1984 spree not running, was told bad bearings

[tbakken4]

Before I part out lend me your REARS . I have a 1984 spree, I rode it everyday for 2 years and it ran really good until about 2 months ago. Essentially I rode it to work one day on the way home it did a weird sputtering out while driving. Sort of like it was reving high or choking out. I got it home, fired it up the next morning pulled out the driveway and the same thing happened, but I did have to walk it home it just would not carry me any further. Could be because I am 270LB rider on a 180lb max ride?

Now I get this issue where it starts, I turn the handle it seems like it wants to run but it will just die. I had a mechanic look at it and he told me it was bad crankshaft bearings and it would be starting at 500 to fix and I said f*** you no way. He then went on to offer me 40 for it but I would rather give it a proper burial than do that. So I had started to part it on another forum but was told to try to fix it first. I can do some simple mechanics but sort of need to be guided through some difficult things.

Thanks everyone!

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Bad bearings would result in a loose crankshaft. Your symptoms sound peripheral. Pull off the plastics and start with the basics. Remove the spark plug and check compression. It's quick, easy, cheap and will prevent you from "adjusting" things that don't need adjustment. Replace that spark plug while you're at it. If compression is good, or even if it's not, replace the air filter element and maybe roast the exhaust if it has some miles on it. That may be all you need to do. If you have to dig into the engine, have a look at the crank end seals for seepage. Yank that crankshaft for side-to-side play and up/down & front/back movement. I'll bet that's fine and your "mechanic" needs to be replaced. That takes us to removing and cleaning the carburetor, which is fussy, a bit messy, but often the problem. Step-by-step instructions for all of this are here and WikiSpreedia.

[noiseguy]

Mechanic was an idiot. You did good. Bad bearings make a very distinct noise when they fail.

[patthesoundguy]

I think you can repair it. There is not that much to these little sprees. And we have enough resources here to get you back on the road. Your spree is worth way more than $40 especially if you can get back to riding it. Follow wise wheelman and his awesome instructions and I feel you will get somewhere. I have had spark plugs fail and cause issues and loose wires on the coil. It could be as simple as having the hose from the air box to the carb come off. Look for the obvious stuff. You might get lucky. Good luck and we are all here when you need us

[tbakken4]

Thank you for all the help everyone. I will pull the sparkplug first and go from there, but How do I check the compression once it is out?

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

1. Screw this in, carefully.
2. Open the throttle - WIDE OPEN.
3. Turn key to On, hold the brake lever (or set the Parking Brake) and depress the Start button.
4. Watch the needle until it stops rising. Read the scale. Something north of 100 or 120 PSI is expected.

[tazland001]

sometimes the carbs come loose from the intake mani. If its sputtering then it could be something as simple as a fouled plug as wheel suggested. I have seen bikes idle fine with a foul plug but as soon as you give it gas the bike will sputter and die.

Taz

[tbakken4]

I took the spark plug out. It was totally fouled. I put the new one in and turned the key to fire it up. It tried, however it just did not kick over. Any more ideas?

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

There are a bunch more ideas 7 posts up. Have you done any of them?