British comedian Eddie Izzard loves to imitate cool Italian scooter riders who zip around nonchalantly on their stylish machines, shouting “Ciao!” whenever they see a friend. It’s a funny bit because Italians actually do manage to look good while profiling on scooters. So it may come as something of a surprise to learn that Italy’s best selling scooter is in fact… a Honda.

Yep, it’s the SH150 model designed and built in Italy but wearing the famous Japanese brand name. And now, after various updates, including the adoption of electronic fuel injection, it’s available in the States as the SH150i. Powered by a 153cc liquid-cooled, single-overhead cam, single-cylinder engine, the SH150i meets all new U.S. emissions regulations, and steps into the spot vacated by obsolete carburetor models such as the Helix and Reflex.

The class in which the SH fits is a sensible one, because the machine is small and light enough (Honda says 302 pounds ready to go) to attract beginner riders and women, yet it has enough power to duel with traffic and there’s a generous rear seat for comfortable two-up operation. One of the revisions the scooter received in 2008 was a slightly lower seat height. At 30.9-inches, that’s likely to reassure riders with short inseam measurements.

Equipped with the twist-and-go Honda V-Matic transmission typical to the genre, the SH150i is as easy to ride as anything out there. Comparatively large 16-inch wheels provide better gyro stabilization than smaller wheels do, and also afford space for decent brake sizes. Despite using cable-operated mechanical mechanisms, the Honda has linked brakes (when operated by the left-side “rear” brake lever), but retains dedicated front braking at the right-hand lever.

While a left-hand squeeze results in moderate, balanced retardation, there’s enough power at the front two-piston caliper to generate “stoppies” at red lights if you squeeze the right-side lever hard enough. Obviously, standing the scooter on its front wheel will attract attention from law enforcement eventually if you keep doing it, so we’d suggest a more-decorous approach. Stunt-riding aside, all of this generous specification makes the SH150i big fun to ride.

Throttle response is good enough that you’ll have a good chance of beating the traffic across the intersection when the light changes as long as you get on the throttle early. All bets are off if there’s a fast car and a driver willing to launch hard and use high revs. But most drivers in the normal realm of scooter use don’t bother, so you can make good progress through thick traffic.

The little engine is quiet and smooth throughout. Being liquid-cooled, it’s even quieter in operation than obvious rivals like the Kymco People S 200, which is almost the Honda’s doppelganger. Quiet it may be, the little Honda soon gets up to an indicated 50 mph, and it’ll cruise at that speed (or more if you’re prepared to ride at full throttle) all day. As you’re checking your speed on the large speedometer face, you’ll notice coolant temperature and fuel gauges, and an LCD clock housed in the same tidy instrument panel.

Another benefit of those big, 16-inch wheels is handling that lends confidence with its motorcycle-like stability and willingness to lean. Although the center stand will drag eventually, the angle required to make it do so is likely more than most scooter riders will attempt.

A 33mm hydraulic fork with 3.5-inches of travel does a reasonable job of smothering bumps up front, but does occasionally transmit longitudinal shocks in the way most telescopic forks mounted at near-vertical angles will. The fork angle makes the steering very quick, great for maneuvering in tight urban confines, but you have to adopt a very light touch when leaning through turns at higher speed to avoid upsetting the Honda’s poise.

Dual rear shocks offer 3.3-inches of travel and spring preload adjustability, and seem to do a good job of damping the spinal jolts one often feels on machines with upright riding positions. From the feel of it, Honda has evidently reduced unsprung weight on the rear wheel to good effect.

So much for the dynamics; there are also some very convenient aspects of SH150i ownership. There’s an under-seat storage compartment large enough to take a helmet (not a full-face helmet, but who wears those on scooters, anyway? Nobody could see how much fun you’re having, or hear you shout Ciao!). And there’s a convenient shopping bag hook on the panel ahead of your knees to secure any bags that have not been stashed under the seat.

A large rear carrier rack comes as stock equipment, but a 1.2 cubic-foot rear trunk is offered as an accessory, and fits to the rack with no additional hardware required. Other accessories are a windscreen and a back rest for that trunk. The Honda SH150i is priced at $4,499, and is available in either red or black.