'89 Elite E won't start without starting fluid

[sawah]

Hi all! Sorry for the long post, but trying to give as much detail as possible.

Last summer I came into possession of my cousin's 1989 Honda Elite E (SB50P). It had been sitting in our grandparent's barn for probably the last 10-15 years, but I do have childhood memories of riding it around not long before that.

Since bringing it home, I have been slowly working on restoring it. It was in pretty rough shape (it has some broken plastics and racing stickers, lol) but I've cleaned it up and replaced a few things, and actually managed to get it running! Sort of.

Here is what I have done so far:

- New battery
- Replaced the carburetor. I know original is best, but it cracked so I had no choice.
- Replaced the petcock
- Drained the gas tank (no visible rust/debris) and replaced with ethanol-free
- Replaced the air filter since it was disintegrating
- Tested the spark plug, and it does have a spark
- Tested the vacuum and fuel hoses, and they are clear and seem to be working properly

What's going on:

I can't get it to start normally. When I try using the electric start, it cranks (sorry if I'm using the wrong terminology here) but doesn't get that wants-to-start chugging noise. No luck with the kickstart either.

So, next I went ahead and tried to get it going with some carb cleaner sprayed inside the hole that connects to the air box. Lo and behold, that did get it going! I was able to ride it around the block and everything. The problem is, it seemed to be idling really high, and was super loud (the engine, not the exhaust). I'm no expert but I think it was probably too loud even if it didn't have the plastics on.

Now this was a while ago but if I remember correctly, when I turned it off after that ride, I was able to start it again immediately with the electric start. A few days later, it's back to not starting.

What could be wrong but I am not sure about:

- I'm assuming since it was able to get going with starter fluid, that spark/compression/fuel is mostly okay. When I crank it for a few bursts and then open up the carb drain screw, gas does leak out. I don't have a compression tester but could get one if I need to.
- I'm wondering if there could be a problem with the throttle cable. It's possible I messed something up when installing the new carb, and everything on the handlebars seems a little wonky (not sure if anything needs to be tightened or loosened). When I rode around the block I felt like the throttle didn't turn as much or have as much power as I expected, so that might be related.
- Since it was idling so high, could there be an air leak somewhere? I tried adjusting the screws on the carb according to the manual, but it didn't seem to change much of anything. How and where should I check for air leaks?

Thanks in advance for any advice!! I can upload pictures if necessary.

[Meatball]

I question the new carb. The “replacement” carbs can cause many issues….a lot are just poor quality. Adjusting the screws and getting no change is a red flag. Also, setting the screws to what the manual says for an OEM carb is useless since youre dealing with a random carb now…likely needs different settings.

High idle could be air leak from 100 different places. Every connection should be checked on a scoot sitting 10yrs, even if its a spot you haven't messed with. Also take the airbox tube off the carb and look at the barrel to see if its fully seated down with no throttle.