Honda Rebel 500 to be launched in India this year
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
