Honda CMX1100 Rebel

OVERVIEW

The CMX1100 Rebel has a dual personality. It’s been designed for a leisurely laidback cruise, but also to offer an exciting riding experience when a twisty road presents itself. Riders moving up from smaller bikes will appreciate the manageable dimensions and weight (seat height is a mere 700mm), while more experienced riders will find instant, accessible enjoyment from the chassis’ handling potential, with its stiff tubular steel frame, quality naked bike-spec suspension and high-powered braking.

All-comers will love the character and performance of the 1,084cc parallel twin-cylinder engine (originally used on the CRF1100L Africa Twin), which has been re-tuned for super-strong bottom and mid-range punch and character, plus an evocative, enhanced exhaust note. Throttle By Wire management brings with it sophisticated rider aids: there are 3 default riding modes with a cluster of different parameters to suit riding conditions or rider mood, including engine power delivery, engine braking, the level of Honda Selectable Torque Control and Wheelie Control, and the shift schedule of the optional Dual Clutch Transmission technology. Cruise control comes as standard.

As a 21st century bobber, the Rebel 1100’s stripped-back style speaks volumes with its minimalism. Steel mudguards front and rear sit atop fat tyres; the circular headlight mixes old school looks with new school LED bulbs and mirrors the round, negative LCD instrument display. For modern day convenience, there’s a USB-C charger in the underseat storage space.

Styling & Chassis

The blacked-out CMX1100 Rebel offers a simple, raw and ‘unprocessed’ look created by the same US-based Honda R&D studio that laid down the style of the CMX 500 Rebel. Long and low, with narrow body crowned by a scalloped, two-tone 13.6L flangeless fuel tank, its minimalist presence has real depth, with proportions that are complemented naturally with a rider on board.

Both front and rear mudguards are drawn from 1mm-thick steel and mount with die-cast aluminium brackets. And everywhere you look there are design cues that reinforce the unique overall Rebel look. The low-set 175mm diameter headlight has a classic form but houses four LED bulbs with thick inner lenses for a well-defined frontal signature. The small 55mm circular indicators, too, have classic looks but the oval, clear-lensed LED taillight strikes a contemporary note and chimes with other Rebel details.

A styling statement in itself, the Rebel’s tubular steel frame is based around the raw and simple design of its sibling and features the same defined ‘theme’ line running diagonally front to back, with the fuel tank playing its part sat above the 35mm diameter main tubes which, naturally, are larger than the CMX500 Rebel’s. The 50.8mm diameter swingarm, too has an ‘engineered’ look to match.

Engine

The Rebel 1100’s 1,084cc SOHC 8-valve parallel twin-cylinder engine produces peak power of 64kW @ 7,000rpm with 98Nm @ 4,750rpm peak torque. These are healthy numbers in this segment of the market, and a guarantee of strong performance. Increased inertia from a heavy flywheel mass means the low-rpm response is not only extremely strong, but delivered with real character.

Compact dimensions (thanks to the Unicam drive train and semi-dry sump crankcase) centralise mass neatly, make for a low centre of gravity with maximum ground clearance when coupled with the Rebel’s low-slung frame design.

Technical Specification

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