Modern Buddy

buzzvert

I'm trying to decide a similar path for a Roughhouse 50- the only difference here is that I have the luxury of having a whole extra drivetrain sitting outside the bike. What I really WANT to do is see how cheaply I could go insane- the Buddy/RH 50 is essentially a QMB139 clone. As such, one COULD ge...

buzzvert

Before I even got into scooters 4+ years ago, a neighbor not more than 4 houses down parked his 2012 Roughhouse after hitting a raccoon. I didn't know about this bike until his wife snagged me while I was fixing my Land Cruiser. "Hey, we have a scooter we want to get rid of!" Not knowing w...

buzzvert

Feeling more likely it was your clutch or variator jammed and something not allowing the CVT to V. Variator roller and slider weights are dirty and worn 15 seconds after they're installed, and that chewed up one may be more indicative or whatever is chewing up, versus the roller itself.

buzzvert

I just did one of these! Well, age of sit and pricewise. I found 8 grams of black tar heroin in the carb bowl. The brake caliper was seized like "the day" in a Robin Williams scholastic film. But yeah, the fuel system is your only real worry. Drain the tank. flush the lines. Don't think yo...

buzzvert

Besides the obvious question of WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING, the simple fact is that I have a beautiful 2003 Met here that the VERY LAST JOB I was going to do to it was a coolant flush and fill. Alas, there is more oil in the radiator than coolant. Head gasket. And on a Met, that's a terrible job. But. I a...

buzzvert

It's interesting- as automobiles don't generally do this. That said, my Acura RL does have that feature- motorized headlight assemblies which "point" in the direction you're turning as well as ahead. Neat future. I mean... it fails regularly and I have go in and fiddlefutz with the motors ...

buzzvert

To be fair, if you actually get into the site and go through the instructions, it tells you to follow the manufacturer's recommendation. It looks like the "3 quarts" actually pertains to something else on the site. But I can see how someone could get themselves into a mess by thinking thi...

buzzvert

You can tell me what's wrong here, even without the service manual

I wonder how many dead Hondas are due to this.

buzzvert

personality wrote:Almost all scooters, and even most motorcycles, have this problem
https://www.cycleworld.com/sport-rider/ ... eedometer/

Tough to fix a mechanical gear-based speedo.

buzzvert

Man, tires are a loaded question. Some are GREAT for light riders, some are perfect for chubbos like me clocking in a 200 and a lot of change... I've had a lot of tires on a lot of Buddys- the stock tires are fine but I feel like there's not enough wet surface grip- an issue when you get caught in t...

buzzvert

These aren't exactly the highest quality product I've ever purchased- I'd probably start by slightly bending the tabs on the three blades that plug into the harness so they make better contact with the.... um, contacts. Also, LED's are a WHOLE bunch more susceptible to voltage drops and just go out ...

buzzvert

I have a very terribly abused Roughhouse 50 which I'm on the fence about parting out or fixing up. It will need, at a minimum: Front wheel + brake disc Tires Front brake caliper, lines, handle Rear brake handle Front plastics Lots of hardware, body, etc. It's the 10" roughhouse 50 flavor- my qu...

buzzvert

There! Fixed forever. I don't personally know you, but I love you for this. Haaa, thanks. I wanted to design a sticker that affixed to the bezel but then I just went to go ride bikes and forgot all about it for a year. The formula is: Actual Speed = (.875)*(displayed speed) or, rounded: Displayed A...

buzzvert

if it's causing a wobble when you're not braking, the bike needs to be fixed. if it only wobbles while braking, there is a CHANCE the drum brake shoes have not bedded a bit but that's still not normal. and 40 degrees of drag? NOT normal. Can you back out the rear brake cable adjustor to see if the w...

buzzvert

Maybe the rear brake is too tight? can you back out the adjustment on the cable and see if the wobble persists? In any case, yes, it needs to go back to where you bought it. I'm sure it can be fixed but it will need to be addressed by a mechanic, or someone that can inspect/replace the rear wheel as...

buzzvert

Yeah that is definitely not normal. I've worked on Buddies with similar (but less severe) issues, where the rear rim took a hit.

In this case? Yes. Trailer it back to the dealer that sold it to you- it could be a bad rim, a bad brake drum or a bad hub.

buzzvert

Also- in reading your post again, given the fact the scooter is new, I'm wondering if the tire is seated correctly on the rim, or if the wheel itself is loose and only being held on by the cotter pin. This kind of thing happens at dealers that push a lot of scoots- they have to assemble them when th...

buzzvert

Definitely a rear wheel issue. One of the well-known Buddy weaknesses is the rear rim which takes quite a beating. They have FINALLY switched to alloys for the new 2020 Buddies, I noticed. Spin it while it's on the center stand, see where the issue is. There is a possibility that the wheel itself is...

buzzvert

There! Fixed forever.

buzzvert

I even went as far as to look into speedo cable step down gearing. It can be done, but $80+ for a 3 ounce dingus that essentially amounts to a speedo transmission seemed a tad superfluous. I did lay out a slide rule bezel in Photoshop though....

buzzvert

That all seems perfectly normal for a Buddy 125. You can eke out a little more speed with a windscreen and some variator mods but difference is negligible. The working theory is that the Buddy speedo has always been set up for 12" wheels and on 10"s it's exactly what you report- about 10% ...

buzzvert

I learned way more than I cared to know about this while attempting to implement the more cost-effective ignition replacement solution on a 2015 Buddy 50. There are four wires on Buddy ignitions, 2012 up: Red/White stripe Blue/Black stripe Orange Black Orange is your main switch wire. It carries 12V...

buzzvert

Whenever I see an OEM branding motor oil, I check to see if "snake" is listed as a main ingredient. I forget where I saw it, but some of the true enthusiasts (for lack of a better term) went as far as to send off brands of oil to a laboratory for independent testng. There were variances, b...

buzzvert

All right, so I found and bought my 10 amp fuse to put in down in the battery compartment. Hooked up battery tender last night, and this morning he started right up after two years of sitting. :) So on to part two. Since I moved here 6 yeara ago, when I started it up the first time after he's been ...

buzzvert

I don't recall if the starter on the Buddy shares the same form factor with more generic GY6 starters- but yes, the Buddy starter is pretty serviceable. I've only ever seen them fail electronically when someone attempts to jump their scoot from a high-amp charger. 10A is as high as I go safely to ch...

buzzvert

Also, a full tank can splash around a bit, and get raw fuel into the venting system. I suspect since you had just filled up and had a hot bike, that could well be the case.

If it's not making your garage reek of gas while it's sitting, it's likely fine.

buzzvert

There's some anecdotal evidence that the carbon canister, which works suitably to reduce emissions when new, doesn't do a whole lot after it's saturated- over time, or after a few overfills. I'm very environmentally conscious but readily make an exception when removing the canister and emissions sys...

buzzvert

So I definitely spoke too soon on this. On at least this Buddy 50 that I am working on, two things have to happen when you turn the key. The orange wire and the red/white wire have to make a circuit. That's current. Also, the Blue/Black and Black wire have to make a circuit. That tells the starter r...

buzzvert

Wiring:

New Ignition---------Buddy

Black---------------- Orange
Red/White-----------Red/White
Black/White---------Blue/White
Green----------------Black

buzzvert

Thanks to Tenders, this bikey bike is runny running again. The stator wiring was all hosed up on the existing stator- looks like it took a low impact and pinched the bejeezus out of it. That, and it was just caked with gunk and dirt.

buzzvert

To answer my own question (and hopefully someone else's), the answer is that you can cut down the pin that comes with this ignition unit with an angle grinder. Here's the result with the corresponding measurements. Note that I cut the pin with the key in the FORK LOCK position so it was easier to ge...

buzzvert

I don't have the original ignition assembly. Can the pin on this be modded to work?

buzzvert

I have a stator pulled from a 2014 Buddy 50 that you can have for $40 shipped. I thought it was the source of a high voltage issue with my friendâ€™s 50,but the problem really was a bad ground connection. I left the new one in place (along with some bad language when the high voltage persisted). PM...

buzzvert

Well, thereâ€™s nothing wrong with the headlight - yet. Itâ€™s AC powered via the stator and only comes on as the flywheel rotates; not with the key. Generic regulators are cheap on eBay, like $10. Aftermarket CDIs come in cool shiny colors and have flashing lights, but they work poorly - something...

buzzvert

My advice would be to find the correct color wire of heavier wire than what you're connecting for each cut lead and attach an appropriate length of wire to each with wire nuts (enough to reach the battery terminal plus about 2 inches). Why wire nuts? Well, aside from their ugliness and bulkiness the...

buzzvert

Got another COVID "go get something from the junkyard and do something so I don't go crazy with boredom" project. This one is a Buddy 50 "Riot" edition. Lots of busted plastic up front but my main goal now is tracking a no-spark condition. Ignition switch is long gone except for ...

buzzvert

I fully endorse building up salvage scoots. I just built up a 9K mile Buddy 125 that someone literally threw into a dumpster after trying to suss the electrics (it was the stator, duh) and am keeping that one, selling off the near-perfect low-miles 2009 that wasn't as much fun because it needed noth...

buzzvert

These are fantastic ideas. Thanks all.

buzzvert

The whole tube is gone? Or just the threaded insert? Either way, just fab it up and weld it on. Can't take half an hour. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-M8-1-25-Zinc-Plated-Steel-T-Nut-2-Piece-per-Bag-803828/204281864 Finally, an excuse to buy a welder and learn how to weld! :D But yes, I was ...

buzzvert

My salvage Buddy 125 (hereafter referred to as the Incredibuddy) came fresh from the dumpster missing the mounts for the rear rack, ripped clean from the top of the mount tubes. My thinking is that I can drill holes in the bottom tube, and run long bolts through the rack mount tubes to secure. I'll ...

buzzvert

Point37 wrote:
buzzvert wrote:If you plugged the charger into your accessory port (cig lighter), that only has a 1A fuse on it and will blow with any larger load.
Thanks...I assume thatâ€™s under the front panel?

Yes- just follow the thin wire from the back of the accessory port to the fuse holder. Blade-type fuse.

buzzvert

If you plugged the charger into your accessory port (cig lighter), that only has a 1A fuse on it and will blow with any larger load.

buzzvert

Anyone up for a little spray paint removal? Talked to the guy- theft recovery, gets them salvage from the city of Denver. It's been painted, dipped, then painted. Still pulls at 60mph.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 373417779/

buzzvert

Next time you change the oil put in lighter rollers - 2gm lighter. I can't recall if you drop from 13 gm rollers to 11, or from 11 to 9 - but it does liven the Vino up. Nothing can make the Vino as quick as the Buddy, though. It is a slug with me on it, but with my wife on it, and me on the Buddy t...

buzzvert

I'd also ad that the speedometer on the Vino is a bit more accurate than that on the Buddy. The Vino's is about 3 mph optimistic.. The Buddy's is about 7 mph optimistic. For the length of time the Buddy/PGO Ligero/PGO BuBu/PGO MyBuBu has been in production, it is surprising to me hat nobody (that I...

buzzvert

Honestly this dumb little Vino is growing on me. The center of gravity is super-low, the seat and footbed are wider, and it's like riding a futon around. It takes its sweet time to get to 40, but it'll just keep going until 55. It's like a big bubble-butted fast Honda Metropolitan. Indicated speed i...

buzzvert

Thanks a lot, Ill give it a shot. A few other things id like to run past you if you don't mind. After the build I put a new spark plug in and shortly after maybe 5 miles - just doing testing the spark plug had a gunky oily build up which was making the spark low. I cleaned it and have checked back ...

buzzvert

I like this one, have it on all 3 of my buddy 125s:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/11-Forsa-Perfo ... 2693127048

buzzvert

Ive ridden both. The vino is more relaxed and has a softer ride. Shorter seat height. The engine is really unresponsive to mods. I've done a variator,exhaust and carb/airbox mods. It made no difference. I think the 2 valve head is restrictive. In stock form they are bomb proof. Great bikes. I do no...

buzzvert

At first the engine was bogging down at about 1/4 throttle, I was reading this may be because the jet was to big so I changed it at the same time I also discovered a welded restrictor in the Yasuni. Since the bike was running, I never thought to put the old slow jet back in. Do you think that would...

Modern Buddy

Search found 140 matches

Re: 2011 buddy 50

Hey look a Roughhouse 50!

Buddy 125 drivetrain in Honda Metropolitan

OT: Why you should always get the Service Manual

Buddy wheel work on Roughhouse 10"?

Re: Fuel Gauge and Horn Won't Work on Buddy 125 - 2nd Fuse?

Another salvage Buddy project - no spark condition

Rear rack mounts ripped out - drill through bottom tube?