What's a good thing to do with it?

[Upshifter]

I'm new to this forum; in fact less than a week. Yet, I just bought 2 Honda scooters. I paid $250 for both a nice 1986 Spree, and a beater looking "rat-bike", as they call those that look terrible with parts missing. The beater is a 1985 Honda Areo 50. It has very little plastic left; and there are no side panels or front plastic; and the broken instrument cluster is held on with black electrical tape; and the front fender is broken and held together with duct tape, as is the seat. Also it's dirty and nasty. Yet the bike runs really good and the headlight still works. It is probably the nastiest rat-bike I've seen, and I've been around for nearly 76 years. Yes, I'm older than dirt.

My first scooter was a Doodle Bug in about 1951 or so; and my 2nd scooter was a Lambretta 125 in about 1957 or 1958. Anyway, enough with these ravings of an old man. What should I do with the beater scooter? Should I look for a parts bike that still has the plastic? I probably will never find one. Or, should I get creative and make a body for it from some other material, like plywood, or turn it into a skeleton scooter of some sort? What do you think? Thank you.

[odinxxix]

if you can do fab work i think one could put the aero motor and trans into the spree and get one fast spree. but thats just my opinion. or you could part whats left of the aero on here and make your money back or more.

[PimpinSpree]

id swap the motor into the spree

[drizzle]

x3 for swapping the motor into the spree.

[Upshifter]

Thank you all for the good advice. The stock Spree seems to have a single speed, and takes off in that one speed and depends on the clutch to get started. I wouldn't mind having a variable speed transmission in the Spree, like the more expensive scooters have.

The Spree's engine would probably do alright with a good variable speed transmission. I noticed the Spree climbs hills pretty well if it's kept in the power band; yet it is anemic when one starts out from a stop and heads up hill. It's high point that trumps everything else is that it's fun and satisfying to ride. After all, it's not supposed to be a Ducati sport bike. Thanks again for the good advice. I'm thinking it over. (Also, I intend to post some pictures of the Aero engine to possibly be transplanted into the spree.)