Are Honda Cruisers Going Clutchless in 2025?

In the wake of Honda’s latest announcement of changes to its Rebel 250 model (sorry, it’s only available in Asia) the above headline makes more sense. Yep, Big Red recently gave word that two new variants of the smallest Rebel, dubbed “Rebel 250 E-Clutch” and “Rebel 250 S Edition E-Clutch” will debut with the electronic Honda E-Clutch when they are officially released sometime in March.

So, is that modified Rebel just Asia market only for now, or does that mean our own Rebel 300—and more crucially, the Rebel 500—will get that tech as well? And perhaps even other bikes in Big Red’s cruiser series too? It’s a strong possibility, and here’s why.

Related: Top 5 Features of the Honda Rebel 1100T Bagger

For one, Big Red has already pushed its DCT and E-Clutch tech to plenty of other mainstream models in the catalog, from Gold Wing tourers to the NC750 middleweight to, yes, even cruisers. In the US, for example, Honda shook up more than a few leather-fringe types with the introduction of the Rebel 1100 DCT in 2021, and E-Clutch became standard equipment on the current CBR650R and CB650R just last year.

So what’s the difference twixt DCT and E-Clutch again? To recap, Honda’s Dual-Clutch Transmission automatically changes gears without the rider having to operate the clutch lever (using two clutches). The Honda E-Clutch, on the other hand, is far simpler and only automates clutch operation; it’s a manual transmission system with the rider in control of shifting, as on normal transmission motorcycles. At its heart, the system has a drive unit and motor control unit (MCU) with two small motors and gears; in conjunction with the engine’s electronic control unit (ECU), the MCU responds to data sent from various sensors. Think of E-Clutch as a bridge between the regular manual transmissions we all learned on and the flood of semi-auto and full auto bikes that are rapidly infiltrating manufacturer’s fleets everywhere.

On our ride with the CB650R, we said, “This innovative system…allow[s] riders to shift gears seamlessly without manually engaging the clutch,” but there are other benefits too. For one, the E-Clutch is simple and compact, and can be installed without major changes to existing engines, which Honda says it plans to do with multiple models over time. The other good news is that the E-Clutch is relatively inexpensive and easily fitted to even a beginner bike, so its price tag won’t suffer too much. For example, the Rebel 250 E-Clutch in Japan is only $325 more than the manual model, and a version of that SOHC single engine can even be found here in the US, with the larger 286cc lump used in the Rebel 300, the CB300R, and CRF300L. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that those models could see the E-Clutch system too. With the E-Clutch being so easily adapted to almost any bike with a conventional clutch—and with minimal expense—we’re convinced the Rebel 500 and other bikes packing the same motor, such as the CB500F and NX500, are next in the barrel. Or so we hope.

Honda’s goal, clearly, is to make operating a motorcycle a less challenging proposition both to those just starting out as well as seasoned vets who may be coming to grips with mobility issues. If you look at the rapidly graying of rider demographics in the US, Big Red’s strategy of equipping more bikes with simplified operating systems seems fairly good business sense, if not just plain smart.

Note: Honda’s Japan website also indicated updates to its 2025 Rebel 500 cruiser model, with revisions to the handlebar position and improved padding in the seat. Two colors, Gunmetal Black Metallic and Classical White, will be offered when the model is released on February 20, though it’s not clear those changes will carry over to the US market.

Related: Top 5 Features of the 2024 Honda CB650R With E-Clutch