Honda Transalp primed for world premiere bow at EICMA 2021?

It doesn’t officially exist  as yet but we wouldn’t need to be betting men to pop the house on red and predict the Honda Transalp will make its world premiere this year.

A smaller version of its enduringly popular Africa Twin, talk of a lighter more compact version have swirled ever since its bigger brother was launched in 2019.

Coupled with the success of models as the Yamaha Tenere 700 and a growing portion of the market being snaffled up by mid-large ADVs under 1000cc, all eyes have been on Honda to see its reaction… not that it has. Officially at least.

However, the clues are all there, from the original news broken by Young Machine (which rarely, if ever, gets these calls wrong) that claimed it would be branded the Transalp. Fast forward to 2021 and Honda recently re-registered the Transalp nameplate.

With Honda limiting confirmation to simply not denying it, the finer details are otherwise a little scarce but it is expected to come with the firm’s 850cc four-stroke engine, which should be enough to ensure the Transalp can keep up with the Africa Twin in the rougher terrain, but be a more nimble proposition on the road.

However, with Honda already offering the NC750X as a more road-orientated crossover in a similar engine bracket, it is likely the firm will attempt to satisfy the harder core side of the ADV market.

It’s the model that is expected to be among Honda’s top reveals at the EICMA show in Milan, which returns in November 2021 after an enforced hiatus prompted by the COVID-19 crisis. 

The motorcycle will revive a nameplate not used for more than 10 years but that was a stalwart member of the Honda range from the mid-late 1980s.