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Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:48 pm
by Ricerider
I currently have 01 SA50 72cc Malossi/Ct Intake/28mm OKO Carb #130 main
PG Long/9:1gears/RuimaVar6/7G/1.5K springs Chinese moped Spedo
60mph top speed, 50mph crusin speed, Daily Driver ~6k miles
I love the elite and its plenty fast, but I am curious about the zumas.
Looked over at zumaforums.net but they laughed about 60mph out of a elite...
Can a moodded Zuma match the elite in performance and cost to mod?
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:02 pm
by eliteguy50
Performance, yes. Cost to mod, no.
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:31 pm
by dv/dt
Zumas have a great motor but they are big and heavy and have the aero of a brick.
Not much can touch the elite as far as dollar per speed unit!
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:40 pm
by ZMUD
I built a zuma for a friend of mine and he spent alot more money than I did and he still cant touch my elite. For $200 you can build a elite to do 55mph all day you cant touch a zuma for under $400 and you'll be lucky to get 55mph!....J.M.O!
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:25 pm
by Dio89Elite
Ricerider wrote:I currently have 01 SA50 72cc Malossi/Ct Intake/28mm OKO Carb #130 main
PG Long/9:1gears/RuimaVar6/7G/1.5K springs Chinese moped Spedo
60mph top speed, 50mph crusin speed, Daily Driver ~6k miles
I love the elite and its plenty fast, but I am curious about the zumas.
Looked over at zuma forums.net but they laughed about 60mph out of a elite...
Can a moodded Zuma match the elite in performance and cost to mod?
They laughed out of nervousness 
j/k
dv/dt said it perfectly "Not much can touch the elite as far as dollar per speed unit!"
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:06 pm
by Ricerider
So what would be the second choice to an elite? I refuse to work on anything made in china, Taiwan I can deal with...
One of my buds built a eton beamer last year with a 70cc kit and pipe, got me excited and actually a little worried.
But what a dog it was, went 52mph but took forever to get there, my elite embarrassed him, went screaming by like he wasn't moving
I do like the larger tires on the zuma/beamers....
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:23 pm
by eliteguy50
The Vino is the best Yamaha compromise. It runs on 90/90-10 tires and weighs about 50 pounds lighter than the Zuma. Still running the horizontal minarelli.
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:41 pm
by stepthrutuner
Piaggio Typhoon 50 or Fly 50 (2t) or a Derbi Atlantis 2002 - 2005. The Piaggio Revolution 2t has the best stock crank and nearly always beats a Minarelli with the same mods. Parts are a little harder to get. Racing Planet usually gets parts from Germany to U.S. customers within 10 days. Shipping on orders over $100 is free. Otherwise SP Moto Superstore from Canada is next closest other than dealing directly with the European vendors.
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 2:27 am
by dv/dt
The kymco zx50 is like a bigger elite as well. Bigger tires and brakes and larger pullies in the trans. The engine is a honda af16/18 clone.
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 2:40 am
by veedubh20
why spend time on the zuma.. get a yamaha jog 92-01 and drop vino motor.
jog has many gear ratio. 7.1 to 12:1
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:35 am
by Downsouthdio
The vertical style "old school" zumas are pretty impressive as well.. They are pretty darn light and have lots of power and that motor turns alot of rpms.. I had and evo'd out vertical style minarelli an got 64mph out of it.. With a very hard and smooth pull throughout the band..it was a good run from a rolling start with my old elite.. Killed the elite from a dig
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:41 pm
by zuphilius
veedubh20 wrote:why spend time on the zuma.. get a yamaha jog 92-01 and drop vino motor.
jog has many gear ratio. 7.1 to 12:1
I have seen exactly one Jog, that was in Spokane, the owner sold me the Gyro I rebuilt, plus one on CL here in Seattle, I have been over here for a year.
They aren't very common it seems over here.
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:48 pm
by Ricerider
Zx50 seems to be the most common and easy to get but I doubt it matches honda in quality of parts. How long would stock zx50 crank bearings hold up to a bbk.....
Or would a af16 bolt into a zx50 without major mods? I think that would be the way to go
Those first gen zumas are cheap around here (for a clean one)
http://appleton.craigslist.org/mcy/3082704277.html
Missed out on a jog last fall for $400 on craigslist, I was the second caller
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:52 pm
by Downsouthdio
Thats exactly like the one i had.. Man that one is nice same color as mine was also.. Sweet!
Re: Elite vs Zuma
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:20 pm
by eliteguy50
The last few years of the vertical zuma were the best of that body, disc brakes.