Modern Buddy

It's official. Dealer scooterbill in Atlanta announced this in the Blur forum, confirming what a lot of people had guessed or at least hoped for.

Genuine Blur 220i coming in 2010. Don't know when; I think the Stella 4T will be out first.

any word on the cost?

$3899.

According to what I've heard (proxy via my dealer) the Stella and Blur are both due out in April. I'm intrigued by both. I'll believe them when I see em, hehe.

Hm, maybe I need to go check the CARB docs again…
EDIT: Nope, nothing new yet. The existing lineup has all been approved. I know Stella was submitted for testing some time ago, which is why I think it may come first. Also Stella & Blur coming from different countries… Not sure if they'll arrive at dealers at the same time. Which could still mean April for both!

Wow, kinda makes me glad i haven't gotten a new scoot yet. We're getting a fatty tax refund this year, basically because we just adopted my nephew about a year and a half ago so i might be able to scrounge that up! I was gonna spend some money on mods for my scoot but now it looks like i might hold up on that.
Mahalo for the post Eric!

let's hope it happens in '10 and sticks around for more than 2 years. I'm not close to ready for an upgrade yet but a bigger stronger faster Blur might turn my head.

I'm actually more excited that now I might be able to get FI partsto try to adapt to the Buddy Seriously though, I'll be at least test riding these things when they get in. I was sorry I didn't bother when the first round of Blurs was at my dealer, and by the time I knew enough to be interested in trying one, they were long gone.

See I told you LMC! mmmmmmmmm 220 blur, soon very soon

Wow, thats not too much more than a Black Jack. I really need to pick something up soon for commuting so I can start playing with the 50, this just might be an option although I was trying to hold out for the retro touring scoot.

Touring scoot is coming, though I'm guessing it's going to be later in the year now.

BTW, the Blur 220 will reportedly be available in gunmetal grey and white!

I really like the gray/silver if its the same color as the one on the PGO site

jasondavis48108 wrote:Wow, thats not too much more than a Black Jack. I really need to pick something up soon for commuting so I can start playing with the 50, this just might be an option although I was trying to hold out for the retro touring scoot.

My Blur 150 is an excellent commuter. The 220 could only be better. I can get my rather large frame up to 65 on the 150. A little more displacement would make it more comfy on the Interstate.

It's a good looking beast too, though I suppose if the classic look of the Buddy or Sella is your thing, it is probably an abomination.

One of the best things about the Blur is the center tunnel. You can still step through, but it's high enough that you can insert a tank bag (you have to tether it, though. The tank bag is handy for carrying stuff and makes for a great cup holder. In fact, you can fit a fast food bag and a large drink perfectly in the bag for those lunch runs.

ericalm wrote:Hm, maybe I need to go check the CARB docs again…
EDIT: Nope, nothing new yet. The existing lineup has all been approved. I know Stella was submitted for testing some time ago, which is why I think it may come first. Also Stella & Blur coming from different countries… Not sure if they'll arrive at dealers at the same time. Which could still mean April for both!

Don't hold your breath for CARB. Last I heard, SYM is still waiting for the Symba and Fiddle II. SYM was expecting approval back in Sept 09.

Stella actually went to CARB before the SYMs, I think. SYM really blew it with the Symba in CA by not submitting it for testing much earlier.

Hey what happened to the "This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures" emoticon??? Is it MB history? Would have been perfect here...

Well... This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures!

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Hey what happened to the "This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures" emoticon??? Is it MB history? Would have been perfect here...

Well... This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures!

It messed up the mojo of all the other emotes. Actually, no clue where it went, lol.

As for pics... well. It's a Blur... with different colors.

Imagine the following with either the white or gray. I'm only assuming that it's the "ice gray" pictured. It could very well be the old Blur gray color. White is HAWT.



I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to explain to my wife that we desperately need this.

I killed the emoticon because people didn't actually use it that much and it screwed up the window because it was so big.

No pics of the US version yet, though.

HA! I knew it messed with the mojo!

Lostmycage wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Hey what happened to the "This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures" emoticon??? Is it MB history? Would have been perfect here...

Well... This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures!

It messed up the mojo of all the other emotes. Actually, no clue where it went, lol.

As for pics... well. It's a Blur... with different colors.

Imagine the following with either the white or gray. I'm only assuming that it's the "ice gray" pictured. It could very well be the old Blur gray color. White is HAWT.



I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to explain to my wife that we desperately need this.

Oooh, that's dead sexy, that is! I like the '07 Blur color. I think about painting it sometimes, but then I go look at it and I dismiss that idea.

By the way, I haven't ridden since before Christmas and it's killing me. It warmed up to over 32 yesterday for the first time in 2010. Starting to see the grass in some areas today. I'm getting that itchy feeling!

i'm excited to see the branding, they usually do a nice job, if Taiwan puts the stickers on straight. I saw some mockups and they had a lot of decisions to make but I'm sure Eric and Grayson will make me proud to be a blur owner, ha.

note that if you look across the Blur range, there are some seat variations and 2-3 different fenders, so they had some choices to make there, too.

I actually have a few dozen photos of the 220 i rode (white) but I don't know how similar theirs will be, and back then they asked me not to publish them.

I bet one reason they chose white was because the 2-tone mirrors (same as the rattler) look great and they said they couldn't reliably color-match them if they chose their own color since PGO outsources them

For reference (Spam!) here's my review, if you didn't see it back then. (no pix)

http://2strokebuzz.com/2009/08/09/genui ... -test-ride

So happy to see this great underrated scooter get another chance, with a bigger engine!

Bb.

This is certainly the scooter I want, my task will be to convince my wife of three things:

1. She needs to learn to ride
2. She gets the Buddy
3. I need this $3899 new Blur

Not disappointed in the least with the new 220 Blur but did want to ask, why a 220 engine? It just seems like a strange size.Anyone know? Thanks.

BuddyLicious wrote:Not disappointed in the least with the new 220 Blur but did want to ask, why a 220 engine? It just seems like a strange size.Anyone know? Thanks.

The 219cc prototype didn't have quite enough power.

It's the largest engine they've been able to make work with the 6-link rear suspension. They had a 250cc version a while back that had the double rear shocks.

Really, the only thing that's odd is that they're labeling by it's actual displacement. That's a lot different from Kymco People S163, SYM HD171, Vespa GTS 244 (or the GTS 278 Super), SYM Citycom 262 or Scarabeo 460ie. Those are just the first I could think of off the top of my head.

Blur 220i where "i" stands for "actual"!

Great, another scooter that I want... Hmmmm.

Lostmycage wrote:Really, the only thing that's odd is that they're labeling by it's actual displacement. That's a lot different from Kymco People S163, SYM HD171, Vespa GTS 244 (or the GTS 278 Super), SYM Citycom 262 or Scarabeo 460ie.

Lol, so true.

Gotta say I'm not a fan of the modern, space-age-looking scooters. But the Blur is FAR and AWAY the most attractive of all of them, it doth almost convince me...

Got my name on my local dealer's waiting list. This is going to be a looong three months! Leaning towards the grey and white one but, straight white would make it easier to paint a different color.

babblefish wrote:Got my name on my local dealer's waiting list. This is going to be a looong three months!

Congratulations, babblefish! That is going to be one sweet ride - a 220cc FI version of the Blur! It's like having a genie pop out of the bottle and grant one of your wishes, isn't it? The hardcore Blurpeeps are all holding their breath waiting for your first ride report.

I've never ridden a Blur! I'll be eager to test one of these bad boys.

If I'd risked divorce* by running off to the Dealer Expo in Indy this weekend I probably would have been able to test both the Blur and Stella 4T.

These are getting their official unveiling tomorrow!

*Maybe not divorce, but my wife is taking several much-deserved days off and a trip to Indy for the Dealer expo wasn't exactly what she was hoping for.

ericalm wrote:I've never ridden a Blur! I'll be eager to test one of these bad boys.

It's different, no doubt about it. In a lot of respects, it will feel pretty alien compared to your LX. It's not really a step through and it handles more like a motorcycle than a scooter thanks to larger wheels and different steering geometry. However, it's small and light and automatic and zippy like a scooter. For me, it's damned close to the best of both worlds. Great as the 150 Blur was, it needed a little more motor. That's why I'm so over the moon about the potential of the 220i.

If the economy will just pick up a little bit and Genuine does their usual outstanding marketing job, it could be a big winner, maybe even as big as the Buddy. I can easily see it selling as a hotrod scooter to scooter enthusiasts, a serious commuter for folks who sometimes have the need for speed, and as a gateway bike for motorcyclists. If it's as good as we hope, it has a lot of potential. Let's hope.

I hope they do something about the headlights. That would be the only thing left to complain about on the Blur if it had a better motor.

Lostmycage wrote:I hope they do something about the headlights. That would be the only thing left to complain about on the Blur if it had a better motor.

Really? The headlights are nothing special, but not bad. Riding in the city, they seem dim, but when you're really out in the country in the pitch black they work surprisingly well. I adjusted the aim a little and upgraded to silverstar bulbs and it didn't make a perceptible difference. I didn't take before and after photos, though.

Ryan from Scooterworks sent me a before and after photo of his headlight post LED upgrade (for the running lights) that looked pretty amazing, so I ordered a bunch of LEDs in different brightnesses and colors to see how they compared. He must have been using multi-LED bulbs, it didn't make a huge difference for me. I got some funky colors, too so I just put those in to keep people on their toes.

Bb.

Yeah, I've never been impressed with it. I never went to the Silverstars because I was concerned about the battery going dead... not sure where I got that notion. I did upgrade to the PIAA HS1 and white LED running lights... but it just never seemed to do the trick. I think a lot of just has to do with the headlight position being so low. I never got into trouble over not being able to see anything, but it always seems just a bit dim. I always felt like one day I was going to experiment with cutting that strip out of the middle of the headlight.

It's purely a matter of personal preference and I'm sure the Blur's headlights are better than others. It could just be in my head.

Specs, courtesy of Genuine's Facebook page:

ENGINE: 220.1 cc 4-Stroke Fuel
Injected, Air-Cooled
TRANSMISSION: Automatic (CVT)
CURB WEIGHT: 317 pounds
COLORS: Gun Metal, White
MILAGE: 78 MPG
SIZE: F: 120/60-13 R: 130/60-13
BRAKING: Front and Rear Hydraulic Disc
TOP SPEED: 75 MPH
WARRANTY: 2 year/Unlimited-mile

Pictures coming soon

75 MPH, yyyeeeooowwwzzzaaa! Mongo likey!

First pic! Courtesy Ron Arnold via Twitter:
http://twitter.com/DetroitScooter/status/9060185613

WTF?! DOT lights?! That's not right. Other than that, HAWT!

Another one:

Lostmycage wrote:WTF?! DOT lights?! That's not right. Other than that, HAWT!

I know what my first modification is going to be....

Okeh, I've seen the all-white one now too. I'll try to obtain a pic to post ASAP.

No offense to current Blur owners, but I think the 2 new colors look way better than Blurs versions 1 & 2 and will really make them stand out among the other sport scooters. I can really see these finally finding the following the Blur always deserved. Right combination of style, differentiation from other models, and performance specs.

They're both shiny! I love the Blur, but they really weren't awake when it was time to pic colors... unless they intended the rough gray to be more like a primer so the owners could paint it as they saw fit.

I wonder if the original turn signals are wired to work or if they rigged it like they did the Buddy. That'd definitely be the first thing gone.

ericalm wrote:Okeh, I've seen the all-white one now too. I'll try to obtain a pic to post ASAP.

No offense to current Blur owners, but I think the 2 new colors look way better than Blurs versions 1 & 2 and will really make them stand out among the other sport scooters. I can really see these finally finding the following the Blur always deserved. Right combination of style, differentiation from other models, and performance specs.

My '07 in stock colors looks pretty much like the gray they have now. Fist thing I'd do, though, is take those white side covers off and paint them black, like they are on my Blur. I don't know whats up with the turn signals. My '07 just used the existing ones on either side of the headlights.

i want it i want it ...anyone want to by a low mile 07???

damn that white one is hawt! I'm trying to justify trading up my blue '07 Burgman for the '09 white one, so funds are very limited. To tell the truth I couldnt be happier with my vintage Blur and am not interested in the upgrade, but damn that white one is hawt!

I like the new colors, and it was probably a smart move not to over-brand them, but I still like my orange one better. Someone crash one soon so I can switch my engine.

UGH BOO FAKE CARBON FIBER. Gack. People will love them.

Bb.

BeachBuzz wrote:damn that white one is hawt! I'm trying to justify trading up my blue '07 Burgman for the '09 white one, so funds are very limited. To tell the truth I couldnt be happier with my vintage Blur and am not interested in the upgrade, but damn that white one is hawt!

Burgie 400? How much you want for it? How many miles?

Here's a few more as I write up the blog entries. It's an awesome-looking machine and I can't wait to ride it. Commence saving of pennies...











And yes, the front brake caliper is gold, the rear one is red (at least on both of the Blur SS220is they had on display). They also had two different seats on them, the one on the white one slightly less tapered at the top. I think that they are going with the one on the gray Blur as it was a bit more comfortable and gave the rider about 1/2" lower positioning. On both Blurs the seat felt a little tall. Still great and yeah, "do want".