The Honda Rebel 500 will return to India as a locally assembled CKD model and is expected to be offered with both manual and E-Clutch options
Honda is bringing the Rebel 500 back to India. The bike was announced along with nine other products Honda is bringing to India. This time around, the motorcycle could be considerably more affordable. The motorcycle is expected to go on sale this month. However, the price has surfaced online on one of Honda’s sites.
The Rebel 500 is expected to be priced at around Rs 5.5 lakh (ex-showroom) in India. Honda has not officially announced the price but it was published on Honda BigWing’s local Bengaluru site. The motorcycle will be available in two versions, standard and E-Clutch with the latter expected to command a premium.
The interesting bit is that Honda is changing the way it brings the Rebel 500 to India. The previous-generation motorcycle was sold here as a completely built-up unit and was priced at Rs 5.12 lakh. The new motorcycle will arrive through the CKD route, with around 50 per cent of its components sourced in India. The engine, of course, will continue to be imported. This should help Honda keep the price more competitive, although Rs 5.5 lakh would still put it firmly in premium territory.
The Rebel 500 gets a 471cc, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine producing 46 PS at 8,500 rpm and 43.3 Nm at 6,000 rpm. It will be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. At the same time, Honda’s E-Clutch system will be available for riders who want the convenience of clutchless gear changes without going fully automatic.
The design remains one of the Rebel’s biggest attractions. It gets a low-slung bobber-style silhouette, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, round LED headlamp, compact tail section and a two-piece seat. The 690mm seat height should also make it approachable for shorter riders, while the 191kg kerb weight is relatively manageable for a 500cc twin-cylinder motorcycle. It rides on a 130/90-16 front and 150/80-16 rear tyre combination.
The Rebel 500 will also have some serious competition when it arrives. The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 and Shotgun 650 are the obvious alternatives, while the Kawasaki Eliminator is another motorcycle that occupies similar territory. The Honda has a smaller engine than the Royal Enfields but gets the smoothness of a parallel-twin motor and the option of E-Clutch technology.
Honda is yet to reveal the exact launch date, final pricing and complete India-spec details. The motorcycle is expected to arrive later this year, and the price will ultimately decide just how interesting the Rebel 500 becomes. Honda has already done the sensible bit by localising a significant portion of the motorcycle. You know what would be a shocker? The price leaked is actually of the E-Clutch variant and the standard is priced even lower. That would get the RE camp worrying.
