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

[@davidgiorlando4086]

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.

[@sickunit2096]

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.”

[@timbrandt7211]

Nice bikes, not sure I’d pass on a well sorted 950 Adv, one of the best ever.

[@martythompson6509]

Which shock did you fit?

[@sickunit2096]

@@timbrandt7211 I can agree with you on a 950 and I did have mine sorted out, but I always had that fear in the back of my mind that the thing would break down on me somewhere remote.

[@Jeredsmith]

I agree on the black. I like black but at least give the USA an option for the white and gold ones they have over seas.

[@sickunit2096]

@@Jeredsmith I spiced mine up with graphics from a non-US model from the early 90s.

[@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 .

[@peaceandfood7952]

I'm hesitating between tenere and Africa twin ....

[@thinkinglonewolf]

@@peaceandfood7952 If you intend more off-road go Tenere , if you favor open forest roads and asphalt go African Way

[@jhackett9482]

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.

[@GregLanz]

Agreed, I'm in Canada and bought the TA as well. I've looked pretty seriously at the T7 and I'm sure I'd be very happy with one but for one I could never find a T7 in stock and the TA fits what I do better.

[@stephenzimmerman5517]

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.

[@alozborne]

Look for a used Honda CB500X, as they are affordable and a lot of fun for a beginner ADV rider.

[@thodoris3790]

the only competitor for tenere,is the tuareg660.which beats tenere everywhere.except reliability.

[@ivanlalev8223]

It will hardly beat it everywhere. In fact, reliability is most important.

[@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.

[@BravoFox27]

Which springs did you go for?

[@toffeeavatar5011]

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

[@kenp4464]

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.

[@cyclenews]

Yes they both have different seat heights, 33.7 in for the TA and 34.4 in for the Tenere.

[@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.

[@briancorreia2923]

It looks like the new BMW f900 enduro has a button on the left that turns off traction control.

[@cliftonsr]

Traction control can be turned off on the fly on the Transalp and you don’t have to pull over, and again just turning off by just the kill switch doesn’t change your settings on the Transalp. So get your facts right and stop talking and start riding.

[@Phlmotoadventure.]

Really good review, my local trails are deep sand and the T7 with springs for my weight and it eats it up. I consider the transalp but when I sat on it at the dealer it felt like a sport touring bike, but the seat felt 10x better 😂

[@brianh8484]

I'm an experienced off road guy and bought a T7. The suspension was so soft it was super disappointing (and I'm only 170lbs wet). I put a flat spot in the front rim without even trying and every time I rode it (even on easy off road stuff) I wished I was on my smaller KTM 500. Even when I rode it on the highway it didn't impress me and I wasn't comfortable on long days plus if you're taking the Mrs she will not be comfortable on the back, so I sold it. I replaced it with a 701 but still prefer my KTM 500 so it's for sale now too. Now I'm thinking TA because I know its a more comfortable road bike, I know I'll likely restrict myself to smooth gravel roads on it, the Mrs will be more comfortable on Sunday rides and my 12 year old 500 will keep its place in the garage.

[@jayhopkins1337]

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

[@sdavis4349]

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

[@mediocremichael]

Love it....great vid. More Dakar Rally Daily please. There is so much more to cover! Thanks in advance! :)

[@cyclenews]

Thanks Michael, more to come!

[@john0270]

ok so on that t7 rear brake, i have bled massive amounts of air out of some of them.

[@ngprof]

Interesting that you don't like a traction control at 2024 ....

[@erickmontero6222]

Compare the T7 to the Tuareg 660. Aprilia seems to have it beat in all areas except potentially reliability and dealer network. Priced a little higher but there’s good deals out there that bring them to the same price.

[@cyclenews]

We will add that to the list!

[@kevb9578]

Ended up buying the transalpine. Got knobs on it. Love it. T7 good ripper doh. Buddy bought t7. Either way Honda bruhs and Yama bruhs are cooler than euro Bruhs

[@thodoris3790]

i test rode tenere,and above 70 mph ,had terrible wind noise.is the transalp the same?i m 5.9.

[@EfferusZangetsu]

Different seat and or different windshield height will solve the issue. Different combinations for different rider heights.

[@Sventy11]

You'll need a taller windscreen on the T7 to reduce wind noise. The TA noise isn't bad. Much better in stock form than the T7.

[@jayhopkins1337]

Windscreen riser 20$

[@HoratioBunce503]

I’m 6’0 and just finished the 600 mile run-in. The stock windscreen is really good, but I have to scrunch down a little. 1-2” too short of a screen for me. I figger it’s gonna be just fine if you’re 5’10” or under. If you ride your adventure bike like an ebduro, or tech single track, like these reviewers, by all means, the T7 is the bike. Me, I’m looking for a comfortable tourer, that’ll get me to places that I want to see off-tarmac. BTW, the TA handles the twisties like it wants to be flogged. High revving, smooth, and planted. Much more comfortable and fun than I had expected. Never ridden a T7, so I can’t compare road manners to the TA.

[@Sventy11]

@@jayhopkins1337 that won't be enough for the T7. It would only help, but the T7 needs a whole need windscreen to reduce noise.

[@gingernaut2550]

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!

[@cyclenews]

Claimed wet weights say the Tenere is 470 lbs, while the Honda is 459. Thanks for the view and congrats on the weight loss!

[@gingernaut2550]

@@cyclenews Thnks for the props What I meant to say was how much bikes can safely carry, like rider, gear etc! thanks for the reply though

[@nickNLB]

I have a spring rated for 357 in the rear that was 150$ on my Tenere. Why don’t you just get a stiffer spring? You don’t need a new shock.

[@nickNLB]

@gingernaut2550

[@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.

[@spartanx169x]

I'm not into ADV bikes, but these two bikes have me interested in the idea.

[@cyclenews]

That's what its all about!

[@alsacs3635]

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.

[@markcomisky7106]

Yamaha should do a recall on the rear brake itself a safety concern

[@bjjw]

A fair review but more off-road biased. Both bikes are well made and imperfect in their own right.

[@nscott26]

Im surprised the Aprilia Tuareg wasn't mentioned 🤔

[@rench55]

Not "sub $11k", But I'd pay the extra...

[@nscott26]

@@rench55 I did pay the extra, the Tuareg is a phenomenal bike!

[@joshdoddadbod]

Although I love my T7, it'll be outdated as soon as someone comes out with something lighter ina. Smaller displacement. But I do love my T7. Definitely not for long road trips but it can be pushed into that role.

[@gw2shibarashi674]

yamaha created the category??? BMW F800gs 2008 helloooooo????

[@LeeTillbury]

That old shed?? Naaaa 😂😂😂

[@gw2shibarashi674]

@@LeeTillbury what does it have to do with old ?

[@Carlisho]

@@LeeTillbury you just proved him right by calling it an old shed 😂

[@gw2shibarashi674]

@@Carlisho I see …. Classic Yamaha fun boys

[@johna6968]

We back in COVID lockdown?

[@kostasrestas]

Τ Ε Ν Ε R E !

[@BoyFindsTako]

Huge rebate for the T7 in Sacramento, CA. $8100 plus tax, license and fee’s! I couldn’t believe that it’s this price. Manufacture rebate! July 23rd 2024 is when I posted this. Not sure how long that rebate is going to last?

[@user-jc7jb3bu5s]

Here in san diego. make sure out the door price. i checked here and no good out the door.

[@JohnnyWhiplash1]

Locally, I do not see Tenere priced like they say here. Its more expensive for sure.

[@cyclenews]

We list the MSRP.

[@kyleg8928]

2024 790 adventure is back at 10990?

[@kyleg8928]

Thanks for the quality presentation.

[@GIGABACHI]

At first blush you can tell which one it's the "dirt bike" and which one it's "Starbucks go getter".

[@Rigatonispaghettioly]

nah

[@Sventy11]

Rider dependant too. I feel like my TA holds its own off road. The T7 feels good off road too.

[@andrewanderson1988]

I don't know what it is about the Honda stock shocks being so bad. When I was shopping for my dual sport I was seriously considering the CRF300, but the I bottomed out the stock shock just from sitting down on it in the showroom. The KLX300 was much better, so I went with that instead.

[@edtaylor6431]

Talk about a biased against the Honda! Not exactly fair! Honda is the bike I will be the buying!

[@cyclenews]

Biased? How so?

[@ivanlalev8223]

Quite the opposite. Passion for Honda flows from everywhere. Starting from the racetracks and reaching the comments. Honda is always the best, by default, because it is Honda and even the rules are ignored for it

[@eagledrummer23]

The transalp just doesn't make much sense. With the compromised suspension, it would really make more sense as a big brother to the cb500x with a 19" front. Instead, it's less sporty than a tiger and less capable off road than a t700. The Mini tenere might not be the best bike, but the purpose is clear and well done.

[@spartanx169x]

Compromised would imply that it is broken or weak at the very least. Which is not accurate. Its just different. I would argue that it is for riders that are less aggressive off road and want to enjoy the riding on pavement. Honda didn't build it on a whim. You can be assured they spend thousands of dollars doing research on what customers in the demographic were wanting and or complaining that the Tenere was not providing. Just because it does not appeal to you , does not mean there is no customer for it. Honda rarely fails. How many questioned the release of the Grom and look at its success. Its becoming a cultural icon.

[@jhackett9482]

@@spartanx169xagree. I bought the Transalp living in Illinois there is asphalt, gravel and very little dirt. Its a different animal. Also closest triumph dealer is 4-5 hour trip from where I live so not available. Transalps gonna take me all over the country no matter what the roads are like. I see lots of youtubers riding the T7 on the road and thats a waste of a good dirt bike.

[@eagledrummer23]

@@spartanx169x except I doubt it excels on road with the 21" tire. This tire makes sense for a bike that is very good off road. It will work for people sure, but it's not going to be top of the class in anything, it seems. I predict that most transalp owners would be happier on a 19" tiger or ktm adventure.

[@MatijaBuhMetaliero]

T7 is young fresh design and goes like a dirtbike... Transalp is for 60+ dads

[@DM-rh4eh]

T7 looks meaner

[@BdubbsVt]

It's simple: if you ride more offroad, buy the t7. If you do more commuting and lite touring, buy the talp People want to bash the honda assuming they built an adv bike. It's not, at all. With that said, the ta is an amazing bike to ride. Smooth, well balanced, good fun.

[@eagledrummer23]

If it's not an ADV bike, WHY put a 21" tire on it? Makes no sense. There's tons of sport tourers that will handle better than this.

[@john0270]

and then there is the vstrom 800de, have one on order myself. the t7 is an overweight dirtbike in my opinion

[@john0270]

@@eagledrummer23 have you ever drove gravel roads with different bikes?

[@eagledrummer23]

@@john0270 yes... are you saying you need a 21" tire for gravel?

[@jd467]

Wow, where did you find that superb ugly bash plate for the Transalp? 🤢

[@cyclenews]

Honda factory accessory, you don't like?

[@johnshropshire3399]

👍👍

[@ivanlalev8223]

Nothing good goes into warehouses, but what is left to stay in them. I come across similar comments in various reviews, "There is no T7 in stock. TA was there. I drove it and I liked it. I bought it. I am satisfied". Damn, everyone women are beautiful, but since I've liked the most beautiful one, I won't throw myself at the first person I meet on the highway! Don't compromise! Honda TA is an impersonal bike without charisma.

[@peaceandfood7952]

Anybody can come with anything the tenere is always more good looking only one else would be the africa twin

[@scottrtomlinson]

TEAM TENERE!

[@skipole09]

Unclear why anyone would choose a transalp over a t7. If you have any intention of riding off road, you’re better off on a t7

[@cyclenews]

Think on paper the Transalp was designed to be a competitor to the T7 both on and off-road.

[@GregLanz]

And if you ride on-road you're better off with the Transalp, just depends on what you do. I'm about 80% on-road so I picked the Transalp YMMV

[@ktkace]

The real monkey wrench is the Kove rally 800 race at 165KG wet... Yamaha is already sweating balls because they shat the T7 extreme edition lol. Honda isnt even trying

[@cyclenews]

That would make another great comparison test.

[@brianpostlethwaite]

@@cyclenews I have a T7 and the Kove Rally 800 has me looking for an upgrade.

[@robertmountfort6519]

Chinabikes suck

[@thodoris3790]

transalp for me.tenere is too overrated bike.most buy it for the looks

[@Pompomgrenade]

😂 No thought Yamaha beat the Honda in this case

[@gordboyko769]

They both suck . Neither has cruise .. both have cheap mushy suspension. Both are too heavy .

[@mbal4052]

No it’s ur mum that sucks 😊

[@ItsChicoYo]

Nice bait comment, donkey

[@cliffordjordan9577]

I’m a Honda guy, but the Transalp can’t compete with the Tenere