This Tandem Honda Rebel Is Hilarious But It’s No Joke

Since it first appeared in 1985, the Honda Rebel has become synonymous with beginner motorcycling. The friendly parallel-twin 243cc mini-cruiser was joined in 1987 by a 447cc version,  then the Rebel name disappeared from Honda’s lineup until it was revived for the 1996 and 1997 model years in its “250” trim. The Rebel skipped 1998, then remained a Honda staple from 1999 through 2016. For 2017, the Rebel was completely redesigned and offered it in 300 and 500cc models, and Honda’s kept pumping them out ever since, even adding an 1,100cc model in 2021.

Suffice it to say, there are a lot of Rebels out there, and Rebel fans. While many Rebel riders move on to larger-displacement machines, many others just keep on Rebel-ing. Indeed, Jack Riggan, creator of the tandem Rebel you see here, built an entire business out of the bikes as the founder of Jack’s Rebel Warehouse. Jack retired this summer and passed the Rebel-guru mantle to Kerri R of Kerri’s Rebel Worx.

I learned all this only just today, after getting tipped off by a reader to the bike’s for-sale listing on Facebook Marketplace. My first response was, understandably, to literally LOL. The pic below is a screen grab from seller Wayne Spring’s video that greets you when you open the listing:

I was impressed enough that the bike was fully painted, and upon closer inspection of the stills, it only became clearer that this was a thoughtfully and precisely constructed machine, not merely a kludge just for laughs. Nor was it a mere showpiece, as Jack and his wife apparently put more than a few miles under the Tandem Rebel’s considerable wheelbase. Via Facebook:

Good morning Rebel guys. My post is kind of sad but then I’m glad that someone else could enjoy my bike. We’ve owned this tandem motorcycle that my wife and I rode many many miles. We just sold it to someone yesterday that is a collector of unusual bikes our stuff. A 6 ft 2 which is way too tall for the tandem but he jumped on it and wrote it all the parking lot and loved it. So as much as we love the tandem that we at home for 18 to 20 years and gone the bike shows and whatever it was time to let it Go. My wife couldn’t ride anymore cuz she had a bad knee replacement and just didn’t enjoy getting on it so there’s time for everything to move on. We got a fair price and he got a good deal so everybody came out happy. Wish some of you Rebel riders would have had an opportunity to ride it with your family on it they would hold two grandkids on the back. Loved it but move on  – Jack at Jack’s Rebels Warehouse.

As you can imagine, I had questions about the build and contacted Wayne for the lowdown. At the top of this list: do both engines power the bike? Sadly, no; only the rear engine is functional, the front is merely a frame-filler. It is complete though, minus a carburetor, so it shouldn’t be much trouble to make the engine operable again. Parts will certainly be easy to find, as the SOHC parallel-twin engine has powered not only all those Rebels through 2016 but other Honda models as well. As for getting power to the rear wheel, well, that’s a whole ‘nother story, and I can see why Jack stuck with single-engine power.

Next question: does the passenger have any control responsibility? Nope, the passenger’s only job is to take in the scenery. All the hand and foot controls are operated by the front rider (pilot?), with extra-long linkages connecting the shift lever and brake pedal to the rear engine – you can see the long brake rod passing through the diamond plate fill panel in the pic below.

Speaking of the fill panels, they’re very well done – nearly factory-looking even, with their nicely radiused corners and chrome finish.

While the front end gets a solo seat, the back half of the Tandem Rebel has a pillion seat and sissy bar for two-up riding and a total of three people on the bike at once. Probably best to leave that sort of action for parade duty or other low-speed work though, as the Rebel’s braking system remains stock with a single disc and dual-piston caliper up front and a drum brake in the rear.

The closest I’ve come to anything like the Tandem Rebel is riding a bicycle built for two, which feels pretty normal until it’s time to take a corner, whereupon the extra wheelbase becomes very noticeable. Apparently the effect scales up for a tandem motorcycle:

All in all, I’m extremely into this thing. It’s delightful just to look at, I love that it’s actually well-built, and since it’s a Honda (two of them, even), there’s no reason it can’t go on being a reliable attention-getter for many years to come. Heck, it’s kind of its own parts bike.

If you can see yourself aboard the Tandem Rebel, aim your Facebook right here. Let us know if you take it home!

Top graphic image: Wayne Spring/Facebook