Having Second Thoughts...
Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:22 am
I put a refundable deposit down on this Psycho in Indiana the other day and I have to admit I am having second thoughts about going through with the deal.
Before you all flog me with a wet noodle, let me explain. And then maybe someone(s) can get my mind straightened out on this issue one way or the other.
First, I have ridden 4 different scooters in 6 years, 2 of them 49cc. What I enjoyed about those was the zippy ride, the nimble handling, and the small lightweight handling characteristics.
Interestingly these are all characteristics that I've read about re the Buddy scooter too. With that and all the other features on the Buddy, I had come to conclude through my research that the Buddy would make the best "all around" scooter for me (tootling about town, riding back roads, longer trips out into the country).
When I went to see and ride the Psycho I had never ridden a Buddy before. Over the years I've owned and/or ridden: Honda Ruckus, Honda Met, Honda Elite 80 and 110, Yamaha Zuma 125, Honda Big Ruckus, Honda Helix, Kymco Agility 125, and Kymco People 150. These are all the scoots I've ever driven.
So we go to the house for me to ride the Buddy Psycho. I am excited and giddy, naturally. The owner goes over the scoot with me and I then am ready to try it out for myself in this nice neighborhood with quiet streets.
Finally, I am "on the eve" of trying the scooter that everyone is raving about!
I got on, nice reach to the ground with the balls of my feet, comfortable reach to the handlebars. I start it up and it ROARS to life!
That is what I mean: "roars". I couldn't believe how loud it was (regular pipe here). Now I've been used to Honda scoots, which are reputedly very quiet. No kidding.
Not only is it roaring, but it is vibrating. I make a comment about that to the owner and he tells me it will settle down around 30-40mph. Ok.
So I give it throttle, expecting a crotch rocket and it sluggishly rumbles forward. The throttle felt "mushy". Once I got it to the street and throttled it went forward and I had to give it a lot of throttle to get it moving. I got up to around 35mph and it still rumbled along and I thought, "WTF is all the hype about here?" while at the same time feeling SO disappointed.
Guys, it felt like a tank: big, lumber-ey, oafish, and when I let up on the throttle it was slowing down immediately. No coasting at all. In fact, on the whole ride I never had to use my brakes to stop. Just let up on the throttle.
So now I am telling myself, "I'm tired, I'm not used to a bigger scooter, it's cold, the scooter is cold, etc." but am determined to see how it maneuvers in the cul-de-sac up ahead. The "nimbleness factor". I was disappointed there too.
I finally made it back to the house and got off and just felt dumb founded. I rationalized my impressions by telling myself that I would just have to adapt to a new scooter's handling and characteristics.
And maybe that's it. I don't know. I put down a deposit, knowing I could get a refund if I changed my mind.
Since then I've been torn between celebrating what I felt was "the one" to wondering if I am getting myself in for a big disappointment. I keep telling myself it's got to be me not being used to another scoot, that 1000s of Buddy riders can't be wrong. But truth is, I'm not feeling it.
I know the feeling of test riding a scooter and being excited to get back on it. I can't understand why I went ahead and put the money down, but I was caught up in the hype and emotion.
Help me out here. Is this the typical experience of riding a Buddy? The roar, the vibration, the mushy throttle, the sluggish deceleration to a stop just by not giving it juice?
Is it me? Is it the scooter? What do you Buddy lovers think?
Thanks for anything to get me thinking. I have only a few more days to make a final decision....
Before you all flog me with a wet noodle, let me explain. And then maybe someone(s) can get my mind straightened out on this issue one way or the other.
First, I have ridden 4 different scooters in 6 years, 2 of them 49cc. What I enjoyed about those was the zippy ride, the nimble handling, and the small lightweight handling characteristics.
Interestingly these are all characteristics that I've read about re the Buddy scooter too. With that and all the other features on the Buddy, I had come to conclude through my research that the Buddy would make the best "all around" scooter for me (tootling about town, riding back roads, longer trips out into the country).
When I went to see and ride the Psycho I had never ridden a Buddy before. Over the years I've owned and/or ridden: Honda Ruckus, Honda Met, Honda Elite 80 and 110, Yamaha Zuma 125, Honda Big Ruckus, Honda Helix, Kymco Agility 125, and Kymco People 150. These are all the scoots I've ever driven.
So we go to the house for me to ride the Buddy Psycho. I am excited and giddy, naturally. The owner goes over the scoot with me and I then am ready to try it out for myself in this nice neighborhood with quiet streets.
Finally, I am "on the eve" of trying the scooter that everyone is raving about!
I got on, nice reach to the ground with the balls of my feet, comfortable reach to the handlebars. I start it up and it ROARS to life!
That is what I mean: "roars". I couldn't believe how loud it was (regular pipe here). Now I've been used to Honda scoots, which are reputedly very quiet. No kidding.
Not only is it roaring, but it is vibrating. I make a comment about that to the owner and he tells me it will settle down around 30-40mph. Ok.
So I give it throttle, expecting a crotch rocket and it sluggishly rumbles forward. The throttle felt "mushy". Once I got it to the street and throttled it went forward and I had to give it a lot of throttle to get it moving. I got up to around 35mph and it still rumbled along and I thought, "WTF is all the hype about here?" while at the same time feeling SO disappointed.
Guys, it felt like a tank: big, lumber-ey, oafish, and when I let up on the throttle it was slowing down immediately. No coasting at all. In fact, on the whole ride I never had to use my brakes to stop. Just let up on the throttle.
So now I am telling myself, "I'm tired, I'm not used to a bigger scooter, it's cold, the scooter is cold, etc." but am determined to see how it maneuvers in the cul-de-sac up ahead. The "nimbleness factor". I was disappointed there too.
I finally made it back to the house and got off and just felt dumb founded. I rationalized my impressions by telling myself that I would just have to adapt to a new scooter's handling and characteristics.
And maybe that's it. I don't know. I put down a deposit, knowing I could get a refund if I changed my mind.
Since then I've been torn between celebrating what I felt was "the one" to wondering if I am getting myself in for a big disappointment. I keep telling myself it's got to be me not being used to another scoot, that 1000s of Buddy riders can't be wrong. But truth is, I'm not feeling it.
I know the feeling of test riding a scooter and being excited to get back on it. I can't understand why I went ahead and put the money down, but I was caught up in the hype and emotion.
Help me out here. Is this the typical experience of riding a Buddy? The roar, the vibration, the mushy throttle, the sluggish deceleration to a stop just by not giving it juice?
Is it me? Is it the scooter? What do you Buddy lovers think?
Thanks for anything to get me thinking. I have only a few more days to make a final decision....