Kinda wish I'd gotten a Honda now.

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Piedmont
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Kinda wish I'd gotten a Honda now.

Post by Piedmont »

Saw my first Elite in person the other day. Lady gave me a huge smile and wave as I rolled by on Carmen. It's a pretty slick machine. Now I find a few great artists shilling for them?! What's the Buddy had, a cameo on Desperate Housewives?
Browsing Youtube for another ad and ran across these:

Adam Ant and Grace Jones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQP374lBVnM

Miles Davis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1CwXz8Xidc

Lou Reed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkXxFCu7kPI

And my favorite:
Devo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRrAuANhdvY
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Post by jmazza »

That Miles Davis one is perfect.

Were there ever any posters or any prints ads done with them?
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Re: Kinda wish I'd gotten a Honda now.

Post by Dooglas »

Piedmont wrote:Saw my first Elite in person the other day. Lady gave me a huge smile and wave as I rolled by on Carmen. It's a pretty slick machine.
Am I missing something. You mean the Elite 80? Way underpowered and with a face only a mother could love. I believe it is being discontinued. Why would Honda pump money into promotions for it?

The better question is why we can't get any of the good Honda 125-250 scoots that are sold in Europe. There is a reason why the 3 top selling scooters in Italy are Hondas. None of those models available here however. Honda has pretty clearly written off the American scooter market except for the maxi-scoots.
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Post by jfrost2 »

A honda elite may be one slick machine, but it has no soul! :shock:

Neither does the PGO bubu, but whatever philip mcaleb touches with his hands, becomes a icon machine. That's how the buddy got famous....in the scooting world.
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Post by DennisD »

Honda Elite 80cc - Unchanged since the 80's - discontinued.
Honda Ruckus 49cc - Discontinued for 08 - returning in 09.
Honda Helix 250cc - Unchanged since the 80's - discontinued.
Honda Big Ruckus 250cc - Discontinued.
Honda Reflex 250cc - Discontinued.

The only thing left for 09 is Metropolitan, Ruckus (both 49cc) and SilverWing (650cc).

Now there is talk that the SilverWing is being discontinued.
Lots happening in Asia and Europe, nothing in the U.S.
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Post by Piedmont »

I guess we have this interesting commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqWU93k1sKU
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Post by ericalm »

Another "here's something from the '80s" thread to make me feel old. Sorry, I have a birthday coming up.

I actually asked Adam Ant about the ad with Grace Jones when I met him once, years after the commercial had aired. He said it was fun and that she really bit the heck out of his ear at one point. He did not actually ride a Honda. :)

BTW, those were pretty much the last (and only) scooter commercials to air on nationwide TV in the US. Honda quickly took over the scooter market, and Vespa retreated with its tail between its legs, only to come back with the ETs years later. Some predict that Vespa will do this again someday. I predict that Honda will never care as much about the US scooter market as they did in the '80s.
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Post by nuttmeg75 »

Let's not forget this piece of cinematic gold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ5UEcp99Cw
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Post by babblefish »

I dunno, I've ridden two different Honda Elites and I thought both handled like cra* and the brakes were a joke. I remember thinking that these things need to be banned from the road. And lets not even talk about looks...but then, to each their own... :D
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Post by Piedmont »

babblefish wrote:I dunno, I've ridden two different Honda Elites and I thought both handled like cra* and the brakes were a joke. I remember thinking that these things need to be banned from the road. And lets not even talk about looks...but then, to each their own... :D
Hey I've never ridden one, that's good to know. And as for the looks, I've been known to have questionable taste. At least I got a buddy though, I think we can all agree those are classy rides that handle like... like something that handles really well.
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Post by louie »

i love those commerials. i've seen those before but not the billy jean one. who wouldn't want one?

i've never riden one and i've no idea how they ride. but i've always had a soft spot for them, i'd probably dug up a larger one if they were less than 10 years old. but i think the 250 are all about 20 years old now. the buddy more than fits my desires though. i don't know about the other sizes between 80 and 250.
i had one sitting in my back yard for a couple of days. sure did want a keep it.


it's funny this post has come up tonight. really unfortunately a friend clifton who rides an 86 (?i think)elite 250 is really sick. damn diabetes.
i rode to chattanooga with him and his elite last year along with a few others and now he won't be going this year. he's riden up there at least twice and all over the southeast on it and his silverwing.

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Post by ericalm »

louie wrote:... i'd probably dug up a larger one if they were less than 10 years old. but i think the 250 are all about 20 years old now.
They still make it! There was a slight interruption for a couple years when Honda released the Reflex 250, but the Helix was so popular that it was resurrected. The design was largely unchanged for 20 years. Same goes for the Elite.

Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, Honda has cut its US scooter line down to the Metropolitan, Reflex and small Ruckus. See what I mean about them not caring about this market?
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Post by louie »

yeah i know what you mean about honda not caring about our market. i wonder if that will change if opec's oil price predictions are right.

the elite i'm talking about is much shorter than the helix or reflex. it's just like the elite 80 but proportionately bigger.

here's a side shot of the elite 250 with 85000 (i think that's correct i'll see if i can find out) miles on it.

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Post by ericalm »

louie wrote:yeah i know what you mean about honda not caring about our market. i wonder if that will change if opec's oil price predictions are right.
I'm not sure it will. The US scooter market is booming right now, but will contract again eventually—Honda probably knows this better than any other company. The market will probably remain bigger than before the boom for some time. Even then, though, it's still going to be small compared to Europe and Asia. Even at the peak of the boom, Honda's scooter sales will only be so high. Committing to bring new or more models to the US takes extra investment and time to make the product legal in the US, get it to dealers, and have it take up space on showroom floors next to MCs that cost 4 times as much. Honda could look at the whole pie, make some projections and decide that for them it's really not worth it and they're better off focusing on motorcycles, cars, all those other things they make which have much higher profit margins.
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Post by DennisD »

ericalm wrote:
louie wrote:yeah i know what you mean about honda not caring about our market. i wonder if that will change if opec's oil price predictions are right.
I'm not sure it will. The US scooter market is booming right now, but will contract again eventually—Honda probably knows this better than any other company. The market will probably remain bigger than before the boom for some time. Even then, though, it's still going to be small compared to Europe and Asia. Even at the peak of the boom, Honda's scooter sales will only be so high. Committing to bring new or more models to the US takes extra investment and time to make the product legal in the US, get it to dealers, and have it take up space on showroom floors next to MCs that cost 4 times as much. Honda could look at the whole pie, make some projections and decide that for them it's really not worth it and they're better off focusing on motorcycles, cars, all those other things they make which have much higher profit margins.
All I would add would be "...all those other things they make SO WELL..."
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Post by Dooglas »

DennisD wrote:
All I would add would be "...all those other things they make SO WELL..."
They make perfectly fine scooters as well such as the SH 125/150/300 series. They have just made a hard nosed business decision not to bother with the US scooter market.
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Post by KCScooterDude »

ericalm wrote:
louie wrote:yeah i know what you mean about honda not caring about our market. i wonder if that will change if opec's oil price predictions are right.
I'm not sure it will. The US scooter market is booming right now, but will contract again eventually—Honda probably knows this better than any other company. The market will probably remain bigger than before the boom for some time. Even then, though, it's still going to be small compared to Europe and Asia. Even at the peak of the boom, Honda's scooter sales will only be so high. Committing to bring new or more models to the US takes extra investment and time to make the product legal in the US, get it to dealers, and have it take up space on showroom floors next to MCs that cost 4 times as much. Honda could look at the whole pie, make some projections and decide that for them it's really not worth it and they're better off focusing on motorcycles, cars, all those other things they make which have much higher profit margins.
This is something I'm fascinated about.

When will the boom end?
Will today's scooter buyer who stays on two wheels upgrade to a second scooter or switch to a motorcycle (which I see happening a lot)?
What will Genuine offer (if anything for buyers who want to upgrade with their second scooter purchase)?

Personally, I love my Blur and would always use a scoot for commuting and running errands. BUt, I'd like to do some touring. Bergman or Bonneville?
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Post by siobhan »

jmazza wrote: Were there ever any posters or any prints ads done with them?
I absolutely looooove my Elite 80...naysayers be damned, I say!

I originally bought my Elite to replace my Met because I needed a little more power for one hill on my, at the time, new commute. There's something to be said for a machine that sits in someone's garage for 10 years and yet I show up, push a button, and vrooom I'm off.

As for print ads, my boyfriend got me the Lou Reed "Don't settle for walking" ad for my birthday. When I took my Buddy in for "first check-up or lose warranty" visit, I started questioning why I even got it...the Elite actually gets more comments than my Bud. It's such an 80's machine. Don't get me wrong, I love my Buddy but come on...look at the snout on the Elite.
Image

Now I want the St Tropez Genuine ad, but after hearing the price, Lou will represent for scoots in my office.

Here's me the night I got the Elite...a mix of Stig and baaaad disco. And it cost me 1/10th of my Bud.
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Post by Artisan »

Sorry....I lived through the 80's...and 70's....and 60's...and 50's.
Am I dating myself yet? Sometimes I hate the "retro fads" To me most 80's-90's styles are...well I cannot say it on this forum. Most people I knew during the eighties hated the look then. Just no class or fun. Except shoulderpads that you could put someones eye out with.
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Post by StacyB »

After I got my Buddy, my husband found a 1984 Honda Elite 125 for $400. He changed out the carb, got a new battery/air filter, jetted the... whatever it is that you can "jet" on a scooter... and it runs fine! And yes, his is the bike that gets all the attention. lol
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Post by louie »

this 8 something 250 won best twist and go or plastic at the mud, blood and beer last year. unfortunately he sold it not long after. he says he'd wished he hadn't.

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Post by pcbikedude »

Sorry Honda lovers.
The most recent Elite 80s were built in Mexico. The ones I saw in the dealership a week ago the fit and finish was the worst I've ever seen. Worse than the ML Chinese bikes. Body panels falling off and the windshields were scratched. All 3 were "new" '06s.

I suppose the earlier one were made better (in Japan).
The scenery only changes for the lead scooterist.
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Post by ericalm »

siobhan wrote:Here's me the night I got the Elite...a mix of Stig and baaaad disco. And it cost me 1/10th of my Bud.
Um... not to go too OT... but are those your Volvo 1800s in the background there? If so, AWESOME. And I'm super envious.
Artisan wrote:Sorry....I lived through the 80's...and 70's....and 60's...and 50's.
Am I dating myself yet? Sometimes I hate the "retro fads" To me most 80's-90's styles are...well I cannot say it on this forum. Most people I knew during the eighties hated the look then. Just no class or fun. Except shoulderpads that you could put someones eye out with.
I lived through some (but not all!) of those decades, too. While I didn't think much of the Honda style back then and kinda hated it by the '90s, I've grown to appreciate it in more recent years. It's become iconic, distinguished in some ways by how long it endured and (unlike most iconic designs) how little influence that aesthetic had on the design of other scooters.

(I also see quite a bit of difference between fashion and design in the '80s and those of the '90s.)
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Post by enzomatic »

I did not like the feel of the elite 80s the handling sucked, acceleration was too soft, and the breaking was far from firm, this was an '06 though
Looking for ppl to ride with in LA.
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Post by louie »

curiouis george wants to know, of those who like the old honda scooters and those who don't, who would buy one of their cars?

i like the old honda scooters and
i like the cars. i bought a new civic in 91, sold it last year and bought it back last week.
may someday own one of their 600 mc because they'll fit me (a cruser with a low seat) and run forever.
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mc

Post by jperkins »

I am currently looking to purchase a 600 (as discussed in previous thread)
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Post by Piedmont »

Artisan wrote: Sometimes I hate the "retro fads"
Hate them if you want, but look at history and you'll see that every culture has had them. With that out of the way, my love for Devo has never waned :D .
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Post by siobhan »

ericalm wrote: Um... not to go too OT... but are those your Volvo 1800s in the background there? If so, AWESOME. And I'm super envious.
Sold "the turq" on eBay in February and the winner just sent someone yesterday to come pick it up! The mustard 1800 was to replace the turq as it was an automatic and was starting to show the age of its resto. The mustard is a 4-speed with working factory installed A/C...what girl wouldn't be all over that! It's my boyfriend's daily driver (when he doesn't take the Vespa or the Rabbit). We have an Innocenti Mini as well which I'm leaning toward selling so I can get a Sprite or Nash. He really wants a Messerschmidt but they ain't cheap!
louie wrote:curiouis george wants to know, of those who like the old honda scooters and those who don't, who would buy one of their cars?

i like the old honda scooters and
i like the cars. i bought a new civic in 91, sold it last year and bought it back last week.
may someday own one of their 600 mc because they'll fit me (a cruser with a low seat) and run forever.
I never thought I would own a new car (pay more than $500 for a car?!) but I got a Fit and really like it. I went from VWs (Bugs and Karmann Ghias) to Volvos (1800s and 240s) to a Honda. I guess I should move to a housing estate now ;)

I think next will be a '69 Honda Dream.
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Post by ericalm »

Piedmont wrote:
Artisan wrote: Sometimes I hate the "retro fads"
Hate them if you want, but look at history and you'll see that every culture has had them. With that out of the way, my love for Devo has never waned :D .
Are you at all familiar with the TV show Square Pegs? Finally our on DVD after almost 25 years... I haven't re-watched them but I loved the show when I was young. Anyway, it had one of the only "new waver" tv characters of the '80s, Johnny Slash, whose 9th favorite band was Devo (IIRC). Devo also appeared in an episode.
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Post by gymnation »

louie wrote:curiouis george wants to know, of those who like the old honda scooters and those who don't, who would buy one of their cars?

i like the old honda scooters and
i like the cars. i bought a new civic in 91, sold it last year and bought it back last week.
may someday own one of their 600 mc because they'll fit me (a cruser with a low seat) and run forever.
I own a 2003 Honda Element. Great vehicle from a practical standpoint. And talk about iconic design...sheesh!
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Post by louie »

siobhan wrote: I think next will be a '69 Honda Dream.
now that would be a dream.
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Post by DennisD »

04 Honda CR-V. Dumped a much hated 04 Camry for it. We were going to get an Element and had driven several. Didn't get an Element because loading and unloading kids. Wife didn't like having to open front door to open the back. Salesman asked us about trying a CR-V. My wife wasn't interested but said ok. She loved it and still does. Its her favorite ride in years. An Element will probably replace my van if it ever dies. That's not too likely since it just sits in the driveway because I scoot all the time. But, it could happen.
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Post by ericalm »

siobhan wrote:
ericalm wrote: Um... not to go too OT... but are those your Volvo 1800s in the background there? If so, AWESOME. And I'm super envious.
Sold "the turq" on eBay in February and the winner just sent someone yesterday to come pick it up! The mustard 1800 was to replace the turq as it was an automatic and was starting to show the age of its resto. The mustard is a 4-speed with working factory installed A/C...what girl wouldn't be all over that! It's my boyfriend's daily driver (when he doesn't take the Vespa or the Rabbit). We have an Innocenti Mini as well which I'm leaning toward selling so I can get a Sprite or Nash. He really wants a Messerschmidt but they ain't cheap!
louie wrote:curiouis george wants to know, of those who like the old honda scooters and those who don't, who would buy one of their cars?

i like the old honda scooters and
i like the cars. i bought a new civic in 91, sold it last year and bought it back last week.
may someday own one of their 600 mc because they'll fit me (a cruser with a low seat) and run forever.
I never thought I would own a new car (pay more than $500 for a car?!) but I got a Fit and really like it. I went from VWs (Bugs and Karmann Ghias) to Volvos (1800s and 240s) to a Honda. I guess I should move to a housing estate now ;)

I think next will be a '69 Honda Dream.
The Honda Dream 305 has long been on my list for possible next 2-wheeler; I've mentioned my lust for this bike here many times. (POC Phil offered to get me one last year, but...) For me, it's really the pinnacle of design for that type of MC in the '60s.

I probably first fell in love with the Volvo 1800 from watching the show thirtysomething in the '80s (one of the main characters drove one). My love for both the coupe and the 1800ES wagon never abated—one of the many reasons I've owned 3 Volvos, including my first car ('80 244GL) and my new 1800ES-inspired C30. (I was also opposed to new cars until recently. Uh, a monthly car bill? Insane!)

I owned an early '90s Honda Civic and never really took to it the way I have some other cars. Just didn't have any personality... reliable, economical, kinda boring. Got totaled (while parked) by a drunk driver with no insurance who then fled the state. Replaced it with a '92 Volvo 244.
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Post by MPA »

My brother had an 85 or 86 Elite 250 and I had a 87 Elite 80 back in '90.

I liked my 80 - would do 45mph indicated into a headwind and 55 with a tail wind. Can't say much of the handling as I wasn't riding it hard, and I only used the rear brake :shock: I actually considered another Elite 80 when I was getting back onto a scooter but could not find any locally. I'd have loved to find a 250, but they never seem to come up locally.
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Post by polianarchy »

Pfft...the Elite has NOTHING on the sheer delight of the Honda Spree. I wish I had one of these, le sigh.

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PS: I saw DEVO on Saturday night! They've STILL got it. TOIL IS STUPID.
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Post by jaded »

polianarchy wrote:Pfft...the Elite has NOTHING on the sheer delight of the Honda Spree. I wish I had one of these, le sigh.
Come to the SFSG rally in September. A Honda Spree, named the Killing Spree, will be the grand prize in a Monopoly-type game we will be playing over the weekend. :wink:
http://www.sfscootergirls.com/sfsg/word ... page_id=81
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Post by louie »

ericalm wrote:...
I owned an early '90s Honda Civic and never really took to it the way I have some other cars. Just didn't have any personality... reliable, economical, kinda boring. Got totaled (while parked) by a drunk driver with no insurance who then fled the state. Replaced it with a '92 Volvo 244.
yeah, that's sheer econo pleasure that gets you where you need to go.
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Post by cdwise »

I took my MSF class on a Honda Elite, I wouldn't buy one of the 80s. Hoever, the 250 Honda Elite from the 80s is sweet. One of our scooter http://unitedscooterriders.com group rides one. Nice scoot for the vertically challenged.
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Post by cdwise »

When will the boom end?
Will today's scooter buyer who stays on two wheels upgrade to a second scooter or switch to a motorcycle (which I see happening a lot)?
Funny, I know far more motorcycle riders who are switching to scoots or adding a scoot to their motocycle because they are so much more city friendly. That includes two Harley riders, a BMW rider and a Honda rider.

Heck, even my brother who is a diehard bike rider admits that the Bergman is "sweet" and the Morphus is "kewl". (Too bad the Morphus is being discontinued, its the one my son has his heart set on for when he gets old enough for his license.)
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Post by peabody99 »

I must have no taste, but I think those Elites are cool. They are rockin' some atomic age design
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Post by un_designer »

booo hissss :P

this post is a joke right? i love (some) hondas, but not the elite. besides... who needs celebs to make your ride "cool." :roll:
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Post by DennisD »

cdwise wrote:
When will the boom end?
Will today's scooter buyer who stays on two wheels upgrade to a second scooter or switch to a motorcycle (which I see happening a lot)?
Funny, I know far more motorcycle riders who are switching to scoots or adding a scoot to their motocycle because they are so much more city friendly. That includes two Harley riders, a BMW rider and a Honda rider.

Heck, even my brother who is a diehard bike rider admits that the Bergman is "sweet" and the Morphus is "kewl". (Too bad the Morphus is being discontinued, its the one my son has his heart set on for when he gets old enough for his license.)
My motorcycle is a middleweight and I love it - on the road. The fun wears thin when you have to go from light to light constantly changing gears, never getting up to a decent speed that the bike is made to run. I can imagine how some of the people who bought those chrome encrusted behemoths, wife beater shirts, brand new flip flops and new do rags must feel after a couple of thousand miles in town. They either go back to driving and trailering or if they keep riding and love to ride, end up getting a scooter. Sometimes even my Helix can be a pain as it is so long and in a tight area you have to watch closely what you are doing. Hard to beat a bike the size of a Buddy.
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louie
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Post by louie »

un_designer wrote:booo hissss :P

this post is a joke right? i love (some) hondas, but not the elite. besides... who needs celebs to make your ride "cool." :roll:
no, really. but you're right on the celeb thing those cool celeb spots are just a bonus.
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olhogrider
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Post by olhogrider »

My daughter won her Spree at the SFSG rally. Yesterday I bought a really crappy Elite 50, so now my garage has 4 scooters!
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Eazy
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Re: Kinda wish I'd gotten a Honda now.

Post by Eazy »

Dooglas wrote:
Piedmont wrote:Saw my first Elite in person the other day. Lady gave me a huge smile and wave as I rolled by on Carmen. It's a pretty slick machine.
Am I missing something. You mean the Elite 80? Way underpowered and with a face only a mother could love. I believe it is being discontinued. Why would Honda pump money into promotions for it?
You mean the scooter that's been sold pretty well for over 20 years? The 4 stroke scooter that gets 110mpg regularly and is for the most part indestructible?

Sorry, but I think the Elite is a slick machine. Some people think the buddy has a face only a blind mother could love.

At least the elite can be ridden by someone with a size 10 or bigger shoe.

It'll be interesting to see where the buddy's at in 20 years.
-Ian Follow Me
'08 Genuine Stella - "totaled"
'06 Honda Elite 80 - "bullet proof"
Eazy Scoots.
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olhogrider
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Re: Kinda wish I'd gotten a Honda now.

Post by olhogrider »

Eazy wrote: It'll be interesting to see where the buddy's at in 20 years.
In my garage, unless I'm out riding it!
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PeterC
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Honda

Post by PeterC »

I had a white Honda Elite 80 some years back. It was a perfectly adequate scooter that always ran reliably and had no bad habits. It was about as exciting, and attractive, as a toaster oven.
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Eazy
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Re: Honda

Post by Eazy »

PeterC wrote:I had a white Honda Elite 80 some years back. It was a perfectly adequate scooter that always ran reliably and had no bad habits. It was about as exciting, and attractive, as a toaster oven.
Image
-Ian Follow Me
'08 Genuine Stella - "totaled"
'06 Honda Elite 80 - "bullet proof"
Eazy Scoots.
Image
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PeterC
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Post by PeterC »

Eazy, yeah, like that, only in white!
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Quo Vadimus
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Post by Quo Vadimus »

louie wrote:this 8 something 250 won best twist and go or plastic at the mud, blood and beer last year. unfortunately he sold it not long after. he says he'd wished he hadn't.

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NIIIIIIIIIIICE WOOD. Anyone know where I can get wood as nice as that?
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