Honda Rebel vs Yamaha Bolt – Specs, Prices, Reviews, And Opinions

Choosing a good starter bike is not that simple. You will have to compare specs which you don't understand much, do some test drives without proper experience of riding a bike and also investigate prices which is hard to do in the modern market. But you will still have to do all these things to choose a proper motorbike for you.

Today, we've decided to compare two of the really popular bikes. They can be both starters and also the next-step bikes for people with solid experience. Honda Rebel and Yamaha Bolt are our today's objects of discussion. And we can't tell you for sure which of these bikes we would choose if we were to buy a motorcycle today. It's hard to say for sure which one is really better.

Here's what we are going to tell you about:

1. Honda Rebel - prices, specs, and some important features.
2. Yamaha Bolt - prices, specs, and some important features.
3. Why would you prefer a Yamaha or a Honda motorcycle?
4. Which bike should be more durable?
5. Which bike looks better and feels better on the road?

Let's get started!

Honda Rebel - some quick facts you should know

This bike looks pretty much like a Harley Sportster. It's smaller though and it has a much smaller engine and a much cheaper price. By the way, you can buy a new Honda Rebel 500 for about $6,400. This is the MSRP price which excludes any shipping costs. If you live in a small city where you will not have a Honda motorcycle shop, you will have to spend another $400-$600 for shipping and other things.

Also, you may buy a Honda Rebel 300, but we don't recommend that one. It has a smaller engine and it doesn't deliver as much pleasure as the Rebel 500 model. The price difference can also be neglected.

Here are some things you should know about the Honda Rebel 500:

1. The 477-cc engine is not very powerful - it offers 47 hp, but this is more than enough for such a light motorcycle.
2. The 6-speed transmission seems to be optimal for this engine and for this bike configuration.
3. The wheelbase is 58.7 inches, the seat height is 27.2 inches - these parameters are very important for choosing a good bike for you. The weight of the Honda motorcycle is 408 pounds.
4. Suspension and brakes are very simple and don't need a lot of description and explanation.
5. Every unit seems to be simple and reliable which is extremely important for a modern motorcycle.

As you see, Honda has built a great motorcycle for those who don't want to pay a lot of money but want to get a lot of pleasure. And Honda Rebel 500 is certainly the bike for pleasure. The low seat and the straight sitting position are exquisite features of this bike. Yeah, you will not race with Ferrari cars, but the acceleration is 5.2 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. It's not bad at all!

The top speed of the Honda Rebel 500 is estimated at 95 miles per hour. But we think that riding this bike at that speed is not safe at all. It's very light and not very powerful, so better keep it under 70 mph to feel safer.

Yamaha Bolt - a very good competitor

Yamaha Bolt is a more serious motorcycle. It was first presented in 2017 and is still being sold like crazy. The bike looks like a Sportster, too, and it's much closer to a Sportster in terms of specifications. This is not the best option for your first motorcycle. But as a step up, it's a marvelous choice.

So, the motorcycle is much heavier. It's 542 pounds which is over 100 pounds heavier than the Honda. Also, this bike is thought to be more comfortable. Owners say that they can easily take a passenger and they will not even feel any problems with power.

Here are some specs for you to take note of:

1. The V-Twin engine is bigger - it's 942 cc which is twice bigger than in a Honda. The engine construction is pretty good, reliable, and durable. The engine is air-cooled which is not very good.
2. The transmission offers 5 gears which is not bad, but owners say that the sixth speed would be very desirable on highways.
3. Suspension and brakes are simple and very reliable. Nothing revolutionary in this motorcycle, but everything works well.
4. The wheelbase is 61.8 inches while the seat height is 27.2 inches. So, the motorcycle is longer than Honda, but it has exactly the same seat height.
5. The Yamaha Bolt R-SPEC is a special design motorcycle that offers wonderful comfort. You will seat straight and will not get back pain when riding for a long time.

As you see, this bike is bigger, heavier, and also very beautiful. But of course, it costs more than the Honda. The MSRP of the Yamaha Bolt is $8,600 which is over $2,000 more than the Honda's price. So here we can't say for sure what will win - additional inches of wheelbase and more cubic centimeters of the engine or some dollars in your pocket. Everyone should decide according to some personal reasons.

We like the way Yamaha looks. It's one of the most beautiful bikes in this price range. And yes, it's going to be a really good purchase in terms of durability and riding comfort.

Some factors to prefer Honda to Yamaha

After a lot of thinking, we just made a list of pros and cons for both bikes and we finally decided that more than $2,000 of overpaying isn't worth what Yamaha offers. Yes, we like this motorcycle pretty much and we would buy it if it cost a little less.

So, in this section of our article, we'll explain why we would buy a Honda but not Yamaha. Of course, every reason is subjective and can be argued about, but this is what we think.

So, here's why we are choosing Honda:

1. It costs less. This is the deciding factor when you look at these two bikes. They both look marvelous but the price difference is huge.
2. It will get you 67 MPG whereas the Yamaha will only offer 51 MPG because its engine is bigger and the bike is heavier.
3. Honda Rebel is a more widespread model of a motorbike. This means that finding parts for a Honda will be much easier.
4. Both motorcycles offer 1 year of limited warranty, but Honda allows buyers to extend the warranty. Also, Honda doesn't limit your mileage within 1 year of warranty.
5. Honda Rebel offers the 6-speed transmission which is much better and more flexible than the 5-speed transmission that comes in the Yamaha.
6. Yamaha offers 5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph, but Honda is not very much slower. Also, the top speed is basically the same in both bikes.

After comparing all these features, we don't understand why a person should pay more than $2,000 for the opportunity to own Yamaha Bolt rather than Honda Rebel. Yes, Yamaha is better in some points, and yes, it's a really good motorcycle if you don't compare it with any competitors.

But today's market is different. We compare everything with the competition. And our today's choice is Honda Rebel 500. But of course, we don't force you to make this choice, too. Test drive both bikes and think which one is better personally for you.

Longevity question - Honda or Yamaha?

Honda motorcycles are known to be very long-lasting. They have durable engines and pretty reliable frame parts. They are protected well from rust issues. But the thing is that Yamaha has all the same features. Also, we suppose that Yamaha will win in terms of longevity.

We found some factors of why Yamaha will go more miles than Honda Rebel:

• the bigger engine displacement will allow you to drive at reasonable RPMs while you will always rev up the engine in Honda Rebel 500;
• the transmission in Yamaha Bolt is better in terms of durability, we all know this type of transmission thanks to some other motorcycles of the brand;
• the Yamaha Bolt R SPEC motorcycles have been there on the market for more than 5 years, we know everything about them and they are reliable;
• the road stability is a little better in Yamaha Bolt - you can turn safely and you can get higher top speed on the highway.

These are the important things that will probably stop us from making a quick decision and making a deposit for the Honda Rebel 500. But still, Honda is our winner in today's comparison. Though we like Yamaha Bolt and we would also consider this bike if we had more money to spend.

Final words

You will need to compare these two motorcycles in life rather than just read a couple of reviews. The bigger Yamaha Bolt is not a very good decision as to the first bike. It's more powerful, heavier, and has a bigger engine. So, Honda Rebel 500 will be a better motorcycle, in this case.

But if you want a step up, the more expensive Yamaha Bolt may be a very good decision. Just test drive so that you know for sure this bike is worth the money.