HONDA ELITE 80 (CH80) - OWNER REVIEWS
SUBMIT REVIEW
Milage: +30,000 Miles
Likes: Amazing handling, Easy to ride, Reliable
Dislikes: Nothing
Review: “The scooter I have has 79k on it and counting. I have only had to do a little bit of work on it - just tires and filters and oil. It is running amazing. I still use it everyday. I would totally tell everyone to buy one. Thanks Honda for making a reliable scooter to last a life time. Got to go on a ride”
1985 HONDA ELITE (CH80)
Milage: 5000 - 10,000 Miles
Likes: Passenger pegs, Seat, Mpg, Over all I love my Honda Elite 80
Dislikes: More storage but that’s why I got myself some saddle bags. :)
Review: “Well I have a 1985 Honda Elite (CH80). I bought it from a close friend for $300 - best investment I have made yet. It runs and drives pretty well for its age with 6012 miles on it. All I can say is I was very impressed with how the Elite’s were built. I love how it handles. It handles very well with two people. Me and my girlfriend ride together all the time. It’s slower but gets up to good enough speeds with no problem around town.
I love the foot pegs - they look like lil wings lol. I myself drive it all around town and down country roads. So far I have been able to get it to go 45 mph down hill. I love how fast it takes off. It’s sad when a scooter is going faster then your car.
Now the storage is pretty poor, but it’s better then no storage space like some scooters, plus I got myself some nice saddle bags from my uncle that fit perfect. I can have them on when my girlfriend is riding to. There are a few downsides to it like the battery draining (well at least mine). After it’s been sitting a couple days it takes a lil to start, like the carb is all dry. I think I found the reason why. Other than that I would not trade my Honda Elite for another scooter and love everything about it. I gave it a sweet ass custom green paint job. Well I have a group on Facebook called Honda Elite Club Vancouver, Washington if anyone is interested in talking. I’m more just looking to find some people in my area who also have Elites and would like to get together for a ride around town. Thanks for reading. I hope to hear from someone.”
1985 HONDA ELITE 80
Milage: 1000 - 5000 Miles
Likes: EVERTHING: Handling, Acceleration, MPG, Shape
Dislikes: Parts Availability
Review: ”I’ve had my Honda Elite 80 for almost a year now. I come from a family of mopeds with four in the garage right now and it stands apart from all of them.
The style alone is enough to want this moped and its performance only makes it the greatest thing I ever bought! With quick acceleration, Honda reliable, and great gas mileage.
Even the manual is impeccable. Check it out:
http://www.motorscooterguide.net/Manuals/Honda_CH80_Service_Manual.pdf”
1986 HONDA ELITE 80
Milage: 1000 - 5000 Miles
Likes: Reliability, acceleration on flat roads
Dislikes: Lack of speed uphill, zero storage
Review: “As the previous owner of an 85' Honda Elite 150 Deluxe, I decided to transition to a CH80 after a twenty year hiatus. I purchased the bike for $400.00 with 3,300 miles on it. (April 2013). Being in San Diego, a scooter is fantastic year round.
The only two issues (as noted by others) is the lack of storage and poor acceleration uphill. I'm not a huge guy (5'10" and 165 lbs), however, climbing any grade of 5-8% reduces the speed to 25 mph. Personally, I find this a little dangerous when cars are flying up these grades at 50 mph.
A trickle charger (around $35.00) is an absolute must! I've heard the life expectancy of many scooter/motorcycle batteries can be as short as 6 months. Adding a charger can prolong the inevitable to close to three years.
Oil changes every 1K miles and running the scooter on a monthly basis will prolong the life expectancy and prevent gas/carb issues. Every other year change things like the fuel filter/air filter/spark plug and you should be in business.
Enjoy the ride!”
1986 HONDA ELITE 80
Milage: 5000 - 10,000 Miles
Likes: Seating position; Fuel Economy; Reliability
Dislikes: Small fuel tank, Top speed
Review: “For the most part I love my Honda Elite 80. On the flat it tops out at 40-42 MPH with me, a 220 lb. rider. I consistently get 95 MPG.
The best part of this scooter is the flexibility that the seat and foot pegs provide. I'm 6'1" and the streets of L.A. are in really bad shape. I ride the scooter like a dirt bike, putting varying amounts of my body weight on the foot pegs at all times. This allows riding without hurting my back. I'm 48 so the body can't take the abuse it used to!
The only negatives are that I have to get gas every 110 miles or so, and I do wish it would go just a bit faster for boulevard cruising.”
1987 HONDA ELITE 80
Milage: 10,000 - 20,000 Miles
Likes: Great on Gas, Reliable as they Get
Dislikes: Sketchy Suspension, No Oil Filter
Review: “I've had my '87 Elite since October 2008. I bought it in banged-up condition with loose valves and 7000 miles on the odometer.
The bike responded well to some cleanup, new brake cables, brake shoes and a proper tune-up. Mileage is over 13,000 now.
I recently pulled the motor to check an odd noise after loaning it to an acquaintance for a few months. I found a chipped valve and a slightly banged-up head and piston. I stripped it to the block and cleaned everything and made a list for BikeBandit. The parts tally is about what I paid for the bike, but it's so much fun to ride that I'll go ahead and refresh it.
Toss the stock rear shock and put one on from eBay seller Daywot or from Battlescooter; it'll definitely help with the ride. Toss the stock variator rollers and go with 8g rollers for acceleration and no noticeable change in top speed. If you have an older one, save your pesos and buy the "B" harness and headlight from an '05 - '07 model to help with the lighting.
The CH80 is not my biggest, fastest, or prettiest bike, but jumping back on and putting a few miles on it always puts a smile on my face.”
1987 HONDA ELITE CH 80
Milage: 5000 - 10,000 Miles
Likes: Reliability, gas mileage, power
Dislikes: Not much
Review: “I've had my Elite 80 for about 5 years and I love it. The engine is outlasting the body panels so it’s a bit beat up looking but I don't care. This scooter is highly reliable, can carry two people easily and gets great gas mileage. It's a Japan made Honda so its quality is great. If you're looking for a daily driver this is it. Plus I like the old school 80’s look - it's different than all the Vespa look-alikes out there.”
1987 HONDA ELITE CH80
Milage: 5000 - 10,000 Miles
Likes: Plenty of spare parts
Dislikes: It’s starting to need some work done
Review: “I did some repairs on my own. It's a fun scooter, I wish it had more power. It's a good vehicle and I get about 70 MPG.”
1999 HONDA ELITE CH80
Milage: 1000 - 5000 Miles
Likes: Size, styling
Dislikes: Limited aftermarket parts, small storage, poor exhaust design
Review: “I love this scooter for its 80's-futuristic styling. I wanted to write this review to outline some improvements that I've made on it because I've been unable to find much in any forums.
Battlescooter and some of the other sites have some aftermarket parts. I highly recommend the racing rear shock (the stock one is way too squishy, especially riding 2-up.) A performance belt and driven pulley spring are also a must, and I recommend 8.5 g Dr Pulley slider weights for the variator. I had a welder fab me up a derestricted straight pipe for $100 (the aftermarket is $200!!) and up-jetted the main jet from #84 to #100, combined with a high-flow air filter. These improvements allow the 80 to reach 50 mph relatively quickly, and make riding with two people actually feasible.“
2001 HONDA ELITE CH80
Milage: 1000 - 5000 Miles
Likes: Good power, Great suspension
Dislikes: Storage space
Review: “I just got this scooter, and it is amazing! I easily got it to go to 45 mph on a straight stretch with no hesitation. Handles bumps well, and suspension is great! I wish it had more storage, but I can't complain. I can't wait to use it all summer long - so much fun to ride!”
2003 HONDA ELITE CH80
Milage: 5000 - 10,000 Miles
Likes: Amazing MPG, Great acceleration, reliability
Dislikes: Storage, Lack of aftermarket parts
Review: “THIS SCOOTER IS THE ONE TO GET!!!!!! I just bought one about a week ago - it has 5,470 miles on it. It's a 2003 white Elite 80 / CH80. It’s February (2013) right now in the suburbs of Chicago, and I still ride this thing in the cold.
This thing is QUICK. I was not expecting acceleration this strong. It pulls harder than a 50cc (I hate riding 50's now, they just don’t pull like my CH80!). If you’re looking for a first bike or, like me a first and FOREVER bike, this is the one. It can easily fit adults and hit around 40-43 mph, and the foot pegs are great, even if a single rider uses them!
I do wish there was a bit bigger compartment, but I’m not complaining. I fit my tool set, my manual, 2 pairs of glasses in the front, and I keep a spark plug in the mini compartment under the seat. That’s all you can really fit. I do love the helmet strap hook under the seat so you can lock up your helmet and not worry about thieves. I also hate that the LAW makes you get an L class license in Illinois if your vehicle is 50cc OR higher, but I probably wont get one. It’s a waste of time and money - maybe in the future.
I do suggest buying a 'trickle charger' so you can charge your battery if you don’t use you bike in the winter. I recommend the brand/model (Battery Tender Junior) it’s a 12 volt automatic charger/floater/conditioner for your battery. You plug it in and connect the supplied pigtails to your "detached battery" and wait for about 6-8 hours (after that it conditions your battery, so no need to worry if you forget to unplug it). It’s perfect for this bike and other motorcycle / scooter.
GREAT bike over all. I wish i could have uploaded a picture for you guys. Mine’s beautiful, stock and clean. If anyone can find any aftermarket rims for this bike post it in another review. This is the only decent (not even that good selection) site i could find for parts/ aftermarket: http://www.battlescooterstore.com Have a GREAT time on you CH80, maybe I’ll see you on the streets of Chicago!”
2007 HONDA ELITE 80
Milage: 10,000 - 20,000 Miles
Likes: Reliable, economical, easy to ride, easy maintenance
Dislikes: Little storage space, one gear
Review: “I love my little Elite 80, which a friend of mine has named Olga (not sure why). It is my only form of transportation, and so far it is proving itself to be dependable. It has 13,060 miles and is still running strong. I plan to obtain one of the old 150s next. Honda makes some quality stuff, it's the only way to go.”
SUBMIT REVIEW
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