Another driving test, this one from from Paul who lives in Victoria, BC, Canada

"Here's my road test /appraisal of the scooter after 3 weeks on it. 

Do I like the 250 Elite?  Yes, very much.  Was it always so?  No, I didn't come to the appreciation of this machine immediately.  After all, I had only ridden cycles, mostly in the 200-250 range, over a lot of years.  When I gave this 1985 model a test drive,  I was a little uncomfortable , especially in the corners with the little tires, so much so that I told the guy I  would get back to him and waited another month before calling.   What drew me back?  Well, for one its a real beauty, especially where I come from, Victoria BC, where the only noticable scooter life are those high pitched two cycles straining to keep up with traffic.  The Elite, gold in color, looked more like a Gold Wing to me and having driven bikes of similar power in the past, I was loath to retreat to an underpowered mount.  Little things like a very nice luggage carrier, the sculpted two tiered seat, the 
digital speedo with clock also contributed to the mystique.  There weren't many of this size around to be had either, and it turned out to be a good deal. 
    So, I've now spent about a month getting more familiar with the ride in variable conditions; wind, rain, highway, traffic, cold, warm etc.  The machine has grown on me as I've come to understand the way it wants to be handled in the corners and got to feel comfortable with the controls.  I somehow feel more exhilarated flitting about on this one, much more than I did in my latter cycle experiences.  Something about the comforable seat and the relaxed freedom feeling of having one's feet planted on a running board in front of you.  It's a very nice machine.  Hit the start button and it fires up every time right away.  Number one on my list of likes is its smooth, quick and quiet acceleration.  The automatic/ belt drive transfers power very nicely and makes you feel very nimble dancing around the lanes of traffic.  This is its greatest ability, no doubt, a nice warm day cruising 
around the city. 
    Less enjoyable are highway rides,  though I should first say that there is plenty of top end power here, enough to play around in the 80-90 kph range without too much strain. If there is any appreciable windiness, however, say over 10 mph across or against, the experience can degenerate fast as you start to feel yourself shaken back and forth. While still under control, it is not exactly relaxing cruising at these times.  I'm talking over 80 kph here, so that still means you can be respectable with traffic around 80 and not flop around too badly. 
    Rain is another matter.  Because I haven't ridden other scooters I can't compare properly, but I 'll just say that things can happen under my front wheel that give me heart flips.  This can even be without much of any leaning, but just roughness in pavement can cause the front to do a little dance to the side, just enough to make you momentarily feel lost and paranoid about the next one.   Suffice to say I drive very carefully in the wet, going around corners gingerly.   I have a cheap Cheng Shin tire on the front and am wondering if higher quality might give better feel...haven't heard the definitive answer to that yet.  I wish the front tire was as impressive looking as the Bridgestone on the back, which is considerably wider and more stable looking.  It is also possible that the suspension system on these machines contributes to the sense of instability. One little downside to the power transfer system is when you are slowing down but not stopped yet, say going about 10 mph, the grab of the pulley is suddenly released and its like you are coasting in neutral with the attendant lack of engine braking.  A pet peeve, for sure, but still a bit of a bother.  After being shown the amazingly simple and ingenius belt/pulley and weight system that makes it all go, I'd still stick with this, as it's one less major component to anticipate the failure of. The brakes seem fairly adequate, though I had to get used to getting my foot up to the rear brake after being used to it just being there under your foot on motorcycles.   One less reason to ride too aggressively... A nice thing I haven't mentioned, but I guess every scooter probably offers, is the protection from water provided to your lower body by the sizeable rubber foot area and fairing.  A nice change from bikes where I always had to wear boots to get anywhere and then change into something else. My first fuel test yielded 70 miles per Imperial gallon (I still use miles) which was even better than the previous owners estimate of 60.  Admittedly it was about half city half highway. 
    So, to sum up, a very worthwhile machine to own and love.  From all accounts their mechanical reliability is unquestioned  If you really want to lean into those corners like a racer, however, this scooter, or scooters in general are probably not where you should be looking.  I know at 47 my testosterone has mellowed enough to make a scooter a more attractive choice, but then again I've still got enough jungle juice pumping away to relish in the extra horses that the Elite 250 gives me.   This might be the main reason anyone might choose the 250, and there certainly aren't any other shortcomings that I am aware of that might make you choose a less or equal powered model over this one.  But my overall lack of  scooter experience  limits my ability to make the ultimate recommendation. 

After 3 months riding,  October through January, I have a few things to add.  First I bought a Bridgestone Molar 17 front tire to go with my matching back one (ML16), replacing my cheap Cheng Shin.  I was hoping to get rid of some of that insecure feeling when going around corners and over bumpy surfaces, especially in the wet.  After riding on the new tire for a few months now, I'm more than pleased.  I think this tire must have a little softness and give to it that the Cheng Shin didn't because I no longer feel each little ripple in the road surface, don't skitter on cracks and feel a fair degree more confidence on wet corners.  I'd call it essential scooter equipment. I still get a thrill out of driving the thing, even though we're talking fall/winter temperatures (it's been pretty mild actually).  But I will say this:  I feel this is a city bike, not a highway bike.   It's like night and day, as soon as you head over 80 kms/hour,  the world of wind interrupts your enjoyment and tells you to hunker down, hold on tight and grimace your way to the next slow down.  My stock windscreen is such that my 5'9" body sticks up enough over it that the turbulence affects handling and I find myself scrunching myself down just to get more calm control.  So you can do it all with this 250cc engine, but you probably won't really have a lot of fun doing it.  City riding, conversely, is the most fun thing I can imagine doing on wheels.  There's so much pep and mobility that exhiliaration is more common than any traffic related stresses.  I'm looking forward to spring and summer for even more fun. I've had one little puzzle of a problem mechanically.  I was getting oil seeping out around my air cleaner.  The explanation supposedly is that if your crankcase breather tube gets plugged and full up, any excess oil makes it way back there.  So overfilling your meager 1 litre supply is possibly going to cause this.  No big deal, from what I can tell. 

Paul 

Mar/2001:  Paul sold his scooter recently to a movie production company  who intend to use it, along with another 250 Elite, as a movie prop. A scene in the movie shows a light plane landing on a highway and for the close-up shot of the wheels they intend to use the scooters. I gather the plan is to attach the scooters to each other and drive them using a remote control device.  The close up will show the scooter wheels speeding along the road. The movie company said he may be able to buy his scooter back at the end of the movie for 1/2 price but didn't mention the fate of the plane in the movie (Will it end up like Jimmys scooters in Quadrophenia?). Rather poetic in a way as the Vespas that popularized the whole  scooter thing used airplane parts and the front fork/wheel assembly was identical to that used on the nosewheel of a plane. The Vespa motor was, I think, an auxiliary motor used to lift bombs .  So keep an eye out moviegoers for flying Elites.

Some magazine reviews

Cycle World

... But don't make the mistake of dismissing this particular scooter as some 16-year-old's after-school plaything. It is a serious transportation device. And take our word for it, there is nothing short of a runaway Sherman tank that will slice through a knot of snarled cars quicker and with more ease than an Elite 250. In the hands of a resourceful rider, the Elite-which looks as if it might have escaped from a 1960s Ann-Margaret romps-through-Europe movie-becomes the ultimate point-and-squirt urban assault vehicle capable of leaving any other two-wheeler in the wake of its socially acceptable exhaust note. 

The reason the Elite excels in this kind of block-to-block warfare is fairly straight-forward: It is the VMax of the scooter set. Powered by a liquid-cooled, 244cc, single-cylinder four-stroke. the Elite is the largest displacement scooter currently sold in the U.S. Even with its 1.94-gallon, under-seat fuel tank brimming, the 301-pound Elite is capable of performance not far below that of the Rebel, which makes it more than a match for the normal flow of traffic. And while it is a speed demon compared to its less-muscled stablemates, the 250 keeps the genre's reputation for miserly fuel consumption alive with readings in the 75-mpg range. 

And. of course, there are other features that make the Elite stand out. First on the list is the V-matic automatic transmission. Honda's beltdriven system of two variable-diameter pulleys that smoothly transmits the engine's power to the rear wheel. Getting the Elite underway is as easy as twisting the throttle grip. placing your feel on the floorboards and steering the thing between the yellow lines. It's simpler than a bicycle. 

From a motorcyclist's viewpoint, about the only disturbing aspects of the Elite's performance are its less than-stellar front brake and its slight twitchiness when ridden at or near top speed on the freeway. 

Still. those minor complaints will be overlooked by the average scooter buyer. Add electric starting to the basic package. along with a complete array of LCD digital instruments. a glove compartment. a luggage rack and a seat more comfortable than those on most motorcycles. and it's easy to see why scooters in general are selling so well... 

- Cycle World

Rider (May 1988)

"The Elite 250 has been around for two years and returned relatively unchanged. It's powered by a water-cooled, four-stroke single. In the scooter market the Elite 250 isn't considered an entry-level item; it's a big gun among the scoots. But plop it next to a motorcycle and it lands in the beginner's category." 

"Cruising down the boulevard, the scoot and the cycle both get a lot of attention. The scooter is cleanly covered in shiny fibreglass and geometrically eye-pleasing." 

"The scooter isn't burdened by vibration, but it gets blown around a bit more by the big vehicles, and its little tires dance on the rain grooves. Most of the Rider staffers feel the Honda's more suitable to less threatening situations Personally I don't mind riding the scooter on the freeway, and in the face of gridlock, I find it ideal for lane splitting. Another valid advantage is that people notice you. They might look at you like you're crazy riding a scooter on the freeway, but at least they see you." 

"The Elite's steering, on the other hand, is about as quick as it gets. A beginner must be very careful not to oversteer." 

"Since about 80 percent of the scooter's weight is on its rear tire, it has "backward brakes", meaning that the strongest brake is the drum on the rear, which is operated by a pedal on the floorboard. Use of the drum in conjunction with the hydraulic disc on the front stops the scooter cleanly. 

Front suspension on the Elite is a leading-link fork, which doesn't offer a lot of absorption. The rear has dual shocks that work fairly well but lack adjustments." 

"The Elite's easy to ride, too. Apply the brake, touch the button and away you go. No playing with the choke, it fires to a preregulated idle. No changing gears, it's fully automatic. It's easy It's like riding a chair. Perfect for running down to the store to pick up a quart of milk. And at the same time, adequate for a Sunday ride. I take it out among large displacement motorcycles without a second thought. I'm never far behind. And I'm always the first one out of a parking lot." 

"Both scooter and motorcycle have very comfortable short-term seating ergonomics. ... The Honda's only seating ergonomic advantage is that you have the entire area of the floorboards on which to adjust your feet, instead of being limited to footpegs. The scooter also has the best seat of the two. It's more pliable and slightly tapered toward the front." 

"... the Honda Elite is one sweet scooter for $2,398 (that includes locking glove box, chrome rack on the rear, rubber floorboards and a digital clock)." 

- Rider (May 1988)