Honda Rebel 500 vs Kawasaki Eliminator 500 — Japanese cruiser comparison

After years of speculation, Honda has finally launched the Rebel in India, priced at Rs 5.12 lakh, ex-showroom. The Honda Rebel is a cruiser and it locks horns with another Japanese cruiser on sale in the country, the Kawasaki Eliminator. Both motorcycles share a few common things and if you’re in the market for a Japanese cruiser, here’s how the two compare against each other.

Honda Rebel 500 vs Kawasaki Eliminator — Overview

Both motorcycles are cruisers and they’re both Japanese — something interesting as we usually connect cruisers to American motorcycles, or Royal Enfield’s. Both being cruisers is one way to look at them, but they take very different approaches to the cruiser angle.

The Honda Rebel 500 features a low-slung design with a muscular fuel tank and blacked-out components, while the Kawasaki Eliminator features a more traditional style, with split seats and a muscular look. The blacked-out parts give the Eliminator a stealthy look, while also giving it presence.

Both motorcycles feature similar running parts, such as alloy wheels, telescopic front forks, dual rear shocks, disc brakes at both ends with dual-channel ABS, and more. They are identical in terms of running components.

Honda Rebel 500 vs Kawasaki Eliminator — Engine specifications

Both motorcycles use a similar setup — a liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed gearbox. The new Honda Rebel 500 and the Kawasaki Eliminator do not get quickshifters. That said, both motorcycles make identical power and torque, while the Eliminator manages to be almost 15kg lighter than its Japanese competitor.