Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

So my buddy sold me his black 1994 Honda Elite (SA50P) for $350 with around 3,000 miles in pretty good condition. His dad claimed that it would run if I only got the "brain" chip of the engine since all other electronics were ran through the multimeter fine and the cylinder had compression.

I bought and installed the chip, hooked the battery up to my dads boat battery with jumpers and have been trying for the past 3 days to get this thing to run and it did run for about 2 minutes the other day for some reason when I cranked it and ran it full throttle (after it had set over night). I cleaned the carb, checked the gas line and vacuum line for flow, changed the spark plug, and changed the gas (in case it had been sitting for too long).

I read through the forums for hours on end for a quick fix. I tried spraying the chamber with WD40 to help it start, and did the 2 tbsp of oil trick, but it didn't seem to help. Anyone have any ideas why it would run at full throttle, but now it won't even start?

Could it be the wire harness or ignition coil shorting out?

I'll throw up some pictures once I put all of the plastic pieces back on it.

Anyway I'm Nick. I just turned 21 and I really want this scooter to work so that I have transportation to school and back when I go to Flagler College in St. Augustine. Hopefully you all can help me avoid paying a mechanic or buying parts I don't need, haha.

To check if you are getting spark pull the plug out and with the plug wire attached ,hold it against the engine and press the electric start button. You should see a nice blue spark . If not then you know your problem is electrical. If you have spark then your carb or other gas related components are at fault.

I cant get my 86 spree started. I checked the spark and my spark was like a whitish orange?!?! what is that about?

Base4life wrote:I cant get my 86 spree started. I checked the spark and my spark was like a whitish orange?!?! what is that about?

make your own thread.

OP: Try holding you hand over the air inlet while cranking it.

hondaman wrote:To check if you are getting spark pull the plug out and with the plug wire attached ,hold it against the engine and press the electric start button. You should see a nice blue spark . If not then you know your problem is electrical. If you have spark then your carb or other gas related components are at fault.

Spark is good. I actually tried kick starting it and it sounded like the engine wanted to start, but just died out.

when you kick start have you cracked the throttle open? mine won't start sometimes unless I open up the throttle.

adark248 wrote:when you kick start have you cracked the throttle open? mine won't start sometimes unless I open up the throttle.

Yeah that's basically the only time it seems to want to run (when it's pinned).

im going to go ahead and guess its the reeds.

when the reeds blow out or get bent, there is a small gap that stops the motor from starting.

take off the air filter, take off the carb, take off the intake, Under all that is the "reed cage" Look really closely for any gap. Any gap, no matter how small it will affect your bike.

It will make it to where it will not start.

(how to test?)
if you have an air compressor, blow air into the carb. as you where blowing air into the carb try starting it, if it runs, then your reeds are shot.

Dac wrote:im going to go ahead and guess its the reeds.

when the reeds blow out or get bent, there is a small gap that stops the motor from starting.

take off the air filter, take off the carb, take off the intake, Under all that is the "reed cage" Look really closely for any gap. Any gap, no matter how small it will affect your bike.

It will make it to where it will not start.

(how to test?)
if you have an air compressor, blow air into the carb. as you where blowing air into the carb try starting it, if it runs, then your reeds are shot.

What do the reeds do? Help direct airflow?

All gas/air goes though them.
See, the air/flew mix goes from the carb, down the intake and though the reeds. Then into the crank case.
When the piston comes down it makes pressure in the crank case. Forcing the mixture up the side vents of the cylinder. prepping the cylinder for the blast.
Its how 2 strokes work.

now, something is needed to stop the mixture from just going back into the carb. That something needed is the reeds. they are little flaps that open to let the flow into the crank case.
Then they close to all the way so the pressure goes into the cylinder and not back into the carb.

any gap at all and the mixture will go back into the carb and not into the cylinder. There for the motor will not run.

nparks wrote:

Dac wrote:im going to go ahead and guess its the reeds.

when the reeds blow out or get bent, there is a small gap that stops the motor from starting.

take off the air filter, take off the carb, take off the intake, Under all that is the "reed cage" Look really closely for any gap. Any gap, no matter how small it will affect your bike.

It will make it to where it will not start.

(how to test?)
if you have an air compressor, blow air into the carb. as you where blowing air into the carb try starting it, if it runs, then your reeds are shot.

What do the reeds do? Help direct airflow?

The reeds are a one-way valve.

So I brought my Elite to a mechanic and they said that the piston has no compression at all. I tore apart the the head and what not and there are small shards of metal inside. Anyway, I plan on getting a bore kit, anyone know the cheapest route to get this thing back in action?

nparks wrote:So I brought my Elite to a mechanic and they said that the piston has no compression at all. I tore apart the the head and what not and there are small shards of metal inside. Anyway, I plan on getting a bore kit, anyone know the cheapest route to get this thing back in action?

Oh and when I got home I noticed that they kept the key and didn't even screw in the air box... So i went back and they gave me a few screws and said "oh.. .well if you plan on installing a bore kit, then you should just bring it back to us because you can't install it yourself... it won't last more than a few miles..."

I was *, because the place is more than 20 miles away... I spent over $20 in gas just going back and forth from there with my jeep (~16mpg ).

Depending on how bad the cylinder is you can can honed .060 over, get a new piston, rings & gaskets for under $100

stillspeeding wrote:Depending on how bad the cylinder is you can can honed .060 over, get a new piston, rings & gaskets for under $100

this is true.

bore kits are awesome but it takes some cash to build one up. (bore kit, carb, trans and tail pipe.)

oh and tell them to screw off, anyone can Install a bore kit. its easy.