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Royal Enfield Meteor 350 To Launch After New Honda Rebel Cruiser

By General Posts

by Arun Prakash from https://www.rushlane.com

Meteor 350 is the latest offering from Chennai-based manufacturer; and will replace Thunder 350 and Thunderbird 350X

Motorcycle enthusiasts who were patiently awaiting launch of the new Meteor 350 would have to hold on a bit longer. Royal Enfield has now postponed the launch of Meteor 350 to next month.

Technically, the launch has not been postponed – as Royal Enfield never really announced a launch date for Meteor 350 officially. It was the reports via leaked images, sources and brochures, which confirmed that launch of Meteor 350 was to take place later this month. But now same sources state that launch has been postponed indefinitely.

The reason for this postponement of launch is yet unknown. But it is likely, the reason is due to the upcoming Honda Cruiser. In the last few days, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India has announced that they will be launching a new cruiser motorcycle on the 30th of Sep. They have also released a teaser, which includes the exhaust note of this new motorcycle.

It has been years, where Honda has talked about entering the sub 500cc cruiser segment, to take on Royal Enfield. As of now, in the 350-500cc segment, it is Royal Enfield which enjoys monopoly with over 85% market share. Will Honda finally give India a fitting rival to Royal Enfield motorcycles on 30th Sep?

The teasers indicate that the upcoming Honda motorcycle is either the Rebel 300 or Rebel 500 or something which is based on them. In either case, one thing is confirmed that this new motorcycle is going to be a direct rival to a Royal Enfield motorcycle in India. The question now remains is, which RE motorcycle will be targeted by this new Honda cruiser, and what will be its price.

With Honda Cruiser launch date so near, it is possible that RE would want to wait and see what is Honda actually going to launch and in what price segment. And this could be the reason why launch date of Meteor 350 has been postponed (unofficially).

Meteor 350 Engine

Meteor 350 is built upon the new J1D platform and will draw its power from a new 349cc single-cylinder air-cooled motor. This unit is capable of producing 20.2 bhp and is 27 Nm of torque. This is 0.4 bhp more and 1 Nm less than the previous generation 350cc engine.

The new generation Classic 350 is expected to be the next motorcycle under this range. The transmission is likely to be a 5-speed gearbox however this new gearbox is said to offer far smoother gear shifts. Similarly, the clutch is also newly developed with less number of linkages and components- resulting in a better clutch life.

Features on offer

As far as features are concerned, the Meteor 350 will be equipped with a semi-digital and semi-analog instrument cluster. It also comes with a USB charging point which enables the riders to charge their phones and action cameras, thus becoming a handy touring option. The TFT screen reads out important details of trip metre, service reminder, odometer, etc. It gets a round-shaped halogen headlamp which is circled by a ring of LED DRL.

Extended features include inbuilt turn-by-turn navigation called ‘Tripper Navigation’ and Bluetooth connectivity. The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is likely to be priced from Rs 1.65 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards.

Rumors Of Harley-Challenger Honda Rebel 1100 Getting Louder

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by Sabrina Giacomini from https://www.rideapart.com

Honda has been keeping busy for the past few weeks. The manufacturer recently unveiled the latest addition to its family, the Super Cub-based CT125 during the company’s virtual bike show. The CB-F Concept was also showcased on the digital stage, hinting at a new vintage aesthetic for the brand.

New motorcycles and designs aren’t the only reason Team Red has been creating a buzz: rumors of new models being developed have also been abounding. A few weeks ago, talks of a mid-sized Africa Twin resurfaced after a few months of hiatus, suggesting that there could soon be a proper midweight ADV coming to the lineup. Another rumor suggest that the CBR1000RR-R could be getting a midsize variant. However, the story that seems to be keeping everyone on the edge of their seat is the one regarding a 1100 twin-based, big-displacement Rebel.

That rumor first surfaced at the beginning of March 2020, following Young Machine’s report on the matter in its April 2020 issue. The Japanese publication seems to have the right connections since its predictions have been pretty accurate until now (think about its early reports about the upgraded Africa Twin and the Kawasaki ZX-25R in 2019).

Interestingly, our colleagues at Motorcycle News have now boarded the Rebel 1100 boat as well, reporting on the model with conviction rather than supposition. The team seems adamant that the 1,082cc twin unveiled in the 2020 Africa Twin in September 2019, will undoubtedly underline a new, bigger Rebel charged with the mission of stepping on Indian and Harley’s toes.

According to MCN, the new model will not only feature the new twin but also high-end components which will allow it to compete with the other premium cruisers currently on the market. It even goes as far as to suggest that the model will be unveiled at EICMA this upcoming November.

Considering we have yet to hear from Honda about this particular story, for now, the Rebel 1100 remains nothing more than a rumor, albeit a very loud and noisy one.

Motorcycle Review: 2019 Honda Rebel 500

By General Posts

There are better entry-level bikes for the money, but few look as cool as the Honda Rebel 500

It’s the rear brake reservoir that sealed it for me. The detail on this one feature is how you know Honda cared for how this bike is styled; the fit and finish is better than an entry-level bike has any right to be. I’m impressed by how much licence Honda gave its designers and how much they let them execute their vision.

Is Honda’s entry-level cruiser aggressive and polarizing? Absolutely. On an aesthetic scale of V-Rod to CTX, the 2019 Honda Rebel 500 swings toward the V-Rod. It looks tough, and more than one Harley-Davidson owner has given the Rebel an appreciative glance. The high-tilted, 11.4-litre fuel tank is retro cool in spirit, but angled and chiseled in a very modern way. Honda designed this bike from the ground up to make it easy to customize, with a completely removable rear fender and subframe making it even easier to accommodate the plethora of aftermarket options. I’m surprised I don’t see more variations of this bike on the road, but customers seem to enjoy the stock look. I agree with them.

The Rebel 500 shares everything but the engine with the Rebel 300. The 500 is $7,199; the 300, $5,299. If you’re lucky, there are still a handful of 2018s on showroom floors, and you might save some money going for one of those. But the fundamental question is, “is the 500 worth $1,900 more than the 300?” The simple answer is “Yes.”

It doesn’t matter that at 188 kilograms, it’s 20 kilos heavier than the 300, because the 471-cc liquid-cooled twin is one of the smoothest powerplants in the entry-level market. The throttle is well-weighted and the transition from closed throttle to open is wonderfully smooth — not always the case with motorcycle fuel injection systems — which means newer riders don’t have to manage that untidy, herky-jerky feeling you can get with many small and medium engines. Honda has a knack for making bikes idiot proof, and this is a good example of that ethos.

In that same spirit, the clutch pull is light and its friction point is quite distinct, making it easy to navigate in town. There’s enough grunt to cut through city traffic and enough top end to keep up on the highway. Though there isn’t a tachometer, the 45-horsepower parallel-twin tops out at around 8,500 rpm, giving it plenty of room in the rev range for passing on the highway.

ABS is standard, which is appropriate for this class — and I’d argue any class of street bike. The single, 296-millimetre rotor up front is paired with a two-piston caliper – I still think a 188 kg bike should have bigger brakes. The back brake is a 240-millimetre single-piston disc, and feels a lot less wooden than other back brakes. More than on most beginner bikes, I found myself using the back brake as well as the front.

The heft of the 500 is well hidden by its low 691 millimetre seat height. Its comparatively long 1,491-mm wheelbase, meanwhile, gives the Rebel more stability and road presence than a 500 ought. Does it handle as well as a sport bike? If you care, you haven’t read this far. The-41 mm conventional forks and twin rear shocks are adequate and provide good levels of compliance. The wide bars help get the bike tipped in, and ground clearance is more than enough for riders of this class. Road manners are relaxed, and there’s plenty of travel to manage the potholes without harshness.

There are a few quibbles however. The clutch cover, for instance, intrudes into the right leg area. This is a major flaw in the ergonomics of this otherwise laid-out motorcycle. The other is Honda’s habit of putting the horn above the indicator switch on the handlebar. The result is I kept getting flipped off when all I was trying to do was activate the turn signal.

The gauge cluster is also a little tricky to read when the sun is shining directly on it. The fuel gauge is a welcome addition but a lot of entry-level bikes now have tachometres and gear-position indicators. This cluster is simple and uncluttered, but decidedly plain compared to some of its competition .

Ultimately, the Rebel 500 is exactly the right bike for you if you value aesthetics, even more so if you’re looking for something easy to ride comfortable and confidence inspiring that also packs a surprising road presence. There are other entry level bikes for less money — but none that are cruisers this well executed.

Women on Trikes: “Wild and Crazy” True Stories

By General Posts

With International Women’s Day on 8th March, we would like to showcase two stories from Women on Trikes series. Read how Susan and Nerolie got into triking and why they are living the dream with Trikes.

https://www.touroztrikes.com.au

https://www.rewaco.com

Susan – “Wild and crazy and it felt a little bit rebellious”

A surprise and spontaneous ride to high school on the back of a friends new Trike while living in a small country town in New Zealand, was the very moment I knew I wanted one. It was love at first ride, I was hooked.

At the time I was not old enough to have a car licence, but I will never forget how it felt to be on the back of the Trike. It was cool and it was different, lots of people had two-wheeler bikes, but this chopped up, backyard, custom made Trike was the real deal, it was wild and crazy and felt a little bit rebellious.

I moved back to Australia a few years later, and I never really saw many trikes. Every so often I would look around to buy one, but they were hard to find and never quite what I was looking for.

Most trikes were motorbike conversions but I wanted a long-raked style trike with a low centre of gravity but also one that would not spend more time in the garage being pulled apart and repaired. I’m not a mechanic, I just wanted to ride.

Life got in the way of my dream – kids, family, work all took priority for many years, and a trike was not something I could afford and it was not practical. How would I fit a baby seat to a trike?

In my early forties, the internet had made looking for a trike a lot easier, but they were still hard to find. I was prepared to travel to America to find a trike and bring it back to Australia, as there seemed to be a much bigger selection of trikes overseas than there were in Australia.

I finally came across the custom-made German Rewaco Trikes and could not believe my luck when I discovered they had a dealer in Australia.

I collected my trike around Valentine’s Day and it is still the love of my life. Since owning my trike and racking up nearly 50,000Ks I have met people from all walks of life, been involved in charity and fundraising events which give me a great amount of satisfaction but most of all I just love the wild, crazy rebellious feeling of cruising around Australia.

People young and old still stop and stare, and most fuel stops involve a conversation with a stranger asking what sort of motor it has. I still giggle at the reactions I get and the shocked whisper of “oh and it’s a girl riding it”.

Kids stare out the back window of their parent’s car waving at me, and I always wonder if one of them will grow up remembering the first time they saw my trike cruising down the highway and want one when they are older.

Nerolie fell in love with a Trike too

“Geez, that’s bright green, not sure about the colour. Then the green seemed to grow on us and now I absolutely love Kermmi!”

Growing up on a farm allowed me to ride motorbikes all the time…this sadly all changed once I moved into a town. Years went by and at the age of 38, I decided life is too short and went and got a motorbike licence. Read more…

I started with a Yamaha 650 Vstar. Due to an injury, I struggled to ride it or even get it out of the garage.

My partner Brendon and I had heard about trikes. We decided to look into buying one as this would enable me to still enjoy riding and it was something we could both still do together.

April 2016, we headed off to Bendigo to have a look at TOUROZ Trikes and maybe have a test ride to see if we liked them.

Col had a green and black demo RF1 LT sitting there.

First thoughts were: Geez, that is a bright green, unsure if I like that colour.

After some chatting with Col the green seemed to grow on us. Well the test ride did not happen, we said stuff it, you only live once!

We came home with that beautiful green machine nearly 3 years ago, and I haven’t looked back…

I absolutely love Kermmi. I feel so great riding, and the freedom you feel with no pain! I would not change it for the world.