2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE ABS Guide

Review – Key Features – Features & Benefits – Specifications

2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE ABS: A REBEL TAKES A DIFFERENT ROAD.

Introducing the 2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE ABS…

A modern cruiser through and through, the Rebel 500 is all about maximizing the freedom and exhilaration that can only be found on a motorcycle. Starting with its timeless yet aggressive styling, this hugely popular cruiser turns heads wherever it goes, with an iconic peanut fuel tank, blacked-out components and wide tires. The 471cc parallel-twin engine matches strong bottom-end torque with smooth delivery for a user-friendly powerband that makes the Rebel fun to ride, both in the canyons and around town. With relaxed ergonomics and well-balanced handling, the chassis and suspension prioritize rider comfort and control. The Rebel 500 is available in standard and ABS versions, as well as a limited-edition ABS SE trim level that comes with some of Honda’s most popular accessories installed from the factory.

RIDE FREE. RIDE BOLD.
Immerse yourself in the Rebel 500’s untamed spirit of rebellion, reigniting your passion for the open road. With the ageless allure of cruiser styling and the versatile power of a twin-cylinder engine, this exceptional machine seamlessly blends form and function, equipped with state-of-the-art enhancements including full-LED lighting, a slipper/assist clutch, and optional anti-lock braking. Prepare yourself for unrestricted bliss on highways and twisties alike, as you transform ordinary journeys into unforgettable adventures. Bedecked in distinctive and futuristic aesthetics, the mid-sized Rebel boasts new colors for 2024, emblematic of its mastery in engineering thrills that redefine the art of riding. Embrace your Rebel spirit and conquer the horizon with this iconic symbol of liberty and style.

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 and has continued its popularity ever since, becoming the best-selling European model in the ‘custom’ category in both 2021 and 2022.

Since its introduction, the CMX500 Rebel has undergone a number of regular updates. For 2020, it 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.

21YM saw the Rebel family expand across Europe with the introduction of the CMX1100. It took the essence of what’s made the CMX500 Rebel so special and added more performance, more character and a wealth of Honda’s most advanced technology.

Accessible, easy to ride and easy to live with, the CMX500 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 2024 but gets two brand new – and suitably cool – standard paint choices and a new stealthy colour for the ‘SE’ edition.

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. 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 CMX500 Rebel’s tubular steel frame draws fresh, contemporary lines into stripped-back, fat-tyred ‘bobber’ style. Blacked out to the maximum, with the minimum of paint, it switches from solo-only to pillion-possible via two bolts.

FEEL FREE
Make your mark on it.
The CMX500 Rebel is all about freedom for all motorcyclists, particularly A2 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.

The 2024 CMX500 Rebel will be available in the following colour options:

Seal Silver Metallic **NEW**

Matt Laurel Green Metallic **NEW**

Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic

The 2024 CMX500 Rebel ‘SE’ edition will be available in the following colour option:

 Pearl Shining Black **NEW**

2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE ABS Totalmotorcycle.com Key Features

Model updates: The CMX500 Rebel, Honda’s hugely popular A2 licence-friendly 500cc parallel twin-cylinder compact cruiser, receives two brand-new paint options for 2024. Standard specification includes assist/slipper clutch, LED lighting and gear position indicator. An ‘S’ version with factory-fitted accessories (headlight cowl, all-black fork covers and gaiters plus diamond-stitch style seat) – now finished in Pearl Shining Black paint for 2024  – remains available.

Fat ‘bobber’ style rims
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.

2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE 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

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 tyres, 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 stealthy Pearl Shining Black paint for 2024 – comes complete with factory-fit headlight cowl with smoke screen, retro front fork covers and gaiters and a special brown diamond-stitch style seat and bronze wheels.

Engine

• 471cc liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine, A2 licence 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 oxidisation membrane.

The crankshaft pins are phased at 180° and a primary couple-balancer sits behind the cylinders, close to the bike’s centre 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 catalyser, 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 tyres

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 aluminium subframe provides further scope for customisation.

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 tyres 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)
• Front Fork Covers & Gaiters sets (standard fitment for the ‘SE’ edition)
• Headlight Cowl (standard fitment for the ‘SE’ edition)
• Custom Rider & Pillion Seats (available in black or Brown (standard for the ‘SE’ edition)

The following accessories are also available

• Solo Carrier
• Leather ‘throw-over’ Saddle Bags,

2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE ABS – Totalmotorcycle.com USA Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: $6,999 USD
Canada MSRP Price: $ NA CDN
Europe/UK MSRP Price: £ TBA GBP (On The Road inc 20% Vat)

ENGINE

• Engine Type

471cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin 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

416 pounds (Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and a full tank of fuel)

• Fuel Capacity

3.0 gallons

OTHER

• Model ID

CMX500A2

• Emissions

Meets current EPA standards. California version meets current CARB standards and may differ slightly due to emissions equipment.

• Available Colors

Pearl Smokey Grey

FACTORY WARRANTY INFORMATION

• One Year

Transferable, unlimited-mileage limited warranty

• Optional Extended

Extended coverage available with a HondaCare® Protection Plan

2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE ABS – Totalmotorcycle.com Canada Specifications/Technical Details

NA

2024 Honda Rebel 500 SE ABS – Totalmotorcycle.com Europe 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).