In a fight for the large displacement classic and retro motorcycle segment, Royal Enfield has its popular 650cc offerings. There have been more challengers now than ever before and the latest one is Honda Rebel 500, which directly takes on Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 and Kawasaki Vulcas S. We compared specs and features of these motorcycles to see which is a better package on paper.
Honda Rebel 500 Vs Rivals – Specs
We have to start with pricing because Royal Enfield has achieved excellent prices and it is the most affordable, starting from Rs 3.68 lakh and goes till Rs 3.98 lakh (Ex-sh). At the other end of this price ladder, we have Kawasaki Vulcan S priced at Rs 7.10 lakh (Ex-sh). Just launched Honda Rebel 500 is positioned bang in the middle at Rs 5.12 lakh (Ex-sh).
All three bikes get a parallel-twin engine and only Super Meteor is an inferior oil-cooled SOHC 2V build. One look at this spec sheet is enough to understand that Honda Rebel 500 has the smallest engine at 471cc. However, it makes up for it with its light-weight build, weighing at just 191 kg, while Super Meteor 650 weighs 241 kg and Vulcan S is bang in the middle at 229 kg.
That said, the most performant offering in this trio is Kawasaki Vulcan S as it packs the highest numbers. However, it is the only one in this trio to lack a slipper clutch. Vulcan S also packs the longest wheelbase, Super Meteor 650 has highest ground clearance and Rebel 500 has lowest seat height.
Rebel 500 has the smallest fuel tank at 11.2L and it is Super Meteor 650 that has the largest at 15.7L. All three motorcycles offer different wheel size combinations at the front and rear. Rebel 500 has the widest front tyre and Vulcan S offers the widest rear tyre. Super Meteor 650 offers largest disc brakes, which could probably be because it is the heaviest bike in this trio.
Rebel 500 is the lightest!
All three motorcycles get dual-channel ABS and there are no riding modes, quick shifter or any other fancy gizmos. Only the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 gets USD telescopic front forks, while other two resort to RSU telescopic units. Interestingly, only the Vulcan S gets a rear mono-shock, which is also a single-sided type. Other two get twin shockers which are common with cruisers.
Honda Rebel 500 is the only one to offer full LED lighting all around. Super Meteor 650 lacks LED indicators and Vulcan S lacks LED indicators and LED headlights. All three motorcycles get a semi-digital instrument cluster, but only the Royal Enfield offers Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation with its Tripper TFT screen.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
