2010 Honda Elite scooter

After recently trading in my 2009 Vino 125 for this newly released 2010 Honda Elite I am compelled to sing its praises.  Although I loved the Vino, this scooter beats it in every category.  Although I've only had it for a few days, it has already left a permanent smile on my face.  The Vino was originally advertised as capable of carrying a passenger but with the maximum weight allowance around 300 and a small seat it wasn't feasible, unless you were both sub 150lbs?  Up until now if you wanted a "two up" scooter you had to go to a maxi type such as a Yamaha Majesty, TMax, Suzuki Burgman or a Honda Silverwing.  The least expensive was the Majesty at 6,500, which was way out of my price range.  I recently discovered that Honda had just released two more mid range scooters so I was excited. They were the Elite & the SH150i.  Although I liked them both, the SH150i still soared near the 5K mark which was still too high for me, the Elite was 2,900, around the same amount I had paid for my Vino 125 back in August 09.  On to the Elite...

After reading 50+ reviews on this bike I was unable to find any negatives from any critic so I knew that Honda has another winner.  My wife & I went down to our local dealer and were immediately impressed with its sporty retro but still modern look. It sported a larger front 12" wheel, sport bike style headlight, larger two part seat that opened to reveal a 35liter storage area, a glovebox in the front of the floorboard etc.  The instrument panel includes speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge & temperature gauge.  The ignition slot has various positions.  The ON position to start the engine, the OFF position which also releases the seat when the key is pressed, a LOCK position that will lock the steering to the left and the most impressive is a metal door that closes over the ignition switch when the fob on the key is inserted, allowing no opening for a key to enter.  Having the key is the only way to activate or deactivate this security device.

The Elite is powered by a 108cc fuel injected liquid cooled engine.  Now don't think there is no power there because on my test ride I got up to 55mph in a hurry with minimal effort.  After riding the Vino 125 for 4 months I knew this scoot could more than keep up if not out perform the larger cc Yamaha.  Because of fuel injection I was told to turn the key and wait until a Fi display light goes out before pushing the start button, allowing the system to spool up.  Once started, the engine gave off a smooth steady beat. The most important test I would give it was to test its passenger capability, after all that is why I was here.  I had my wife climb aboard, I snapped out the passenger foot pegs and off we went.  She didn't have a helmet so I kept our ride to multiple times around the dealership lot.  This was awesome.  The Honda had quick acceleration, balance and didn't feel at all bogged down by the extra weight.  About 5 times around was all the proof I needed and now it was time to put on my helmet and take her out on the main roads and give it a true test at various speeds, hills & turns.

Here I go...... I twisted the handlegrip and I launched quickly and got up to traffic speed of 40mph in no time.  I made a right hand turn and started ascending up a fairly steep roadway.  The Elite still carried me at a steady 45mph up the hill without fully opening up the throttle, I pulled into a neighborhood and slowed to a steady 25mph.  I could feel the difference in the seat, shocks & stability, the small bumps weren't felt as badly and the steering and brakes were the best I had felt in a scooter.  I couldn't find a negative thing about this bike so I was back to seal the deal and take this bike as my own.  I got a good deal on the Vino and I hope someone will enjoy it as much as I did.  Although I believe the Elite is a better bike, the Vino 125 is no sloutch and still provides a ton of fun.

Honda claims 107 mpg from a 1.6 gallon tank so I'm anxious to see how accurate that is and with as much as I love to ride this winner, it won't take me long to find out.