Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India decided to join the mid-sized cruiser segment with the launch of the Rebel 500. Even though the Honda bobber is priced much higher than Royal Enfield’s flagship cruiser, the Super Meteor 650, technically, the Rebel 500 is in the same category. The Honda motorcycle is available in a single variant and costs Rs 5.12, ex-showroom, while the Super Meteor 650 comes in three variants — Astral, Interstellar and Celestial. Its price range is from Rs 3.68 lakh to Rs 3.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.
Here’s the clash of the bobber versus the classic cruiser.
Honda Rebel 500 vs Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650: Engine Specifications
Let’s start with the new kid on the block, the Honda Rebel 500. It is powered by a 471 cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with an output of 45.3 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 43.3 Nm at 6,000 rpm.
The Royal Enfield cruiser is powered by a more traditional powertrain, the 648 cc twin-cylinder that produces 46.3 bhp at 7,250 rpm and 52.3 Nm at 5,650 rpm. Both the cruisers are mated to a six-speed gearbox.
Honda Rebel 500 vs Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650: Features
The Rebel 500 sports a 100 mm diameter LCD instrument console that reads the odometer, tripmeter, speedometer, clock, a fuel gauge and gear indicator. Honda is not offering any additional features like a USB charging port, which is quite surprising.
The Super Meteor 650, on the other hand, comes with an analogue dial with a multi-information screen with all the data required for a rider. There’s an additional pod, the Tripper, which is the turn-by-turn navigation system. The Royal Enfield motorcycle offers Bluetooth connectivity that sends messages and call alerts, and a USB charging port.
Honda Rebel 500 vs Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650: Hardware
Based on a steel diamond chassis, the Rebel 500 has a suspension system of telescopic front forks and Showa dual shock absorbers at the rear. It gets a 296 mm front disc and a 240 mm disc to the rear and rides on 16-inch wheels. Weighing 191 kg, the Rebel 500’s wheelbase is 1,490 mm, a seat height of 690 mm and a ground clearance of 125 mm.
The Super Meteor 650 is based on a steel tubular spine frame with a 43 mm upside-down telescopic fork and twin shocks at the rear. It rides on 19-inch front tyres and 16-inch rear tyres. When it comes to the braking system, the Super Meteor 650 comes with a 320 mm disc brake in front and a 300 mm disc at the rear. It has a longer wheelbase of 1,500 mm, a seat height of 740 mm and a ground clearance of 135 mm.
