What is the horsepower of a 1986 Honda Rebel 250?

[Davidb1986]

My bro is looking to get a 1986 Honda Rebel 250 which is in great working condition and only has 9988 original miles and has been maintained very well for $925. He doesn't want a ninja 250 because he wants a cruiser. I told him a ninja 250 is great to learn on whether you upgrade to a bigger sport bike or a cruiser. He wants to know the HP of the Rebel, but when I google it I get no where. I was wondering if anyone knew what it was or where I could look. I've heard the Rebels top out at between 70 and 80 mph but he still wants it at that price. He is looking into getting into the MSF class in a month or 2 and is looking at gear. I am helping him with finding gear that is a bargain (clearance Joe Rocket jacket and gloves and a m2r helmet) I have boots for him. Anywho back to my main question (still having issues with my back from my work injury and my pain meds make me ramble on and on). What is the HP of a 1986 Honda Rebel and what is the max speed of the bike with a 5'11" 155lbs rider? He wants to be able to ride it on the Interstate.

[2WheelGuy]

I'm told, no first hand experience, that the 1986 250 rebel makes about 17hp at the wheel and tops out in the 70-75mph range.

[Davidb1986]

Originally Posted by 2WheelGuy

I'm told, no first hand experience, that the 1986 250 rebel makes about 17hp at the wheel and tops out in the 70-75mph range.

Thanks for the info I'll pass it on to him. Should I try and convince him to start with a ninjette? He is pretty much set on the Rebel and thinks it will be ok for Interstate riding. I'm telling him that what it maxes out at isn't enough to keep up with traffic. It took several months to convince him to take a MSF course and the only reason he is taking it now is because I'm paying for 1/3 of it. How can people think that they can just jump on a bike and ride with the crazy people on the road and be ok without being taught what to do in certain situations and how to corner correctly and everything else that is taught in the course?

[Alex]

He'll find out soon enough, and will have no trouble selling the rebel for what he paid for it.

[BlueRaven]

When i went to look at the Rebel when shopping for a 250 and they told me that it didn't come close to the power that the ninjette has. Another negative is the bike is extremely low. I'm 5' and my knees were slightly bent when sitting on it with my feet on the ground. It's a cute bike but too small for a 5'11" person.

[Davidb1986]

Well he's 20 years old and thinks he knows everything. He won't listen to me. Would the Suzuki GZ250 have more power?

[bdavison]

Ive ridden rebels on the interstate...actually, I still have a bike with a motor based on the rebel's design. I can tell you it will run on the interstate...but not very well. It's really tapped out for power when it hits around 70mph. You can pull 80mph, but its pretty much wound out, and done producing power. If you get to a uphill, it will drop down to 75mph. I would consider the rebel 250 the bear minimum to get on the interstate.

Comparing it to the ninja 250...the ninja will hit 90mph before the end of the on-ramp...and tops out around the 100mph mark. It will easily do 90mph uphill, even with my 6'3" 185lb butt on it. I ride mine on the interstate all the time...sometimes with a friend who has a V-star 650. He's mentioned a few times that he has trouble keeping up with me when I take off to pass cars and such.

There is a huge difference between the rebel's 234cc engine and the ninja's 249cc engine, not only in displacement, but in horsepower, and the ninja's higher rpm range really give it an advantage.

If your friend is set on a cruiser type bike, Id recommend at least a 650cc cruiser. perhaps a nice used Virago or V-star which he should be able to find for a good price. If he's flexable on the cruiser vs sportbike issue....without a doubt, go for the ninja.

[Grn99Kawi]

As has been said, the rebel will have to do everything it can to go 75mph.. I think the speedo even tops out at like 70 or 80.. having said that.. for teh price you cant go wrong... I think he will grow out of that bike within a season easily... a Ninja 250 would definately serve him longer... My riding buddy has a Suzuki VS800 Intruder.. They can be found relatively affordable.. its Vtwin is pretty good on gas and has no problem on the parkways... he is now having trouble keepin up with my CBR at times now though.. lol

[bdavison]

Oh, and to answer your question....

Honda Rebel = 17 HP @ 8250 RPM
its a 234cc air cooled 4 stroke twin, single overhead cam with two valves per cylinder and 5 speed tranny


Kawasaki Ninja 250r = 36 HP @ 11000 RPM (26 @ rear wheel)
its a 249cc water cooled 4 stroke twin, dual overhead cam, with four valves per cylinder and 6 speed tranny

[Mo1981]

I have had the pleasure of owning a Rebel along side the Ninja. It was my wife's bike. I could not get rid of it quick enough. She didn't ride it enough, so I ended up riding it just to keep it fresh. 6"1" guy + Rebel = no bueno. I sold it for what I paid. It was a good little bike for her around town. It doesn't handle the highway well. I got it to 65 and that was about all it had. I don't think he's going to be happy with it for long.

[jonthechron]

want something more powerful? look at 1984+ Honda NSR 250, they give out a nice 45 HP that's 170 MPH, probably the fastest 250 out there..

[Alex]

Originally Posted by jonthechron

look at 1984+ Honda NSR 250, they give out a nice 45 HP that's 170 MPH, probably the fastest 250 out there..

Fun bikes, fast 2-strokes, but nowhere near 170 mph. The fastest ones topped out at 129 mph (209 kph). 45 hp only gets the bike so far. In a production bike (not a streamliner or something similar) 100 hp is needed to hit 155 mph - 165 mph, 150 hp is needed to hit 175 mph - 185 mph, and to hit an honest 200 mph a reasonable estimate is 200 - 210 hp.

[Davidb1986]

Originally Posted by jonthechron

want something more powerful? look at 1984+ Honda NSR 250, they give out a nice 45 HP that's 170 MPH, probably the fastest 250 out there..

I have actually been looking for a honda NSR 250 for me. They are sharp little bikes. I love they way those bikes look. I can't seem to find one though. I found a 1985 GSXR 750 for $1500 and it only has 11,112 miles a vans and hines exhaust and they only thing wrong with it cosmetically is it needs a right rear blinker cover. The blinker still works it just needs the plastic cover. If I had the $1500 I would buy it today!!! I was just wanting to get some input on the Rebel. I want to make sure it is a good starter bike for my brother. I'm the oldest of 3 boys so I have to look out for my little brothers even though both of them are taller than I am. I guess for the $925 a Rebel 250 ain't so bad especially since he could sell it for what he paid for it.

[sombo]

Why not have him look at the Vulcan 500ltd? It's drivetrain is based on the ninja 500 but tuned for better low-mid end power. It has a 6-speed tranny, hasn't changed in about 20yrs and can be gotten for dirt cheap. It's got enough power to outrun Harley 883's from what owners have testified. It's about the best starting cruiser you can get and at extremely low prices if you look around.



Beginner bike review on the 500LTD.

[Davidb1986]

We have looked at the Vulcan 500s online (dealerships, craigslist, and locally) but he only has about $900-$1100 and we haven't found one for that yet. I think he is going to go with the 86 Rebel. I was watching some youtube videos of it on the Interstate and it seemed to do well. He just wants something he can learn on for about 2000 miles or so to learn the basics. I have a feeling I'll go through the MSF course with him (I had a blast the first time) and I'll probably elect to use my ninja this time around. I have boots for him, but the jacket, gloves, and helmet he wants is on clearance and is about $160 for all three, and they are all reliable brands. As started in the intro the Rebel he's looking at is in good working order, new battery, tires, and just had the carbs cleaned. Inspection and registration is good until Feb 2011, and the bike only has 9988 miles. I'm sure if he puts 2000 miles on it and sells it he can get the $925 back.

[karlosdajackal]

Originally Posted by Davidb1986

Well he's 20 years old and thinks he knows everything. He won't listen to me. Would the Suzuki GZ250 have more power?

So let him make his own mistakes, I'm sure if you where set on a Ninja 250r (sporty) and he tried hard to convinced you to get a Rebel (cruiser) you'd probably not like him very much right now

You offered advice, he didn't take it, move on he does not want a sport bike, I don't see the fixation with getting a 250 either. I live in a country where the Ninja 250 is the upper power limit of what a new rider is allowed to have, yet we can still get a tractor (Harley 883 ) that produces double the power because its so darn heavy and slow. If he wants a cruiser he should get the one he likes with the appropriate engine size for its weight and the roads he will ride it on and of course the one he likes most.

1st bikes are supposed to be about heart not head decisions. Don't try impose what you think are appropriate limits based on your Ninja 250 experience (only 250cc must be able to do 90mph, low price, must do MSF, etc, etc)

Even if he gets the wrong bike he will thank you in the long run for letting him ignore your advice

[Davidb1986]

Originally Posted by karlosdajackal

So let him make his own mistakes, I'm sure if you where set on a Ninja 250r (sporty) and he tried hard to convinced you to get a Rebel (cruiser) you'd probably not like him very much right now

You offered advice, he didn't take it, move on he does not want a sport bike, I don't see the fixation with getting a 250 either. I live in a country where the Ninja 250 is the upper power limit of what a new rider is allowed to have, yet we can still get a tractor (Harley 883 ) that produces double the power because its so darn heavy and slow. If he wants a cruiser he should get the one he likes with the appropriate engine size for its weight and the roads he will ride it on and of course the one he likes most.

1st bikes are supposed to be about heart not head decisions. Don't try impose what you think are appropriate limits based on your Ninja 250 experience (only 250cc must be able to do 90mph, low price, must do MSF, etc, etc)

Even if he gets the wrong bike he will thank you in the long run for letting him ignore your advice

I guess I'm just playing the role of the big brother. I'm trying to protect my little brother and I'm forgetting he's 20. I guess I still see it as trying to protect him from the school yard bullies like I did when we were young. If he wants the Rebel then I should support him and enjoy going on all day rides with him after he gets his bike. He did ask me what the MSF course taught so after I told him he was excited about it.

[karlosdajackal]

Originally Posted by Davidb1986

I guess I'm just playing the role of the big brother. I'm trying to protect my little brother and I'm forgetting he's 20. I guess I still see it as trying to protect him from the school yard bullies like I did when we were young. If he wants the Rebel then I should support him and enjoy going on all day rides with him after he gets his bike. He did ask me what the MSF course taught so after I told him he was excited about it.

I have a friend getting into bikes too and going a totally different path than I did, so I'll tell him what my experience was and let him make his own choices. Who knows I could learn something from his approach

[Kurosaki]

I think Rebels are actually measured in ponypower

[sharky nrk]

While I do agree, the Rebel is probably a bit small and weak for long term ownership; for $925 in great shape to learn on, its a no brainer. Let him buy it, learn on it, make mistakes that may be a hard hard lesson on a 600 to 700 lb full size cruiser; and when he is ready he will move on to something else and someone else can use the Rebel for the same purposes.

[mrlmd]

With the exception of the 250 Ninja, none of the 250cc bikes- Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha - will do well on the freeway. They make great beginner bikes and are great for riding the backroads at 55-65 and around town, but are almost maxed out at highway speeds with little or no reserve power and a greatly shortened engine life at those speeds. If he wants a bike for freeway riding, get something bigger and heavier, not blown off the road in the wind. 500 - 650cc would be a lot better.