[akshayhonda]

Originally Posted by TheManualGear

Since the BIG bikes of Honda are CBU units will it be a service concern in long term?

Service, parts availability and its affordability is the last thing one should be concern about when it comes to Honda motorcycles. Its absolutely trouble free. Also just in case there are OE spares based websites that can help you get parts for any Honda motorcycle too. Hope this helps.

[ashwinbalachand]

Originally Posted by Sachin_Nair

I test rode the Transalp and NX500 back-to-back, and the differences were striking. Here are my observations:

In conclusion, Honda has crafted both bikes well, and personal preference will determine which one suits an individual best.

Thanks for this. Booked the NX 500 and waiting for the white to arrive. My local big wing (chennai) said that white will arrive only end of april

Hopefully state registration happens this week and they start delivering bikes since TN is the only state that has not started deliveries nor even test ride for that matter!

I am looking at the rally raid level 2 level 2 suspension upgrade which offer 20 mm more travel in both front and rear and a SW MOTECH sump guard for now .

[Sebring]

Nice! Have the accessories for NX 500 arrived or are these for the old CB 500?

Originally Posted by ashwinbalachand

SW MOTECH sump guard for now .

[ashwinbalachand]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Nice! Have the accessories for NX 500 arrived or are these for the old CB 500?

The bash plate and center stand from the 2021 versions will work with the nx . I confirmed with sw motech and even the part numbers are the same. The engine guard and the fairing guard will change.

There is a vendor is thailand called src designs and their stuff is super affordable if you can figure out a way to get them from thailand

[ashwin.terminat]

Originally Posted by akshayhonda

Service, parts availability and its affordability is the last thing one should be concern about when it comes to Honda motorcycles. Its absolutely trouble free.

Aren't there many reports of CB300R owners unable to get spares?

[akshayhonda]

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Aren't there many reports of CB300R owners unable to get spares?

Ohhh. I wasn't aware about it. Having owned a 650F never faced issues with spares availability. So never did my friends with 650 models. Hence the conclusion.

[madbullram]

Originally Posted by ashwinbalachand

Thanks for this. Booked the NX 500 and waiting for the white to arrive. My local big wing (chennai) said that white will arrive only end of april

Welcome to Teambhp Ashwin. I have also booked the Red NX in Chennai with SVM and currently they are saying mid March. Hope to meet you on road.

Also, the SW crash guards from CB500X can be fitted in NX by cutting a small piece of metal. Many have done it as they upgraded from CB to NX. One guy from our own Delhi has done it.

[Sebring]

Wonder how it looks on the bike! Do you have a pic?

Originally Posted by madbullram

Also, the SW crash guards from CB500X can be fitted in NX by cutting a small piece of metal. Many have done it as they upgraded from CB to NX. One guy from our own Delhi has done it.

[ashwinbalachand]

Originally Posted by madbullram

Welcome to Teambhp Ashwin. I have also booked the Red NX in Chennai with SVM and currently they are saying mid March. Hope to meet you on road.

Also, the SW crash guards from CB500X can be fitted in NX by cutting a small piece of metal. Many have done it as they upgraded from CB to NX. One guy from our own Delhi has done it.

Oh nice! Hope you get it soon. Did svm provide any update on state registration? I am hoping it is over but i have not received any official update

They have told me white will arrive only in may so i need to stay put for another 2 months

I thought it is a direct fit on the sw motech bash plate without any changes to be made. Atleast that’s what the company also confirmed when i mailed them! Not sure why one needs to cut a small piece of metal off it!

Interesting. I am really interested in the rally eaid level 2 upgrade. I love a good suspension set up and for the cb 500x , rally raid is the best out there!!

[sharad_kmc]

I am sold on the Transalp in white livery and will be booking it soon. However the tyre choice for the bike has puzzled me. Almost all the premium ADV bikes sold these days are with tubeless tyres. A puncture on a hot day is enough to spoil the ride. Spoke to the sales team and they offered me the option of OUTEX conversion kit. The kit costs close to 22k and needs 4 days of settling time. Wondering if i should get it done at time of delivery or wait a while.

[Sebring]

You need to get it done as early as possible, since we are talking punctures here. Outex on Amazon USA should be around Rs 8000 (or, maybe there was some sale when I got mine - for a different bike though)

Originally Posted by sharad_kmc

I am sold on the Transalp in white livery and will be booking it soon. However the tyre choice for the bike has puzzled me. Almost all the premium ADV bikes sold these days are with tubeless tyres. A puncture on a hot day is enough to spoil the ride. Spoke to the sales team and they offered me the option of OUTEX conversion kit. The kit costs close to 22k and needs 4 days of settling time. Wondering if i should get it done at time of delivery or wait a while.

[the_90s_car_guy]

I wanted to share my thoughts on some of the accessories available for the Transalp in the market. Feel free to add your input below so other buyers can also benefit from it.

First, Let's remember that the Transalp has some design choices that necessitate purchasing certain accessories. I'll list them in order of importance.

Must have accessories:

1) Sump guard/ Skid/ Bash plate
Reason: The Transalp's exhaust pipes and oil sump are located lower than you would expect in an offroad-focused ADV like this and are, therefore, most vulnerable to hitting hard rocks and scrapping tall bumps.

2) Centre/ Main stand
Reason: This is a no-brainer. The 210-kg Transalp oddly has tubed tyres that will be rather exhausting to fix without a main stand in case of a puncture. Additional benefits include easier chain maintenance (cleaning and lubing) and rear disc cleaning after a monsoon ride.

3) Crash guards
Reason: I feel that it's incorrect to insist that only riders who take their bikes on offroad trails need crash protection bars. I've seen several riders accidentally drop their bikes while parking or while making a tight U-turn. These "soft" falls also damage body parts and panels.

4) Aux Lights
Reason: The throw from the stock headlamp provided on the Transalp is best described as "sub-par". While testing the bike, I felt the low beam was above average but the high beam was actually poor. There are some scooters I know that offer a better throw! You'd probably need a hybrid setup (flood + spot) to complement the main DRL, erm, I mean, the headlamp.


Optional Accessories
Here are some accessories that I think are optional and user-dependent.

1) Hand Guard/ Lever protector
Note: Provides protection to the brake and clutch levers during a fall. Protects the fingers and levers from a side swipe in traffic or while riding along narrow trails).

2) Side-stand extender/enlarger
Note: Increases the surface contact area of the side stand and distributes the vehicle's load along a larger surface. It is very useful when parking a vehicle on soft or slushy ground. (SW-Motech's extender is cheaper than the HB one)

3) Rally footpegs
Note: Rally footpegs are wide enough for better balance (while standing) and riding long distances, while the grip keeps your feet in the right position without slipping (because of mud). It's probably useful only if you hit the wet trails more.

4) Taller windscreen / Wind deflector
Note: Largely useful for taller riders who are 6 feet or more IMO. I'm about 5'10" and found very little buffetting on my helmet while riding the Transalp. There's a GIVI tall screen or a PUIG Wind deflector to choose from.

5) Fender Extender
Note: I noticed that the Transalp's radiator comes with its own built-in mesh for basic protection, and the optional aluminium grill is probably only needed for hardcore off-road riders. For those who would mostly tour like me, a front fender extension like the one below can keep much of the small stones and muck away from the radiator. Pyramid Extenda is the only local option I could find.


Additional points to consider:

For crash protection, one can either buy a sump guard + engine guard + tank guard from GIVI or Hepco Becker or buy just the SW-Motech sump guard + engine guard.

The SW-Motech sump guard is much bigger and wider and acts as a lower engine guard. This in effect means a tank guard on the top alone is enough to protect the upper body and mount your Aux lights.

Most of the items I've mentioned are available in India via Bikenbiker or SW-Motech's India distributor - Big Bad Bikes. Some are out of stock and may need to be pre-ordered.

Honda's own OEM accessories (also listed on their website) are quite expensive. I've included the pricing of some of the components below. There is also no clarity on whether they will be available along with the bike or a long waiting time is to be expected.

[Redline6800]

Got to test ride both the TransAlp 750 (which i have booked) and the NX500 at Big Wing Topline Bengaluru today.
Images are of bikes due for delivery, test ride bike was different.

I must say the TransAlp really surprised me with how easy it is to ride! Feels like a proper big bike but lighter in feel compared to 650 cc bikes.


The test ride was approx 30 minutes in the CBD in very heavy traffic from 11:30 pm to 12:00 pm and it was pretty hot (approx 30 degrees plus).
Quite a tall bike and at 6.1" was able to flat foot while on the bike.


The bike sounds great, has a top notch premium feel, gearbox is brilliant and just snicks into gear, the clutch really needs to be experienced and felt as light as my CB 350!

Brakes, suspension both top notch and I was dicing with the infamous autos in namma ooru within minutes of the test ride. In short, very confidence inspiring once on the bike.


Super smooth engine was also a big plus for me, it really is a very nice motor, with a lot of character which I am hoping a longer test drive will confirm.


Heat management is brilliant for a 750 cc bike and it certainly runs cooler than the other 650 cc bikes I have ridden (including VStrom 650).

Unlike the Africa Twin, the TransAlp wont grab eyeballs but looks great in both paint schemes. Quality levels are great and the bikes come with two tyre options - Dunlops and Metzeller Karoo Street. Am hoping for the latter.



This was followed by a short NX500 test ride, on a similar route taken on a CB500X 2.5 years ago. I feel the NX500 is much nicer than the CB500X and a great bike. It sounded really nice, accelerated well, brakes were great as was the suspension and overall super super comfortable. The new instrument cluster is much nicer too.
I felt I could have lived happily with the NX500 as well !

I've been a CB350 owner for over 2 years and am a hardcore Honda fan (at home we have a 2000 Honda City 1.5 Exi, 2012 Brio S(O) MT, 2001 Activa and 2021 CB 350). I value reliability over all else, and the fact that Honda makes great cars (maybe not anymore !) and bikes is a plus.

Once the decision for a CB350 upgrade was finalised late last year, the test ride series included Suzuki VStrom 650 (11L OTR new), Kawasaki Versys 650 (10L OTR new) and Triumph Tiger 660. Used examples of the former 2 were also considered. The VStrom 650 is no longer on sale with the 800 DE due to arrive as its replacement. However in foreign markets the 800 DE is approx 1.3 L more expensive than TransAlp.

I have a strong aversion to self-inflicted trauma so the Tiger 660 test ride was just a formality, but at approx 12L on-road BLR, used examples may make more sense. The TBHP Triumph service posts are self explanatory.

Used prices for some exceptional VStrom 650s and Versys 650s were hovering in the 8L mark in Bengaluru.

What the heart demands and the wallet can bear are often diametrically opposite but the thought that the TransAlp will serve me faithfully for a decade or more, as the other Honda's with my family have done was a key decision point.

Hoping to take delivery this month or the next.

[sharad_kmc]

Booked the Transalp today in white after much deliberation. Liked the all black theme but the Matt black is a pain to maintain in the long run. The white with its decals does make the bike look bigger. The showroom has asked me to send them the accessories I am intrested in. Will add the engine guard, tank guard and bash plate for now. Not sure if I need the main stand. Have also requested for the Outex tubeless conversion at time of delivery. Tentative delivery timeline is sometime in April 3rd week. Looked at the other vendors online for the above mentioned accessories, but these parts are out of stock presently. Will like to add Auxillary lights once the bike is delivered. Will probably stick to GR (Gold Runway) Or Denali.

[VellVector]

Originally Posted by sharad_kmc

Not sure if I need the main stand. Have also requested for the Outex tubeless conversion at time of delivery.

Will like to add Auxillary lights once the bike is delivered. Will probably stick to GR (Gold Runway) Or Denali.

The main stand is important if you plan to use the bike for adventure riding. Ive taken my GSA all over to places like Spiti and Zanskar - the centre stand was needed to park it in quite a few places and even for small repair jobs.

Be a bit careful with Outex conversion - if not done properly it can turn into a royal pain.

For the aux lights - if you are spending on Denali, I would instead suggest spending a bit more and getting Baja. I have both fitted on different bikes and the Baja lights are way better. The GR seem to be good value - know a lot of people using them who are very happy. You can also look at Diode Dynamics. They are very good lights for the price.