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00:00Howdy, this is Lenny with RevZilla, here to talk to you today about the Honda Rebel.
00:23Now being RevZilla's old bike guy, you might expect that I would be talking to you about
00:26this bike you can see in front of me, a 2006 Rebel.
00:29Your stereotypical Craigslist learner's bike.
00:32This thing's got some bashes and some scrapes on it, but this is indicative of the bike
00:35that a lot of people have started their riding careers on.
00:37However, I already owned one of these bikes, so I'm not going to spend any time at all
00:41on one of these.
00:42Instead, my lurch-like accomplice, Spurgy here, will be on top of one of these, giving
00:45you some history about the 30-year reign the Rebel has had as king of the beginner bikes.
00:49I, however, will spend time on the Rebel 300 you can see over here.
00:53Now Spurgy's already gotten some time on the Rebel 300.
00:56He was out here for the press launch of these bikes, and he's already put quite a few miles
00:59in the seat of one of these babies.
01:00So I'm going to find out a little bit more about Honda's new pint-sized powerhouse and
01:04see how it stacks up against the older machine.
01:07So Lem's correct.
01:08We're going to take you on a walk down memory lane.
01:10We're going to talk to you about why the Rebel 250 was so important, but then really what
01:13we're going to focus on is how the new Rebel 300 picks up where the old bike left off.
01:17This is really that entry-level bike that I wish that I had when I was starting out,
01:21because it's simple and it's easy to use.
01:22It's got fuel injection, liquid cooling, and it's got brakes that actually stop the
01:26bike when you pull on that lever.
01:28Now if you're looking at the Rebel 300 and you're thinking, it's just not enough displacement
01:31for me.
01:32I need a little bit more oomph, Honda has you covered.
01:34There's actually going to be a Rebel 500, which doesn't give you a bigger bike.
01:37It simply gives you a small pop in displacement, and if you want more info on that bike, make
01:41sure you subscribe to us on YouTube where you can check out all the content we have
01:44rolling out at RevZilla, including a first ride review that I just tackled earlier this
01:48week on the new Rebel 500.
01:50While you're doing that, big guy and I are going to swap spots.
01:53I'm going to hop on this Rebel 250, choke the hell out of it, and wait for it to warm
01:56up while he simply thumbs the starter on this bike.
02:20All right, Spurge, you got the twin, I'm on the single.
02:37If I race you to the top, sounds like a plan, my friend.
02:38Let's go.
02:39All right, so before we just jump into all the facts and figures of the Rebel 300, we
03:03need to take a step back in time to 1985 when the Rebel 250 was introduced.
03:08You have to keep in mind, when this bike came out about 30 years ago, man, this thing was
03:12revolutionary compared to the other beginner bikes of its era.
03:15This bike replaced the CM200 TwinStar platform in Honda's lineup, and with that, it ushered
03:21in a whole new level of entry-level machines.
03:24This bike went from a 6-volt to a 12-volt electrical system.
03:28It eliminated a points and condenser setup and went to an electronic ignition.
03:32You also got a five-speed gearbox over the old four-speed of the TwinStar, and check
03:36out up front, it's actually got a disc brake up front where the TwinStar used to have a
03:40dual drum setup.
03:41This was a revolutionary machine for its time.
03:44The other cool thing you can see is that it got an update in style.
03:4830 years ago, this mini-cruiser style was all the rage, and it really made the bike
03:52look like a smaller version of a Harley-Davidson.
03:55It also lowered the seat height down to 27 inches over the old 29-inch seat, which actually
04:01made it more approachable for an entry-level machine.
04:04Now, when this bike was introduced, it came in around $1,300, and in 2017 money, that's
04:10around $3,000, which isn't that expensive considering this bike has remained relatively
04:14unchanged for the past 30 years.
04:17But in 2017, it's clear that this bike has become long in the tooth and it needs an update.
04:22So to talk more about the changes that the new Rebel 300 is going to bring to the table,
04:26let's cut over to Lemmy and see what he's digging about the new bike.
04:33Okay, Spurgeon just brought you to school on the 250 and why it was so important.
05:04Let me see if I can educate some of you guys on why the 300 is continuing that legacy.
05:08Let's start off with the powertrain on this motorcycle.
05:11So there's a couple really cool things that happened.
05:13The first and most noticeable change is probably the change in engine formats.
05:16Instead of a 250 twin, Honda has gone to a 300 single.
05:20Now, that's kind of an interesting change because Honda simultaneously simplified maintenance
05:24because a single is just easier to care for than a twin, but they also managed to increase
05:28power.
05:29Now, that increase in power is extra helpful too when you consider the other big powertrain
05:33change here, the fact that we've moved up to a six speed transmission.
05:36Now, the extra cog in the box really helps, especially when coupled with that extra power
05:41because this is now a bike that's capable of moving riders at highway speed, especially
05:46American highways.
05:47One of the criticisms of the Rebel 250 was the fact that this motorcycle was not capable
05:52of bringing people to speed.
05:54The 300 Rebel, however, though, will carry a 275 pound rider like me at 70 miles an hour
06:00with absolute ease.
06:01I really, really like that.
06:02I think it's a big hit for Honda.
06:04There was plenty of squirt left on the throttle here, even at highway speeds.
06:07Made me feel a lot more confident on the roadway.
06:10So moving on from there, let's talk about another big change they made mechanically,
06:14and that is fuel injection.
06:15This bike is finally a fuel injected motorcycle.
06:18It's a fully modern bike now.
06:20Anybody who's dealt with carburetors knows that they just require periodic maintenance,
06:25adjustment, overhauling from time to time.
06:28They're kind of the pain in the ass, to be honest.
06:30What they do is keep you wrenching on your bike instead of keeping you riding your bike,
06:34and that's not good, especially for beginning riders.
06:36They need as much time in the saddle as possible.
06:39So let's move on to some of the other improvements Honda made, especially those in the braking
06:43department.
06:44So if you check out the brakes on this baby, you can see that we now have a disc up front
06:48as well as a disc out back.
06:49That's a big improvement over the Rebel 250's drum in the rear, and they work a lot better.
06:54Now one of the other big braking improvements, so far as I am concerned, is the fact that
06:58you can now get an ABS option on this motorcycle.
07:01Now I think it's a little strange that Honda didn't make that mandatory.
07:04I'm usually a big fan of optional ABS.
07:06I really could almost see it being standard.
07:08I know Honda was probably trying to meet a price point here, but really, ABS helps new
07:12riders in two big ways.
07:14The first is that most bikes are trending towards having ABS now.
07:18Now ABS brakes are actuated differently at a panic stop than conventional brakes, and
07:22I think new riders should be learning on what's going to be the predominant technology.
07:26The other thing to take note of here too is that in a panic stop type scenario, coming
07:30into a skid or a slide can be harrowing even for an experienced rider.
07:34For a new rider, that's a confidence killer.
07:36So if I haven't made it clear, if you're considering the 300 Rebel for your first bike, find money
07:41in your budget to pop for the ABS.
07:42I think it's a great idea.
07:44So let's move on from the brakes, and we're going to talk now about steering and handling.
07:48So if you check out on the front tire on this puppy, there is a nice big wide meat on there.
07:52That thing is huge, and it looks real tough.
07:54Way nicer than that skinny rubber band tire found on the 250 Rebel.
07:59Now here's the cool part.
08:00That big fat tire is wrapped around a cast wheel.
08:03I really dig that because what that does too is again, simplifies maintenance.
08:07Honda's not making a whole bunch of hullabaloo about this, but I think that having a cast
08:11wheel is a big deal because you don't have to use tubes anymore, unlike the spoked wheels
08:15on the Rebel 250.
08:17This is awesome.
08:18It's going to keep riders from having to deal with the pain of tubes.
08:20Anybody who's even replaced a bicycle tire knows that it stinks.
08:23Honda's steepened the rake angle just a little bit to compensate for the added width of the
08:26tire, and the steering didn't get slower or sluggish at all.
08:29This is a nimble bike, and the steering is very neutral on it.
08:32I think it's going to make a lot of riders feel confident on a motorcycle.
08:35Then there's some other minor things that Honda did to this bike too.
08:38I think they improved the ergos just a little bit.
08:40I'm still nice and upright like on the Rebel 250, but my foot pegs are set just a little
08:44bit farther back, making me feel in command of the motorcycle more so than even the old
08:48Rebel 250.
08:49Then there's some other little things too.
08:51The instrumentation is bright and clear, simple, easy to understand.
08:54Switch gear on here is of high quality, and the switch gear is large, easy to understand,
08:59perfect for beginning riders.
09:01This bike is now the type of bike that can inspire confidence for all sorts of riders.
09:05I'm really happy with what Honda's done with the Rebel 300.
09:08Let's go see what Spurgey thought of that 250.
09:21All right, so on one hand, you are right, and I completely understand why this bike
09:36has been so popular.
09:37It was fun, and it reminded me of what got me into motorcycling.
09:40It's an approachable machine.
09:41Now, on the other hand, this bike is completely antiquated.
09:44Between the carburetor that takes 20 minutes before the bike warms up, or the giant drum
09:48brake on the back that just simply doesn't want to actually slow the bike down, this
09:52bike has had its day in the sun, and that time has passed.
09:56So going between this bike and the Rebel 300, it's honestly like night and day.
10:00And there's so few times where you and I can look each other in the eye and say, the bike
10:04that a manufacturer has come out with to replace a previous model is just hands down, knock
10:09out of the park, better.
10:10But I think this is going to be one of those cases.
10:12Come on, man.
10:13The 250's still a pretty good bike.
10:14Then you can ride that home, and I'll take that one.
10:16But you're right.
10:17The 300 is a big improvement.
10:19But think about what it takes to actually improve a bike in this sector, right?
10:22How often is it that we're on an intermediate or an advanced bike?
10:25And what's the recipe like, though?
10:26It's really easy, right?
10:27Just make it faster, make it lighter, and make it handle and stop more aggressively.
10:30More of everything.
10:31Yeah.
10:32The only problem is, those are not the things that a beginning rider needs.
10:34It's actually totally antithetical to the beginning rider experience.
10:37You know, when we're talking about beginner bikes, too, like the Rebel 250 or 300, I like
10:42to think about two numbers.
10:43And the first is the large number of people who were first introduced to motorcycling
10:47by swinging a leg over one of these bikes in their MSF class.
10:51And then the second number I like to think about is a subset of that first number.
10:55The people who have a newly-minted motorcycle license, because they just got done on a Rebel
10:58in their MSF class, and they realize it's go time, it's time to go get a bike.
11:01What was the only motorcycle they had experience with?
11:03Their MSF bike.
11:04They knew that these things were sturdy.
11:05They saw them get crashed and tipped over.
11:07Indestructible.
11:08Right.
11:09You can't bury them.
11:10And again, like you mentioned, it's an approachable motorcycle.
11:12This thing's not overwhelming at all.
11:13And I think that fact alone probably sold a gajillion Rebels in America for no other
11:18reason than just that.
11:19Now, the one bike that we really haven't touched on, and you're one of the few people I know
11:22that's kind of lusted after one of these, is a CMX 450.
11:25Yeah.
11:26It's kind of a missing chapter in the story we've told so far.
11:29A lot of people don't realize this 300, 500 setup for the Rebel is not a new idea.
11:33Having a Rebel family is something Honda's done once before.
11:36There was the CMX 450, as you mentioned, the two-year-only bike, 86 and 87, which probably
11:40tells you about how well that bike sold.
11:42Probably not well.
11:43Yeah.
11:44But I think that's still, I think times have changed.
11:47The motorcycle market is much more global now.
11:49Plus, let's be honest, man, 30 years, there's just totally different buyers actually out
11:52there on the market.
11:53And I think that actually that family idea for the Rebel is a perfect idea.
11:57The 500 in particular is going to be great for a couple of classes of riders in my mind.
12:02First off, you've got the riders who have some previous bike experience.
12:06Somebody maybe who rode dirt bikes as a kid, or perhaps somebody who is getting back into
12:10it.
12:11Maybe they had a bike, got rid of it when the kids came along, and now they're trying
12:13to get back into things.
12:14The other group of people I can see, too, really enjoying this bike are the folks who
12:18have a 300, right?
12:19But they want something that's a little more pop and sizzle, but they want to stay with
12:22a bike that's sort of got the same layout.
12:24And the Rebel 500 is a great upgrade.
12:25For the modest increase in price there, you're going to get way more horsepower than if you
12:29tried to modify your 300 to match those same power levels.
12:32500 would be perfect for those people.
12:33So I would agree with both of those.
12:34I think the one group you might be missing are larger riders.
12:38Like Lemlem and Spurgy size guys.
12:40Whoa, whoa, whoa.
12:41Sturdy built, buddy.
12:42We have a good foundation to us.
12:43But riders that, like you said earlier, you don't necessarily need more brakes, more suspension.
12:48You don't necessarily need a bigger bike, but you might need a little more oomph to
12:51get you down the road.
12:52So when we were riding up here, I would have liked just a little more power than the 250
12:56was giving me on the highway, which would have been nice.
12:58Now, what's great about this, whether you're looking at the 300 or the 500, neither one
13:02is what I would call a spec sheet bike.
13:04So many times you and I come out to these rides, and we're looking at testing a bike,
13:08and it's all about the horsepower and the brakes and the suspension.
13:10And it almost detracts from some of the just the pure fun of motorcycling.
13:16And that's what these bikes brought back to me.
13:18They brought back just the fun of motorcycling.
13:21Having two small bikes to rip around on, we had a great time.
13:23And it was fun to ride them.
13:24Sure.
13:25I mean, I think you've just perfectly summed up the Rebel 250 and 450, the 300 and the
13:29500.
13:30These bikes are all about getting knees in the breeze and putting smiles on faces.
13:34Speaking of which, we've still got some California sunshine here.
13:36I say we get our knees back in the breeze.
13:38If any of you folks watching want a little bit more information on the Rebels, we've
13:41got plenty for you.
13:43Spurge and I each wrote an article you can find on Common Tread.
13:46And of course, like Spurge mentioned earlier, be sure you subscribe to us so you can catch
13:49his review of the Rebel 500.
13:51I'm Lem.
13:52This is Spurge.
13:53Enjoy the ride.
13:54We're out of here.