Honda CL250 and CL500 will be based on underpinnings and powertrains of their cruiser siblings- Rebel 250 and Rebel 500
In the past few years, popularity of scramblers, especially in the entry-level space has shot up very high. Hence, many bikemakers are planning to utilise their existing mid-displacement motorcycle platforms to develop new scramblers. It was recently revealed that Honda will be adding two new scrambler motorcycles to its lineup.
Previous reports mentioned that the upcoming scramblers will be available in 250cc and 500cc guise, both based on the brand’s entry-level cruiser offerings Rebel 250 and Rebel 500 respectively. This will help Honda reduce development and production cost of its new scramblers.
New Honda Scrambler 500cc Patent Leaks
In a recent development, patent drawings for the upcoming 500cc scrambler from Honda have been leaked on a Japanese website. These patents date back to March 2018 and show a scrambler-like motorcycle based on Rebel 500’s engine and body. Based on this patent, a render has been created which imagines CL500 Scrambler in its full production form.
From the leaked patent drawings it is clear that CL500’s frame would share a resemblance with its cruiser sibling Rebels, although there are some differences towards the rear section of the chassis. The digital illustration borrows styling inspirations from Honda’s C series bikes launched between 1960s and 90s, especially Dream CL72 Scrambler.
It also looks a tad similar to the India-spec CB350 RS which is essentially a pseudo scrambler. Highlights from this rendered design includes a relatively straight and flat saddle with a minimalistic profile, a high-mounted horizontal exhaust muffler, black fork gaiters and larger alloy wheels. In addition, the illustration takes inspiration from the leaked parents and gets a squarish fuel tank.
CL500, C250- Powertrain Specs
Powering CL500 will be the same 471cc parallel-twin DOHC 4-valve engine that propels Rebel 500. In the cruiser, this motor dishes out 46 PS of power at 8,500rpm and 43 Nm at 6,500rpm.
This unit will be paired with a 6-speed constant mesh gearbox. Other than chassis and engine, CL500 Scrambler is also likely to borrow the suspension setup of Rebel 500 which comprises telescopic forks upfront and dual shock absorbers at rear.
The less powerful CL250 Scrambler will be based on its equivalent quarter-litre cruiser. Powering the scrambler is a 249cc DOHC, 4-valve, single-cylinder motor that pumps out 26 PS of max power at 9,500rpm and 22 Nm of peak torque at 7,750rpm. This unit will also be mated to the same 6-speed constant mesh gearbox.
Some overseas media reports have confirmed that CL250 could get an official debut toward the end of this year with CL500 to follow sometime in 2023. Both bikes are, however, unlikely to be launched in India anytime soon.
