Modern Buddy

Dooglas

Here is one of boyjeenyus photos.

Dooglas

We run the Continental Zippy on our Buddy. Performs well and wears well. Far superior to the OEM tire.

Dooglas

The ET and early LX Vespas had a weakness in the casing which could result in the kick start lever failing and sometimes cracking the casing. This lead to advice to avoid kick starting those models except when necessary. That is the only time I have heard advice to avoid kick starting.

Dooglas

I don't recall that there was ever a "delete" button. I have just gone to "edit" and replaced the message with the term <deleted>, or you could use <deleted by author>.

Dooglas

fried okra wrote: ↑Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:27 amYou gonna be back down there this winter at all?

Nope, not this winter. I'll be hiding out in Oregon hoping for better days.

Dooglas

Kelley Bluebook lists the estimated price spread as $930 to $1450. This is the good riding season in South Florida so you're probably okay starting out near the top of the range so long as the bike looks and runs good.

Dooglas

Rotella T6 is readily available in 15W-40 in local box stores. Having said that, I don't imagine either of your other choices would hurt the engine.

Dooglas

I have been using the YTZ10S battery (or equivalent, PTZ10S, etc) in our '07 125 Buddy for the last several years it has higher Amp-hrs and cold-cranking amps than the OEM battery and fits in the same space.

Dooglas

I think around 11,000. I know that is more than the 8k that is recommended but I have never had a Bando belt fail even with over 17k. Well, now you have. Could be the belt you bought was quite old stock. Rubber does deteriorate through time. Also, most belts look fine when changed out. I've owned 1...

Dooglas

scootERIK wrote: ↑Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:43 pmNot exactly sure what caused the failure, bad belt, too many miles, too much abuse, or something other issue.

How many miles on the belt?

Dooglas

Thanks Eric. looking good!

Dooglas

You've heard the old saying, "there is no replacement for displacement". That thinking points you toward a big bore kit such as this one.

https://www.scooterworks.com/NCY-Cylind ... P8850.aspx

Dooglas

As I said, I honestly think the step up is to liquid cooling. That leaves out Genuine, but there are other choices out there. The Yamaha S-Max and X-Max being other examples of well built liquid cooled and fuel injected scooters. Not so pretty as a Vespa GTS, but.......

Dooglas

The Blur 220i still has an air cooled engine. The liquid cooling in the GT/GTS Vespas is the secret to their extended cruising capability and long engine life.

Dooglas

You might try SportMax Sidecars in Lethbridge, Alberta.

https://cozysidecar.ca/index.html
Phone: (250) 882 8256
sidecars@sportmaxsales.com

Dooglas

I would never buy a new Vespa. Let someone else take depreciation. A 16 year old GT200 looks damn near like a brand new GTS300 at a fraction of the cost. Agreed. A well maintained, used Vespa can be a great value in the long run. I agree that a well maintained GT200 Vespa is a good value and will g...

Dooglas

I own a 300 GTS. It is my second GTS. I own two Buddys and have ridden a Hooligan a couple of times though I don't own one. IMO there is no comparison between the performance of the Hooligan and the GTS. In its class, the Hooligan is a decent ride and I am not, in any sense, running it down. The GTS...

Dooglas

Most shops clean carburetors and other small parts in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Dooglas

theralchico wrote: I found oil all ever the trans side of the rear tire and pretty sure its a blown seal.

Sorry, couldn't help myself!

Dooglas

Yes, some continue to ride on a set of tires until the rubber rots or the tread is gone. I don't. Here's why. Rubber hardens as it ages. As it hardens it is less able to provide a good grip in the pavement, especially in corners and on wet days. I generally try to change out scooter and motorcycle t...

Dooglas

Contact American Scooter Center in Pflugerville, TX. They sell sidecar mounting brackets for P/PX Vespas and 2T Stellas.

Dooglas

Guff wrote:I've noticed all my scoot speedometers (Genuine, RA, Vespa) are about 10% optimistic.

Ditto!

Dooglas

wheelbender6 wrote:The Honda Trail is retro cool and will be indestructable, but my budget says I should settle for a $1999 Kymco K-Pipe (and swap in a Zong 190cc mill).

Then there is the question - which is more reliable? A Honda or a "Zong"?

Dooglas

The rebirth of the Trail 90!

Dooglas

Getting the diaphragm to seal around the edge can sometimes be tricky and frustrating. A pinhole leak in a diaphragm is also not unheard of.

Dooglas

Vapor Lock- gas was not flowing to the carb due to vapor lock and was remedied by disconnecting the EVAP system and making sure the gas lid could breath a bit. Kill Switch- The kill switch was defective and was causing a short to where the engine would not turn over. Regarding these two possible is...

Dooglas

Well, no problem. You just need to repaint them every 2 days

- or make due with blackwalls.

Dooglas

It is unfortunate that available whitewall tires which fit the Buddy are not particularly good quality. If I had to have whitewalls, I'm with ScootERIK - I'd experiment with white sidewall paint.

Dooglas

The 4T Stella has become an orphan since the manufacturer (LML in India) went out of business. Unlike the 2T Stella, it has few parts in common with the P/PX Vespas, so parts are becoming hard to find. That is bound to affect resale value.

Dooglas

Time to buy a Buddy 125. It is a great scooter and you are already one up on parts.

Dooglas

The fusebox is located under the front panel below the turn signal relay. It looks like a small box with all the fuses in a row. The setup on the 125 is different than on the 170. Understandable as the 170 is fuel injected and the 125 is not. My '07 125 has a main fuse by the battery and a small 1A...

Dooglas

The Buddy 125 is a great scooter. Ride safe, have fun.

Dooglas

I'm not sure a Buddy 50 really needs much in the way of accessories. The one thing I would recommend (for any scooter) is a rear rack, with or without topcase (your call).

Dooglas

I understand the challenge - and sense of accomplishment - in getting a clever repair to work. I salute you guys for it. On the other hand, these descriptions sound like the money saved on a non-OEM ignition switch was pretty well used up in the time (and frustration) required to make less suitable ...

Dooglas

Ah, this is an 8 year old thread. Most of those who posted the original messages are no longer around. And it was brought back to life by an obvious troll.

Dooglas

My understanding is that neither rider was wearing a helmet. Stir in limited experience and little or no training - this was an accident waiting to happen on busy urban streets IMO.

Dooglas

Riding a Buddy at 60 mph is enough to cause the rider to give some thought to the stability of 10" wheels. Riding a Metropolitan at 60 mph should be enough to induce stark terror.

Dooglas

JettaKnight wrote:Maybe I need a Royal Alloy to go with my Royal Enfield...

I like the way you think!

Dooglas

Looking forward to a "mini-review" when you have spent some time with your new ride.

Dooglas

If your friend is not interested in the substantial investment in the S.I.P. 200cc engine, then I'd say the other choice is to attempt to find a damaged Stella 4T with the engine in running condition. Unfortunately the discontinuing of the Stellas means that parts, especially for the 4Ts, will relen...

Dooglas

The sad thing is those guys _should_ be able to complete those tests on their bike; they just lack the skills. They just have to practice more instead of cruising on highways. While I agree, I also note that it requires quite a bit of experience and skill to take a Goldwing or full dress Harley thr...

Dooglas

My local tire store will not service any tires 7 years old or older for liability reasons. I replace tires on my scooters when they reach 5 to 6 years old if they haven't worn to the wear bars yet. I'd return those and demand they pay the shipping.

Dooglas

There are very limited choices in whitewalls, and the ones that are available in the US are not first rate choices IMO. I think the Continental Zippy 1 (blackwall) is a good tire, and is the one I use on my Buddy. Others seem to like the recently available Pirelli Angel (also blackwall).

Dooglas

So I run Michelin City on all my scoots that I ride personally. They're a great compromise tire that has a decent tread pattern, can wick/channel water and have good sidewall strength (not as good as Pirelli but better than the stock tires). That, and they're pretty readily available. They also wea...

Dooglas

I have had good success with the Continental Zippy 1 on the Buddy 125.

Dooglas

You should write a letter of complaint about the speedometer to Genuine Scooter Co. They haven't acted on these complaints for the last 14 years; maybe yours will do the trick. 14 years and they canâ€™t get it right? Wow. I was wandering if anyone contacted them to let them know of the issue Given ...

Dooglas

Agree, certainly sounds like an old and weak battery.

Dooglas

One advantage the modern Honda and Yamaha 50cc scooters have over most, if not all, of the new China 50s is that they are water-cooled 4-strokes vs. the air-cooled 4-strokes. (Does anyone know if you can still a buy a new cheap road legal 2-stroke scooter? The dealers around me only sell 4-strokes ...

Dooglas

I have a topcase on mine. I like topcases and have put one on just about every scooter I have ever owned. Adds quite a bit of utility.

Dooglas

In my area there are also tons of 50cc Vespas and those start at $4,000 plus fees. I get that it's a Vespa and metal but it does show that people are willing to spend money on a 50cc. No, they are willing to spend $4k for a Vespa. I don't think that idea is transferable. After all people are also s...

Modern Buddy

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Re: Need new front tire. Time to quit waffling.

Re: Kick starting bad for cvt?

Re: How do you delete messages on this new site?

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