Words: Bill Hunter.
It was 2023 when we first rode the new Honda XL750 Transalp. A good looking machine, light on its wheels, great motor, poor suspension, well I thought so, which was very odd coming from Honda seeing as it's joint owners of Showa (Hitachi is the other partner). There were a few other issues but I’ve forgotten them for now. Either way the 2023 Transalp left me a bit cold to say the least.
Then, a few months ago, we had the 2025 updated version in this splendid black colour. A much better version with improved suspension and revised electronics. I agree it is/was better on all counts but still missing a ‘spark’, shall I say. However Honda SA has now substantially reduced the price of that option, if you fancy one. A good buy for sure and you won’t be disappointed if you choose to do so. A super-smooth classy bike with Honda’s enviable build quality is what you’ll get, and more…
However everything changed inside my brain when we acquired the new 2026 XL750 Transalp E-Clutch version and tremendous is an understatement! Honda has now taken the previous Transalp and transformed it into something I would dearly love to have sitting in my garage, some statement after my groaning on and on earlier, right?
Ok, let’s get into the details first. The excellent 755cc, (CRF derived) Uni-Cam, eight-valve, OHC, parallel-twin is this same, or so they say, because it did feel more refined. Power figures are the same, 90hp@9,500rpm and 75Nm@7,250rpm of the torquey stuff, providing enough grunt to shove it past 200km/h. Honda’s PGM-Fi fuel injection system perfectly squirts fuel into motor, again with revised settings.
The Transalp’s new lavish electronics suite contains and controls everything you’ll desire for both on and off-road. Throttle By Wire (TBW) allows the rider to access Sport, Standard, Rain, Gravel, plus two User modes for personal choices. Here you can adjust Engine Braking, Engine Power and Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), or traction control, and wheelie control. You can also fiddle with the all-new E-Clutch settings, but there’s no cruise control, which is strange? All of these multitudes of parametres can be seen on the clear, five-inch colour TFT display, which is still a bit on the small side I believe, or is that just my aging eyes? To change these settings, Honda’s backlit four-way toggle switch is refreshingly easy to use. The rider can also use Honda’s comprehensive RoadSync App for GPS and phone connectivity, as you’d expect on a bike like this. Not sure if you can watch adult films on there though, maybe worth a try? On the left side of the faring there’s a blank for a USB charger I presume, which was annoying, but then I read somewhere later that it does have one under the seat, so I might have missed that, and so it should. 
Right, now on to the major talking point, the E-Clutch. Basically there’re two solenoid type motors sitting on the right side of the motor, activating half a dozen small sprockets. These in turn change gears when you use the bi-directional quick-shifter without any clutch interference, or a very fancy quick-shifter in my mind. Yes, there’s a clutch lever if you want to go into ‘normal’ riding mode, which can be disengaged entirely if you prefer. You can change how you want the gear lever to react to foot pressure from hard to soft too, depending on the size and weight of your feet, or leg, or hefty boot choice, well you see what I mean?
Finally, regarding terrific updates, I would be extremely pleased to meet the new suspension guys at Honda and buy them a thousand pints of beer, maybe. At last Showa has joined the party with vastly superior suspension- hurrah! Now the front 43mm SFF-CA forks have both pre-load, compression and rebound damping adjustability, and so does the Pro-Link rear shock. The forks employ the spring in the left fork and the damping in the right, where the compression clicker sits at the bottom of the fork leg, in case you can’t find it. This system is found in many high-end performance motorbikes, so it’s certainly a wise choice.
The 2026 XL750 Transalp E-Clutch is one good-looking cycle in this retro styled white paint, a bit of a nod to the first Transalps from the Eighties. The bodywork (made from recycled Durabio) curves beautifully around the 16.9 litre tank and onto the plush 850mm high seat. In fact the ‘triangle’ from feet to ‘bars is spot on for both sitting and standing, ideal for either relaxed cruising or filthy off-road antics. The XL750 Transalp is extremely well planted on the road, super-stable and, with a creamy smooth power delivery, it’s always a pleasure to be in the saddle. I have to enforce how good this new suspension is, it just absorbs everything in its path, on or off-road, and the XL750 can NOW proudly display the Showa name with pride, with zero complaints from my side, tremendous I say!
The engine is quite simply a ‘peach’ of a power unit. Not only does it punch out a bag full of seamless power it has one of the best sounding motors (with a stock pipe) in the business. The 270-degree crank is partially responsible for the snarl and throaty rasp but nothing is more addictive than thumping it down the gears from high rpm and absorbing that deep bass ‘complaining’ overtone from the exhaust, a delicious blare that should come in a tin, if you know what I mean?
So, on to the ‘Magic Box’, or Honda’s new E-Clutch. The first question you’re going to ask is why do you need ‘it’ when Honda already has the best automatic gearbox found on any bike with their DCT transmission (or maybe you don’t have a right foot/leg for many reasons)? Well, I thought the same, but it does offer the best of both worlds with both ‘normal’ clutch and automatic features where the clutch becomes redundant. It’s not fully automatic like the DCT offering because you still have to change gears using the gear lever. The E-Clutch does let you choose how far you want to rev the bike between changes when the DCT chooses for you, but it is impossible to stall. Yes, you heard that right, even in sixth it won’t stall when you pull off, but don’t be that cruel to the motor. In traffic it’s a revelation and, to be honest, during my week with the Transalp, I never used the clutch lever, besides showing my mates how it can still be engaged. Just pull off, tear through the gears in a normal quick-shifter fashion, both up and down the ‘box, then come to a halt without pulling the extremely tempting clutch lever in. It is a bit weird at first but once you’ve gone E-Clutch there’s no going back folks, and you’ll get to grips with it very quickly, go and try one!
I really think Honda’s onto something here and this is surely the future with a set-up like this, many cars have had similar for years. The vast majority of the time you’ll find yourself in E-Clutch mode, but if you fancy some vigorous off-road riding in adverse conditions then a normal clutch action will certainly be beneficial I’d predict. The Honda XL750 Transalp E-Clutch is comfortable, not intimidating, built well, easy to ride, and has a go- anywhere-do-everything type of vibe to it, and it’s a commendable tech-boost for Honda too. Oh the price, I forgot, R230,848, worth every cent I’d say and I think I’ll give out a B.B. Award for the ‘Most Interesting Bike of the Year’ 2026 and, I absolutely loved it, say no more.
Images. Rowan V.
Oh, before I go here’s a song to go with the article – sing along too…
