2005 Vento Rebellian Review

The Vento line of scooters and motorcycles began in San Diego, California in 1996, with their manufacturing plant in nearby Mexico. They quickly switched plants to Laredo, Texas, to make it an ""American-made"" product. By 2008, they were out of business. Introduced in 2005, the Rebellian is one of their motorcycle lines and is considered to be a cruiser, or touring model, with its styled front and rear fenders, tear-drop four-gallon tank, and classic instrumentation.

Carrying on the image, it has a pair of factory-installed studded leather saddlebags with matching studded two-up vinyl seating at 30.3 inches high. The windshield completes the look. It also comes with its own storage cover, although no standard rack is available, so buyers will want to look for something that will adapt for extra storage. Instrumentation is analog with a speedometer, a trip reset, a tachometer, and a low fuel warning light. Its fuel gauge is located in the four-gallon tank, along with the ignition lock. Unlike most of its type, it does have an alarm system. The driver has a set of floorboards, and normal footpegs for the passenger. It's an electric or kick start bike, for those who don't maintain their batteries.

The Rebellian is 52.1 inches tall, 35 inches wide, and almost 86 inches long. It has sporty aluminum wheels – 16-inches on the front and 15-inches on the rear. Running only on premium fuel, it should take you around 200 miles between fill ups. At only 13.4 horsepower, this air-cooled bike weighs in at 323 pounds dry and is rather underpowered to be considered a real cruiser. Factor in the weight of the rider, and you will find it difficult to reach freeway speeds. However, if you're cruising country back-roads, this might be the bike for you.