Yamaha Tenere vs Honda Transalp - Sub $11K ADV Comparison - Cycle News

The Yamaha Tenere sets the standard in the sub-$11,000 adventure bike market, but Honda's new Transalp 750 wants a piece of the action with a lower price tag and a larger output. . Can the newcomer overtake the current category leader? We put them head-to-head to find out.
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0:00 - Intro
0:45 - Specs
3:53 - Pros & Cons
6:40 - Off-Road Capability
9:31 - Electronics
11:22 - Displays
12:51 - Flaws
14:21 - Winner?
18:00 - Wrap Up
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#Tenere #Transalp #CycleNews

[alsacs]

I love the seat on the TA which is great for riding with a passenger. The Tenere was not designed for carrying a passenger, so I purchased the TA and my wife loves going on weekend rides with me.

[sickunit]

As a frame of reference, Ive owned several big GSs, an F800GSA, KTM 950 Adv, Aprilia Taureg, Triumph Tiger 1050, and a rally style build Husky 701 enduro. That being said, I bought a Transalp and quickly found the shock to be inadequate. Bought a shock and have been absolutely in love with the ‘Alp ever since. Offroad mode is useless on any modern ADV bike. Put the Alp on “User” mode and turn all the bs rider aids off. I don’t miss any of my previous adv bikes. Only thing I’d change is the dull flat black livery. With such a great heritage, Honda could’ve come out with some fantastic, retro liveries. Last thing I think potential buyers should know, is what Honda designed the original Transalp for. “A mid-size sports bike that offers all-round enjoyment from city to highway, from mountain passes to dirt roads.”

[davidgiorlando]

I've spent thousands of miles on both. The Transalp is a way better travel bike. You can spend days and miles on it comfortably. Noticeable difference in power. Also with ride by wire you now have cruise control options you dont get with T7. The T7 is better out of the box for off road but more top heavy and if you are an advanced rider it will still need suspension work unless you weigh 140 lbs. The T7 is no fun on a 500+ miles day especially if you hit any wind or rain. Pretty much zero protection from the elements. To me the T7 is great if you are only doing a couple hundred miles a day closer to home hitting off road trails.

[thinkinglonewolf]

Had a Tenere 700 in 2020 now on Africa Twin . The Transalp is a great bike, but not for the same customers ( the why i went with Africa Twin ) . If you ride rougher terrain go with Tenere, easier trails and road go with Transalp .

[stephenzimmerman]

I've been riding motorcycles since 1970. These bikes look like great adventure bikes that are obviously streetable trail bikes. I wish I could afford one.

[RevansNightmare]

After testing the T7 and Transalp XL750, I went with the Transalp. I am short and ordered the lower seat. I also ordered front and rear springs. I also do not like having things in my line of view so the horizontal display of the Transalp was a good thing for me. The accessory bar on the Tenere drives me crazy.

[BRDSEYE]

So if I were to make a gross generalization, could I say that the transalp is an on-road bike with decent off-road capability, while the tenere is an off-road bike with decent on-road capability?

[CJTheReal]

In Australia the prices are 15800 (10700 USD) for the Transalp and 21000 (14300 USD) for the T700, so they're in completely different price points. You can get a Transalp *and* a full pro-level suspension upgrade for the same price as a stock T700

[alozborne]

With an $800 USD price difference, a new owner of a Transalp can immediately replace the pogo stick rear shock with an aftermarket rear shock and close the suspension gap considerably vs the T7.

The Transalp is the better touring bike, without question. So, I'll either get a stock V-Strom 800DE or a Transalp XL750 with an aftermarket rear shock as I need an ADV bike on which I can tour comfortably for hundreds of miles before hitting the dirt.

[mariusblom]

Very good, balanced and un-biased commentary. You guys can go pro. I've listened to many comments on T7 vs. Transalp and this is the best by a long shot.

[jayhopkins]

Still don't understand why people dont just adjust the rear brake pedal?? It works. T7 not sure why they come sloppy from factory

[davidgonzalez]

When I did Enduro Races (85 to 2005) We were not suffering and dealing with all this new “Pussy Stuff” A bike just needs “Balls and Skills” Any way I’ll get the Transalp 😁

[cliftonsr]

I would have to do a suspension upgrade on either the T-7 or the Transalp 750 since I weigh 270lbs so I opted for the Transalp 750 and went with the TracTive suspension and now the Transalp 750 has 9.5" ground clearance which is better off road than the T-7 and not top heavy like the T-7 and has 15hp more than the T-7 and has more torque than the T-7 and still cheaper than the T-7 considering the going price of the T-7. Honda Transalp 750 for me!

[jhackett]

I dont think the Transalp is a competitor to the T7. Its a bike for touring, gravel etc. I live in Illinois... bought the transalp.

[toffeeavatar]

Tuareq 660 vs T7 would the better comparison. Transalp 750 is different on touring and not fair to compare either 😂

[SquareHelmet]

Great review! I want to add Tenere to my XT250 this season. That should cover the entire range of all possible roads for me.

[kenp]

Could barely get a leg over the Tenere, but can almost flat foot the TA. Huge difference. Without even riding either, one I would own and one I would not.

[sdavis]

Over here in aus bike sales is showing a 3-4K price difference in these two models which may sway people towards a transalp

[gingernaut]

One stat I wish motto journalists would appeal on is weight capacity of bikes. Noone does, it can be a tricky number to find, it's not on every online spec sheet. Im 280 lbs, down from 310, heading towards 250. When it comes to riding 2 up with the wife this number is really important. We're about 430 combined which rules out a lot of bikes immediately. But when for me, I know the t7 is optimized for a guy 170lbs. And every one days it's spongy in the suspension. Im looking at these 2 bikes and the v strom 800de next year, I know I'll be happy with any of them, but I really want to love the tenere. Knowing there's a 2-3 grand suspension upgrade into of the price tag is holding me back though. I'd like to do some moto camping so again, right cap is a key consideration.
Love the videos though guys, keep it up!

[kloppskalli]

both bikes can do with stiffer front springs. Standard Tenere doesn't have adjustable preload, so basically you change the forksprings on both bikes according to your weight ... The Yamaha has a seat that is unfit for traveling unless your butt is completely numb. And it guzzles up fuels over 70 mph or if it is ridden hard off-road.
The thumb wheel is a total pain in the ass PLUS when it stops working you can't switch off the ABS anymore!