Honda Rebel 500 vs Yamaha V-star 250
Side-by-side comparison for used motorcycle buyers
Honda Rebel 500 vs Yamaha V-star 250. Honda Rebel 500: 46 hp @ 8,500 rpm hp, 191 kg (wet/curb weight) weight, top speed 160 km/h (est. — note: Honda does not officially publish top speed), Motoryk rating 7.8/10. Yamaha V-star 250: 21 hp @ 8,000 rpm hp, 145 kg (wet/curb weight) weight, top speed 120 km/h, Motoryk rating 6.5/10.
Performance at a Glance
Green = winner per metric · Bars are relative to the higher value
Honda Rebel 500
Yamaha V-star 250
Horsepower (hp)
46 hp
21 hp
Torque (Nm)
43 Nm
19.6 Nm
Top Speed (km/h)
160 km/h
120 km/h
Weight (kg) — lower is better
191 kg
145 kg
Type
Cruiser
Cruiser
Horsepower
46 hp @ 8,500 rpm
21 hp @ 8,000 rpm
Torque
43 Nm @ 6,000 rpm
19.6 Nm @ 6,000 rpm
Top Speed
160 km/h (est. — note: Honda does not officially publish top speed)
120 km/h
Weight
191 kg (wet/curb weight)
145 kg (wet/curb weight)
Fuel
3.5 L/100km (approx. 28.5 km/L typical real-world average)
2.7 L/100km or approximately 37 km/L (typical real-world average)
Fairing
No
No
Individual Reviews
Honda Rebel 500
7.8/10
"The most competent beginner cruiser Honda has ever built."
Pros
+Honda reliability, near-bulletproof
+Comfortable low seat height
+Better handling than expected
Cons
−Highway cruising feels strained
−Wind protection essentially nonexistent
−Styling divides opinion sharply
Yamaha V-star 250
6.5/10
"A solid learner bike you'll definitely want to sell within a year."
Pros
+Genuinely attractive cruiser styling
+Dead-simple, cheap maintenance
+Forgiving, confidence-building power
Cons
−Utterly useless on highways
−Outgrown embarrassingly quickly
−Zero passenger capability
Top 10 Accessories
Picks that work on either bike.
