Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

The ramp plate from the AF05 needs to be used because of the smaller crank diameter. However, the AF05 ramp doesnt fit the ruck vari. The AF05 ramp plate is loose as a goose in there. Right around the 3 plastic guides. Is this how its supposed be? Loose?!?!

Pics are of Ruck vari with stock Ruck ramp plate...and then with AF05 ramp plate...Big gaps on the slides. Seems as if the plastics slides are about to fall out!

Wheelman, where you at?

Try using the blue polini slides.

bonesv wrote:Try using the blue polini slides.

Tried Polini blue slides removed from a Polini Vari for DIO. They are the same approximate size as the stock Ruck and SA50 slides. It produced the same result.

However, I have a Polini Vari for AF05 sitting inside of a shelf motor. Do different Polini Vari's have bigger/smaller slides? Maybe I should crack it open to see.

All the threads Ive read about this "Ruck vari to AF05" swap didnt mention anything about this problem. I already knew Id have to use the AF05 ramp plate AND boss.

Greetings:

It's been a while since I worked with an AF05 block, but having installed a Polini-for-Ruckus on one of them, I don't recall having fitment issues, even using the AF05 ramp plate, but did have to use the blue Polini guides. I wonder if your Polini guides are simply worn? They do get loose over time.

I compared Polini slides from a AF16 vari and AF05 vari and they are identical. Certainly meatier than the stocker slides but the same dimension as far as depth of notch. I will give the Polini slides a run and see if it spits one out and does the garbage disposal action to it in the belt cavity. Just dont want my crank or engine case to become a sacrificial lamb in finding out if this works. Pray for no grenade.

WheelGuru: You previously mention a "special" belt from Malossi being a few mm's longer than the stocker. Allowing the belt to run higher up the larger Ruck vari and not bottoming out on the rear shaft causing stress or possible breakage. Can you point me in a direction to obtain said belt? The Malossi brand not required but a belt of the correct size to handle the task. Many thanks..

OK, I will source a Met belt. The longer length would ride up the vari higher but wouldnt the wider width restict the belt from reaching the lowest point of the rear pullys? Seems like you solve one problem but erase the gains by creating another...just a thought.

About to try the Polini slides on a Ruck vari with a AF05 Ramp. Took some pics of the differences. The Polini slides are larger in size but the slide groove is the same. Still gaps out on the vari castles.

After a short 10mi ride with no issues I pulled the vari to inspect. Highest rpm's were in the 7,500 range and top speed jumped about 4-5mph. Lost a bit of low end but not enough to make me switch back. Had keli vari on before. The marks indicate the belt was right there at the top with maybe the possibility of getting a tad higher with a longer belt. The Polini slides held strong but I noticed they had slid out to the vari castles which just shifted the gap. All in all, its a solid upgrade. Cheap and effective with minor case cutting. Pics show the vari marks and the slide positions after the test ride.

Greetings:

I've never seen the US2 engraving on any Honda or aftermarket-for-Honda ramp plate. Methinks your ramp plate is your issue. The gaps look dangerously close to allowing dislocation. Ramp plates are cheap enough - I recommend you find an SEF or proper Polini plate. Another option Scooterwerx applied was to press in a shim washer to his for-AF16 plate to make it fit the smaller crank. Perhaps there was an aftermarket plate for an early AF18? It shares the 05's smaller crank diameter too.

The US2 is OEM. They had stamped certain ramps designated by country for reasons unknown to me. Across the pond, they had UK2 ramps and I believe FR2 in France. I had links with pictures to other country's ramps saved on my computer but the Photobucket fiasco have rendered them useless. I had a nice chat with (name forgotten) with VTcycles on this topic and he agreed that the US2 ramp was the best one they had used on AF05. He also pointed out that I was lucky to get my hands on one. Im assuming low production numbers or they only came on certain bikes/years?

I had used it on an OEM vari as well as a Keli for awhile and both fit snug like it should. The Ruck vari is just larger on the "guts" side compared to the Elite stuff. Even the stock AF16 and Polini ramps gap out like the US2 does!

The slides seem ridiculously close to dislodging, I agree. I completed an extended "test" ride of about 50 miles. It endured rigorous abuse from the unmerciful riding style I have. Hard take-offs, steep hill climbs, high-revving down hill blasts, 10+ minute WOT runs and I even hit a few bumpy off-road dirt trails. I basically beat the crap out of it and TRIED to find its limits. The post-ride inspection showed ZERO wear on the slides. No indication they were under any stress.

I agree this slide gapping is not ideal. I personally dont like that its there regardless if it seems to work well. I will look for an early AF18 ramp and try it on the Ruck vari for better fitment.

Wheelman-111 wrote:Greetings:

I've never seen the US2 engraving on any Honda or aftermarket-for-Honda ramp plate.

Found it!! Better late than never, I suppose.

"The best ramp we used to use on our SE50 was the Honda "US2" ramp plate that came out of the 1985 NB50 Aero 50."

Aloha, Steve VT