hallerz

Hey there,
I am a new rider. Grew up around bikes, but just learned to ride this past weekend at a Motorcycle safety program class in Cali. I live in Sacramento and in the next 6 months I want to get my hands on a 250 or 450...

I am open to suggestions or just general information about them. I leanred to ride on a Honda nighthawk, 125cc. Not much power, and I don't want to overwhelm myself.

Thanks so much, Have a great one!

Halz

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Fridgitator

Welcome, Halz! The Rebel 250 is a great bike to start out with, and as many of us will tell you, you may never "outgrow" it. I would recomend getting a copy of "Proficient Motorcycling" by David L. Hough. Lots of info about everything to do with riding. Nice to meet you, and welcome aboard.

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Guba

Hi Halz, hope you find a good bike. Since you don't seem to be rushed to get one right away you could propably find one cheaper as winter gets closer. The Rebel is a great bike! A lot of people learn on one and move on. But there's a lot of people here that have gotten rid of bigger bikes to go back to a Rebel.

The only brand new Rebels are the '09's still sitting on the show room floor. If you get a used one, I recommend an '01 or later. They have the bugs worked out. There's nothing wrong with buying the earlier models, but some of the parts may be out of stock if something goes wrong. The 80's models may have even more things that are harder to find. You should be aware that not all parts will swap out between the 80's and the '96's and later.

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Some days beer tastes good...other days beer tastes better!

'07 Rebel 250 26,000 miles

cagie

IIRC the 04's had clutch shutter spring problems, but I think that was the only major issue for any of the contemporary Rebels.

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Comments contained in my posts are not intended to cause physical or psychological stress and are mearly my two cents worth, and in this economy, that's cheap!
87 CMX250C 'the Pygmy Pony'
87 CMX450C 'Black Lithium'

Guba

Only the one year? Whats the deal?

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Some days beer tastes good...other days beer tastes better!

'07 Rebel 250 26,000 miles

Fridgitator

It was an assembly error. Many but not all of that model year were sold with the Judder spring installed backwards. The result was premature clutch failure. Those on the road with thousands of miles on them have either been fixed, or were one of the few that did not have the problem. One with very low original miles may need a clutch rebuild.

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JunkyardDog

Welcome. It's nice to see someone with your attitude. Learning is important, and will probably save your life at some point. Too many people come here who have never ridden before, or have ridden a little bit in a parking lot, and are all ready to start chopping their bike up and customizing it. Fine if it's done right, but do learn to ride first. The safety course was a great first step.


I'm one of those who have ridden all kinds of bikes from mopeds to Goldwings to large crotch rockets, and recently bought a Rebel, and am having a blast with it, riding it and doing some mild customizing.

While you don't get too old or too experienced to ride a Rebel, you can be to big. I'm 6' 200 pounds, with a 34" inseam, and just didn't fit on the Rebel. I had to fabricate a way to move the pegs, shifter and brake 4" farther forward so I would fit. Everything is fine now, and I love spending all day on the little bike, just cruising around. I have been from Phoenix to San Diego and back on it once, so it is definitely capable of long distance freeway travel.

I have an '04, which had 4,000 miles on it, and I have put 5,000 more, and had no clutch problems with it. In fact, I have had no problems with it at all. The Rebel goes back to '85, and the engine goes back to the early '70s. It is well proven.

I strongly recommend it as a beginner bike if you fit on it. If you don't fit, and don't want to modify it, then I would go for a Nighthawk 250. Same engine, same power, but a larger, roomier bike. If you want the cruiser styling, and don't fit the Rebel, the Suzuki GZ250 is a good choice. It doesn't have the overall clean design as the Rebel, but has a lot more room between the seat, bars, and pegs. Jerry.

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flitecontrol

Welcome to the forum, hallerz. Sounds like you are the patient kind who will find the right bike at a great price. Good that you've taken the safety course, and I also recommend David Hough's books.

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I'm keepin' all the left over parts. I'm gonna use 'em to build another bike!

2001 Rebel 250, 1989 Vulcan 750
Putting your bike info in your signature helps others help you!

hallerz

Hey there,
Thanks for the great feedback. Junkyard Dog you bring up a great point. I am 6 feet tall myself. I did the course on a nighthawk. My step dad builds bikes and has ridden most of his life. He said we could modify it. I am superexcited to go hunting for one.

SO many people have said that the Rebel is a great starter bike, and that some always keep it or modify it.

DO you guys have any suggestions for helmets?

Hallerz

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flitecontrol

This should help:

http://www.hondarebelforum.com/showt...ghlight=helmet

__________________
I'm keepin' all the left over parts. I'm gonna use 'em to build another bike!

2001 Rebel 250, 1989 Vulcan 750
Putting your bike info in your signature helps others help you!