Looking at Other Scooters

[pcbikedude]

It's Father's Day and I had time to burn. What to do? What to do? Oh yes, look at scooters!!!! But there are no new Buddys anywhere in town.

I was riding around with my daughter and we stopped at our local Honda-Yamaha Dealer. I was looking for another scooter to put the Mrs. on.

They had only 8 scooters left on the floor. 4 new Honda Metropolitans that they just got in yesterday, 1 Yamaha C3, 2 Honda Elite 80s, and 1 used Silverwing.

The salesperson told me that they have been blowing out scooter out the door the past several weeks. He told us that Yamaha is out of Vinos for awhile.

Some observations: The sales person we talked to is not your ideal scooter salesperson. He claimed he could do 40mph on a metro. Liar. I know that these scooters are restricted and only go about 30.

The Honda Elite 80's fit and finish was poor. The panels were falling off. Then I saw the sticker: Hecho in Mexico

[Eazy]

It's Father's Day and I had time to burn. What to do? What to do? Oh yes, look at scooters!!!! But there are no new Buddys anywhere in town.

I was riding around with my daughter and we stopped at our local Honda-Yamaha Dealer. I was looking for another scooter to put the Mrs. on.

They had only 8 scooters left on the floor. 4 new Honda Metropolitans that they just got in yesterday, 1 Yamaha C3, 2 Honda Elite 80s, and 1 used Silverwing.

The salesperson told me that they have been blowing out scooter out the door the past several weeks. He told us that Yamaha is out of Vinos for awhile.

Some observations: The sales person we talked to is not your ideal scooter salesperson. He claimed he could do 40mph on a metro. Liar. I know that these scooters are restricted and only go about 30.

The Honda Elite 80's fit and finish was poor. The panels were falling off. Then I saw the sticker: Hecho in Mexico

The metro will do 40. My wife had one.

Honda makes everything in mexico.

[ryder1]

Do they still make the two different Mets?

There was a Met and a Met 2 in MN a couple of years ago.

The Met 2 could go faster..I'm thinking 40mph. I didn't think they made it anymore.

[7eregrine]

They don't. Just the one now.

I pegged the speedo on a Met... @50-something. Of course, I was going down a very long rolling hill.

Re: Restricting... MANY dealers will derestrict it for you depending on the laws in your State. Pretty sure PoC does because we are a mandatory MC License state. Probably why he said it would do 40?!?

[BGK]

They don't. Just the one now.

I pegged the speedo on a Met... @50-something. Of course, I was going down a very long rolling hill.

Re: Restricting... MANY dealers will derestrict it for you depending on the laws in your State. Pretty sure PoC does because we are a mandatory MC License state. Probably why he said it would do 40?!?

That dealer was just inflating things. The met can probably get to around 35 with lots of time and no impediments. The derestriction that PoC will do are probably on 2 stroke scooters and a few 4 stroke kymcos. The Metropolitan was restricted in a few different ways. By CDI and by a different variator (not just a range limiting washer or spindle), making them very difficult to derestrict by anyone, thus rarely done.

I'm surprised the Honda Elite 80 looked to have poor fit and finish. They've been made in Mexico for a long time and are typically rock solid but slow scooters, for being 80cc. The Honda Metropolitan is about the most solidly constructed and engineered modern 50cc scooter I've ever come across. When taking one apart you really see all the thought and effort put into the making of one.