2010 Transalp (700cc)
 

Decent enough for an adventure ride from UK to China ?
Solo riding, in a group of 3 other similar sized bikes.
Reliable enough?
Can it carry the weight OK ?

Vette

5 years ago I rode in a group of 6 bikes together with a guy from the UK who had a Transalp 700 from Europe through China and to Thailand. That bike performed as good as any of the other bikes in the group.
I think the only thing that could have been better was the range as the fuel tank isnt huge on those bikes. When the second gas station in a row along remote roads were out of fuel in Kazakhstan the Transalp and GS 1200 needed fuel from jerrycans. Not a big deal though...

Ive ridden my 2009 Transalp around the world over 2yrs. and it never missed a beat. comfortable and good enough on dirt roads. Carrying extra fuel was the only annoying thing as you only get 300 kilometres out of a tank, and on a few occasions this is not enough

Thanks Snakeboy.
I guess I would need a couple of fuel bladders, what can hang each side of the seat?
How much extra fuel would you estimate was needed ?
Vette

Hi Simon,
Thanks for the confirmation that generally extra fuel needs to be carried.
How did yo carry?
Metal tins, or rubber bladders?
How much additional would you suggest is enough, but not too much bearing the weight?

Vette

Depends on where you plan to travel. I have just finished a 5 years RTW trip and have done alltogether around 250 k kms. I havent done the absolutely most remote roads in the world but I have done such roads as the Gibb River Road in Australia, Carreterra Austral in chilean Patagonia, good parts of the R40 in Argentina, I have crossed the Andes at very remote crossings such as the Paso San Fransisco between Argentina and Chile and I have travelled both the Depmster and the Dalton highways in northern Canada and Alaska amongst others. These have often required fuel for at least 400 kms/250 miles. So I would definetively advise to have a fuel autonomy of 400 kms...then you can calculate from what fuel milage you get on your bike riding at your own preferred riding pace how much fuel you need to carry - and as mentioned above, depending on where you are travelling.

Thanks Snakeboy

Vette

The Transalp is a good overlanding bike two up but the tank range lets it down. I looked at all the options but taking extra fuel in tanks is the only one. I wanted a tank range of about 250 miles. In the end I bought an old Africa Twin as this had the tank range I wanted for South and Central America.

The only other advice I would give is to get the rear shock set up with a new spring for the weight you will be carrying - or replace the shock (I don't know the quality of the stock one). I also had a second hand remote adjuster fitted to my AT from a Pan European - very handy although I didn't need to use it much.

I want to get a Transalp 700 for my first bike. I know it is quite heavy for a beginner but the idea is that when i can drive with this bike i can drive everything. Or am I wrong?