MARKHAM, ON (November 18th, 2016) – Honda today introduced a pair of progressive custom bobbers that fuse tradition with groundbreaking new ideas and perspectives while offering ample scope for owner customization. Offering a fresh take on custom cool, the Rebel 500 and Rebel 300 mix old- and new-school style and are engaging and fun to ride, with an outlook geared toward firing the imagination of a younger generation of riders.
Development for the Rebel 500 and Rebel 300 began in North America, with the objective of referencing a timeless look while also introducing a forward-thinking, contemporary style all their own. Accessible, fun to ride and easy to live with, the models go their own way but are also blank canvases, ready for whatever their owners’ imaginations have in store.
Simple and raw, Honda’s new Rebel models are exercises in straightforward, minimalist design where every detail matters. Low, lean bobber silhouettes are crowned by iconic peanut-shaped fuel tanks, all blacked out with aggressively raked front ends and fat tires on large-diameter wheels, resulting in stripped forms that express offbeat individuality from every angle. The evocative round headlight sits up high in a die-cast aluminum mount, the speedometer is a compact dial with negative LCD display and blue backlight, and the ignition is housed below the left side of the fuel tank. Honda will offer a passenger seat and footpegs as accessories.
With a 471 cc parallel twin, the Rebel 500 has strong bottom-end torque and a smooth, linear power delivery, while the Rebel 300 is powered by a peppy 286cc single cylinder engine. In both cases, the bikes’ riding positions are relaxed and neutral, with arms gently outstretched and feet dropping straight down to the mid-mounted pegs.
2017 Honda Rebel 300 – pricing TBA
The versatile Rebels are fun to ride, great for day trips, jaunts to the coffee shops or even sporty sessions on winding roads; low weights, slim frames and short seat heights equal agility at lower speeds, whereas good ground clearances allow surprisingly sporty lean angles. Both the Rebel 500 and Rebel 300 are available in standard and ABS versions.
“Today’s rider has grown up through the digital age, motorcycles represent a lifestyle and an attitude, a means of expressing their individuality,” said James Marchand, Assistant Vice President, Motorcycle, ATV & Power Equipment at Honda Canada. “The machines that speak to these riders need to reflect this, to fit with their life while also offering the potential for further individualization. The Rebel 500 and Rebel 300 are simple and raw, offering cutting-edge style and a radical image while minimizing the barriers to riding. There’s literally nothing else out there like them, and we’re confident that both models will appeal to young riders who want to stand out and are open to new experiences.”
2017 Honda Rebel 500 – pricing TBA
Two key words ran throughout the development for both of these bikes for the design team: ‘SIMPLE’ and ‘RAW’. But to do so much with so little is an art form in itself, an exercise in minimalist design where every detail matters.
The Rebel 500 will be available in the following colour options:
– Graphite Black (ABS & Non ABS)
– Matte Armored Silver Metallic (ABS)
– Millennium Red (ABS)
The Rebel 300 will be available in the following colour options:
– Millennium Red (ABS & Non ABS)
– Matte Pearl White (ABS)
For full specs on the Rebel 300, visit http://motorcycle.honda.ca/model/cruiser/rebel_300
For full specs on the Rebel 500, visit http://motorcycle.honda.ca/model/cruiser/rebel_500
– From Honda Canada
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