Rear Wheel

[ljustman]

Hello all! I just picked up a 2001 Honda Elite 50, and it seems like I got a generally awesome scooter.

The Elite has some play in the rear wheel though; it seems like it is just a little bit bent.

Before I commit to buying parts, I wanted to make sure I had the right idea... I want to replace the rear wheel. I'm also told I should replace the wheel bearing as well.

What parts do I really want to invest in?

Thank You!

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Knocking out those bearings is a moderately big job. It's a whole lot easier with the engine apart on a bench, so you should determine if it's really necessary first. They don't seem to fail very often, but it depends on mileage and prior abuse. Check for side-to-side bearing movement and up/down slop with the wheel off. See if the plain Alu socket in the tranny cover is scored or out-of-round. The Correct way is to measure runout if you have the setup and dial gauges, but you can get some idea by finger-feelers. Also the seal shouldn't let any - not a trace - of seepage by the axle. If the bearings feel/measure OK and the socket is dry, just pick up a Met rear wheel and bolt it on. If you have high mileage or there's any doubt AND you plan to ride this '01 for a long time, replace the bearing and seal - and maybe the case cover.

[ljustman]

Thanks for the detailed how to. It sounds a little above my technical ability from the sound of it, so I will likely enlist a more motor capable friend to give me a hand and help me learn.

As far as mileage goes, the bike has a little over 2500 on it. I'm not sure how long the wheel's been bent. The guy I picked it up off of said he drove it that way all last summer, and it was like that when he bought it at the start of the season.

Do you mean the wheel from a Metropolitan instead of the one made for the Elite? Will that work? Which model years? Do I Need to change out the front wheel too then?

[Johnniespeed]

Look at the rear wheel hub area, is the rear wheel hub spline loose fitting onto the rear axle shaft spline ?? Or is the rear axle shaft loose in the transmission housing ?? The reason I ask is to determine if this is a super easy fix, or a more involved fix.
I certainly would try a tight fitting wheel hub onto the shaft before tearing down the transmission.
I have found many scooters that just had a worn out wheel spline and a better wheel fixed the issue.
Taking apart the transmission to get at the rear wheel bearing is fairly easy for me, but then again, a project not for a beginner.

[Dio89Elite]

The rear wheel from the Metropolitan is a straight bolt on to your Elite and is probably easier to find. I believe all years will fit. The Elite rim was originally designed to be used with a tube, the Metro rim is tubeless as most new scoots are nowadays. The Metro rear is also a wee bit wider than the original Elite so it'll let you install the 90/90x10 or 3.0x10 tires nicely.

You don't really need to change out the front wheel but you could... I'm unsure of the fitting issues for the front though... I'll let the ones that are more knowledgeable chime in on this.

I'm hopeful that all you need is a new rear rim.