For 2023, Honda has unveiled the CL500. The new model is a twist on the Rebel 500 with long-travel suspension and scrambler styling. (Honda/)

In the last couple of weeks, Honda has dropped a whole lot of Rebels on an unsuspecting world. We saw the debut of the brand new 1100T and the return of the 1100 standard model, as well as a batch of Rebel 300 and 500 models returning for the 2023 model year, in both Europe and the US.

And it looks like Honda’s not done with the Rebel platform yet. Last week at EICMA the firm rolled out the brand new scrambler-styled CL500, reviving the iconic nameplate featured prominently on the brand’s scramblers in the 1960s-70s.

The CL nameplate is a nod to Honda’s 1960s-era scrambler models that came to the US, though the CL500 is confirmed only for the European market so far. (Honda/)

Despite the CL name, this new model is based on Honda’s Rebel 500 cruiser platform. Even though we’d heard rumors about a Honda retro-scrambler over the last year, we never really considered the Rebel as a possible foundation. Yet here we are, looking at a street-legal, production-ready 2023 CL500 model, already officially up on the Honda UK website as we speak.

Related: First Look: 2023 Honda Rebel 1100T Bagger

The new model builds on the Rebel 500 platform, using the same 471cc parallel-twin engine but mounting it in a revised trellis frame. (Honda/)

To be fair, Honda didn’t just take the Rebel 500 and fit it with longer shocks, a flat seat, and knobby tires and call it good, although it did add some of those things. While the liquid-cooled 471cc parallel-twin engine the CL500 shares with both the Rebel and the CB500X is pretty much unchanged here, it’s a good fit for the application, making around 45 horsepower and a decent 32 lb-ft of torque. Honda has tweaked it a bit, giving the CL500 revised fuel injection mapping and a new intake and exhaust setup. For crisper acceleration, CL’s rear sprocket also has 41 teeth versus the 40 used by the Rebel.

The CL500’s engine is virtually unchanged from the Rebel 500’s though mapping has been tweaked and final gearing shortened. (Honda/)

But the CL500 serves up other revisions where it counts, stuffing that twin engine into what it calls a “new tubular steel trellis-style main frame.” It’s actually fairly close to the Rebel’s, though on the CL500 there’s a new modified loop-shaped rear subframe to accommodate the taller shocks. That long-travel suspension further differentiates the CL; upfront, there’s a non-adjustable right-side-up 41mm telescopic fork wearing classic black gaiters and delivering a healthy 5.9 inches of travel. Out back you’re greeted by a pair of long-stroke exposed twin shocks with 5.7 inches of travel and 5-step spring preload adjustment (3 up from standard, 1 down), attached to a simple but robust tubular swingarm. Substantial triple clamps are also CL-specific, while the 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels wear semi-knobby tires, a hard break from the Rebel’s smaller-diameter 16-inchers. That said, there’s still only 6 inches of ground clearance on the CL, so keeping off-road forays on the mild side is probably safest.

Exposed dual shocks offer spring preload adjustability and 5.7 inches of travel. Wide steel footpegs are fitted with rubber inserts. (Honda/)

The trade-off for bigger wheels and longer travel suspension is invariably a taller seat, but at 31.1 inches, the CL500 still seems like it’d be manageable for most riders. The extra room in the cockpit means there are also higher-rise handlebars, angled to provide better leverage when either standing up or sitting down and fitted with off-road style grips

Related: Honda Europe Unveils 2023 Monkey and Rebel Models

Honda says the front and rear brakes as well as the ABS are balanced to handle a variety of road surfaces. (Honda/)

The CL500′s brakes are set up to fit its casual off-road purpose as well, with a two-piston front caliper clamping a 310mm floating disc. Hydraulic pressure is balanced between the front and the rear single-piston caliper, to serve up “better control on a wider range of surfaces” according to Honda. The ABS modulation is also tweaked for a variety of riding conditions. The six-speed gearbox is managed by an assist and slipper clutch, which likewise appears to be unchanged from the Rebel unit.

The cockpit is roomy, with a higher-set bar, a reshaped fuel tank and a single negative LCD gauge swapped right off the Rebel. Tank pads provide another contact point for the legs when standing. (Honda/)

While there’s no getting around the obvious Rebel 500 design language employed on the CL500,  the whole enchilada makes for a surprisingly good-looking combo. The visual department gets help from a new tank that’s more rounded and more horizontally laid out compared to the awkward vertical tilt of the Rebel 500′s. Perhaps the biggest wart on the bike, though, is that egregiously oversized high-mounted exhaust muffler. No doubt there’s a cat hidden in there, but it’s still the first piece on the bike we’d change out.

LED lighting front and rear come standard; circular headlight seen here is shared with the Rebel 500. (Honda/)

Also borrowed from the Rebel is the LED lighting package, as well as the single-gauge LCD display perched just above the handlebar. There’s nothing particularly complicated, but then this isn’t a tech-packed bike.

The flat seat allows for easier movement on the bike. Stock height is 31.1 inches, but a 30mm taller option (in brown, naturally) is also available. (Honda/)

Honda also released a series of accessories and bundled kits for the bike, including a fly screen, saddlebags, hand guards, and even a top box. The rear subframe is designed for easy fitment of parts, while an additional rear rack will handle the 38L top box.

With four vibrant paint options to give the CL500 some punch, Honda has also made it pretty clear it’s targeting a young and somewhat style-conscious demographic. Whether or not that means the bike will make it into the hands of young US riders remains to be seen.

The CL500 in Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic. (Honda/)

The CL500 will also be available in this Energy Orange paint scheme. (Honda/)

The 2023 Honda CL500 in Candy Caribbean Blue Sea. (Honda/)

The CL500 is in Mat Laurel Green Metallic. (Honda/)

2023 Honda CL 500 Specifications

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