Greetings from Portland!
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 4:07 pm
Hello all!
I recently picked up an '86 Honda Spree with 6k miles for $400 which for a titled and running scooter (with current registration) is a steal here in Oregon! The previous owner appeared to have taken it all apart and got a bit confused putting it back together so I had/have a bit of work to do to get it all buttoned up.
First, I replaced the belt and scuffed the clutch pads with a wire brush per some excellent instruction from posts on this forum. I also went in and tightened up the exhaust to fix a leak and some loud rattles as well as some general cleaning up of oil and grime in the clutch cover and on the motor. I put a couple tanks of seafoamed gas through it as well just cause why not.
After the small stuff above, the scooter is running great. It needs a few minutes to warm up in which it will bog under full throttle and won't quite idle but once it's warm it will hold 30 mph on flat and 25 up hills no problem. I'm not interested in going faster, 30 is plenty for surface streets in Portland and it feels sketchy enough as it is at those speeds. Mainly, I want to focus on longevity and health of the motor so I can keep riding this thing for a long time.
My next steps are as follows:
Install new battery
Replace tubes and tires
New plug and filter
Install gasket kit
Test oil pump (any advice on this would be greatly appreciated)
Maybe look into making the suspension a bit stiffer? (no idea where to even start on this)
Get the clutch relined? (I'll include a photo of it so you can say how many miles you think I have left on it)
Probably the best thing about this particular scooter in my opinion is how stock it is. The previous owner painted it which is a bummer but otherwise it's untouched. It's also SO FUN. It handles better than any other small scooter I've ridden and is pretty quick now that it has a fresh belt. I ride it 7ish miles to work everyday and I'm grinning the whole way.
My questions:
What should I look for when testing the oil pump? Not being super familiar with 2 stroke motors, I'm tempted to just run premix for the peace of mind. Thoughts?
I'm getting about 40 miles to a tank right now. Is that normal?
Are there any other steps you'd recommend taking to make sure this thing will be running for years to come?
Thank you all so much for creating this incredible wealth of knowledge on these machines! I'm looking forward to learning even more.
I recently picked up an '86 Honda Spree with 6k miles for $400 which for a titled and running scooter (with current registration) is a steal here in Oregon! The previous owner appeared to have taken it all apart and got a bit confused putting it back together so I had/have a bit of work to do to get it all buttoned up.
First, I replaced the belt and scuffed the clutch pads with a wire brush per some excellent instruction from posts on this forum. I also went in and tightened up the exhaust to fix a leak and some loud rattles as well as some general cleaning up of oil and grime in the clutch cover and on the motor. I put a couple tanks of seafoamed gas through it as well just cause why not.
After the small stuff above, the scooter is running great. It needs a few minutes to warm up in which it will bog under full throttle and won't quite idle but once it's warm it will hold 30 mph on flat and 25 up hills no problem. I'm not interested in going faster, 30 is plenty for surface streets in Portland and it feels sketchy enough as it is at those speeds. Mainly, I want to focus on longevity and health of the motor so I can keep riding this thing for a long time.
My next steps are as follows:
Install new battery
Replace tubes and tires
New plug and filter
Install gasket kit
Test oil pump (any advice on this would be greatly appreciated)
Maybe look into making the suspension a bit stiffer? (no idea where to even start on this)
Get the clutch relined? (I'll include a photo of it so you can say how many miles you think I have left on it)
Probably the best thing about this particular scooter in my opinion is how stock it is. The previous owner painted it which is a bummer but otherwise it's untouched. It's also SO FUN. It handles better than any other small scooter I've ridden and is pretty quick now that it has a fresh belt. I ride it 7ish miles to work everyday and I'm grinning the whole way.
My questions:
What should I look for when testing the oil pump? Not being super familiar with 2 stroke motors, I'm tempted to just run premix for the peace of mind. Thoughts?
I'm getting about 40 miles to a tank right now. Is that normal?
Are there any other steps you'd recommend taking to make sure this thing will be running for years to come?
Thank you all so much for creating this incredible wealth of knowledge on these machines! I'm looking forward to learning even more.