– New 2020 Honda Rebel 500 Changes Explained in Detailed Buyer’s Guide / Review (CMX500) –

The industry’s top-selling small-displacement cruiser models, the Rebel 500 and Rebel 300 are back again for 2020 and with some changes thrown their way to make them better than ever! Not too much longer and we may see that Rebel 1100 on the way, fingers crossed it’s in Honda’s next 2021 motorcycle announcement in January but lets get back on topic… On this page we’re only going to be covering the 2020 Rebel 500, we’ll be going over details on the 2020 Rebel 500 pricing, explaining the changes, accessory options, release date and more. While retaining the iconic fuel tank and narrow-style frame, the 2020 Rebel models build on an already-strong sense of enjoyment through LED lighting front and rear, performance-enhancing features for the chassis and engine and a growing lineup of accessories.

At the time of writing this, Honda hasn’t announced official prices for the 2020 Rebel 500 / 300 models just yet. The prior model year Rebel 500 came in with an MSRP of $6,199 / ABS $6,499. They did make some changes as we’re going to go over below so we know the price is going to go up but just how much is the big question at the moment. I’m betting we’ll see a $100-$200 bump, putting the 2020 Rebel 500 around the $6,399 / ABS $6,699 mark but that’s just a guess at the moment. I’ll update you guys as soon as I know more on that.

• 2020 Rebel 500 Changes:
  • New assist / slipper clutch reduces clutch-lever operation load by 30% for reduced effort in stop-and-go situations, and enhances controlled deceleration.
  • Revised fork features new buffing on inner pipe for smoother action plus stiffer spring rate and revised oil levels for improved handling and added comfort.
  • Shock damper tube now uses nitrogen gas to stabilize damping force, while stiffer spring rate improves handling and a revised bump rubber maximizes reaction force.
  • Repositioned and reshaped LED headlight is paired to new LED turn signals and a redesigned LED taillight to reinforce iconic look.
  • Updated LCD meter with gear-position indicator and fuel consumption provides pertinent information to the rider.
  • The frame includes an innovative rear loop (we talked about this a while back here) that separates the thicker seat from the textured metal mudguard; the bolt-on cast aluminum subframe provides further scope for customization.
  • Seat has new thickness and density for increased comfort.

Key 2020 Rebel 500 Info / Specs (for those in a hurry):

• 2020 Rebel Model Options / Variations:
  • Option 1: Rebel 500
    • Price / MSRP: TBA
  • Option 2: Rebel 500 ABS
    • Price / MSRP: TBA
  • Option 3: Rebel 300
    • Price / MSRP: TBA
  • Option 4: Rebel 300 ABS
    • Price / MSRP: TBA
• 2020 Rebel 500 Release Date – March 2020
• 2020 Rebel 500 Colors – Matte Armored Silver, Graphite Black, Matte Blue Jeans Metallic
  • 2020 Rebel 300 Colors – Matte Fresco Brown, Graphite Black Metallic, Matte Blue Jeans Metallic
• 2020 Rebel 500 Horsepower – 45.9 HP @ 8,500 RPM 
• 2020 Rebel 500 Torque – 31.9 ft/lb @ 6,000 RPM
• 2020 Rebel 500 Front Suspension – 41mm telescopic fork; 4.8 in. travel
• 2020 Rebel 500 Rear Suspension – Twin shock; 3.8 in. travel
• 2020 Rebel 500 Brakes (front) – Single 296 mm disc w/ hydraulic calipers (optional ABS)
• 2020 Rebel 500 Brakes (rear) – Single 240 mm disc w/ hydraulic calipers (optional ABS)
• 2020 Rebel 500 Fuel Tank Capacity – 2.95 gal. (0.6 gal. Reserve)
• 2020 Rebel 500 Miles Per Gallon – 61 MPG
• 2020 Rebel 500 Weight – 408 lbs (curb weight) / ABS 414 lbs
  • 2020 Rebel 300 Weight – 364 lbs (curb weight) / ABS 370 lbs
• 2020 Rebel 500 Seat Height – 27.2 in.
• 2020 Rebel 500 Wheelbase – 58.7 in.
• 2020 Rebel 500 Changes – Yes, briefly mentioned above and explained below.
  • * All USA specs above unless otherwise noted. There can be different colors, specs etc in different countries.

• 2020 Rebel 500 Page Contents:
  • 1. | Introduction
  • 2. | Model Overview
  • 3. | Key Features
    • 3.1 | Equipment & Styling
    • 3.2 | Engine / Drivetrain
    • 3.3 | Chassis
  • 4. | Accessories
  • 5. | Pictures / Photo Gallery
  • 6. | Technical Specifications 

For many riders in their early 20s – Generation Z, who have grown up through the digital age – motorcycles mean so much more than just transport. They need to represent a lifestyle, an attitude, and allow them to express their own individual identity. These riders’ expectations are different to those of the motorcycling mainstream and the machines that speak to them reflect this. They have to fit in with their life but must also contain the potential for further individualization.

Mr Keita Mikura, the Large Project Leader (LPL) of the Honda Rebel understands this. He likes to play with the rules, creating machines that fuse tradition with groundbreaking new ideas and perspectives. His team has produced a custom motorcycle that showcases a classic, timeless look but is also imbued with a forward-looking, contemporary style all of its own. Accessible, easy to ride and easy to live with, the Rebel goes its own way but is also a blank canvas, ready for whatever its owner’s imagination has in store for it.

Development of the Rebel began in North America, with an outlook geared toward firing the imagination of a younger generation of riders in a different way to traditional cruiser motorcycles. Powered by a 471cc parallel twin-cylinder engine, with strong bottom end torque and a smooth, linear power delivery, the Rebel is A2 licence friendly for those reading this across the pond. It’s also slim, with a low seat height and therefore easy to manage at low speeds. The riding position is relaxed and neutral, with gently outstretched arms matched to mid-mounted footpegs.

The Rebel’s tubular steel frame draws fresh, contemporary lines into stripped-back, fat-tired ‘bobber’ style. Blacked out to the maximum, with the minimum of paint, it also switches from solo-only to pillion-possible via two bolts.

For 2020, the Rebel gets more comfort and practicality thanks to a revised seat and suspension settings, plus a gear position indicator. Both the headlight and tail-light are new, and the addition of new LED indicators means all lighting is now LED.

Refinements to the exhaust system, including a new exhaust sensor ensure the Rebel is fully Euro5 compliant.

• All lighting now LED, including indicators.
• New Matte Jeans Blue Metallic color.
• New gear position Indicator.
• Negative LCD display with white backlight.
• Iconic, peanut-shaped fuel tank, aggressively raked front end and fat tires on large-diameter wheels result in stripped forms that express offbeat individuality from every angle.

Two key words ran headlined throughout the Rebel’s development program: ‘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.

And the Rebel does not disappoint; rolling on fat tires, its low and lean ‘bobber’ silhouette – crowned by the steeply raked 11.2L fuel tank and fat handlebars – sits the rider firmly ‘in’ the machine. From every angle of its stripped form it expresses an off-beat individuality.

Everything that can be is blacked out, which highlights the Rebel’s lithe design as well as underlining the subtle paintwork. All lights are now LED, and the evocative round headlight features a compact 175mm diameter lens and die-cast aluminum mount. The new ultra-thin oval tail-light and license plate light match the Rebel’s low-down stance; new mini circular LED indicators measure only 55mm in diameter, with a circular position light included in the front indicators.

The speedo is a compact 100mm dial with negative LCD display and white backlight and is both striking and effective, and for 2020, features a new gear position indicator and fuel consumption display. The ignition remains housed below the left side of the fuel tank

The 2020 Rebel 500 is available in the following color options:

• Matte Armored Silver
• Graphite Black
• Matte Blue Jeans Metallic
  • * 2020 Rebel 300 Colors: Matte Fresco Brown, Graphite Black Metallic, Matte Blue Jeans Metallic.

For the 2020 Rebel model lineup, the accessories line-up has been boosted, with new rear rack, backrest, tank pads and meter visor; a nylon saddlebag option is also now available alongside the existing leather ones. Just like the previous generation, you can also easily install the passenger seat and backrest on your 2020 Rebel 500.

• 471cc, eight-valve, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine with strong bottom-end torque and a smooth, linear power delivery.
• The cylinder head uses roller rocker arms; shim-type valve adjustment allows them to be light, for lower valve-spring load and reduced friction.
• A silent (SV Chain) cam chain, with the surface of its pins treated with Vanadium to reduce friction through its increased protection against dust. Inlet-valve diameter is 26.0mm with exhaust-valve diameter of 21.5mm.
• Reduced friction through the inclusion of striations on the piston skirt (a finish that increases surface area, introducing gaps in which oil can flow for better lubrication). An AB 1 salt bath process, used after isonite nitriding, forms a protective oxidization membrane.
• The crankshaft pins are phased at 180°, and a primary couple-balancer sits behind the cylinders, close to the bike’s center of gravity. The primary and balancer gears use scissor gears, reducing noise. The crank counterweight is specifically shaped for couple-balance and its light weight allows the engine to spin freely, with low inertia.
• The Rebel 500 crankcases use centrifugally cast thin-walled sleeves. Their internal design reduces the “pumping” losses that can occur with a 180° phased firing order. A deep oil sump holds 3.2 liters.
• Six-speed gearbox is designed to offer smooth gear changes.
• Blacked-out mechanical components for a tough, minimalist look.
• Specially designed muffler looks good and emits a pulsating exhaust note.

The Rebel’s 471cc 8-valve, liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine is drawn from the sporty CBR500R. For cruising duties, revised PGM-FI fuel injection mapping and different valve and ignition timings mean its character is shifted away from the high rpm-focused performance of the CBR to a torque-heavy bottom-end output, with smooth and linear delivery throughout the rev-range. Punchy maximum torque of 31.9 ft/lb torque @ 6,000rpm combines with a peak horsepower rating of 45.9 @ 8,500rpm.

It’s a power unit that strikes a great balance between physical size and flexible output. Bore and stroke is set at 67mm x 66.8mm with compression ratio of 10.7:1. Internally the cylinder head uses roller rocker arms; shim-type valve adjustment allows them to be light, for lower valve-spring load and reduced friction.

A silent (SV Chain) cam chain has the surface of its pins treated with Vanadium, reducing friction with increased protection against dust. Inlet valve diameter is 26.0mm with exhaust valve diameter of 21.5mm.

Friction is reduced by the addition of striations on the piston skirt (a finish that increases surface area, introducing gaps in which oil can flow for better lubrication). An AB 1 salt bath process, used after isonite nitriding, forms a protective oxidization membrane.

The crankshaft pins are phased at 180° and a primary couple-balancer sits behind the cylinders, close to the bike’s center of gravity. The primary and balancer gears use scissor gears, reducing noise. The crank counterweight is specifically shaped for couple-balance and its light weight allows the engine to spin freely, with reduced inertia.

The crankcases use centrifugally cast thin-walled sleeves. Their internal design reduces the ‘pumping’ losses that can occur with a 180° phased firing order. A deep oil sump holds 3.2L. Slick to use up or down the six-speed gearbox is designed to offer effortless changes, especially around town. For 2020, a new assist-and-slipper clutch makes the shift even smoother, while reducing clutch lever operation load by 30%.

The 2-1 exhaust scrubs spent gases in its catalyzer, which then speeds them through its first chamber into the second resonator chamber. A new LAF sensor and improvements to the 120mm diameter ‘shotgun’ style muffler help the Rebel reach Euro5 compliance. The sound produced has a heavy-duty pulsing feel that fits the torque delivery

• Rear shock now nitrogen charged, with reshaped damper rubbers, for firmer action.
• Revised fork and rear spring rates.
• Riding position relaxed and neutral, with arms gently outstretched and feet dropping straight down to the mid-mounted pegs.
• To support the Rebel’s low-slung look, its attractive tubular-steel frame holds the engine in three places and is designed to be as narrow as possible around the rider’s inseam. Trail is set at 110mm, with 28° rake.
• The 41mm fork stanchions are set wide at 230mm apart, for rigidity, comfort and style, and the lower legs are blacked-out.
• Fork angle is 30°, wheelbase is 58.7 in. wheelbase and seat height is 27.2 in., resulting in balanced, neutral steering.
• Frame body has a narrow shape and includes an innovative rear loop that separates the seat from the stamped-metal rear fender.
• Dunlop tires (size 130/90-16 front, 150/80-16 rear) are mounted to 16 inch cast-aluminum wheels.
• Both the Rebel 500 and Rebel 300 are available in standard and ABS versions.
• Blacked-out 45mm tubular swingarm with twin conventional, side-mounted dual shocks that feature two-step preload adjusters.
• Ignition is housed below the left side of the fuel tank.
• Low slung tubular steel frame.

To support the Rebel’s low-slung look its attractive tubular steel frame grips the engine in three places and is designed to be as narrow as possible around the rider’s inseam. For 2020, the revised fork spring rates and oil quantities bring more compliant damping for a smoother ride. Trail is set at 110mm with 28° rake; the 30° off-set of the forks, combined with 58.7 in. wheelbase, allows a low 27.2 in. seat height; mid-mounted footpegs help ensure a natural riding position, with balanced and neutral steering.

The frame includes an innovative rear loop (we talked about this a while back here) that separates the thicker seat from the textured metal mudguard; the bolt-on cast aluminum subframe provides further scope for customization.

At 230mm apart the 41mm front fork stanchions are set wide for handling rigidity, comfort and style. The tubular steel swingarm has a 45mm diameter and works twin shock absorbers that feature 5 step preload settings. For 2020, the shock is now nitrogen-charged, with revised spring rate and reshaped damper rubbers for firmer, more consistent damping.

Dunlop tires are fitted as standard sized 130/90-16 front and 150/80-16 rear. The style of the 16-inch cast aluminum wheels is crisp and simple, with the 296mm front disc acting as mirror to the spoke pattern. A twin-piston front caliper is matched by a single-piston rear.

In select parts of the globe, Honda is actually building a Rebel S version with a set of factory-fitted accessories is available including a headlight cowl, all-black fork covers and gaiters, plus a diamond-stitch style seat. At the time of writing this, Honda will not be selling a Rebel S model in the USA so you would have to “build” your own by picking out the accessories mentioned and having them installed.

A full range of official Honda Accessories are available for the Rebel 500 and Rebel 300 and help create their own custom look. Available accessories include but are not limited to stylish main seat, headlight cowl, meter visor, fork cover, and new saddlebag that can be removed without the use of tools and comes with shoulder straps for easy use when you leave the bike. Pictures are coming soon, at the time of writing this Honda has yet to release them but you’ll see in some of the pictures below that the 2020 Rebel 500 model shave select accessories installed.

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