Honda Rebel 500 vs Kawasaki Eliminator 500: A Strangely Interesting Take on the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM)

Why do Honda Rebel 500 and Kawasaki Eliminator 500 look similar? I believe that’s not because they’re both modern cruisers. I feel the answer is not so straightforward. Any two modern cruisers don’t have to look alike. I think the answer lies in their most obvious fact - that they’re Japanese.

When Honda launched the CB750 in 1969, it not only gave birth to the concept of Superbike, it also marked the beginning of a standard design language which the Japanese followed in the following years and made some of the best pre-fairing motorcycles. That standard design language was called Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM).

By CB750’s standards, a UJM would have an inline-4 engine, standard upright riding position, front disc brake (at least), electric starter, steel down tube frame, telescopic front forks and twin rear shocks. And that’s how many of such motorcycles were made by the big Japanese four in the years that followed.

But why am I talking about this in the context of Honda Rebel and the Kawasaki Eliminator? Clearly, traditional UJMs are long gone (although, the Kawasaki Z900 RS is a remarkable modern-day representation of that legacy, but more on that in another article). The Rebel and the Eliminator are quite far away from that core concept, yet, their similarities remind us of how the UJM came to define Japanese motorcycles in the 1970s and the 1980s.

2025 Kawasaki Eliminator 500 is a modern cruiser with a minimalistic design, and it looks uncannily similar to the Honda Rebel 500.

I would like to point out that despite the similarities in their appearances, the Rebel and the Eliminator are quite distinguishable, mostly by their fuel tanks. The Rebel’s fuel tank is much more elevated and has a more prominent rounded profile at its front, while the Eliminator’s fuel tank sits at a flatter angle in comparison. That’s because, if you notice, the Rebel’s chassis has a steeper incline towards the front. The Eliminator’s chassis is not so much.

Yet, both motorcycles have a very minimalistic design language with completely exposed frames (that add to their minimal look), and the overall silhouette remains strangely similar. This realisation gets even more interesting because they are modern cruisers which means they’re not bounded by stricter traditional cruiser styling.

The likeness between the two bikes extend beyond the looks and further into more functional parts. The Rebel and the Eliminator are powered by liquid-cooled parallel-twin engines. The Eliminator’s 451cc engine is oversquare or short-stroke while the Rebel’s 471cc engine is almost square (almost identical bore and stroke). And though both the engines are quite relaxed and linear in nature, the Kawasaki’s unit revs higher and makes its peak power of 45 PS @ 9,000 RPM. On the other hand, Honda’s engine makes its peak power of 46.2 PS @ 8,500 RPM. Torque figures are even closer with the Eliminator making 42.6 NM @ 7,500 RPM and the Rebel producing 43.3 NM @ 6,000 RPM.

Those number seem to give the Honda a tiny advantage but I believe that the Kawasaki is a little peppier in comparison. And this is largely due to the Eliminator being noticeably lighter at 176 kg against the Rebel at 191 kg!

2025 Honda Rebel 500 is quite comparable to the Kawasaki Eliminator 500 in terms of styling, especially the exhaust and the front portion.

Both the motorcycles come with a single front/rear disc brake setup, twin rear shockers and a street-oriented conventional-looking handlebar. Circular headlights and especially the exhausts further highlight how similar the two motorcycles appear.

Looking at the Rebel and the Eliminator, it is clear that there’s no inherent connection with the UJM concept. But the closeness in their design language is a good nod to it, even if it’s completely unintentional. And I don’t think that the Japanese would mind it too.