Hello,

I’m thinking of buying a Honda Rebel 300 or 500 in the USA and driving through the USA, Mexico and Central America and maybe South America and I’m wondering if that is a good plan.

Some background information.

I’m travelling through South America for over a year now and I love it!!! I started in Colombia with my BMW F750 GS, with low saddle and low suspension and I’m now in the south of Argentina (Rio Grande). I chose the motorcycle because I’m 5’4 (1,62 cm) with short legs and it was the one from which I could make the motorcycle with the lowest seat height (not being a cruiser/chopper). The seat height is 30 inch (77 cm), but I still cannot put my feet flat on the ground. I have trouble maneuver with the motorcycle and taking it backwards. I don’t dear to write down how many times I dropped my motorcycle and fell off my motorcycle. I also had some serious injuries on my ribs and lung in the last year and 3 weeks ago I broke 7 ribs and had a collapsed lung. I decided that I will sell the motorcycle, because I cannot handle it. Some of you warned me that it won’t be easy to handle that motorcycle in South and Central America for a short woman. Now I experienced that myself. I’m near Punta Arenas now and I hope I can sell the motorcycle there.

So, after I am recovered from my injury and have sold my motorcycle I was thinking of going to the USA to buy a Honda Rebel 300 or 500 and drive through some states of the USA and Mexico and Central America and maybe South America again.

I was thinking about this bike because I cannot find a motorcycle not being a cruiser/chopper with a saddle (also with low saddle and low suspension) lower than 30 inch (77 cm). The Rebel is not that heavy (Rebel 300 is 370 lbs (168 kg) and Rebel 500 is 414 lbs (188 kg) including gasoline) and the seat height is 27,2 inch (69 cm). I am planning to have other tires on it (maybe 50/50) and a bash plate and some other things and drive as little off road as possible. I don’t like riding off road anyway, maybe because I tried it on the heavy BMW, but what I don’t like about it is that I have to concentrate so much and I don’t like bumpy roads.

I only looked for reliable brands, because I know very little about motorcycles. I was at a dealer in Argentina which sold BMW and Royal Enfield (my motorcycle got a service there) and the seller said that I should never ever buy a Royal Enfield, because there are so many problems with that brand.

Long story, but I’m wondering if a Honda Rebel would be a good choice for me, and if so, if I should buy a 300 or a 500. I tend to buy a 500, because it weighs only 20 kg more and from reviews I understand that it is way more comfortable (less vibration on the highway, less noice (I don’t like noice…) and more power.

Thanks a lot for advice on this!

Loes