The Honda Elite is a series of scooters manufactured by Honda since 1983. Honda currently makes the 2010 Elite.[1]
In 1984, Honda released its first four-stroke modern scooter, the Elite 125. Later, Honda introduced the four-stroke Elite 80 (model code CH80) in 1985.
Production was moved from Japan to Mexico in 1991, and production ended in 2007. The Elite 80 had a 23 model year run with only minor changes.
| Honda Elite 150 | |
| Manufacturer: | Honda |
| Production: | 1984–1987 |
| Class: | Scooter |
| Engine: | /, four stroke |
| Transmission: | Honda V-matic CVT |
Honda released its first mid-sized four-stroke scooter onto the western market in the spring of 1984. The Elite 125 (CH125) continued Honda's trend of shifting from two-stroke engines to the much more emissions friendly four-stroke engine. The Elite was called the Honda Spacy in Europe. The 1984 Elite featured many new technologies never before seen on a conventional scooter, such as a retractable headlamp, liquid-cooled engine, a digital dashboard, and more. Honda marketed this as "21st Century looks and features to match" and "the ultimate in commuter scooters"
During this period and others, Honda had been trying to carve out new niches in two wheel transport, much as they did with the Honda Cub. The last big success in scooters was the Piaggio Vespa, with its enclosed bodywork and ease of use being popular in the 50s and 60s. The CH125 appears to be intentionally futuristic by design, in line with the popularity of new affordable consumer technologies containing microchips and LCD screens. The contemporary competing models were the Yamaha 1982 Cygnus (XC180) and Yamaha 1984 Cygnus (XC125), which were sometimes known as Yamaha Riva/Beluga in certain markets and the Suzuki CS125.
For 1985, Honda brought back its mid-sized scooter along with some modifications. Two of these changes were that the engine size was increased from to (thus changing the model name to the Elite 150) and that the Elite 150 was now being sold in two editions, the standard model, and a deluxe model. The deluxe model (CH150D) shared an almost identical body and frame as the Elite 125, including a digital instrument cluster and flip-up headlamp, while the standard model (CH150) got a more conventional specification, including an analog dashboard, and a fixed headlamp.
1986 saw the elimination of the standard model Elite 150, leaving the Deluxe model as the only remaining mid-sized scooter Honda had to offer. Styling revisions for the Honda CH150 in 1987 included a transition from a boxy to a curvier, more rounded look. Although its appearance differed from its predecessor, the revised Elite 150 received few mechanical modifications. Despite the design changes the CH150 received in 1987, it was the last year this model was produced.
The Elite CH125/CH150 technical feature focused around ease of use (albeit there is no real under seat storage) and maintenance. Some of these would not be seen again on small scooters for some time, if at all. These include;
The Honda Elite CH125/CH150 was ridden on screen by Linda Hamilton in the 1984 sci-fi thriller movie The Terminator. At around this same time, musicians Adam Ant and Grace Jones appeared in a series of television commercials promoting the Elite.[2]
| Honda Elite E | |
| Manufacturer: | Honda |
| Production: | 1980s |
| Class: | Scooter |
| Engine: | two stroke |
| Transmission: | Fixed ratio rubber belt |
| Fuel Capacity: | (1 Gallon) |
| Similar: | Honda Spree |
The Honda Elite E was launched in the late 1980s. The Elite E shares the fixed-ratio transmission with its cousin the Honda Spree, rather than the CVT of the standard Elite and Dio models.
In 1988, Honda launched the SB50 as a successor to the Spree (NQ50), which was quite popular at the time. Although the SB50 shares some design elements with the larger Elite SR/LX (SA50) scooter, which was also released in 1988, the two models are almost entirely distinct. Despite the similar appearance, the SB50 is considerably smaller than the Elite SR/LX, and its body panels are not interchangeable. Furthermore, the SB50 features a distinct engine, frame, suspension, and other components, combining elements of Honda's Spree engine with a miniaturized version of the Elite SR/LX style.[3] [4]