A bit over a month ago, on another forum, a semi local guy that is well known posted up a bike for a friend.. It was something I'd desired for a long time, and although it's 18 years old, it only had 1800 miles on it..

So, now I'm an owner of a....

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h276/djpagel/Scooter/badge.jpg

Yeah, they're ugly, but they're stupid fun..

The original tires were great, but they were 18 years old, so I changed them out to the current standard of Helix riders, (Bridgestone) and while I was at it, I ordered a rear rack and top box for extra storage..

The only snag was that the original owner bought the scooter before she was married, and it had to be changed to her married name before she could sell it to me. That took 3 weeks for the state of IL to digest..

Well, after getting the title fixed by the original owner I picked it up this week.. I changed tires with Double A's assistance (ok, he drank beer and watched:)) and last night I installed the rear rack and top box..

I'm ready for touring!!!:bike:

Photo before top box and rack.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h276/djpagel/Scooter/work2.jpg

Finished product

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h276/djpagel/Scooter/done.jpg

And a use for something I had laying around..

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h276/djpagel/Scooter/plate.jpg

I'm planning on doing some touring with the little sucker, and will post some photos as the trips come along..

Uh oh... Does this mean your getting rid of the GS? :stickpoke: Jk, The Helix looks like a blast! I love scooters and if ever one comes up for a decent price in my neck of the woods I'm gonna scoop it! :)

There are 2 things you do not want your friends to see you ride…. And that is one of them!

I have always wanted one of those. I like scooters and that is the king. :35a:

Nice. I had never seen one of these before. Looks like the Pacific Coast's little cousin.

The first time you posted a photo of this thing, I was thinking, "Man, that reminds me of something I've seen before: I just can't remember what it is!"

Finally figured it out: these Spra-Coupes are kind of outdated, but there are still a few of them around here. Must be that front end......

Enjoy your new ride! My favorite feature? Those "handlebars."

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/planalp/SpraCoupe.jpg

There are 2 things you do not want your friends to see you ride…. And that is one of them!

And I'll be going on a breakfast ride tomorrow with a bunch of friends, and I'm riding the Helix... :)

Odd that you brought up the Spray Coupe.. I used to drive one around on occasion.. The Feed/Fertilizer store I used to work at as a kid had a couple of them..

We always called em' Spray Poops..:character00271:

Hard to believe it's 18 years old. It's obviously been well cared-for. I think it's a cool and unusual ride. Is that seat as plush and comfortable as it looks? What function do the "vents" on the front serve? Do they allow air in to the rider? What's behind them in all that fairing/space around the forks?

Hard to believe it's 18 years old. It's obviously been well cared-for. I think it's a cool and unusual ride. Is that seat as plush and comfortable as it looks? What function do the "vents" on the front serve? Do they allow air in to the rider? What's behind them in all that fairing/space around the forks?

The seat is amazing.. I rode up to Double A's place to change tires and he sat on it, and then grumbled that the seat is more comfortable that any seat on any bike in the garage...

The radiator is in the front, and the vents duct air to it.. It's then channeled around.. The fairing does an amazing job of protection.. It's why I was mentioning to Sleddog that it's basically a smaller version of his GoldWing. :)

Yeah, it's been well cared for.. The lady bought it in 1994, but she was having issues with her balance and quit riding it.. So it's been resting quietly under it's cover in a garage, off and on.. The last time it was registered for the road was 2003..
It's got a healthy scratch on the left rear pannel, in back when a ladder was dropped and scratched it, but other than that, it's great..

The tires looked great, but since they were 18 years old I changed them out for new..

Basically, it's just plain stupid fun..:)

Basically, it's just plain stupid fun..:)

And, obviously quite capable.

In 1995, Ed Otto rode one of these things 9,361 miles in 11 days during the International Iron Butt Rally.

It was Ed's ride in 1995 that got me interested in them in the first place.. They've always been out of my price range, though.. They still go for good money for the later year models.. (which haven't been changed) and they're still making the same model, but it's not sold in the States anymore..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CN250

I was asked just the other day, is there a trike or sidecar kit for them? Any One!

They make a bunch of "higher powered scooters" now. I think they are around 800cc's or so.
Some of my group have them. ( Older guys that are not as comfortable on bigger bikes, but still want to keep up with the Wings etc. )

When I get to old to ride my Wing, I'd consider one, for now, I'll ride my Honda NX250's. ( Honest 80 + MPG on road )
High 70's if doing off road stuff, and I can turn it around on a narrow abandoned road with out getting off.
( I do the , back-up, go-ahead, back-up, go-ahead routine to make the reverse.)
Try that on one of these newer dual purpose bikes.

Why would you want an old ugly SCOOTER like that? Now you have to get some flip-flops and sunglasses for protection. LOL j/k For some reason I keep wanting a stupid little scoot as well. I've ridden all the different 50, 150, 250 chinese scoots and they were cool. The protection and tunes from the 250 was nice. I thought if I could get a 250 for <$1500 it'd be fun to have around then my wife could ride it and I could cruise on the KLR.
What cc is that Honda?

What cc is that Honda?
All the Helix's are 250's..

The CVT transmissions are cool! I bought a small ATV for my son and it has a CVT drive on it, I love riding it! Er, ahem, I mean testing it for proper controls operation... Yeah, that's it, testing! :D I'm guessing with 250cc it has no problem doing the highway speed limit? A fellow on another forum I'm on has an old 150 Elite and I think he said it will top around 65 mph. I wouldn't mind a 50cc one just for bopping around town! (though my town is very small!)

I'm sure your friend's 150 Elite tops out at 65, but the issue is what will it maintain?? :)
I also have a Chinese 150 "Touring scooter" and it'll top out at 65, and will maintain a bit over 55 on the flats, but if there's a hill or a headwind, you're going to be doing 45, and you've become a traffic obstruction..

That's why I bought the Helix.. Top speed (officially) is 72, (I've seen 74 on mine) but in the hills or into stiff headwinds, it'll maintain 60mph all day long..

I hate being a traffic obstruction.. It's a safety issue.. When there's something going slower than traffic speeds, someone's got to pass it, and to do so requires going partially into the oncoming lane, and if someone's in that lane already, there's a problem..

Same reason I don't like bike riders on the roads that don't have bike lanes, but I digress.. (on top of the fact they don't feel any traffic rules apply to them, but they should receive all the respect on the road)...

Anyway.. Years ago I had a Honda Spree and rode that to work every day.. I got 70ish mpg with it, and had a blast with it for a couple years.. I changed jobs and couldn't ride it to the new location, so I sold it to my sister for their family to use.. Still being ridden today.

Anyone seen one of these in person? Kinda cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpSK3M6YdR4&feature=related

250 scoot that looks somewhat like a bike

1967 CD125A.... not imported to North America

A true barn find.....

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq184/BackRoader/2278df9_20.jpg

The after picture.... the exhaust system was replaced, the gas tank was cleaned, tires replaced, carb cleaned and a new battery.

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq184/BackRoader/SDC12344.jpg

Beautiful!! Looks absolutely perfect!
It could easily have a stand at Barber museum tomorrow!!

Beautiful!! Looks absolutely perfect!
It could easily have a stand at Barber museum tomorrow!!

So, now I'm an owner of a....

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h276/djpagel/Scooter/badge.jpg

Yeah, they're ugly, but they're stupid fun..

Nice find. Goin turbo-charger or nitrous? :stickpoke:

Woah, that Honda is awesome! And this coming from a guy with an awesome old Honda!

As I have said before. For years I had a Kymco People 150. Big wheels. Accelerated like hell. Topped at about 65. 80 mpg. Lot's of storage and a curry hook. Looked cool. Sold it for as much as I paid. If I could add another vehicle to the stable, that would be it. Scooters are fun as hell, easy to maintain, and just freaking cool. :28:

I like the license plate holder, but there's no way you can get that thing fast enough to take out a car.

Do you know anything about the chinese 250 scoots? I see one for sale for less than 1k and thought about checking it out.

I've only seen continuous claims that they're junk. I think they're lesser quality, but if they run, they can always be maintained.

I dunno without seeing..

It's tempting, I might have to check it out.
How would a 6'3 200lb dude do on a 250 scoot?
It'd be cool if I could get my wife to ride again.

I'm 6' and 250 and I'm concerned about getting a speeding ticket on the Helix.. It's very easy to ride at 65 all the time..

Does it wheelie? :)
What's the mpg? 60-70?

It's not possible to wheelie CVT driven vehicles with such low horsepower. The pulleys would have to be changed to engage at a higher horsepower output, and the Helix has a longer wheelbase than a GoldWing, so it'd be tough to get the front end off the ground with twice the power.


I get an easy 65mpg, pretty much all the time..

My Dad was a BIG Scooter fan. I learned to ride on an old 60's Cushman Highlander. Then one Summer Dad went TDY to Europe and came home with a Vespa stashed somewhere in his plane. The race was on then. At one time he had 15 scooters of different makes and models.

He suffered a stroke in 2000 and he swore he was going to walk out of the Hospital and buy himself a Helix and go for a ride around the Country.
If he had I would have taken my bike and ridden with him.

My Younger Brother and I tore up his 150 cc Lambretta while he was flying from Formosa into Vietnam in 1967-68. So after Mom died I found one a guy had for sale and was going to buy it, restore it and give it to Dad as a present to make up for destroying his years ago. Sadly Dad did not leave the Hospital to live his Helix Dream.

Helix's and Scooters have always had a place in my heart.
I'd ride one! That would be great to go visit my Grandkids on. They get a kick out of my KLR, so a Helix would be cooler because their Mom would let them ride it with me.

That one is perfect. Happy Trails!

My other bike is a 600cc Honda Silverwing scooter
a good bit faster then the KLR, particularly strong between 50 and 90 mph
narrow, great trunk.
fuel mileage goes as low as 38 the highest being 54 and average at 49 MPG
lousy brakes and suspension and very few performance mods available.
belt drive is high price and high maintenance

Honda has a new scooter coming soon with a 6 speed electronic shifting tranny using a double clutch (first introduced in F1 cars)
high on my list of "next bike"

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/695/11385/Motorcycle-Article/2012-Honda-Integra-First-Look.aspx

BMW is also coming out with 2 scooters ... no details yet on the drive ... if it is a CVT belt, no way I'll buy in. Otherwise looks nice.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/789/11505/Motorcycle-Article/BMW-C-600-Sport-and-C-650-GT-Unveiled-.aspx

Curtis--have to admit, the mention of your Dad/his desires/dreams/the trip that maybe could have been.... I find more interesting than the bikes right now-(thread-jacking)... am not trying to be morbid but it should be a lesson to all you dads/moms/grandparents/uncles,etc. DO THE TRIP. DON'T WAIT!!!!!
:t1204:

Mark

Curtis--have to admit, the mention of your Dad/his desires/dreams/the trip that maybe could have been.... I find more interesting than the bikes right now-(thread-jacking)... am not trying to ibe morbid but it should be a lesson to all you dads/moms/grandparents/uncles,etc. DO THE TRIP. DON'T WAIT!!!!!
:t1204:

Mark

Thanks Mark. My Dad was a unique Man. A Veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam . His job was to keep the Bombers flying. He was a great mechanic, and taught my brothers and I to rely on ourselves when it comes to mechanical things. His method was to tell us, let us try and fix it, then lean in and tell us what we did wrong. Then stand back and let us figure out how to undo our mistake.

Dad's love for scooters began in WWII when he and his best friend "Slick" won a Cushman Scooter in a poker game from some 101 St. Airborne guys after Operation Market Garden. They added another seat to the thing and buzzed all over England and then somehow packed it away in their tool boxes when they moved up to Belgium with their Squadron. I have no recollection of never at time we didn't have at least one scooter at our house from my earliest memories.

He got into Vespas and Lambrettas when he discovered he could ride them in his dress uniform and not get dirty. He even built us kids a Cushman with a side car to ride to school and throw morning newspapers off of. We lived on Base so there was no getting lost or getting too far from home.

Scooters have always been in the family and my Mom got a lot of gray hair from all of her boys riding them everywhere.

Now to tie this all back into the topic.

Sometimes being the fastest and loudest on two wheels is not always what builds memories.
I rode with both of my kids from the time they were big enough to hang on.
I credit my kids self confidence from the fact that they learned to do something fun and challenging early in life and we built a lot of memories together just putting around town. One of our biggest traditions when they were young was to get up early on Saturday mornings and take one of my small bikes or scooters to get donuts and chocolate milk then mosey over to the local private airport and watch the little planes take off and land. A tradition I still do with my Grand kids from time to time. My daughter now 33 still talks of those days and has given me permission to take her son with me once he gets big enough. He's only 15 months old now, but already loves motorcycles. I hope to have another scooter like the Helix or Peoples 150 by the time he's three. The Grand Daughters have other things that concern them. Which is sad because their Dad (my son) and Mom both rode when they were young. My son and his girlfriend (now wife) have many trips under our belts on motorcycles

Scooters build great family memories. Don't believe me just take one with you when you take your kids camping and see what the hit of the day is.

You are absolutely right, Do the trip now, don't wait!

Thanks for some more of the story... Man, we are so fortunate-those of us who had dads that did motorcycling or ANYTHING with us. And it is never too late..don't spend time preach'in politics-instead do whatever y'all can to do that ride with a younger kid-I know I,and they, never forget it!!

Hey Paper-mailed yer package!

Mark

Curtis, I loved my Kymco.

Great story. And I agree. And I think 'the trip' can be almost anything. I remember stuff I did with my Dad that he has no recollection of. It wasn't a big deal to him, but he was happy and paying attention to me, and I REMEMBER. I try to keep that in mind with my daughter. She drags her Kawasaki trike over to me all the time with my keys (granted, I have a lot of tools on my keys) and we 'work' on the bike.

The other night I was half paying attention and she kept saying 'there's a dead bee in there' (she's three). I kept saying, 'well, guess you better get it out'. Then she takes my flashlight and holds it over the front fork and starts making a whooshing sound. BAM. Months and months ago, she hung out with me and her uncle when we changed the spark plug on my KLR. There was a dead bee in there. We shop-vacced it out. Now, I told my brother in law about this. Neither of us would have ever remembered the bee. I sure as hell do now. And I started paying attention to working on the tricycle REAL damn quick.

Paper.
Still in the Land of Lincoln, I see. I sympathize your need to
to clutter your garage with bikes. I picked up a 86 BMW R80.RT last
month for 2 grand in Iowa. Not running, of course, but it wouldn't be
an addiction if everyone did it.

That's a truly great tale and philosophy, Curtis in TX. Thanks for sharing it with us.

The last 2-wheeled machine she was on was an old Tote Goat when she was a kid, but after I got her a 49-cc Chinese scooter (to ride to work when it's nice and just play on) and she ran it up and down the street a few times, I think my wife understands why I like to ride so much.

Her sister takes some great, long trips with her Harley-rider boyfriend. I think my wife was jealous of her, but after a recent visit from said sister and after the wife had tooled around the neighborhood on the scooter, she asked me, "Why would you want to just ride on the back?"

I didn't have an answer for her because I don't understand it myself.