Rebel 500 - how powerful is it?

By Michael Gilbert

The Honda Rebel 500 is one of two Big Red’s popular beginner cruiser models. Powered by the same 471cc parallel twin engine found in the CB500X, CB500F, and CB500R models, the Rebel is known as an approachable platform for less-experienced riders with smooth yet entertaining power delivery. The 2020 model year sees the addition of Honda’s assist/slipper clutch, which is said to reduce clutch-pull effort by 30 percent.

We tested the Honda on the in-house Cycle World dyno, measuring horsepower and torque numbers of this popular machine. The Rebel 500 produced 40.83 horsepower at 7,880 rpm and 29.91 pound-feet of torque at 6,300 rpm. While this torque peak is relatively high in the rpm range, consider that the engine produces 26 pound-feet at just above 2,000 rpm, and note how broad and flat the torque curve is. This helps make the bike easy to ride and very forgiving, while the peak hp helps make it quick and highway ready.