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Making a 1985 Spree faster: Reeds, Gear/s, more?
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 9:38 pm
by andrew_v
Hi all, I am looking at ways to make my 1985 Honda Spree faster. I have seen this thread (
http://www.hondaspree.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=33517), but it is really old. From this thread,
1. What is a CDI? What does it do? Easy install? Price? Help with speed? Where is it located?
2. With the different gearing on the 1984-85 (12 T) vs 1986-87, if the 86-87 gear -- 13T (from thread) will fit on the 84-85, where to buy?
3. Taz gears? Still available? Work without BBK? Fit 84-85 Spree?
4. With new reeds (referenceing thread), where would you put said reeds (where are they located on the bike)?
5. For that piston rebuild kit, is that easy? Cheap? Worth it for more speed?
Thanks for everyone's help in advance!
Andrew
Re: Making a 1985 Spree faster: Reeds, Gear/s, more?
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2022 9:23 am
by motormike
If your Spree starts right up and runs smoothly up to 28-30 mph, STOP right there.
You will get years of riding enjoyment from it if left alone, just the way Honda built it.
The modification of Spree is a subject explored for many years by very smart and mechanically skilled people.
Even those people will mostly agree that the expense, effort, and results from all work to make a Spree faster are NOT going to satisfy your wishes.
You'll end up with a scooter that will be temperamental, finnicky, hard to tune, dreadfully slow on take-off, and woefully unequipped with braking.
The parts you need to attempt such a task are no longer produced, hard to find, and even the VERY BEST mechanics have trouble with the process.
If you want a faster scooter, your very best choice is to BUY a faster scooter.
Leave the Spree alone, enjoy it for the TOY that it is, and keep it maintained in it's original condition.
This is my honest opinion coming to you from 50 years of riding, working on, and owning motorbikes of every description.
Buy Honda Elite 1994-2001 with the AF16 engine if you really want to go faster and learn about speed modifications.
You can't go wrong with Yamaha Jog, Zuma, or Honda Aero as well...or maybe modern scooters like Kymco and Sym.
These are just some good examples, there's plenty more, but focus on anything but Spree...and I would never advise anyone to buy Chinese junk.
Good luck Andrew, glad to have you here on the forum...motor
Re: Making a 1985 Spree faster: Reeds, Gear/s, more?
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2022 7:59 pm
by Meatball
The single speed Spree motor is just like a BMX bicycle. To go faster, you need to pedal faster. Spin those pedals as fast as human legs can possibly turn them and you’ll still get passed by a guy on a 10-speed effortlessly.
Modifying a Spree motor costs many hundreds of dollars and countless frustrating hours of painstaking work…if you can even find the parts they stopped producing years ago. Sure, it will make it “pedal” faster and you may gain 10mph before it cant spin any faster. Then you’ll still get blown away by any one of the scooters MotorMike mentioned in stock form.
If youre madly in love with the Spree platform and simply must turn that slug into a fire-breathing ripper, ditch the stock motor and swap in an AF16 from a 94-01 Elite. Modify that motor with all the goodies and your biggest problem will be keeping the front wheel down. RIP your wallet tho.