Honda has released a new teaser with audio, indicating the soon-to-be-launched product could be a twin-cylinder cruiser
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) recently teased a new product which is scheduled to be launched on September 30. The teaser read “Your Highness is arriving”. The company has followed up the teaser with an audio of the exhaust note today. The solid thumping of the exhaust note makes us think the mystery Honda has a twin-cylinder heart.
Is it Honda Rebel 500 Cruiser?
The exhaust note also strongly indicates that the motorcycle in question could be a cruiser. If we combine the parameters twin-cylinder and cruiser, the first product that comes to mind is the Honda Rebel 500 cruiser.
Products like Bajaj Avenger and Royal Enfield Thunderbird (which is soon to be succeeded by Meteor) has made the cruiser body style quite popular among Indian motorcycle enthusiasts. The relaxed riding position and unhurried yet effortless performance of a medium displacement cruiser make it an attractive proposition for daily urban grind and the occasional weekend getaway. With Royal Enfield not likely to address the 500 cc cruiser segment with its next generation J Platform range, the Honda Rebel 500 could slot in a sweet spot. Listen to the audio teaser below.
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Honda Rebel 500 – Specifications
The Rebel 500 is equipped with a 471 cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine which is the mainstay of Honda’s hugely popular medium displacement range of motorcycles. Paired with a 6-speed transmission, the engine develops 45.5 hp and 44.6 Nm of torque. On board the cruiser, the motor is tuned to delivery good low-end torque and relaxed highway performance.
As far as hardware goes, the Honda medium displacement cruiser sports a trellis frame, telescopic front forks, twin rear shock absorbers, front and rear disc brakes with dual-channel ABS, alloy wheels and high-profile tyres. A low-set saddle, high-mounted handlebar and forward-mounted rider foot pegs make for a quintessential cruiser ergonomics.
The Honda Rebel 500 adopts textbook cruiser styling but integrates modern features like full LED headlamp and fully digital instrument console. The steeply inclined fuel tank gives it a unique character. The Rebel 500 weights 191 kg and carries a fuel tank capacity of 11.2 liters. As per the WMTC cycle, the cruiser’s fuel efficiency stands at 27 kmpl.
Rivals
The Honda Rebel 500, if launched in India, would be pitted against Royal Enfield’s upcoming 650 cc cruiser. It would also be pitched as a cheaper alternative to the Harley Davidson Street 750. We expect Honda to employ CKD assembly rather than import the cruiser as a CBU. This way, the pricing can be competitive.
It is also possible that HMSI’s new mystery product is not exactly the Rebel 500 but a closely related variant which is fined tuned for the Indian market. We will know soon.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
