Elite 110

HONDA ELITE 110 (NHX110)

The new ‘Elite’ or 'Elite 110' from Honda is their first small wheeled scooter to be introduced in North America since the 2002 introduction of the Metropolitan (aka Jazz in Canada). This scooter also marks the first new member of the presumed to be dead Elite family since the late 80’s. By naming this scooter simply the ‘Elite’, Honda has created a mildly confusing situation since they also referred to their 1987 50cc Elite scooters as just the ‘Elite’. Those older Elite’s are generally referred to as Elite 50’s however so I don’t think too many people will be confused. Still, before dropping thousands on a photo-less Craigslist posting for a ‘like new Elite’, you’d better make sure it’s the 2010 model.

This new Elite seems to be a replacement for the departed Elite 80 (1985 - 2007) although if you follow its family tree back it’s actually a successor to the Aero 80 sold here from ’83 - ’85. Overseas the Aero 80 was sold as the Lead 80. The Aero 80 was dropped here after 1985 but overseas it continued to be updated. It moved to 90cc in the late 80’s and then it was redesigned in the 90’s and bumped to 100cc (and 4-stroke). The present generation is the Lead 110, which we are now getting as the new Elite.

Like the Elite 80 (and the Aero 80), this scooter offers small wheels and ample power for running around town. At 108cc’s and a corresponding 8.9hp, the Elite 110 is a nice performer around town without creating any illusions of highway capability. With nearly 9hp and 6.9 lbs/ft of torque available, drivers have roughly double the power available from Honda's 4-stroke 50cc offerings and still ahead of every 2-stroke 50cc on the market. There should have no trouble keeping up with traffic around town on this scoot. Top speed on the Elite 110 is restricted to about 50-53mph. Unrestricted, my guess is that the Elite 110 can wander to about 55-57mph.

Style-wise, the scooter is a fairly significant departure from the traditional Elite look, but it’s also over 20 years newer so you’d expect styles to change. Any visual ties to the Elite scooters of old is minor. The headlight shape and headset unit does remind me of the Elite 80. Overall, I think Honda did quite a nice job with this scooter. Click on the photo above for a much larger look. I really like what they’ve done with the tail light and rear rack. The rear ‘haunches’ have nice lines to them. The front of the scooter seems a little less inspired but still nice. A few other nice touches include the fold out passenger pegs and mini-SH150i rims.

For the North American market, Honda has relocated the front blinkers to meet DOT regulations. The stylish integrated blinkers mounted just above the front fender have been capped off and new blinkers are mounted just off the brake levers. You can see the integrated blinkers in the silver photo above, and the USA spec blinkers in the first red photo. This change leaves an opportunity for enthusiast owners to spend handsome amounts of money importing the stylish JDM blinkers. I know I'd be wooed by the prospect of these slick flushmount blinkers.

In the braking department, the new Elite has a front disc brake and a rear drum. Reviews of this scooter (see links) indicate the Elite has superb braking power and modulation for a scooter of this size.

As for storage, the Elite has it in abundance. In addition to a nice glovebox, the Elite 110 has enough space under the seat to swallow two full face helmets. With that plus the rear rack, front glovebox and grocery bag hook (seen just above the glovebox) this Elite is fully decked out. The only way to add more would be to add a rear case. If you need that, Honda will sell you a 27 liter rear case for an additional $144. Storage is definately a strong point for this scooter.

So what’s not to like? It’s tough to go into too much detail since I’m basing this all on one photo, but it would have been nice to have a kickstarter included. This isn’t a serious problem but a kickstarter is a nice backup tool. Aside from that, there are some complaints that the styling is little bland but I think they’ve done a tasteful job for it’s intended market. Despite early speculation to the contrary, Honda has priced this scooter at quite a reasonable $2999 USD. That makes this scooter an appealing option for buyers. At $850 more than Honda's 50cc scooters, you get double the power, nearly as good milage, more storage capacity and a front disc brake.

What excites me most about this scooter is that Honda sees value in having scooters around 100cc. Normally manufacturers make 50cc scooters for around town to take advantage of favorable insurance and licensing laws, and then they move up to 125-150cc scooters that poorly attempt to suffice as a full speed vehicle. With the top speed restricted to 52mph, Honda has clearly aimed this scooter for around town use. With the general demise of the 2-stroke scooter, 4-stroke 50cc’s are really inadequately powered if you need to carry a passenger, climb a hill or haul a big load. Something in the 80-110cc range is much better. Here's hopiong the future holds more small 4-stroke scooters like this.

Pros:
* Fuel injected & liquid cooled
* Clean styling
* Front disc brake
* Huge storage
* Passenger pegs and rear rack are a work of art

Cons:
* No kickstarter

Links:
BikeBandit.com - Good for looking up OEM parts and finding out what’s still available
MotorscooterGuide Forums - Visit the forum on this site to chat about your scoot
Motorcycle Daily Review - Nice review of the Elite 110
Motorcycles.About.Com Review - Good review and nice photos including shots of the optional accessories.

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

Key Specs:
* Engine:108cc, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve liquid cooled single
* Power: 8.9hp @ 7500 and 6.9 lbs/ft torque @ 6250 RPM
* Compression: 11.0:1
* Bore x stroke: 50mm x 55mm
* Fuel system: PGM-Fi with auto choke
* Starting: Electric
* Ignition: Digitial transistorized with electronic advance
* Transmission: Honda V-matic CVT
* Front suspension: 33mm hydraulic fork with 3.1” travel
* Rear suspension: Single rear shock with 2.8” travel
* Front brakes: Single 190mm disc with 2 piston caliper and CBS
* Rear brake: 130mm drum
* Seat height: 29.1”
* Weight: 254lbs wet
* Chassis: Steel
* Tires: 90/90-12 (front), 100/90-10 (rear) on aluminum rims
* Wheelbase: 50.2”
* Fuel capacity: 1.6 gallons (6 liters)

Colors:
2010: Red, Black