New Honda Rebel 300 & 500

[sabaijai]

4 hours ago, Rhys said:

Comments on the CBR 300R?   

Lots of comment here. This thread concerns the Rebel 300 and 500. 

 

 

[Cashboy]

REBEL 300 vs Rebel 500   What should I purchase?

 

Is the Rebel 500 so much smoother than the Rebel 300 at say 90 kmph?

Can one justify 220,000 bt for the Rebel 500 as opposed to the 145,000 bt for the Rebel 300  in Thailand when everything is the same except a 500cc Twin cylinder engine block against a 300cc Single cylinder engine block?

Especially when the bike is going to be driven 50% of the time by a 5'  ( 152cm ) 42 kilo thai girl.

When you also consider that you can buy and service your Rebel 300 at any Honda garage.

 

It looks, to me, more and more sensible to buy the Rebel 300 in Thailand.

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by Cashboy

[Cashboy]

I have not bought a Honda Rebel yet but pretty certain I shall buy one in 2018.

I am unlikely to modify it as I have always left things on cars and motorbikes to manufacturers standards because (1) when you see how much investment and knowledge the manufacturers such as VW / Audi , Mercedes and BMW spend on developing a product and (2) in the UK the insurance is void or goes up if you have modifications.

 

I found this link (I have no interest or financial gain) that might be of interst to you Honda Rebel owners:

http://zeedparts.com/rebel-300-500/#/sort=p.sort_order/order=ASC/limit=15/page=1

 

Maybe someone has bought products from this company and wants to give some feed back.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Cashboy

[Rhys]

On 12/24/2017 at 7:34 AM, sabaijai said:

Lots of comment here. This thread concerns the Rebel 300 and 500. 

 

 

 

 Thanks for the insights and link.

[Happy Grumpy]

On 12/27/2017 at 8:43 PM, Cashboy said:

I am unlikely to modify it as I have always left things on cars and motorbikes to manufacturers standards because (1) when you see how much investment and knowledge the manufacturers such as VW / Audi , Mercedes and BMW spend on developing a product a

Don't think that they are made that was for quality or anything positive.

 

For example the exhaust systems are made the way they are (choked up and heavy) due to US and Euro noise and emissions regulations.  To manufacture them within these tight regulations they have to make the heavy and choked up, as opposed to light and allowing the engine to breath properly for best performance. 

[Happy Grumpy]

On 12/21/2017 at 7:05 PM, Cashboy said:

a 80 kilo guy with the 42 kilo Thai girl as pillion

On a heavy 286cc single cylinder?

 

No thanks.

 

Get the 471cc twin version. 

[Namplik]

On 16.12.2017 at 4:54 AM, Ken said:

The bike sits low enough to accommodate some of us "shorter" people.  See no reason why  a girl would have any problem with it.

 

I now have just over 30,000 Km on it.  Needed a new chain at 25,000 Km.  I had the sprockets changed at the same time.

 

Still very happy with the bike and the ride. 

What kind og maintenance did you do on your chain? Regular oiling, did you clean it sometimes? 

[Namplik]

On 22.12.2017 at 5:00 PM, Cashboy said:

Another question about the Honda Rebel.

 

What percent discount can you get on a new Honda motorbike at a Honda shop?

I would like to buy the standard Rebel 300 that I believe RRP is 145,000 bt or Rebel 500 that I believe RRP is 220,000 bt

I don't need all the free stuff like helmets and promotional t shirts and jackets etc. 

 

 

 

 

Wait until the International motorshow in march/april 18, there might be some possibilities then...

[papa al]

On 12/29/2017 at 5:17 PM, Happy Grumpy said:

Don't think that they are made that was for quality or anything positive.

 

For example the exhaust systems are made the way they are (choked up and heavy) due to US and Euro noise and emissions regulations.  To manufacture them within these tight regulations they have to make the heavy and choked up, as opposed to light and allowing the engine to breath properly for best performance. 

low emissions and low noise

definitely are not positive attributes.

noise & filth, yea baby !!

[Ken]

On 12/31/2017 at 9:02 PM, Namplik said:

What kind og maintenance did you do on your chain? Regular oiling, did you clean it sometimes? 

Never "cleaned" it.  Regular lube with 140 gear oil.

[DLang]

This kind of bike is for comfortable cruising. It's not really good for around town, not really good for the twisties, it's really just good for road cruising. 

 

I don't see the sense in the low powered single cylinder version, especially if gonna be riding 2-up, when the 500 version with twin cylinders is just a bit more. It's gonna be much more comfortable and better for the bike's purpose. 

[Cashboy]

I think one improvement on the Honda Rebel would be that the instrument dial tells you what gear you are in as opposed to only telling you that you are in neutral.  I mean how difficult would that have been?

[eisfeld]

I agree with Cashboy, there's not much reason to exclude a gear position indicator in 2017. Yamah is putting one on a lot of small cc bikes. Zero R&D costs, manufacturing cost very very low. It's just beancounters who'd decide against it.

[Cashboy]

1 minute ago, eisfeld said:

I agree with Cashboy, there's not much reason to exclude a gear position indicator in 2017. Yamah is putting one on a lot of small cc bikes. Zero R&D costs, manufacturing cost very very low. It's just beancounters who'd decide against it.

Even a 48,000 bt 4 speed Honda Wave tells you what gear you are in.

[canthai55]

Never  saw the need. Too high a gear - change down. Too low a gear - change up.

Can't change higher - you are in top gear. Can't change lower - you are in low gear.

Who cares what the number is.

[Ken]

52 minutes ago, Cashboy said:

I think one improvement on the Honda Rebel would be that the instrument dial tells you what gear you are in as opposed to only telling you that you are in neutral.  I mean how difficult would that have been?

I agree. My previous Phantoms didn't have either and I always wished it did.  Oh well. I have an aftermarket led gear indicator that I bought but haven't gotten around to install yet.  Maybe soon.

[Ken]

11 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Never  saw the need. Too high a gear - change down. Too low a gear - change up.

Can't change higher - you are in top gear. Can't change lower - you are in low gear.

Who cares what the number is.

My left big toe area cares.  Yea I wear sandals so I suppose I could wear boots.

[Issanman]

52 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Never  saw the need. Too high a gear - change down. Too low a gear - change up.

Can't change higher - you are in top gear. Can't change lower - you are in low gear.

Who cares what the number is.

I have to agree. A gear position indicator is not something that I have ever wanted or needed.

[Agusts]

My theory is one reason for having 1 down and 4 up gears on old bikes was the fact in old days they didn't have gear indicator, just neutral if lucky (many years back) - of course other reasons too, but one obvious one was this I think.

 

Nowadays most bikes show the gear numbers (even cheap Chinese ones - I have recently bought one in another country that has it - I am amazed Rebel doesn't), but unfortunately they still use the 1 down 4 up  gear combination... ! I hate this configuration, specially on cheap Chinese gear boxes, always have problem going to neutral and sometime go to it from 1 to 2 or vice versa, you know all about that issue anyway....

 

So ideally I like the gear number indicator and 5 up or down, but maybe it's too much to ask - it makes sense to me anyway....  (and, Oh, nearly forgot, the damn heal gear change option too, how much does that cost... !?)

 

Edited January 30, 2018 by Agusts

[canthai55]

1 hour ago, Ken said:

My left big toe area cares.  Yea I wear sandals so I suppose I could wear boots.

You ride in sandals ? Wow ! Know how long toes take to heal if you remove the meat from them ?

One year ain't enuf.

[eisfeld]

New riders surely can appreciate a gear indicator. I sometimes wished I had one when I started on my CBR500R and every now and then wanted to switch into 7th. Sure, after some time you learn to feel which gear you are in but it's a very low cost and yet useful feature.

[Ken]

3 hours ago, canthai55 said:

You ride in sandals ? Wow ! Know how long toes take to heal if you remove the meat from them ?

One year ain't enuf.

Been riding here 28 years with sandals, so you are not going to convince me to change.  But I understand.  Many of my "rider" friends give me some sh$$ about it.  No problem.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Ken

[eisfeld]

3 hours ago, Ken said:

Been riding here 28 years with sandals, so you are not going to convince me to change.  But I understand.  Many of my "rider" friends give me some sh$$ about it.  No problem.

I guess you are at least riding slowly. When I once rode with sandals (no other choice at the time other than walk), I got annoyed quite quickly by small debris hitting my feet every now and then which could be a bit painful when going faster. That alone was reason for me not to want to do that again.

[Ken]

5 hours ago, eisfeld said:

I guess you are at least riding slowly. When I once rode with sandals (no other choice at the time other than walk), I got annoyed quite quickly by small debris hitting my feet every now and then which could be a bit painful when going faster. That alone was reason for me not to want to do that again.

If you call 110-120 kmph slowly, then yes I ride slowly. At times, not knowing for sure that I am in the highest gear is what causes me the most problem.  The photo shows what happens to my sandal in the big toe area.  So just saying, for me (and apparently some others) it would be nice to have a gear indicator.

 

 

[eisfeld]

You must be quite resistant to pain then. I don't see a reason to put oneself into this situation apart from smelly feet when wearing full shoes? Am not judging, just wondering why someone would want to do this.

[Cashboy]

On a Honda Wave, the gearbox goes around.  By this, I mean  that if you try to take another gear up in 4th, it takes you to neutral.

So if you are in 4th gear when you stop, you just click down and you are back in neutral.

Is that the same on a Honda Rebel ?

 

Edited January 31, 2018 by Cashboy

[Ken]

6 minutes ago, Cashboy said:

On a Honda Wave, the gearbox goes around.  By this, I mean  that if you try to take another gear up in 4th, it takes you to neutral.

So if you are in 4th gear when you stop, you just click down and you are back in neutral.

Is that the same on a Honda Rebel ?

 

 

Nope, 1 down, 4 up.  Then work your way back down.

Edited January 31, 2018 by Ken

[CMKiwi]

On the old Yamaha AG100 back on the farm it was 1 down 4 or 5 up.

 

 It was a blessing in disguise when climbing some of the fire breaks in the hills...the bike itself was a gutless wonder. However knowing you were in first gear was preferable to hitting neutral when on a steep climb and in loose dirt.

 

I never liked rolling backwards downhill cause of hitting neutral. Luckily that bike was built like a tank and as kids we gave it death.

 

Gear indication is handy but I don't miss it if it ain't there

Edited January 31, 2018 by CMKiwi

[eisfeld]

1 hour ago, Ken said:

Nope, 1 down, 4 up.  Then work your way back down.

 

1 down, 5 up. It has 6 gears like pretty much all bigger bikes nowerdays.

[AllanB]

23 hours ago, Issanman said:

I have to agree. A gear position indicator is not something that I have ever wanted or needed.

That is because you never owed a Phantom, this heavy bike has as much power and torque as a clockwork orange, so being in exactly the right gear was crucial to not stalling. I assume the Rebel does not have that problem.

 

These bikes look really good when they are dirty with a bit of luggage strapped on, we saw a couple of them along with two Triumphs at a services on highway 2, all with Thai guys on board. They all had BKK number plates and were on their way back from the north, so around 500km to go.