Modern Buddy

I just traded an Aprilia Scarabeo 200 for a Buddy Italia 150.

I used to get waves from practically EVERY bike that passed by.

Yesterday on my first ride home on the Buddy I waved a at least three bikers; all of which ignored me completely.

I'm guessing that the Aprilia looked more like a "real" bike whereas the Buddy is clearly a scoot, and a petite one at that.

Next chopper rider that doesn't return my wave is going to get a beep from my air-horn. )

Shoot! Don't jump to conclusions here!

I get more waves when I'm on my little Yammie C3 than when I was on the big, bad "Apocalyptic Black" Buddy Psycho!



And I live a mile down from the Harley store!



Lack of "the wave" means nothing. Probably just a bunch of lawyers out for their monthly ride and they don't know anything about "the wave" !

Whimscootie wrote:
Lack of "the wave" means nothing. Probably just a bunch of lawyers out for their monthly ride and they don't know anything about "the wave" !

Funny you said that. I saw today two guys riding in suits(sans jacket). One on a CBR600r the other a Ninja300. Pretty cool.

As far as the wave, don't sweat it. I stopped waving long ago for MCs. That said, I find most MC riders that do wave since I've stopped waving are Harleys.

It's a funny thing, though. I get more waves from motorcyclists than I do scooters.

I guess it was just a test.. ; )

I was out last Sunday (on the Great River Road north of Alton, IL, for local reference). The weather was fantastic, so there were loads of bikes of all sorts - plenty of Harleys (both riders _and_ lawyers), sport bikes, trikes, you name it.

I decided to throw waves fairly often, even buzzing along at 55-60(gps). The fewest waves, of course, came from the too-cool sport bikers, the lawyers threw a few, and the grizzled old Harley guys almost always did. A couple threw some big grins and thumbs-ups as well. No real surprises.

misterbrackets wrote:It's a funny thing, though. I get more waves from motorcyclists than I do scooters.

Me too.

Christophers wrote:

misterbrackets wrote:It's a funny thing, though. I get more waves from motorcyclists than I do scooters.

Me too.

This is probably because a lot of scooter riders are "new" riders and don't know the proper etiquette. This is probably a contributing factor in MC riders not waving. It's a vicious cycle..............

When I'm out road-trippin' I get return waves from everyone on two wheels, no matter what they're riding. Even in Wisconsin (Harley HQ), they don't mind being friendly to the dork on a red plastic scoot wearing a checkered helmet. In town ... not so much.

TVB wrote:When I'm out road-trippin' I get return waves from everyone on two wheels, no matter what they're riding. Even in Wisconsin (Harley HQ), they don't mind being friendly to the dork on a red plastic scoot wearing a checkered helmet. In town ... not so much.

I said the same thing to my wife just the other day. When you are out on the open road, you tend to get respect no matter what you are riding. In the city it's hit or miss. I get more waves on my Aprilia, but that's probably because it looks more like a sport bike from the front. Other scooterists almost NEVER wave back. Vespa riders seem to be a little better than most.

jrstone wrote:
I said the same thing to my wife just the other day. When you are out on the open road, you tend to get respect no matter what you are riding. In the city it's hit or miss. I get more waves on my Aprilia, but that's probably because it looks more like a sport bike from the front. Other scooterists almost NEVER wave back. Vespa riders seem to be a little better than most.

You and TVB have really come up with something there. CITY riding is much different than on the open road. It makes perfect sense.


This should be in the WIKI.

Here's a completely different take on "the wave" as seen from my perspective. I've learned to think small, very small. This is why I say things like, "I'm saving my pennies for a <insert $25K dreamcycle here>." Folks think I'm being hyperbolic, but I am not. I count one dollar at a time towards a goal like $25K and just keep going until I hit the goal. I have a pretty good (not perfect) track record, too. Same deal with "the wave." My goal is to make the world of riding a friendlier, happier place, so I wave. One wave is nothing. It may get returned, it may not. 100 waves is not much, but it's something. 1000 waves is getting on up there. Five - ten thousand friendly waves is something. I figure all those happy waves have probably contributed at least something towards making the riding world a better place. What more can you ask? It's just a wave.

MrCelloBoy wrote:I just traded an Aprilia Scarabeo 200 for a Buddy Italia 150.

As one who also has an Aprilia Scarabeo 200 (a low mileage '09) and thinking about trading it in on a another lighter weight Buddy (a Hooligan maybe), mind telling me what the trade-in value was? And, to keep this on topic, yes, I get more waves on the Aprilia than any of my Buddies.

Bill in Seattle
'09 150 Blackjack
'12 170i Italia

I feel like I got more waves when I was puttering along on my little red Honda Metropolitan as opposed to now, on my bright seafoam green Buddy all covered in decals, but I still do get a fair amount of waves from MC riders. (I do get more enthusiastic greetings from fellow scooter enthusiasts, especially people who got theirs from the same shop I got mine...)

The Blue Book for both was almost even.
The Buddy owner was listing at $1600. I was listing as looking to trade but open to sale at around $2100.
My Aprilia had lower miles and was in more pristine shape. both bikes will need tires soon. Both bikes were well-maintained. Both have aftermarket trunks.

I traded him almost straight for $50 cash to me because he was willing to rent a trailer and deliver the Buddy to me.
We both are happy with our new rides, and we both feel happy with the transaction.

He's selling me the aftermarket windshield for $60 this weekend.

jrsjr wrote:I figure all those happy waves have probably contributed at least something towards making the riding world a better place. What more can you ask? It's just a wave.

Waving is like smiling. It costs nothing, gives a little, and sometimes pays you back.

And sometimes it pays back with a cute stranger beep-beep-ing and waving back like you were their best friend they hadn't seen in a year.

One of the things motorcyclists who know scooterists joke about is our collective obsession with waves. Our need to be recognized and acknowledged. It cracks me up.

I got a wave yesterday from a young woman on a black Buddy, then she kind of half revoked it when I didn't wave back. But I couldn't because I was making a right from a stop and shifting — working the clutch. I was giving her the "hey, scooterist!"™ head nod but she may not have seen it because she was looking for the wave. Or she may not have even been waving to me at all, because she was at a stop and was dancing on her scoot so it may have just been some sick moves.

Point being, it doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it's nice to get one in return.

On the Buddy 170i I get waves from the MC crowd 60% of the time. They are not quite sure what it is, clipping along at 55-60 and has windshield,
saddle bags, foot pegs and a top box. Most of my riding is rural. Had a biker pull up beside my at a stop light in our little town, asked a lot of questions about the 170i. If I am riding my sidecar rig I get waves from almost all the MC crowd. My dealer/riding friend told me that someone
commented on seeing an old hipster on a hack the other day. Brian told him who it was. Old I am but what the heck is a hipster???

I've been getting waves since.
Apparently it was a test of my own attitude ; )

Whether or not I get a wave, I'm having a great time.

said it b4 i'll say it again....Buddy get's NO RESPECT!!

also in motorcycling otf times "like = like" when it comes to "the wave." so wave to other scooterists if you will, don't expect it from others. or even fellow scooterists. also watch this and don't give a shit as much

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This actually came up on a local facebook group I am on - a motorcycle rider was complaining that the harley riders never wave to him.

Somewhere in the thread someone said basically they will wave to anyone "except scoots, because they aren't bikes." Someone else countered with "I ride a Harley, and wave at everyone, even scoots, because two wheels is two wheels. I don't tell them what is good for them to ride."

A third person chimed in with basically, if he had a scoot, he would ride the h8ll out of it.

By the end of the thread, three themes emerged:
1. won't wave at any scoot (minority)
2. wave at anyone on two wheels
3. wave at anyone on two wheels if they are female. otherwise only wave if waved to
4. will only wave at scoot drivers if they wave at first because holy crap they think we all crazy for driving around on wheels that small and if we want to risk trying to drive on these pothole crazy roads and wave, we can take that risk ourselves!!! (This was actually shared by many and sort of amused me given the things these people cop to on the group)

I am in the #2 group. As I said before, if I am riding the hack EVERY BODY
waves back at the old hipster!! I don't care if the wave is not returned as on my part I wave out of courtesy.

This topic can be beat to death and over analyzed until the cows come home.

For me it comes down to:

1. Give the "biker wave" to all fellow riders, no matter the machine.
2. If they don't return it, let it go.
3. There's snobs in every "bike culture" whether scooter, Harleys, sport bikes, whatever.

The same dynamic exists in the bicycling community and every once in a while the topic surfaces about roadies, mountain bikers, recumbent riders, etc. and who waves and who doesn't.

Really, who cares?

ericalm wrote:I got a wave yesterday from a young woman on a black Buddy, then she kind of half revoked it when I didn't wave back. But I couldn't because I was making a right from a stop and shifting — working the clutch.

Geez Eric, she probably cried all the way home you big meanie!!


I've given up on waving for the most part - too many two wheelers.

I give the Nantucket wave to everyone.....especially hot chix.

I am with Deb on this one!!!

Funny thing.

When I'm on my Moto Guzzi, which looks nothing like a Harley, 70% of HD riders don't wave, 90% of other riders do.

When I'm on my Scarabeo, or my wife's Blackjack, 95% of HD riders wave, most other riders wave, but almost no scooter riders wave!

My observation, for what it's worth...

I was ripping around over the weekend doing a bunch of testing. Full gear, and by that I mean a FULL Alpinestars suit, pucks and all. Full-on Power Ranger action. I threw first when possible. Would say 90-95% success rate, a lot of bikes out, Harleys most reliable (about 100%).

On the motorcycles, why I DO NOT wave:

No gear. Not trying to drag the thread there, just saying. No gear, I do not throw.

Clutching/braking. I will throw a nod.

Front wheel in the air. You're on your own, friendly guy/gal. Sorry.

Good point. Problem in my area is that every one wears a helmet because it is the law but 90% do not wear any protective gear other than that. I don't bother to lecture them if I know them but I wont ride with them.

I'll wave at anyone, regardless of gear. Especially with newbies, I figure that treating them like part of the responsible motorcycling family might start them thinking about acting like one.

Down here they laugh at us for being scared!! My response to that is that any one who rides, MCs, scoots,trikes, tug/hacks had better be scared.
Don't count on cagers even being aware of your existence, keep your eyes moving at intersections, side streets and checking your mirrors to see who
is coming behind you. You would be amazed at how many cagers, men and women, are seen texting or talking while running 70-80mph on our two lane
secondary roads.

enjoy...

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I wave at everything on 2 wheels. If they wave back, cool. If not, no worries. If they do the "put hand on lap" thing (actively going out of their way to show they aren't waving) I can easily pull back a few fingers and say hi right back. It's rare though, normally it's only dentists and lawyers on choppers that do that. Old school bikers always wave, and stop to help if someone is broke down. I return the favor and do the same, Stella's are rolling toolboxes.

I wave at everyone, unless I'm in the twisties, like up in the Smokies somewhere.

People who don't wave back? I chase 'em down and beat 'em up.

Scoots, Hawgs, ricers - I don't care. I was being *nice* to you, dangit...

I never really seen a reason for "the wave".
Always thought it was kind of dumb myself.
I mean, really, do I WANT to take a hand off of the handlebar
on a scooter that is rolling on 19.2" OD tires (130/90/10) !!!
NO.
I hold my wave unless rolling slowly into a rally / meeting place! LOL

Just my worthless $0.02

:-p

So, now being on a bike, I wave at everybody. If they don't wave back, it causes me no pain.
And I wave at every scoot I see. Come to think of it, i almost always save first at scoots.
I always saw it as a quick, fun way to say to a stranger, "hey man! Out riding, huh? Me too! Take it easy!"

The Buddy is so much fun that I find myself waving to nearly everyone in neighborhoods--and I mean everyone. Little kids, young guys, middle age, etc. Often, they wave first.
The other day a "real" motorcyclist nodded to me. He was older and his nod boosted my confidence and made me feel proud.
The more I ride in city traffic the more I realize it's a jungle out there, with drivers who are oblivious to me, despite all my bright clothing. Seriously. I felt like I was playing roulette. I rarely see a scooter.
I wave at drivers who actually see me and stop and wait. I figure showing appreciation for not killing me is wise.

The Buddy is so much fun that I find myself waving to nearly everyone in neighborhoods--and I mean everyone. Little kids, young guys, middle age, etc. Often, they wave first.
The other day a "real" motorcyclist nodded to me. He was older and his nod boosted my confidence and made me feel proud.
The more I ride in city traffic the more I realize it's a jungle out there, with drivers who are oblivious to me, despite all my bright clothing. Seriously. I felt like I was playing roulette. I rarely see a scooter.
I wave at drivers who actually see me and stop and wait. I figure showing appreciation for not killing me is wise.

I waved at scooter riders back when I just had a motorcycle. Now that I have 2 scooters I'm on them more than the bike & I get more waves. Not so much in town but out on country roads, almost everyone waves. Oddly enough I probably get more waves from Harley riders than anyone. Never from sports bike riders but I understand that. When half your body weight is on your wrists you really don't want to lift one hand. Nice to get a wave or return one but if not I don't let it bother me. I know I've missed some when I'm looking straight ahead & see a hand in my peripheral vision, turn my head &......too late.

jrsjr wrote:Here's a completely different take on "the wave" as seen from my perspective. I've learned to think small, very small. This is why I say things like, "I'm saving my pennies for a <insert $25K dreamcycle here>." Folks think I'm being hyperbolic, but I am not. I count one dollar at a time towards a goal like $25K and just keep going until I hit the goal. I have a pretty good (not perfect) track record, too. Same deal with "the wave." My goal is to make the world of riding a friendlier, happier place, so I wave. One wave is nothing. It may get returned, it may not. 100 waves is not much, but it's something. 1000 waves is getting on up there. Five - ten thousand friendly waves is something. I figure all those happy waves have probably contributed at least something towards making the riding world a better place. What more can you ask? It's just a wave.

Re-read this thread. I like this post I quoted a lot. Spread the love, one try at a time. I can dig it. It's the way the pyramids were built. Why mess with that kind of success?

ucandoit wrote:The Buddy is so much fun that I find myself waving to nearly everyone in neighborhoods--and I mean everyone. Little kids, young guys, middle age, etc. Often, they wave first.
The other day a "real" motorcyclist nodded to me. He was older and his nod boosted my confidence and made me feel proud.
The more I ride in city traffic the more I realize it's a jungle out there, with drivers who are oblivious to me, despite all my bright clothing. Seriously. I felt like I was playing roulette. I rarely see a scooter.
I wave at drivers who actually see me and stop and wait. I figure showing appreciation for not killing me is wise.

I notice I get a lot of smiles, nods and waves as well from a bunch of people on bikes or not.

I've gotten a few nods or waves from a real motorcycle. I've had people at stop lights ask me about the scooter as we're waiting for the light to turn green. I even got one from a guy in a car in the passenger seat riding by as I was waiting to turn - that cracked me up.

Yeah it feels somewhat good to get a real biker to wave to you, but at the same time I also know I miss many motorcyclists myself when I'm riding and I might have missed a wave from them too so if I do it first and get nothing back, it's not the end of the world to me. Riding safely comes first - waves 2nd.

I get the "wave" back from motorcycle cops pretty often

I get quite a few waves from motorcyclistas. I even got a knuckle bump from a guy on a big cruiser in rush hour traffic last week at a stop light. He was impressed with how well my Buddy kept up with traffic.

misterbrackets wrote:It's a funny thing, though. I get more waves from motorcyclists than I do scooters.

Scooterists that don't wave are most likely new (I'm not kidding... some riders are terrified to let go of a bar).

black sunshine wrote:I get the "wave" back from motorcycle cops pretty often

I had a motorcycle cop 'nod' at me the other morning.
About 50% other bikes will wave or return my wave. Never a sport bike however. If they do, they do. If they don't, they don't. I'm not gonna let it bother me one way or another. Don't see too many scooters on my regular rides, they too are about 50% wave/no wave.

wheelbender6 wrote:I even got a knuckle bump from a guy on a big cruiser in rush hour traffic last week at a stop light. He was impressed with how well my Buddy kept up with traffic.

Its all about the 'Brotherhood of two wheels'.
Some people however must feel 'threatened' by scooters. Yesterday for instance, a Harley came up behind me, couldn't pass and simply turned off. I heard him revving up to a higher rate of speed and a few moments later I spotted him zooming out into traffic at the next intersection. When I came up beside him at a traffic light he spat at my front tire, turned right, from the left lane, I was in the right lane and rode off in a different direction.

Last weekend we had a club rally in the Texas Hill Country. The roads were full of bikes - mostly Harleys. We were the only scooter riders I saw all weekend. We got enthusiastic waves from nearly every biker and lots of good comments from folks at the ice houses at which we stopped. I think it has to do with riding conditions - if you are fighting traffic a wave is not as convenient as when you are just cruising.