Should I get a 2009 Adly Jet 50 OR 2003 Honda Elite 80?

by Rich
(Milwaukee, WI)

Hey there... I was curious what scooter you guys think I should go with. The 2009 Adly Jet 50 scooter which I can purchase NEW for $1495 (dealer said he'd include tax/title/license in price) or should I go with a USED 2003 Honda Elite 80 scooter (1,900 miles) for $850.


I only need to go up to 40 mph, but would like to get to that speed with ease. (I'm 180 lbs)

Test drove the Honda scooter and liked it but didn't seem to have the acceleration I wanted. Top speed seemed to be around 45 mph...

Would the $700 I save by buying the used Honda be worth it? Is the Adly Jet 50 scooter a reliable yet quick scooter?

Comments for Should I get a 2009 Adly Jet 50 OR 2003 Honda Elite 80?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 12, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Nice buy!
by: Eric

That's a good purchase on a nice bike. The Key West is one of the best selling scooters of all time. It's a workhorse for a lot of scooter rental companies... you're set with a good reliable ride!
Apr 12, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Went a different route!
by: Rich

Well, after much research and Craigslist searching, I found the perfect one! It wasn't an Adly or Honda. I got a 2007 TGB Key West and I love that thing. Picked it up for $1000.00 from a private seller. Only had 300 miles on it. It's all black, has both electric and kick start, and will push 50 mph with ease. Thanks for the input guys!

Rich
Apr 10, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Jet owner comment
by: Eric

Interesting about your brake pads. I've had to replace my pads on my Lambretta/Adly Due/Panther already, too, and I wonder if I need another set of pads and a rotor as well. My scooter is also a 2008... even 2 sets of pads at 5500KM seems like I should have required at most one set of pads.

I was able to find the bulbs for mine on Amazon... no problems.

Eric
Apr 10, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		dont get the Jet
by: Anonymous

I have 2008 Jet 50 . It runs great but I have had to replace the brake pads once before, and now I need to replace again and replace the calipers and disc. Try finding a brake disc for the Adly? It's four millimeters smaller than the ones for every other scooter.

Also you have to send to China to find a replacement bulb for the headlight because of unique design features. Or you could manufacture your own like I did using auto parts store bulbs, a soldering iron and some ingenuity.

I would have to recommend buying whatever you can easily find parts for. All scooters are going to wear and need parts. Most of the repairs are fairly easy, but having to wait two weeks for delivery and searching for hours on the Internet to find them sucks.
Jun 07, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Honda preferred
by: Anonymous

Nothing beats reliability and service and parts availability. Also bear in mind that the resale price for a Honda will be better; it is somewhat of a classic everyone loves. You will be spared the “ What again?“, when you say the scooter's brand name. It counts.
Jun 07, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Either
by: Jim Zeiser

The Adly is a little rocket that will do 45 easily and is built well and will last you a long time. Obviously the Honda is built like a rock and will last forever. It should perform better than it is doing now and might need a valve adjustment or simply a new spark plug. No matter which you pick you won't be disappointed.
Jun 07, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Buying a scooter.
by: Izzy

I would go with the Honda Elite 80. They are a much more dependable scooter for the money and parts are easy to get at any Honda motorcycle shop. The Honda Elite 80 seems to have already been broke in and is in good running order. Besides, with the money you saved, you can add upgrades to make it a little faster on takeoffs. I hope this has been helpful.
Jun 07, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		It depends...
by: Eric

Those two scooters are very similar in performance.

The Honda 80 is a four stroke, and isn't as powerful as a 2 stroke cc for cc. That said, an 80cc 4t is about equal in power to most 50cc 2ts.

1900 miles on a 7 year old Honda scooter isn't bad at all, and the price is certainly right. However, you may need a motorcycle license and/or insurance (depends on your state) to ride one.

In most states, you don't need a motorcycle license (just a driver's license) to ride a 49cc scooter (which the Adly is). In my state, you also don't need annual insurance and you can legally park at the bike rack downtown which saves huge amounts of money riding to work each year.

Adly is from Taiwan, they make good scooters. I have a Lambretta Due (rebadged Adly panther 50). It'll run 47 mph level ground (radar verified...the speedo is right on), but it can slow down to 20 on two really steep hills intown (most hills it takes at 30).

2ts require less maintenance, but you do have to add oil as it's burned when riding. 4ts tend to go longer without needing a major overall, but a 2t overall is relatively cheap.

I'd say choose the one you like better, and also think about the license/insurance issue.

Eric

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Q&A Archives - Buying a Scooter.

When you're done here, you may also be interested in reading some of these popular pages:


If you like to talk scooters, check out our motor scooter forums!


Battery Tender Junior in package

A battery tender like the Battery Tender Jr. can make all the difference in whether your scooter will start right up each spring, after being stored for months.

Just about every scooter owner needs to have a battery tender, sometimes called a trickle charger. Unless you are lucky enough to live in a climate where you can ride all year long, chances are your scooter will be put on ice, figuratively-speaking, for at least a couple months every winter.

One of the key steps in winterizing a scooter is to protect your battery from draining during its "rest" period. This can – and will – happen if you leave your battery sitting untended in your cold scooter over the winter, even if it's in a garage or shed.

Read our review or go right to Amazon.com to buy this highly recommended Battery Tender Jr NOW...



Go to Motor Scooters Guide home page




Advertise on this Site
Advertising Disclosure


Attention!

ATTENTION! I have had to delete the Scooter Forum for this site, unfortunately. Despite my best efforts, I could not adequately prevent daily attacks by hackers and spammers. Even though most of their posts did not go public, they still cluttered up my website host's server space, jeopardizing my account. I appreciate everyone's contributions over the past few years and I apologize for having to do this.

Wondering why your scooter question never got posted?

Chances are, there is a good reason. Did you...

  • Type everything in ALL CAPS?
  • Type as though you were texting... all lower case?
  • Forget to proofread for glaring typos?
  • Omit punctuation?
  • Use curse words or insult other posters?
  • Asked a question that's already been answered?

If you "checked yes" on any of the points above, then I've deleted your post. Sorry, but I have standards. Feel free to re-submit, following the instructions I have everywhere on the site.

Also... all submissions have to be reviewed by me, and I am currently backlogged. Comments go live without approval, but still take 30 to 60 minutes to show up, so don't repost them, please.

This Week's Highlights

Share Your Scooter Blog Here
Your Help Needed!

We have lots of unanswered questions... can you help? Also, check out our newest eScooter Club members We are growing every week!


Keep Up to Date

Follow us on our Facebook Fan Page Follow our updates on Twitter
Subscribe to my motor scooter blog Subscribe to our RSS feed in your feed reader

Help Us Grow

scooter Review your scoot!
Answer (or ask) a scooter questionAsk/answer a question
Share your scooter adventures with us!Share your adventure!

Support This Site

I support this site by using affiliate marketing and running Google ads. I earn a small commission when you purchase items here, which helps to keep the site afloat. Thank you for your support.


Click to buy parts for scooters made in Asia and China

Browse the gorgeous scooter jackets at GoGo Gear!

Site Build It! Turn your hobby into $$$



XML RSSSubscribe To This Site

XML RSS
follow us in feedly
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines