2013 Honda Metropolitan Review
Honda | June 15, 2012Now days, people are really keeping the money closer to the heart than before. For going from one point to the other, particularly if you are living in huge metropolitan city, just hopping in car is not always a very economical answer. What should you do while taking any car seems like an overkill but it is very far for walking, very hilly for bicycling, & public transportation is really inconvenient? Oh, & you are also short on you’re also strapped for the cash.
Honda says that it has an answer in 2013 Honda Metropolitan. That is powered by 50 cc SOHC, 2-valve, four-stroke air-cooled Single, this new version ditches carburetor for fuel injection. Due to this things get really reliable little scoot which meets the future regulations of emissions while sipping the fuel gently: Honda is estimating that such setup will return to 117 mpg!
What’s perhaps more note worthy is the price. Starting at $1999, it has a cost of $50 less as compared to the predecessor when it was imported last to U.S.A. in the year 2009. It is achieved using Honda’s China making plant for building the world wide model instead of making it in Japan like before. Nevertheless, the quality of build is typical of Honda: it is solid, with every thing fitting as they’d with none of any loose pieces or any exposed wiring.
2013 Metro too sees some all-new styling, that’s high lighted by new head light & gauge set up, different handle bar, & new tail light assembly. Truthfully speaking, this new model does not really look very different than old 1, but die hard Metro heads can tell difference.
From cock pit, rider is graced along with 22-liters under seat area of storage that is big enough for stuffing 3-quarter helmet. New unit of inner storage is incorporated with in leg shield and there is ample room for number of the items, including water bottle. Bigger convenience hook too is added for helping bring the home groceries.
2013 Honda Metropolitan stakes the claim in world of scooter for getting easy, inviting and gentle. Along with listed weight of curb of about 179 pounds, a 28.3-inches seat height & 46.5-inches wheel base, this little scoot is not the least intimidating.
But once you are on the road 1 can not help but feel very vulnerable to traffic that is around you. Metropolitan tops @ just 40 mph & does not get at your desired place very quickly. There is just so much of power which you’d expect from 50 cc EPA-legal engine. Response of throttle is relatively sprightly, having smooth fueling from the idle through out rev range, feeling on the par, if not less powerful, than Yamaha Zuma 50F I rode some time ago. Torque off-the-line felt much better on Yamaha, but I’d give advantage of the top speed for Honda, according to dyno that is seat-of-pants.
Continuously transmission variable handles the duties of “shifting”, leaving rider free for just twist & go. Despite the small stature, the comfort is pretty decent too. The big seat comes with ample of padding & leaves enough of room for the riders for scoot back & stretch out by a bit. There is lot of space in footwell for the big kicks too.
The bumps in road get absorbed by twin-down tube fork & single shock having 2.1 & 2.3 inches travel, respectively. Wheels of 10 inches are there fitted for each end. The ride is pretty relatively comfortable for most of the surfaces, despite meager components. The roads that are poorly maintained or the big pot holes bottom suspension.
Only chink in armor that is other wise impressive are brakes. 2013 Honda Metropolitan is equipped still along with brakes of drum for each end, along with rear linked at front. The stopping power while using both the brakes is very good but it dramatically drops if you are using front binder.
Still, for scoot which comes under 2 grand, there is not much for complaining about. My ride route saw a lot of open tarmac stretches & the prolonged opportunities of wide-open-throttle. Despite the shenanigans, fuel gauge had moved just one tick. While my experience has shown the scooters for miss the advertised claims mileage, under the normal, riding, sensible conditions this Metropolitan will give numbers that are impressive.
In retro-styled, 50cc market of scooter, it is hard for finding competitor which delivers you with more bang for buck. Vino of Yamaha offers some similar specs & styling but it is carbureted, gives worse mileage, costs about $251 more, & most importantly, is not listed as 2012 model at Yamaha’s lineup of scooter– good luck for finding new 1 in dealers.
Only other 50 cc Japanese scooter along with EFI is Zuma 50F that is recently launched, too from Yamaha. The top speeds are nearly identical, & Zuma holds one liter advantage for the storage capacity, but Yamaha really stands out from them due to the rugged & appearance that is off-roady. Benefits of Zuma from brake of front disc that is better than front drum brake of Metro, & the 132mpg claim is better than Honda’s, but the numbers of real world always vary a lot. Most importantly, this Zuma costs about $2540 as compared to $1999 Metro– that is big difference for student of cash-strapped deciding between two.
The European scoots can not match Honda’s price point too. You will need to look for Taiwan for finding challengers that are comparable for Metro. Kymco’s Sento 50 is priced equally to Honda but it is carbureted & can’t match mileage numbers of Honda. For build quality, dealer, and reliability networks, reputation Honda’s is 2nd to none.
With new Metropolitan, Honda gives practical, reliable, & economical transportation mode that is perfect for the down town dwellers. All for less 2 large. And for some states, you do not even have to have motorcycle license for riding 1. If you are living in big city & get tired of taking or walking subway, Metropolitan deserves one look.
