1986 spree has no acceleration until 15 mph

[spreenube]

I know this scooter isn't suppose to be fast but I know for sure there is a problem. When first started in the morning the acceleration is normal. By the time I get down my street to the first stop sign the problem starts. The scooter accelerates so slow I'm scared to cross the street. At first I thought it was the clutch slipping so I did the dio clutch mod and replaced the belt. Still have the same problem. Feels like its stuck in "high gear". Any constructive help would be much appreciated. Scooter has 900 miles on it.

[patthesoundguy]

with such low miles i wouldnt normally mention it but maybe a compression test would be a good idea. how does it rev in the bottom end? if the belt and clutch are good hopefully its not a stripped shaft somewhere. when my spree bore was worn shiny it would be very lethargic when it warme up. the more i would drive in a given trip the more it would take away low end.

[spreenube]

sounds like your running lean.


and here it comes

is the air box, and filter, installed correctly, and tight? Using the factory air box, and correct filter?

It has all the factory parts and seems sealed. I was wondering if I don't have the idle adjusted correctly could the rear pulley not be letting the belt return to the outer part. I can shut the scooter off and then restart and the acceleration is normal for the first take off.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

The Spree belt really doesn't move. The spring-loaded rear pulley just keeps the belt tightly gripped and pulling back against the front pulley sheaves.
It sounds to me like a clutch issue, assuming the engine makes all the noises it should as you apply throttle. If so the power just isn't making its way back to the final drive. Pull the belt cover and have a look. Worn, belt, Grease on the belt, or a bad/greasy clutch are all suspects.

[martynkim]

sounds like your running lean.


and here it comes

is the air box, and filter, installed correctly, and tight? Using the factory air box, and correct filter?

Symptoms of an air leak.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Quoth Spreenube:

At first I thought it was the clutch slipping so I did the dio clutch mod and replaced the belt. Still have the same problem. Feels like its stuck in "high gear".

I didn't get an engine power issue at all from that. If the engine is revving up but the scooter won't uh, ...Scoot, that suggests a disconnect somewhere between that power and the rear wheel. I'm just not sure if the engine is revving up or failing to gain RPM, and even more unsure about a "Dio clutch mod". Any news, Spreenube?

[spreenube]

Greetings:

Quoth Spreenube:

At first I thought it was the clutch slipping so I did the dio clutch mod and replaced the belt. Still have the same problem. Feels like its stuck in "high gear".

I didn't get an engine power issue at all from that. If the engine is revving up but the scooter won't uh, ...Scoot, that suggests a disconnect somewhere between that power and the rear wheel. I'm just not sure if the engine is revving up or failing to gain RPM, and even more unsure about a "Dio clutch mod". Any news, Spreenube?

The clutch is not slipping. The scooter bogs down and fails to gain rpm. Like I said though I can turn the scooter off and when restarted 15 min later on the first acceleration, everything is normal but when I stop at the end of my street the d*** scooter doesn't have any acceleration. When 12 mph is finally achieved it accelerates normal to 30. I haven't had time to mess with it but will get to it by this weekend I hope. Probably useless for this problem but I'm going to replace all the rubber in the carb which is something I always do when I buy old motor bikes.

[patthesoundguy]

as long as the carb isnt barfing out fuel there is nothing in the carb to replace. set the idle air mixture according to the manual. if that doesnt help try cleaning the small orifice in the float bowl that feeds the idle and starting circuit. If the problem persists i would have a look at the cylinder condition. does the take off get worse the longer you drive on a given outing. when my 84 high mileage spree needed a top end it had terrible take off and it got worse the longer it got ridden. the cylinder was as shiny like a mirror. Another issue that I have had that caused horrible take of was munched up reeds. it would bog horribly in the low end then rev up fine from a certain point on up to full throttle. double and triple check the airbox and the air hose connection, is the air filter intact? there is a good chance grapite9 is right about the motor running lean. it could be causing the cylinder to over heat enough to give a bit of a seize going on. Or it had been run lean in the past and there is the hidden damage showing up now. Double check the oil tank is full. hopefully the screen in the tank isnt clogged.

[spreenube]

I replaced all the rubber in the carb this weekend. I found torn o ring on the cold start solenoid. I rode the scooter around town to try to help explain the problem more and found something interesting. After cruising at full throttle for a mile the acceleration from a stop is terrible. If I cruise at slower speeds (like 10mph) the acceleration, from a stop, is better than after cruising at top speed. I guess this week I'll look at the reeds but I would think the problem would more consistent if they were effed up.

[Just Joel]

Did you find a solution? I have a similar situation...

[MrJumps]

Check your petcock to make sure you are getting good fuel flow, then check both sides of the crank and around the head for oil leaks.

[patthesoundguy]

I replaced all the rubber in the carb this weekend. I found torn o ring on the cold start solenoid. I rode the scooter around town to try to help explain the problem more and found something interesting. After cruising at full throttle for a mile the acceleration from a stop is terrible. If I cruise at slower speeds (like 10mph) the acceleration, from a stop, is better than after cruising at top speed. I guess this week I'll look at the reeds but I would think the problem would more consistent if they were effed up.

Pull the head and take a look at the cylinder, you will find shiny cylinder walls I bet. Bad reeds will make the bottom end terrible but it will be consistent. I struggled with the exact symptoms you described years ago and no one had an answer. A quick de- glaze of the cylinder and the problem was gone for the most part. Not permanent but solved it. New rings and a de- glaze the fix might last longer. A new piston and rings would be better or a whole new top end is the best way to go but not always possible. And the advice Mr jumps gave is great, check for leaky seals and head, the head bolts may need a re torque.