Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

I just purchased an 85 honda spree off of craigslist. When I bought it yesterday it started right up - it has low milage and has been fairly well maintained - but several hours later when it was sitting in my garage it won't start. It just makes a squeal/whiny noise every time I try to get it going.

I understand that this isn't a new question, but I know VERY little about scooters (ie. what parts do what). I've been looking at posts that cite similar problems but I feel like I'm reading another language.

This wasn't supposed to be a project scoot. Luckily, I got a good price on it, but I'm a college student and I simply don't have several hundred dollars to invest in this thing right now. I just really need to get this little guy running. If someone can tell me, in less technical language, what I should do to figure out what exactly is causing the problem, I'd be extremely grateful.

Thanks!
Sandie

A squeely/whiny noise how? Like from the electric start? Did you try to kick start it? What happens when you kick start it? Does it just turn over?

A whiny noise from the electric start. There isn't a rumbly engine sound, just a high pitched whine.
It doesn't have a kick start.

Hook the battery up to some jumper cables and see if it starts.

(Hook the other end of the cables to another battery, like in a car)

the blinkers and break lights still work - could it still be a battery problem?

Greetings:

Is the sound like that of an electric motor dipped in crack cocaine?

Or is it more like "Honey, I'm begging you, put the seat back down."

Get an 8mm wrench or socket. Look at the left side of your engine assembly. Take off all the bolts holding the long cover with the rounded ends. Pray that the gasket isn't gripping like super glue. Take off the cover. You may see your problem.

It sounds to me like the bendix gear is not moving all the way out away from the starter and engaging with the flywheel like its supposed to.

I have seen times where the bendix gets dirty and that is the result. Maybe you can take the bendix out of it and oil it up.


Being that it is a Spree and I have never really worked on one I will let someone else chime in. To check the bendix and the flywheel you will need to pull the side cover off the motor. Its the same cover that your belt is under, or the left side when sitting on the scoot.

It is not hard to remove the cover and check things out. I would probably write more on it but I just got a call from work and I need to go in early. I got 37 hours in since Sunday and have to work the rest of the week but they said if I came in then they would give me Saturday off! I am scheduled to be off on Sunday too so that means that I will get the weekend off!

I know that doesnt seem huge but its been over 4 years since I had a weekend off.

So I am going to let somebody else chime in as I got to get to work.

scooternewby wrote:A squeely/whiny noise how? Like from the electric start? Did you try to kick start it? What happens when you kick start it? Does it just turn over?

'85 Spree = no kick starter.

Thanks for all of your replies. I'm gonna jump the battery tonight and I'm going to try to take off the panel tomorrow so that I can see what's going on - hopefully I'll be able to figure out which part is which :/

It's really strange because it literally started right away yesterday afternoon (just before I bought it) without any weird noises or anything. It only has about 580 miles on it and it's been garaged, so it can't be that messed up right? I had to drive it about 20 miles home in the back of the car, but I made sure that it was completely vertical, so I don't think anything got damaged in transit...

I'm pretty sure the battery is old as s***, so I need to replace it anyway - is this something I could feasibly do myself? I called a local motorcycle/scooter repair shop and aside from being very unfriendly they told me that the hourly rate was 85$, which is way out of my price range.

As of right now I'm pretty discouraged; I've been saving up for months to buy a scooter and I really don't have the money to get it fixed but I don't have the knowledge to fix it myself. :C

Changing the battery is a piece of cake. Raise the seat and there's the battery. Phillips screw driver or small metric wrench, disconnect the negative (Black one) and then the positive (red one). Remove the battery and go get one so they will take the old one off your hands. Reinstall after charging over night.

Would a bad battery make it whine and squeal like that?

KillinSpree wrote:Would a bad battery make it whine and squeal like that?

I believe having a weak/low battery would!?

I know its kinda dumb, but did you try to fully press the left side brake lever in all the way when trying to start it? You need to do that for the Spree to start.

I really don't think that the battery will cause it to make a whining noice. If your battery is dead the you will hear nothing at all

bradthreee wrote:I know its kinda dumb, but did you try to fully press the left side brake lever in all the way when trying to start it? You need to do that for the Spree to start.

I really don't think that the battery will cause it to make a whining noice. If your battery is dead the you will hear nothing at all

As long as the brake light is on, and either brake lever will do that, the starter should crank. The left (rear) lever however does have a locking device so you don't have to hold it while cranking. It could cause a whinny noise if the motor does not turn fast enough to engage the bendix.

I had the same issue with my 85 Spree. It was the battery. I had a relatively new battery but it had lost its charge.

The noise was coming from the starter gear (bendix) simply not having enough juice to turn the engine.

I just Jumped it off and let it run for a while, a good trickle charge should fix you right up