Modern Buddy

Clydeo

I am no mechanic, but I have been told that one of the main causes of oil spills on the 50s is the over filling of the gear oil. TBH, other than that and the 2 stroke oil reservoir, I can’t think of any other place that it could be leaking from. Well, except for that time that a bottle of 2 stroke o...

Clydeo

I don’t think you’d have any trouble touring two up on a 400cc scooter. In fact I have seriously thought about getting a Burgman 200 for touring with my wife. We toured together for years on a Suzuki 250, and discovered that the most important part of a touring bike is the sitting position. A large,...

Clydeo

BTW, welcome to the board, and to scooters in general! You have just entered a bold new world! The folks here can answer most questions, so don’t hesitate to ask!

Clydeo

On a Buddy Scooter, the dead lights are the non-functional blinkers on the front of the bike. They are non-functional because the US DOT requires the ugly blinkers on stalks that most US bikes have. It is possible to convert these lights into additional blinkers or running lights. There is no real r...

Clydeo

I don’t have either of the bikes mentioned, but there are a few universal factors that are rarely discussed: Weight: it sounds like most of your trips are short casual ones. I have a 600 pound Vulcan. If I am going to ride a couple hundred miles, it’s great! But if I am going to run down to the hard...

Clydeo

I enjoyed it, although it reminds me why I like to travel alone. Far fewer complications! And when I am traveling in hot weather I like to be rolling just before sunrise in order to beat the heat, something this group seemed to have trouble doing. I don’t think that many of them had much experience ...

Clydeo

Thanks! I have taken my Buddy 50 on some forest roads before, with mixed results due to the small wheels and street tires.

Clydeo

Those were pretty much my thoughts as well. I can’t even imagine putting one on a 125 or 170! The light weight, short wheel base, and rather sparse frame just don’t bode well.

Clydeo

A company called Keltic evidently makes sidecars for Buddy 50s (and a bunch of other bikes). A sidecar on a 50cc bike sounds rather ridiculous. Has anyone here actually tried, or even seen, such a beast?

Clydeo

Has anyone ridden a roughhouse off road? I am not talking about anything too hard, just dirt roads and trails.

Clydeo

When I was a college student in the Boston area (Quincy, my home town) back in the early 80â€™s, I had a 50cc Vespa. My wife and I rode that bike everywhere. Even at 50ccs I was faster than most of the traffic (not really an amazing feat: joggers could usually keep up with traffic as well). Unless B...

Clydeo

Valves: 2, screw adjustments, easy access Tires: tubeless, except for the 50cc bikes Carb: auto cutoff, autochoke, gravity feed Gas tank: plastic. You could probably drain it via the carb line Oil change: easy, pull the plug and drain. I forget what it does for a filter; I have several bikes and itâ...

Clydeo

Scooters are going through a period where relatively little interest, so many Genuine (and Vespa) dealers are not fully stocked with bikes, as they are afraid that they wonâ€™t be able to sell them. That will quickly change if the price of gas keeps going up. Buddyâ€™s donâ€™t require much maintenen...

Clydeo

There will be a lot more bikes available in Spring, as people buy new ones. Really nice bikes for really good prices are sometimes posted on this forum. I havenâ€™t worked on modern Vespas, just old ones back in the 70â€™s. They were simple. Evidently the new ones are not. I have heard from several ...

Clydeo

The Lance/Sym scoots are good deals. The Italian bikes are cool, but yes, parts and labor are $$$. The Honda and Yamaha bikes have a large number of dealers, but arenâ€™t as much fun, IMHO. The Buddy 125 would be a good choice if you fit on it. I am 5 11, and I fit just fine, but some taller riders ...

Clydeo

To be honest, changing the gear oil on a Buddy is so easy that I have never even thought of having a shop do it! I use a medical syringe to measure and fill it. I have the syringe marked, so I canâ€™t recall, but I believe that the owners manual has two amounts listed: one for the original fill, and...

Clydeo

If you are new to Scootering, you may not know what the dead lights are. The USA requirements for blinker placement are different from everybody elseâ€™s. The blinkers on our Buddyâ€™s are attachments. The production blinkers are on the front of the bike. They have been disconnected and donâ€™t do a...

Clydeo

If the speed limits where you would be riding are 35 mph or so, I would think that a 50 cc scooter would be fine. With the price of fuel in the islands I would think that fuel mileage would be a primary consideration. Good luck with your move!

Clydeo

My experience with sidecars is extremely limited, mainly consisting of 5 minutes of sheer terror as I tried to ride a friends rig a couple of times around the block. I am sure that experienced sidecar pilots would do fine in the snow, but I would rather stick with two wheels, thank you! I rarely rid...

Clydeo

Just out of curiosity, has anybody ever tried using tire chains on their scooters? Are such things even available? My great grandfather used to ride his Harley all year long using them. Of course that was a LONG time ago!

Clydeo

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/hei ... oter-tires

I have never used them, but the general internet buzz on thems is generally positive. They are pricey though!

Clydeo

Maybe the automatic choke?

Clydeo

Instead of using heated gloves I use those little chemical glove warmers. I put a heating pad in each glove and my hands stay pretty warm for about 6-7 hours. Hippo Hands work well, too.

Clydeo

I am sorry it took so long to get to you! I ended up being out of the state for a while. I spoke to the shop that works on my bike, and they explained that many, if not most, Buddies make the same noise, and that it is due to the starter (obviously). I didnâ€™t understand most of the explanation, bu...

Clydeo

I just assume that everyone out there is intentionally trying to run me over. A bit of paranoia goes a long way towards keeping you safe on the road.

Clydeo

My Progressive insurance is $85 for two bikes for a year! That quote is WAY too high!

Clydeo

Both of my incidents involved surfaces with very low traction: the first was on a wet mossy section of road that was covered by leaves, and the second was on very loose and deep gravel. Under normal conditions I think that your approach is quite correct. On my motorcycles I use very little pressure ...

Clydeo

I have gone down a couple of times, once in wet conditions and once when a car ran me off the road, both times going down as a result of over braking.I am experienced motorcyclist, so I have never had a problem with the front brake, but because I am used to operating the clutch with my left hand, I ...

Clydeo

I am going to drop some paper work off at Carlisle Cycle and Scooter, and I will ask Bill Viney. He knows everything there is to know about Scooters! I donâ€™t think you are regressing. I ride everything. I enjoy motorcycles AND scooters. They are being th great. I am starting to plan my annual Spri...

Clydeo

Itâ€™s normal. At least I hope it is! My Buddy 50 has been making that same sound on occasion for three years! Itâ€™s been discussed here before. I forget what causes it, but itâ€™s nothing to be concerned about.

Clydeo

I just happened to see this video on the Mitches Scooter Stuff you tube channel

https://youtu.be/9zqBlFSHs-Q

It might be helpful

Clydeo

Thanks for your suggested modification. To be honest, I have never scraped mine before, but I can see how easily it might happen. I suspect that the stand mechanism was not designed with 200 + pound North Americans in mind!

Clydeo

That plug wonâ€™t work with a Buddy 50. I found out the hard way that they, unlike the other Buddys, have tubed, instead of tubeless tires. You need to remove the wheel, take the tire halfwy off, remove the tube, patch it or replace it, pump it up, and put it back on the bike. None of this is as har...

Clydeo

I used to carry my snorkeling gear on an old Honda 100, and have thought about using my Buddy to haul my camping and snorkeling gear to the shore next summer, so I found this question to be of interest. The only solution I could come up with would be for short distances only: - your wet suit, mask, ...

Clydeo

I occasionally put my helmet in the top case, but I generally use it to store my sling pack with my IPad and office stuff in it when I pop into a store or something. When camping, it is nice that have lockable storage for things that make gut otherwise "walk off". It is also convenient for...

Clydeo

You will enjoy riding in PA: there are a lot of great roads north of your area, and Rt 6 across the state is very easy and scenic ride. Check out the Three Mile Island Scooter Club website, as they host a number of group rides. It's about a two hour ride to Harrisburg from Philly, but if you need a ...

Clydeo

Get one. Don't overload it, and you will never know it's there! Lockable water proof storage is great! But I would get a cheap one at JC Whitney for your first one. They tend to break if you dump your bike. Might as well break a cheap one until you get a bit more experience. They only cost about $50...

Clydeo

I am sorry that you didn't get the job. Hunting for work can be a demoralizing and depressing task. Hang in there!

Clydeo

One possibility is to get a luggage rack and get a large trunk from JC Whitney to mount on it. Those trunks are huge, and ought to hold almost any helmet. They, however, not exactly aesthetically pleasing!

Clydeo

Wow, insurance in Illinois is expensive! I pay about $125 a year to insure both my scooter and my motorcycle!

Clydeo

Agreed.

Clydeo

Actually, you SHOULD lean with bike, except when doing a low speed turns. The physics involved with turning a scooter are complex. When going slowly, say 10 mph (every bike is different), you steer a bike like a car: you turn the handlebars right to turn right, etc. At higher speeds, you don't turn ...

Clydeo

Wow, insurance in Illinois is expensive! I pay about $125 a year to insure both my scooter and my motorcycle!

Clydeo

I agree about the stops. Luckily for myself, my wife usually rides with me on long trips, and she has made it clear that we WILL stop every hour, no matter what! On my Buddy, the matter of stopping to take breaks is a non-issue. It only holds a gallon or so of gas, so I have to stop to refuel every ...

Clydeo

Oh my, where to begin... Riding a scooter is really fun, but it can get you killed. Just check out the "who's been in an accident" area. It s a serious issue. But here are some tips: The Motorcycle Safet foundation provides inexpensive training for riding. They provide bikes and helmetes, ...

Clydeo

For food, I just carry an old army mess kit and canteen cup. I stop off at a store and buy a can of soup or something simple (chili, etc). I heat it us, and then wash up where ever I can. In the morning, I get breakfast bars at a store, and munch on them as I ride. I try to stop off somewhere like S...

Clydeo

You will need a rain suit. I bought a light weight Frog Togs rain suit for round $20 at Walmart. It is NOT as sturdy as the regular Frog Togs, but it packs down to a very compact size, and keeps you mostly dry. I have used mine on a lot, and it has been a life saver! Runnng on tiubeless tires, and c...

Clydeo

BTW, it is normal for the oil light to come on for a moment when you start your bike; I am guessing that is intended to re-assure you that the bulb is indeed working, and has not burned out.

Clydeo

Check this site out, it's by someone who has done the route

http://www.thunderpress.net/motorcycle- ... /03/15.htm

Clydeo

There is a really good guide book on Rt 6 that is available on the Rt 6 website that is really detailed, telling you all about the most interesting places to check out along the way. This makes trip planning really easy. Rt 6 in PA is really a nice ride.

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