Honda CBR1000RR-R Launching By The End Of The Month; Or Will It Be The Rebel 500?

Honda’s cryptic launch update has us divided

Honda India is ready to bring one of its big bikes on September 30. The question is: which one? The block your date that we received suggests the arrival of something majestic and addresses the bike as “Your Highness.” The obvious meaning would be that Honda will be bringing in its flagship 200+PS fire breathing sportbike, the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade. But there is also a possibility that it could be the Rebel 500 urban cruiser to drum up some competition for the likes of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Harley-Davidson Street 750.

The CBR1000RR-R burst on to the global markets this year after making its maiden appearance at EICMA 2019. The 999cc inline four potter superbike with a max power rating of 217.5PS is Honda’s most powerful bike ever made. In fact, it is the first Honda to breach the 200PS power barrier. The bike has the capability to instantly turn you into Marc Marquez (pre-Jerez 2020). The suggested asking price for the flagship sportbike will leave you speechless. Head here to know how much it will cost.

Talks of bringing the Rebel series of motorcycles have been floating around for years. Currently, the Rebel 500 is the one that has received its necessary emissions update and hence could kickstart the 500cc platform in the country. Its 471cc parallel-twin mill will be the first mid-capacity twin from Honda in India. It puts out 46.22PS and 43Nm, which is quite less when compared to the Interceptor 650. But it is a whole 11 kilos lighter than the RE bike.

If you care to follow the social media pages of Honda India’s Big Wing networks, the pages have been regularly posting about the Fireblade. There has been no mention about the Rebel or any of its 500cc siblings so far. Expect more teasers to drop from Honda soon about the new big bike.