2017 HONDA REBEL 300/REBEL 500
FIRST TEST
P80
rest of both bikes. The Rebels
come in four colors: Matte Pearl
White, Matte Silver Metallic,
Red and Black, but Matte Pearl
White is replaced by Bright Yel-
low on the 500.
It was a good day bopping
around downtown L.A. on the
Rebels. Again, I found them
to be fun and easy to ride; I
another reason a true, never-
ridden-a-motorcycle-before
beginner might opt for the
300 over the 500 is weight. At
364 pounds (full fuel), the 300
weighs a little over 40 pounds
less than the 500, and you
do feel the difference, though
both bikes overall feel very light
and maneuverable to me. If
you chose ABS, add about six
pounds to each bike.
Both bikes have light steering
yet still feel stable at speed via
their 28-degree rake with 4.3
inches of trail and 58.7 inches of
wheelbase. Up front, suspension
is handled by a 41mm non-adjust-
able fork with 4.8 inches of wheel
travel, an in the back, preload
adjustable dual shocks with 3.8
inches of travel. The ride is typi-
cal cruiser—bouncy but tolerable.
Maybe a little soft for some. They
both roll on 16-inch 10-spoke cast
wheels with plenty of rubber that
help give the bikes a stout look,
while providing a solid feel on the
road and plenty of confidence in
the turns.
The small, modern-looking,
all-digital instrument pod is a little
hard to read in bright sunshine,
but there really isn't much to
look at anyway; after all, what do
you really need to know while
riding these simple motorcycles
around town beside speed?
Even then.
Beginner bikes or not, the
Rebels are handsome motor-
cycles that will make you feel a
little swanky while cruising the
boulevard; the only real give-
away that you're not on a big
ol' bad-ass bobbler is sound.
Neither bike emits a particularly
nspiring tone or that booming
sound from the engine when
you hit the starter button, but
that is to be expected for small-
engined bikes like the Rebels.
At least the blacked-out exhaust
systems do look cool, as do the
