Is this the best beginner motorcycle? Is it too much power or too little? Everything you need to know, pros and cons, and I will tell you my opinion on the Rebel 500. Thanks to American Biker in Ladson, SC for making this one possible. Talk to Rob if you visit there and tell them I sent you.

riding isn't about the speed, it's about enjoying the ride.

I agree about the speed. It goes 100-105, but 65 feels like 100. I didn't get into motorcycles to go 140-150. The Rebel 500 is my first real bike, and I freaking love it

I just picked up a 23 500 ABS SE. Super easy to ride. Enough power for me and cruse easy on the freeway. I'll own this bike for years to come.

I have been riding since 1980. I'm 70 YO. The big bikes have gotten just to heavy for me! I bought the Rebel 500 AND in March of 2023. What a wonderful machine. Easy to push around, easy to ride and while not a sport bike it will run the highway the back road twisted and around the city. Love it.

I’m a short guy at 5’5 and I love this motorcycle. Fits me perfectly and there’s a reason why this has a reputation for the best beginner bike. Light, forgiving and easy to ride. If you want to go cruiser route and you’re a short guy this is definitely on the top of the list of bikes for you.

I just bought this exact model a month ago, it’s my very first bike and I’m loving it, even though I’m a 6ft and heavy set person, it’s still comfortable and gets me up to speed and cruises perfectly.

I'm a retired sport bike rider...but I'm looking to ride again cause it's in my blood and this bike was my first choice..my fast days are over I'm just looking for something cheap and could get me around town..and even back and forth to work..so yeah I believe this is the perfect bike for me..

Yes. I own one for about a month now as a second cheap reliable. I ride highways at a comfortable 80mph and if you rev out the gears you can easily hit 100mph. It’s not slow by any means but the throttle response makes it beginner friendly. The 500 is also awesome in downtown areas.

I don't think you ever outgrow an engine, but end up picking the right one for the job. I drive a 300cc bike now and have owned 600 and 800 before that. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of engine.

I've been driving street bikes since the mid 70's. Everything from 550 Suzuki ,Sportster, Honda Magna 750. GSXR 750. and I quit riding for a few years. Back before the Covid BS I picked up a used Rebel 500 for zipping around the city. Last June Myself and a few buddies went on a trip from central Canada to the west coast and back 2600 miles total. This little 500 had No problem cruising 65 to 70 mph for hours on end. I myself weigh in at about 175lbs with all my riding gear and I carried about 75+lbs of gear in my saddle bags and Main bag strapped the the rear fender. This little 500 had No trouble pulling big grades at Hwy speed.

Maybe for short people. The 500 is really cramped for people over 6' tall. It has enough power for a beginner bike, and if you're really short it's a great fit.

I have 60 years experience and It fits my Needs as I live in NYC

Reeaally thinking hard about getting back in to riding after about 10 years - I've been eyeing the 500 quite a lot lately. Great video, hit all the points.

Good review. The person doing the review seems like a Professional Rider. Very informative and honest review. Me personally I think for the price, and all of the positive things with this Bike it’s truly a winner. Compared to competitors it seems like it outperforms all of them. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it. There is one thing that I wish someone would tell me. That is, why did so many manufacturers drop production of so many Bikes? The VTX 1300, 1800, Shadow 1100, Suzuki C90, Harley Sportster, Kawasaki Vulcan 1600, Nomad to name a few. Thanks.

I rode a 2020 rebel 300 at my MSF course. I was fully comfortable in 15 minutes. I think the 500 will be a good first bike for me since I’m still younger then I can grow from there

At 4'11" I'm limited to smaller bikes. I have the Rebel 500 ABS 2018. I've put a few accessories on my bike and now it's just great for me. You can get the forward controls like I did to make riding more comfortable and floor boards.

I got the 500 SE in 2022 in the dark gray , but it looks black . I came from riding crotch rockets and wanted to see what a crusier is like , this bike is dubbed a beginner bike but I am not a beginner and this bike is great . I dont know why video shows him going 70 and he says it feels like it is maxed out, when my break in period was over I took it to 90 mph no problem but backed off ,it felt like it was drifting. The seat will hurt your ass, it takes awhile to get use to, the suspension is ok, the front you cant adjust. the display is plain and adjustable for bright sun , no tach display. Fuel econmy is good but the range is just so so with having a small tank. For the money and the Honda reliability it is a good value.

I love my 2020 500 ABS…I bought it as my first motorcycle, even my first time riding (other than a 150cc scooter). I absolutely love it. It’s been perfect for me so far.

I love my Rebel 500. Mine is 2018 and this is my first bike. I really like how it handles and how it maneuvers, mine a saddle bags on the side great storage

Excellent analysis. Thank You

Great review and I’m saying that after my first ride on the freeway on my new bike. You are spot on abt everything and especially not maxing out after 75 mph.. it seemed to me that the engine didn’t even want to be driven at 60 - 65 but I am guessing and hoping that it’ll feel different after the break in period.

I'm 65 been riding for 47 yrs, the rebel is a great ride light fast enough,and in the bast 500 cc was a big bike ,love mine

I e got about 8400 miles on my 2022, 500. Fun bike. The stock tires suck. Had some wobble on the highway. Got some commander3s a month ago. It’s like a completely different bike. No wobble. Get good tires.

Subscribed! Good info

I've owned a 2014 CBR500 and a 2014 CB500X for 9 years. They have the same engine, a 470cc twin that produces 47.5 hp. They've been utterly reliable.

Usefull info for new riders, you say it pulls ok up to 80mph comfortably which is nice. For a learner in New South Wales Australia you are limited to 90kph(56mph). For most country roads 100kph(63mph) and freeways 110kph(68mph) and sometimes accidentally reach 120kph(75mph). Going by these speeds it should handle the aussie roads ok, except for the potholes which will swallow a RAM truck or a F-250.😊 Thanks for the review.😊

My first bike a rebel 250 back in the 90s. It cruised all day between 75-85mph. Rode it from ATL to DC after a valve job buried the Speedo at 90. Did round-trip to Boston. One way took 8 hours. Hundreds of trips DC to Lancaster Pa. I could do continuos circle between a parking spot lines. So you can get a lot of fun, miles and skills on it before moving on like I did to a 750 Virago. Carried 80 lbs of gear, tent, saxophone etc. One of two straps that ratcheted to keep gear in place snapped at 65 mph! Went into deep wobble but the bike kpt me upright and smoothed out! Very important when you are starting out!

Great bike for shorter riders, i dropped down the CC's to a 500 rebel, and i absolutely love it. For me its about fun and feeling in total control, i did however change the stock exhaust because it sounds like a wet fart!

I got the 2023 500 abs after many sportbike.. and what can i say is a everyday bike.. the rebel is balance and give many emotion!best custom for who cant spend many money!ciao from italy❤

I’m looking at buying my first motorcycle. I’ve ridden dirtbikes, but Ik that a Rebel 300 is not for me because of the power. I’m 5’9 140, I’ve ridden a suzuki 500 and it felt great. I’ve also ridden a 1200 Harley, but I hated how heavy and wide it was. I’ve looked at R7’s but I don’t want to start on a sport bike even if it isn’t a “true” sport bike, I looked at Harley 500’s but they are slower, as well as 883’s, but those I feel are a little to much as a beginner. From the research I’ve done, the Rebel 500 seems like the perfect bike to learn, and grow into.

I am looking more and more at the Rebel 500. I use to ride a lot back in the 80s and 90s but stopped mid 90s due to an accident. I think this would be a great fit for a weekend rider. I looked at the 300 and figured in a week or two as a previous rider I would be ready to move up. My last dirt bike was a CR500R two stroke and my street bike was a Interceptor 750. Ya I am dating myself on those two. lol

Great review. High schooler (5'8) would this be a good bike to school and back for him? Never rode before and is going to learn. Thanks man.

I was at gp bikes in Whitby, Ontario looking at the Honda rebel 500 and the Honda motorcycle specialist said it’s a great beginner bike

If you're into long rides a more comfortable seat or seat cushions will help a lot.

Just bought one of these, used 2023 but only 1000 miles on it, dude was too tall to ride it comfortably. Really loving it, and videos like yours here made me feel much more confident that I made a good buy.

Got one for my grandaughter. Great bike for anyone under about 5'8". At 5'11" its a torcher device... 1 hour and I'm all done for the day lol. We had a 300 for a while too and that shouldn't be considered for anything beyond training. Up hill or a strong head wind... 45-50 mph. Daughter in law got an 1100 DCT. (traded the 300). Fantastic machine, considering one myself if I can find a clutch version.

Man I can't belive you review motorcycles too! Crazy cool!!

So I went and saw out one of the easiest motorcycles to learn on that I could find and what I came up with was the Honda super cub so I absolutely knew the limitations of that machine when I bought it and I was good with it so it’s top speed is 50 miles an hour so I am rolling on the throttle max almost all of the time But it has been very good to me and has taught me the basics of writing minus the clutch now it has a clutch, but you just shift gears with the heel shifter so my plan is to ride that for a couple years and then transition to the rebel 500 but I’m gonna keep the cup for Intown commuting because it is really good at that because it cannot stall and it is really good in the stop and go traffic now the rebel 500 is bigger more powerful and heavier and you have to operate the clutch with a clutch lever, but beyond that the basics of writing are the same the rear brake is even the same place so I figured that was good but you do have to shift gears and rev match but I do believe the 500. I’ll be able to drive it or ride it rather on every road in the United States even where the speed limits are 75 and I won’t be maxing out the machine so I know this guy is saying that he can feel the limitations of the machine and every machine has limitations, but from where I’m coming from it’s gonna feel pretty powerful probably, so I’ve got about 9 hp

add the sprocket upgrade and much better on highway.

I have 7 vehicles and don’t take any of them on the express way. I have dirt bikes, enduros, trail bikes and a street bike. I think a rebel modded out the way I like would be perfect for the back country road cruising I enjoy. I’m trying to find more info on long term reliability because the 1100 rebels have had oil leaks develop around the stator covers. Pretty easy fix although your stealerships are trying to get around a $1000 bucks for it because Honda is recommending replacement of the stator because the design on the gommet attached to the stators pig tail. I haven’t found any dirt yet but I’m going to keep looking for a bit before I pull the trigger on a rebel 500.

Hi, I am a beginner rider and actually rebel 500 SE 2022 model is my first bike ever had. I feel very comfortable and confident with this bike even when i have a second passenger. The riding is very smooth and i have also very fun when i explore the nature. The 3 pounds tank gives me almost 180 miles autonomy (280 km sorry i am from Greece we have kilometers and ltrs for measuring things) which is good for small trips. The disadvantages for this bike is that you cant go more than 70 miles per hour (personally it doesnt bother me cause i do not like to run), the wind sometimes it is annoying if you are speeding because SE does not have fairing and the luck of space. However personally again as i said before it is very beautiful and smooth riding bike and i recommend that to every entry level biker. I am thinking of adding bags underneath the back passengers sit to have space. Thank you for the video everything you said on this video is real and almost my opinion too. If you have more questions for the bike feel free to ask me :)

The speed limit is 70 interstate in my State. It don't seemed taped out at 70-75 to me. I had mine up to 92 one time it seemed like it could go faster. At 6 ft it doesn't bother me. I got a air/water cushion for my seat for longer rides

My first bike is Honda Trail 125 awesome first bike but i cant go on the interstate so this will be my first bike for the Highway

Love this motorcycle

Cant remember a start up screen like that on a 80s bike. 😄

I like the style of the Rebel 500.

That engine lives in the higher revs. If you actually gave it the beans you'd see it's actually pretty quick

I bought a 2023 Rebel 300 in Canada and cost the same as a 500 in the US. Too pricey but will upgrade after I’m fully licensed

When I wanted to buy this one in 2022 in southern Germany, they wanted to put me on a wait list for one or two years. So I bought a Royal Enfield Meteor 350 instead, available at once. 😀

I would hope they still make front safety bars with inside foot rests?

What about taking the Rebell 500 as the first bike!!? I cannot afford to change bikes often. As a beginner, i want a bike for a long time riding, a cb500x or f, z400, sv650 etc...thanks ✌️

I’m torn between this and the new Eliminator 450. I’ll have to see which one speaks to me More

Suzuki drz might be my first bike but the rebel seems like a fantastic option

What beginner bike would you recommend for someone who is over 6 feet, but same weight category?

Hope they put a 270-degree crank on that, that’ll make the sound better.

It's my forever bike now.

My favorite was a Honda cm400t rode it all over southeast, (Im 5'8" and weigh around 180lbs) perfect bike, pegged it at 85mph, i was definitely going faster haha smooth and fast enough for interstate with great weight to hp ratio. Chain drive, naturally aspirated. Every once in awhile I adjusted the vaves and replace the exhaust pipe ( prone to rust out a little) but besides, oil changes no problems at all. I've also owned several yamaha 250 viragos, but always ended up buying bigger, Honda 500, 750 and Yamaha 650, which was too heavy. The Honda 750 had shaft drive which reduces power to the point the hp/ratio was on the heavy side, an under powered bike I test rode a used 750 with chain and made a big mistake buying new. This isn't a great review imo, opinion, the 500 rebel has decent power to hp ration, closer to 43-45 hp chain drive which is closer to positraction and a tad more than 100lbs less than my 750 shadow . If you've never ridden at all I strongly recommend training, you can decide for yourself what size to buy. If ypu want anyone over around 500lbs I would take heavy bike instruction so you can learn slow speed maneuvering. You don't want to fail a u turn, drop your bike and try to get rolling again with everyone watching , not to mention damage to your bike. ❤

Top speed is 170 km/h, or 105 m/h. Why would the interstate be a problem? I dont get it. And the engine in this bike has 47-ish horsepower, not 42.

Im 6'0 175 lbs is the 500 or shadow phantom a better beginner bike?

how do u upload such crisp video i have gopro10 and having toruble uploading crips vids

Crees que merece la pena customizar esta moto?? O quizás uno se puede arrepentir de hacerlo ya que se le quede corta de potencia en un período medio/largo plazo???

My daughter's 300 Rebel will go 80. Never heard of a 500 Rebel that wouldn't do at least 95; a little over 100 mph is typical. This aspect of this review is a bit misleading as it relates to 500 Rebels in general. BTW, I've been riding over 40 years and I have to say the 300 Rebel is pretty peppy. Not a rocket or a good interstate bike, but it's great for around town and back roads. I wouldn't bash it without ever riding it. But I'd recommend the 500 just the same.

What is criteria for best beginner bike? Is this better than 250-300 dual sport? Probably not. If one is short legged and no plan for dirt roads (which I'll argue is extremely important riding skill), it is good but, probably too big for very first bike, especially to learn.

Love it

Actually it has 45.9 hp. It cruises on the interstate very good.

I'm 50 and want to get to my first motorcycle. Do you think the 500 is a good option for a guy like me? 5'10" 230lbs,

Decent power to weight and low seat for short people like my wife 😁 please set a good example by using a mesh jacket or jacket with good ventilation instead of bare forearms 😁Other than that great review.

Lightweight, low seat height means easy to control, important for new riders.

What brand windshield is that?

Riding a Honda with Harley Davison gloves? Is that legal? It’s OK I have a Harley Davidson vest and I ride a Kawasaki Z 900 RS café

I’m surprised it maxes out at 75. Bought the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 as my first bike and it maxes out at 75. Speed limited so could possibly go faster

Yeah, your 883 is more powerful than this 471. We get it. You Harley guys also prefer forward controls.

Yes

What bike would you recommend better than this one?

Never understand calling a bike a "beginner bike" do we have beginner cars?

Randy Savage does a bike review😲

What do you recommend for someone that's 6 3?

It does 105mph in American market...

The Icing on the cake would have been a proper analogue display that you can actually read, hate this all digital stuff. otherwise looks a great bike. Digital displays just have no place on some bikes, it doesn't look right and it should, in my opinion be optional.

All these guys trash the Rebel 500. It has 46 horse not 41. i put a different muffler on and picked up more power. Wrong in the price. About $6400. At one time it would have been in the intermediate group not beginning. The Rebel 300 is more of a beginner bike. You can't campare it to 1000 cc bikes if it isn't designed for you get off and stay off. Ride your bikes many people even people that are well experience love the bike. It isn't that slow for what it is. It is supposed to top out at 95 it will reach about 100. It is what it is and what it is designed to be! And it isn't tapped out at 75! .

i think its better to buy 1100 for start and ride it in rain mode for start ... and just spend les money changing a bike later ...

Looks so much better with that white paint-job - too bad they don't seem to offer that colorway any longer. It also looks a lot cleaner and better proportioned with that short slip-on mounted instead of the ugly monstrosity Honda put on there at the factory. I think the most important things about any of the Rebels are to *not* get them in black and to get an aftermarket exhaust. ;) That said: It's kinda weird to see this one mentioned together with the Scout - or even with the Iron 883. While I'm not a huge fan of the Indian's looks either, both it and the H-D look so much more grown-up compared to the Honda. I suspect it'd be just a tad too small for someone of my build (5'10, 172 lbs), just like the old VT600 Shadow was. But that early 80s, Nintendo "Game-and-Watch" looking speedo alone would be enough to put me off. I hate those weird instruments on any bike, but the Honda's is probably the silliest looking of the bunch - "honorable" mention to the Yamaha Bolt's instrument which also looks insanely cheap and crappy.

I bought the 1100 As a beginner bike. With the rider modes it works for me.

I quiet like the look of it,needs soft luggage somehow

The bike is fine for light riders, midgets, women, and really short men, with the mid footrests. Beyond that, if you're a normal guy, or over 5'10", buy something else, no Rebel model will really fit you. The body triangle with the pegs and your knees too high is just painfully uncomfortable riding for any length of time. The 1100 is probably fine after you have a couple years riding experience, or you learn very quickly and have great hand eye coordination skills.

It doesn't not have to be the "best" beginner bike. It just has to be an appropriate and acceptable beginner bike. Is it?

Almost 46 hp 70 - 80 on the interstate no problem.

It’s a great beginner bike. But then 90 days go by and you could handle bigger cc bikes

Noob friendly torque curve ✔️🖤👌

Let me IA transcript this video; is it the better? Yes, the 5 and 1100 are

My wife has one she loves it being 5ft her feet are flat to the floor .. it has all the power she needs. Personally as someone who has ridden many bikes since the 70s and rides a 1400 it's lacking in power for me sounds like a sewing machine. Think it would have to be the 1100 rebel. But I think it fills a niche market of small people who don't want to much weight or power women seem to like it a lot so honda have been clever aiming at a market of people wo want to cruise with not to much power or weight

believe it has 47hp

i dont like the black Windshield

The Honda Rebel 500 is about the only "big" motorbike my 5' 2" (162cm) secretary can ride comfortably. 30% of Honda Rebels sold in the USA are bought by girls.

It's got 47 hp

I thought it was 45/6 hp

I dont like the windshield

Wrong! The Iron 883 is 45 hp the Honda Reb 500 is 50 hp they've already tested it. And yes the Reb 500 will smoke a 883 all day , everyday due to the extra hp and the gearing. And 6 foot and less fits this bike just fine. 6' 1" and higher they recommend the 1100 for more leg room. If this is your first bike you'll enjoy it all the way until you pay it off. By then your wanting to buy the 1100 due to it's just a bigger version of a proven bike.

not that i would want to go stupid fast, but i wouldnt want to buy a bike that is maxed out at freeway speeds