Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1345660
As for the fitment of the Rebel, riders under six feet tall will have no problems at all. However, at 6'1," I found the shape of the tank to be a little annoying. Honda has carved out knee indents in the tear- drop tank that, if you've got long legs, are quite difficult to tuck into, the result was my knees sat at the top crease of the knee indents and it wasn't terribly comfortable. Shorter riders will have no issues, but it's something to be mindful of for taller guys and girls out there. Having said that, the seat position is quite nice in that it doesn't curve your lower back too much like so many cruis- ers from Indian and Harley-Davidson. You're not exactly bolt upright and in- stead in more of a small slouch, but a full day in the saddle wasn't too painful. You can hustle the Rebel on pretty well, especially for a cruiser. You've got 35-degrees of cornering bank angle on the Rebel, which is miles more than the equivalent machines from the U.S. The Rebel will rip through corners with seri- ous pace, with the ride offered by the Showa fork and twin shocks at the back plush but capable of hitting the twisties. Considering the price of under $10K for a DCT Rebel, Honda has made a se- rious push into the high-capacity cruiser market that's impossible to ignore. The fact the Rebel isn't going after traditional cruiser riders speak volumes, as the younger crowd isn't particularly drawn to a single brand yet and it's a market Honda can easily exploit. The Rebel itself is a good little bike. Those DCT foibles and the fitment aside, I had a great time on it during my day in SoCal, and I'd be surprised if I don't start seeing many more of these on the roads in the coming years. CN 2021 HONDA REBEL 1100 RIDE REVIEW P78 SPECIFICATIONS 2021 HONDA REBEL 1100 ($9299 / $9999 DCT) ENGINE Parallel twin VALVETRAIN SOHC, Unicam, 8-valve DISPLACEMENT 1084cc COOLING SYSTEM Liquid BORE X STROKE 92 x 81.5mm FUEL INJECTION PGM-FI electronic fuel injection 46mm throttle bodies EXHAUST 2-2-1 TRANSMISSION DCT 6-speed CHASSIS Aluminum monocoque FRONT SUSPENSION 43mm conventional telescopic fork, spring preload adjustable REAR SUSPENSION Dual Showa shocks, piggyback pressurized reservoirs, spring preload adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 5.5 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 3.7 in. FRONT BRAKE 4-piston monoblock, radial- mount hydraulic caliper, floating 330mm disc, ABS REAR BRAKE 265mm disc, 1-piston caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE Dunlop D428 130/70-18 in. REAR TIRE Dunlop D428 180/65-16 in. RAKE 28° WHEELBASE 59.8 in. SEAT HEIGHT 27.5° FUEL CAPACITY 3.6 gal. WEIGHT (CURB, CLAIMED) 509 lbs.