As you may or may not know, I recently bought my 04 B400 and have over 1300 miles on it. The bike was replacing a 1999 Helix that I had ridden for two years.
The impressions when I first got the bike was how rough it rode. But I liked the extra power. As it broke in, the seat got more comfortable AND I didn't notice the rough ride as much. Most of all, the handling simply blew me away.
Just last weekend, my father and I went riding. He lives in the rural areas of Ohio and we never see a cruising speed over 60MPH. He has a 1993 Helix and we switched up for a while. My impressions were as follows:
-The seat on the Helix, at first, seems much more comfortable. But the same soft padding that makes it comfortable for the first 10 miles has you sitting on the seat pan with no padding within about 60 miles.
-The hand brake took a bit of getting used to on the Burgie, but now it's second nature. The foot brake on the Helix is a pain in the butt, even if you are used to it.
-The acceleration of the Helix, while slower than the Burgie 400, is acceptable, at least up to about 55MPH. The B400 doesn't even seem to hit it's stride until 60-65 though.
-The ride is much better on the Helix, however there is a mighty tradoff. The Helix feels like both tires are flat. I checked them and they were up, but the bike feels like it's got it's own agenda at anything over 60MPH. It drifts, moveds, blows, and wollows anywhere it wants, or so it seems.
In the end, the Helix was a great first stab at a "Luxoscooter" but I think my back to back ride showed me just how far these scooters have come in 20 years.
My father wishes that they would somehow integrate some of the benefits of the B400 while keeping the footbrake (he's old school, ok?) and the items that make a Helix a Helix. He would like a trunk with an opening big enough for a helmet and about another 50cc's. Since Honda doens't put a radio on the helix anymore, the dashroom for the small storage areas left and right of the handlebars is available. Why not?
I think that there is still a market for the Helix, albeit a small one. My father is not a big fan of the Burgie, but he does see the appeal and understands why I traded up.
The impressions when I first got the bike was how rough it rode. But I liked the extra power. As it broke in, the seat got more comfortable AND I didn't notice the rough ride as much. Most of all, the handling simply blew me away.
Just last weekend, my father and I went riding. He lives in the rural areas of Ohio and we never see a cruising speed over 60MPH. He has a 1993 Helix and we switched up for a while. My impressions were as follows:
-The seat on the Helix, at first, seems much more comfortable. But the same soft padding that makes it comfortable for the first 10 miles has you sitting on the seat pan with no padding within about 60 miles.
-The hand brake took a bit of getting used to on the Burgie, but now it's second nature. The foot brake on the Helix is a pain in the butt, even if you are used to it.
-The acceleration of the Helix, while slower than the Burgie 400, is acceptable, at least up to about 55MPH. The B400 doesn't even seem to hit it's stride until 60-65 though.
-The ride is much better on the Helix, however there is a mighty tradoff. The Helix feels like both tires are flat. I checked them and they were up, but the bike feels like it's got it's own agenda at anything over 60MPH. It drifts, moveds, blows, and wollows anywhere it wants, or so it seems.
In the end, the Helix was a great first stab at a "Luxoscooter" but I think my back to back ride showed me just how far these scooters have come in 20 years.
My father wishes that they would somehow integrate some of the benefits of the B400 while keeping the footbrake (he's old school, ok?) and the items that make a Helix a Helix. He would like a trunk with an opening big enough for a helmet and about another 50cc's. Since Honda doens't put a radio on the helix anymore, the dashroom for the small storage areas left and right of the handlebars is available. Why not?
I think that there is still a market for the Helix, albeit a small one. My father is not a big fan of the Burgie, but he does see the appeal and understands why I traded up.