A few friends and I got completely hooked on the idea of buying and building out mopeds as cheap, practical transportation around the Virginia Tech campus. After watching them zip around for a semester, I caved and bought a 1997 Honda Elite 50 — non-running, with good bones and obvious modification potential.
Getting it running was just the start. I put in a performance clutch and lightweight flywheel for quicker throttle response, retuned the CVT gearing to match, and fitted a performance exhaust. The exhaust has also since fallen off exactly once at the worst possible moment — which is character-building.
Since fall 2024 it's been my primary way of getting to class and around Blacksburg. What started as a group of a few friends has since expanded — there's now a proper moped crew, and we've had some genuinely great days out on them.
