Elite 80 CH80 Project?

Rancher1 · Post by **Rancher1** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:50 pm

I've came across a cheap 1989 CH80 with unknown miles I'm considering buying. I'm relatively familiar with 2-strokes however I don't have experience working on 4-strokes. The bike has some issues and hasn't really been taken care of. It runs and idles ok, but the power feels very weak and a little stuttery. It could be clogged jets, an air leak somewhere, cylinder/piston/compression issues, timing, or things I don't know about. The exhaust was attached and I couldn't see any obvious breaks.

What do you guys think might be going on? Is it worth the chance to jump into this project or is this likely a money pit?

motormike · Post by **motormike** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 2:55 pm

Cheap is never a bad thing...

Elite 80 is a well-designed and executed machine.
Parts availability is excellent and reasonable.
Honda made the model for 20+ years.
You have valves in the Elite 80, and one that has been neglected will likely need some adjustment.
Old GAS might be an issue too.
Do the normal things, new plug, fresh gas, clean carb, update hoses, filters, check compression.
Inspect that diaphragm on the carb slide too.

Wheelman-111 · Post by **Wheelman-111** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:38 pm

Greetings:

I like cheap too. Trouble with the CH 80 is that its best - and virtually non-upgradeable - performance is likely to be on a par with a reasonably good-running 2-stroke 50, while being considerably heavier and less nimble. Plus it looks like a toaster. If you like that style and are prepared to live with a bit of a pig on performance, go for it. As for me, 4-strokes need to be 150 and up to be practical.

Rancher1 · Post by **Rancher1** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:57 pm

Haha yea it does look like a toaster. Sometimes I can't help but feel like there's all these neglected abused bikes out there that need rehabilitation and a loving home.

I see a ton of CH80s out there but rarely an SA50. The CH80 I was just considering for another project in uncharted territory. Suppose I should just be patient. I'm considering getting a second bike to sport up as a touring toy.

Kevinstonge · Post by **Kevinstonge** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:47 am

The ch80's are not for everyone, especially if you are used to the snappy acceleration of a two stroke or small sport bike.
With that said, after owning mine for 5 years and roughly 12000 miles now, I'm still in love. The spaceship styling quickly grew on me after the first year, and the overall size of the bike is what will keep me on one for as long as I can ride. Coming in at roughly 170lbs, I can put it in the bed of my gmc 1500 by myself will little effort. The slightly larger than sa50 profile makes me feel more comfortable cruising at 45+ mph, and being slightly smaller than the 125/150/250 platform allows the ch80 to be nimble through traffic and tight spaces.

All in all it's a great mid sized scooter, with great fuel economy at the cost of meh performance in both acceleration and top speed.

Ideally, and hopefully sometime in the near future, my ch80 will recieve a ch150 engine swap, which should give me the all around performace id like to have for the size of the ch80 chassis.

Rancher1 · Post by **Rancher1** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:03 am

Kevinstonge wrote:Ideally, and hopefully sometime in the near future, my ch80 will recieve a ch150 engine swap, which should give me the all around performace id like to have for the size of the ch80 chassis.

Hmm, that's a very interesting idea. I do also see a lot of 150's floating around. They're liquid cooled though. How hard might a 150 engine swap job be?

curtis966 · Post by **curtis966** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:09 pm

I don't know much about the 4-stroke series of motors but I imagine it wouldn't be to difficult of a swap other then finding a good spot for the radiator. I've seen a few ruckus's with a ch150 swap

motormike · Post by **motormike** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:25 pm

From strictly an economical standpoint, the Elite 80 is
one miserly gas-sipper.....
Having owned one for several years, I periodically checked the consumption numbers.
Equipped with a windshield, riding mostly at full song on the Natchez Trace,
my Elite 80 achieved 104 miles per gallon, and in subsequent testing, with a female rider
and pushing the throttle with gentler efforts, her results reached 111 mpg.
I agree with Kevinstonge about the nimbleness of the Elite 80.
Completely capable of moving along through the streets of urban sprawl
while maintaining traffic speed.
The mere fact that Honda saw it unnecessary to change anything about
the Elite 80 for a period of 20+ years is a testament to it's perfection...
Your mileage may vary...

EastCoastCB · Post by **EastCoastCB** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:08 am

Kevinstonge wrote:The ch80's are not for everyone, especially if you are used to the snappy acceleration of a two stroke or small sport bike.
With that said, after owning mine for 5 years and roughly 12000 miles now, I'm still in love. The spaceship styling quickly grew on me after the first year, and the overall size of the bike is what will keep me on one for as long as I can ride. Coming in at roughly 170lbs, I can put it in the bed of my gmc 1500 by myself will little effort. The slightly larger than sa50 profile makes me feel more comfortable cruising at 45+ mph, and being slightly smaller than the 125/150/250 platform allows the ch80 to be nimble through traffic and tight spaces.

All in all it's a great mid sized scooter, with great fuel economy at the cost of meh performance in both acceleration and top speed.

Ideally, and hopefully sometime in the near future, my ch80 will recieve a ch150 engine swap, which should give me the all around performace id like to have for the size of the ch80 chassis.

Agreed, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do if you end up swapping for the 150.

Kevinstonge · Post by **Kevinstonge** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:06 am

Like Curtis mentioned, the most "difficult" part of the swap will be finding a good home for the radiator and coolant lines. The mount will have to be custom ( planning to weld the frame half of the 80 mount to the engine half of the 150 mount), and I'm assuming most if not all of the 150 engine wiring harness will have to be used.

Actually I take that back. The most difficult part of the swap will be finding a ch150 with a s*** body and mint engine for a great price. All of the 125/150's in my area (maine) go for top dollar. Only reasonable deal at the moment is a local 250 for $300. It's very tempting, but I feel the 250 power plant will be too large to fit under the ch80 body.

Plus when i find the 150 I'm looking for, I want to try and swap the digi-dash as well. The handle bar/gauge cluster on the 80's is very similar to the 125/150.

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Elite 80 CH80 Project?

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