Honda CMX1100 Rebel DCT 2025 — Specifications

Who would have bet, ten years ago, that Honda would return to the big custom arena with an Africa Twin engine tucked inside a bobber chassis? After ditching the 1300 Fury and the forgettable CTX episode, the Hamamatsu manufacturer seemed to have drawn a line under this segment. The 2025 CMX1100 Rebel DCT proves otherwise. And it does so in its own way — by categorically refusing to copy American codes.

Beneath the stripped-back black bodywork beats a 270°-offset 1084 cc parallel twin, the very same engine that sends the Africa Twin charging across African trails. Honda has deeply recalibrated it to suit custom duty: heavier flywheel, reworked valve timing, dedicated mapping. The result: the mill delivers 88.4 hp at 7000 rpm and, more importantly, 98 Nm of torque from just 4750 rpm. It's less powerful than the adventure bike, but the fat midrange arrives much lower in the rev range — right where a cruiser needs it. Comparing raw figures with a Harley-Davidson Softail 114 is meaningless. Milwaukee's V-twin boasts a significantly larger displacement. The Rebel simply isn't playing the same tune. It sits closer to the philosophy established by the Kawasaki Vulcan S: modern, unapologetic custom that owns its parallel twin without blushing.

For 2025, the Euro 5+ update has squeezed out an extra 1.4 hp and beefed up low-rpm response thanks to a compression ratio raised to 10.5:1 and refined electronic management. The real selling point remains the DCT dual-clutch gearbox, now fitted as standard. Four maps (Standard, Rain, Sport, User) let you cruise in full automatic or keep control via the paddles on the left switchgear. The 10 kg weight penalty is real, and so is the price at €11,999. But the ease of use in town and on A-roads quickly makes you forget the bill. Your left foot becomes redundant — a liberation many riders aren't yet ready to admit.

Speaking of comfort, Honda has tweaked the ergonomics with a seat thickened by 10 mm, a handlebar raised and pulled closer to the rider, and footpegs moved 5 cm forward. Seat height tops out at 710 mm, a reassuring figure for shorter riders. On the scales, the 236 kg wet weight remains reasonable for a custom of this displacement. The electronic package doesn't skimp: a 5-inch colour TFT display with three viewing modes, smartphone connectivity, cruise control, revised HSTC traction control, four riding modes, and even an anti-wheelie system. That last feature raises a smile on a machine whose generous wheelbase and low-slung geometry hardly invite lifting the front wheel. The tubular steel double-cradle frame, inherited from the CMX 500 but reinforced with larger-diameter tubes, prioritises stability. The 43 mm fork with adjustable preload and the twin rear shocks do the job without pretending to rival sportbike-grade hardware. Braking — a 330 mm front disc with a radial four-piston caliper and a 256 mm rear disc — is honest without being generous. The 13.6-litre tank will limit your range; it's the only real sacrifice to bobber style.

The CMX1100 Rebel is aimed at those who want the custom look without the constraints of traditional custom riding. Urban riders, Sunday tourers, A2 licence holders who graduated long ago and are after something easy, enjoyable, and technically accomplished. Honda has carved out a niche that no one else truly occupies in the big-bore segment. The Street and Touring accessory catalogue lets you turn it into a small bagger for eating up miles. It's clever, well-built, and looks like nothing else on the market. The Rebel has understood that rebellion, sometimes, means looking like no one else.