The Rebel is one of the coolest looking small bikes sold in the USA. It takes a lot of styling cues from Harley-Davidson, and has a vertical twin engine that can almost bring old Triumphs to mind if you squint just a little bit. To me, the Rebel looks like what I'd expect if you crossed a cruiser, a UJM, and an old British twin and left the offspring in the dryer just a bit too long.
With the actual model designation of CMX250, the Rebel is based on the same motor as the Nighthawk. In all of my years around motorcycles, the only time I've known one of these motors to need any kind of internal repairs was once when someone put a too-long spark plug in one, causing extensive damage to the piston, valves, and head. But under normal operation, these little guys can run for years and years.
Since they're based on the same motor and aimed at the same target market, be prepared for the inevitable comparisons to Honda's other 250cc model available in the US: The Nighthawk.
The ergonomics of the Rebel are interesting, to say the least. With a seat height of 26.6 inches, it would seem that it is ideally suited for those with shorter inseams. However, the slightly forward controls can make the foot pegs a bit of a stretch for someone under five feet tall. The riders that will be the most comfortable on this bike are probably going to be between about 5' and 5'9" or so. Anyone much taller runs the risk of the stylish buckhorn-styled handlebars bumping into their knees when they're turned fully in either direction. I have a 6'4" friend that's an MSF Rider Coach. When he demonstrates exercises on a Rebel, he literally has to sit on the passenger seat.
Power:
What can I say? It's the Honda 250 motor that's been around since way before this year's crop of graduating college students were born. It's not going to win many drag races against anything else on two wheels (with the possible exception of the Kawasaki Eliminator 125), while it can still pull away from most four wheeled traffic at a stop light.
Brakes:
This is where the little Rebel really outshines its taller sibling, the Nighthawk. The combination of a front disc brake and the low-slung cruiser chassis, allows this motorcycle to routinely stop in about 2/3 of the distance of the drum brake equipped Nighthawk. While you're in little danger of doing an accidental stoppie, it is possible to lock the front brake with an overexuberant application.
Handling:
In this category, the cruiser styling of the Rebel takes its toll. While the Rebel has a comfortable laid-back ride, the forward controls make it a trivial matter to scrape pegs or heels when you get into a corner a little hot. While the pegs scrape much sooner than they do on a Nighthawk, you've still got a lot of lean angle left before you start dragging hard parts that will upset the handling. However, the front forks are much firmer than those of the Nighthawk, leading to much better cornering stability.
Overall riding:
Simply put, if it fits you, the Rebel is an absolute joy to ride. Many people buy these as a first bike/learner bike, then can't bear to part with them. As well as being very forgiving in the areas of clutch and brake operation, this motorcycle, along with the Nighthawk, can teach some things that are much more difficult to learn on larger and more powerful bikes. If you do much riding on the twisties, especially hilly ones, the little Honda 250s (or just about any smaller bike, for that matter) will teach you how to conserve momentum, pick smooth lines through the turns, and carry as much corner speed as possible. Again, for long highway stretches or touring, this is the wrong machine.
With good looks, good manners, good brakes, great gas mileage, and proven reliability, it's no wonder that so many people who bought a Rebel to learn on (before "outgrowing it" and moving on to a larger bike) still have it tucked away and still ride it when they think no one is looking....
0 comments:
Post a Comment