Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Does your Spree/Elite already run great, and you're trying to make it quicker/faster? Need a monster motor swap? Discuss your ideas here.

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stevespree7
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by stevespree7 »

good points. the JBweld is just to try it out, i will change to a new material if i see positive out come. some harder epoxy probably? what do you think? (if i get any positive outcome that is)


Like i said i read this claim in several locations on the internet. i hope it works, but if it doesnt, i dont mind. :-)
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by MrJumps »

Use weld beads and machine them down
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by Meatball »

Meatball wrote: fitting a variator to the Spree.
Believe it or not, TAZ actually worked on doing this awhile back. He deemed that it would be too expensive and wouldn't be practical. I don't know how far he got into the design but I know he looked into it. Like Ive seen many times before, ANYTHING is possible.
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stevespree7
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by stevespree7 »

OK! One sec I will post some pics. I am case matching right now and porting the bbk so it's not on the bike. (Unless I find some good on the bike pics)

Yes it is a dio style intake with some monstrous reeds. The attachment is a rare adaptor plate that doesn't look hard to make. But is no longer sold.(I'll post pics in a sec) I beleive the guy stopped making them because everyone wants to mod the elites and stuff. Don't get why though. $ is $. I would start making them if others are interested?

Funny you say that, I have many variated bikes. Honda hobbit that does 55 and is gorgeously painted. I have a urban express should do 40 to 50(not done yet), vespa bravo x2 (modded as well) , honda express, ho da ct90 x2... and I just found my first 1994+ elite! Last week I picked it up for 100 bucks! I have been searching forever! Haha very excited from what I have been reading on your forum.

I am going to put the elite motor on another spree frame I have. Very excited to have some clutch power off the line. I like the way the eleite frame feels, but I want the added quickness of a lighter frame
stevespree7
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by stevespree7 »

Sad... how do I post pics? My phone won't let me. :'(
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by stevespree7 »

I have been playing around with variators. Nothing yet. But I have to order a lathe soon to do what I wanna do I suppose.
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by eclark5483 »

Try lowering your resolution. This site doesn't allow images bigger then 1 meg and today's phones typically produce bigger images then that.
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by eclark5483 »

Another solution is create an instagram account, then when you take the photo, share it to instagram then post the link.
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by eclark5483 »

Photobucket app works well too
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by Meatball »

On my phone, I email the pic to myself. Before I send the email with photo attachment it asks me what resolution of picture I want it sent. I choose "medium" and it sends it small enough to post. Voila!
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by stevespree7 »

So you need to make it heavier to offset the added weight of the piston?! Ah yes! That makes sense, because you have to think of the force in both directions. Ahh! Thanks noise Guy!
Ok I am still prepared for this. See if I follow the rules/steps for crank balancing in a few articles I read, following a 25% Bob weight factor, it just seemed to me I needed to take weight away from the counter weight because the counter weight always drifted to the bottom when placed on the static balance.

If you watch on the utube videos a balanced crank stays in place no matter the position while in the static balance. So...

I went about half way, if I take a few more ounces I will have a fully balanced crank per this 25% Bob weight rule. ... so being almost half way there I wanted to see, do I see added benefits? Or do i see crap. If it doesn't absolutely shake my bike to death, in going all out and removing more material. The. Filling with a better harder gas resistant epoxy. If it's terrible, I am going to fill the holes with lead or tungsten , to got the other way with it and see if making it heavier has a positive out come.

This is going to be a great experiment! Also answers questions about crappy jbweld idea. It's the middle of winter here I'm mn. (Shiver) i have a long time to toy around until spring. Ha I'm just hoping to hit 50mphs. Or at least higher revs. :-/ worth a try? Haha
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by noiseguy »

Meatball wrote:Believe it or not, TAZ actually worked on doing this awhile back. He deemed that it would be too expensive and wouldn't be practical. I don't know how far he got into the design but I know he looked into it. Like Ive seen many times before, ANYTHING is possible.
I did this as a paper exercise a few years ago, using the heavier steel pulley inner from 86/87 replacement as a starting point. Issue is insanely small throw b/c it's so small, and you really need a high-precision die for at least the ramp portion. The investment on that latter bit is high... Always wondered if the variator from a 1982 NU50 Urban Express would fit, as it's a small unit. Assume this has been tried.
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by Meatball »

The Spree clutch has a center spring for no apparent reason since it never adjusts due to lack of variator up front. Im assuming all you would need to do is add a vari up front somehow and the rear is already capable of being variable. Sound right? I know the spring is there as strictly a belt tensioner but is it possible to be used variably?

Like I was spit-balling before, just swap out one half of the crank for one with a longer shaft to accept a vari. This way you wouldn't be altering anything on the whole other side like stator, fan, shrouds, etc...that's a whole new can-o-worms to fab that area. Best to be left alone.

Youd still need a custom fabbed belt cover. Simple to do using two belt covers welded into one to give it the needed clearance internally.

I swear, Im about to talk myself into trying this!!!
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by noiseguy »

It's a ton of work, and at the end you're left with a poorly ported engine etc etc... it's just faster and easier to swap in one of many available Elite 50 powerplants and call it a day. Then all you have to do is make an engine mount... most of the other stuff transfers very easily.

The rear spring is needed b/c the belt width changes over time, so spring is needed to keep it all tight. I *think* the main spring is overly stiff for variator operation... but I've never measured the stiffness directly.
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Re: Honda spree crank mods. Ya done em? Check out mine.

Post by eclark5483 »

Speaking of which. I finally got that engine mount that Meatball was talking about.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/282236964781

Looks like it's gonna fit my variated AF05E just fine. Just need to have it fabricated for the Spree. Still thinking I might just sell the variated AF05E and mount and stick with the stock Spree motor. I'm not like you guys. My Sprees are for restoration and collecting. I could care less about getting the highest top speed, though making it go faster is quite fun. The rig I have slapped together with BBK,gears,pipe, Kitaco Intake and Polini carb with ported SB50 reeds seems to be the magic combo I've been looking for if you look at it from an AIR/FUEL stoich standpoint. So I'll probably repeat that (minus the gears), for the next Spree. But still.. the engine swap might be fun just for the challenge of hopping up the Variated AF05E and seeing what I can squeeze out of that. DECISIONS, DECISIONS.
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