Another Honda in the stable - Transalp

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Apr 10, 2012
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Donegal, Ireland.
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Vstrom 650
Going to see a Honda transalp 650 this evening,had a test ride on it yesterday and hopefully going to close the deal in a few hours time.I'm 99.9% certain I'll buy her provided the paperwork is ok,which I'm sure it will be.
The riding position is very comfortable,I figured she'll do the exact same job as the crosstourer I test rode earlier this year for a fraction of the price.plus if I dropped her off road it wouldn't be the end of the world.it's got a custom seat,wide renthal fat bars,aftermarket exhaust,it has Honda panniers and top box as well which is handy.well maintained by a mature owner,I've been getting a bit uncomfortable on the vfr lately,the speed bug is starting to wear off I think,so I have the vfr for sale.
I think the transalp will be a perfect partner for the ST,ideal for the country and some forest/mountain roads here,she can also do some off road so that should be fun.
Photo's to follow.
 
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Well done Brendan, hope you close the deal and enjoy your new bike. I,m thinking of heading to Portsalon on Sunday morning for a few days and if weather is good on the way home I might detour ..I need to get a few miles under my belt before the long days in the saddle in Scotland
 
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broc11
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Donegal, Ireland.
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I,m thinking of heading to Portsalon on Sunday morning for a few days and if weather is good on the way home I might detour
Thanks Pat,I bought her anyway,the shed is getting full up with Hondas.I enjoyed the run home,never overtook a single car which is a first for me on a bike,she seems happy at 60-70 mph. Nice riding position,sitting up looking over the hedges,similar to the pan but maybe a bit higher.
I'm going to change the oil and filter anyway,though the oil seems fine,I put a half tin of seafoam in her,figured it will do no harm,but she is running sweet anyway.
Hopefully I'll head for some rough mountain roads tomorrow so looking forward to that.Give me a shout when your up this way and we'll meet up and you can have a spin on her.
 
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broc11
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Congrats on your Transalp. Hope it leads you to new roads and trails.

Enjoy your new ride!!
Thanks guys,loving her so far,the Honda panniers are great,they hold more than the ST's somehow though they don't look much bigger,not as strong as the ST's boxes though.
I'll probably miss the power on good roads but the worse the road gets the more the transalp makes sense or so I've read,just heading to the mountains now for a few hours,life is good.
 
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heading to the mountains now for a few hours,life is good.[/QUOT

You better be back for the game at 4.lovely evening here now,I'm sorry I didn't head to Donegal this evening instead of tomorrow morning
 
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broc11
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You better be back for the game at 4.lovely evening here now,I'm sorry I didn't head to Donegal this evening instead of tomorrow morning
Just home at 3.50pm Pat,watching the match here and on the laptop too,I was in round Malin Beg,jes the transalp was perfect on them roads,lovely day here,Armagh are dangerous.
 
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broc11
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Nice bike! I rode one in Spain and it did quite well.
Yes great bike on the proper roads for it,the only thing I don't like are the brakes,and barring changing brake lines,calipers,different discs etc there isn't much can be done to improve them,so I have to learn to adapt. The combined brakes on the St and Vfr are fantastic,I locked up the rear wheel a few times on the road this evening,though I wasn't going very fast at the time it's a bit dodgy,she is ok when the road is dry,just weak brakes,but after a shower of rain and with the nobbly tyres I have to be very carefull,
she is an absolute blast to ride,and I know now I love this type of bike,roads here are ideal for them.
 
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broc11
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I tried uploading a photo but the file was too big,have to try and convert it, had her up some green lane and forest roads this evening,first time the handguards made sense,kept the briars and branches off my hands,although I suppose they also keep the windblast of the hands in cold weather.
 
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broc11
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I was never out to Malin Beg,I'll have to get there soon
It's a lovely spot Pat, your looking at Rathin O'Birne and over to the Silver strand,nothing between there and Newfoundland,
there a little coffee shop there now too,best cup of coffee I had in a long time,deck outside overlooking the Atlantic,beautiful undiscovered spot.
 
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It's a lovely spot Pat, your looking at Rathin O'Birne and over to the Silver strand,nothing between there and Newfoundland,
there a little coffee shop there now too,best cup of coffee I had in a long time,deck outside overlooking the Atlantic,beautiful undiscovered spot.
And this, fellow riding comrades,...CAPTURES EXACTLY WHY I(WE) RIDE!...BRAVO TO YOU & YOUR "NEW" TRANSALP and thank you for encapsulating so perfectly the scenic panorama over your coffee cup!... my glass will be elevated this evening in celebration of your new riding machine & your beautiful description of the "undiscovered spot":bow1::03biker::bow1::)
 
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broc11
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BRAVO TO YOU & YOUR "NEW" TRANSALP
Thank you Silverbub, that's the great thing about bikes,and particularly light trail/adventure style bikes in areas like this,lots of roads and tracks I would pass by on the ST, I just love to swing the transalp off the beaten track, come and see us sometime on the emerald isle,it's biking heaven on the Wild Atlantic Way.
 
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It's a lovely spot Pat, your looking at Rathin O'Birne and over to the Silver strand,nothing between there and Newfoundland,
there a little coffee shop there now too,best cup of coffee I had in a long time,deck outside overlooking the Atlantic,beautiful undiscovered spot.
I hope to get over that way on Thursday..I'll be coming through Glenveigh and Ardara and out to Malin Beg before I head back to Meath
 
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broc11
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Donegal, Ireland.
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I hope to get over that way on Thursday..I'll be coming through Glenveigh and Ardara and out to Malin Beg before I head back to Meath
Hope its a good day Pat,I should be able to meet you along the way,and you can try out this transalp yourself if you want.
 
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Well she may wear :) Fab looking machine. I always fancied one of them, nice 1 :)
 
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broc11
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Vstrom 650
Well she may wear :) Fab looking machine. I always fancied one of them, nice 1 :)
Thanks Yoda,she's great for the back 'roads'places I used to by pass with the ST I can take the transalp,she was covered in muck when I got home!! Donegal is a great place for biking.
It's great having a 2nd bike,the ST is in sick bay waiting for the new tacho to arrive 2moro,then I'm fitting led marker/driving lights and twin electric horns to the transalp if I can find a spot for them.great day here today,this summer is neverending.
 
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