Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Just put a new piston/rings in. Cleaned the carb, have good compression, new air filter, cleaned out exhaust port. The bike is hard to start, and needs the throttle to be open 100% after that, you have to feather the throttle to keep it running, has very little power. I'm running no oil pump, with 32:1. I know they really don't run rich, but this really seems to me like it's running rich.

Thoughts?

Greetings:

Check the reeds; just a hunch.

Agreed, check the reeds, and reduce the oil to 40:1. Plug doesn't look rich, it looks saturated. Saturated is very similar in looks to rich and can be confused with rich when looking at the plug.. Rich on a Spree is possible, but not probable. 40:1 is a more ideal ratio. Flip the reeds if they look like they are open a bit or feel weak. Or better yet, buy some new carbon fiber reeds from noiseguy, he sells them cheap enough and they come with new gaskets, which you'll probably want anyways after examining reeds. Find them here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/142928234773

Look like you guys were right, Reeds aren't closing, flipped em around and not much better. Guess i'm buying some reeds.

The back pressure on downstroke closes the reeds. Do you have a pod filter? You must have oem air box and oiled filter in place tightly with no, no air leaking around the connections and plug injector nipple. And plug pump output nipple. You can’t have any, any source of air except for the air box intake. What size main jet is in the carb now? You said “it has good compression”, what was the reading?

Stock airbox with a OEM filter. Everything that needs to be plugged is plugged. I'll check the main jet soon. 115 PSI.

NBraun wrote: ↑Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:21 pm Stock airbox with a OEM filter. Everything that needs to be plugged is plugged. I'll check the main jet soon. 115 PSI.

Thank you. A quick question: is the carburetor oem Honda spree equipment? It sounds like the pilot is clogged or air/fuel mixture screw is out of adjustment. Turn the a/f screw all the way in and try to start. It should be about 1 1/2 to 1 5/8's turns out. If it's an aftermarket carb, try to go back to oem.

Following up on what bones said.. when the motor is running, and you turn the a/f screw in and out, does the engine speed change?

check for a vacuum leak between manifold and carburetor do you have the spacer installed correctly? it only goes one way and has arrow pointing up

Before, when I turned the a/f screw it did not change anything.

I have a bit of an update. Put new reeds in. Cleaned the carb again, and now it's acting different. I can start it and it will idle for a couple seconds then die, wait 15 seconds and i can do it again. Messing with the screws does not seem to help. I can't find any air leaks, and it doesn't run away like most 2 strokes do when they leak. I'm at a total loss.

Best way I have found to clean the carb is using a small crock pot with some pine-sol and oxy-clean. Put about a half cup of oxy-clean, then add enough pine-sol to cover the disassembled carb, mix it up a bit and cook on low overnight. Then spray it out with WD-40, then spray again with compressed air. Should be nice and clean when you reassemble. P.S. Make sure you remove any plastic and rubber components before doing this.

Well, I think i'm just going to call it. Pulled the carb apart again and the bystarter passage was open. Did a compression check and somehow i'm back down at 90 psi. Time for a new motor I think.

This sounds like classic idle jet blockage...