2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS Guide

Contents: Review – Key Features – Features & Benefits – Specifications

Contents: Review – Key Features – Features & Benefits – Specifications

2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS: VAN GOGH BEAUTIFUL.

Introducing the 2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS…

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. It carries on mechanically unchanged for 2023 but gets three brand new – and suitably cool – standard paint choices.

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 license friendly. 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.

The Rebel, Honda’s hugely popular A2 license-friendly 500cc parallel twin-cylinder compact cruiser, receives three brand-new paint options for 2023 Standard specification includes assist/slipper clutch, LED lighting and gear position indicator.

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. Fusing tradition and ground-breaking new ideas and perspectives, the CMX500 Rebel set out to be that motorcycle.

Showcasing a classic, timeless look, but imbuing it with a forward-looking, contemporary style all of its own, the CMX500 Rebel was an instant hit on its introduction for the 2017 season. Its continued popularity ever since – including among female riders, who accounted for 17% of new buyers in 2021 – has helped make it the best-selling European model in the ‘custom’ category for the last two years.

For 2020, the Rebel received more comfort and practicality thanks to a revised seat and suspension settings, plus a gear position indicator. Both the headlight and taillight were new, and the addition of LED indicators meant all lighting became LED. A refined exhaust system, including new exhaust sensor, ensured EURO5 compliance.

2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS Totalmotorcycle.com Key Features

The 2023 Rebel will be available in the following colour options:

Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic **NEW**

Pearl Smoky Gray **NEW**

Candy Diesel Red **NEW**

A Smoother Ride
The 41mm front fork stanchions are set wide apart for sure footed stability, comfort and style; they also employ revised spring and damping rates for an improved ride. A 45mm diameter, tubular steel swingarm works twin preload-adjustable Showa shock absorbers that are now nitrogen-charged, with firmer spring rates to match the front forks.

A Natural Ride
Footpegs are mid mounted, for a relaxed riding position. They combine well with the Rebel’s slim proportions and low 690mm seat height, with additional comfort deriving from a new seat design – to make those longer journeys even more enjoyable.

Minimal Speedometer
The ‘one button’ speedo is a compact 100mm dial with negative LCD display and blue backlight; it’s strikingly effective and now features a digital gear position indicator.

Side Key
Like many traditional machines, the ignition is housed below the left side of the fuel tank.

Custom Look
Set high up front and evocative of an earlier era, the round LED headlight, mounted with die-cast aluminium, has a striking new internal design. The indicators are now also LED.

Stop On Sight
The fat ‘bobber’ style rims and rubber are matched nicely with a twin piston caliper up front. The rear is a single piston type and the two-channel system ABS brakes, come as standard.

A Smoother Ride
The 41mm front fork stanchions are set wide apart for sure footed stability, comfort and style; they also employ revised spring and damping rates for an improved ride. A 45mm diameter, tubular steel swingarm works twin preload-adjustable Showa shock absorbers that are now nitrogen-charged, with firmer spring rates to match the front forks.

A Natural Ride
Footpegs are mid mounted, for a relaxed riding position. They combine well with the Rebel’s slim proportions and low 690mm seat height, with additional comfort deriving from a new seat design – to make those longer journeys even more enjoyable.

Minimal Speedometer
The ‘one button’ speedo is a compact 100mm dial with negative LCD display and blue backlight; it’s strikingly effective and now features a digital gear position indicator.

Side Key
Like many traditional machines, the ignition is housed below the left side of the fuel tank.

Custom Look
Set high up front and evocative of an earlier era, the round LED headlight, mounted with die-cast aluminium, has a striking new internal design. The indicators are now also LED.

RAW AND SIMPLE

FEEL FREE
Make your mark on it.
The CMX500 Rebel is all about freedom for all motorcyclists, particularly new licence holders. With a strong, liquid-cooled, parallel twin-cylinder engine cradled in low chassis and updated suspension, lighting, comfort and instruments, it’s a stunning looking bike – a blank canvas – and one that’s ready for whatever your imagination has in store for it.

AN EASY RIDE
The Rebel takes a different road.
Powered by a proven parallel twin-cylinder engine, the response is friendly, smooth and linear – ideal if you’re stepping up from a smaller bike. Thanks to a new exhaust, it’s also now EURO5 compliant, while the addition of an assist-and-slipper clutch aids gearchanges with a 30% lighter lever feel. The riding position is relaxed as you sit, arms outstretched, into the low seat height, ready for the highway. Even at low speed, the Rebel remains comfortable and easy to manage.

LOW RIDER
A parallel twin tuned for cruising.

Slim enough to nip through town traffic with a low seat height for comfort and sure-footed control.
Moving away from the high rpm-focused performance of the CBR500R, a revised PGM-FI fuel injection map has given the Rebel’s engine a totally different character. It has beefy, bottom-end output with more muscular torque of 43.2Nm@ 6,000rpm and – combined with peak power of 34kW @ 8,500rpm – provides satisfying acceleration and strong cruising performance.

Sounding right
The 2-1 exhaust uses two resonator chambers along with a 120mm diameter ‘shotgun’ style muffler. An internal redesign and new LAF sensor help the engine gain EURO5 compliance while the sound produced has a deep pulse thanks to the 180° phased firing order. Take it through the 6-speed gearbox and you’ll be surprised at how strong this motor feels.

New 2023 colours for CB1000R, CMX500 Rebel and Monkey

• The CB1000R Black Edition is now also available in Mat Jeans Blue Metallic
• New Bordeaux Red Metallic for CB1000R itself
• The CMX500 Rebel line-up features a new Titanium Metallic ‘SE’ Edition and three new colours
• New colours for the Monkey pay homage to the classic original of the 1960s

Three of Honda’s most visually distinctive models receive updates for their 2023 year model iterations. A new CB1000R Black Edition joins the Neo Sports Café family line up; the CMX500 Rebel, Europe’s most popular model in the custom category for the last two years, receives a complete new range of contemporary colours and the ‘SE’ Edition is available in a new dynamic colour. The delightful Monkey receives colour updates that pay homage to the classic designs of the 1960s.

A new Mat Jeans Blue Metallic CB1000R ‘Black Edition’ joins the existing Black Edition version at the head of Honda’s Neo Sports Café family. Both colours feature a new silver accent on the tank to match the carefully selected machined aluminium details on the wheel spokes, swingarm plates, engine covers and handlebar clamps. The sleek and aggressive final look is completed with the colour matched pillion seat cover. The standard CB1000R also features a new look for 2023, available in a classy new Bordeaux Red Metallic paint scheme.

The CMX500 Rebel, Honda’s A2 licence-friendly 500cc parallel twin-cylinder compact cruiser, has been Europe’s best-selling model in the custom category for two years. Accessible, easy to ride and easy to live with, the Rebel features an attractive standard specification that includes assist/slipper clutch, LED lighting and gear position indicator.

For 2023 the CMX500 Rebel receives three brand new contemporary paint options: Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic, Pearl Smoky Gray and Candy Diesel Red.  The CMX500 Rebel ‘S’ version, which features a range of practical and attractive factory-fitted accessories including a headlight cowl, all-black fork covers and gaiters plus diamond-stitch style seat, is now available in dynamic new Titanium Metallic.

The Honda Monkey has been continuing to cheer up roads across Europe since its reintroduction last year. For 2023 the Monkey will be available in new Pearl Shining Black and updated Banana Yellow and Pearl Nebula Red. All three feature colour-matched frame, forks, swingarm and rear suspension, plus tartan seat cover and stylish tank infills that reference the classic Monkey style from the late 1960s.

2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS Totalmotorcycle.com Features and Benefits

Styling & Equipment

* Lean and low ‘bobber’ styling

* Negative LCD display with white backlight and gear position indicator

* Pillion pad and rear pegs easily removed for customisation

* Factory fitted accessory kit available

* Four new colours for 2023

Two key words ran headlined throughout the Rebel’s development programme: ‘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 lighting is LED, and the evocative round headlight features a compact 175mm diameter lens and die-cast aluminium mount. The ultra-thin oval tail-light and licence plate light match the Rebel’s low-down stance; 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 features a gear position indicator and fuel consumption display. The ignition is housed below the left side of the fuel tank

The pillion pad and rear footpegs are easily removed and the accessories line-up includes a rear rack, backrest, tank pads and flyscreen, a nylon saddlebag also available alongside the leather items.

An ‘SE’ Edition – now finished in new Titanium Metallic paint for 2023 – comes complete with factory-fit headlight cowl with smoke screen, retro front fork covers and gaiters and a special diamond-stitch style seat.

Engine

* 471cc liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine, A2 license compatible

* Torque heavy bottom-end output

* Assist/slipper clutch aids control

* 120mm ‘shotgun’ style exhaust

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 43.3Nm torque @ 6,000rpm combines with peak power of 34kW @ 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. An assist/slipper clutch makes the shift lighter and smoother, and controls rear wheel ‘hop’ on rapid downshifting.

The 2-1 exhaust scrubs spent gases in its catalyzer, which then speeds them through its first chamber into the second resonator chamber; the sound produced has a heavy-duty pulsing feel that fits the torque delivery. A Linear Air Flow (LAF) sensor and internal adjustments to the 120mm diameter ‘shotgun’ style muffler help the engine’s EURO5 compliance.

Chassis

* Low slung tubular steel frame

* Compliant, supple damping front and rear; shocks nitrogen charged

* 130/90-16 front and 150/80-16 rear tires

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. The fork spring rates and oil volume are optimised to give compliant damping and a smooth ride. Trail is set at 110mm with 28° rake; the 30° off-set of the forks, combined with 1490mm wheelbase, allows a low 690mm seat height. Mid-mounted footpegs help ensure a natural riding position, with balanced and neutral steering.

The frame includes an innovative rear loop 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, nitrogen-charged shock absorbers that feature 5 step preload settings.

Dunlop tires are fitted as standard sized 130/90-16 front and 150/80-16 rear. The style of the 16-inch cast aluminium 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.

Accessories

As a motorcycle born to be accessorised, there is an extensive range of Honda Genuine Accessories available both individually or as part of a specially developed pack, that are ready to bolt straight on to the CMX500 Rebel.

The Comfort Pack is intended to enhance the practicality of the Rebel, by adding the following accessories:

* Rear Carrier

* Pillion Backrest

* Meter Visor

* Adjustable Brake lever

* 12V Socket

The Travel Pack increases the carrying capacity of the Rebel and includes

* Right & Left Nylon Saddle Bags

The Special Pack is available in two colours and includes accessories that emphasize the “rebel” style:

* Tank Pads (Centre & Side)

The following accessories are also available

* Solo Carrier

* Leather ‘throw-over’ Saddle Bags

2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS – Totalmotorcycle.com USA Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: $6,749 USD
Canada MSRP Price: $8,099 CDN
Europe/UK MSRP Price: £6,299 GBP (On The Road inc 20% Vat)

ENGINE
Engine Type 471cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore And Stroke 67.0mm x 66.8mm
Induction Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI); 34mm throttle body
Valve Train DOHC; 4 valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio 10.7:1
DRIVE TRAIN
Transmission Six-speed
Final Drive O-ring-sealed chain; 15T/40T
CHASSIS SUSPENSION BRAKES
Front Suspension 41mm fork; 5.5-inch travel
Rear Suspension Dual shocks; 3.7-inch travel
Front Brake Single 296mm disc; ABS
Rear Brake Single 240mm disc; ABS
Front Tire 130/90-16
Rear Tire 150/80-16
DIMENSIONS
Rake 28.0°
Trail 4.3 inches
Wheelbase 58.7 inches
Seat Height 27.2 inches
Curb Weight 414 pounds (Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and a full tank of fuel)
Fuel Capacity 3.0 gallons
Miles Per Gallon
TBD – Honda fuel economy estimates are based on EPA exhaust emission
measurement test procedures and are intended for comparison purposes only. Your
actual mileage will vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle,
weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and
passenger weight, and other factors.
OTHER
Model ID CMX500A
Emissions Meets current EPA standards. California version meets current CARB standards and
may differ slightly due to emissions equipment.
Available Colors Candy Blue, Matte Black Metallic
FACTORY WARRANTY INFORMATION
One Year Transferable, unlimited-mileage limited warranty
Optional Extended Extended coverage available with a HondaCare Protection Plan®

2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS – Totalmotorcycle.com Canada Specifications/Technical Details

Engine & Drivetrain
Engine Type Liquid-cooled parallel twin
Displacement 471 cc
Bore & Stroke 67 mm x 66.8 mm
Compression Ratio 10.7:1
Valve Train DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Fuel Delivery PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Transmission 6-speed
Final Drive #520 chain; 15T/40T
Chassis & Suspension
Front Suspension 41 mm telescopic fork; 121 mm (4.8 in) travel
Rear Suspension Dual shocks spring preload adjustment; 95 mm (3.7 in) travel
Additional Information
Tires Front: 130/90R-16
Rear: 150/80R-16
Brakes Front: 296 mm disc
Rear: 240 mm disc
ABS Standard
Seat Height 690 mm (27.2 in)
Wheelbase 1,490 mm (58.7 in)
Curb Weight 189 kg (417 lb) including required fluids and full tank of gas—ready to ride
Fuel Capacity 11.2 litres
Colour Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic
Warranty 12 months, unlimited mileage, freely transferable warranty; extended coverage available with Honda Plus

2023 Honda Rebel 500 ABS – Totalmotorcycle.com European Specifications/Technical Details

Please note that all specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice. Fuel consumption figures provided are results obtained by Honda under standardised testing conditions prescribed by WMTC. Tests are conducted on a rolling road using a standard version of the vehicle with only one rider and no additional optional equipment. Actual fuel consumption may vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.

Manufacturer Specifications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice on Total Motorcycle (TMW).