Ever wondered what an Africa Twin based cruiser would look like? Well OK, me neither but that’s what we’re getting for 2021. Honda just announced the CMX1100 Rebel, which you guessed it is the big brother of the CMX500 – the brand’s beginner cruiser.
The CMX1100 will follow in the Rebel 500’s footsteps and bucks the typical cruiser trends, in running a parallel twin, adding a pretty extensive electronics package by cruiser standards and even offering a DCT, or basically automatic version, with the standard bike only weighing 223 kg.
The engine is of course the Africa Twin powerplant, an eight valve single overhead cam parallel twin with 270 degree phased firing interval, with timing, lift and the exhaust optimised for the Rebel incarnation to give more of a twin feel.
Power is 64 kW at 7000 rpm and 98 Nm of torque at 4750 rpm. Or about 86 hp. Pretty decent figures really, for the cruiser segment and honestly if it’s good enough for the Africa Twin, it’ll definitely be enough here.
A RbW system is featured too, which ties into the electronics package, while flywheel mass has also been increased by 32%, which will offer a more flowing and smooth engine character when it comes to throttling off, compared to the Africa Twin.
Those electronics include three default riding modes, plus a custom mode, while there’s three levels of Honda’s Selectable Torque Control, which is a fancy way of saying traction control, plus wheelie control. I don’t think accidental wheelies have ever really been a top of mind concern jumping on a cruiser, but then that Africa Twin powerplant is a goer.
The chassis is a simple tubular steel frame, mated to 43 mill front forks and piggyback rear shocks, with preload adjustability at both ends. A radial mount four-piston front brake is run on a 330 mm floating disc, and that caliper is unbranded from all the pictures provided. A 256 mm rear rotor is joined by single-piston caliper. Dual channel ABS is standard fitment.
Wheels are cast aluminium five-Y-spoke items with an 18 inch front and 16 inch rear, and clad in a 130/70 front tyre, and 180/65 rear.
We’re yet to hear about pricing and availability here in Australia, so there might be a slight wait on this information, however pricing in the UK is apparently £8999 for the standard, and £9899 for the DCT version. Compare that to America and the standard MSRP is $9299 plus the usual associated costs.
Competition is probably the Harley Iron 1200 and Indian Scouts in Australia, with the Harley priced at $17k on the road, and the Scout starting at $21k. Another comparison point would be Yamaha’s Bolt R which is $14.5k on the road. That’s all Australian pricing.
But with all the tech on the CMX1100 Rebel it seems likely it’ll be priced a bit higher than the Bolt and probably closer to the Harley if you really twisted my arm and I had to guess.