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Post by chopsuwe on Jan 15, 2018 2:22:23 GMT -5
As soon as I saw the auction picture I knew I wanted the little Julio. It turns out they have a following in Japan and Moscow. Why Moscow? Who knows. There is very little information on these available in English so here we go. It's well worn having spent years outside, most of the plastics are shot, the steering lock is broken, the seat doesn't lock and the cover is ripped, the right mirror thread is stripped, there's rust all over it and the engine parts are oxidised and it handles like a marshmallow in the tide. But it goes like a cut cat, climbs hills like a mountain goat and most of all it looks cool. The question is should it be restored, modded or just ridden?  |
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Post by chopsuwe on Jan 15, 2018 2:44:38 GMT -5
Some more info about this little beast.
It's a 1999 Honda Julio AF-52. It has a 2 stroke AF-24e engine, similar to the Giorno with which it shares many parts. They were only sold in Japan and seem to be popular there as well as in Moscow of all places. The fairings are plastic, as brittle unicorn egg shells and about as available as hens teeth. It accelerates hard and is still pulling when it hits the limiter at 58km/h.
The bad. Handling. The steering is real loose, the front wheel flops from one side to the other, it can't be ridden no hands. The suspension feels like riding in a boat. When I hit the front brakes it nose dives. Any ideas how to fix this?
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Post by gsx600racer on Jan 15, 2018 2:52:27 GMT -5
Cool. It sorta looks like a older Vespa and a Yamaha C3 had a kid.
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Post by Tanuki on Jan 15, 2018 3:02:11 GMT -5
All 3? Enjoy that sick ass scoot!
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Post by jbjhillbilly on Jan 15, 2018 3:42:55 GMT -5
Rebuilding the front end shouldn’t be too hard. Axle, bearings and spacers are likely common to other Honda scoots of the era.
Yahoo Auctions Japan will be a good source for non-common parts if you need them.
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Post by moofus02 on Jan 15, 2018 3:55:01 GMT -5
Make it drivable and safe and ride the hell out of it. Really cool scooter
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Post by ryan_ott on Jan 15, 2018 12:04:30 GMT -5
Very cool scoot! I’d make it reliable and ride it. Probably need wheel bearings and or the headset bearings replaced.
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Post by fly on Jan 15, 2018 18:40:07 GMT -5
Will there ever be buyers for a restored Julio? For me, my actions would be dictated by my opinion on that question. Sounds like it's going to be $$$ to do a real restore.
If it were me I'd probably resto-mod it.
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Post by chopsuwe on Jan 15, 2018 19:10:39 GMT -5
Will there ever be buyers for a restored Julio? For me, my actions would be dictated by my opinion on that question. Sounds like it's going to be $$$ to do a real restore. If it were me I'd probably resto-mod it. I think the answer to that question is no. At least not for what it will cost to restore. I guess a better question is will new shocks fix the ride and how do I improve the steering feel? |
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