Honda Elite Clearance

elite (Category: Powersports )

elite (Category: Powersports )

 

 

When Honda set up shop in America fifty years ago, in a small garage on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, few would have imagined that five decades later the Japanese manufacturer would have grown into the powersports giant it is today. In 1959 Honda’s bread and butter was the Cub scooter. Through the company’s clever marketing campaign, “You meet the nicest People on a Honda”, Honda began to change the way Americans looked at motorcycles, and motorcyclists. Tattooed, long haired Harley riders were slowly replaced by clean cut, suit wearing Leave It to Beaver types who zipped around on their motorbikes without a care in the world. And it worked… by 1968 Honda had sold more than 1 million Cubs in the US.

Fast forward to 2011… You may still meet the nicest people on a Honda, but few can be found riding wearing cardigans, letterman jackets or fluffy skirts – helmetless on their scooters while enjoying a smooth and refreshing cigarette, or perhaps even smoking a curvy old tobacco pipe. Apparently times have changed!

Today’s latest innovation is Honda’s Elite, which is all-new for 2010. The fuel injected 108cc scoot is produced by Honda in one of its facilities in China. The new Elite isn’t highway legal in California, and you wouldn’t want to try it on the super-slab with its limited 50 mph top speed.

Around town its another story… Agile, lightweight (claimed wet weight of 254lbs) sporting a belt drive and delivering over 100mpg (according to the EPA) the Elite is in its element on backroads, surface streets and cutting through alleyways. The automatic transmission means that there’s no thought required to driving this machine… Start the bike, twist the throttle and go…

Pinning the throttle wide open, the Elite buzzes to life and pulls away from most vehicles at stoplights with ease. Slicing through Los Angeles traffic on the Honda is a treat, and the real surprise is in the braking department. Grabbing a handful of front brake will stand this scoot on end. Its combined brakes deliver fantastic stopping power.