Honda Rebel 1100 manual and DCT variants launched in Thailand; India launch still sketchy

Honda debuted the all-new Rebel 1100 back in 2020 and now the bike has made it way to Thailand making the first in the South-East Asian markets.

The Honda Rebel is available in two variants: a manual transmission variant and dual-clutch transmission (DCT). It is based on the smaller Rebel 500 and as such gets almost identical styling.

The Rebel 1100 is, however, slightly longer and wider than its smaller sibling. It is a single seater cruiser with tall handlebars and a tank that towers up from under the seat to where your hand touch the throttle. It rides on a 16-inch wheel at the rear and an 18-inch front shod with 180 and 130 section tyres, respectively.

Powering the Rebel 1100 is a 1,048cc parallel twin engine that capable of churning out 100 PS of power. Transmission, like we mentioned before comes from either a 6-speed manual or a DCT gearbox.

It is a litre-class bike and as such gets some riding aids to help riders enjoy more. You get Honda Selectable Torque Control (company speak for traction control), ride-by-wire, cruise control, ABS, three riding modes and a three-level wheelie control.

Now, whether the Rebel will come to India is still a mystery. The high-end cruiser market is currently dominated by Harley-Davidson and Indian brands. H-D had to pull out of India because of low sales but the new  partnership with Hero MotoCorp does see the American manufacturer stay a while longer.

Honda, on the other hand, is looking to expand its BigWing network and are currently working on sprucing up the lineup in the premium showrooms. We currently have the Honda CB350 H’ness and CB350 RS, the Africa Twin and CB500X. Hopefully, the Rebel 500 and Rebel 1100 also make it to India in the future.