Back in the 1950s, Honda struck gold with the Super Cub — a compact, lightweight scooter built to take anyone anywhere for any reason. It appealed to non-motorcyclists, it beat walking, and to this day it’s the best-selling motor vehicle in the world. Honda’s been chasing that high ever since, constantly making bikes for people who don’t know how to ride, and its latest attempt is this: A low-seat cruiser with manageable entry-level power that doesn’t even need you to learn a clutch.
Here in the States the Honda Rebel line starts at 300 ccs, but back home in Japan Honda still sells the good old Rebel 250. New for 2025 that little 250 gets the option of Honda’s E-clutch system from the 650 bikes, making for an entry-level ride that requires absolutely zero left-hand finesse. It isn’t quite as refined as the dual-clutch automatic offered on Honda’s Rebel 1100 or Africa Twin, but should be good enough to get some riders on two-wheels who have never ridden before.
The E-clutch is an odd system, because riders still have to shift — it’s just the clutchwork that’s taken out of the picture. Up and down still happen with your left foot, but they operate on a quickshifter-like system that handles everything without requiring a pesky second lever. You can still use the clutch if you choose to, but you never have to — not a bad way to ease automatic transmission drivers into the world of shifting on two wheels.
We won’t be getting the Rebel 250 with the E-clutch over in the United States, but don’t be surprised if the tech shows up on our Rebel 300 in time. Honda wants to turn drivers and bicyclists into motorcyclists, and the company will keep testing new methods of making bikes easier to ride until it finds another Super Cub.