2001 Honda Elite CH80

Summary:

Get another model for this size 80cc

Faults:

Love the insurance cost. One hundred a year.

Weird carb problem. Every three months I must pay $100 for a tune up, because the power dips to twenty miles per hour.

This drives me crazy. Also, the rear tire is going bald at 6000 miles!

General Comments:

I hate spending one hundred dollars every two-three months for a tune up. My old 200 cc was like a car. It would not lose 60% of power every three months! Get another manufacturer if you want a scooter.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 25th June, 2008

27th Jun 2008, 21:00

20mph?!! Wow.. I would seriously consider getting a brand new carb!!! The dealer must not be doing worth a darn on cleaning the carb out. It's not that hard to do it yourself.. Just get a Honda Elite Repair manual and do it yourself! You will save a lot of money in the long run!

6th Aug 2008, 13:17

The problem is not the carb. It is the filter. Did you drive in the rain? I had the same problem with my scooter. I replaced the filter - and hit 40+ again. I then found a CH80 with the same problem on ebay. I bought it really cheap, replaced the filter, and hit 45 on level ground. This model needs good airflow to run well. New filters are much cheaper than tune ups. Filter is easy to replace. Keep a few spares.

5th Mar 2013, 22:47

If they have to clean out the fuel system that often, I'd look at the fuel tank for rust, and remove and clean or replace the fuel filter.

1987 Honda Elite CH80

Summary:

Great scooter for low speed 42mph rides

Faults:

I was given a 1987 Honda Elite CH80 by my brother. It was a scooter that sat in various garages throughout its lifetime. To bring it back up to safe running condition, I spent about $400 on a helmet, tires, tubes, gas tank cleaning and sealing, and a carburetor needle and float.

After this work was done, the bike was drivable, but would only start if it received a squirt of carburetor cleaner. I disassembled the carb many times and cleaned it. I replaced the fuel by-starter (electric choke) in a vain attempt to correct the situation.

I finally corrected the problem by replacing the idle and main jets. The main jet consists of two parts, and only the smaller portion was replaced. This was a major accomplishment toward making it run correctly. It now starts in with a 2 second turn of the key..

The scooter also had a problem pulling to the left. I did not consider this a problem until a guy stopped me in traffic and pointed out that the scooter was doglegging (driving down the road somewhat sideways).

I disassembled the front end, and found that the front fork was crooked. This was not obvious to the naked eye, but a long rod placed through the front forks showed that the sides were not aligned. I straightened the fork (should have replaced it for $130) and the scooter rides straight. I now understand how other scooter geeks could wave with one hand and not lose control. When the scooter is aligned it tends to drive straight.

My remaining problem is... when running at top speed (42mph) for a mile or more, and I hit a bump, the engine misses and slows down to 35mph, until I back off on the throttle and then re-accelerate. I believe that the AC canister is full of oil, and the bump may be causing oil to reach the carb. I am ordering a shop manual so that I can understand the purpose and operation of the AC canister.

General Comments:

This is a great little scooter, which is good in congested traffic where the speed limit is 45 or less. It is great for trips around town.

I currently use it for a 30 mile round trip commute. I chose back roads and cut through subdivisions, and the gas bill per week is approx $6, as compared to $60 when I drive my minivan.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th July, 2007

1987 Honda Elite CH80

Summary:

Gas saving, funny and good looking scooter

Faults:

This 1987 Elite 80cc CH80 has a bad carburetor.

The seat is torn due to neglected use I suppose.

The paint job and the plastic parts are a joke, they look like a cheap toy.

The parts are expensive and hard to obtain.

I heard this 4 stroke scooter doesn't have much power.

General Comments:

Since I didn't see any reviews on this scooter yet, I wrote this review to see if anybody could write something useful to me. I can tell that I love the design of the scooter, despite the fact that the speedometer shows 0-55mph.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th December, 2005

16th Jan 2006, 13:25

I cannot make a comment on the Elite because I do not own one just yet. There are quite a few sites that you can look at, that show what you can do to upgrade your scooter. Would you like to sell your Elite?

16th Feb 2006, 23:24

I might want to sell it, but I still want to LOCALLY try to fix it with a low budget. Mine has either a transmission or clutch problem, because the engine sounds very well indeed, but when I take off the stand, it wouldn't go forward, but in the air the wheel spins, so I think transmission or clutch.

It's got 6000 miles, it cost me 250 US and I just want to spend around 300 US to fix it, considering that the battery already cost me 70.

I went to the Honda dealer and the whole carburetor costs 253 US, so that shows how expensive the parts are. I am in Oakland CA, if convenient to you, I might sell it to you for 240 if I don't fix it, so keep in touch. Thank you.