Is Honda scrambling the Rebel?

[advrider]

How’s your long-term memory? Will it stretch to 1968? If it does, there is a good chance that you will remember Honda’s CL350. I had been riding a CB72, and while it was a fun bike, the CL just looked so much tougher that I am sure I would have bought one if I had had the money. One British magazine said that “This was a true dual purpose machine. It’s (sic) dual purposes were (1) having fun riding and (2), not to beat about the bush, looking cool…” That might be true in retrospect, but at the time there was little to compare with the CL. And it looked tough!

Patent drawing for the new CL500. Will it happen? We can but hope. Image: Motorrad/Honda

The bike was based on the successful CB350, and it looks as though history just might be repeating itself at Minato City. Designs, patents and a trademark application from Honda have surfaced which point to the potential introduction of a CL500 which looks as though it will be powered by the 500cc twin of the CMX500 Rebel. It also seems as if it will share considerably more with the successful mini-chopper.

The twin cylinder engine with 471cc and 47 horsepower already powers four Honda models. This looks like it might be the fifth, a scrambler based on the frame of the Rebel with a new rear subframe for more seat height and ground clearance. The process is not dissimilar to the creation of that CL350 from the CB350 back in the day. In addition to the new, higher and longer subframe, the stubby shape of the medium-height muffler set is clearly obvious in the drawing. The flat shape of the seat and the tank are all new as well.

The CL350 was a lot of fun, although a jump like this was rather daring. Photo: Honda

The choice of name is intriguing. It not only references that 350, but also the CL models from the ‘70s which developed into competent off-road motorcycles. As well, the CLs also lost a cylinder and morphed into the multitude of XL models – could it be that we will see history repeat itself there, as well? At this stage there is no real indication whether the bike will be built, of course, or if it will come to America.

(Background information: MOTORRAD and real-classic.co.uk)

Vezi sursa