Aero 50 project begins... is anything wrong?

[adark248]

So I finally got my Aero 50 from a guy a few blocks over. He let me roll it out of his garage for $150. Then I rolled it half way home, stopping off at a friend's apartment because I was sweating through my shirt. I didn't think it was going to be heavy at all, but I was wrong. It definitely has some heft to it.

Here are some pics. Sorry for the horrible lighting, this house is a cave. I'll try to get some better ones tomorrow or something.

I don't know much about this scooter. My hope was that I could start off my project by getting input based on these pics. Does anyone see any horrible problems? Missing pieces?









Also, how hard to you have to kick a kickstart? Mine has some give, maybe an inch or so but then it catches. I kicked it a few times and one time I think it went a little further and made a slight gargling noise. But after that it's seized up again. If I put pressure on it the entire engine bobs. I don't know how to use the kickstart, what is the exact process?

It also has 5 year old gas in it, some of which I dumped out. Is there an easy way to drain all the liquids or do I have to take the gas and oil tanks out and then disconnect all the lines individually?

The engine is pretty dirty. The plastics look great from a few feet away, but if you get close enough you can see breaks around the bolts and some other cracks, scraps, etc. I think I'll probably paint it after I get it running. At some point somebody apparently repaired some of the plastics with what looks like old chewing gum. The front handlebar cover might be from another model. It doesn't seem to fit correctly. Maybe it's missing some tabs or something, any thoughts?



That's all I can think of right off the bat. I'm interested in hearing anything you want to share.

[elnene2k]

You have the same one as mine! Mine is an 83...Check underneath the scooter, near the front to get the year and vin on that one...You have most the panels I'm missing so you're in decent shape to start with...The front odometer panels are indeed the correct ones...It looks like they just might have broken tabs or missing screws? How many miles on that one?

[Karman]

Thats an '84 - same year and color as mine. It looks like its in pretty good shape.

The quickest way to drain the gas is to disconnect the petcock from the tank (which you will probably need to do anyway if its stuck). Just have a bowl or cup handy to catch the gas. The oil tank can be drained the same way - just disconnect the line at the bottom of the tank and let it run out. There's no need to remove the tanks.

[adark248]

Thanks for the help.

Yeah it is an 84. I drive an 98 Jeep, was born in 87 and the wife was born in 85, so this is the oldest thing in the house right now.

It has 3,825 miles on it. A decent number considering it's 24 years old. I'm carting it over to my father in laws this weekend so we can work on it. He's confident we can get it running in a weekend, but I'm not so sure about that.

As expected the tank is rusted really bad from the old gas and I don't want to run it without taking care of that. If rust particles break loose and go through the gas line I could see that being a major problem. I'll keep you updated on the progress we make this weekend.

Do you guys have pics of your Aeros? I haven't seen very many on this site, since most people have Sprees or Elites.

[Karman]

Go ahead and order a new air filter from your local Honda dealer. It will take a few days to a week to get and you'll need it when you work on getting it running. Cost is only $3.33. And go ahead and get a new spark plug while you're there too. And a big can of carb cleaner.

I don't have a picture of my Aero yet. Its with an aluminum welder getting the muffler mount fixed. I should have it back today and can start putting it back together. Mine looks pretty much identical to yours but with paint thats more scratched and oxidized and I have more rust on my racks. Mine also has the black rubber floor mat which must have been an accessory because I've never seen another one. I'm looking forward to getting mine going again - its been ten years since I've ridden it. It will blow away my new '01 Elite S in stock form (but that will change soon).

[alvin]

Hello,

Am buying an 84 aero tomorrow.....what did you find out as far as
part availability? My local honda dealer has most parts for it.
Can you send me pix of the speedometer? Have you been able
to get the mph listed on the speedometer to match? Have you found
a downloadable service manual for this scooter yet?


let me know.

thanks,

al

whidbey island wa.

[Kenny_McCormic]

DO NOT KICK A KICKSTART, THAT WILL BREAK IT! You slowly push it down till you feel it catch and start to crank the motor, then put down firm smooth pressure.

[chevyguyjay]

not a bad lookin aero. not my year though. i dont think there are to many mods u can do to it. welcome to the aero family lol.

[Dac]

DO NOT KICK A KICKSTART, THAT WILL BREAK IT! You slowly push it down till you feel it catch and start to crank the motor, then put down firm smooth pressure.

if any more people have problems with this i swear im going to make a How To video.