Will Honda's CL250 be the inspiration for the new CL300 for which the company has filed patents and naming rights?

In May Honda revealed plans to launch a new CL500 scrambler based on the engine and chassis structure of the Rebel 500, evidence of which has surfaced and will be accompanied by a smaller CL300.

The CL500 was rumored in Japan for some time, but earlier this year Honda essentially confirmed new rights to the "CL500″ trademark".

This filing coincides with a patent filed back in 2019 that showed how the Rebel 500's frame and engine could be adapted for a scrambler-style machine.

The same Japanese rumors of the CL500 also suggest that a smaller CL250 is on the way, essentially performing the same trick on the single-cylinder Rebel 250.

The recent patent drawings for the CL500 are likely to be similar to the layout of the CL300.

The smoking-gun proof of the CL300's existence comes once again in the form of a trademark application, filed by Honda for the rights to the name "CL300" in Thailand.

Maybe the CL300 will use the same 286cc liquid-cooled single that powers the Rebel 300, likely sharing essentially the same chassis with a longer seat and subframe to suit its retro scrambler styling.

Both the CL500 and CL300 are likely to launch later this year as 2023 models, part of the thrust for Honda to revisit past successes.

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