Power gain
+42bhp
50bhp → 92bhp. Almost doubled. The new 750 makes more horsepower than the original Africa Twin XRV750 ever did, with 165cc less capacity.
Engine config
V-twin → Parallel twin
Honda kept the Transalp on a 52° V-twin from 1987 to 2012 — 25 years of the same architecture. The 2023 reboot switched to a parallel twin shared with the Hornet 750 — the V-twin era is over.
Production gap
11 years
The XL700V died in 2012; the new XL750 didn't arrive until 2023. The middleweight Honda V-twin you wanted — they didn't make it for over a decade.
Weight gain
+24kg
184kg dry → 208kg wet. Like-for-like the modern bike is roughly 10kg heavier — emissions kit and electronics, but partially offset by the parallel twin being lighter than a V-twin.
Real cost change
−$3k real
$6,499 in 1996 ≈ $13,500 in today's money. The 2026 XL750 is $9,999 — about 26% cheaper in real terms, with full electronics suite, ride-by-wire and TFT dash. Honda finally brought the Transalp back to the US in 2024 after a 24-year gap.
Rider aids count
0 → 5
1996: nothing. 2026: ABS, traction control, 5 ride modes, ride-by-wire, colour TFT.
Cheapest way in
$3k
A clean 1996 XL600V today. 583cc Honda V-twin, simple, easy to service, surprisingly capable off-road. The bike that founded the middleweight ADV class.
