honda metropolitan (chf50) reviews

Purchased this for commuting (20 miles round trip). Took all of one day to determine what a great ride it is. Bought new from dealer. While it can only go 40 mph, that is fine for me as the posted speed on my commuting roads do not exceed this. So far, I have been averaging 120 mpg. There is ample (and comfortable) seating and foot rest area. Storage under seat good for my helmet, lock and a few small items. Controls are easy to use. Headlight is remarkably powerful. Locking center kickstand a plus. Manual kickstart east to use (used it just to see how it works). And the scooter is very quiet even at 40 mph (Had a two stroke next to me at a stop light. We both accelerated to 40 and I was so annoyed by the whining of his engine.) I wish there was a standard storage compartment in the front (can be purchased as an accessory). This is available on Honda scooters sold in other countries. Also, I carry a laptop and the Honda trunck (which can be purchased separately) is too small for this. The other iffy is the braking. It brakes reliably, but definitely I slow down when approaching stop lights. I extensively researched other scooters online and talked to many scooter owners. Lesson of the day - stay away from the Chinese clunkers (they are cheap and break down and hard to find parts) and stick with the Italian, Japanese, Korean or Taiwanese brands (in that order). Looking forward to enjoying the Honda peace-of-mind and quality for many, many years. Show less

I purchased my Metropolitan this spring and I have really enjoyed it. It is considered a moped and requires no registration with the DMV, insurance, or state inspection. I ride it to work in nice weather or just putter around town. It will go 40m + mph and gets overe 100 mpg. I have not had any trouble with it at all. I think it makes a very viable and economical extra vehicle with no hidden costs. Show less

I have had my scooter for a bit over a year. I ride it every day to and from work (4.5 miles each way). I LOVE IT. It is cheaper than the bus system out here. Not to mention FASTER! So far I have changed the oil 3 times (because I ride it everyday), the air filter once, and the back tire (nail) and it runs like a gem. When it is below 55 it doesn't like to run cold. I let it warm up about 10 min then it rides just fine. Show less

I find the scooter very easy to ride. It has a governor and will not exceed 40 m.p.h. Excellent fuel economy. It is fun to ride, has water cooled engine, and easy to read speedo display. I have used it to make several runs to the pharmacy and convenience store. Im' looking forward to many years of continued Honda quality performance. The checkered flag color scheme gives it that Nascar camp ground look. Show less

I have had my 06 Met since March and have put over 1300 miles on it so far. I use it to commute back and forth to work every day, and across town to the university for classes too. I have ridden it all over the city, and will never go back to my car if I can help it! I save the car for out of town trips, and that's about it! I have ridden in horrible weather, with no problems. This scooter is perfect for anyone who can handle sticking to roads with posted speeds of 45 mph and under...I have to say this -I can easily get my Met up to about 40 - 42 on anything except an incline.... and I am gettting 115 mpg so far. Avoid bumps when you can - shocks are not the softest! Show less

I bought this little Scooter for one reason. I just couldn't survive without a motorcycle around the house. My Doctor made me sell the big one. (Burgman 650). Yes, this little one has been an adjustment. However, it is a real pleasure to ride around town. I bought the basket for the front and a windshield. It is a lot of fun. The storage room is just enough for milk or a six pack. I have used the basket and it holds drinks, hats and the like. The performance is good because I am not a very big man. My next door neighbor is 6'5" and weighs a good 250. He rode it and had a big smile on his face. This is no highway machine but it is great for zooming around town. At 155 and 5'5" it does 40 mph. FUN FUN FUN!!!!! Show less

I've put 1,000 miles on my 2006 Honda Metropolitan in about six weeks. I'm riding it WAY more than I anticipated, which is partly because it is so fun, and also partly because it is so cheap to run! So far I've gotten consistent runs of 100 miles per gallon. The scooter starts right up every time, and the fit and finish are great. Everything works. It corners amazingly well at relatively high speeds. By relative, I mean the Metro tops out at 38 MPH on flat ground. I have no problem with the overall speed, but I'm beginning to get a little weary of the sluggish performance when faced with hills that are either steep or long. So far it's been a simple process of moving over into the bike lane to let traffic pass. People around here are super-aggressive in their SUVs, but they actually treat the scooter with courtesy and respect. A 50cc scooter is going to be slow up hills, so I can't really knock the Metro for that. One thing on the Metropolitan I can criticize is the brake system. It is simply inadequate for driving amongst traffic. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I can stop my bicycle faster from the same speeds as I can my Metropolitan. I consider the brakes to be unsafe, actually. They just have no bite. It gets to the point that if you see a traffic light go yellow, you have this agonizing second where you have to decide if you're going to run the yellow, or go into panic braking mode. I've been choosing the yellow lights as the safer option, and I do not like that. that's the main reason I'm already shopping for a motorcycle. If you don't mind going slow up hills, and you can somehow get over the poor braking, everything else about the Metropolitan is great. Show less

I've had it a week and I love it, peoples heads are turning everywhere I go. With these gas prices why wouldn't they!!! I have an SUV and let me say it feels real good to fill up with $5.00 than to fill up with $85.00. I travel 12 miles round trip everyday to and from work and it only takes me seven more min. than it does driving my SUV. I'm bummed that winter is around the corner now and that I wish I would have purchased it sooner, I guess I can continue to ride until my face and nose go numb. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! Show less

I am a college student that is enrolled in a college that is centered right smack in the middle of a Major City. Parking is impossible to find, and you will most likely be towed in most places. Student parking permits are available at around $400 a semester. And for me to take the buss my estimated weekly spending would be about to $30 to $40 a week. ($2.00 per trip) I desperately needed something that could get me from My house 3 miles to campus, and very quickly. I only have about 30 min. of time to commute from work outside of the city, to home, then to class. My solution was a Honda Metropolitan II 49CC. If anyone is a student, or even looking for local errands I would highly suggest this scooter. The Max speed is about 25 miles per hour, and gas is about 100 miles per gallon. I don't have to get tags, or pay taxes on it, I am not required to insure it, and I do not have to have a motorcycle license or any license to drive it. It feels safer then riding a bike in traffic, and much quicker. However after a week of riding the scooter my confidence level has increased and I am considering getting my Motorcycle license and finding a lager scooter for 2 people and can reach highway speeds. Overall this bike is a good idea to introduce someone to riding a motorcycle in traffic, and a godsent for a student. Show less

I have been collecting and driving Puch mopeds, Honda Spree's, Honda Elite's, and Honda Metro. The Spree's and Elite's proved to be an improvement on speed and reliability over the moped. I had to sell 2-Spree's because they only had electric start. Always opt for electric and kick start. The oil injecton on the Spree and Elite proved to be very dependable,however, if they sat for awhile, I would have to take off the air cleaner cover and put my two fingers over the carburator intake to get gas into the carburator. I believe the Metro has a fuel pump rather than a vacuum activated gas feed. This fuel pump makes it easy to start. The 4-stroke engine is quieter, smoother and will possibly be a bit slower. That being said,the Metro will exceed 40mph and I'm told the Calf. Metro II will only do 25mph. Unfortunately, the salesmn do not know much about the the Metro if they sell ATV's and motorcycles, they make less or no money. The 4-stroke should hold up better than the 2-stroke and the noise factor should be a pleasure to the ears of the neighbors. The weight is about 25lbs heavier than the Spree and Elite so I'll have to use my ramp to wheel it onto my 2-scooter carrier on my Class C motorhome. I also purchased a cargo rack from HarborFreight.com for $39.00 and attached a rail to the center to carry my scooters on my Van and Sable station wagon. Make sure that you have a 2" or 1 1/4" receiver installed on your car and you will be happy to have the scooter to drop the car off for repair and just to take it out of town to enjoy other towns. Hope everyone enjoys their Metro. Make sure you ask the dealer if he has any 2003 or 2004 models at a better price. The Metro did not change over those years. Happy Scootering Show less