Five things you need to know about...

Honda CMX1100 Rebel

1 IT HAS THE HEART OF AN AFRICA TWIN

Revised to deliver its power and torque lower down the rev-range, the Rebel is missing 14bhp compared to an AT and gives slightly less torque (albeit much lower down), but it drives superbly from low rpm and is grunty, muscular and conducts overtakes with an eager, V-twin-alike roar. It’s a great engine for B-road Britain — and the standard cruise control should let you dispatch everything else with ease

2 THE HANDLING IS FUN…

A 130-section 18-inch front tyre doesn’t smack of handling prowess but the CMX delivers with plenty of feel the kind of accurate steering that lets you carve smooth, flowing lines before using that low-down power and torque to fire out. It’s enough that you won’t have any problem keeping up with other bikes on a typical ride-out and it’ll hit 35° of lean before sparks fly. Weavy and wobbly, it ain’t

3 …BUT BUMPS GO THROUGH YOUR SPINE

That low-riding stance (700mm seat) can’t help but mean less-than-ideal suspension travel and a stiff spring rate for the twin piggyback shocks. On smooth roads, it does help to make the bike feel agile and connected but it crashes over harsh bumps and compressions during keen riding — and the shockwave goes through you. Triumph’s Bobber does the same too — it’s worth considering on bikes like these

4 DCT ACTUALLY MAKES IT BETTER

A £900 option (pushing the bike to £9899), the clutch-lever-free DCT system works well, no matter what mode it is in. The relaxed nature of the motor feels at home chugging at low rpm but the system also makes traffic-light launches a fast-starting joy. Just pin the throttle and the bike digs in and accelerates impressively hard, making that 86bhp go a long way. Any biker would have to be on their game to beat a DCT Rebel from the lights

5 IT’S VERY GOOD VALUE

Starting at £8999 for a manual bike, it undercuts Triumph’s Bobber by almost £3000 and an Indian Scout Bobber by just over £3k. But these bikes are all about the options. The bike we tested had DCT and we’d opt for the £544 front cowl and screen set-up, too. All this pushes the price up but it’s the same for all the other bikes as well. Whatever the options, the combination of style, value and ability is compelling: it’s a good bike