespa can do long-distance riding — they just do it differently. And right now, the Vespa lifestyle fits me better. The pace, the simplicity, the everyday freedom. Phoenix has become the centre of my two-wheeled world.
If you want the full story, the 16,000 mile review video is now live on my YouTube channel.
Next stop: Weston. ✅
Ride sharp. Live loud. Stay free.
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