The Honda Transalp 750 may not have been on our shores for long, but riders over in Europe have had the bike for years — enough years to warrant a facelift, it seems. For its 2025 model year, the Transalp is getting a small host of updates to make the bike a bit comfier and — most importantly — prettier. That’s right, prospective buyers, your prayers have finally been answered: For 2025, the North American-spec Transalp comes in colors.
Much like the Africa Twin, the Transalp was introduced in the United States in a single color. Unlike the Africa Twin, which at least came in a very Honda red, the Transalp could previously only be had in satin black. That’s not a shade that looks good on much of anything, but for this year Honda has finally corrected the error. Not only do we now get the Honda red white and blue, but we’re also getting a green-gray shade with yellow accents that Honda’s calling Deep Pearl Gray.
More to the looks than just color
For 2025, the Transalp actually gets a whole new face — though you’ll be forgiven if you don’t notice the changes before I point them out to you. The painted plastics are carried over from the old bike — just, with paint this time — but the unpainted section that holds the turn signals, headlight, and windshield has been totally reshaped. The windscreen now features a cutout for aero, and the old pre-rename CB500X headlight has been swapped out for a two-eyed setup that’s a little more reminiscent of the Africa Twin. Honda claims this also resulted in a “new central duct” that helps with “aerodynamics and agility,” but we’ll have to see how much of a functional difference that really makes from the seat.
What’s more likely to make a real, tangible difference is the updated suspension. Honda claims the settings are just tweaked, and given that the company’s not bragging about new hardware it’s likely the changes boil down to some adjusted spring rates or damping. Still, these seemingly small differences can majorly impact the riding experience, so it’s nice to see Honda still testing and tweaking. I, for one, am very excited to swing a leg over the updated bike once I can get my hands on one. Honda says the facelifted models will hit dealers in June, so keep your eyes peeled for any suspiciously colorful packages being dropped on your local Honda shop’s doorstep next month.
