Honda Rebel

Author's product rating:   

Comfort	Satisfactory
Handling	Satisfactory
Looks	Good
Features	Satisfactory
Fuel consumption	Excellent

Advantages:	Economic, easy to ride, cheap to buy
Disadvantages:	Don't make 'em anymore  !  2nd hand only

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I should pre-empt this review with the comment that I have just, today, sold my Rebel on e-Bay. I have a new Kawasaki ER-5 on order from a local dealer. Time to move on up, and my Rebel is looking a little long in the tooth after 23000 miles on the road, 6 learner drivers hacking away between 1st and 2nd gears, and 3 drops that I know of - there must have been countless more before hand.

The following is the text I used to sell the bike. I tried to inspire the reader with the same psychology I had when I bought it - e.g. I was looking for a cheap, safe run around that had a little more street cred than a CG125. And that's what I got........
"
This beautiful baby cruiser is a big step up in appearance from the Honda CG125 but with similar performance and running costs. The cruiser styling means it's easily mistaken for a 'bigger bike', earning a little extra respect from other drivers on the road.

As a cruiser, the seat is quite a bit lower than many other bikes - this means that the bike is much easier to balance. As a 125cc the vehicle is very light, which is one of the reasons why it is also much loved by bandanna sporting ladies out there.

Maneuverability for city riding is fine, as long as you not planning on cutting up fast moving boy racers ! It's a cruiser, so has a slightly longer wheelbase than any sports bike. This is also good for stability when cornering, although I wouldn't recommend jamming on the breaks while turning in the wet.
[Note - I've had 3 drops since I started on this bike 8 months ago. In all 3 cases, the front wheel has 'washed' and lost grip as I applied the front break while steering at the same time. The first time was at about 20 mph in wet conditions and because a taxi pulled out right in front of me. The second time I was doing around 15-25 mph but slowing from 50mph in a 30 limit as I had been driving like a hoon and thoroughly deserved the mishap to be honest. The last time, on Friday morning on the way to work, the roads were wet again and I was driving at under 5mph - I'm assuming there was oil on the road or something because the bike's handling is usually MUCH better than this].

For city driving the bike is pretty much ideal. The low power engine sees 20-50mph with ease; the width and length are suitable for filtering through stationary traffic and also for passing slower moving cars. I should emphasize that this is not a bike for daredevils. No wheelies or bunny hops I'm afraid. From a standstill you can take off more quickly than the vast majority of four wheeled road users, which is a major benefit at traffic lights. I tend to feel much safer having left a good distance between myself and any tailing BMW's !

Economy wise, for city riding you'll get about 70 miles to the gallon (5 liters, currently costing about £5), and if traveling on major A roads or outside of London you can reasonably expect up to 90 miles for the same amount of petrol.

Top speed is 70 miles an hour, down hill, but this is really more than the engine likes to handle and I wouldn't recommend cruising at more than 60mph, still just comfortable at 65mph in short bursts.

Servicing is very simple, and parts and spares are usually pretty inexpensive. It's not completely standard - this isn't a CG125 after all - but many of the engine seals, brake pads and discs, etc. are interchangeable between this and Honda's more widely known 125's so there are no added costs there. [The most expensive work I've had done would be changing the big old back-tyre, which is good for 5000+ miles, and replacing the chain and sprocket which have been good for about 4000. Both of these have cost about £100, including mechanics labor time].

For commuting I'd describe it as ideal. But it's not ideal for carrying passengers. My wife and I recently made the trip from London to Brighton and back and she got all shook up by engine vibration, and the suspension was quite lumpy on the bumps. For 40 mile round trips this hasn't been so much of a problem, but after 120 miles depression had definitely set in ! [The passenger seat is tiny, and on mine it's also quite hard. Poor girl had bruises all over her ass and the shivers from a combination of engine vibes (doing 60mph+) and a 'fresh' spring breeze].

So, it's a good idea to invest in some leathers and wrap up warm for the winter months and the summer evenings.

We've had a good 8 months together, this bike and me. But hard ones if you consider 5000 or so miles and an Autumn, Winter and Spring. The guy that owned her before me was a little bit rough with her, and didn't exactly protect her from the elements. The exhausts are holey and I'm in the process of replacing these with a better set I bought from a breakers yard. [ A rare experience which involved eBay and meeting the seller in a tube station car park where he produced them from the back of a van.] There's some rust on the headstock bolts [cosmetic injury only], and I'd be lying if I said the clutch hadn't felt the growing pains of 6 learners. If you keep the chain well adjusted she's fine, but if you don't then a slippery area quickly develops between 1st and 2nd gears. [Actually, that's how I know when I need to adjust the chain, which is really easy to do and takes under 15 minutes].

Most of the roughness is purely cosmetic - the worst of this is in the leather cover for the seat, which will need replacing within 12 months or less. Overall she's a nice little runner that will appreciate a little respect. Won't take kindly to thrashing.

And so you have it. It's a great bike and it's lasted well. The motor is bullet proof and Gilera have actually used the same Honda engine in their Cougar 125 cruiser. It's darn good. Buy one in reasonable condition and you won't be disappointed. The majority have been well cared for too, it's a baby cruiser after all, but you don't see many on the road and I expect the numbers will continue to shrink to nothing in the not too distant future.