1987 Honda Elite CH80 review from United States of America

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.

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.