Honda CMX1100 Rebel (2025) - Technical Review

The days of Japanese brands trying to out-Harley Harley with their own big V-twin cruisers are gone but Honda has carved out a useful niche within that market for its parallel twin Rebel models. The Rebel 1100 is particularly intriguing thanks to its optional DCT semi-auto gearbox and Africa Twin-based engine – and for 2025 the range is being rationalised with a new ‘SE’ Special Edition model but fewer variants overall.

That SE is a ready-built custom model with bar-end mirrors, a nose cowl, shortened front mudguard, fork gaiters and diamond-stitched seat, and comes only in high-end spec with the DCT box, adding a touch more style to the Rebel range.

Pros & Cons

2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel - Price

For 2025, the UK range drops to three versions of the Rebel, with the DCT option removed from the base version and made compulsory on the higher-spec Tour and SE variants. So you have the CMX1100 Rebel (manual transmission), the CMX1100T Rebel Tour DCT, and the CMX1100SE Rebel SE DCT as the three available options.

The base CMX1100 Rebel costs £9799, the Rebel Tour with DCT gearbox, panniers and a nose cowl is still awaiting pricng at time of writing, but the 2024 model is still listed at £11,549 and we'd expect the 2025 bike to be a similar price. The SE version csts £10,899. Honda is still listing 2023/2024-spec versions of the CMX with different colours and prices again, as being available – creating a total of eight distinct bikes.

There are also fewer choices when it comes to colours. The base Rebel comes only in pearl blue, the Rebel Tour is only offered in grey, and the Rebel SE can be had in either orange or black.

2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel - Engine & Performance

The 1084cc parallel twin engine, derived from the motor in the Africa Twin and NT1100, has been tweaked for the 2025 Rebel 1100 range with the similar set of upgrades to those the Africa Twin received a year ago.

Changes include an increased compression ratio, up from 10.1:1 to 10.5:1, boosting the Rebel’s power to from 85.8hp to 87.2hp. That peak arrives 250rpm higher than before at 7250rpm and max torque is unchanged at 72.3lb-ft and 4750rpm, but Honda claims a fatter bottom end and more instant throttle response.

As before, the Rebel’s version of this engine has a heavier flywheel for improved low-rev response to suit the cruiser’s requirements, plus its own exhaust system. To meet the new Euro5+ rules, the bike gains a crank pulsar for the mandatory misfire detection system and an extra lambda sensor downstream of the catalyst to monitor emissions performance.

The mechanical tweaks are accompanied by electronic updates including revised settings for the traction control system, with three preset riding modes – Standard, Rain and Sport – plus a user-configurable one.

Honda's dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is an automated manual gearbox that can be run in either fully auto or manual mode and works particularly well on a relaxed cruiser. All DCT models in 2025 have improved low-speed behaviour at very small throttle openings. Changes include better clutch response, and revisions to the way the ride-by-wire throttles open at low speed. Again, there are several shift modes for the transmission, with Standard, Road, Rain and User settings that mirror the engine riding modes, plus the option of shifting gear manually using paddles on the left bar.

On the road the CMX has always been enjoyable to use. Plenty of low-speed power and much smoother as the revs rise than the big V-twin cruisers. Some might say it lacks 'character' but others might just enjoy a bike that's easy to ride in any gear. DCT transmission really suits this bike, with the manual over-ride paddles adding useability when you need to overtake something quickly.

2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

The Rebel’s chassis and suspension are largely unchanged for the 2025 model year, with the same steel diamond frame as before with the same 1520mm wheelbase and stretched-out, 30-degree fork angle that’s 2 degrees offset from the 28-degree rake of the steering head.

The 43mm forks and piggyback dual rear shocks are the same as before with both ends adjustable only for preload.

The CMX1100 has always been an easy handling bike. Shorter riders find the low seat and balance reassuring and the Rebel steers predictably helped by the engine's flexibility allowing a choice of gears in most corners. You might detect a slight weave in longer, faster bends as the bike finds the limits of the soft-set suspension, but it never gets out of shape and you always feel in control.

Brakes are the same as before too with a single radial-mount four-pot caliper at the front on a 330mm disc and a single-piston rear caliper on a 256mm disc. You can stop a CMX1100 reasonably quickly, compared to most other cruisers, but in a full-on emergency you'll be glad of the ABS because the relaxed chassis geometry makes it easier to lock the front wheel than on bikes with more weight on the front wheel.

On DCT bikes you used to blend some back brake into low-speed riding as a way of adding some subtle control to filtering and u-turns. The new bike's DCT upgrades mean you no longer need to do that.

Cruisers have traditionally been heavy, cumbersme bikes, but the Rebel bucks that trend. Weights for the 2025 models rise a fraction, with the base, manual Rebel 1100 coming in at 226kg ready to ride – up from 223kg in 2024. The 2025 Rebel Tour DCT measures 250kg and the Rebel SE DCT is 237kg. The bike carries its weight well and is easy to push around with the engine off.

2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel- Comfort & Economy

The chassis might be unchanged but the riding position and comfort have been a key focus of development for the 2025 CMX1100 Rebel range, with changes to the bar position and footpegs plus a new seat design and material.

Those bars are now 28mm further back than before, moving them closer to the rider, and raised 12mm. The pegs, meanwhile, are shifted forwards by 50mm to increase legroom, which is boosted further by a seat that’s 10mm higher than before – although still extremely low at 710mm instead of 700mm.

The extra seat hight comes from 10mm thicker padding to boost comfort, and the urethane foam that makes that padding is a new one. The seat is also a fraction wider than before, increasing the area that you sit on to spread the weight more broadly.

That extra padding will help a little over the previous model, but the repositioned footpegs and handlebars won't cure the old bike's biggest issue that all the rider's weight goes directly through their backside, which made it uncomfortable after an hour or so of motorway riding.

As in the past, the Tour model benefits from a fork-mounted half fairing and a low screen, helping deflect wind away from the rider, and gets 35 litres of luggage space in its hard panniers with top-hinged lids.

The new SE model also gains a fairing of sorts, albeit just a nose cowl, plus fork gaiters, a diamond-stitched seat and anodised radiator cover, plus a shorter front mudguard. It also becomes only the second Honda in the company’s history, following the ultra-expensive RC213V-S road-going GP bike, to get bar-end mirrors as standard.

Typical fuel economy is around 50-55mpg and a theoretical range of 150-160 miles from its 13.6 litre tank.

2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel - Equipment

The big change here, apart from the additions to the new SE model, is the introduction of a new five-inch colour TFT dashboard display to replace the previous circular instrument pod.

The new dash, which is accompanied by a backlit, four-way toggle swich on the bars to operate it, includes three optional display modes and gives IOS and Android connectivity via the Honda RoadSync app for control of calls, music and turn-by-turn navigation.

As in the past there are predefined options packs to help customise the bikes, including a ‘Style’ pack with the SE’s short front mudguard and headlight cowl, wheel stripes, side and centre tank pads, the SE’s bar end mirrors, radiator side covers and fork gaiters. The ‘Comfort’ pack includes a rear carrier, passenger backrest and heated grips, while the ‘Travel’ pack includes comfort rider and pillion seats, plus a pair of saddlebags. You can also separately buy the Rebel Tour’s front cowl and the SE’s diamond-stitched seat, so while the model range has shrunk for 2025 it’s possible to essentially replicate the previous, wider lineup using add-on extras.

2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel - Rivals

The most obvious alternatives to the Rebel would be offerings from Harley-Davidson or Indian, both offering that real American V-twin experience, but don’t forget Triumph’s stylish Bonneville Bobber as another parallel twin option.

They’re all more head-turning than the Honda, but also pricier and none have the option of an automated transmission.

Triumph Bonneville Bobber | Price: £13,195

Read more

Power/Torque

77bhp/78lb-ft

Weight

251kg

Harley-Davidson Nightster | Price: £13,295

Read more

Power/Torque

89bhp / 70lb-ft

Weight

221kg

Indian Sport Scout | Price: £13,395

Read more

Power/Torque

105bhp / 80lb-ft

Weight

239kg

2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel - Verdict

If you want an easy-riding, cruiser and don't need it to look like a Harley Honda's Rebel is well worth considering. The CMX500 is an equally good choice but the bigger bike has the DCT gearbox option and a much more relaxed engine.

The previous version did a great job for a good price and this new one has evolved gently to be more useful and a little more comfortable. The engine changes are more about passing emissions requirements than anything a rider will notice, although the tweaks to low-speed DCT settings are worthwhile. For most riders the TFT display and connectivity makes the biggest difference

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2025 Honda CMX1100 Rebel - Technical Specification

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