Honda Preps To Take On Royal Enfield In India

Increasingly, many manufacturers are eyeing the entry-level cruiser segment that is ruled by Royal Enfield at present. Amidst all this, we have come across news that Honda too has joined the race, with one of its popular products, the Rebel 300.

According to reports, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India have recently patented the Honda Rebel in India. The Honda Rebel looks every bit a cruiser with chunky front and rear tyres and a low-slung seat. The bike comes with a two-tone paint scheme with the blacked out engine, frame and wheels offered as standard. You also get a single-pod all-digital cluster displaying speed, fuel meter, odometer, two trip metres and time. Design, in general, has been kept to a bare minimum leaving room for many customization possibilities.

The fairly compact trellis frame packs in a 286cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder fuel-injected motor that is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Peak power and torque figures are around 27.3PS and 27Nm respectively. Braking on the Rebel is managed by Nissin powered disc brakes up front and at the rear.

With this kind of a displacement and power/torque figures, it will directly rival Royal Enfield’s 350cc motorcycle range that includes the Classic 350 and the Thunderbird 350. And the entire fleet of UM Motorcycles consisting of the Renegade Commando and Renegade Sport S models.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

We now expect Honda to showcase the Rebel 300 at the upcoming Auto Expo, which will give us a clearer picture of the launch plans of the 300cc motorcycle. The Rebel also comes with a 500cc powerplant. And if that particular model comes to India, it will rival RE’s 500cc lineup. Once launched, expect the Honda Rebel 300 to be priced at approximately Rs 2.3 to 2.5 lakh.