[Buckeroo]

Mr. REpozer I don't have to remove the entire rear assembly NOW, because I rebuilt it.  The tail light assembly was held on with one bolt from inside the fender.  The tire was in the way and though my fingers are small, they are not long enough or curved nor had I any wrench to reach around the tire to get at it.  Further more, my exhaust pipe passes in front of the oil cap.  While I might be able to wiggle it off, I will not be comfortable getting it back on without cross threading the cap.

Your comment about neglect and parting out my motorcycle is extremely offensive mister.  I ask for advice here, not insults.  I have a mind to report you, but will let it slide.

Honda anything has a following because you can ride them for thousands of miles without turning wrenches.  My Suzuki GS850G stayed in perfect working condition until I was run off the road into a parked car.  A friend called it my "wife" because I took better care of it than anything else.

It is not required to remove the exhaust to change the filter,..at least for me.
Its also not a requirement to remove the rear fender to change the rear bulb.


Your "clank" noise is most likely due to maintenance neglect. 
You need to drain and check/adjust the primary chain. probably the drive chain too, Adjust the valves,...and everything else your handbook says.  Heck,....have you checked the oil level?
If you decide to part your motorcycle out,. I may be interested in the disc brake system.

There is a reason Honda Rebels have a following.

[Arizoni]

Most of the RE tail lights have lenses which can be removed by unscrewing a couple of screws.  After the lens is removed, changing the bulb is pretty simple.

Of course, there are a lot of RE's that have been modified so it is possible someone installed a different tail light and the whole thing needs to be removed to change the bulb.

[Buckeroo]

I remember that the cheap plastic interior reflector where the screws held the lens broke.  I held the lens on with wire for a while.  But to replace the plastic part required removing it from the bracket which hid the screws on the underside which required removing the fender assembly.  It was such a crummy piece of construction that I threw it away.  I bought a bracket from a later bike and though it is easier to access, doesn't fit right.  So now I am hunting around for a better solution.  I like some of the tail light assemblies that are not DOT approved.  I wonder just how closely inspectors look to see if a light assembly is DOT approved? 

[barenekd]

I had an old English taillight on mine complete with a cat face. I had an LED bulb in it. I ws never questioned about it, but then we don't have vehicle inspections per se. But, I'm not sure how an inspector would now if a taillight is DOT or not. I'm sure most any old taillights like that would be DOT OKed had they ever been sent to DOT for approval. The one I had was far superior to that stock thing. As long as it lights your license plate and is visible from the side, it should be fine.
Bare

[Buckeroo]

Thank you for the conformation.