Elite 80

HONDA ELITE 80 (CH80)

Honda introduced the 4-stroke Elite 80 (model code CH80) in 1985 as the eventual successor to Honda’s 2-stroke Aero 80. Honda released an entirely 2-stroke line up of scooters in North America when it entered this market in ’83 (2-stroke vs. 4-stroke explained here) but increasingly stringent emissions regulations meant that Honda couldn’t sell 2-strokes larger than 50cc for very long. In 1984 Honda released it’s first 4-stroke modern scooter, the Elite 125, and then released a larger (Elite 250) and smaller (the Elite 80) siblings for 1985.

During the 1985 model year, the Elite 80 was sold alongside Honda’s Aero 80, but for ’86 the Aero 80 was dropped and the Elite 80 left to stand on its own against Yamaha’s 2-stroke Beluga / Riva 80 (which lasted until ’87). The Elite 80 was quite a successful scooter and it enjoyed a remarkable run from 1985 all the way to 2007. That’s an impressive 23 model years with virtually no changes. At some point in the late 80’s (’89?) the assembly shifted from Japan to Mexico and a few minor changes were made at this point but that’s about it. As far as I know, the only changes were a switch from steel to aluminum rims and the headlight was updated to make it possible to change the bulb without buying a entirely new assembly. Owners of mid-80’s Elite 80’s will need to spend $50 - $100 buying a new headlight array should their aging headlight filament fail.

Honda’s Elite 80 contains what I consider to be one of the best scooter engine’s ever. It’s not because of the technology, it’s a pretty standard 2-valve, air-cooled 4-stroke engine. The reasons this engine is great is because it runs smoothly, it never sounds like it’s working hard, it’s super reliable and it makes a solid amount of power for scootering around town. You won’t be doing wheelies with this scooter but you won’t be frustrated off the line either. When you twist open the throttle the Elite 80 pulls solidly and predictably to its top speed of 45mph. If you’re for insane power you’re better off looking at 2-stroke but for refined and reliable around town propulsion, the Elite 80’s motor is perfect.

Despite the Elite 80’s popularity and long model run, an aftermarket scene never really developed for this scooter. Battlescooter did release an exhaust for this scooter recently but besides that there really isn’t anything. Most aftermarket scooter parts are created in Japan and Taiwan and the Elite 80 was never that popular over there which is why there aren’t go fast parts available. Until recently, the Japanese and Taiwan folks have seemed to focus on only 2-stroke scooters and mostly 50 cc ones at that.

Okay enough about the motor....what about the rest of the scooter? Well it’s pretty good with a few minor complaints. Compared to the Aero 80 that it replaced, the Elite 80 offers less storage space. The front ‘trunk’ of the scooter gives you enough storage to stow a windbreaker or a couple cans of pop but that’s about it. The Aero 80 could hold at least this much stuff in it’s easier to access glovebox, plus the ’85 Aero 80 had a nice storage compartment in the side panel that you could toss your lunch in. As a side note, the stylistically updated ’85 Aero 80 appears to share an identical rear end as the Elite 80.

Both the Elite 80 and Aero 80 do have a little storage under the seat but it’s only enough to keep a spark plug and couple small wrenches. I think Honda could have done better with the Elite 80 because the Elite has the same size of gas tank under the seat as the Aero 80, but it doesn’t have an 1 litre oil tank like the Aero 80. Honda chose to use this space for the battery but I wish they’d put the battery elsewhere.

Anyways, enough about the storage. It’s not too bad...it’s still way better than say Yamaha’s competing CV80. My other complaints with this scooter are minor but worth mentioning. First, the CH80 doesn’t have a fuel filter. Who’s idea was this? Honda saved $0.50 by ditching the fuel filter and my brother was left stranded because crud from the fuel tank collected in the carb and clogged the main jet. I advise anyone with an Elite 80 to go spend $5 on a universal fuel filter and then snip your filter line and slip this in. This is especially important if you’re getting an Elite 80 running after several years of sitting and it might have some rust in the tank.

Secondly, the Elite 80 doesn’t have a kickstarter. This isn’t a huge issue but it would be nice to have if you ever leave the key on and drain the battery. Kickstarters are pretty standard on scooters of this size. Thankfully the battery is easily accessible under the seat if you do wind up with a dead battery. A third complaint is that if your headlight bulb burns out you need to spend $50-$100 for an entire new headlight unit because the bulb is non-removable. Honda did address this though after a couple model years...I think around 1988.

Minor complaints aside, the Elite 80 is a very well engineered scooter. It’s got a cool indicator on the dash that lets you know when it’s time to change the oil. Compared to my old Yamaha CV80, everything seems very well thought out. The body panels pop off nicely when it’s time to work on the scooter.

The seat is large and quite comfortable. I’ve done 320kms in one day on an Elite 80 and the seat was great the whole time. The Elite 80 has nice large passenger pegs, the rear rack is chromed. It’s quality stuff. There’s a reason this scooter was sold for over 20 years with barely any changes. If legislation didn’t encourage people to buy 50cc’s, I bet Honda could have given this scoot a styling refresh and sold it for another 20 years.

Here’s me heading out for a 320km (200 mile) ride.

Pros:
* Great Engine
* Fuel Milage (~75 - 80mpg)
* Reliable
* Loads of OEM / NOS parts available.

Cons:
* Minimal amount of storage
* Lacks fuel filter and kickstarter
* Pay more insurance than a 50cc.
* Very few aftermarket parts

Links:
MotorscooterGuide Forums - Visit the forum on this site to chat about your scoot.
BikeBandit.com - Good for looking up OEM parts and finding out what’s still available.
JacksScooterShop - Maintenance Chart
Elite Forum - This section of TotalRuckus.com is dedicated to Elite Scooters.
'86 - 2002 Service Manual - Made available by AustinS and HondaSpree.net

If you have any info to add, email me at dandurston@hotmail.com

Key Specs:
* Fuel Milage: 75-80mpg or 160km per 5 liter tank (if you run it dry)
* Displacement: 79.7cc
* Ignition: CDI
* Bore & Stroke: 49.5mm x 41.4mm
* Engine: Single cylinder, 2-valve, 4-stroke
* Compression Ratio: 9.3:1
* Spark Plug: CR7HS (NGK) or USSFSR-U (ND)
* Fuel system: 16mm Carburator
* Cooling system: Air
* Transmission: V-Belt with 8.382:1 final reduction
* Gear Range: 1.08 to 2.70:1
* Alternation: 100 watt @ 5000 RPM
* Seat height: 754 mm (29.7 inches)
* Wheelbase: 1,171 mm (46.1 inches)
* Front suspension travel: 76 mm (3.0 inches)
* Rear suspension travel: 79 mm (3.1 inches)
* Brakes: Drum / Drum
* Tires: 3.5 x 10.0 (front and rear)
* Weight: 172 lbs
* Fuel capacity: 5 litres (1.30 gallons)
* Color options: Black, Red, White, Blue, Metallic Grey