Honda Aero 50 1986 Restoration in the Philippines

[honda.tact.guy]

I live in the Philippines. I am not into motorcycles. I grew up into thinking that going more than 40mph on a 2-wheeler is dangerous and anything bigger than a 50cc moped could be deadly. So I am more into cars but I badly wanted an 80's Honda Tact scooter (or Aero or Vision in the US) to restore ever since I tried to toy my cousin's 1984 Honda Tact Fullmark. They say these models are simply indestructible. I thought they look really cool. The closest I can get to a Vespa or Lambretta which are so so expensive in my location. I am picky on things and I want an all stock, all working and complete unit down to the last nut and bolt, never mind the price. There was none of that state in my place but I was able to find one from Bulacan province through the web. Bulacan is about 250 miles away from my place. A complete and stock 1986 50cc Honda Tact (Aero 50 and Vision in the US).



I arranged the shipping with the seller. Since the scooter did not have an active license, we decided to take everything apart, put them in boxes and have them shipped through buses bound to my place. I was lucky we were able to pull it out and get away with it despite almost 3 months of endless waiting and hassles along the way. After almost 12 weeks all four boxes were delivered to me. I finally have a complete Honda Tact that is up to my taste, on an epic journey all the way from 250 miles away!



So I started with the thorough cleaning of the parts. A large can of Simple Green was nearly not enough! I painted the frames and other metal parts with automotive-grade epoxy primer then coarse silver gray for a cleaner look of the underparts. Then started with the assembly.



Don't you love that classic trailing link (Vespa-like) front suspension?

I have decided to assemble everything to make sure no significant part is missing and that the engine and every other component is working as they should. Then disassemble everything again to proceed with the body restoration process after making sure what I bought was something I really wanted to keep. So far, I am very satisfied. The engine purrs like a cat as if the odo says four zeros. No re-bore was done on the block. This is the closest to stock I could get. Even the bolts paint done on factory can still be seen. It is already a head turner despite the crappy flat paint that came with it.

Here it is.



Be warned. Aero scooter parts and pieces are pretty rare in my country. And finding a proper mechanic is a pain in the a*s! Here you have to do things on an Aero the "handyman" way. Which is exactly what I plan to do. Here all you see are a lot of Honda 50cc Dio's which are as common as dogs and I couldn't care less

The papers say the body color is Shasta White, I don't know how white that is. I plan to give it a classy Pearl White/Golden Brown combination as if it were a Vespa . Will keep posting as I proceed. Bear with me

[uk-visionsa50]

for this model its aero in the us and vision in europe and uk i think, i have pretty much the same one in white and its called the vision here in the uk.ill keep watching this one

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Very sanitary start! I have a carbon-reinforced, repaired and primed front fender if you don't feel like fixing yours.

[honda.tact.guy]

Greetings:

Very sanitary start! I have a carbon-reinforced, repaired and primed front fender if you don't feel like fixing yours.

Thank you sir but my front fender is quite perfect and needs no fixing or replacement I am more concerned on (properly) painting the whole fairings to amplify the lines and return the thing to its former glory.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Sorry I mistook the scratch on the left leading edge for a crack. On closer inspection it looks like paint will fix it.
Good luck with the restoration. We appreciate the pics.

[honda.tact.guy]

Greetings:

Sorry I mistook the scratch on the left leading edge for a crack. On closer inspection it looks like paint will fix it.
Good luck with the restoration. We appreciate the pics.

Thank you Wheelman-111 Sir.

[honda.tact.guy]

Ok. So I opened the cylinder head to check for carbon buildup. Discovered there are three gaskets installed separating the cylinder from the cylinder head. I don't get it. Should there be just one? These may be used as spacer so the piston does not hit the plug but upon closer inspection, one gasket provides enough clearance for the piston and spark plug.

Will it be better to install just one gasket than all those three? Is a closer plug to piston better than otherwise? Sorry, a newbie.

Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

[uk-visionsa50]

Ok. So I opened the cylinder head to check for carbon buildup. Discovered there are three gaskets installed separating the cylinder from the cylinder head. I don't get it. Should there be just one? These may be used as spacer so the piston does not hit the plug but upon closer inspection, one gasket provides enough clearance for the piston and spark plug.

Will it be better to install just one gasket than all those three? Is a closer plug to piston better than otherwise? Sorry, a newbie.

Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

personally id keep the three in there because it could have something to do with lowering compression, one of the more experienced guys would be better answering this to be honest, my scoot i think is the same as yours if the engine ran id keep it that way but its all to personal preference, mine has three on, two paper gaskets one metal gasket and it runs fine that way.

[honda.tact.guy]

Ok. So I opened the cylinder head to check for carbon buildup. Discovered there are three gaskets installed separating the cylinder from the cylinder head. I don't get it. Should there be just one? These may be used as spacer so the piston does not hit the plug but upon closer inspection, one gasket provides enough clearance for the piston and spark plug.

Will it be better to install just one gasket than all those three? Is a closer plug to piston better than otherwise? Sorry, a newbie.

Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

personally id keep the three in there because it could have something to do with lowering compression, one of the more experienced guys would be better answering this to be honest, my scoot i think is the same as yours if the engine ran id keep it that way but its all to personal preference, mine has three on, two paper gaskets one metal gasket and it runs fine that way.

Good to know I am not alone there The more reason I should leave it alone like that.

[honda.tact.guy]

Have covered almost 200 kilometers with the scooter so far. I noticed an eerie, somewhat vibrating noise from the engine on low revs when engine is particularly warmed up. I guess I may have to replace the main bearings too very soon.

[uk-visionsa50]

Have covered almost 200 kilometers with the scooter so far. I noticed an eerie, somewhat vibrating noise from the engine on low revs when engine is particularly warmed up. I guess I may have to replace the main bearings too very soon.

check the centerstand incase its vibrating, very unlikely but on idle and low revs my centrestand would vibrate like mad. just an idea is all.

[honda.tact.guy]

Have covered almost 200 kilometers with the scooter so far. I noticed an eerie, somewhat vibrating noise from the engine on low revs when engine is particularly warmed up. I guess I may have to replace the main bearings too very soon.

check the centerstand incase its vibrating, very unlikely but on idle and low revs my centrestand would vibrate like mad. just an idea is all.

thank you sir. but mine does not have the center stand installed. and the vibration appears only when engine has been running for quite some time. i seriously think its the main bearings. though all inputs are highly appreciated, thank you all.

one thing that is really notable with this bike is how quiet the engine is, may it be on high speeds or on idle. it really is just like a purring cat and i just love it so this engine noise at certain rpm and temperature is unsettling.

[Dio89Elite]

if you're paint job is handled the way you've put it back together, with meticulous care and attention to detail, the outcome will be a beauty! Thanks for sharing the pics that you've already posted.

Hopefully you'll be able to pinpoint the source of that noise and get it taken care of.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings;

If it's just a sound, it may be some item of sheetmetal vibrating in harmony with the RPM. I had a really loud buzz from a metal shroud on my first Aero build one time, drove me crazy. Also the little oval heat shield on the exhaust is notorious for wearing thin and buzzing. If it feels like the whole engine is vibrating, then yes check the bearings. Should be easy enough to grab the output shaft and check for play.

[uk-visionsa50]

regarding the colour it says on your papers, shasta white, spoke to a friend who does resprays for a living and is going to be respraying my vision, he says that my one is shasta white, just thought id let you know, heres a pic of mine, just a example of what shasta white is...................