Metropolitan / Jazz

HONDA METROPOLITAN / JAZZ (CHF50)

“Honda retaliated with its fun, but painfully underpowered Metropolitan with the first four-cycle engine among modern 50cc scooters”

- Collin Shattuck (Scooters: Red Eyes, White Walls, Blue Smoke)

The way Vespa enthusiasts see it, Japanese manufacturers brought innovation and quality to the scooter market in the 80’s but they got lazy in the 90’s because of the lack of competition. With Vespa’s return in 1999, the Japanese could no longer offer 15 year old designs, so they set about bringing in a new generation of products to compete, like the CHF50

Personally, I think the scooter market collapsed in the late 80’s for other reasons, which in turn lead to stagnant line ups from Honda and Yamaha but I guess it can be argued the other way around. Whatever the case, the market was growing in the new millennium and Honda’s 2002 introduction of the Metropolitan does seem like a clear shot at potential Vespa customers. For $1000 less than Vespa’s 50cc ET2 scooter, the Metropolitan offered Vespa inspiring retro styling with some technological advantages such as liquid cooling and the amazing fuel economy, reliability and lifespan of a 4-stroke engine. The Metro’s 90-100mpg was significantly better than the ET2’s 65mpg.

The other big different between Vespa’s offerings and the Metropolitan was that the Metro used an aluminum frame with plastic body panels, where as the Vespa’s used a single piece steel body and frame. Vespa’s steel bodies had a quality appearance but they were considerably heavier and if you got a dent, it was there for the life of the scooter.

So was the Metropolitan ‘painfully underpowered’? Well, it wasn’t very peppy off the line but it also wasn’t really slower than Vespa’s ET2. The 2002 - 2005 Metropolitan had a decent top speed of 38mph, the same as the ET2. The Metropolitan is rated by Honda at 4.9hp whereas the ET2 is rated at 5.1hp, but the Metro has a 40lbs weight advantage (176lbs. vs. 216lbs) making it quite comparable to the ET2 but slower than Yamaha’s Vino.

For 2005, Vespa replaced the ET2 with the new 4-stroke LX50. The LX50 had a similar top speed as the departing ET2, but it was slower accelerating...even slower than the Metro.

For the 2006 model year, Honda made a few changes to the Metropolitan that raised the top speed to 42-43mph. These changes included a higher redline (8850 RPM vs. 8000 RPM), a new carb needle, a new ECM and an improved crankcase ventilation system.

Perhaps more important than the top speed increase is the new crankcase ventilation system that eliminated a huge problem with the Metro’s engine. The 2002 - 2005 Metro’s engine breathes through a single hose. That means that gas fumes and carbon inside the engine are trying to escape out the same small hose than the fresh air is arriving in. The result was quickly contaminated oil that spelled eventual death for the main crankshaft bearings. It’s unfortunately common for these crankshaft bearings to go after only 10,000kms (6000 miles). When this does happen, a new crankshaft is required along with a complete engine rebuild. This can be done for $150 if you’re doing it yourself but many owners don’t have the expertise and getting Honda to rebuild your engine is a $1000 labour job.

If you’re in the market for a Metropolitan / Jazz, you would be wise to select a 2006 or newer scooter. These engine ventilation in these revised scooters uses two hoses, one for the fresh air to enter and another for the dirty air to exit. Furthermore, the fresh air hose contains a one way reed type valve that ensures superb ventilation. By selecting a 2006 or newer scooter you dodge this crankshaft bearing problem, plus you get a scooter than is 5mph faster.

Pros:
* Looks great
* Reliable (2006 - Pres.)
* 100mpg
* Liquid cooled
* Underseat Storage
* Plastic panels are easy and cheap to replace if you have a mishap

Cons:
* Crankshaft bearing problem (2003 - 2005)
* Slow accelerating, Yamaha’s 4-stroke 50’s are faster.

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
UrbanScootin - Online CHF50 oriented forum.

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

Key Specs:
Engine Type: 49cc liquid-cooled, 2-valve, single-cylinder four-stroke
Ignition: CDI
Transmission: Automatic V-Matic belt drive
Front Suspension: Twin-downtube fork; 1.9 inches travel
Rear Suspension: Single shock; 2.6 inches travel
Front Brake: Drum
Rear Brake: Drum with CBS
Front Tire: 90/90-10
Rear Tire: 90/90-10
Wheelbase: 46.9 inches
Seat Height: 28.3 inches
Wet Weight: 176 lbs
Fuel Capacity: 5L / 1.32 gallons
Emissions: Meets Current CARB and EPA standards.