Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

A quick look at the avatar to the left tends to indicate my ol' Spree - 'Pasquale' - has a new stablemate. Indeed - it's true. Over the weekend I welcomed The Flying Yam to the family.

'Why did I name it that?' you may be wondering. Even more, what flavor of Honda is it? It's...........it's.................{drum roll...............}

A 1992 HONDA ELITE 80!!!!!

Yep. Without doubt everybody's favorite scoot right?

Okay. Before you diss me into oblivion, I gotta tell you guys - one test ride in the Yam's saddle and I was hooked. This bike is a bad * ride, especially made for an old * like mine. It climbs hills, it purrs, and youdambetcha, I can actually stretch my legs out.

2150 miles, clean as a whistle - mine for $500US. Not bad in my book.

So, why the name? Because it's burnt amber orange. At first look I thought it was faded red. But red just doesn't fade that evenly, especially in the Pacific Northwest - where you see the sun as often as you can expect to win the Lotto.

Is it a repaint? Nope. No signs of that either. All I can conclude is the dam thing was actually painted a burnt orange color - like a big honkin' yam.
Hence the name.

Alrighty. You can boo and hiss now. I'm an adult; I can take it.

PS: the picture doesn't display the color right. You'll just have to take my word for it.

CaptDan>

Yam's a good name. How about WhamBamThankyouYam?

But red just doesn't fade that evenly, especially in the Pacific Northwest - where you see the sun as often as you can expect to win the Lotto

Bet you were out riding this weekend - We just had two sunny days in the PNW and it lined up with Sat/Sun

Greetings:

Good score, Cap! So when does one opt for the Spree and when is the 'Lite the ride du jour? I'm guessing the NQ becomes the " rain bike"

Naming a Honda "yam" is too close to Yamaha for my liking. (I dont have a problem with Yamaha, just dont like mixing the 2)

I have been thinking about lack of performance parts for the 80s, anybody ever try to get ahold of a company that grinds cams?

Hey CapDan, kidding about the name aside, good find. Around the PNW, C/L listers of Sprees are often asking more than your deal. Enjoy!

My dad is a Leadman at Engine Power Compnents in Grand Haven, MI. Its the world headquarters, and thats all they do is make cams, they have grinders, lathes, cncs, anything, i can ask him if he'd be willing to grind a few cams or whatnot.

Is this same color?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-Hon ... enameZWDVW

mousewheels wrote:Yam's a good name. How about WhamBamThankyouYam?

Bet you were out riding this weekend - We just had two sunny days in the PNW and it lined up with Sat/Sun

HAHAH! Me likey! Keep this up and you'll be giving Wheelman a run for his funnybone, methinx.

Yeah, I got a little riding in this weekend; first nice weather this year. But had bunch of chores to tend to, too. You know - the 'Honey-Dos.'

CaptDan>

Wheelman-111 wrote:Greetings:

Good score, Cap! So when does one opt for the Spree and when is the 'Lite the ride du jour? I'm guessing the NQ becomes the " rain bike"

Rain bike. AHAHAH! That's hilarious, and could be interpreted different ways. Fer eggzample:

1. When it rains, ye stay inside and work on the Spree
2. When it doesn't rain, ya ride the bike that doesn't need work.

CaptDan>

Kenny_McCormic wrote:Naming a Honda "yam" is too close to Yamaha for my liking. (I dont have a problem with Yamaha, just dont like mixing the 2)

Believe it or not, I took that into consideration. I own Yamaha recording gear (personally I think that's where the company of the Triple Tuning Fork shines, but YMMV), and refer to the equiment as made by 'Yammie.'
Other diehards refer to it as 'Yam.'

Truth is, I couldn't think of a better name.

CaptDan>

gashead wrote:Is this same color?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-Hon ... enameZWDVW

Yep! That looks almost identical. The SA50's coat is a bit shinier, but I haven't gotten into detailing the plastics yet. Should look darn close.

Is this a factory color? Far as I know HondaSan only offered CH80s in red, white, black, blue, and more recently - silver.

Oh - here's a funny for ya: the seller was asking $750 (pretty close considering condition and low mileage), but when I told him the paint was faded and couldn't pay his asking price, he excepted my low ball offer.

I'm actually liking the color. I'm not normal, I know.

Capt Dan>

I checked out the color codes for the '92 CH80 - R110 - MONZA Red.
That's the same color as the 1986 TG50 Gyro. We have the same color! Its different than the Spree Red - R127 - Sparkling Red. There is an orange cast to mine too. But IMHO not enough to say yam. More gently said - a couple crayolas off cherry?

---
What do you get if you create a leader by crossing a bird with a vegetable most bury?

Usually a green politician that doesn't fly with the public
Sometimes a leader with a fowl smell
But once in a blue moon you get a duck-tater.

So stand tall orange elite your are 'Flying Yam, the Duck Tater'

Greetings:

I don't mean to be a rude-a-beggar but the cerebral contortions required to wrap my head around the normally sage Mouse's lame duck quack caused me to turnup my nose. The joke's just not up to par. Snip this in the bud and Lettuce just rejoice at the Captain's good luck.

For some reason I'm hungry for salad. Let's eat out. Call me a cabbage.

mousewheels wrote:I checked out the color codes for the '92 CH80 - R110 - MONZA Red.
That's the same color as the 1986 TG50 Gyro. We have the same color! Its different than the Spree Red - R127 - Sparkling Red. There is an orange cast to mine too. But IMHO not enough to say yam. More gently said - a couple crayolas off cherry?

---
What do you get if you create a leader by crossing a bird with a vegetable most bury?

Usually a green politician that doesn't fly with the public
Sometimes a leader with a fowl smell
But once in a blue moon you get a duck-tater.

So stand tall orange elite your are 'Flying Yam, the Duck Tater'

HAHAH! DuckTater. I may be moved to reannoint the scoot accordingly

I 'Photoshlocked' a better pix of the scoot, getting the color much closer to reality. As you can see, it's markedly orange. How the * Monza Red could fade to this color (and I mean the undersides of the passenger footpegs and side rail as well) is a mystery - especially in a climate that gets 13 days a year of sun

So - here are the possible answers:

1. The bike spent a good part of its life in 'high country- ie - eastern Wa, outside. (However there isn't the usual plastic deterioration one associates with that type of fading.) The PO claims the bike lived in the Seattle area all its life - originally belonging to his bro-in-law.

2. Since HondaSan engaged our good friends south of the border to constuct his scoots since late '89, perhaps a little error occured in the paint chemistry - due to a Japanese-to-Spanish mistranslation.

3. It was a 1992 Limited Run Special Color commemorating the appointment of Willy Jeff Klintoon to the WhiteHouze.

That said, a peek on the interior side of the bike's 'probiscus' (front snack compartment door) reveals a redish cast - the only one in evidence anywhere on the ride.

There it is; more bandwidth signifying nothing.

CaptDan>

Wheelman-111 wrote:Greetings:

Call me a cabbage.

Son - if you're a cabbage, I'm a meat head. But please, don't beat my noggin too aggressively as I lack the infinite two-smoke wisdom thou has't bestowed upon us mere mortals.

{Bowing in supplication }

CaptDan>