So yesterday I finally got my hands on the Honda CMX 250 Rebel. Knew this thing looked small online, but seeing it parked? Yeah, it’s seriously compact. Wondered if my 6-foot frame was even gonna fit. Hopped on anyway. Here’s the lowdown after riding it through town and down some back roads.
Thing 1: Actually Sitting on the Tiny Beast
First step was just planting my butt in the saddle. Seat felt surprisingly decent – low, like really low, so feet flat on the ground was stupid easy. That was nice pulling up to lights. Gripped the handlebars, felt light steering even standing still. Checked mirrors and controls, everything right where you’d expect from Honda. Hit the starter button, typical Honda whirr-chug, and it fired right up. Engine purr was smooth.
Thing 2: Putting Around Town
Rolled out of the dealership lot onto city streets. First impression? This thing is flickable. Seriously, squeezing through traffic felt effortless. Felt super narrow between my knees too. Engine’s got that 250cc buzz – enough oomph to keep up with cars when the light turns green, but definitely not winning any races. Found myself short-shifting early to keep it happy. Stopping power felt okay for the weight, brakes did their job without drama in stop-and-go. Man, filtering felt great.
Thing 3: Hunting for Some Wind
Cleared the city limits and opened it up a bit on a quieter highway stretch. Okay, “open it up” being relative. Hitting 100km/h felt like it was working hard. The engine buzzed pretty noticeably through the seat and bars at higher revs. Wind started pushing me around since the bike weighs basically nothing. Definitely felt the lack of weight fighting crosswinds. Handled the curves okay, leaned predictably enough, but the small tires gave a bit of a nervous twitch over bumps mid-corner. Not scary, just… noticeable.
Thing 4: The Afternoon Squirm Test
Rode back into town, decided to see how the comfort held up after maybe an hour total seat time. Honestly, that super low seat position wasn’t doing my knees any favors. They were bent a lot. For shorter rides? Fine. Thinking about a longer cruise? Hmm. Also thought about passenger space. Glanced back – that pillion seat looked tiny. Couldn’t imagine putting an adult back there comfortably for longer than 10 minutes. Luggage? Forget fitting much besides a backpack strapped to the tiny rear fender. Customization seems popular though; saw pictures online of people bolting on cool saddlebags.
Thing 5: Fuel Stop & Wrapping My Head Around It
Pulled into a gas station. Filled it up. Honda claims amazing fuel economy, and yeah, the little tank sipped fuel like crazy. Was really hard to use even half a tank on my whole ride. Got home, parked it in the garage. Taking off my helmet, it hit me: this thing is really good at being simple. No fancy tech, no modes, no complicated displays.
- It starts.
- It goes.
- It stops.
- It costs next to nothing to run.
For a brand-new rider wanting something easy to manage and build confidence? This bike absolutely nails that. If you need to cruise highways for hours? Look elsewhere. But for buzzing around locally? It’s kinda perfect.
Finished wiping it down. Tapped the tank. Yeah, for the right person, this Rebel makes a heck of a lot of sense. Simple. Approachable. Cheap to own. That’s what it does.
