Honda CH80 Scooter (Elite Spacy)

From the artists conception in 1982 shown at the top of the page to the 2002 version shown to the left, the ch80 didn't change all that much over 20 years.  During the 80s when Vespa et al were withdrawing from the North American market due to the exhaust emission legislation, the CH80 was one of the few scooters (the other the 125 Yamaha) over 50cc to survive past the end of the 80s and continues to be sold by Honda to this day. As far as I can tell this scooter isn't sold anywhere else in the world but keeps being produced solely for the US and, until recently, the Mexican market. It looks as though the Elite 80s days may be numbered as a new design by Honda India, the Activa, is slated to be imported to North America.  The Activa has a metal body and  considerably more storage. That and an extra 20cc are bound to make it a natural replacement for the Elite 80 in Hondas line-up. 

    The frame on the Elite 80 seem to be very similiar to the larger 125cc models Honda produced at the same time. From what I can see from replacement brake listings, the front brakes for the ch80 were identical to the Elite 125/150 models. I had the opportunity to buy a CH80 Elite with bent front forks and the front forks off of an Elite 125/150 slipped right on without a lot of fuss. The body itself is unique with a front storage compartment.  The storage isn't nearly as large as modern 50cc scooters but for taking back videos, packing a jacket etc it works fine.  All in all the ch80 is one practical scooter for around town use.  Its not a highway or high speed traveller but for scooting around town, there are few rivals that will offer the advantages it has. The four stroke motor will last long past the point where its two stroke relations need attention and if you need a scooter where high mileage rather than high speed is the issue then the Elite scores a lot of points. Its a commuters scooter.  The looks may not earn you ooohs and ahhhs at any gathering of scooterists but they also probably won't result in it being desirable to the "lets steal that scooter" crowd either. Its gotta be one of the quietest scooters so if you're concerned about stealth then this scooter also comes out ahead of the pack.

So far I've given the strong points but theres definitely some Cons.  It definitely has 80's lighting and if you frequent dark roads without lighting, there are a lot of other scooters with superior lighting .   Power is another concern and I've had a lot of enquiries about kits to make the Elite go quicker. Like all Honda scooters its  not tuned for maximum power so improvements can be made but there are no Elite 80 speed kits for sale. Looking at the typical modifications to its cousin, the XL 80 dirtbike, it should be fairly straightforward to coax some more horsepower out of the motor. First off the carburetor can be replaced with a 20mm or 22mm Mikuni which is a fairly common modification on the XL80. The earlier XL 80 came with a 15 mm carb. A carb adapter will have to be fabricated out of some stock aluminum plate to allow the mikuni to bolt up to the Scooters intake manifold. Fitting an airfilter along with it will introduce you to the joys of having to figure out the correct jetting. The exhaust could always be modified but keep in mind the effects of a fourstroke engines exhaust. The "TopSpeed" software availiable at Kamware  will help you design a new exhaust system. Running just a short straight pipe will be a great help at 10,000 RPM but could actually decrease power in the normal operating range of the scooter motor.
     If you're in need of high speed, seriously consider whether it would be easier and cheaper to just buy a larger scooter.
 
 

Below are details and specs for this "only in America" scooter that has defied the odds. For a number of reviews by Elite 80 users go to the Epinions Elite 80 page.

Most Honda scooters run so well that normal maintenance is overlooked or delayed. Checking oil in the motor frequently ( and the finall drive annualy) and changing frequently can prolong the life of your scooter considerably. Service and operator manuals are available online from Helm inc at their website and using the manual will save a great deal of money by performing common maintenance tasks yourself. 

For some unique Honda scooter items visit the MyScoot Design Shop.  Tshirts, Coffee mugs, Clocks etc all with unique scooter designs from the "MyScoot workshop". Support this site and get some cool looking items for yourself or friends. Click on the pictures  for the  MyScoot site.