Review of the Honda CMX 250 Rebel motorcycle
On the dashboard you will only see a speedometer marked up to 140 km/h, a turn signal light, a neutral light and a strange SPEED light that lights up if you exceed the speed of 85 km/h. The maximum I managed to accelerate this device (let me remind you that it has a 233 cm3 volume for 2 in-line cylinders and 2 valves for each boiler. 17.5 hp) is 125 km/h without a passenger down a hill with a tailwind. Not much. But Rebel is not for conquering supersonic rapids!
In general, if you drive up to 85 km/h (before the red light), then the motorcycle consumes about 3-3.5 liters per hundred. Quite economical. And in the city it eats even less from me. But when you start sprinting along the highway, squeezing out 100 -110 km/h with a passenger and cargo, the consumption reaches 5 liters per 100 km, but this is the maximum amount it consumed.
The motor is very vibrational due to its simplicity of design and two-cylinder design. Maximum vibrations are annoying at the threshold of 60-70 km/h, but you get used to it and drive in the appropriate speed range. This motor was installed on the CB250, and in general the Rebel is largely unified with the Sibikha, so it’s worth taking this fact into account when searching for spare parts.
One can simply say about the box: This is a Honda. Soft, with a long lever stroke, but a clear five-speed gearbox. No problem.
Suspension: The front fork is a little soft, but it gets the job done. The rear shock absorbers have a wide range of adjustments for spring preload, and you don’t need more from it. It’s a pity, of course, that everything is short-stroke, but still, it’s a chopper.
Brakes: when you’re driving alone it’s fine even with one front brake, but with two people you have to brake both the rear and the front. It seems to me that the front ones could have been more powerful, although maybe the pads just need to be changed))) In the rain, the front becomes quite sluggish, but this saves the front wheel from locking... and in general, in wet conditions you have to be careful when accelerating and braking.
There is no oil pressure lamp on the dashboard...and there is no need for it...everything in the engine spins on roller bearings, which are not afraid of a little hunger, but keep an eye on the oil level nonetheless. Although my motorbike didn’t eat butter. Air cooling has never failed even in the Kalmyk steppes and in the Kazakh deserts, but still, in the heat, you shouldn’t overheat the engine until it rings, and with a quiet ride everything is OK.
I've put about 25,000 km on the motorcycle since I bought it. During my ownership I changed a lot of things. Yes, it began to look less aesthetically pleasing, but convenience and practicality have increased.
I made a wide one-piece saddle for myself and a passenger, a front fender with IZ Jupiter3/Kolkhoz!!!! Will you say?! Rather, it began to look like old school, and the legs and engine are not so quickly covered with dirt and water in wet weather. The front tires fit well from Minskach. The all-terrain profile, combined with the lightness of the device, allows you to safely drive through the forest... of course, not a cross-country bike (the clearance is too small), but the front wheel does not tear off on slippery grass, like pure road tires. In general, it’s hard to fall on Rebel: a very low center of gravity and low landing... I always managed to catch him. If the motorcycle fell, it was only from the side stand.
I installed a backrest for the passenger and a mount for the central trunk. I installed converted arcs from Minskach. And for a long journey, I placed a digital voltmeter next to the speedometer, because a burnt-out regulator relay can really ruin the trip.
I made high-quality spacers for the rear shock absorbers, increasing the ground clearance by 4 cm. Not much, but nice. It became more comfortable for me to sit and stand at traffic lights: my legs don’t bend so much at the knees. I've given up on the front chopper steering wheel for now. I installed a more direct IZhakovsky: with it it is more convenient to go through the forests along the valleys and stand on the steps when flying over the pits. Also the arms are in a more natural position on a long journey.
Yes, I used this low-power chopper for long-distance travel, and even with a passenger. The maximum range is 4500 km one way (from Voronezh to Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan) and the same back. The device is not fancy and economical, although my girlfriend and I drove 80 - 100 km/h on the highway. The tank is 11 liters, so I would definitely replace it with a larger one, but so far I have not found a replacement. You have to refuel every 200-250 km. But the tank never dried out to zero. But I always carry 1-2 liters of gasoline with me on long trips in reserve. Simply, when you feel that gas is running out (switch to the 2-2.5 liter reserve), reduce the speed and drive 60 km/h. In this mode, the motorcycle eats very little even with a full load. The reserve will then be enough for 70-80 km.
A small nuance: the ends of several hoses stick out at the bottom of the motorcycle, one (the largest) has a CAP. So: in this hose condensate accumulates and oil is squeezed out by crankcase gases through the breather!!! BE SURE TO REMOVE THE CORK ONCE A SEASON!!!!! and drain all the crap that has accumulated there. Then the air filter will be less clogged with oil from the breather and the left crankshaft oil seal will not squeeze out due to increased crankcase pressure!!!!
There should be no oil under the left cover, if anyone encounters an oil leak from somewhere on the left bottom of the engine, know that the crankshaft oil seal has been squeezed out.
Once I encountered such a problem in the middle of Kazakhstan... I even had to pour car oil into the engine!!!! And nothing!!! Mobil 2000 showed itself excellently)))))
The Rebel 250 is a tolerable motorcycle, like all Japanese of those years.
The motik is very economical. 2 liters of semi-synthetic oil, smells gasoline. Access to the candles is direct; the candles themselves are not expensive and come from Yabrik. The front tires can be installed from Minskach, but I haven’t changed the rear tires yet!!!!! (25000 km) Due to the low power of the engine, all consumables last a very long time, including the chain and sprockets.
But in terms of spare parts, it’s not very pleasant to deal with due to the unpopularity of the model in our country. The stars are made to order only, the bearings in the steering column are bulk, they can be selected from domestic ones. The air filter is the cheapest on ebay, the original is expensive and is not delivered often. I remade the headlight to fit the H4 socket, but the light still leaves much to be desired. The rest of the lamps are standard.
In general, there wasn’t too much fuss with it regarding repairs: a couple of terminals fell off in the wiring, a battery terminal was unscrewed due to vibration, I lubricated the speedometer cable, tinkered with the headlight... for the most part, all the jambs arose due to shortcomings in my modifications.
In the city the Rebe250 is good. Lightweight, maneuverable, eats little, good visibility in the mirrors. The dynamics are not sport bike, but generally you are the first to leave a traffic light, especially if you are without a passenger. By the way, with a passenger, the motorcycle maintains directional stability better, so on a long journey with two it’s even better)))
The Rebel 250 can be safely recommended to beginners, girls and lovers of a quiet ride. And as a first motorcycle, it justifies itself. This is a certain Japanese IZ Jupiter 3))))) in a slightly smaller version....and much better quality.
Thanks to all!
This motorcycle was the first for me after a scooter, which I don’t regret at all. I sat on it quickly enough and got used to it just as quickly: the center of gravity is low, it’s very difficult to fall, the motorcycle is light, so even if I fell over somewhere due to inexperience, I could easily return it to a vertical position with the help of my legs.
Regarding driving performance - for a volume of 250 cubic meters it is really fast. We went with a girl together, accelerated on a three-ruble car to 125, but didn’t push it any further because... she was scared. When I was driving alone, I put the arrow on the Moscow Ring Road and drove like that for almost 10 km (at a speed of 135-140). The wind, of course, was blowing strongly, but the motorcycle confidently maintained its speed. But the vibration was annoying. In general, if you shift at low speeds, then up to 65-70 km/h there is vibration, but moderate, and after this speed you can’t drive at low speeds. The motorcycle's acceleration is also good.
If we talk about the appearance, I really liked it: it looks like a real chopper, only a little smaller. If there was a V-twin engine, it would look even better. All my friends liked the appearance.
In conclusion, I want to say that the motorcycle is good for the city, for beginners, for girls and oversized guys.
Motak is a beast! Even if it’s small! With my height and weight in kg. so 85 - 90. This miracle of technology reached a speed of 120 km/h. without straining too much! The motak is easy to maintain, and it eats what it smells! In the city it is very maneuverable, and there are no equal among choppers in terms of maneuverability between the flow of cars! The downside is that it weighs little and in strong gusts of wind the baby begins to wobble! Also, the headlight is not sufficient for full illumination, this is especially true when sawing along the highway at night! Otherwise, the motorcycle is for its small capacity class Leader!
I got the Motz last winter at a free price, with low mileage, but a shaggy year, standing for a long time and without any pre-sale preparation. Before the season, I bought a battery, a worn-out carb thing, oil, spark plugs, mirrors, and a signal. It started up immediately and drove off briskly. During the season I changed the cracked tires, changed spark plugs, oil and lubricated the chain and air filter (I have a foam filter) - that’s all, service was limited to that =) I drove a little more than 10 thousand km with two short long-distance trips of 800 km each. The little humpbacked horse never failed, never became capricious, and, despite the 40-degree heat and air cooling, never overheated. Surprisingly economical - about 3 liters per hundred on the highway. The dynamics and handling in the city completely suit me (my height is 170, weight 65). The only problem is that after 120 on the highway it starts to flounder like a fish in water. This season I want to change it (in terms of cubic capacity I need to grow), but I still can’t decide on an alternative. It’s a pity to part with it, especially for the little money that you can get for it))
The Rebel is a great motorcycle for beginner chopper enthusiasts, great for girls and beginners. But if slow, quiet riding on a chopper doesn’t initially suit you, it’s better to immediately look for another motorcycle - a road bike, an endurik, a sport...
The Rebel is a small and light bike, making it a comfortable bike for people who are no taller than 170cm and not too heavy. Rebel weighs about 140 kg, saddle height 67 cm.
There are pros and cons here.
Pros - you can easily handle it in any situation, keep it from falling, and pull it out on a bad road. With a light motorcycle everything is easy :)
Cons - it gets blown away on the highway - there is a strong headwind and it no longer moves, the side wind is also noticeable, and it does not grip the road as well as heavier motorcycles. Although with his speed this is not a problem.
Excellent weight distribution and design. This motorcycle is almost impossible to drop; you just need to sit on it, without even holding the handlebars, and it won’t fall. The fork is not too angled like many choppers, so it never breaks and it steers easily at low speeds. The front pegs are not too far forward, and this is also comfortable. Riding the Rebel is as easy as riding a bicycle.
In terms of speed, it goes well on the highway at 100 km/h, but accelerates very slowly. The maximum I drove on it was 110 km/h. That's all its 150cc engine can do.
There are also advantages:
Comfortable seating, thanks to which you do not get tired, even if you drive for a long time, even with long descents and ascents.
Good cross-country ability - the motorcycle is quite tall and very light, you can easily move off the asphalt and drive along a bad road; off-road conditions do not scare it.
Very economical gas consumption - you can safely drive long distances and not think about the nearest gas stations.
The motorcycle is very easy to maintain - a minimum of maintenance parts, no oil filter, the battery can be removed in 2 minutes :)
Honda Rebel is a very nice little motorcycle :)
I had the opportunity to drive a Honda Rebel 250, which I bought for my wife. My wife has no time for motorcycle matters yet, sometimes I take this device. The first impression is that this is a toy! Small, light.
After the first and only trip of 27 miles (in the fall), I generally liked the device. It accelerates briskly up to 60-70 km/h, then not so briskly. His element is the city. On my first trip to the highway I accelerated to 66 miles (107 km/h), the engine didn’t want any more. I would like to note that I would recommend this device to drivers 150-165 cm tall, since at 172 the knees are already a bit high, the footpegs are somehow too close. However, the habit of larger-sized vehicles takes its toll; one not-so-familiar person rode the same one, having 178 cm.
In the spring, the device received: A small, motorcycle-matching Puig windshield and Iron Horse panniers (2x8 liters); Front (Cobra) and rear protective bars (homemade stainless steel), additional steps on the front bars; NGK iridium spark plugs; The tachometer and signal are better than stock.
I drove another hundred miles. The device began to disappoint... The engine starts to pull decently from 3000. When driving around the city, the speed is on average 4000-6000, in order to break away from the flow of cars - from 6000 and above. In the highest, fifth, gear at 60 km/h - rpm 5000, then add 1000 rpm for every 20 km/h. I accelerated to 72 miles (115 km/h), and this was after installing the glass - remember about 107, when there was no glass yet. Maybe this was because the engine had not yet been completely broken in, and maybe it would “run away” some more. At the same time, the needle of the very Chinese tachometer stopped holding accurate readings, apparently freaked out by what was happening, and danced from 7000 to 9000)))
I drove 7 kilometers to work, trying to break away from the flow, turning the engine up to 7000 - then my ass itched for about 15 minutes. The in-line two has more fine vibration than the V-shaped! And I once knew this, but had already forgotten, and this particular device was preferred to the slightly more powerful V-type (21 hp versus 19), but slightly larger (1491 mm in base versus 1450) Yamaha V- Star 250, because I bought it for my wife, who is 150 cm tall.
Gusts of wind blow it away more strongly than heavier vehicles, which is quite logical. Not very wide tires (130 and 90 mm) respond appropriately to potholes. I didn’t measure the dynamics of acceleration... up to a hundred, but when I came out of a turn in the dark, a car was approaching from behind, I twisted the handle, but it didn’t accelerate as I would like... it was scary.
But its weight is also a plus. It's easy to grab the rear fender and spin it on the running board. It’s easy to brake on granite slabs by locking the rear wheel and spinning it in a circle.
The characteristics in numbers are as follows. Power 19 hp at 8000 rpm, torque 19 nm at 6500. Length on the base 1450, total 2115. Curb weight 151 kg, with the body kit that is on it - approximately 160-162 kg. Chain drive, air cooling, spoked wheels, short fenders, minimal passenger space.
According to descriptions on the Internet, a maximum speed of 120 km/h is promised. The speedometer is digitized large in miles and small in kilometers, mileage counters in miles are general and resettable.
The tank is 10 liters, of which 2.5 liters are reserve. I can’t say exactly the consumption, but it should be small – I haven’t calculated it yet. The front brake is hydraulic disc, the rear mechanical drum. It brakes well. It will be necessary to calculate the acceleration time to 100.
There is no reliable reserve of power at speeds above 100, but the motorcycle was pleasantly surprised by the fact that when I was riding with a light friend (together we approximately made up the maximum load capacity of the motorcycle - 156 kg) - it did not lose much in the dynamics of acceleration, braking and controllability . Still, the characteristics of the engine are not so sporty; it pulls normally from low speeds (although, of course, it’s better not to compare with large-capacity engines).
To be fair, I note that in Turkey I saw a driver on it who was clearly driving it long distances, the device was hung with panniers, I can’t help it. It is possible that it was a Honda Rebel 450, but it was produced for only three years, 1986-1988, after which it was replaced by the Honda Steed. And by the way, the Rebel 450 was very interesting with its characteristics. Weight 170 kg (lighter than the Steed 400), six-speed gearbox, and power not so far behind the Steed 600!
So what are you and I going to do next? What are you created for? On the highway - so-so, with a passenger - if the height of people is more than 165 - also so-so... Maybe in the city? It’s better not to compare with classics of larger cubic capacity, such as the Kawasaki W800, they have larger wheels and more traction. It is rather more correct to compare it with medium-sized scooters - but again, it does not have any luggage capacity, and yet a scooter can at least fit a “police” helmet under the saddle. But the Rebel’s wheels are larger than scooter ones: 130/90-15 at the rear, 3.00-18 at the front (same size as Minsk or Yamaha YBR-125).
But I soon realized that its purpose was precisely the city, or rather, city traffic jams! And I became convinced that scooterists fight because they climb into every crevice. You yourself showed your true element - and you yourself named a nickname that suits you! "Weasel", your mother! )))
In general, the device is closer in purpose to mid-sized scooters than to cruisers - city and traffic jams. It is no longer close to scooters - the knees cover the tank (although scooterettes also have empty space between the knees), the wheels are not scooter size. If you are careful, you can go on the track, but if you look with the eyes of a chopper driver, the Rebel is much more stylish than scooters, and lower in the saddle. It has almost bicycle-like handling and is not wide on the handlebars. Controlling the choke on the steering wheel is very convenient! Poorly designed for carrying cargo (because it is difficult to place them) and passengers - the passenger seat is the size of a DVD box. You can dismantle the passenger seat and attach a trunk, then you will get a good “selfish” for every day. For those who have another, larger-capacity cruiser or a classic, it is unlikely to become a “weekend car”, but with its light weight it will be much easier to get, for example, to a sandy beach, without “losing face” on a bicycle or scooter . Well, don’t forget about novice drivers and girls with a height of 150-165, for them this is an excellent device. But I’ll still note that if your height exceeds 160 and you want a cruiser, then it’s better to take a closer look at the Steed 400\Shadow 400, after all, they have more fun with power, although they weigh more. Something like this!
