[jsonder]

I hate cruisers, my back isn't up to those ergonomics. Instead I ride an "enduroish" bike that Honda claims is an Adventure bike (it isn't, at least not without a lot of modification). It is my street bike.

As I've got about 15K miles on my bike I hoped that I might be of use here (I'm 75, retired, and use the bike as my main transportation). There is a lot of good technical info on some of the other Honda 500 web sites.

Lastly, do you like those fat tires?

Picture is of my bike at Quake Lake, Montana.

 

[Rebold]

Welcome jsonder, nice to have some cross pollination with other CB500 platform bike owners. I will look around on other CB500 sites as the engine has been around already for some years now.
I myself did look at the CB500X, for all the practical reasons, but the looks, lack of plastic, and not having to lower the suspension made me decide for the Rebel. And yes I like the fat tires, and don't feel any bothersome effect on cornering capability in this configuration.
I don't think you can generalise the ergonomics of the Rebel and other cruisers, the Rebel has a different set up then most of them.

 

[johny reb]

Hey jsonder: I kind of followed your posts at the other forum about lowering your bike.
Gotta' admit, I thought 'this guy has to go sit on the new Rebel'.

I don't like the way most cruisers are set up either.
Mainly due to the forward controls. Those put all of the road bumps directly onto your backside.
With mid controls, you can stand when you know a rough bump is coming, or just even put a little of your
weight onto your feet and legs instead of letting your back take the hit.

I like the way your bike is set up, and it looks like you've put some good miles on it.
Go sit on a Rebel when you get a chance. I'm not saying you'd switch bikes or anything,
but if you keep an open mind, you might like it.

 

[fred0666]

To be honest, you can stand on the rebel but it is not that easy.

 

[jsonder]

I'm a tad confused. I have not lowered any of my motorcycles. I do stand on the street bikes to let the clothing settle and to cool off, as well as to deal with truly crappy pavement.

Mods on my CB500XA consist of removing the windscreen braces, adding the luggage rack and center stand that should have come with the bike, replaced the OEM "meep meep" horn with a Low Tone Fiamm Freeway Blaster (no wiring changes needed), and adding foam grip covers. This is just minor stuff. I bought the bike I want.

The bike was purchased for its upright ergonomics that aid comfortable touring. I discussed the shim adjustment that I'm doing in the engines section here, because y'all are running pretty much the same engine; there might be minor ECU differences, but the "adventure bike" is also set up for mid-range power and torque.

 

[johny reb]

I'm a tad confused. I have not lowered any of my motorcycles......

So sorry, jsonder - I must have confused you with someone else.

Someone on the CB forums lowered a 500x. They posted pictures on a trail
where they dumped the bike, I think a couple times.
I don't think they were real pleased with the result.
But I can't find the post again. I haven't spent real much time over there.

 

[jsonder]

So sorry, jsonder - I must have confused you with someone else.

Someone on the CB forums lowered a 500x. They posted pictures on a trail
where they dumped the bike, I think a couple times.
I don't think they were real pleased with the result.
But I can't find the post again. I haven't spent real much time over there.

Well, I was not real happy with my CRF230L's ability to climb steep stuff. Before I changed the rear sprocket from 39 teeth to 48 teeth, I had to feather the clutch all the way up this hill. That didn't always work out for me as you can see below.

 

[speedandstyle]

I looked at, sat on and considered the CB500xbut it is way too high for me. It isn't so much the seat height but the tail behind the seat that gives me problems. I busted my tibia/fibula 5 years ago and when my leg acts up I can't get onto a high bike. The seat at almost 32 inches was also a bit of a stretch but I could have coped with that{I am not one of those that needs both feet flat}. I also tried the CB500f but being only a inch or so lower wasn't much better.

When Honda first announced the new Rebels I was not impressed. However, after reading more about them and seeing the pics I figured one would suite my needs well. The seat is low and better yet the tail behind isn't higher than the seat. Waiting for the local dealer to get one in so I can find out for sure if it will work but I am confident it will. If anything the seat might be too low but if that turns out to be the case it is an easy fix.

 

[jsonder]

Well, if you broke both of them, I can understand the problem. I did in just the left fibula in a dirt bike thing eleven years ago. I have to mount the bike from the left footrest with the bike on the side stand as I have either a 28 or 29 inch inseam, depending upon the cut of the pants.

I hope that the new Rebel works out for you. The engine is a real sweetheart, modest power and torque combined with very good gas mileage. Plus it runs on regular, which is important when you go exploring off the beaten paths.