Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

hey all!

i recently bought a spree with a dd50 drivetrain swapped in.

i know! "don't buy stuff like this cause you don't know what the last guy did to it!"
too late. now i get the pleasure of learning a lot from my mistake

long story short, it wasn't running super hot when i got it (of course it ran great when i test rode it but as soon as i handed over the cash i started having troubles). after cleaning the carb, replacing the petcock, swapping out the airbox for a foam filter and * around with the idle and throttle cable, i've actually got it running fairly well - it gets me to work and back all right.

the good news is that it's fast as *. maybe even faster than i want it to be. but i know that performance gains mean worse mileage. if i can go 35-40 i'm more than happy. my main issue right now is the gas mileage. i'm probably getting 30ish mpg right now, which means with my commute, i have to fill up twice a day just to make sure i don't run out of gas in case i need to run an extra errand or something.

i'm not looking for a clear cut answer to my problem, but given that it has a stock pipe and what looks to be a stock carb (or a cheap replacement for a stock carb), where should i start looking for places to improve? the autochoke is disconnected and i don't know where to hook that back up (came that way). i know it's running rich which is why i swapped out the airbox - it would barely idle before i did that. do i just need to downjet it? would putting heavier rollers in the variator get me much of an improvement? if i can get even close to 60mpg that would be killer.

sorry if that's a mess of info and unclear questions. i'm pretty new to working on scoots in general but i really want to learn - i've always wanted a spree/small scoot and now that i have one, i want to know as much as i can about it. i work in IT so i'm used to learning things on my own but there's a lot of 'common sense' that is hard for me to fill in the gaps with since i don't know much to begin with.

thanks for reading

There are quite a few variables to consider when diagnosing specific issues with an unknown.
Is this a stock bore?
Is the carb the OEM or something different?
What is the main jet size ?
What are the roller weights currently installed...grams?
What are the gears ratio ?
Is the belt new, old, worn, in spec ?
Does the clutch have any different springs installed?
What is telling you that is rich ?

motormike wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2019 11:26 pm What is telling you that is rich ?

based on the spark plug - it was pretty dark when i pulled it and had some residue on it im guessing from running rich.

i haven't looked at the cylinder yet but wouldn't be surprised if it had been kitted by the previous owner or whoever he got it from. the belt seems all right but that's just based on a visual inspection. it looks like it might just be a cheap chinese belt as well. to be honest i dont really know any answers to the rest of your questions but that all gives me a lot to start with in terms of figuring out what i'm working with.

30-40mpg is typical of a built motor. Stock will get you double that. Not saying your motor is dialed since I have no clue. However, the Spree is not exactly a long distance commuter scoot to begin with. Sheesh, the tank is only 0.7gal and intended to be feeding a baby Spree motor. Swap in a dd50 with some go-fast parts and watch the gauge drop quick! Id think its best to keep a 1gal fuel can strapped to the luggage rack for long trips. Also bring some pre-measured 4oz vials of 2t oil for easy refills along the way.

Meatball wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2019 1:36 am 30-40mpg is typical of a built motor. Stock will get you double that. Not saying your motor is dialed since I have no clue. However, the Spree is not exactly a long distance commuter scoot to begin with. Sheesh, the tank is only 0.7gal and intended to be feeding a baby Spree motor. Swap in a dd50 with some go-fast parts and watch the gauge drop quick! Id think its best to keep a 1gal fuel can strapped to the luggage rack for long trips. Also bring some pre-measured 4oz vials of 2t oil for easy refills along the way.

so i guess i should measure the cylinder to determine that. i do keep oil on me in a container that has markings so i can gas up on my way home. my commute's about 10 miles one way.
good to hear that's in the ballpark of what one might expect for something like this. unfortunately i work in downtown honolulu and lock up outside - if i left a gas can bungeed to the rack it'd be gone by lunchtime.

i saw in another thread that someone retrofitted an aero tank onto a spree. I was thinking of doing something like that or getting a 1-2 gallon tank to bolt onto the luggage rack but i'm not sure if i should bother, or try to sell it now that it's running better and start over with something that's got better fuel economy already.

seth wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2019 1:42 am
or try to sell it now that it's running better and start over with something that's got better fuel economy already.

This makes good sense....and probably the best idea for your wallet.
Let me just say my 2004 Helix gets 75 mpg, does 75 mph, and didn't break the bank.

If it’s running super hot and using excessive fuel then I’d say it’s got a massive air leak and it’s been over-jetted to compensate for that. That’s just my opinion based on the small bit of info that you could give. I’d build another motor to replace that one and keep asking for help to get the new one done correctly

bonesv wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2019 10:42 am If it’s running super hot and using excessive fuel then I’d say it’s got a massive air leak and it’s been over-jetted to compensate for that. That’s just my opinion based on the small bit of info that you could give. I’d build another motor to replace that one and keep asking for help to get the new one done correctly

what would you say counts as super hot? it came with a temp guage and almost never gets above 280/290 but to be honest i dont know where the sensors are or if they were placed intelligently... i will have to do some investigation to look for air leaks. some of the gasketing looks... less than amazing.

motormike wrote: ↑Thu May 23, 2019 2:52 am Let me just say my 2004 Helix gets 75 mpg, does 75 mph, and didn't break the bank.

i like helixes but maaaaan - i've wanted a spree since i was 15 and now that i have one it's hard to give up. if parking wasn't at such a premium out here i almost wouldn't mind keeping a couple of scoots around but i don't have the space for the spree and something more economical, so i gotta try to split the difference somehow. good news is that i probably won't have too hard a time selling this thing if it comes to it.

really appreciate all the tips from everybody. looking forward to sweating it out over the long weekend and hopefully coming back with some good news