Vultus meets Sam's Neracar!
Back to the future! Sammy Miller was kind enough to get the Neracar out of his museum to put alongside the Honda Vultus which I rolled up on in August 2016. This is the self-same Neracar that Sam rode as part of the FF feature which I wrote and presented for Top Gear back in April 1988. Sam couldn't remember it being ridden since! PNB
PS For those who never saw it, the first half of that Top Gear FF episode, featuring Sammy on the Neracar and the Norton Kneeler, along with a host of FFs ancient and modern, can still be seen here:
https://tinyurl.com/ybn3sawz
Photo: Bill at the museum.
It's that "back" bit. There isn't one...
One thing the futuristic Neracar and the anachonisitic Vulva (I mean, Tele's!) have in common is the lack of that essential FF feature, the seat back. Of course the Vulva seat base is way too high to be worthy of any description other than "Low Rider", an unrelated American style I believe. But you've blagged rides in pretty much every FF built do far, so do tell us, what it's like riding in the FF position without a seat back? Looks like hard work to me.
Another thing that's interesting me. What's the Vulva like in a cross wind? It breaks every rule in the aerodynamic book, big, high, side area at the front, no tail, no rider security, etc. Have you been over the Severn Bridge with it yet?
And, where does the passenger go?
RC's Misconceptions about the NM4 Vultus 750 FF
1/ The Vultus has a seat back. See here: http://www.bikeweb.com/node/2830
It can also be seen in close-up here: http://bikeweb.com/node/2827
Presumably the Royce who remarked upon the seat back in 2014 cannot be the same Royce who claims above that the Vultus has no seat back. How could they possibly be the same person?
2/ Even when the seat back is folded back horizontal to carry a passenger, there is still substantial lumbar support from the pivoted base of the back. Not unlike a Gurney Alligator. Consequently, it is not hard work to ride the Vultus, right up to sustained high speeds, even for hours at a time, although it was better with my patent screen extension.
3/ I have had no problems whatsoever with side winds and I've ridden it through a few, although not over the Severn Bridge yet.
It's certainly much less susceptible to them than Genesis.
4/ See 2/ in answer to the passenger question. There is also a photo of two people sitting on a Vultus here: http://bikeweb.com/node/3110
5/ FWIW, IMHO, the Vultus is more than worthy of the description 'FF'. Sure, the seat could be a bit lower, the screen could be a bit higher, the tank could be bigger and above all, the feet could be better protected, but it's a damn sight closer to being a 'proper' FF than anything else so far mass-produced, including the Honda Helix CN250 which, as already pointed out, has a higher seat than the Vultus, along with a swinging engine, bendy chassis, crap brakes, tiny wheels, pathetic lack of power, no seat back etc etc. (And I am a big fan of the Helix, having owned three of them down the years!)
In short, don't knock the NM4 Vultus 750 till you've tried one, or at least tried to ride around the outside of one on a fast corner! :-)
PNB