FIRST RIDE: HONDA CMX 1100 REBEL
Honda’s new cruiser – it’s actually very good.
Ihad expected this; we’re barrelling down the A483 from Newtown to Llandrindod Wells, one of Wales’ great roads, with wide-open sweeping bends, flexing undulation changes and big scenery. It’s an engrossing road taken at a decent pace, leading to peg scraping entertainment.
But, and I’m as prejudiced as the next man, I hadn’t been expecting this; the bike I’m riding is Honda’s new CMX1100 Rebel. It’s a competitively priced cruiser with a 700mm seat height, 223kg claimed weight, 94mm of rear suspension travel, an 84bhp engine and a Dual Clutch Transmission. With a spec sheet like that you expect it to work best on Skegness sea front, but on the A483, and on the tighter roads we rode earlier in the morning, it’s ace. Good in town too, where switching from Sport to Road mode removes a slight hesitancy in the low speed throttle response and where that low seat and agility make it as easy to slice through traffic as a scooter. The only flies in the dynamic ointment are the compromises that come with the low seat height; rear suspension that gets flustered by potholes, and the riding position means those jolts are shunted straight up your spine. The pegs do go down, but only when you are trying.
And I should have approached without prejudice. The CMX1100 Rebel is a stable mate to the CMX500 Rebel, Honda’s mid-capacity cruiser that has been selling by the container load since it was launched in 2017. Clearly the public have been lapping them up, enjoying simple riding pleasure without pretension. The 1100 Rebel matches a re-tuned Africa Twin engine to a tubular chassis that’s running on a Dunlop 130/70 18 front tyre and a 180/65 16 at the back. Conventional forks at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear are adjustable for pre-load only, but while the rear end suffers slightly from a lack of travel and stiff springs, the forks are nicely damped. Firm enough for feedback, without significant comfort compromise. The brakes, a single disc at each end, are decent too, even though they have to deal with 300kg plus of bike and rider. Instrumentation is provided by a minimalist pod on the handlebar, switchgear is simple and intuitive. The low seat riding position had me fidgeting after 40 minutes, but, because you are sat low in the seat the headlight and steering head provide some wind protection. The binnacle fairing and brown quilted seat on the bike I rode are Honda accessory items. At the heart of its appeal is the 270° crankshaft engine which delivers just the right level of rumble to provide feeling, without intrusive vibes, and a nice exhaust note too. Compared with the Africa Twin it gets a heavier flywheel, revised cam and ignition timing. Claimed power drops from 100bhp @ 7000 rpm to 85.8bhp at the same revs and it loses outright torque too, from 77.4 lb.ft to 72 lb.ft, but delivers it at 4750rpm, 1500 revs lower in the scale than the Africa Twin. On the road it feels more powerful, and the spec sheet weight figure surprised me too. It’s an easy bike for garage wiggling and I’d assumed a better power: weight ratio too.
The standard gearbox version is good, with a light clutch and positive shift, but to me the DCT version is exceptional. I’ve come to love the way it allows the rider to concentrate on their line through corners. With mode set to Sport, so holding onto gears for longer, and downshifting earlier, it does a really good job of preemptively selecting the right ratio. And when you want to conduct a rapid overtake, or scrub off speed mid-corner without touching the brakes, you just shift down a ratio using the thumb shifter. There are four riding modes, with one programmable to personal preference, traction control and wheelie control. It also comes with cruise control and a USB charge point.
The DCT bike is £9999, which looks like good value. But the conventional version is a thousand pounds less, which might just be a bargain. Park your prejudice (or is it just me) and get a test ride.
‘You’d expect it to work best on Skegness sea front but on the A483, and on tighter roads, it’s ace’