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Honda OEM accessories for the Rebel 500 — which ones are actually worth it

  • rebel-500
  • cmx500
  • oem-accessories

Honda sells a small but well-made catalog of OEM accessories for the Rebel 500 (CMX300/500). The parts are designed to fit perfectly, maintain warranty compliance, and keep the bike looking factory-intentional. The trade-off is price — OEM accessories carry Honda’s markup, and aftermarket alternatives exist for most of them at lower cost.

Here is what Honda offers and whether each piece justifies its price.

Worth it: Headlight Cowl (08R70-K87-A30)

The headlight cowl is the single most popular OEM accessory for the Rebel 500. It wraps around the round LED headlight and gives the front end a more aggressive, finished look — closer to the 1100 SE’s factory appearance.

Why OEM wins here: The fit is perfect, the finish matches the factory paint, and the install is straightforward. Aftermarket cowls (K-Speed, generic Amazon) exist, but quality and fitment vary. If you want a cowl that looks factory, buy the factory one.

Price: ~USD $225. Available through Honda dealers; also listed on eBay by part number.

Worth it: Tank Pad (08P70-K87-A30)

A clear or textured rubber pad for the top of the tank, where your knees grip and your jacket zipper rubs. The OEM pad is thin, nearly invisible, and perfectly contoured to the Rebel’s teardrop tank shape.

Why OEM wins here: Generic tank pads from Amazon work fine on flat tanks, but the Rebel’s curved tank makes precise fitment matter. The OEM pad sits flush and stays put. At ~USD $32, it is also one of the cheapest Honda accessories.

Conditional: Fork Boot Kit (08F70-K87-A31)

Fork boots cover the exposed fork tubes — a visual nod to classic cruisers and light protection against stone chips on the fork seals. They look good on the Rebel, but they also trap moisture and dirt against the fork tubes if not cleaned periodically.

OEM vs aftermarket: Generic fork boots from Amazon fit 7/8″–1″ fork tubes and cost a fraction of Honda’s price. If appearance is the goal, the OEM set matches the bike’s finish better. If protection is the goal, any quality boot works.

Price: ~USD $66 for the OEM set.

Conditional: Meter Visor (08R74-K87-A30)

A small windscreen that sits above the instrument cluster. It does not block meaningful wind — it is primarily aesthetic, giving the cockpit a more “finished” look. At ~USD $413, it is one of Honda’s most expensive accessories for the Rebel, and a real windscreen (from a third-party) would do more for actual wind protection.

Recommendation: Skip unless you specifically want the factory look. For wind protection, aftermarket windshields from Memphis Shades or Puig offer better coverage at lower cost.

Skip (go aftermarket): Soft Saddlebag Kit (08L04-K87-K01)

Honda’s OEM soft saddlebags are functional but overpriced at ~USD $841. Aftermarket saddlebag options from Viking, Nelson-Rigg, and others offer similar or better capacity, easier mounting, and significantly lower prices.

Better alternative: A pair of universal throw-over saddlebags from Amazon ($60–150) or a purpose-built set from RevZilla ($100–300). See our tail bags & racks guide for mounting considerations.

Where to buy OEM parts

Honda does not run an affiliate programme for OEM accessories. The best routes for finding these parts:

  • Your local Honda dealer — guaranteed genuine parts, local warranty
  • eBay — search by Honda part number for new-old-stock and dealer-listed parts
  • Amazon AU/US — some OEM parts are resold by third-party sellers
  • Partzilla — US-based Honda parts retailer with good pricing (no affiliate programme; informational link only)

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