This page applies most directly to the 1989-1990 US-spec Honda Transalp. See http://www.ta-deti.de/ta/ for thorough technical information on all Transalp models.
The Purolator PureOne PL14612 filter fits the Transalp (and every other Honda I've tried). It's designated for the Mazda MX6. The PL14610 also fits, and is longer, which should give better filtration (note: I previously had mixed the two up and listed the wrong one as longer). It may be difficult to get an oil filter wrench between the longer PL14610 and the swingarm. Personally, I just remove the filter by hand, and if it's too tight to do so, I puncture it with a screwdriver and loosen it that way.
This Goldwing site mentions that the L14459 fits Goldwings, in addition to the L14610 and L14612. The L14459 is fatter and shorter than the L14610, and has published specs placing it between the classic L14610/L14612 and the PureOne PL14610. It may be worth considering.
Chain
The stock chain is size 525, with 118 links.
Sprockets
Front: 15 tooth, Honda part number 23801-MM9-010, listed on "Transmission" page of microfiche.
Rear: 47 tooth
NT650 Hawk 16 Tooth Sprocket
Honda part number 23801-MN8-000. This drops engine speed by about 400 RPM at 60mph.
Tires
This post discusses how an 80/100-21 front tire might fit the Transalp's 1.85 inch rim better than a 90/90-21. Newer 21 inch rims are generally 2.15 inches wide.
SPRINGS: Single Rate (SRS), Dual Rate (DRS), Triple Rate (TRS)
STD: Standard shocks without reservoir
REZ: Hose mounted remote reservoir
ADJ Ultracross: Rebound adjustable with reservoir.
So, the shock is sold as a single unit, it's 14.69 inches long, which is stock length, it's a single-rate spring, and it's available as standard, with a reservoir, or with both adjustable rebound damping and a remote reservoir.
Lengthening Stock Suspension
This post describes the "Moab" shock that Cogent Dynamics builds. This shock gives 2" additional height and travel to the rear of a Transalp.
Africa Twin Suspension
An Africa Twin swingarm and rear shock can be used to gain height and travel. See the Honda Transalp and Africa Twin page for more information.
Front Suspension
Stock fork specifications:
Free length: 571.5mm (22.5 in)
Fork fluid capacity: 549cc (18.6 US oz)
Fork fluid level: 125mm (4.9in)
According to Race Tech, the stock Transalp fork spring strength is 0.51kg/mm.
Front suspension travel 200mm (7.9in)
Upper fork leg diameter: 41mm
Racetech Gold Valve Emulators
Race Tech Gold Valve Emulators for the NT650V Hawk (Race Tech part number FEGV S4101)can be used in the Transalp, since the forks are the same diameter (41mm).
NX650 Forks
NX650 forks have the same upper tube diameter as Transalp forks, but have longer upper tubes. The bolt spacing for the brake caliper may be different.
XR600 and XR650L Forks
This post details one person's experience putting XR650L forks onto a Transalp. He used SRC Mudskins for fork protection, the SRC fork brace, and modified the Transalp fender to fit.
This post provides a bracket template for the fuse box holder on XR600 and XR650 forks.
XR650L Fork Specifications:
Spring free length: 576.0mm (22.68")
Recommended fluid: Pro Honda Suspension Fluid SS-7
Front fork travel: 295mm (11.6in) (note that rear suspension is 11.0 inches)
Upper fork leg diameter: 43mm
Bearings are Nachi 32005J/26 (the /26 is important, the inside diameter is 26mm versus the industry standard 25mm for 32005 bearings)
My own measurements show that the wire diameter is 4.99mm, and that there are 44 coils, including both ends. This adds up to approximately 220mm fully-compressed length.
Spring Rates
Putting XR600, XR400, or XR650L forks on a bike as heavy as the Transalp will require stiffer fork springs. It appears that Eibach and Progressive are the only manufacturers selling fork springs for the XR650L. Race Tech resells Eibach springs.
This post mentions 0.52 kg Eibach springs for a 170 pound rider and 400 pound bike.
This post says 0.52kg springs for a 260 pound rider with good results.
This post mentions that stock XR600 (?) springs may be only 0.38kg.
This post says the first two years of XR400s had 0.38kg springs, after which they switched to 0.40kg.
This post says a tuner calculated 0.54kg/mm to be optimal for road use.
XR's Only has Eibach 0.45kg/mm, 0.47kg/mm, and 0.50kg/mm springs for $99. They are listed for XR400R, XR600R, and XR650L.
Cutting Fork Springs
Aftermarket fork springs are usually nothing more than shorter equivalents of standard fork springs. Given the same material, coil diameter, and wire diameter, a fewer coils yield a stiffer spring.
The US-spec 1989 through 1992 Honda Transalps use a rigid rotor which is 276mm in diameter. The brake caliper is a floating, twin-piston unit (each piston is 30mm in diameter).
Upgrades
Rotors for Transalps
No upgraded rotors appear to be available for US Transalps. Rotors intended for some other bikes may work, however. In Europe, various brake upgrade kits have been sold.
NT650 Hawk
The Honda NT650 Hawk uses the same bolt pattern as the Transalp, but with a 316mm diameter (this page has excellent Hawk information). A Hawk rotor with a caliper-relocation bracket is probably the most common braking upgrade performed on Transalps.
There is no available brake caliper spacer to accommodate a 318mm brake rotor when using Transalp fork legs.
Brake Caliper Spacer for Honda Hawk Rotors
Since the 316mm Hawk disc is larger than the Transalp's 276mm disc, a new brake caliper bracket or a spacer is required. There are two options you may read about, only one of which is in production:
There was a brake caliper spacer known as the "Lenac," "Lenac Brake Kit," etc. When M.A.P. discontinued the brake rotor, Steve Lenac began producing his Big Brake Kit. Unfortunately, he passed away. M.A.P. Engineering has begun producing the Hawk spacer again.
Horsepower by Gary Davis
In this thread, Gary Davis of HPbyGD says he produces caliper relocation brackets.
Brakes for XR650L Fork Legs
This section is for those who have upgraded to XR650L forks.
XR650L Front Wheel
If you acquire an XR650L wheel to match your XR650L forks, there are several Supermoto kits available for the XR650L.
A Transalp wheel can be put into XR650L forks. The XR-L axle is thicker, so the wheel bearings will have to be replaced, and the bearing spacer will have to be machined or replaced. In this configuration, a Transalp or Honda Hawk brake rotor can be fitted, and the brake caliper can be placed on a relocation bracket made for the XR650L. An XR-compatible brake caliper will be required.
Braking offers several types of caliper relocation brackets for the XR series. The Transalp brake caliper will not fit.
XR Brake Caliper Compatibility
According to this post, all the XR models share the same caliper bracket mount dimensions:
The XR400, XR600R, XR650L and XR650R all share the same caliper.
You can use a front wheel from a later model XR on an XR650L if you use the correct caliper bracket for that sized disk. All of the fork legs have the same caliper bracket mounting dimensions and all of the bikes use the same sized caliper. They just use slightly different brackets for the different sized disks, which are easily swapped.
Note that this is not strictly true. By comparing Honda part numbers, it appears that the XR650L caliper and bracket are unique to the XR650L (1993 - 2008):
Bracket with shim: BRACKET, L. FR. 45110-KAS-902 $76.41
Meanwhile, the XR650R shares the caliper with the CR250R, CR125R, CRF230F, CRF150F, and CR230F and the bracket with the CR250R, CR125R, CRF450R, CRF150F, and CRF230F (note: the caliper may be different on the CR450R).
Bracket with shim: BRACKET SUB-ASSY. 45190-KZ4-J21 $44.52
The brake pads are identical across all of these, and more, models.
I am personally using XR650L fork legs, a Transalp wheel, a Braking 318mm rotor, a Braking 'Supermoto' relocation bracket, and a CR250 brake caliper. The CR250 caliper is twin piston, with 27mm pistons. The stock Transalp brake has 30mm pistons. Using the stock Transalp master cylinder, braking feels 'wooden', but effective. The "Supermoto" brake caliper offered by Braking is 36mm, which will probably yield much better feel at the lever.
With the larger diameter disc, a new spacer must be used to move the Transalp's brake caliper outward.
This thread (advrider.com) mentions a guy making a spacer so you can use a stock Hawk rotor (316mm) on the TA (276mm stock).
Anyway- potential very good news- I asked the guy who built a brake
kit for Honda Hawks (a 6 piston caliper and GSXr rotor- works great-
I have one on my Hawk) to look at a potential TA solution. He designed
and built a bracket that relocates the stock TA caliper so that you
can use a stock Hawk rotor which is larger (and I think a little
thicker) than the stock TA rotor. Combined with steel braided lines
and HH pads (which he thinks might not even be necessary) this should
provide a relatively inexpensive upgrade to the TA.
I should be doing this in the next month or so and will let you all
know how it works. Keep fingers crossed
This thread (advrider.com) mentions the Hawk rotor again.
Stainless brake line is a good investment. Speigler, and Galfer both offer
one. Maybe others. The trick brake upgrade is get a used rotor from 88-91
NT650 Hawk. Same bolt pattern but 40mm bigger diameter. Then you have to
machine an adapter to offset the caliper. I'm working on this now.
Also:
Steve (Fast By Big Boy) Lenac (bigboy11@sigmaweb.net) has (or will
shortly have) the full kits for this. I have one on mine (shown in
the "show me" thread) and it makes a difference.
According to this thread (advrider.com), 2001 - 2004 GSXR1000 mufflers are a relatively easy add-on.
Not quite a direct bolt-on but close. I got two 15° bend stainless steel tubes from Burns Stainless and rotated them until I got the right angle. Then I made the flange to bolt on the muffler. I attached the muffler and then tacked the flange and the two sections in place. I'm not a welder so you won't see a close-up shot. I originally had a GSXR1000 muffler on because it was titanium. But when I put the bags and mounts on, the muffler was too big and in the way. So I swapped it out for a 750 or 600 unit, shorter but not titanium. Fortunately, it weighs the same due to the shorter length.
Electrical
Battery
Sealed Batteries
YTX14AH-BS
According to this thread, the stock lead-acid battery, YB12A-B, can be replaced with a sealed lead-acid battery, YTX14AH-BS. The only modification necessary is to remove the battery insulator sleeve.
This post details the Deka ETX15, which fits in the stock Transalp battery cage without the battery sleeve, and has redundant lugs which could be helpful with auxiliary wiring.
This post details how a sealed battery specified for a Hawk NT650V can be used on the Transalp, but it requires a 1/8" shim underneath and possible cutting of the battery sleeve.
Transalp CDIs seem to go bad at 30k - 40k miles. Some last longer, some shorter. The typical cause of failure seems to be soldered joints coming apart. Usually, removing the plastic casing will reveal that the connector's leads have become detached from the circuit board.
Stock Honda
The Honda CDI for a 1989 Honda Transalp is part number 30410-MS8-610. It appears on parts finder websites under 'Wiring Harness'. The best price I can find (as of 9/14/2011) is $103.05 from Honda Peninsula, but their shipping is exorbitant at $25.
CDI Holder Update
The molded rubber CDI holder has been updated to reposition the CDI boxes. The connectors will come out toward the back of the bike, rather than upward toward the seat. This may prevent the seat from pressing down onto the connectors. However, the benefit may actually be due to better vibration isolation.
The updated CDI holder is Honda part number 30401-MM9-010.
M.S. Dual Line
This post talks about M.S. CDI modules for Transalps, and RD03 Africa Twins.
"The new CDIs "Dual Line" have advanced spark angle (for 95 octane fuel). They can be switch to standard advance by cutting the long, black wire loop. The short yellow wire loop activates the side stand switch stop the engine. Cut it only after thorrowly testriding the bike. Detailed description in German is enclosed, I work on the English version.
This Transalp.org thread, by Götz Stelzenmüller, announces the digital CDIs and describes them in-depth. The 'Dual Line' CDI has two spark advance curves. The increased-advance curve ( is default and requires 95 ROZ gas (equivalent to 91 octane in the U.S. and Canada, see AKI vs RON/ROZ). The standard-advance curve is selected by cutting the black wire.
Here's a link to the CDI manufacturer, DZE in Argentina. They appear to be a major supplier to aftermarket and OEM companies including Lear, Ford, VW, and GM. I have been using these as well and can't tell any difference, great value.
This post dissects the stock CDI, shows photos of the Rick's Motorsport Electrics 15-611 (CDI unit itself reads "CDI 1553"). "Made in Argentina" is clearly visible on the blister pack.
The petcock diaphragm develops a leak and cuts off fuel to the engine. This is a common problem. K&L sells a diaphragm repair kit. It's available here and other places as well (presumably the K&L part number is 18-2701).
Also note that the vacuum line running from the cylinder head to the petcock diaphragm (vacuum side) can develop a leak, leading to backfiring.
Paint and Bodywork
Frame
Duplicolor DE1615 is a very good match for the Transalp's silver frame color.
Accessories
Luggage
Racks
Happy Trails makes aluminum panniers and steel luggage racks. Their mounting kits are also usable with GIVI and Pelican cases.
GIVI offers topcase adapters which replace the plate on the Transalp's rear carrier. They also produce crashbars.
The E200 Monorack plate is available for 1988-1996 applications (note that the E211 may also be listed, but is for 1997-1998 applications):
The TN363 crash bars are available from AZ Motorsports and Happy Trail. Mounting these to a US-spec Transalp requires longer bolts across the front and minor trimming of the bike's plastic radiator guard.
