Honda CH125 Elite : A Trick High-Zoot Scooter. Its the most advanced scooter in the solar system

    Beneath the sharp edged lines of Hondas futuristic new CH125 Elite is a time proved concept of urban vehicle technology that blends elements of 1946 with those of 1984. The ultra-civilized Elite proves that a good idea need not go out of style, though it may have to wait its chance to become acceptable again. 

    What Lambretta and Vespa did for post-war Italy and eventually the world, Honda now proposes to do again. The Elite, in its own quiet way, is one of the most technically interesting machines of 1984. It takes the lead set by Yamaha with its 80 cc Beluga and adds a host of Honda-style refinements. The $1749 price reflects the Elites degree of sophistication, placing it only $80 less than a small motorcycle such as Hondas own CM250. ( note:  CM400 s in 2008 generally sell for less than Elite 150s ). 

    While the Elite can't hope to match the performance of even a small motorcycle, its stellar virtues as an urban runabout are undeniable. It is extremely light, steers instantly and requires almost no concentration except to keep it going in the right direction.. Quiet operation, almost zero maintenance, modest luggage capacity, miserly fuel consumption and reasonable weather protection are also important aspects of its appeal. 

    The stylish plastic coachwork is extremely light and, of course, will never rust. However, its vulnerable to impact and will crack rather than dent  like metal , so extra care is called for. Our test machine had fallen on its side before we received it, and the handlebar cowling was split. A replacement costs $64, which is pricey but not outrageous. 

    The Elite, as the top of Hondas scooter line, is the only one with a four stroke engine. The 124 cc single cylinder power plant is arranged horizontally below the seat (?) and is designed for minimum upkeep. Liquid cooling keeps the temperature gauge pegged on the low side of the scale, and clearance adjustment for the single overhead cam valve train is external on the cylinder head. Ignition is electronic. 

    The ignition key unlocks the steering and operates the retractable headlight a la corvette and RX7. The Elite has no choke (?) but starting is almost instantaneous in mild weather and warm-up symptoms are non-existent. To go you simply rotate the throttle. The clutch is centrifugal and a fan cooled variable-ratio belt drive provides an automatic transmission. 

     Compared with any standard motorcycle the Elite is sluggish starting off, but once underway acceleration is adequate. It has no trouble keeping up with city traffic, and carrying a passenger doesn't impede its progress much. 

    Engine revs don't seem to vary a great deal; rather, RPM stays fairly constant and the belt drive does the work. The exhaust note is a muted drone that increases in volume with load, but has the same pitch. The rubber mounted engine shakes at low revs, but smooths out once the machine is moving. 

    If you decide to venture on to a highway the Elite will reach 100 km/h under duress, but neither the machine nor its rider will feel comfortable. 

    Steering is quick around town, but downright twitchy at highway speeds. The Elite is plainly intended for a more sedate pace. 

    The Elite's leading-link fork is the only truly effective anti-dive arrangement we've ever encountered. No matter how hard you squeeze the drum brake, front end dive is eliminated. It also gives a surprisingly compliant ride considering the short suspension travel, just as the Italians discovered nearly 40 years ago. 

    The quality of finish on the Elite is superb. Most of the bodywork is an elegant metallic burgundy. Panels fit neatly together, and the machine looks as fashionable and well crafted as you'd expect for $1749. 

    Cheaper scooters exist, from Honda as well as Vespa and Yamaha, but the Elite is in a class of its own. Motorcycle enthusiasts find it interesting and useful, but well heeled and fashion conscious urbanites looking for practical transportation find it close to irresistible. Small wonder.

END of article

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ScooteREvolution

Honda and Yamaha both had experience building scooters in the 50's and 60's but none had really sold well. In the 1950's Honda had built an uberscooter that was a technological marvel and was everything you'd want a scooter to be but..... cheap.  It was expensive and didn't sell.  

In the 1960's Both Yamaha and Honda had produced scooters. While the Honda had been mentioned in a North American Honda brochure, I'm not sure if the Yamaha was sold in North America.  Yamaha had offered it's SC-1  and the factory blurb ran as follows:
This was Yamaha's first scooter model. It adopted advanced technologies such as a two-speed transmission with built in cell dynamo and a torque converter, a shaft-drive and cantilever suspensions front and rear. The 1950s saw a large number of both foreign and domestic manufacturers enter the scooter market, creating a full-fledged scooter boom. Amidst this, the SC-1 opened the eyes of the scooterist of the day with its outstanding running performance and avant-garde form.

Overall lengthwidthheight:1,770mm660mm980mm Weight: 123kg
Engine type: Air-cooled 2-stroke 1-cylinder 175cc
Maximum power output: 10.3ps/5,500rpm Maximum torque: 1.53kg-m/3,600rpm
Price: 150,000 (The Japanese domestic price of 1960).



Honda had sold the Juno m85 which was a 4 stroke opposed two cylinder witha hydraulic automatic transmission . The factory blurb follows:
Honda's second scooter, the M85 was loaded with advanced technology such as a flat twin engine, hydraulic stepless transmission and a monocoque frame, all in a slim and elegant design. The engine was  mounted not in the usual scooter location (under the seat) but forward which gave a better weight distribution and resulting improvement in handling. The engine was an OHV two cylinder 169cc 4 stroke producing  12 ps at 7600 RPM. A top speed of 100 km/h and a dry weight of  157 kg.




 

 Before 1980, Japanese scooters had been designed to compete with whatever scooter models were current at the time.   Aside from the European and American models,  Honda and Yamaha also had Fuji heavy industries in Japan to compete with. Fuji had been producing scooters from before the original vespa and had a large share of the Japanese domestic market.  The Fuji Rabbit was also sold in North America during the 60's and was quite the scooter with a number of innovative design features.  It sold well and there is quite a following of Rabbit enthusiasts.

Throughout the 70' s japanese companies had started using the Salsbury style automatic transmissions (developed for scooters during the 1930's) on small lightly built two stroke powered mopeds.  Along with the salsbury transmission, several  items like  reed valve controlled induction, automatic choke and automatic fuel delivery systems  all found themselves incorporated into the first scooters.  If you'd stripped an early 80's scooter of all it's body parts it would  bear a close resemblance to those early mopeds.   All these features contributed to them being user friendly , inexpensive and, fun to ride.
 
What defined the early 80's "modern scooters" was that they incorporated the previously listed features and were built  lightly  with a view towards good fuel economy, low maintenance, ease of operation and reliability. They were backed by a service department warranty and parts availabilty that was incredible compared to other brands.


A 1981 publication by Honda lists the evolution of the scooter and presents their thinking on what went into the modern scooters design.  It's interesting to note that  their wallpaper shows classic scooters from the early 1900's as well as some classics from the golden age of scooters such as Terrot, NSU. Heinkel, Vespa and Lambretta.   Other European manufacturers  website and promotional material seems to read like they invented  the scooter but Honda 's website seems more reality-based.  In designing a motor scooter with modern technology, they seemed to have considered all types of motorscooters to come up with a design that would fit modern needs.  (http://www.honda.co.jp/factbook/motor/SCOOTER/19810707/index.html )
I use Googles translation tool  to decipher languages (http://www.google.ca/language_tools?hl=en )


As an example of a "classic" scooter that was in production at the time. the 1983 Vespa 50cc PK50 weighed 85 kg vs the 1983 Aero 50s 54 kg. The Vespa had 1.5 bhp with a top speed of 40 km/h and the aero had over twice the horsepower and easily 60 km/h top speed.

The top of the line vespa was the px200 which weighed in at  109 kg vs the 116 kg of the Yamaha 180. The Yamahas added weight was mainly due to it's four stroke engine.  The top speeds were 100 km/h on the Vespa 200,  and  109 km/h on the Yamaha 180's four stroke engine.

The Vespa px125 at the time was 85 kg, had about 7 hp and a top speed of 88 km/h. the Honda with it's watercooled 4 stroke engine weighed in at 100 kg with 11 hp  and a top speed of  102 km/h.

All the modern Japanese scooters introduced in the 80's used abs type plastic for their outer body panels , floorboards and headsets. Classic scooters used plastic sparingly and the body parts were mainly made out of steel.  Couriers relied on scooters at the time for their ability to zip through urban traffic and be able to park anywhere. There was quite the split at the time between couriers as to the best scooter for the job. One camp  drove Classic metal bodied European scooters and insisted they were "the best" because of their ability to sustain body damage.  The riders of modern Japanese plastic bodied scooters  swore by their icreased reliability and ease of operation and insisted any damage on the modern scooters was cosmetic whereas any damage to the pressed steel bodies of the Vespa was "frame damage" that would affect it's integrity.  

The Piaggio vespa had developed a strong  market in the 50's by offering a lightweight and less expensive scooter compared to others.  During that period many manufacturers came up with better engineered but more expensive scooters that never sold as well as the Vespa.  The modern scooters from Honda and Yamaha took that  same philosophy and combined it with the modern technology in manufacturing and engineering.  They embodied the scooter philosophy of inexpensive urban transport that was fun and easy too operate.


Some classic scooter clubs exclude modern scooters from their membership but there are enough scooter clubs  and forums to offer a "scootering community" for everyone.  I ride both classic and modern scooters and love riding them both.  With the increase in companies selling various scooter models in every shape, size and engine displacement , it's easy to find a scooter and scootering community to fit anyones needs.  Everyone has different needs, so just identify what your scooter needs to do to fit your life and your style and enjoy the ride!!

Doug S.
2009 

  
Links:   Honda scooter ads from the 80's and 90's
             Yamaha scooter ads from the 80's
              Suzuki scooter ads from the 80's