Words: Abhishek Pandey | Photography: Saidatta Naik
Over the years, Honda has made some adventure motorcycles that enjoy a cult status, like the 1986 XL600V Transalp and 1988 NX650 Dominator. In a way, the Honda XL750 Transalp and NX500, both of which are available in India, are motorcycles that the baton has been passed onto by these machines. While we have tested both motorcycles earlier, we recently got an opportunity to put them through their paces on some off-road trails. Called the True Adventure Camp, this was also an opportunity to get trained by experts like Ouseph Chacko and Rish George, while also getting seat time on the two bikes.
Organised at a dedicated off-road circuit near Lonavala, the camp started with us reacquainting ourselves with the basics of adventure riding, including body positioning, weight transfer and braking techniques. We were to ride the Honda XL750 and the NX500 on separate trails, made specifically for each bike. After the theory session and a briefing about the trails, I was handed the keys to an XL750 Transalp, the more off-road-focused motorcycle of the two.
The Transalp uses wire-spoked wheels and has a 21-inch/18-inch front/rear setup. With 91PS and 75Nm on offer from its 750cc parallel-twin engine, the Transalp is a potent machine and a brilliant handler, both on and off tarmac. It felt a little intimidating to ride down the loose, gravel-filled inclines and slopes initially, but in true Honda fashion, the more I rode it, the friendlier it became. The gobs of torque at lower revs helped me tackle the terrain with ease, too. I also took this opportunity to try out the different ABS and traction control settings the bike is equipped with, and realised they are sure to help inexperienced riders, though experienced ones may prefer switching rider aids off.
I then switched to the NX500, which is a more road-focused motorcycle and is powered by a 471cc parallel-twin engine that offers 47PS and 43Nm. It is a lot smaller in size as compared to the Transalp, and it thus felt more welcoming right from the word go. My test bike was equipped with tyres having an 80:20 road bias, mounted on a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear wheel, which were alloy wheels. The trail chosen for the NX500 was thus an easy one with fast dirt sections.
We rode through rocky descents as well as tricky, loose, dirt-filled sections, but despite the road-biased tyres it was running, the NX500 seemed perfectly at ease through it all, also helped by its relatively smaller size and lighter weight. However, the ABS and traction control intervention were proving to be a fly in the ointment and hampered my ability to push the motorcycle on the loose surface. While traction control can be turned off, ABS on the NX500 is not switchable, and this is a big limiting factor for riders wanting to take it off-road. With traction control, the bike felt a lot easier to maneuver off-road. The NX500 is made for riding on the road, and this shows in its demeanour, but it tackled the dirt sections with ease, that too on road-biased tyres.
I am convinced, a set of more off-road biased tyres will work wonders for the bike’s abilities, and going by the way it was performing at our test track, I am certainly keen on taking it out on a cross-country adventure. More so, because the bike also impresses with its excellent ergonomics and comfortable seat, which add to its likeable feel. Honda organises its True Adventure Camp across the country regularly, and the best part about it is that the camp is open for everyone, even if you do not own a Honda, for a nominal fee of ₹2000. This, in my books, is a great initiative and one that can get a lot more people hooked on to adventure riding, especially since today is a time when more buyers are wanting to explore the world on two wheels.
