The remote Alaskan hamlet of Hyder and port of entry, Louisiana are about as disparate as a pair of yankee cities will be, with little to attach them than the flag and geography — many it. Separating the 2 may be a vast latitudinal section of North America: the Canadian Rockies and British Columbia, wide open ranges of Wyoming and Montana, the Rockies, the nice Plains, and a major stretch of Heartland before the river and also the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not a route many are likely to try, no matter vehicle. But next June, a gaggle of intrepid scooterists are going to be riding the route on scooters no larger than 250cc for the 10th anniversary of the biennial Scooter Cannonball Run.
Something about the full plan is (at least) a touch bit crazy. A transcontinental scooter ride isn’t a simple undertaking under any circumstances. the complete route will likely cross more sorts of terrain and encounter more climates changes than any previous Cannonball. It’s an endurance event, successive days of 350 – 400 mile riding. Many participants spend their evenings maintaining and repairing their rides; this sort of riding puts plenty of strain on small engines, tires and transmissions. within the past, the Cannonball scooters have included vintage two-strokes, highly modified moderns and a spread of custom builds. Among the riders, some take the competition aspect very seriously, visiting great lengths — like minimizing bathroom stops — to scale back their times between checkpoints.
As challenging because the ride are, just aiming to the start line could be a significant hurdle. Hyder, AK is about as hard to induce to as any populated chunk of land within the continental US. the sole road into town enters through Canada. The Maritime Ferry now not stops there. the sole regular air service is that the US Mail, which arrives by seaplane.
Yet from the instant rumors of an Alaska to Louisiana route started percolating last year, I’ve been thinking of signing on for this odyssey. When the route was officially announced, the deliberation became obsessive. I’d considered riding within the event before, but never felt as compelled to aim it as I do now. the thought is just too big to ignore.
I kept my burgeoning plans to myself for a pair weeks while researching and planning, then broke my silence with one post on the Cannonball forum (about which scooter I decide to ride). This led to a message from an acquaintance. Some veterans were putting a team together, with a trailer from SoCal to the place to begin, a support truck, and also the good thing about help and advice from experienced Cannonballers. If I wanted in, I had to commit. Um… yes? I mean: Hell, yeah!
As my infinitely patient wife can attest, I haven’t stopped thinking or talking about it since.
So I’m on a team, I now have a airplane ticket to St. George, Canadian province and that i have a mile-long shopping list. I’ve spent the past few weeks immersed in retail motorcycle gear sites and reading threads on ADVrider et al, planning my gear for the ride. (I have a “must get” list and a “ultimate gear up” list.) However, my first and most significant need may be a Cannonball-worthy scooter.
My current rides, an ’06 Vespa LX and a ’12 Genuine Stella 4T 150, aren’t quite up to the task at hand. The LX is modified to the gills, kitted to a 190cc and quite zippy. It’s also got 35,000 miles on the odometer. Though reliable for several multi-day trips, I’m not confident that it wouldn’t have a significant issue under the exertion of this ride. Also, as an older, carbureted version of the LX, it bogs down at high altitudes. The Stella is my daily commuter and though an excellent ride, a small amount pokey, with even more trouble above 7,000 feet.
The ideal scooter for the trip — on behalf of me a minimum of — would be fuel-injected or have a robust enough engine to handle both steep inclines and therefore the elevations. It should handle well and be relatively comfortable. I don’t want to spend every available hour engaged on the scoot, so it should be durable and reliable. Because there’s a 250cc displacement cap on this Cannonball, most maxiscooters are out of the question. additionally, I wanted to stay the budget as low as possible. this can be visiting be an extended trip and it concludes at Amerivespa, which goes to cost a good amount to attend.
There’s just one scooter, in my mind, that meets these qualifications: the Honda Helix CN250. The Helix (known overseas because the Fusion) is that the forerunner of all modern maxiscooters. When it had been introduced within the US in 1986, it had been the biggest scooter on the market and also the first in decades touted for its touring capabilities.
The Helix is additionally as near “bulletproof” as a scooter gets. Compared to most models from the past 20 years, the Helix requires little maintenance. a decent set of tires can last over 10,000 miles, the belt seldom needs replacement, the engine is robust and durable. A Helix left sitting for years can often be resurrected with fresh gas and a brand new battery and need little quite a carburetor cleaning to become a reliable daily rider. Adding to my confidence, a riding pal has ridden three Cannonballs on Helixes and has had only one mechanical issue, which he says is thanks to his negligence. And he’s ridden the Helix race to the start line or back from the destination anytime. (I’m reassured that he’s planning on riding in 2014, again on a Helix.)