(Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

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dumb_scott
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(Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by dumb_scott »

Howdy all,

I recently bought a '84 Honda Aero 80 and am interested in getting into DIY tuning & maintenance. I'm new to engine maintenance and hoping to get a general sense of the basics (e.g., the main components of the engine and what they do, how fuel/oil travels through things, etc).

Are there any kind of intro/crash course resources out there y'all would recommend? I've got the service manual, but anything dumbed a little more than that? Thanks!

:newb:
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motormike
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by motormike »

Hello and welcome Scott... :hi:
It would be nice to know where you are located....and your age.
The world of 2-stroke engines is not a difficult thing to understand.
There is a book written decades ago all about 2-strokes. I'm sorry I don't know the title, but it is
considered the "bible" of 2-strokes.
I assume your Aero 80 is running currently and riding, and you want to keep it that way.
I will say this...I owned an Aero 80 once, and never had it running. I found the cold-start choke system to be a nightmare, but have since learned that it is relatively simple when all components are in good shape. There is a very simple way to bypass the choke system should it become necessary in the future. A former member, Bear 45-70, was the resident expert on Aero 80, but he has moved on. The current guru of Aero 80 is member "Breaze"and he is very willing to help. I hope you find what you need here, and use our resources for help. The "Wikispreedia" is a very good place to find basics as well as specifics...search this board for what you need to know, and post threads when you have questions. Pictures are always appreciated.
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by breaze »

Welcome, lots of general Honda 2 stroke info and reference data on this site. Specific to the NH80, you may run into:
Hesitation, cutting in and out at WOT, especially 83/84 models
Cold start fuel enrichment system - unique choke system that must be sorted
Leaky carb - 40 yr. old petcock and worn carb needle valve seat often lead to leaks
Crank seals usually need replacing - left side requires pulling drive gear...

Let us know where you're at and what you want more info on. I can send you a full write-up on the choke if you're interested...

Good luck
____________________________________
'83 Aero NH80
'87 Elite SE50
'70 CT90
'72 CT90
'73 CT90
'74 CT90
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by dumb_scott »

Thanks motormike and breaze for the responses! I'm Scott, 38 from Seattle.

Mike, you have the Aero of my dreams. I love that blue '85 version with the extra storage compartment.

Here's mine ('84):
Scott and Aero 80 - 2023 Medium.jpeg
Scott and Aero 80 - 2023 Medium.jpeg (120.24 KiB) Viewed 2868 times
____

ORIGIN STORY

I had an Aero 80 back in 2014 (I think it was an '83), and loved it. It was pure joy riding that thing around, and I never had any mechanical issues.
Scott and Aero 80 - 2014 Medium.jpeg
Scott and Aero 80 - 2014 Medium.jpeg (55.02 KiB) Viewed 2868 times
I lived in an apartment in a densely populated area at the time, so I had to leave it sitting out on the street all night. And was stolen, twice. The first time, I found it a mile or so down the road, the plastic body around the ignition had been broken away and presumably it was hot-wired. I brought it back, and then it was stolen again a couple months later.

I moved into a house with a garage last year, and have been thinking about getting another scooter ever since. I was thinking about it last weekend, hit craigslist, and lo and behold found nearly the same Aero in pretty nice condition. I test rode it, got it up to 42mph, all seemed good to go, and bought it.

____

PRESENT DAY SITUATION

I took the Aero out on a ride the following day after purchase, and I got about a mile from home before it sputtered out and died going up a steep hill. And I couldn't start it again, so I had to push it home. Once I got home, I remembered the kick start, and that actually got it running again. I took it to the nearby grocery store and back and nearly got home before it sputtered out and died again. Both times, like you described breaze, this seemed to happen at wide-open-throttle. And since, I've had trouble getting it started and/or keeping it running enough to ride down the block.

The only scooter repair I've done was cleaning the carb on an old Puch moped before bringing it to a repair shop. Now there don't seem to be any shops in town that work on old Aeros, so I am ready to get digging into maintaining it myself.

Thanks for mentioning the wikispreedia, Mike. I hadn't noticed this part of the site, so once I get a chance I'm going to be running through these steps: http://hondaspree.net/wiki/index.php/Ge ... n_the_Road

Breaze, you mentioned the choke system and sounds like that might be part of the problem here too. I've seen a couple videos & posts about it (e.g., this Bear 45-70 post: http://www.hondaspree.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=16059), so I think that'd be another thing to look into. I'd love getting sent that full write-up if you have more info on that.

And, yes, any general tips/resources for getting going that you're willing to share would be super appreciated. I know there's a TON of information here, but it's a little tricky knowing where to get started and there's a lot of parts/terms/lingo to learn.

Also, I'm wondering if the parts needed to keep an Aero running very readily available? I've found a few things on Partzilla (air filter, a missing nut cap), but curious how many parts are realistically replaceable.

Thanks again!
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by 1ManRaid »

Stolen twice in 3 months? If there's nothing to chain it to, you can get a hardened steel chain and padlock and chain it to itself through the wheel so the wheel can't turn.
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by dumb_scott »

Just a follow-up here. I cleaned out the carb and replaced the air filter, and she's running like a dream! Wheee!
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by motormike »

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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by 1ManRaid »

dumb_scott wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:15 pm Just a follow-up here. I cleaned out the carb and replaced the air filter, and she's running like a dream! Wheee!
What carb/jets are you running on it?
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by dumb_scott »

1ManRaid wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:23 am What carb/jets are you running on it?
As far as I know, it's just the original carb & jets.

I don't know if you might be suggesting I should look into aftermarket carb/jets?
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by 1ManRaid »

dumb_scott wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:40 pm
1ManRaid wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:23 am What carb/jets are you running on it?
As far as I know, it's just the original carb & jets.

I don't know if you might be suggesting I should look into aftermarket carb/jets?
No, just wondering what you were running if you were. I got a new carb for my Aero 80 and it came with an oddly small main jet.
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by dumb_scott »

Ah sorry, I know nothing more than the absolute basics about carbs/jets. Good luck!
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by noiseguy »

What's the air filter look like on the bike? The original has to be shot by now. They gum up and get into the carb if you don't replace them.
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Re: (Aero 80) Beginning Maintenance Resources?

Post by dumb_scott »

noiseguy wrote: Thu Mar 30, 2023 12:49 pm What's the air filter look like on the bike? The original has to be shot by now. They gum up and get into the carb if you don't replace them.
I replaced it. There actually was no air filter present, which'd explain the carb needing a proper clean as well.
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