The staff here at Des Plaines Honda is made up of a diverse group of riders, from Jimmy and Frank who are longtime Harley riders to Caden and Mike who are used to ripping down trails on dirtbikes. One thing they all agree on, though, is that every Honda powersports product has a unique set of features to benefit a wide range of riders. That idea was the inspiration to our new series: DSP Staff Take.
The idea behind the Staff Take is pretty simple. Everyone takes a minute or two to consider the bike, then they share something they like about it. Not something that magazine riders like about it or something they read on a forum, but something they, themselves, genuinely like about the bike in front of them– and you can read their first attempt, below. Enjoy!
DSP Staff v. 2018 Honda Rebel 300
“I like the bobber styling,” says Mike, pointing at the new Rebel. “It looks like an old school bobber, but it’s more modern.” Everyone nods in agreement as he says this.
“I like the fat tires and the small front fender, too,” says Frank. “That’s very bobber. Looking at it just now I noticed that the front brake is machined to match the wheels, so it looks like a floating disc. That’s very cool.”
Next, Caden and Mike both pointed out that the only part of the Rebel that’s painted in Honda’s signature red– the fuel tank– is genuine metal, not colored plastic. Alfredo picks up on this idea. “It’s not a cheap bike,” he says. “People talk about this bike being a perfect starter bike, but it’s a perfect third or fourth bike, too. You look at the welds, the way the swingarm is finished, the foot pegs– everything looks like it was thought through, and feels like it was built to last,” he said. “I also love the fact that, even though it’s a single, there’s no downtube going under engine. That makes the whole bike lower and makes it feel a lot more modern.”
After Alfredo’s comments about build quality, everyone starts chiming in. “Look at the footpeg brackets and how well they’re made,” says Jimmy. “I like the blacked-out exhaust,” says Caden. The aluminum bracket around the headlight, the Rebel’s dual shock suspension, liquid cooling/fuel injection (unusual for an entry-level, single-cylinder “thumper” engine), and a lightweight chain drive get pointed out quickly, one after the other. It was hard to keep up with who was pointing out what at this point, but it seemed like the DSP Honda staff had a lot of genuine respect for the Rebel.
In the end, the DSP Staff settled on a few key features that, they felt, riders of every experience level could appreciate about the Honda Rebel 300.
- liquid-cooled, fuel-injected single with chain drive
- modern styling with a classic, bobber inspiration
- every detail looks like it’s been “thought out”
- “built to last” feel in the components
- painted, real metal fuel tank
What do you think of the list we came up with? Did we miss your favorite Honda Rebel feature, or did we get it exactly right? Let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page, or click here to schedule a low pressure, no-obligation test ride and experience the bike for yourself.
Original content from DSP Honda.
DSP Honda Motorcycle News | Chicago 