Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

So I have this 89 Elite LX (polini variator/rollers, ebay carb, manual fuel shutoff valve - otherwise stock) with a weird issue - have done a ton of searching on the forums here but haven't found anyone with the same problem.

Basically most of the time it doesn't accelerate like it should. Tops out at 48ish mph just takes forever to get there. Also j3rks a bit when I take off from a stop sometimes, not sure if that's related. But there's a select few instances where it actually accelerates like it should - revs up faster and feels like it has TWICE the power:

- First takeoff after starting - doesn't matter if its sat for a week, or 2 min while I pump gas.
- First full throttle takeoff when I get back on the road after doing some low speed/rpm (very little throttle) off road riding
- First takeoff after idling for a few minutes

Whenever I come to a stop from that first MAX POWER takeoff it goes back to its normal slow self for the rest of the ride. Or until I do one of those 3 things again. Some things I have tried:

- Rebuilt top end
- Cleaned carb multiple times. Made sure float is level. Set air screw to 1.5 turns out.
- New af16 bando belt
- Roughed up clutch pads, made sure the clutch opens/closes smoothly
- Replaced oem contra spring with malossi yellow. Actually seemed to be a weaker spring than stock and made the scooter even slower so I put the oem back on.

I feel like it has to be cvt related. Like it gets stuck in "high gear" and isn't downshifting properly. Thoughts?

Greetings:

If the engine feels frisky, you may be correct that the pulleys are "hanging up" with the belt in Cruise instead of Take-off position. I'd evaluate carefully both the drive and driven pulleys for wear. If they get too much mismatch, one or the other pulley can go a bit diagonal and dig into its shaft. Lots of new grease in the driven pulley and cam slots might remedy. Check the variator roller size and roundness as well.

You can evaluate the spring strength using a bathroom scale and a specified compression distance. I have a thread somewhere in Technical Help describing the process. One of the thicker aftermarket springs I had was much stiffer than stock, but also much shorter, so once installed it Acted like a softer spring. Check the lengths carefully.

Greetings:

Found The Spring Tension Thread.