The fear came when the back wheel
started to sink into the mud. The Transalp was running like a
dream along a gravel track until I spied a fox. I thought I'd
do my bit for the environment by chasing it down. I was concentrating
on the fox rather than where I was going. That was how I ended
up way off the beaten track with the back wheel deep in mud and
the front on a patch of solid grass. I hit the throttle and slipped
the clutch, leaning forward to try to avoid the tons of mud that
was thrown off the wheel.
The gearbox took that moment to
lock into second. Already covered from head to toe in mud, I jumped
up and down on the seat trying to gain traction. Suddenly we hurtled
forward, right into a tree. I was thrown over the bars, leaving
a helmet sized dent in the ancient oak. Dazed, shivering and soaked
through, I wandered around in circles. Muttering nursery rhymes
to myself. After about half an hour I got ahold of myself and
examined the Transalp.
The front wheel and forks were
a little bent but it'd rattle along at about 5mph. My whole body
hurt - neck, back, arm and leg pains screaming through my brain.
I made the main road and a telephone box. Rescue came in the form
of a mate with an ancient Cortina and trailer. We were followed
by the police for a couple of miles but we escaped the usual interrogation.
I stayed in bed for three days, shivering, sweating and screaming
in terror. That was the end of my off-road adventures on the Transalp!
I had the wheel and forks straightened.
The forks came with bright red gaiters but were long travel and
a bit on the spindly side. Thus vulnerable in crashes. If I was
buying another one I'd pull up the gaiters to check for crease
marks. The ride was on the soggy side (this on a five year old
'89 model) but useful over large bumps and deep pot-holes.
The bars twitched in my hands
under any number of circumstances but the gyrations died out as
quickly as the disturbance disappeared. I could sit through a
lot of shit on the Honda because of the comfortable, upright riding
position. An essential element after a year on a tortuous FZ600
that had my doctor threatening me with a hospital stay. These
race replicas seemed designed to pick up on any weakness in the
human body. I don't think you should have to be some kind of super
athlete just to ride a motorcycle.
The Transalp's engine aided comfort
by the cleverness of its design, which more or less eliminated
vibration. A 52 degree vee twin, watercooled of course, with off-set
con-rods that effectively gave perfect primary vibration. Variations
of the engine have turned up in sports-tourers, trail bikes and
even custom cruisers. Curiously, the cylinder heads were inspired
by the Superdream's three valve design. It may not be the most
efficient in the world but at least it's tough.
The vee-twin unit has proved itself
as very strong over the years and few worries should turn up in
the first 35-40,000 miles in standard tune. Thereafter look for
cams, tensioner, clutch and gearbox problems. Well looked after
bikes can do over 100,000 miles without too much trouble. That
couldn't be said of DR bikes which are often relentlessly thrashed
and neglected. The finish ain't brilliant, so it's quite obvious
which bikes have been neglected.
A lot of the toughness of the
engine comes from the fact that it's not very highly tuned. Any
old British 650 twin could give the bike a run for its money (until
the vibes and trail of bits falling off slow them down). There's
not much point trying to do more than 90mph, which also turns
out to be a reasonable cruising speed. The bike will hold that
against most obstacles, although bumpy roads caused the Honda
to leap around on its long travel suspension......I've ridden
old BMW's that are more disturbing.
The overall effect of the way
the elements of the Transalp come together is of an astonishingly
enjoyable motorcycle. Its versatility and comfort shines through
after the first couple of months. Initial impressions may not
be so favourable, especially on high mileage examples. The loose
suspension takes some getting used to. The transmission's rather
vague, needing a skilled left foot. The high seat height and awkward
low speed handling makes for an uneasy feel. Just persevere for
a couple of months to make it all come together nicely.
My bike had a particularly nasty
gearbox that was full of false neutrals. Not helped by a quick
wear chain and too many aftermarket sprockets that were poorly
made. The excursion off road had poured so much muck over the
back end that the 3500 mile old O-ring chain was completely ruined.
The chains and sprockets normally lasted about 6000 miles even
under mild road use. I blame the long travel suspension.
Some of the wear was down to my
infrequent wheelies. I could pull the front wheel a foot or so
off the ground with ease, a useful trait when the road surface
turned particularly disgusting. I know one patch of London road
where the holes were filled in with tarmac about six inches above
the normal surface. Looking like someone had just poured the tarmac
off the back of a fast moving lorry. I don't think I could ride
a normal bike, and certainly not a replica, in London any more.
I could weave and wobble through
heavy traffic with reasonable ease, but at low speed the 385lbs
felt concentrated high, especially when the fuel tank was full.
In town the bike managed about 55mpg, maybe 60mpg if the riding
was relaxed (rare, admittedly). In other conditions about 50mpg
was normal.
One funny moment was had when
the back cylinder's carb seized wide open. That left the engine
trying to tear itself apart until I hit the killswitch. By then
I'd run out of road, rambled off over a grass verge and the made
a modernistic sculpture out of a bit of hedge. Full motorcycle
gear protected me from the brambles and nettles but not from some
farmer type who went into an harangue. These country people are
not very happy souls, I blame the excess of sheep myself.
The Transalp was a bit scarred
but not shattered by the experience. I clambered back on board,
rode into the sunset with a silly grin on my face. The carb was
quickly if temporary fixed by tapping it with a spannner. It did
the same trick near home, the slide had worn way beyond redemption
and a less worn carb was fitted (the old one had done 36000 miles).
The cramped nature of the vee made it extremely difficult to fit
without reaching for the crow-bar.
Both camchains were starting to
rattle by 43000 miles, not brilliant but expected. These were
easy to fit. Two camchains and tensioners cost under a hundred
quid. The rest of the motor seemed solid so I saw no point in
trading in for something newer.
The latest model has a sexier
fairing than mine, which makes it look a bit like a rolling teapot
from certain angles. Protection ain't that good, air and water
swirls behind the screen at speeds above 60mph. Strong side winds
and the slipstream of large lorries can make the front of the
fairing flap around but it's not actually terminal. Stiffer suspension
would probably eliminate this trait entirely. The back shock's
still original! It's just about able to cope with high speeds
and smooth roads, or low speeds and rough roads, but not high
speeds on rough roads.
The Transalp was never too popular
in the UK, its styling putting people off. Old ones go for as
little as £1000. Less than two grand will buy a jolly nice
one but mine ain't for sale.
F.R.K.