Europe’s bestselling Honda SH150i scoots onto U.S. market

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Like most forms of transportation in 2009, scooter sales are down this year after seeing their biggest sales ever in 2008. One in four on-road two-wheelers sold last year was a scooter, aided by $4-a-gallon gas and an economy that had yet to implode.

With gas a buck short of the scooter-buying tipping point and accessible credit an increasingly distant memory, scooter sales have declined more than other categories so far in 2009, but that isn’t stopping Honda from bringing two new models to the U.S. this summer, the first being the immensely practical SH150i.

I had the chance to spend a morning on Honda’s newest scoot, which was designed to appeal to new riders of all ages, about a quarter of whom are expected to be women. I’d say the SH150i has hit its mark with a user-friendly scooter that has enough juice off the line that it isn’t likely to be roadkill for surrounding four-wheeled traffic, even if its uppermost speed is only about 70 mph.

Lightweight and easy to throw around, the SH150i seems to have been designed to be as non-intimidating as possible. Its seat is a confidence-inspiring 30.9 inches, and its wheels are a stability-conscious 16 inches instead of the more characteristic 12- to 14-inchers found on most other mid-size scooters. The brakes are also responsive without being so powerful that new riders will get in trouble by over-braking.

The SH150i uses Honda’s combined braking system, which links the front disc and rear drum brakes when squeezing the left lever but also allows riders to use the front brake only (by squeezing just the right lever). That said, the fastest braking happens when the two are squeezed together.

In a sea of wannabe Vespas, it’s refreshing that Honda’s new scooter looks like, well, a Honda. Its body work is windswept rather than bulbous with a profile that’s more Silver Wing (its 600-cc maxi) than Metropolitan (its 50-cc bestseller).

The SH150i splits the difference in terms of performance, price and carrying capacity. Commuter- rather than performance-oriented, it’s got satisfying pep but still gets 80 miles per gallon. It can also carry a passenger. Just don’t expect to haul major groceries -- the under-seat storage compartment can carry only a couple loaves of bread. While a fairly wide footboard and grocery hook expand this scoot’s use as a pack mule, riders who want to use it as such may need to spring the extra $270 for the 9-gallon rear trunk so their bags won’t shift and slide in corners.

The SH150i is new only to the U.S. It’s been available in Europe for the last three years, where it is currently the best-selling scooter in Italy, according to Honda reps. American Honda chose to import the SH150i to fill a major gap in its scooter lineup: a middleweight. The company axed its 250-cc Big Ruckus after the 2007 model year for reasons that aren’t entirely clear; one year later, it discontinued its remaining 250-cc scoots, the Reflex and Helix models, which were considered dated.

In August, Honda will introduce a second, slightly smaller midsize scoot: the 110-cc Elite, which will sell for $1,500 less than the SH150i. The benefit to the 150 is that -- in California, at least -- it’s freeway legal, even if such use is inadvisable, especially for new riders, in multi-lane traffic that often flies at 90 mph.

2010 Honda SH150i
Base price: $4,499
Powertrain: fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, SOHC, two-valve single cylinder, four stroke, automatic transmission
Displacement: 153 cc
Seat height: 30.9 inches
Curb weight: 302 pounds
Road test mpg: 80 (based on 61 miles traveled)

-- Susan Carpenter