1994 Elite SR. Complete rebuild help?

Does your Spree/Elite already run great, and you're trying to make it quicker/faster? Need a monster motor swap? Discuss your ideas here.

Moderator: Moderator

User avatar
cf_z
Spree
Spree
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:55 pm
Location: NorthEast IN

1994 Elite SR. Complete rebuild help?

Post by cf_z »

This is my first post, so go easy on me :) . I am a longtime member of a car forum and we would generally get mad if someone posted a thread like this. But i have searched a bit and havent found what im looking for.

I recently picked up a run down 1994 Elite SR from a friend for 75$. (i guess i got lucky and got the 94+ model, and that makes it easier to mod) All i was told that was wrong with it was a bad crank bearing, which is obvious as the crank can wiggle haha. I got it home and started tearing it apart, and found a few other misc problems with it. But i planned to completely rebuild it anyways so its not a problem.

I have been playing with 4 strokes my whole life, and the past 2 have been dedicated to my car. I turbocharged my 94 mazda, so i know about fuel control with computers, but im gonna have to read up on carburators and 2 strokes ;)

The car has gotten me 3 speeding tickets in the last year, and is costing me way too much for still being a kid haha. I want this to be my close commutor just to work and to friends houses and just for cruising fun. I dont want it to be slow. In all honesty, i want it to be the fastest moped in town! haha. (I dont want to be the idiot that everyone is passing)

So my real questions,

1. What 'generally' goes wrong on these? any known weak parts?

2. What are the normal mods done? like on a car it would be intake / exhaust, and im gonna assume its the same?

3. where does everyone get their parts? I have found babbittsonline.com, and it seems excellent for misc parts i will need.


I have set 500$ forward for the project. If spending a couple hundred more can make a huge difference, then im fine with that.
I have seen the polini big bore kits on ebay, and im thinking thats the way im gonna go? And ive read that i'll need a bigger carb with that.
I havent seen any stoker kits yet. Nitrous has ran across my mind, but its just not practical.

so basically to everyone who has done what i am talking about, if you could do it over an only had $500 to spend, how would you spend it?

here it is after i stripped all the body panels and lights/dash off.
Image
can someone please tell me they didnt come with purple wheels from the factory. hahah.
Image

and my first love
Image

thanks guys!
User avatar
mopedman
CB900F
CB900F
Posts: 1213
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 1973 10:24 am
Location: sterling Heights MI
Contact:

Post by mopedman »

i think they came on some of them
Michigan Moped Mafia founding member
2005 Yamaha Zuma
1985 Honda Spree
1978 Honda Express
User avatar
cf_z
Spree
Spree
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:55 pm
Location: NorthEast IN

Post by cf_z »

huh?
User avatar
mopedman
CB900F
CB900F
Posts: 1213
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 1973 10:24 am
Location: sterling Heights MI
Contact:

Re: 1994 Elite SR. Complete rebuild help?

Post by mopedman »

Image
can someone please tell me they didnt come with purple wheels from the factory. hahah.
Image

some came with the rims i ment
Michigan Moped Mafia founding member
2005 Yamaha Zuma
1985 Honda Spree
1978 Honda Express
User avatar
Dac
Veteran OG
Veteran OG
Posts: 3340
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 5:58 pm
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Contact:

Post by Dac »


1. What 'generally' goes wrong on these? any known weak parts?

not really, the carb gets dirty, and when that happens it has to be clean. Plain and simple.

2. What are the normal mods done? like on a car it would be intake / exhaust, and im gonna assume its the same?

72cc bore, 28mm carb and intake, a tail pipe, and most inportant gears.

3. where does everyone get their parts? I have found babbittsonline.com, and it seems excellent for misc parts i will need.

For stock parts just go though honda. But for any performances parts, there is one place and one place alone. http://www.VTCycles.com. There site is outdated so its best to call them.
Not only will they help you with any questions you have. But they are very friendly. They will make sure you get what you need. They are all about customer service.
"Its not what you ride, its that you ride"
1996--------Honda Elite S-
1991--------Tomos Targa-
And a Bunch of other bikes.
User avatar
justinnielsen01
Spree
Spree
Posts: 296
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:12 pm

Post by justinnielsen01 »

that thing is beat but it can be fast
User avatar
cf_z
Spree
Spree
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:55 pm
Location: NorthEast IN

Post by cf_z »

Dac wrote:
72cc bore, 28mm carb and intake, a tail pipe, and most inportant gears.

3. where does everyone get their parts? I have found babbittsonline.com, and it seems excellent for misc parts i will need.

For stock parts just go though honda. But for any performances parts, there is one place and one place alone. http://www.VTCycles.com. There site is outdated so its best to call them.
Not only will they help you with any questions you have. But they are very friendly. They will make sure you get what you need. They are all about customer service.
thanks for the reply.

so is ebay as looked down on in the moped world as it is in the car world?

and i took a quick look thru the vt cycles website, and they wasnt much on the explanation side of things. But that will most likely be where i order the 28mm carb from when i need it. i didnt see anything on the intake part but i will keep looking.

so most people just do the bore kit? and dont bother with stroking anything?. Are the polini kits the most tried and tested ? and i have no clue with the gears.

but either way, just an estimate (unless someone is already running this setup) what will the polini corsa bore kit + 28mm carb/intake + ?gears? + exhaust = as speed is concerned? im assuming a good pick up with the bore, and then the gears are for top speed?


sorry if these are just repeated questions that youve answered a million times. If there is a thread that is already like this and you want to link me to it so i can read it thatd be good.
User avatar
Dac
Veteran OG
Veteran OG
Posts: 3340
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 5:58 pm
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Contact:

Post by Dac »

so is ebay as looked down on in the moped world as it is in the car world?
Kinda, allot of people get parts from there, but VTCycles is soooo much better. There is this one guy on ebay "daywot". he has good stuff but i would go tho VT before i would him.
and i took a quick look thru the vt cycles website, and they wasnt much on the explanation side of things. But that will most likely be where i order the 28mm carb from when i need it. i didnt see anything on the intake part but i will keep looking.
Yeah, there site is basically useless. You have to call them up. Im telling you, its a world of a difference. I mean, you tell them how much money you want to spend, what you got for a moped, what you have problem wise that needs to be fixed.
Im telling you, these guys are awesome.
as for the intake, there like 60 or so. There allot but they come with all new reeds and a new reed cage.
so most people just do the bore kit? and dont bother with stroking anything?. Are the polini kits the most tried and tested ? and i have no clue with the gears.
not allot of people stroke. there cool and all but you need your cased milled. and they are not as reliable.
Mini stokers are a good alternative. You need no milling.

Polini's are very good bore kits. A 72cc "polini Corsa" gives better better performance then some 80cc kits just because the amazing porting. But if money is an issue you could go with different bore kit. Not always as good, but some of them are good.

Gears,
Stock bike - 12.6 or something like that.
a weak 72cc - 8.44:1 is good
a good 72cc set up -7:1 is good.
more then 72cc - it all depends. stokers go as low as 5:1
but either way, just an estimate (unless someone is already running this setup) what will the polini corsa bore kit + 28mm carb/intake + ?gears? + exhaust = as speed is concerned? im assuming a good pick up with the bore, and then the gears are for top speed?
Good pick up yes, speeds 65-70mph. I know some people say 75mph but its all in turning.

Also, a big factor is the tail pipe, like the "v8" or "R1" is good for take off. Good for mid range, top end is ok. There is the "PG Long" that is very common pipe, but it does not do so well for take off. but the mid range is amazing, along with top end.
"Its not what you ride, its that you ride"
1996--------Honda Elite S-
1991--------Tomos Targa-
And a Bunch of other bikes.
User avatar
Dac
Veteran OG
Veteran OG
Posts: 3340
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 5:58 pm
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Contact:

Post by Dac »

bore kits give amazing take off, but do almost nothing for top end. Without gears you will have to ride at full throttle just to do 40mph. meaning that you would be risking over heating just riding down the street.

Gears give way better top end. and they dont take much off the take off. a stock bike comes with 12.6 gears or something like that. you can get them to 9:1 and still have good take off.

its the mix of a bore kit and gears that gives great take off and amazing top end.
"Its not what you ride, its that you ride"
1996--------Honda Elite S-
1991--------Tomos Targa-
And a Bunch of other bikes.
User avatar
cf_z
Spree
Spree
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:55 pm
Location: NorthEast IN

Post by cf_z »

Dac wrote: Yeah, there site is basically useless. You have to call them up. Im telling you, its a world of a difference. I mean, you tell them how much money you want to spend, what you got for a moped, what you have problem wise that needs to be fixed.
Im telling you, these guys are awesome.
that sounds good. So are they average on the prices and everything? does it take very long to get the stuff sence its from HI?
Polini's are very good bore kits. A 72cc "polini Corsa" gives better better performance then some 80cc kits just because the amazing porting. But if money is an issue you could go with different bore kit. Not always as good, but some of them are good.
well, for this im gonna go for the Corsa kit. this is what im seeing:
CLICK THIS EBAY LINK
*edited for easier thread viewing -burnt_toast

and im gonna assume that the VTcycle is selling the exact same kit?
Gears,
Stock bike - 12.6 or something like that.
a weak 72cc - 8.44:1 is good
a good 72cc set up -7:1 is good.
more then 72cc - it all depends. stokers go as low as 5:1
so with the polini corsa ide want about 7:1?
Good pick up yes, speeds 65-70mph. I know some people say 75mph but its all in turning.
WHOA. i dont think i need to be going 70 mph haha. They can go that fast and still be safe on the engine? what RPM's does it see at 75 mph? or should i ask what rpm are these motors safely capable of?

i saw an R1 exhaust on ebay a while ago. I think that where i will go?


So right now i am looking at the Polini Corsa kit, 7:1 gears, a new carb and intake, and r1 exhaust. Does that sound do-able for under 600$?

i really appreciate your responses.
User avatar
burnt_toast
Veteran OG
Veteran OG
Posts: 3469
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

Post by burnt_toast »

Check out my ministroked Corsa build thread, should answer some q's and give you an idea:

http://www.hondaspree.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4807

As far as modding, in my personal opinion the dio style Elite is the BEST platform. Not in overall performance, since full race jog is faster, but for overall pleasure and ease of modding you can't beat the Elite50 94+.

Weak parts would be worn bearings, and broken plastic tabs here and there, pretty solid platform otherwise.

Here's some good general info about 2strokes, just light reading, trust me it'll be good to at least know this before you start upgrading:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/two-stroke.htm/printable
http://blizzard.rwic.und.edu/~nordlie/moped/repair.html

$500 budget won't be enough to do a complete quality build, but possible if you go with some cheaper Taiwan parts and find the good deals. GL

73.8mph GPS is my personal best so far, I'm sure with more weight in vari my setup is good for close to 80mph but I like my midrange and even 60+mph is plenty for my riding. :)
projects galore :nerd:
User avatar
Dac
Veteran OG
Veteran OG
Posts: 3340
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 5:58 pm
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Contact:

Post by Dac »

So right now i am looking at the Polini Corsa kit, 7:1 gears, a new carb and intake, and r1 exhaust. Does that sound do-able for under 600$?
Polini Corsa bore kit - $250
7:1 gears- $45
carb kit- $150 to 200 pending on where you get stuff.
tail pipe- $125
(other tuning stuff)
Center spring-$15
jets for the carb- $?
spark plug -$3

So for a Corsa kit your looking like 600 or so. Not including shipping or anything.

i personally say call up and talk to VT. I email steve a long time ago about getting a big package. He put together an amazing deal. It was everything to build a great 72cc bike for like $520. it came with like 50$ in freebies. It was not a corsa, it was a Malossi. Malossi is just as good as polini. Its just that polini is more well known.
"Its not what you ride, its that you ride"
1996--------Honda Elite S-
1991--------Tomos Targa-
And a Bunch of other bikes.
User avatar
cf_z
Spree
Spree
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:55 pm
Location: NorthEast IN

Post by cf_z »

thanks for the good links.

wo today i got the intire motor/block out of it. I have decided that it would be best to just rebuild the motor as it is now, and be sure everything works right (as i dont know if this motor has even ran in over a few years). And once we get it running i can start ordering the fun stuff. Plus that way i will be able to actually feel each power difference as i put it on the bike.

so the exhaust can be done with no other mods i assume, the Bore Kit and the carburater HAVE to go together? the stock carb cannot suplly enough for the 72cc i will assume. and after all that go to gears? or should the gears be done with the bore?
User avatar
Dac
Veteran OG
Veteran OG
Posts: 3340
Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 5:58 pm
Location: SouthWest Michigan
Contact:

Post by Dac »

what tail pipe you pick out depends on what set up you want to run. Some tail pipes dont do as well as others with a stock bike. But if you get it before the rest of the things, it would not hurt to put it on.

You can run a bore kit without a bigger carb. But i strongly advice not doing so. A bigger carb helps you run proper. stock carb even jetting you will still be a little lean. A bigger carb also helps the motor stay cooler, a stock carb you cant swap the poilt jet so your motor will run to hot.

Heat=enemy.
Heat is bad, lean is bad. you want your bore kit as cold as you can get it. See, you have to break in the bore kits. Breaking it in with a stock carb is murder on the bore. it will not last long.

And gears, They really are the most important. You have to put them in when you put in the bore kit. Without them the bore kit just gives you massive take off. Cool yes, but you would have to break in your bore kit at like 20mph.


Personally, i would just wait and install everything at once. Doing a few parts at a time is ok, but not a great idea.
"Its not what you ride, its that you ride"
1996--------Honda Elite S-
1991--------Tomos Targa-
And a Bunch of other bikes.
User avatar
mopedman
CB900F
CB900F
Posts: 1213
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 1973 10:24 am
Location: sterling Heights MI
Contact:

Post by mopedman »

you can get a R1 for 89.00 on ebay, thats what i just payed for the one i bought
Michigan Moped Mafia founding member
2005 Yamaha Zuma
1985 Honda Spree
1978 Honda Express
Post Reply