2021 Honda Rebel 300 ABS vs 2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350
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3 سال پیش
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Has the long-standing ruler of
Has the long-standing ruler of the beginner cruiser category met its match? The Honda Rebel 300 and Royal Enfield Meteor 350 square off.
The battle between royalty and rebellion is a story told throughout human history. In the recent history of motorcycles, however, it’s the Honda Rebel that has a 36-year lock on the beginner cruiser market with its tractable engine, low seat height, and what we’ve called “mini-Harley” styling.
Now Royal Enfield mounts a resistance with its classically styled 2021 Meteor 350. By emulating the attractive characteristics of the original Rebel—which are still present in the 2021 model—the new RE boasts a similar combination of beginner-friendly power and small dimensions, but its looks are a nod to cruisers of the past. Does the Meteor have the power, handling, character, and componentry it takes to reverse the roles in the current Rebel-ruled hierarchy? After gathering performance data on our in-house Dynojet 250i rear-wheel dynamometer and braking/acceleration information at the air strip, Cycle World Senior Editor Morgan Gales and I cruised Southern California’s megalopolis to find out.
How Do Power Figures Compare Between the Honda Rebel 300 and Royal Enfield Meteor 350?
The Honda Rebel 300 and Royal Enfield Meteor 350 provide power that can—and often must—be used in its entirety across the diverse roadways to, from, and around the city. Comments are often made that a rider cannot tap into a 100-plus-horsepower motorcycle’s full power potential on the street. Those complaints can be silenced with the gentle thrum, or “beat,” of these two single-cylinder engines. On the Cycle World dyno, the Rebel’s 286cc liquid-cooled motor produced 25 hp at 7,640 rpm; the Meteor’s 349cc air/oil-cooled unit produced 17.9 at 6,070. Every hoof and muscle from these ponies is used in almost every situation, from low-speed maneuvering to straight shots down interstates; you can literally push these bikes to their limit in everyday riding.
During acceleration, that 7.1 hp difference is discernible. While the Meteor’s mellower power output results in a leisurely 0–60-mph time of 12.34 seconds, the quick-revving Rebel does it in 7.85. Gales noted: “The Rebel 300′s engine spins up quickly and revs significantly higher than the Meteor’s, putting out snappy power throughout more of the rev range. I kept finding myself bouncing off of the rev limiter on the Meteor, asking more of it when it just didn’t have more to give.”
Comparing These Small-Displacement Cruisers’ Torque Curves
While the Enfield does give up some peak power, it delivers a fantastic cruiser torque curve, with 18.2 peak pound-feet at a low 2,800 rpm, whereas the Honda hits its 17.6 peak at 7,320. The dyno charts show the Meteor holding an impressively flat curve that reaches 16 pound-feet at just 1,800 rpm, remains flat around its peak until just past 4,000 rpm, then starts to gently slope downward until the rev limiter cuts in at 6,800 rpm (stated redline is 7,000). By comparison, the Rebel’s torque curve shows a 10 percent dip in the midrange before it travels up to its peak much later in the rev range, falling off significantly after that peak until it hits the 10,400-rpm rev limiter. On the road, this translates to a more torquey delivery right off the line for the Meteor, which makes it a pleasure to ride from stoplight to stoplight; it really takes the rush out of rush hour and is exceptionally relaxed in town. But the Rebel’s additional peak power and quicker, longer-revving character leads to faster acceleration overall.
In fact, on Los Angeles freeways, where traffic often flows 80-85 mph (when it’s not stopped), the Rebel has just enough top speed in sixth gear to leave a bit in reserve (the highest speed we saw on the LCD dash during testing was 91 mph). The Meteor’s needle pointed to 75 in its top (fifth) gear with the throttle wide open. As Star Trek’s Scotty would say, “I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Captain!”
Clutch modulation, the practice of feeling and controlling engagement through the clutch lever while feeding in throttle from a stop, can be a major obstacle for beginners. A feather-light clutch pull, aided by a slipper and assist function, is the Honda solution, and the Rebel shines here with its easier pull. The Meteor’s lever is thicker and requires more effort, which introduces hand fatigue if the bike is kept in gear while waiting out multiple stoplights.
Full review here: https://www.cycleworld.com/story/moto...
Subscribe to Cycle World Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/cycleworld?s...
Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/
Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld
The battle between royalty and rebellion is a story told throughout human history. In the recent history of motorcycles, however, it’s the Honda Rebel that has a 36-year lock on the beginner cruiser market with its tractable engine, low seat height, and what we’ve called “mini-Harley” styling.
Now Royal Enfield mounts a resistance with its classically styled 2021 Meteor 350. By emulating the attractive characteristics of the original Rebel—which are still present in the 2021 model—the new RE boasts a similar combination of beginner-friendly power and small dimensions, but its looks are a nod to cruisers of the past. Does the Meteor have the power, handling, character, and componentry it takes to reverse the roles in the current Rebel-ruled hierarchy? After gathering performance data on our in-house Dynojet 250i rear-wheel dynamometer and braking/acceleration information at the air strip, Cycle World Senior Editor Morgan Gales and I cruised Southern California’s megalopolis to find out.
How Do Power Figures Compare Between the Honda Rebel 300 and Royal Enfield Meteor 350?
The Honda Rebel 300 and Royal Enfield Meteor 350 provide power that can—and often must—be used in its entirety across the diverse roadways to, from, and around the city. Comments are often made that a rider cannot tap into a 100-plus-horsepower motorcycle’s full power potential on the street. Those complaints can be silenced with the gentle thrum, or “beat,” of these two single-cylinder engines. On the Cycle World dyno, the Rebel’s 286cc liquid-cooled motor produced 25 hp at 7,640 rpm; the Meteor’s 349cc air/oil-cooled unit produced 17.9 at 6,070. Every hoof and muscle from these ponies is used in almost every situation, from low-speed maneuvering to straight shots down interstates; you can literally push these bikes to their limit in everyday riding.
During acceleration, that 7.1 hp difference is discernible. While the Meteor’s mellower power output results in a leisurely 0–60-mph time of 12.34 seconds, the quick-revving Rebel does it in 7.85. Gales noted: “The Rebel 300′s engine spins up quickly and revs significantly higher than the Meteor’s, putting out snappy power throughout more of the rev range. I kept finding myself bouncing off of the rev limiter on the Meteor, asking more of it when it just didn’t have more to give.”
Comparing These Small-Displacement Cruisers’ Torque Curves
While the Enfield does give up some peak power, it delivers a fantastic cruiser torque curve, with 18.2 peak pound-feet at a low 2,800 rpm, whereas the Honda hits its 17.6 peak at 7,320. The dyno charts show the Meteor holding an impressively flat curve that reaches 16 pound-feet at just 1,800 rpm, remains flat around its peak until just past 4,000 rpm, then starts to gently slope downward until the rev limiter cuts in at 6,800 rpm (stated redline is 7,000). By comparison, the Rebel’s torque curve shows a 10 percent dip in the midrange before it travels up to its peak much later in the rev range, falling off significantly after that peak until it hits the 10,400-rpm rev limiter. On the road, this translates to a more torquey delivery right off the line for the Meteor, which makes it a pleasure to ride from stoplight to stoplight; it really takes the rush out of rush hour and is exceptionally relaxed in town. But the Rebel’s additional peak power and quicker, longer-revving character leads to faster acceleration overall.
In fact, on Los Angeles freeways, where traffic often flows 80-85 mph (when it’s not stopped), the Rebel has just enough top speed in sixth gear to leave a bit in reserve (the highest speed we saw on the LCD dash during testing was 91 mph). The Meteor’s needle pointed to 75 in its top (fifth) gear with the throttle wide open. As Star Trek’s Scotty would say, “I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Captain!”
Clutch modulation, the practice of feeling and controlling engagement through the clutch lever while feeding in throttle from a stop, can be a major obstacle for beginners. A feather-light clutch pull, aided by a slipper and assist function, is the Honda solution, and the Rebel shines here with its easier pull. The Meteor’s lever is thicker and requires more effort, which introduces hand fatigue if the bike is kept in gear while waiting out multiple stoplights.
Full review here: https://www.cycleworld.com/story/moto...
Subscribe to Cycle World Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/cycleworld?s...
Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/
Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld
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