Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Hmm. If it's wiggling I'm wondering how much of the wires connecting it to the brush are still intact.

roadcapDen wrote:Hey Noiseguy, yes I've had the motor apart and everything looks/smells good, lots of wear still left on the brushes, turne freely, bike only has 2,000 km on it, even had an alternator shop look at it.

When you had the motor apart did you clean the commutator? A few bad spots on one will cause the condition you are having.

I have never took a starter motor for one of these apart, but when it was apart would you be able to take the armature and put it in a drill chuck, then get a piece of emery cloth and wrap it half way over the commutator while spinning it in a drill.

Got it apart again, everything looks good and clean, the + wire is hooked up tight to the brush, lots of brush left on both.

Not much torque while running off the bike with a battery charger attached? Guess i'll try it hooked up to the battery direct.

A typical 10A charger won't (by itself) provide enough current to start the bike.

Update guys,
Hooked the starter directly up to the battery and while holding the shaft it almost wore thru my leather gloves!
Lot's of torque, so it must be in the wires somewhere???

That would be my guess. Try using some 12 ga wire to jumper past the existing harness; you can find the weak link that way.

Be careful when reassembling a starter motor from a Spree. They can easily be put together one third revolution off, the bolt pattern allows that, and the starter will work, but will spin backwards.

I believe the normal rotation is counter clockwise which drives the starter gear clockwise. the motor runs clockwise.

I had marked the case before I took it apart (3x's now) and it spins clockwise when loking at the shaft as it should, thanks.

Connected the starter to the + terminal of battery with starter installed on bike (12ga) and it's doing the same thing???
Loosened spark plug 1/8th turn and starter works fine???

I'm stumped,,,again???

roadcapDen wrote:Connected the starter to the + terminal of battery with starter installed on bike (12ga) and it's doing the same thing???
Loosened spark plug 1/8th turn and starter works fine???

I'm stumped,,,again???

Again, if you lessen the load, loosening the spark pug does that by lowering the compression, it makes it easier for the weak starter to do the job. Repace it and you should be golden.

Is your oil pump leaking oil into the crankcase, therefore hydro locking it when it tries to turn over?

Thanks for the replys, the crankcase is OK.

The starter when hooked up to the battery directly and off of the engine spins so hard and fast that it gave me a blister thru my leather gloves while trying to hold the gear on the end of the shaft, so that makes me think the starter has lots of tourqe and should be good! No??

Not necessarily. Put the starter back in and try starting it by running the motor directly off the battery like you're testing it now. If it can easily turn over the motor, it would indicate wiring problems.

Just out of curiousity, have you pulled the head and looking inside the jug to check condition of the head, walls, and exhaust port?

Thanks, it will easily turn over the engine but only with the spark plug a little loose, like not quite hand tight, otherwise when tight it won't turn over a full revolution.
Doesn't seem to be a difference with wires hooked up directly to battery or normaly.
I've had the top end apart, all is clean and piston moves freely and same with the exhaust off, port is clean.