Honda Rebel 500: the A2 license bobber [ROAD TEST]

The "Rebel range" of the 80s consisted of the CMX 250 and 450, two small and medium displacement customs that some of you may remember, which used this name, which was then abandoned for over 20 years. Now Honda is dusting it off to launch a new product, which is aimed at all those motorcyclists who appreciate the look of the bikes bobbers, which have been enjoying great success in recent years, but which, whether American (to give a few examples, HD and Indian), Italian or English, prefer a smaller displacement to large twin-cylinder bikes. For the occasion, the well-known twin-cylinder of the CB500 was retouched, which maintains its fundamental characteristics, but acquires a softer character more suited to a custom motorbike. The result is an interesting product both for an "adult" public, who perhaps will prefer the Rebel to yet another scooter, but which is aimed above all at "generation Y", the young people under 25 who grew up in the 2000s and who see in a motorcycle in order to express your personality. For many, the new Honda Rebel 500 is the heir to the successful Shadow 600, which retired about fifteen years ago and was not replaced due to an interest that dropped at the time, but has now risen again, precisely due to the desire for customs and bobbers

Aesthetics and finishes:

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Bobber for pleasure, but also comfortable and easy to drive

The first glance immediately leads you to appreciate the elements that make it a bobber, starting from the look as a whole, minimal and with drip tank, but also the “chubby” tires, or le optional leather bags of this specimen. The CMX500, or rather the Rebel, as we can more simply call it, then puts it on display a “total dark” finish, with an absence of chrome, which is part of his character. Style aside, attention was also paid to practicality and ease of use, which can be seen even before "get off the bike”. Yes, because it is placed ad just 690 mm from the ground, precisely for the happiness of women, whether new or not, of motorcyclists of smaller stature and in general of everyone, because a short motorbike is easier to manage when stationary, when maneuvering and in city traffic. The Rebel then combines traditional elements with modern ones.

Among the former we cite as an example the single seat, with a folding seat for the passenger (who, in the case of bags, sits on the leather element that joins and supports them), or the ignition lock, separate from the steering lock, one located on the left side just under the tank, the other directly on the lower triple clamp. Among the modern ones, the instrumentation stands out, collected in the classic circular shape and with a minimal appearance, but made up of a Rectangular LCD display, which reels off the available data.

A confirmation of the fact that a Keita Mikura, Rebel's "father" (he is its Large Project Leader - LPL) loves to combine traditional elements with more imaginative and innovative ones. The central element is the engine, finished with matt black paint and with a shiny head (which highlights the double distribution shaft), which is embraced by the tubular steel frame, to which it is fixed in three points. The very simple and no-frills appearance of the Rebel is also symptomatic of the fact that, for those who appreciate it, it can be a perfect basis for customization.

Engine and performance:

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The heart of the CB500 receives small changes to make it more fluid and "mellow"

As regards the engine, Honda has focused on the excellent and tested forward-facing twin-cylinder that equips the three versions of the CB500 (the faired "F", the crossover "X" and the sporty CBR500R), which keeps its fundamental characteristics unchanged, with a displacement of 471 cc, liquid cooling (the small radiator is cleverly made barely visible by a matte black color) and 4-valve distribution per cylinder with twin camshaft (DOHC). He's coming though made more suitable for a custom, favoring medium-low delivery, Thanks to a modified electronics and new exhaust system. It delivers like this 45,6 horses at 8.500 rpm, while the maximum torque stands at 44,6 Nm at 6.000 rpm. A detail that is anything but secondary, the Rebel can be Than we drive with an A2 license, while it is obviously Euro 4 approved.

From the "package" CB500 also inherits the 6-speed gearbox, excellent for shifting, well spaced between one gear and another and perfect both for frequent city use and for tourist and extra-urban use. The exhaust joins the two manifolds in the area below the engine, from which a single element then emerges, with a single silencer, located on the right side of the bike and low, to leave room for bags and the passenger. Sound was taken into account in its development and indeed the Rebel has a darker and more pleasant noise than the CB500.

The delivery is more homogeneous and with a better back than the engine from which it derives, but the Rebel remains a bobber designed and created for those who do not ask their bike to have an exaggerated torque, like some others, with a much more abundant displacement, they can offer. In this the CMX 500 lacks a little something in the low end, where the twin cylinder is slow to react to the gas, suggesting using the gearbox quite frequently, to keep the engine cheerful when necessary. Absolutely relaxed riding is the best use that can be made of a pleasant motorbike for this very scenario.

Ride and handling:

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Convenient and easy, but also fun

We mentioned it when talking about its appearance, the new Honda Rebel 500 has a very low seat (690 mm), both for a choice linked to the look, but above all to make it easier for the feet to rest on the ground, even for those who are not very high. It remains comfortable even for those who, like myself, are 1.80 meters tall. Beyond this threshold the knees begin to bend too much and comfort gradually decreases. It is a small motorbike, but its chassis and designed to ensure excellent stability, without however sacrificing manageability, given that city use is certainly one of its objectives. The wheelbase is therefore a compromise, not too limited with its 1.488 mm, while the footrests are not positioned too far forward, to accommodate a ride that can be much sportier than one might expect from a custom.

In fact, the Rebel 500 allows you to drive it in a nice active way and have fun to find the maximum lean angle, beyond which the footrests begin to caress the asphalt, suggesting not to go further. The "chubby" front tire guarantees excellent grip (even in these weeks with temperatures close to freezing) and also decent speed when changing direction. They were adopted 16" rims for both wheels, with the Dunlop tires measuring 130/90 at the front and 150/80 at the rear. Curious that the 264 mm front brake disc is fixed to the rim with a flange that replicates the 10-spoke design. At the back we find a 240 disc, while the ABS system always allows for decent stopping distances, even if braking at the limit is certainly not the purpose for which the Rebel 500 was designed and built.

Low center of gravity, low weight 190 kg in running order, the CMX 500 Rebel is simple to ride, but far from boring to drive even when, instead of taking it for a walk, you start driving it in a more dynamic way. During the period in which we were able to try it, we appreciated its ability to accommodate the "rider's haste", both in an urban environment and between one bend and another on a tortuous route.

Price and consumption:

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The twin-cylinder is not very thirsty, while the price is just above 6 thousand euros

The CMX 500 Rebel is produced by Honda in its factories in Thailand, but as seen the quality standards are absolutely as per tradition of the golden wing house. On the Italian market it is available in two colors, Graphite Black and Mat Armored Silver Metallic, is imported into only two-seater version with the passenger seat and footrests and is offered at a list price of 6.100 €. The bike we tested was essentially "full optional", being equipped with a tubular rear rack (around 417 euros), soft side bags (420 euros + 225 for supports), windshield (335 euros) and 12V socket (77 euros).

The fuel tank capacity is 11,2 liters, sufficient, in light of consumption, to guarantee over 280 km of autonomy. In fact, compared to a declared value of 26 km/l in the WMTC average cycle, the Rebel 500 he easily covers at least 25 of them, while doing less than 22 with a liter of petrol is truly impossible, even with aggressive driving in an urban context.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Easy to drive, but also fun, with low fuel consumption
We do not like it:
Not too comfortable for the passenger, braking could be improved

Honda Rebel 500: the Motorionline Report Card

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Tester clothing:
Gloves: Dainese Ergotour Gore-tex X-trafit
Jacket: Dainese Bryan Leather Jacket
Pants: Dainese Bonneville Regular
Shoes: Dainese Street Rocker D-WP
Helmet: Caberg Ghost Carbon