Helix

HONDA HELIX (CN250)

Longer, lower and better for touring than any scooter to date, the Helix was a landmark scooter than inspired many of today’s maxi-scooters. Take a look at Yamaha’s Morphous or Suzuki’s Bergman and the

same long and low shape is easily seen. The Helix was the first scooter to feature a rear trunk and it’s decent size, along with a nice glovebox, makes longer rides possible. The Helix is known outside North American is the Fusion and Spazio.

The Helix shares the same basic engine as it’s more traditionally styled sibling, the Elite 250. The intention of the Helix was the address several of the shortcomings that hinder scooters on the highway like short wheelbases, limited storage and marginal comfort. The Helix was introduced into the USA and Canadian markets for the 1986 (a year after the Elite 250) but it was dropped from the Canadian lineup after just one year. Accordingly, the Helix is a popular scooter stateside but rather rare in Canada. In the USA, the Helix was sold from 1986 to 1987 and then it was dropped for 1988 as ’87 models were clogging the show room. By 1991, that backlog was long gone and

American enthusiasts began to realize what they had lost. Honda responded to the requests of quite a few enthusiasts and returned the Helix to the USA market for 1992. The Helix grew into a decently popular scooter and it’s owners are often quite enthusiastic about it. It has a strong ‘cult’ following, especially in Japan. After nine years, Honda dropped the Helix for 2001 when they introduced its replacement, the Reflex. The Reflex is a nice scooter but enthusiasts in Japan clamored to have the Helix back, so Honda brought it back worldwide and sold it alongside the Reflex (aka Forza) in 2003. Honda sold both of these scooters until they were concurrently dropped for the 2008 model year. It’s a strong testament to the awesomeness of the Helix that it was able to sell alongside the way newer Reflex for a similar price.

The Helix has a foot pedal for the rear brake like the larger Elite scooters have. It’s a little wierd to use at first but you do get used to it. The top speed of the Helix is slightly faster than the Elite 250, as the Helix is more aerodynamic. The Helix tops out around 72mph, whereas the Elite 250 can reach about 70mph. Like the Elite 250, the Helix has a front disc brake which was big news for its time. The engine found in the Helix is a very low stressed design that can reliably cruise at it’s top speed all day.

The only changes Honda made to the Helix over it’s long run was improved emissions controls to meet new regulations and the Helix got aluminum rims instead of steel for 1992. Accordingly, finding parts for your Helix is quite easy and you don’t really have to worry about compatibility. There are also a lot of aftermarket parts for the Helix (mostly appearance parts). Check out the links at the bottom of this page to find out more.

Pros:
* Comfortable
* Awesome storage capacity
* Cult following
* Liquid cooled
* Front Disc Brake

Cons:
* Dated styling compared to it’s competitors
* Rear tire life
* Slower than the Reflex

Links:
Helix vs. Morphous - Neat article with side by side pictures.
MotorscooterGuide Forums - Visit the forum on this site to chat about your scoot.
BikeBandit.com - Good for looking up OEM parts and finding out what’s still available
Motorcycle.com Review - Good writeup of the Helix.
YouTube Review - Nice Video walk-around and tour
Wikipedia: Helix - Good overview of the Helix. Lots of info.
HelixParts.com - Lots of bling aftermarket parts

If you have any info to add, email me at dandurston@hotmail.com

Colors:
1986: Candy Glory Red, Pearl Shell White
1987: Candy Glory Red, Achilles Black Metallic
1992 - ’93: Candy Glory Red
1994: Gloss Black-Z
1995: Gloss Black
1996 - 2000: Pure Red

Specs:
* Manufacturer: Honda
* Model: CN250 Helix
* Engine: 244cc, Liquid-cooled, four-stroke single
* Carburetion: 30.0mm CV with auto choke
* Compression: 9.8:1
* Bore x stroke: 72.0 x 60.0 mm (2.8 x 2.4 inches)
* Fuel system: Keihin Carb.
* Displacement: 244cc
* Carburetion: 30mm CV with automatic choke
* Transmission: Automatic V-Matic
* Suspension: 3.2” Bottom Link (front), 3.9” travel dual hydraulic shocks
* Wheelbase: 63.8”
* Seat height: 26.2”
* Tires: 110/100-12 9 (front), 120/90-10 (rear)
* Fuel capacity: 3.2 gal.
* Claimed dry weight: 349.4 lbs