My Helix Experiences, pics

[WarrenS]

Everybody who ever sat on my Helix always remarked how comfortable it was. It didn't make any difference what size they were it just fit everybody.

[slowfire]

Hi Denis; I very much like your helix. It looks good , rides good and its paid for . What more could a person ask for . Im green with envy...slowfire

[rnrperry98]

Cool scoot Dennis, love the photos!!! Looks and sounds like a comfy ride it sounds like you are enjoying it?

How does it cruise down the road now that you have done all the maintenance on it, and how is the mileage?

[Dennis D]

During the recent stretch of hot weather, I noticed that the Helix frequently would act like it was stalling out, running out of fuel, or hitting a rev limiter at around 65 mph. I know from past experience that in very hot weather when the fuel is less dense, it shows up in the form of fuel delivery problems. I also knew from reading the spark plug that the engine was running well to the lean side.

I tried adjusting the pilot jet screw, since according to the Honda manual that is the way to adjust for elevation changes if heading to higher elevations. Well I found that there was a 'permanent' limiter built into the throttle stop screw on the 2001 Helix's so it could be adjusted leaner for higher elevations, but not richer.

Since it obviously needed to be richer, I put a little grinding wheel on my dremel and ground off the "stop" built into one side of the pilot screw to prevent it from being turned out farther than emissions control specs allowed. I adjusted it for maximum idle rpm and then out 1/8 turn more.

I also adjusted the valves. Love those external valve adjustment levers! Now I don't recommend the following method of adjusting valves because I don't want to be responsible if someone grenades their valve train or burns their valves doing this.. but I recalled back in the days when I raced everything I owned, that I used to adjust mechanical lifters with the engine fully warmed up and running. Made quite a mess usually, but you adjust each valve so they tap pretty loudly, then back until the clicking totally stops and the engine starts to slow a bit. Then you ever so slightly move it back til you find the spot that yields the highest rpm. Then you do the next valve the same way... and on down the line. On a single cylinder bike it's a cakewalk! And with external valve adjustment levers, there's no mess! You adjust each valve like that, and then you do it again, in order to make sure you get absolute max rpm out of it by how the valves are adjusted. By the time I got that done and the pilot screw adjusted, the idle speed was up to half again more than it had been, so I had to readjust idle. Then out for a test.

Acceleration was great! Noticeably better than before, and eliminated the low speed clutch shudder I had been getting off the line. But at 65 mph it was still like hitting the wall! Up against a fuel starvation problem that just shut it down! I looked in the owners manual and the online service manual and there was no mention of a fuel filter, so I went online to a Helix forum, where people mentioned similar problems, solved by replacing the fuel filter. Why doesn't the maintenance schedule even mention replacing the fuel filter??

I found out the fuel filter was uner the seat and under the battery, so I got a good look at it and decided that a NAPA 3011 filter would do fine(replacement filter for everything from old Opels, to BMW 2002's, to Cub Cadet tractors). A real PITA to intall... just no room there, but I finally got it done.

Acceleration above 65 still leaves a lot to be desired, but it's not starving for fuel anymore, and plenty enough power that I was able to go out at 90+ degree temps and cruise several miles on the interstate at 65 mph, no problem up hills and over bridges. In those hot conditions it ran out of steam at 70mph... I expect a few more mph out of it in cooler conditions when both air and fuel are more dense, but it works for me. My fuel mileage has run from a low of 63 mpg to a high of 72 mpg, so it's only about 3 mpg less than the Strada I had, but with more acceleration everywhere except the initial 'jump' off the line, and a cruise speed around 7 mph faster. With that 10" wheel spinning like crazy underneath me, I'm not too enamored with the idea of going over about 65mph anyway.

I can stay with or ahead of traffic on all the roads I normally ride on, no more low speed shudder, and it does everything I expected out of it. Too much attitude out there on the freeways for me to want to do much of that(freeway traffic) anyhow. I much prefer the road less travelled.

[monty57]

Back in my youth I was the proud owner of a Corvair 500. I loved that thing. Snow tires in back, a 100 lb bag of sand in the front trunk and you could plow streets. One of the issues with those engine was burning valves. My dad was and old school mechanic who adjusted valves in the manor you described. Wen this adjustment was performed on these air cooled engines the valve would no longer be a problems and the engine always performed better.

Amazing how old is new.

[Bear]

I appreciate your posts Dennis. I am considering a Helix or a Helix clone. Don't know if your valve adjustment story would be the same on a cfmoto engine found on one of the Helix clones, but I have yet to 'pull the trigger' and buy one, I might by a used Helix like you did.

I'm a big guy (300+ and 6'2") and while I have no illusions about highway travel, I think that the combination of the engine and the seating of the Helix will suit me fine.

That and I have this idea in the back of my head of putting a sidecar on so that my little girl (4 year old) can ride too.

Texas sidecars makes a sidecar sized for a scooter and they have a mount set up for a Helix and a Reflex.

I might never do the sidecar, but I like the idea of having that option.

Keep your posts coming, I really like reading about your experiences with your Helix.

[Dennis D]

Hey, Bear... on a Helix discussion forum I'm on there's a big guy who goes by Teddy Da Bear and rides with his slightly less than 100 lb wife on the pillion. So it can work for a big guy with a light weight passenger. I don't know if those adjusters are the same on the CF Moto engine, but I wouldn't be surprised. Some of the Helix people don't care too much for clones, but I'm convinced that they're pretty nearly identical, except for the durability of some parts because of the chinese tendency to use metals that aren't quite up to the job, in places where they cause premature failures, or even disassembly/re-assembly problems(If in doubt about bolts and screws, replace em). That's a constant I've observed on all three of the chinese scooters we've owned in the last couple of years.

There's an online Helix Service Manual and several forums for Helix/Helix clone owners.
The forum I was referring to is earlier in this post is this one:
www.slonaker.net/helixforum/

[scooterollie]

Valve adjusters on the CFMoto/Honda clone engine are the same as the true Helix. While the side car may be designed for a Helix, don't assume that the frame of the clone will be the same as what Honda uses on the Helix. The Chinese scoots/engines that are called Honda clones are called so mostly for the engine design and sometimes the body style.

[Dennis D]

The original variator drive faces on my 2001 Helix were pretty badly grooved, so I replaced my variator with a PSF replacement variator for CFmoto 244cc Helix clone engines today. I also installed an Athena Kevlar belt to replace the junk chinese belt I got from helixparts.com.... which stretched more in 700 miles than the original Honda belt did in 16,300 miles(even though it was starting to lose it's "teeth").

I was 95% sure the PSF variator carried by Stan at oregonvintage.com would work, because all indications and reports I heard, were that the CFmoto 244cc Helix clone engines were exact copies and that people go to Honda shops to buy parts for them (though some Honda shops get a bit nasty about it, so they usually say they have a Helix). It fit just fine, and I found that some parts(both movable drive plate and the fixed drive plate) actually have the rough casting edges ground and polished off on the PSF part, whereas the Honda drive plates had all the rough casting edges.

I had 21.5gm conventional rollers in the original Honda variator, and put three each of 19gm, and 24gm, DR Pulley sliding weights in the PSF variator that replaced it, so the total of the actual weights is the same. The rollers in the Helix variator are supposed to be lubricated with at least an ounce of lithium grease according to the Helix shop manual, but the packaging and info on the DR Pulley website clearly say that the DR Pulley sliding weights are made of a material that needs no additional lubrication, so I put only a light film of lithium grease inside the movable drive plate where the weights go. I expected that the combination of sliding weights that equalled the sum of the all the 21.5gm roller weights would make some kind of performance difference, but wasn't sure just what to expect.

So far, the differences that I notice are that it seems to be nearly the same from a dead stop as it was when I had the ORIGINAL 23.6gm rollers in it, but other than the initial jump(up to about 5-6mph), iacceleration feels much the same as it did with the 21.5gm rollers(which was better than with the 23.5gm rollers) from 6mph to cruising speed. However, throttle roll-ons seem more responsive than ever, and top speed in a quick 10 min test was the same as before.... although, I never before hit that speed on that short piece of road. Also I've observed before, that performance generally seems to improve somewhat after 50-100 miles when a new belt loses some of its' initial stiffness, so it'll take more than a ten minute ride to be sure.

[scooterollie]

Dennis;
Wonder if you should have gone to slightly lighter weights if you wanted improved take-off performance?

[Dennis D]

scooterollie said:

Dennis;
Wonder if you should have gone to slightly lighter weights if you wanted improved take-off performance?

If I need to, I've got em. I'll put all six 19's in. But as long as it will take off from a stop without a bit of a shudder, that's good enough. What I was really hoping to gain with half the rollers being 5 grams lighter, but the same total average weight, was slightly higher (numerical) gearing when accelerating through the mid range speeds that most traffic I ride in moves at.... around 38 to 60mph. I'm hoping for about the same take-off from a stop, and already know I can hit at least the same top speed. Each time I've changed a belt, it has had to wear in a little while before it performs as it will over the long haul, so maybe I'll know by this time next week. Most people say their Helix shuddrs or vibrates a bit on take off, but it didn't do it with the 21.5gm weights except for right at first when the belt was brand new..... but then again, that Zhuping chinese belt really wore quickly, so It could take this one a little longer to wear in enough so the drive plates grip more positively, especially since it's a kevlar belt.

[Dennis D]

I figured out why theres a bit of a shudder on take off.... all I had to do was take the CVT cover off and watch the belt and drive face positions when the back wheel started to turn. The new belt is so tight that it can't possibly ride all the way up the rear clutch driven faces til it stretches some, as it's all the way down on the shaft of the front drive at that low speed. So I'm just going to have to put up with starting in a gearing somewhat higher than what should be the lowest gear until the belt wears and stretches some.

I didn't even try to watch it and run it into its' highest gearing while on the center stand, but I suspect that when the position of the front and rear drive plates are reversed(open and closed), I don't have my highest gearing available either right now. At this point, more than likely when I'm running at the same top speed as before, I'm turning more RPMs than I was with either of the other belts that were on it(since I've had it). That's pretty much of a certainty, but there's no tach on the Helix to measure it with, and I'm sure not worried about it revving too high as it seems more torquey, than a high revving engine. I rather suspect that a slightly longer kevlar belt would really be a better performance choice than an 828 mm kevlar belt. Hard telling how long it will take to stretch/wear enough so I have my full range of gear ratios available again.

[Dennis D]

Well, I guess that 828mm Kevlar belt is going to work out fine... it just took a bit of patience for the belt to wear in a bit so full performance can be realized. I've done 175+ miles since changing the belt, and it's now performing as anticipated.

Yesterday morning I did a run on the interstate loop around town(only place within 20 miles I can get up to a full head of steam), and think the testing/breakin phase for the new setup is over, woo hoo!! I was able to get right up to 78 mph on a flat straight stretch of road going into a 7-8 mph headwind, and even faster downhill. I also was able to get right up to 70 by the time I was merging into traffic on the entrance to I-469, whereas before the changes, which included some carb tuning, I was only able to get up to 63 or 64mph, so merging into traffic was a problem.

It was in the low 70's(F), cool enough that the ailing fuel pump, which I haven't yet changed, (but have here) that shows itself as a problem on near 90 degree days or more, wasn't a factor. The setup with the self lubricating Dr Pulley 24gm sliding weights and sliding 19gm weights in combination, that I expected would help mid range throttle roll-ons and going up hills, and I HOPED would allow a bit higher top speed than previously, did the job, with a bit of carb tweaking.

The shudder on take off is gone again, and I now have the passing power and uphill power I need for the roads and speeds I intend to travel. What I got is more than I expected, so I'm pretty happy with the results!