Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

I have 2 sprees, '84 & '85. After they sit in my studio for the winter, their brakes get really sticky and my '84 brakes have basically seized. After playing with my '85 brakes, I managed to get them less sticky, but still not great.

Despite my small collection, I haven't had to do brake work on scooters before.

What do I need to do to make my brakes functional again? Do the sprees use oil pressure to release the brake lines? Is there a way to disassemble and re-lube the stock lines? Do I need to purchase new brake cables? Where should I start?

Thanks!

Spree breaks are cable driven drum breaks. No fluid at all. when you pull the break lever the cable slides in the break casing and pulls an arm that moves a cam that cam spreads the drum break pads apart in that the pads make conact with the drum and stops the wheel.
what is happening in your spree is one of a few things.
1. the cable has gotten rusty and wont let it slide inside the casing smoothly or its kinked thus when you pull on the handel it either doesnt move or it moves but wont return.
2. the cam is corroted and when the arm moves it wont return because the oxidation (corrotion ) is making it hard for the return spring to relax.

how to fix???

easy if its the front break just remove the wheel and the break will be in the center inside that drum. put a little bit of grease on the cam attached to the arm that spreads the break pads apart(a very little bit you dont want grease in the drum and on the pads. if then the drum returns after lube then its fixed install breaks and put wheel back on

not so easy if its the rear. you must take off the side cover that has the muffler on it then remove the muffler then the rear wheel and lube that cam the same way as the front.
if it is the cable just remove the cable and replace it with a new one SUUUUPPPPEEERRR easy.

all in all its not hard to do. DO NOT SPRAY WD40 IN THE BREAKS EVER!!!!
unless your wanting to take it all apart and clean it all out and install new pads.

hope this helps

Greetings:

Another possibility is that the shoes are very worn, so that the cam over-rotates and gets "stuck" there. The Service manual shows how the brake wear indicator must be read. Whatever the cause, address it without delay. Bad brakes are very dangerous.

An easy way to diagnose brakes not disengaging is to lossen the adjustment on the cable and operate the cam lever on the hub by hand. Does the mechanism move freely or is it jamming? Then check the cable for drag pull on the cable end with one end and actuate the brake lever with the other. The brakes on these scooters are so dead simple its crazy.