Honda Dio 27 (Honda Dio 27) - review of a reliable scooter for getting around the city

Scooters are a fairly convenient way of transportation for people who do not want to ride at prohibitive speeds. Such mopeds are usually bought by people who want to move quickly and comfortably in conditions of constant traffic jams and difficult traffic. Also, scooters are chosen by those who are just starting to master two-wheeled technology, which is true in principle. But everything is evolving, and motorcycle manufacturers have learned to make scooters that can be compared with some cruiser or road motorcycle in terms of comfort and quality. In today's review we will talk about the Honda Dio 27 scooter. Is this moped really as comfortable and reliable as they say it is?

Production of Honda Dio 27

The production of scooters in the “Dio” line began in 1988 and continued until 1992. Over the course of 4 years, the Japanese company managed to introduce several models from AF18 to AF25. Honda realized in time that very soon people would need a mobile vehicle that would be convenient to use in urban environments and would not have to spend a lot of money on. Therefore, the main thing that engineers thought about when producing the scooter was efficiency, a nimble engine, and easy control.

And it’s worth saying that the Japanese company made the right decision, and already the first model, the Honda Dio 18, immediately began to be in great demand. Honda began receiving pre-orders, and then entered into an agreement with several dealers to supply scooters to Europe, and then to Asia. The demand for scooters was so high that the company simply did not have time to close it, and therefore was forced to open production in Taiwan and increase the number of specialists. After some time, the issue with the shortage of scooters was closed, and specialists began to develop new and improved models.

The reason for this excitement was a really high-quality product, and people’s need for a convenient and inexpensive vehicle. The Honda Dio Af 27 has gained particular popularity in Asian countries, where the population is extremely high.

Repair instructions for Honda Dio

Tips for repairing Honda Dio are available to any motorcycle enthusiast. In particular, we will talk about servicing the vital parts of an iron car: engine, carburetor and transmission.

The carburetor is a sensitive and important part of the scooter. The slightest breakdown will stop the operation of the entire machine. Owners are often afraid to touch carburetors because they are not confident that they can assemble them correctly. However, everything is not as scary as it seems at first glance. Honda Dio is recognized by experts as the most convenient and suitable representative for disassembling and cleaning the carburetor. The fact that it is not covered with plastic, its location above the transmission and the ease of setting up the mechanism speak in its favor.

• the adjustment process is carried out on a well-warmed engine;
• if there is any doubt about a blockage, clean the carburetor and rinse thoroughly;

The setting itself involves adjustment:

1. idle move;
2. quality of the mixture (by moving the needle and using;
3. specialized screw;
4. amount of fuel in the float chamber;

Honda Dio engine repair

The engine is the heart of the scooter. Principles for eliminating basic breakdowns:

1. piston wear and increasing fuel and lubricant consumption are caused by low compression (below 8.0 kg/cm3 with a norm of 9.5-10.5); it is necessary to bore or change the cylinder-piston group;
2. a clear and loud knocking sound at the bottom of the cylinder, often when throttling, indicates wear of the piston skirt—replace the piston or the entire c/p group;
3. the engine stalls, losing power, usually when it is clogged - cleaning is required: burn it, or cut it, clean off the carbon deposits and weld again; the exhaust window can be cleaned;
4. does not start, does not work well, does not hold idle speed if the seals are broken (fuel leaks form there) of the cylinder, crankcase, head gasket, crankshaft seals are worn out - replace the seals and gaskets;

The transmission also becomes unusable, and, sooner or later, it is replaced. The process of replacing the variator is not particularly difficult. The main thing is to choose the right belt - this will allow you to keep its settings unchanged. For example, a very long belt will begin to slip, and a wide one will reduce the range of gear ratios and will not reach the maximum width of the cones.

Recommended variant belt sizes

Source

Features of Honda Dio 27

When the company gained trust from consumers and realized that it was able to provide the buyer with a good vehicle, Honda began producing a new model of the same line. Now the company’s goal is to refine the scooter, improve it, both internally and externally. Much has been done to achieve this, including improving production. Now the Honda Dio 27 was a scooter with increased dimensions, a trunk for the driver was added under the steering wheel, the design of the scooter as a whole was slightly changed, and the instrument panel was especially redesigned. Also, the Honda Dio Af 27 began to be sold in several versions, which were slightly different from each other.

1. AF-27 SR is an improved version of the simplest model. Its difference lies in the front disc brakes and a slightly more powerful engine.
2. AF-27 ZX is a version with a sporty twist, namely front brakes with a large diameter disc, a rear spoiler, a more interesting muffler and a modified brake light.
3. AF-27 XR Baja is a sports version of the scooter with larger diameter wheels, a handlebar bar and optics from the Honda XR250, as well as hand protection from oncoming winds.

Scooter Honda Live Dio AF35 SR (1994-2004)

The third generation of Dio scooters, the Honda Live Dio (AF-34), entered production in 1994. Unlike the similar Dio AF-18 and Super Dio AF-27, this model received noticeable changes, such as the new AF34E engine, which had a horizontal cylinder. In addition to the engine, the chassis has also changed. The scooter has received a new beautiful design with streamlined shapes, as well as crystal optics. For the first time, the underseat trunk has a flat floor.

The following versions of Live Dio were produced: basic (AF-34) with drum brakes, AF-34 Cesta - with a built-in front luggage basket, AF-35 SR - with a front disc brake, AF-35 SR CB (Combi Break) - with a combined braking system, AF-35 ZX - a sports version with oil shock absorbers, alloy wheels, a forced engine and a spoiler. In addition, the line included the AF-35 ST model with anti-lock brakes.

The Honda Live Dio series underwent a redesign in 1998 and was produced until 2004.

Specifications

Engine: Engine type – AF34E, displacement 49 cc. see Number of cylinders – 1. Number of strokes – 2. Cooling system – forced air cooling. Maximum engine power – 7.2 hp. at 6500 rpm. Torque – 0.81 kg*m / 6250 rpm. Compression ratio – 7.1. Transmission – variator. Ignition - electric starter. The tire size of the front and rear wheels is 3.00-10. Oil tank volume – 1.2 l. Gas tank volume – 5.3 liters. Maximum speed – 60 km/h. Chassis: Front wheel suspension type – telescopic. The rear wheel suspension type is pendulum. Front wheel brake type – drum/disc (SR/ZX). The rear wheel brake type is drum. Size and weight: Base – 1145 mm. Length – 1675 mm. Seat height – 700 mm. Ground clearance – 105 mm. Total weight – 70 kg.

Features and Benefits

The Honda Live Dio series continues its line of city scooters. Although both the engine and chassis are now completely different. Externally, the scooter has acquired a new look, with crystal optics and a streamlined body kit.

AF-34 is even more playful than previous series. Riding such a scooter in the city is a real pleasure. Carrying things has also become easier: the underseat trunk now has a flat floor. The front has a hook for bags and a pocket for small items. And the AF-34 Cesta version has a front cargo basket (the headlight on the Cesta is located under the basket).

The AF-35 SR CB series uses the CombiBreak combined braking system for the first time. The essence of its work is to distribute the braking force when braking with the front brake: 30% of the force is transferred to the rear brake and 70% to the front. This significantly increases stability when braking, which is especially important for inexperienced drivers.

The sports version of the AF-35 ZX deserves special interest. Its suspension compares favorably with previous models, since the scooter is equipped with more comfortable and more durable oil shock absorbers instead of spring shock absorbers. The front fork travel is 95 mm. Therefore, off-road is no longer such a big problem for the AF-35 ZX. To improve dynamics, the scooter's transmission has been retuned: lighter weights are used in the variator, and stiffer springs are used in the clutch. It is also worth mentioning the front disc brake, sports muffler and beautiful alloy wheels. Well, as usual, the sports version has a spoiler with an LED brake light.

The scooter is equipped with a footrest blocker (anti-theft device).

Live Dio has retained all other advantages - reliability, ease of repair (although access to the piston group now requires significant disassembly), and availability of spare parts. Thanks to the boosted engine (7.2 hp - a record for 50 cc scooters), it has become even easier to tune the scooter.

The transmission of all Honda scooters is simple and reliable: torque is transmitted using a V-belt variator. The driver does not need to worry about changing gears, there are simply none here, so acceleration always occurs without failures and without slowdowns.

Honda Live Dio is Honda's latest range of scooters with a two-stroke engine.

Japanese electric version

Later, the Japanese company introduced another version of this scooter, but it is used only in Japan. The manufacturer decided that this modification of the model will not be exported to other countries, since it simply does not make sense. In this version, instead of the usual internal combustion engine, there is an electric motor that receives energy from alkaline batteries. Of course, you won’t find a gas tank here either, because it is in its place that the batteries are installed. The beauty of this version is that it does not require gasoline. In order to use the scooter, you simply need to charge it from a household outlet. On the one hand, this is economical and does not spoil the environment, but on the other hand, the driver does not have the opportunity to travel far from the city, or even from his home. That is why this modification took root in Japan, but not with as much success as Honda had hoped for.

It is also worth noting that you will not need training or obtain a driver’s license for the Honda Dio 27 scooter, since the engine capacity does not exceed 50 cm3. This greatly simplifies the operation of this vehicle, because training for the motorcycle category will take a lot of time and money.

Safety Honda Dio 27

Since 1993, the manufacturer has thought about the safety of the scooter, as cases of theft of this particular model have become more frequent. To do this, it was decided to add a closing curtain at the place where the ignition key is inserted. The point is that in order to open it, it was necessary to dial a special code on the dashboard, and only the owner knew it. At first, this helped and the number of thefts decreased significantly, but after a few years, scammers began to act in a barbaric manner, simply breaking the curtain. Therefore, in even newer models, as in Dio 27, the moped began to be equipped with a standard alarm system. Taking advantage of the situation, the company added the ability to start the scooter with a button. The only drawback to starting this way is that you will also have to turn off the scooter using the button, and not using the ignition switch.

Specifications

The scooter has a Japanese engine with a volume of 49.9 cm3 and a power of 7 hp, the maximum speed of which is 60 km/h. Fuel consumption in moderate mode does not exceed 2-2.5 l/100 km. Of course, liquid cooling is not provided here, since the scooter is intended for the city, and not for long trips. A three-speed CVT gearbox is installed as a transmission.

In general, the Honda Dio 27 scooter is an excellent vehicle for the city and outdoor trips. Thanks to the reliable engine from the Japanese company Honda, you don't have to worry about getting stuck in the middle of the road. This is why most people choose this scooter.

Honda Super Dio AF-27/28 scooter review

The second generation scooters - Honda Super Dio (AF-27) - began to be produced in 1990. They differed little from the previous model Dio AF-18 - except in design. Even the AF18E engine remained almost unchanged.

Three main variants of the Super Dio were produced: the basic AF-27 model with drum brakes and an AF18E engine, the AF-28 SR model with a front disc brake and an uprated AF18E engine, and the AF-28 ZX model - all the same, plus instead of a trunk she had a spoiler with a brake light.

Honda scooters of the Super Dio series continued to be produced until 1999. At a certain period, this design was produced under the name Dio Fit, with a new design of plastic body kit and headlights.

Specifications

Engine: Engine type – AF18E, displacement 49 cc. see Number of cylinders – 1. Number of strokes – 2. Cooling system – forced air cooling. Maximum engine power – 6.8 hp. (7.0 hp for AF-28) at 7000 rpm. Torque – 0.73 kg*m / 6000 rpm. Compression ratio – 7.3. Transmission – variator. Ignition - electric starter. The tire size of the front and rear wheels is 3.00-10. Oil tank volume – 1.2 l. Gas tank volume – 5.0 l. Maximum speed – 60 km/h (electronically limited on AF-28). Chassis: Front wheel suspension type – telescopic. The rear wheel suspension type is pendulum. Front wheel brake type – drum (AF-27), disc (AF-28 SR/ZX). The rear wheel brake type is drum. Size and weight: Base – 1145 mm. Length – 1640 mm. Seat height – 700 mm. Ground clearance – 100 mm. Total weight – 66 kg.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Honda Super Dio scooter is one of the most popular and beloved models among scooterists. The secret of success is a simple and reliable design, which has already been well tested on the previous Dio AF-18 model. The successful design is still considered quite modern to this day.

As mentioned, the design of the AF-27 is not much different from the AF-18. The slightly updated AF18E engine is almost completely identical to the previous one - the only difference is the crankshaft diameter. The brake system also remains unchanged.

The engine easily develops 60-65 km/h, although if the components are in good condition, the scooter can be accelerated to 70 km/h. The AF-28 switch has a speed limiter, so you can only reach 70 km/h after replacing the switch.

Despite the fact that the AF-27/28 is designed to carry one person, the engine power is enough for two. The unpretentious engine runs on any gasoline, even 80 is suitable for it, although, of course, it is better to fill it with 95. Fuel consumption under ideal conditions is about 2.5 l/100 km.

The Super Dio scooter can carry more things than its predecessor. The underseat storage area has been enlarged by relocating the battery, and a front pocket has also been added. On the AF-28 ZX model, the rear trunk is replaced by a spoiler with an LED brake light.

Honda scooters are unpretentious to road conditions and are well protected from dust and water getting into the engine. The muffler does not suffer damage from curbs or speed bumps - either the bottom or the running board takes the blow.

The suspension also remains structurally the same, which means that the AF-27/28 will feel great in the city. The scooter maneuvers wonderfully in traffic jams, and its element is smooth asphalt. Of course, if necessary, you can ride on dirt roads, although this is no longer very comfortable.

The AF-28's front disc brake is especially effective on asphalt surfaces.

Spare parts for Super Dio are still produced today, so if necessary, it is easy to buy any part. As always, these scooters are very repairable. The vertical arrangement of the cylinder in the engine allows access to the piston group without removing the engine.

The scooters of the Honda Super Dio AF-27/28 family are extremely comfortable and reliable in operation, so their owners deservedly love them.

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