Ask five riders for the best first cruiser and you’ll get two answers: the Honda Rebel 500 and the Kawasaki Eliminator. They’re nearly identical in price and concept — modern parallel-twin, low seat, friendly power — which makes them the most interesting head-to-head in the beginner market. Let’s settle it.
The Specs, Side by Side
| Honda Rebel 500 | Kawasaki Eliminator | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6,499 | $6,649–$7,249 |
| Engine | 471cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin | 451cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin |
| Power | 46 hp / 32 lb-ft | 51 hp / 32 lb-ft |
| Seat height | 27.2 in | 28.0 in |
| Wet weight | 408 lbs | 388 lbs |
| Fuel economy | 60–70 MPG | 50–55 MPG |
The Engine Question
Both are liquid-cooled parallel-twins, and both are derived from proven sportbike engines — but tuned to opposite personalities.
The Rebel 500’s 471cc is famous for being smooth, docile, and essentially unkillable. It’s been in Honda’s lineup for years, refined to the point of boredom (the good kind). 46 horsepower delivered in the gentlest possible way.
The Eliminator’s 451cc comes from the Ninja 500 sport line, retuned for low-to-mid torque. It makes 5 more horsepower in a package 20 pounds lighter — and that difference is the whole story of this comparison. The Eliminator is measurably the quicker bike and the better power-to-weight machine in the sub-500cc cruiser class.
Weight and Handling
The Eliminator weighs 388 lbs; the Rebel 408. Twenty pounds doesn’t sound like much — until you’re paddling a bike backward into a tight garage spot or catching it at a stoplight on a cambered road. Lighter wins those moments.
But the Rebel pushes back with a lower seat (27.2" vs 28.0") and a narrow-between-the-knees chassis that makes it absurdly easy to flat-foot. For shorter riders, the Rebel’s stability at stops beats the Eliminator’s weight advantage. For taller riders, the numbers flip.
The Tech Gap
Two features separate these bikes:
- Honda’s optional E-Clutch on the new Rebel: shifts and stops without pulling the clutch lever. Genuinely game-changing for brand-new riders — the stalling problem largely disappears.
- Kawasaki’s SE trim ($7,249) adds a headlight cowl, fork boots, and a waterproof USB-C port. Nice, not necessary.
If you’re nervous about the manual clutch, the Rebel’s E-Clutch is the single best beginner feature on the market. Nothing in Kawasaki’s lineup counters it.
Style and Character
The Rebel wears modern industrial bobber styling — blacked-out, minimal, the bike every café Instagrams. The Eliminator is a “mini muscle cruiser” with a slightly sportier stance and peg position — it corners more willingly and looks a touch meaner.
Both look far more expensive than they are. Neither looks like a “starter bike,” which matters more than people admit.
Running Costs
The Rebel wins efficiency: 60–70 MPG versus the Eliminator’s 50–55. Both are cheap to insure relative to sport bikes (a $400-ish annual full-coverage neighborhood at major carriers), both have huge aftermarket support, and both will run forever with oil changes.
The Verdict
Buy the Rebel 500 if: you’re a shorter rider, you’re nervous about the clutch (E-Clutch), you want maximum reliability and MPG, or you want the safest possible choice. It’s the industry default because it’s excellent, not because it’s hyped.
Buy the Eliminator if: you’re taller, you want the quicker bike, you value the power-to-weight ratio, and the thought of “outgrowing” your first bike annoys you. It’s the enthusiast’s pick of the beginner class.
There’s no wrong answer — the wrong answer is the 1,300cc bike you talk yourself into instead. Buy the twin, learn properly, and upgrade because you want to, not because you have to.