2024 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT Tour edition

One very simple word comes to mind when I hit the road on the 2024 Honda Rebel 1100…smooth. Very smooth. When Honda first released the Rebel series, it was introduced in a 300cc and 500cc variants. The small introduction cruisers were a hit for Honda off the line, for all the people that were looking to get into the cruiser market without blowing the bank on some massive 1700cc bagger, but also for those JUST getting into motorcycling in general. A super approachable bike for anyone, the 500cc was the biggest seller. However, a couple years into its intro, people were looking for just a bit more out of the 500 that they couldn’t get without going back to the same problem as before, blowing the bank on the next step up in their evolution as a motorcyclist. Thus, Honda listened and answered with a logical step up. 

Introduced in 2021, the Honda Rebel 1100 was a solid seller. For everyone looking for the logical next step in their riding career, the 1100 was everything the 500 was, just dialed up. A 1,087cc engine was thrown into the all-new frame, the same engine that sits in the famous Honda Africa Twin 1100. With double the horsepower figurers, torque figures and pretty much everything else, the Rebel 1100 takes you just that much further where the 500 could not. A bigger tank allows for more distance between fill ups, a longer wheelbase and bigger tires help keep the bike stable, on top of the now 545lb wet weight. An all-new dash and control set up across the bars keep the info you need close and at a glance, without overloading you with information. Rider modes are a welcome upgrade for the 1100, having 4 main modes at your disposal. Rain, Standard, Sport, and User for your own customization. A 27.5in seat height allows ANYONE to ride this beauty, and the mid controls help with that approachability. However, if you are anywhere over 6ft like I am, you may start to feel crunched up and tight. I noticed that in the saddle, just after an hour I was cramped up in my hips and my upper shoulders felt a bit tight. So, if you are below 6ft, I think you would feel right at home on the 1100. 

So on to the second biggest topic in this review, the DCT drive. If you aren’t familiar with DCT, it stands for dual clutch transmission, which acts as an “automatic” transmission. With DCT on, the bike is smooth and runs through the gears based on what the computer thinks is optimal for the way you are riding. So, if you are heavier on the throttle and need to get out of the way of traffic, the computer will tell the bike to shift higher in the revs to give you more low end punch in the lower gears. If you are casually riding through the city or backroads, the computer instead will mostly short shift so that the bike is being more economical on fuel and give you the best range per what the tank has left in it for gas. DCT has come a long way since its introduction in 2010, being almost impossible to feel on the up shifts, and very smooth on the down shifts, even with aggressive braking, causing the computer to shift down quicker. Another fun thing about the DCT is that the computer will recognize when you come on to the throttle hard in say, 6th gear, it will down shift accordingly to the gear it thinks would give you the most go for that respective speed and launch you forward. 

Though this bike is the DCT model, it can still be driven semi-manually. On the right side of the controls, next to your ignition switch, you can choose between M and A. M standing for manual naturally, the bike will then turn off the DCT for you to start using the “paddle” shifters on the left control side. You have a plus and minus button, which will allow you to use the bike for all its got through the revs of all the gears. I believe however, if you are spinning the engine up too high for too long in a given gear, the bike will go back into DCT mode to save you from redlining the engine for too long in a gear. ABS comes standard on the 1100, as well as cruise control. The cruise function is really nice when you jump on the highway, the bike doesn’t vibrate or shake even when getting higher in the rev range, making for a relaxing ride. Mirrors are nothing to write home about except that they are deadly smooth. They don’t shake or vibrate to the point of not being able to make out what’s going on behind you, they stay the same from take off till you stop again. 

All in all, if  you are someone who is looking to upgrade their riding from their original Honda Rebel 500, or are someone interested in getting into the market of the cruiser scene, the Honda Rebel 1100 is a solid choice to throw on your list. It is definitely one of the smaller cruisers in the over 1000cc class, but if you are below 6ft and are ready for more, I think this would be one of the best options. The 1100 comes in a few trims, colours ways, touring packages, and a choice between having it in a full manual model or a DCT model.

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Author: Enrique Flores-Smith

Photo credit: Enrique Flores-Smith

Check out the 2024 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT here!

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