Honda To Launch Royal Enfield Rival Cruiser On 30th, Exhaust Note Audio Here

2020 honda rebel 500-1
Representational

Honda Rebel 500 uses a parallel twin cylinder liquid-cooled engine 45.5 PS maximum power and 44.6 Nm of peak torque

Honda 2Wheelers India has been quite busy with new launches in recent times as the BSVI version of the XBlade was followed by the all-new Hornet 2.0. Instead of updating the Hornet 160R, the Japanese manufacturer brought in the 184 cc Hornet 2.0 to not just rival the 160 cc motorcycles but also the ones in the 200 cc naked streetfighter space.

It boasts premium features like all LED lighting system, LCD instrument console and gold-coloured upside down forks (segment-first feature). However, compared to the 200 cc motorcycles like TVS Apache RTR 200 4V and Bajaj Pulsar NS200, its performance numbers from the new air-cooled fuel-injected engine have largely been considered as a downer for many on paper.

Honda has turned another page and this time it has continuously been teasing another new motorcycle. A couple of days ago, we posted on what it could be amidst speculations of one motorcycle from the CB500 range launching in India this Diwali. The teaser said, “get ready for a majestic launch” alongside endorsing that your highness is arriving on September 30.

The chances of the upcoming motorcycle being positioned in sub-500 cc segment are very high as opposed to the conservative approach you see from the brand for India. The audio released by the brand has the exhaust note of the model scheduled to release on September 30. The thud does catapult the speculations that it could be a cruiser, a possible single-cylinder one with an authentic grunt to rival the entry-level REs.

Or it may as well have originated from the 471cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin four-stroke engine of the Rebel 500. We do expect it to be the Honda Rebel 500 as it could be pitched against the highly popular Royal Enfield 650 Twins. The rumours surrounding the Rebel series’ arrival have been there for long in India but nothing really came into fruition.

2020 honda rebel 500The Rebel 500 produces 45.5PS maximum power at 8,500 rpm and 44.6 Nm delivered at 6,000 rpm. The engine is paired with a six-speed transmission with slip-assist clutch as standard. It features 41 mm telescopic front fork and twin rear shock absorbers at the rear along with 296 mm front disc and 240 mm rear disc with dual-channel ABS system.

Besides the Interceptor 650, the Rebel 500 could rival Kawasaki Vulcan S and Harley Davidson Street 750. However, its success will largely depend on how well it is priced and we will have to wait and see how Honda positions it upon arrival. Its sales could be restricted to the premium Big Wing dealerships.