Modern Buddy

Hello Forum

So, I have had a few scooters, my recent one which I recently sold was a Kymco People S250, it was a big machine and a bit too tall at 32" seat height and I'm only 5'6"... so I sold it with the intention of getting something a little smaller but didnt want to sacrifice the pep of the large motor,
anyway, today I came across a 2015 Genuine Buddy 170i with 135 miles on it. the guy claimed the purchase was a mistake for him, so he is asking $2500 to get out of it, it is smaller than the Kymco I had but the displacement isnt as much as the Kymco. but I'm thinking I will be OK, seems to match what I am after...
So my questions are, Is the Genuine a decent machine for the money? why did it depreciate so much in value? he said he paid over $4000 new just a few months ago.... my concern is if I pay $2500 now....if I want to upgrade next year, is it only going to be worth $1200 bucks? Also, is it a good price? Is he asking too much or not enough?

thanks for any info

The Buddy 170i is certainly a decent scooter for the money and is also smaller and lighter than a Kymco 250. The lower seat works well for shorter riders. That is a fair price and Buddys are well thought of at resale. Now, what the Buddy is not is a scooter of similar power and speed to a Kymco 250 (or BV250, or Vespa GTS, or whatever). It is a good around town and even backroads scooter, but it has pretty much run out of poop at 60 mph. All depends on how you want to use it.

Thanks for your reply, I will be using it around town and not on the highway so it might just work out quite well for me. I just did not want to overspend and end up with something not worth it, but this particular one has barely any miles on it and is basically still new, but used at the same time...lol.
I'm not certain but shouldn't the warranty transfer to me?
I do miss the power of the kymco but that machine was just too big for me, especially when I tried backing it up using my tip toes on an incline ...not fun. I guess there is a trade off with smaller scoots but the lower seat height and the larger engine of this buddy should fit the bill... I would hope anyway.
So $2500 is a good price? It's a black model, 135 miles... I have an appt to view it tomorrow...hopefully he doesn't sell it tonight! Here is a pic from his ad...not the best I know...

I think it is overpriced. Two years ago in January, I bought a 5 month old 170i with 95 miles on it for $2,000. Seller had it listed for 5 weeks at $2,500, and snapped up my offer. I put 4,500 miles on it and sold it a year and a half later for $1,650 after doing a full service with valve adjustment. I had a hard time selling it. Was spotless and still looked new. If you think your are going to upgrade soon, look into a used 125. I have owned both, and I honestly liked the 125 better.

DeeDee wrote:I think it is overpriced. Two years ago in January, I bought a 5 month old 170i with 95 miles on it for $2,000. Seller had it listed for 5 weeks at $2,500, and snapped up my offer. I put 4,500 miles on it and sold it a year and a half later for $1,650 after doing a full service with valve adjustment. I had a hard time selling it. Was spotless and still looked new. If you think your are going to upgrade soon, look into a used 125. I have owned both, and I honestly liked the 125 better.

I'll try and see if he'll take 2k but he just advertised it so he might wait it out. It took me a while to sell my Kymco too, only one person came to look at it and he bought it.... that same day I received a deposit, one other person called... that was it...
Anyway, that is a concern too, I'm in a rural area and scooters are really not around here as much as I'd like to see, I guess I'm a bit of the oddball who rides a scooter.
So what about the 125cc did you like better? Any thoughts on the 50cc 2 stroke? There is a buddy international 50cc nearby too, less money ...but I have an eton beamer 50cc I think it would be the same performance right?

I owned two 125's. Two things I really prefer on them over the 170i is the kick starter and the carburetor. Take off between the two was about the same. The 170i had a bit more at the top end, but a couple of times it went into limp mode because I was riding it too hard. Never had that problem with the 125. The 125 is a bullet proof scooter. The carb system is easy to work on and trouble shoot should you have problems. Simply not the case with the 170i's fuel injection. In addition a 125 will cost you a lot less than the 170i. Both have canister oil filters. I liked the idea of the oil cooler on the 170i, but didn't care for where it was placed. Every once in a while you have to jump a curb. That's just how it is with city riding.

I owned a RH50 for a bit, (bought it to flip). Nice scooter. Fairly big for a 50. Good top end, but acceleration was anemic. Didn't own it long enough to tune it.

You have to be real clear on your needs and what you want out of a scooter when deciding between the 50 and a 125 or 170. If I was going for a 50cc, it would be the newer Yamaha Zuma 50f or an older Yamaha C3. 3 valves, water cooled, fuel injected, and can be modified to run like a raped ape without compromising reliability or gas mileage. I'm on my second C3 with 15,000 miles on it. Traded my first one when it hit 20,000, and it is still going strong. Genuine 50's are two stroke. I prefer my crank bearings to be bathed in oil.

Genuine warranties are not transferable. For original purchaser only.

Points taken.... I'm not entirely sure the buddy is going to be big enough for me after doing all this research ..it has almost the same specs as my Eton Beamer aside from the engine... it's a small scooter. The height, width, wheel sizes etc are almost spot on...the buddy is a bit longer...but some of the videos I've been watching it seems like youre a bit cramped sitting on it. Anyway, I'll have to get a look see at it and make the decision...
Thanks for the insight...

Test ride a 125. I came from a Kymco Like 200i to the 125. I'm 5-11, 200lbs. The Buddy 125 was a big improvement ergonomically and quality wise over the Kymco. When you are on a B125, it feels a lot bigger than it looks. I would take my 125 on the freeway at times, but only for a couple of exits and never up a steep hill. Buddy 125 is a blast to ride.

joebug wrote:Hello Forum

So, I have had a few scooters, my recent one which I recently sold was a Kymco People S250, it was a big machine and a bit too tall at 32" seat height and I'm only 5'6"... so I sold it with the intention of getting something a little smaller but didnt want to sacrifice the pep of the large motor,
anyway, today I came across a 2015 Genuine Buddy 170i with 135 miles on it. the guy claimed the purchase was a mistake for him, so he is asking $2500 to get out of it, it is smaller than the Kymco I had but the displacement isnt as much as the Kymco. but I'm thinking I will be OK, seems to match what I am after...
So my questions are, Is the Genuine a decent machine for the money? why did it depreciate so much in value? he said he paid over $4000 new just a few months ago.... my concern is if I pay $2500 now....if I want to upgrade next year, is it only going to be worth $1200 bucks? Also, is it a good price? Is he asking too much or not enough?

thanks for any info

Hey. it's a '15 with only 135 mis. total so it's practically new. Try buying a new one for $2,500. You'd be looking at close to $4,000. Also, it's the best scooter on the market in its class. What are you waiting for? If you snooze you lose. Make the guy a reasonable offer and go home happy.

Bill in Seattle but currently wintering in Tucson
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium

Kelly Bluebook suggested retail on a 2015 170i is $2680. As an aside comment, the Genuine warranty is not transferable from the original buyer.

Ok now what do I do? A dealer nearby has a Black Jack 150 ...1600 miles or so, he's asking $2199 ... if I come with cash, he said he'd take $1875 plus tax and dealer fee. So I'm looking at $2245 otd
So, a 2009 black jack pumped up with all the performance options it came with or a 2015 170i?
What do I do now? Lol I'm thinking the black jack...who's with me?

Hands down, go with the black jack. Close to $1,000 in performance upgrades came stock on the black jack over the stock Buddy. Try to get him to drop the dealer fee. Only thing I'm not a fan of is the single seat.

Can you put the larger seat on it? I was wondering about that myself...hard to give the kids a ride with the solo seat .... and you know they always want a ride...lol
Yeah I do like performance goodies... hard to resist... I'm headed over there tomorrow... he did sound pretty firm on his price...but we'll see ..

The standard Buddy seat will bolt right on. Two years ago before I bought my 170i, I had a Black Jack all lined up to purchase. I was so sure I was going to buy it I bought a new standard take-off seat. Then I saw the 170i about 90 miles away from me. I offered her $500 less than asking price, and she took it. I chose the 170i over the BJ because it was 5 months old with 100 miles. Wish I would have gone with the black jack.

Yeah, I guess we live and learn... the black jack is a cool looking machine, add the performance goodies and it's even cooler.... the 150cc has to have more torque than the 125cc but not too far behind the 170 I'm guessing. Either way, I'm thinking I can't go wrong...the 170 is new and the black jack has only 1600 miles...just broken in really... plus the black jack will go through the dealers shop, new battery, carb cleaned and ready to go...only thing is ...my local dealer is over an hour away....

I have the 150. The blackjack is totally my style, but I got a standard 150 international. After the pipe and some sliders, many of our local p200 riders are amazed that I pretty much keep up with them at will. I might hit 20k on it this year. Lives outside under a cover. Only problem I ever had with it is the brake switches went out, so it wouldn't start.

Though I am in love with fuel injection in general, for something the size of the Buddy carbs are just fine. It's a proven design that even twits like me can keep maintained pretty easily.

I'm glad that seat will bolt right on...I'm might need to get that pgo lowered seat scoot works offers or have scooter west lower a stock one for me...I'm vertically challenged and like to have my feet flat on the ground.

I happen to like that international too...there is one for sale near me but it's only a 50cc and I couldn't deal with that...besides my Eton Beamer is a 50cc and I don't want another one of those... good machine but ....

I have a ton of 50cc scooters near me because I'm close to Connecticut and you don't need to register a 50cc scooter and i could be wrong but i believe no license required either, so everybody has one. In NY everything needs to be registered, insured and a driver's license is required for anything driven on the roads...

joebug wrote:Ok now what do I do? A dealer nearby has a Black Jack 150 ...1600 miles or so, he's asking $2199 ... if I come with cash, he said he'd take $1875 plus tax and dealer fee. So I'm looking at $2245 otd
So, a 2009 black jack pumped up with all the performance options it came with or a 2015 170i?
What do I do now? Lol I'm thinking the black jack...who's with me?

I've owned both. As you know, they're both very different so comparing the two would be like comparing a Ford Mustang to a Ford Fiesta. As much as I like EFI, I'd go for the Blackjack. It's sexy whereas the Buddy is utilitarian. Since the BJ was made only in 2009, it's limited edition means a better resale value. And it does come standard with some nice performance improvements which makes it an even better value. But part of its sex appeal is the solo seat with the red piping. It goes so well with the rest of the scooter that if you were to try and swap it out for a standard Buddy seat, it would be like trying to replace the bucket seats in a Mustang with a bench seat. It just won't look right. Tell your kids who may be expecting a ride that it's dad's machine and only dad can be on it. Good luck!

Bill in Seattle but wintering in Tucson
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

Buy a used 125. With the savings kit it to 161. Remember the 125 has a longer stroke than the 150.

Enough torque to wheelie it out from under you and a top of 60 to 65 depending on rider.

I just bought the same 170 for $1200 but mine has 2300 miles. I do have to put new sliders in and I always change air filters, spark plugs and fluids when I buy a new vehicle so add another $60 for incidentals. The blue book on my 2014 was $1900 for a private sale so I felt as though I made out very well but at the moment, it's been below freezing and snowing so the market here is a little soft at the moment. I know out the door was $4000+ As I have the lien release so $2500 is not a bad price at all for under one under 200 miles. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't offer less. I can't comment on the black jack. I'd love the upgraded stuff on there but I'm not sure what I would be willing to pay for it as this is a toy for me, not primary transportation.

Ok...so I was able to finally test drive the 170i .... man these scooters feel very small to me. I'm not sure if it's really a good fit... the foot area seems a little cramped when riding it and I feel like I'm sitting more on it than in it ... if that makes sense, My Eton Beamer feels bigger.... I like it though it has some pep to it and it is a scooter after all but I don't see why these cost so much. I might look into a hooligan for comparison.. my time was cut short though had to get back to work... so I'm still thinking it over

If it's not comfortable for you, then all this discussion about engine size and seat interchangeability is irrelevant. Find a scooter on which you are comfortable and enjoy riding. It's a lot easier to adjust to, say, not as much power as you'd like, than to an uncomfortable riding position.

Personally, I have a Buddy 125, Buddy Blackjack and a Suzuki Burgman 400. When I've been riding the Burgman and I switch to the Buddy, WOW, it feels small. After a half mile or so of zipping here and there, however, I get over it. But everyone's needs are different.

Don't get me wrong... that was my first impression of the scooter and I am coming from a Kymco S250....a pretty large scooter. My Beamer is really there for my wife or friends to use. I thought the buddy was going to be similar to the Beamer but it seems a bit smaller in length, and maybe a bit taller in seat height... but I do like it and probably could get used to it once I drive it around for a while.... I wanted to spend some more time with it but unfortunately I was called away to work by my boss (who never calls me) so I was concerned about what he wanted, I had skipped out of work without anyone knowing and thought I was going to get caught...lol So, I had to leave and rush back to work which was about 30 minutes away from where the scooter was. It was also cold out and I had a bulky jacket on which probably distracted me from the true feel of it... after all I will not be driving it in 30 degree weather...lol. So the whole experience of checking out this scooter really sucked due to the circumstances. Next time I will make sure I have the free time to really look it over.

joebug wrote:Don't get me wrong... that was my first impression of the scooter and I am coming from a Kymco S250....a pretty large scooter. My Beamer is really there for my wife or friends to use. I thought the buddy was going to be similar to the Beamer but it seems a bit smaller in length, and maybe a bit taller in seat height... but I do like it and probably could get used to it once I drive it around for a while.... I wanted to spend some more time with it but unfortunately I was called away to work by my boss (who never calls me) so I was concerned about what he wanted, I had skipped out of work without anyone knowing and thought I was going to get caught...lol So, I had to leave and rush back to work which was about 30 minutes away from where the scooter was. It was also cold out and I had a bulky jacket on which probably distracted me from the true feel of it... after all I will not be driving it in 30 degree weather...lol. So the whole experience of checking out this scooter really sucked due to the circumstances. Next time I will make sure I have the free time to really look it over.

If you can find a used Hooligan, I would recommend that you try that also. It is physically a bigger bike with longer geometry for your legs to stretch out a bit. It has the same engine as the Buddy 170 and is a bit heavier. The downside is you will lose a little bit of zip off the line and maybe a bit of top end, but they ride really well and handle bumps better than the Buddy series of scooters.

Ok..
I know I'm all over the place but, today I think I found my scooter. It's a 2016 Buddy anniversary edition used with a few hundred miles on it. Only thing is that it's a 50cc 2 stroke. I absolutely love the look and feel of this one with the lower seat and the paint is awsome. I was able to take it for a quick ride before the snow fell and it pulled very well up to about 35 or so....it was cold so I didn't stay long...we pulled it back into his garage and I just admired the beauty of it. The color is just amazing with the white walls, it seemed to have different grips and brake levers, the 10th anniversary speedo and badging was just outstanding. It also had this adjustable rear shock and a wave rotor up front. I know I was after a 4 stroke 125 or 170 but man this really grabbed me. I'm sure the 2 stroke will be fine for a few trips here and there but I know I will want to upgrade the engine sooner or later... but I don't know if I'd want to mess with an anniversary edition. I heard they only made 100 or so of these ... So what to do? Get a scooter that looks and feels great, kind of rare but a little slow or one that is more powerful and plentiful? Hmmm to think of it...it wasn't that it was slow, it got to 35 or so, pretty quick I'm guessing it just doesn't have the ability to reach 60mph ?

OK...so after thinking it over for a while and reading through the forums I have decided on purchasing a 125 Buddy. I just received it today...I had to take it for a spin and damn its cold out...only 35 degrees! I put about 3 miles on it....it's just too cold ...lol
I really wanted the Black Jack but that deal fell through and the 10th anniversary 50cc was a 50cc and not what I wanted soooo, I got this Brand New Buddy Eclipse! it reminds me of the Black Jack but only new version.
check her out!!

Congrats on your Buddy 125. You will love it. If you expect to keep riding it in cold weather, you ought to consider a windshield. If you don't plan to ride it until it warms up, then put it on a battery tender to extend the life of the battery. The 12v outlet stays live even with the key removed so you can trickle charge it right through there instead of having to access the battery directly.

Cool beaners....
You'll be 'loving life' on that Buddy 125, some as you know, will say they're the best ones out there. The flat black finish on that one is great looking.
Now get some warm clothes on and get out riding.
(I've already ridden nearly 300 miles this month.)

Edit to add:I'll agree with JD, a windshield adds to comfort for both weather and it takes the 'wind pressure' off your chest.

Thank you! I'm really liking this little scooter. unfortunately it is not a numbered limited edition like the psycho, nor does it have the NCY parts like the Black Jack and the psycho, but those can easily be added in the future. It pulls me around just fine and after the break in period I look forward to opening it up and seeing how fast this thing can sling me around...lol

Now all you have to do is to add the Buddy Eclipse to your profile!

I just added that, thanks

Thanks to a member here on the forum ....here is my first Mod....just got them today in the mail... I'll use my existing brake rotor for now, but the eclipse already has the dual piston caliper and the steel braided brake line... these should smooth out some lumps in the road...

That thing is NICE!!!! Looks better on here than in Genuine's own promo shots. Looked just like another scoot in those, but now I wish I had one!!!

(You'll never get me away from my Kick, though)

Total Eclipse of The Heart! Congrats on the new toy and welcome aboard! First thing is GET A LOCK! Dont slip up and let someone steal your ride! Also, good first mod. I have been debating getting the NCY forks for awhile now.

Looking forward to your review of the NCY forks. I will pick up my new 125 in April when we return from winter and plan on doing a fork/shock brake upgrade as the first things. Plan on leaving scooter mechanically stock and improving handeling. After 40+ years on motorcycles I am really looking forward to the simplicity of the Buddy.

Hey Thanks guys! It really is a great little scooter. The more I fiddle around with it the more I like it. One thing however is the seat. I like to sit back a little further so I am in search of a black jack solo seat, that will probably never happen so I might have an upholstery shop re form the foam right where that little hump is in the middle of the seat and put the cover back on it. Oh if you aren't familiar the Eclipse came with the lowered seat and there is a slight hump in the middle.
The NCY shocks should improve handling and smooth out those bumps in the road but you dont need to change the brake right away. however, my eclipse already came with a wave rotor and stainless line... the rotor might be larger too but not sure... I'm going to keep that set up the way it is for now. I'm not certain if the standard buddy has the same size rotor or not. I do know that the buddy 50cc has a whole different brake system up front and these forks will not interchange with the brake caliper used on the 50cc buddy.

From what I can tell from reading the product specs on the NCY rotor it is larger and requires n offset bracket. I will also add the braided steel line. They were standard on my old Monster and they have a feel I am used to

exmayor wrote:From what I can tell from reading the product specs on the NCY rotor it is larger and requires n offset bracket. I will also add the braided steel line. They were standard on my old Monster and they have a feel I am used to

You are correct, the NCY rotor is larger and will require a bracket, but that will cost an additional $140 bucks $100 for the rotor and $40 for the bracket, on top of the $250 plus bucks for the forks! You don't necessarily "need" the rotor right away though, the existing bracket on the buddy 125 will bolt on the NCY fork and you can use what you have for a while... but if you have the extra cash set aside for it, it makes sense to do it all at once.

joebug wrote: One thing however is the seat. I like to sit back a little further so I am in search of a black jack solo seat, that will probably never happen so I might have an upholstery shop re form the foam right where that little hump is in the middle of the seat and put the cover back on it. Oh if you aren't familiar the Eclipse came with the lowered seat and there is a slight hump in the middle.

I have found the regular stock seat to be the most comfortable, especially if you like to sit further back. It's nice and flat so you can sit anywhere, and it should be pretty easy for you to find one.

When I was test riding I found the stock seat to be too tall for me, the lower profile is a good height but has this little hump making it uncomfortable to use the entire seat when riding. I think I will bring it to my upholstery guy and have modify it for me.

joebug wrote:Thank you! I'm really liking this little scooter. unfortunately it is not a numbered limited edition like the psycho, nor does it have the NCY parts like the Black Jack and the psycho, but those can easily be added in the future. It pulls me around just fine and after the break in period I look forward to opening it up and seeing how fast this thing can sling me around...lol

As for the numbering of the limited edition "collectible" scooters that Genuine releases every year or so, I would personally bet no one actually cares. Although I see it mentioned in Craigslist ads here and there ("this scooter is number x of only 150 made!") I have never heard of any instance where someone truly got any more money on their sale than they would have for a similar scooter without the numbers. From the look of the Eclipse, you got a great little bike that will please you for many years to come.

joebug wrote:...I look forward to opening it up and seeing how fast this thing can sling me around...lol

Just so you know, the speedometer reads about 10% high. My experience is that a broken-in Buddy 125 with a 160 lbs. rider and a windshield will top out at about 58 MPH per GPS, which translates to about 65+ MPH on the Buddy speedo. Unlike with a two-stroke engine, which can weather all sorts of abuse, you don't want to run the Buddy 125 at wide open throttle for extended periods (read "hours") of time.

Also, don't get caught up in octane myths. Use only regular 87 octane unleaded gas and your Buddy will give you all it can and have the longest life. It will NOT run better on premium fuel and, in the long run, could actually start running worse if the use thereof results in carbon build-up on the valves.

Thanks for the input guys... I think 58mph should be fine... I don't think I would want to go much faster than that on it... my local dealer said only about 116 of these eclipses were made... not sure if that's true or not as I never read that anywhere, either way...great little scooter.

Ok, so I installed the ncy front forks and they look awesome! I couldn't notice too much difference for the short ride I made but I do notice they do not have as much of a recoil as the stock forks...if I push down on the forks they don't come all the way back up and feels like they are sticking.... I was wondering if this was normal... anyone else have these forks experience this?

I have a 170i with 700 miles. Bought it as new but non current model. Asking $1900 but I'm in Virginia. I love it but I go through scooters and motorcycles like a crazed maniac, always ready for a new one. Just bought a Yamaha S max. Just getting old (67) and trying to ride everything. God for the dealers and good for everyone.

Hey Mike

Thanks but I bought a buddy eclipse pictured above... I'm in process of converting it into sort of a blackjack/pyscho... maybe I'll call it an eclipsycho jack... lol.

joebug wrote:Ok, so I installed the ncy front forks and they look awesome! I couldn't notice too much difference for the short ride I made but I do notice they do not have as much of a recoil as the stock forks...if I push down on the forks they don't come all the way back up and feels like they are sticking.... I was wondering if this was normal... anyone else have these forks experience this?

I have them on my 150 (same setup as blackjack really) and they're OK. I noticed they're a bit more 'stiff'. I doubt it would stick on both of them, seems odd.

I ended up taking them off and reinstalling the stock ones for comparison and noticed the stock ones have the same feeling as the NCY forks only the NCY forks feeling is more pronounced and indeed stiffer. the stickiness I am feeling is there with the stock forks as well but just not as noticeable.... so I put the NCY back on and enjoying them. all is good...