Honda Rebel 500 to be launched in India this year
What's the story
Taking on Royal Enfield 650 Twins and Jawa Perak, Japanese automaker Honda is all set to launch its first mid-capacity cruiser, the Rebel 500, in India by the end of this year. The motorcycle will come with a bobber-styled look, advanced safety equipment, and a BS6-compliant engine. The company will bring the cruiser to our shores via CKD (completely-knocked down) route. Here's our roundup.
Design
A look at the Honda Rebel 500
The Honda Rebel 500 sits on a steel diamond frame and comes with a bobber-styled look. Its retro design is highlighted with the rounded headlamp, circular rearview mirrors, and split type seats. The motorcycle runs on blacked-out alloy wheels, and houses a fully-digital instrument cluster as well as all-LED fitments for headlight, turn indicators, and taillamps.
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Power and performance
The India-specific Honda Rebel 500 will pack a BS6-compliant 471cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine that produces 47.5PS of maximum power at 8,500rpm and 43.3Nm of peak torque at 6,000rpm. To manage transmission duties, the motorcycle will house a 6-speed manual gearbox with assist and slipper clutch.
Safety
Honda Rebel 500: On the road
On the safety front, the Honda Rebel 500 comes equipped with disc brakes on both the front as well as rear wheels, along with dual-channel ABS for improved braking efficiency. The suspension duties on the cruiser are taken care of by telescopic forks up front and Showa's twin-shock absorbers on the rear.
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And, what will be the pricing?
According to reports, the Honda Rebel 500 will arrive in India via CKD (completely-knocked down) route and would be priced around Rs. 4.5 lakh. However, the company may launch the localized version of the cruiser at a comparatively lesser price in the future.