Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Bike: '88 Honda Elite ES

I thought I was having problems with the kickstart gear. We took the bike out to my gf's dad and he located the problem area for me.

The drive face that the kickstart lever catches and the moveable drive face have been loose long enough to wear down the teeth on the crankshaft that turn the engine when the kickstart is engaged.

Her dad's thinking about fabbing a piece for it. Is this a common problem? Do I have to tear down the engine to replace the left crankshaft?
I dont see a rod or bushing with teeth on it in the tech docs. Any input would help.

thanks guys!

Worn parts is probably it. I'd check out the kickstart shaft through the sidecover, I'm betting the thing's coming loose.

first thing you want to check is the clip. between the kicker and the cover face, on the gear, there is a C clip. it someitmes shifts or comes loose. that could be your problem. if the clip is snug, andgear is in place, mone on ...
next, pull the clip, and remove the gears. check the hole in the kicker cover. THIS IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM. check to make sure the shaft is snug when you put it in and wiggle it, and that there is not too much play. also check for cracks. the wear on the hole in the kicker cover will ultimately cause your gears to go bad. it give them more play then there should be, and allows the gears to work at a slightly different angle then theyre ment to work at.
next check the teeth on your mushroom gear and engage gear. make sure they are not worn, and also make sure everything is well greased.

thanks for the replies. I'll be checking those after work tonight.

another question: should there be more than a 1/4 inch of slack in the belt? and should the variator be able to wobble at all?

bitteraspects wrote: next, pull the clip, and remove the gears. check the hole in the kicker cover. THIS IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM. check to make sure the shaft is snug when you put it in and wiggle it, and that there is not too much play. also check for cracks.

For future reference, can you redrill this hole for a brass insert, or is a worn sidecover considered trash?

I was thinking about a fitting that would fill the hole as well.

And the gears in there are supposed to be lubed? I thought I read a debate about that in the forums.

noiseguy wrote:

bitteraspects wrote: next, pull the clip, and remove the gears. check the hole in the kicker cover. THIS IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM. check to make sure the shaft is snug when you put it in and wiggle it, and that there is not too much play. also check for cracks.

For future reference, can you redrill this hole for a brass insert, or is a worn sidecover considered trash?

trash it and get a new one

update on the problem. the news is in my first post.

What left crankshaft, there's only one.

Don't edit posts like that, just add on. Too confusing, now I don't remember the original problem.

sorry bout that, I didnt think the original problem was relevant anymore. It started as the kickstart gear not engaging the drive face and instead making a grating sound and getting stuck halfway in motion.

When we pulled the drive face and moveable drive face off we noticed the teeth on the left side of the crankshaft had been worn down where the drive face is supposed to engage it. I'm sure the crank is the center piece and two extensions as one, but I didnt see anything positive from pics or the tech docs.

Short of fabbing something, if the problem requires a new crank, I'll most likely decide to upgrade the internals. From the parts list on bike bandit, there's a separate part number for the crank, left crank, and right crank. At this point, I see the problem and would be looking for a nod of direction from the elders of the tech forum.

here's the info from bikebandit:
1: CRANKSHAFT 203917-001
8: CRANKSHAFT, R. 208247-001
9: CRANKSHAFT, L. 208557-001

Gotcha. Didn't realize you could buy the crankshaft in halves. You'll need a competent machinist to do that install, the cost won't be worth it if you have to pay him. Got a press and alignment tools? Typically runs $150 in to service that.

Bottom line, look for a good used crank on Ebay or check on refabbing yours (weld and regrind.) A complete new crank for that will be spendy.

From the few pics I've found on the net, it does look like something that would require a press. The crank alone goes for ~$200 on bike bandit. If the rigging doesnt work, I would consider a dio or overbore kit while its torn down.

Would a spree crank fit?

Is the ES a fixed front pulley or variator? If it's fixed the Spree crank might work.

Replacing a pulley half will require a press.

If it's a fixed front pulley, Greg at uspmale@yahoo.com should be able to hook you up with a Spree crank.