revivied an '85 spree, performance question

[broped]

hello all,
I recently picked up an '85 spree for $75 with no spark. great condition, plastics are in great shape, no rust and only 700 miles. $40 in parts later, i replaced the cdi, and stator (someone had put bolts that were too long and it had ripped through the coils ).
anyway, three carb cleanings later, it now starts, runs and idles. i've got two questions: first, the bike has no power at low speed, the engine isn't bogging, it just sounds like its slipping against the clutch. i either have to help it along with my feet or get started on a bit of a downhill stretch. it also just slows to 5 mph on really steep hils. on i've checked the variator, and it seems to be working correctly, the belt is at the top of the pulley starting out, and the plate does variate. i can hear the pulley spinning at a slower speed when i'm riding uphill, it goes up moderate hills at 20. also, the bikes top speed is 25 on flat, is this all i should expect? i'm about 160lbs. any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
colin

also, just wanted to say that this site has been super helpful in getting it going. i downloaded the manual and have been lurking around this forum. thanks to all for providing a great resource!

[hondaman]

At 160 lbs you should be able to do 30mph on the flats. I would make sure your air filter is clean. It sounds as though you may have a clutch problem or belt problem. You should not have to help it along to get going as light as you are.

[broped]

i pulled the pipe off today, and now it's got plenty of power. 20 up steep hills, 30 on flat, 35 downhill. this seems about right.

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Broped posted:

i pulled the pipe off today, and now it's got plenty of power

Are you saying you're running pipeless? If so:

1: Insert earplugs. The hearing damage you're likely to incur will be permanent otherwise.
2: Open access to Oxygen at the exhaust port will expose your piston to damage very quickly. Even a 6" headpipe is better than nothing.
3: Hope your neighbors are an understanding lot.

[broped]

its not completely pipeless, i just pulled it about an 1/8th of an inch away from the manifold. i tried blowing through the pipe and it's almost completely blocked. no oil leaks out when i tip it up and there aren't heavy carbon deposits... i'm going to head off to the garage and see if i can free it up at all with compressed air.

[hondaman]

I have had this discussion before but will say it again. At 700 miles your exhaust is blocked already? You better make sure you are running the correct 2 stroke injector oil in there. Unless someone has turned back the speedometer, something has built a nest inside, or the speedometer just doesn't work, that is very little milage for the exhaust to be blocked up. If you are running the wrong type of oil in there than I can see how it would be full of gunk and carbon deposits. It is best to get rid of what is in the oil reservoir and replace it with the correct oil.

[broped]

i blew compressed air through it yesterday, and a bunch of chips of exhaust packing blew out. there is very little carbonization at the top of the pipe. is it common for the packing to disintegrate on these pipes? kinda of a pain, since the whole pipe is just one piece...

[bradthreee]

I agree with Hondaman. The proper oil is critical to these 2 strokes. Honda GN2 is good for the smallest amount of carbon build-up. Its a good idea to drain and refill the oil tank if you havent already done so. Replacing the air filter is also a good investment.

Also read up on Seafoam fuel additive which is great for removing heavy carbon deposits from engine and carb.

As for the exhaust the are 2 methods for cleaning DIY style. First is the chemical method then second is the burning method. You can read about both in the tech docs.