FF Mailing list

NEWSLETTER 2
24 April 1996

Dates to put in your diary:
18 & 19 May: BMF Rally
Sunday 7 July: Club get-together in Dorset 30
August - 1 Sept: Helix 10th Birthday Party in Koblenz Sunday
8 September: Club get-together in NW Midlands

Please let me know at once if you can bring your bike to the BMF Rally; First come, first served for Exhibitors' Passes which let you straight into the ground to our stand. Please say whether you can manage Saturday or Sunday or both. The show times are Saturday 12 noon - 5 p.m. Sunday 9 -5. (Entry with pass from 8 a.m. both days)

The event on 7 July is being arranged by Norman Rake, and the one on 8 September by Alan Patterson: details later.

VOLUNTEERS please step forward.

I started this thing myself in a experimental mood with my letter in Motorcycle Sport. Nil response would have left me undismayed. In fact it has been unbelievably large and enthusiastic and serious and it is time we got a little of the infrastructure of a club set up. I have been accepting money personally "as contributions to expenses." I am grateful for the money I have received (though I can hold my head high and tell you that I am still slightly out of pocket so far). But we must have a non-personal bank account in the club name, two-signature cheques, an income and expenditure report annually to members, and therefore: a Treasurer. (I assume you would all accept my continuing as "President" and being the joint signatory with him or her. A volunteer, please.

I have been doing all the correspondence with both members and with the outside world (Press and Trade). I'd like to split the work and for the present I think the best way is to ask for volunteers for (1) Social Secretary/BMF Liaison to arrange two or three club events a year (twisting the arms of other members around the country to help), seeing they are advertised in the BMF magazine etc; a Newsletter Editor to gather and select items from members and elsewhere (I - Ian - shall be quite happy to deal with actual production if you wish). With volunteers for these three posts I'd be happy to be President for as long as you will have me and to go on with Press and Trade Relations, i.e. being as big a pest as I can until they take us seriously and stop regarding our machines as "just (contemptible by definition) scooters" or as "weird over-priced machines."

FROM OUR READERS

As well as your valued questionnaire replies, I have had the most interesting set of letters. The following are just a few short extracts from reams of correspondence.

from Paul Atherton:
(..suggestions for aims of Club, including exchange of views, getting discounts from dealers,joining the fight for riders' rights, arranging runs and rallies and other social activities) and can t see me wanting to return to a "conventional" motorcycle (bikers) do NOT see the CN as a fully enclosed, feet forward, futuristic, sensible, economical, easy to maintain, cheap to run motorcycle with inbuilt luggage capacity. Oh no, - they see it as, at best, an anachronism, - but more usually as "a bloody scooter!"

from Vernon Cantlay:
While on holiday in Phoenix, Arizona, USA,I bought an exhaust/silencer at a Japanese bike breaker. Cost $75 + tax - about £53. Desert air and no rust.

Meanwhile my own dealer had ordered one at full price, which I paid for. It is available for what it cost me: £263.

from Reuben Grigsby:
My last bike was a BMW KlOORT, which became a bit heavy for me to manhandle.

The BAT (family nickname for the CN) is so user friendly, the fully automatic aspects of the design are amazing, and that boot holds two fully loaded Sainsbury's bags a treat.

from Barry Lang:
I have a genuine workshop manual and could assist with club enquiries over the phone. and he offers the following tips:

1. Machine rattles sometimes when stones are deposited on top of the metal heat shield above the exhaust (due to lack of mudguard)

2. Stiff steering is sometimes due to the fork cover plate (large round disc) rubbing on the main bodywork.

from Jason McGuire:
I've had "Plastic Percy" for three trouble-free years. It's the best commuting town bike ever. So reliable, comfortable, fantastic display and great boot space.

David Morgan sent a whole raft of suggestions some of which he will recognise that l have taken on board.

Many thanks.

Please keep your contributions flooding in. Also, I should very much like to have members' photographs (only one received so far).

BETTER WINDSCREEN

I have been entering into negotiations with a plastics firm called Sprint Engineering to make a replacement windscreen, since many of us find the present one, so far in front of the face, inadequately protective at speed.

To have a single one made would be prohibitively expensive but if, say, half a dozen members wanted them it could be done at a manageable price.

The top half would be similar to a well-tried BMW design and will look something like this:

This is only a first "rough" and the final product would probably slope back even further. Anyone interested please contact me quickly.

THE NAME OF THE CLUB

Your replies showed a clear consensus in favour of promoting the type of machine rather than the Honda as such (although obviously, since it is the first one and the only one that has been around for a while, it is what most of us have). I propose to adopt the suggestion of BEST FEET FORWARD unless I get very strong objections. And I enclose a new "recruiting" flyer that I propose to print in numbers, e.g. for handing out at rallies. Again, please object only if you have really strong objections; and remember, I want to keep it within AS size for cost reasons.

Works manuals are kindly offered for loan to other members: Spacy 250 (CH250) from Tony Ayling CN250 from Barry Lang

Vernon Cantlay has a replacement silencer available for £263. which I believe is well below current list price.

HELIX 25th B'day RALLY in KOBLENZ
There is just time to book by phone and send on the fee to follow, if anyone else can possibly manage to make this event. I shall be going, doing my best to extend the network, and reporting back.

VISIT OF SCOOT-TOURS PRESIDENT

Sally Reinhardt, President of the American club Scoot-tours (to whom we owe our information about US accessories), with her friend Martha Nix, recently visited us in the course of a coach (!) tour of Great Britain and Ireland. Our member Alan Patterson went from his home to see them at their overnight stop at Llangollen and they spent an evening with me and my partner when, in the intervals of talking bikes and biking, we showed them a little of the non- "tourist" side of London. Both ladies are really keen Helix-tourers; both of them took up biking in maturity and then got their husbands hooked. Scoot-tours now has over 600 members in USA and a few in Canada and, as word spreads, numbers snowball. (Just like with us, he added hopefully.) They send their fondest regards and good wishes to you all.

SALES IN ITALY, 1995

Italy isn't UK - but it isn't California, either. It has varied weather just like we do, it has congestion like we do, and it has a spread of personal incomes like we do. So the fact that the CN2SO can sell there like hot cakes - fifth in total numbers - has to be at least relevant. Here are the figures for the first nine months of 1995 for numbers sold in italy (source, the magazine Tuttomoto: Hexagon 150 6,460 (+Hexl25 1,091) Honda VT6OO 2,472 CBR 600F 2,325 Aprilia RS125 1,809 CN250 1,588

SERVICING etc.

May I highly recommend the following repairer: Honda Riders Motors 26 Godman Street, SE15 0171-7324466

He does not sell bikes, only repairs and services them. He does not charge for doing anything more than is necessary. He charged £50 for a replacement Dunlop rear tyre, including taking out and replacing the wheel.

May I commend Devimead, 361 Watling Street, Tamworth, B77 5AD, 0827 261916. One of their directors took the trouble to write to me after seeing our announcement, saying the firm had "always been fans of the CN250" and offering encouragement.

GREY IMPORTS

RAP Eng., 2 Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2, 0181-452 2295, do grey imports of American Helix.

Does anyone else have recommendations? Please pass them on.

Does anyone know of ally breakers or ally other source of cheap spares?

PLEASE WRITE TO HONDA

Yamaha's Majesty is selling as well as Mitsui (UK) are letting it; the Piaggio Hexagon is selling very well. Surely these newcomers establish a market corner in which the CN250/Helix formerly stood alone. The CN250/Helix/Spazio is certainly not dead in other markets (see below). Surely this is the perfect time for it to be re-launched here?

Will you all please write direct to Honda (UK) telling them so. Talk to your local dealers and get them to do so also.

THAT DRIVE BELT

Apart from tyres, about which I suppose we are philosophical, the most frequent replacement is the drive belt. And it suffers from the same atrocious pricing as all other motorcycle spares.

But a number of us suspect that it is not specifically a motorcycle spare at all. If it is specific to this use, what is it doing with the totally non- functional teeth? Can anyone who has replaced theirs and has the old one, or who examines theirs in the near future, see whether it can be equated with a standard engineering belt and find out where one can be obtained at an ordinary price? You would be doing us all a terrific favour.

TOP BOX WITH PILLION BACK REST

If any of you are currently thinking of adding a GIVI rack and top box, look carefully at the catalogue first and do not be fobbed off if the dealer happens not to have in stock the one you want. One model of the box incorporates a pillion back rest (goes above the existing rest) and also a platform on top with bungee-strap loops for carrying afterthoughts. Or not-so- afterthoughts! Paul Blezard, who highly recommends this box, says he has been on assignments with "a TV cameraman on the pillion, a couple of camcorders in the box and a tripod strapped on top."

FIRST SIGHTING OF YAMAHA'S NEWCOMER

Here are first impressions, from a short spin care of Tony Ayling, who had just taken delivery of his Majesty and done so far all of 225km on it!

The first thing to say is that it is a splendid machine, superbly finished, and I feel any of us would happily prefer it to any alternative in its bracket (and somewhat above!) if the CN2SO were absolutely not available. But I think I would go on preferring my CN. Ten years along the line, Yamaha have developed the prime mover: the cylinder head is set horizontally, making for even lower c.g. - but thrown away the advantage by providing a higher seat and reverting to gravity-feed fuel tank. The engine is a nearly "square" one whereas the CN is a long-stroker: I simply do not know which is better. Rake and trail of the steering are identical in both models but the Yam has reverted to tele forks! The Yamaha wheelbase is a significant 125 mm shorter,putting the pillion rider directly over the rear wheel.

The underseat storage is, in my book, a lot less satisfactory than the logical solution of a big boot; but the total storage space is in fact pretty generous.

The Yamaha rides much more like "a motorcycle". Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice! The rear suspension is a lot firmer and this may well give better perceived handling on fast bumpy bends, but at speeds up to 50 mph on London surfaces it jolted me about quite a bit (on mid setting).

The windscreen is without question very much too low and there is very soon going to be an after-market, I am sure. And as to the adjustable rider back rest, well I have the shortest arms and legs you are likely to find on any male rider, and at the rearmost position I could have done with it an inch or so further back. So I really cannot see what they were thinking of. There is no back rest for the pillion. The pillion footrests have nothing to brace the feet against, the feet can slide forward, and the pillion space seemed to me rather skimpy.

WHATEVER HAPPENED...

There are a few copies left of Royce Creasey's definitive history of the Feet-Forward movement. Send me £5 payable to Royce Creasey.

So many people have asked about backrests that I decided to copy for you below the advertisements of two makers. The Utopia product is used and endorsed by Sally Reinhardt personally.

Manufactured by Custom Fabrication Fully adjustable backrest Sturdy steel construction & black powder coat paint Folds forward for passenger

Pad matches seat and comes with snap-on pouch $135 + $5 S & H Custom Fabrication 2023 Lone Tree Rd., Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Phone 319-277-3750 ask for Jim

Dealers for CLEARVIEW WINDSHIELDS 3867 W Market St # 202 Akron, OH 44333 New Area Code 330-666-2602

Utopia Products still has available the Scooter Pouch that mounts on the bike underneath the glove box. It is great for holding your rainsuit or other items that you want quick access to. $25 + S & H