Back in May, we revealed Honda’s plan to launch a brand new CL500 scrambler based mostly on the engine and chassis construction of the Rebel 500, and now new proof has emerged to show each its existence and {that a} smaller CL300 can be supplied alongside it.
The CL500 has been rumored in Japan for a while, but it surely was solely earlier this yr that Honda primarily confirmed it by submitting for brand new rights over the “CL500″ trademark. That submitting matched up with patents filed again in 2019, that confirmed how the Rebel 500′s body and engine may very well be tailored for an scrambler-style machine, particularly requiring some modern engineering across the repositioned footpeg brackets and the rear brake grasp cylinder to go well with the scrambler look.
The identical Japanese rumors of the CL500 additionally counsel {that a} smaller CL250 is on the way in which, primarily performing the identical trick on the single-cylinder Rebel 250—an Asian-market mannequin that’s offered with a bigger engine because the Rebel 300 within the US. At the time of our final story, there was no onerous proof to assist these rumors. Now the proof has emerged, and it’s excellent news for Western markets, as Honda’s plans are to construct a CL300 based mostly on the Rebel 300, probably that means it’s supposed for the West moderately than simply Asia (the place a 250cc model will little doubt be supplied to go well with native bike licence guidelines).
The smoking-gun proof of the CL300′s existence comes as soon as once more within the type of a trademark utility, filed by Honda in Thailand for rights to the “CL300″ identify. Why Thailand? Probably as a result of that’s the place the Rebel 300 and Rebel 500 are manufactured. At the identical time because the Thai trademark utility for the “CL300″ identify, Honda additionally utilized for “CL500″ naming rights in a number of nations together with Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand, suggesting that each machines can be launched concurrently later this yr.
We may be fairly assured that the CL300 will use the identical 286cc liquid-cooled single that powers the Rebel 300, and it’s more likely to share primarily the identical chassis, albeit with a taller seat and subframe to go well with its retro scrambler styling. Like the Rebel, it’s anticipated to have a twin-shock structure and easy, typical right-way-up fork. In phrases of styling, anticipate one thing fairly conventional—the inspiration is the Sixties CL250—however not an out-and-out retro throwback. For starters, the water-cooled single doesn’t look something just like the air-cooled SOHC twin of the outdated CL250, and Honda is probably going to make use of the Rebel’s alloy wheels as an alternative of wire-spoke wheels that may most likely add to the bike’s worth.
Both the CL500 and CL300 look more likely to get launched later this yr as 2023 fashions, a part of a thrust from Honda to revisit previous successes, for the reason that agency can also be because of convey again the Hornet identify on a brand new 750 twin-cylinder streetbike, and anticipated to comply with that with a reborn Transalp earlier than reviving the NX (Dominator) identify on an upcoming CB500X-based NX500.
Source: www.cycleworld.com
