Lifting up my Transalp
 

Hi folks!

I recently bought a Transalp XL700 2010 and I'm just toke it for a 5000km ride in Europe and the bike is absolutely superb.

There is only one problem, with 2 up and luggages, the bike gets extremely low, from the central stand, It has only 5.5cm ground clearance, I need to find a way to make this bike a bit higher without compromising the suspension softness.

Is very common to find threads about how to lower your bike, but never to make it higher!

Anyone knows how to do it? If yes, please, let me know.

Best!

Some non technical things you can try:

Redistribute weight for example mount the tool tube to the bash plate, not the back rack. Store heavy spares like brake pads & bearings in the tank bag or a pouch on the crash bars.

Adjust your suspension

Pack less!! If it doesn't fit in the boxes/tank bag don't take it:) you really need much less stuff than you think. Always go for the lightest smallest gear you can find. Cut the amount of clothes in half, share toiletries, ditch the extra shoes...

If you are too heavy and bottoming out the suspension, raising the bike won't help so much. It just won't ride right the second you hit bumps.

First time we packed we were so overloaded, we got rid of a pannier's worth of crap right then. We were still too heavy. Now on the 3rd and longest ride we use tiny expeds for camping, smaller tent, much less clothes (I went 6 months with just one pair of pants:). It does take some investment but you can always sell the other stuff:)

Good luck!

You don't say if you have used the adjustment on the shock absorber; the bike may have only a basic setting for preload, or it may have adjustment of the damping also - have a look in your handbook.
Hardening/stiffening the preload is commonly done when extra weight is added to a bike.

If the suspension design uses "dog bones" then these can be changed to raise a bike, just as they can be changed to lower it.

1) Is the bike acceptable with one rider?

2) And when loaded you adjust the spring preload to obtain a similar ride height?

If 1 = Yes and 2 = preload maxed out then stiffer springs or less weight.

For less luggage weight look at what you are taking .. jeans = cotton = heavy- change for synthetics!

Hi Joasphoto,

i have no problems with the standard Honda Transalp 700 and a lot of luggages

My curent 12.000 km DE-Baltic-Finland-Åland-Sweden-Norway-DE trip

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...22215467_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...72623697_n.jpg

Hi Warin!

Yes, the bike is perfectly acceptable with one rider! I didn't adjusted the preload to maxed out then stiffer springs, I think that this might be the problem. I was riding with 2 up and luggage with the preload in standard mode, I will try to make it stiffer and see whats happen. In relation of the luggage weight, don't to be consider, we always travel very very light.

Look the images attached to see how low my bike gets.

Hi Frank.Wagner !

Your bike looks great, very similar of mine, its high is very good, looks taller than mine! You seems to be in great journey, enjoy!!!

Tell me something, where did you get your seats from? is it worth it? is your tyres Mefo Super Explorer? If yes, what is your feedback about it?

Please, let me know!

Best,

You will need a better shock/suspension, there is noe easy fix to this. Suspension settings when going solo and 2 up and lot of luggage are very different and the original Rear suspension is quite frankly crap. If you want to use the shock you have you will need to remove the rear ahock ant tighten the spring as hard as possible to compensate for the extra 100 kg or so. But you will have a prett stiff Transalp when not loaded up.

My advice, invest in a new rear schock with an hydrulic preload adjuster and if you buy a Wilbers shock, as I have, you will be asked how you would like to have it setup initially. You can then specify that you want it setup for 2 up riding a lot of the time and use the adjuster to dial in the spring tenaion accorsing to your needs. And buy new, progressive springs to for a balanced setup. Tjis will transform your Transalp into a completwly new experience! no comparison.

Those who claim their 700 transalps are comfortable and that the setup works well should try one with proper suspension ;)

My tyres are Heidenau K60 in front & K60 Scout at the rear

I drive with the Transalp 700 always alone

Standard setting and no spring changes

Here, here.
The suspension on most of the range of Honda bikes is very basic, by which I mean that it is mass produced stuff for those who ride a few thousand miles per year (at most) and change their bike every 2-3 years (or thereabouts).
The exceptions are the more expensive models of Honda - fireblades and the like.

Of course, the same goes for other Japanese manufacturers; you get what you pay for in this world.

Hi
Not sure what the mileage is on your bike, but looking at the photo with the credit card underneath the sump I would say the rear shoch is in need of a service.

If your carrying pillion and luggage it would be well worth getting a stronger spring fitted at the same time the shock is serviced.

I have used Firefox Racing | Workshop Services many times and they do a 1st class job and at ££££ less than aftermarket shocks.

Hope this help's

Dazzer

Well I assume you mean the softness of the suspension with one rider and no luggage ... as the bike was designed to be ridden?

As soon as you put another rider on and luggage the suspension becomes too soft for that weight. The suspension is not the same firmness regardless of the weight on it. Its a fixed level of resistance, designed to offer a certain level of firmness with a certain amount of weight on the bike. If you change the amount of weight on the bike, like put luggage and an extra person on it, suddenly you can push the suspension down with one finger - i.e. its NOT the same softness as it SHOULD be, because the spring is now not able to offer enough resistance for the amount of weight it is opposing - meaning it (a) now sits too low and (b) does NOT offer the designed softness of suspension - now its way too soft and can bottom out, with potentially very bad consequences.

If you change the weight load on the bike significantly, then you have to be changing the suspension to suit it. At a very basic level: a different shock will impact on how the suspension moves. A different spring will affect how high the bike sits.

That means primarily, a new stiffer rear spring to counter the extra weight. That should also make the bike sit at the same height when loaded up with luggage and extra rider, as your original spring did with just you on it. A rear spring should only cost you about 120 EUR and be fitted in an hour or so. Places like Hyperpro have a wide variety of springs for all variations of rider weights , rider+luggage, rider+passenger+luggage etc and fit them for free.

If you want to get more complicated, most suspension shops can lengthen your suspension, put in a taller spring and shock, to make the bike sit higher. But that will be a fair bit more expensive and time consuming.

Been down the same road with my Rd04 Africa Twin,

I’ve seen a few cut ‘n’ shut dog bone conversions which scare the hell out of me, just imagine if the weld isn’t up-to the job !!! especially as I plan on using the bike off road. So I’ve gone for Fork Slugs which lengthen your forks and for the rear, a longer rear bottom shock bracket.

For travelling 2 up, I’ve installed a Africa Queens uprated rear spring and uprates front springs and increasedd the air pressure…

Having looked around, only Africa Queens offer a fully machined dog bone solution …. Shorter to raise, longer to lower…

So happy with my purchase, once its all fitted I’ll let you know how she rides…

Good luck

Thank you very much for your explanation, you were very clear.

Well, let me tell you my reality now. I toke my Transalp to a garage and the mechanic compressed my spring to maximum, bike suspension got much stiffer (which doesn't bother me at all, as I'm very used to super sport bikes as R6 and FZ1) but it doesn't sags so much as before, my ground clearence got much higher, even loaded with second passenger, which I really liked. It was a good temporary solution.
After 5k miles, bike is now with 35800K miles (never had fork or rear shock serviced), my forks needs service, they are not leaking, but they are too soft, every break, the bike swings up and down, oil must to be old and needs replacement. So, I bought a par of Wilbers Progressive Fork springs for £74 (Wilbers Promoto Progressive Fork Springs HONDA 650-1000cc), a Honda Oil/Dust Seal Kit and will do the forks service next week and soon as the springs arrive. I believe Wilbers Progressive Fork springs will make my front suspension behave better, specially with two up + luggage. I read just good feedbacks from people who upgraded the stock fork springs for the Wilbers ones. So, hopefully it will work very well.

Regarding my rear shocks, I thought about servicing the stock one and replace the stock spring for a Hyperpro one, but I am not sure it will worth it, a completely new Hyperpro shock is around £360 pounds on ebay. I know that the right thing to do, would be getting a full adjustable shocks but I don't have the budget for it.
My question is exactly that, should I service my stock honda shocks and replace the spring for a hyperpro one? it will work?! Or should I get a totally new hyper pro shock? What do you reckon? I can not spend much...

Cheers,