IMO a Rebel 300 needs a tachometer. 1) You need to keep it above at least 3,500 rpm to help prevent lugging the engine – which reduces the life of the engine. I would keep it above 4,000 rpm or more carrying heavy loads or on hills. 2) Because the engine sounds so revved-up, I think some owners shift up early, and do not utilize the higher rpm of the bike. Adding a tachometer would help this.
There’s more. At low rpm, you should accelerate slowly, Hard acceleration at low rpm will also result in lugging and greater engine wear. I would hold off giving it full throttle until above 6,000 rpm.
What you can do: when starting off, avoid short-shifting and quick acceleration. Drag the gears out – stay in each gear longer.
—————————————————————–
DO YOU REALLY NEED A TACHOMETER? It depends. Most of the bikes I’ve owned had a tach, and with my Rebel 500, I use the tach a lot. I have owned about 10 manual shift cars, and most of them had a tach.
I like to keep the RPM within a certain range, and the tach helps me to do that. It helps to avoid lugging the engine – which reduces the life of the engine.
It is even more important with the stock muffler, as you can’t hear the engine very well.
Honda did not put a tach on the Rebel 300, 500, CL300, and CL500 so its selling price would be cheaper.
The other Hondas with the same engine have a tach: CB500X, CB500F, CBR500R, CB300X, CB300F, and CBR300R.
Rebel500 