Modern Buddy

Hi, this is my introduction.

I live north of Philly in Bucks County and just bought a new 2015 Buddy 170i, silver with the black stripe. I'm new to riding this is my first scooter. I'm a 46 year old mom. I have three stepsons and three children. My 23 year old stepson bought a motorcycle and that reminded me of how I always wanted to have a scooter. So this is my 47th birthday present I work 3 minutes drive from my home and there are lots of errands around town that I take alone that I can use my new scooter for.

I pick it up tomorrow and am so excited. I wasn't sure what scooter I would get but I'm 5'0" tall and the Buddy seemed to be the best fit for me, plus the place I bought it lowered it further for me.

I am taking the PA BRC (safe rider) course next week.

I don't have any questions but have been reading threads and wanted to introduce myself in case I post, so you know who I am.

Welcome aboard! You'll love scooting! Make sure you get a good helmet, gloves, boots, jacket, and pants.

Thanks. I have a jacket with elbow, shoulder and back protection and gloves with knuckle protection. The brand is Corazzo. I bought a full face helmet that says HJC on it, seems like a good one.

I haven't gotten pants yet, any recommendations? I think ideally since I am using it to run errands and stuff I would like pants that fit over my jeans or is that not a thing? What kind of pants do people usually wear? My work clothes are usually jeans, tank and a cardigan.

I have really good hiking boots which from what I can tell are fine for riding shoes. They cover my ankle and are cloth but very sturdy and no skid bottoms. Thoughts on that?

Please use ear plugs for rides beyond your office.
Ride as much or more than you can! You become safer with experience (after your rider training that is).

Your hiking boots are good.

Many wear jeans.

Protection is personal preference. Some use more, some use less. Only you can determine your risk level. The fact that you're on 2 wheels already shows you're willing to take more risks than some.

However, more protection is obviously better.

In the biking community, there's the acronym ATGATT. It stands for All The Gear All The Time. That means serious motorcycling designed protective gear worn every time you ride on your bike. Your MSF course will teach you ATGATT.

But sometimes heat stroke is as big a threat. ATGATT can be very hot. Passing out while riding in traffic isn't desirable. When it's 105 out, I've been known to ride in shorts and a t-shirt. But I still have my helmet, gloves, and boots. I would never recommend others to follow suit though. I'm willing to take the risk.

ATGATT is easier to comply with in the fall/winter/spring.

Glad to hear you are talking the basic skills and safety course right off the bat. Once you are riding, my advice is to start slow in areas and at times where traffic is light. Let your confidence and experience build. And have fun!

GregsBuddy wrote:Please use ear plugs for rides beyond your office.
Ride as much or more than you can! You become safer with experience (after your rider training that is).

Why earplugs?

You will enjoy riding in PA: there are a lot of great roads north of your area, and Rt 6 across the state is very easy and scenic ride. Check out the Three Mile Island Scooter Club website, as they host a number of group rides. It's about a two hour ride to Harrisburg from Philly, but if you need a great Buddy mechanic, check out Carlisle Cycle and Scooter. Bill knows more about Genuine Scooters than anybody else!

k1dude wrote:Your hiking boots are good.

Many wear jeans.

Protection is personal preference. Some use more, some use less. Only you can determine your risk level. The fact that you're on 2 wheels already shows you're willing to take more risks than some.

However, more protection is obviously better.

I think I need to find a place that sells pants. I'm short and I don't do well buying online. Do the pants typically go over jeans or instead of jeans and you change when you get to work? Or are there both options?

Clydeo wrote:You will enjoy riding in PA: there are a lot of great roads north of your area, and Rt 6 across the state is very easy and scenic ride. Check out the Three Mile Island Scooter Club website, as they host a number of group rides. It's about a two hour ride to Harrisburg from Philly, but if you need a great Buddy mechanic, check out Carlisle Cycle and Scooter. Bill knows more about Genuine Scooters than anybody else!

Thanks!

Hearing is damaged by noise of air flow at speeds greater than ~40 MPH.

GregsBuddy wrote:Hearing is damaged by noise of air flow at speeds greater than ~40 MPH.

I did not know that. Thank you. Any particular requirements for earplugs?

Welcome!

I second the earplugs recommendation. I use the same ones I use in my garage/shop. When I do a test drive up the street & fail to insert plugs, I absolutely hate it!

Protect your ears.
Get a more enjoyable experience.
...and you still hear everything you need to hear.

harmony101017 wrote:I think I need to find a place that sells pants. I'm short and I don't do well buying online. Do the pants typically go over jeans or instead of jeans and you change when you get to work? Or are there both options?

Most people use riding pants that slip over their normal shorts/pants. But it's sort of a hassle and hot. That's why many just wear jeans. Once again, personal preference and risk tolerance.

Purchase a bag of foam earplugs. Roll them up and insert. They will lose their memory and quit working so keep fresh ones available.
If you ride more than >~15 - 60 minutes you may experience being tired when you stop. It's unnatural to be tired so soon. It's probably due to noise.

Check out Hostile City Scooter Club on FB, as well as the "Fair Parking for Scooters and Motorcycles" page (in case you ever ride into the city). There's also Royal Bastards SC, but I don't know any of those guys (though they seem nice, in spite of the aggressive name)

Welcome to riding!

Thanks everyone.

Got the scooter today and it's so cool! I drove around a little to get used to stopping and starting. Was really fun.

One question: with earplugs is it harder to hear around you and be aware of the road and noises you need to hear?

Where did you buy it from? Just curious. Also, as someone who has mistreated their ears for years (I'm a drummer) and is therefore very conscious about hearing protection, I still don't wear ear plugs. Maybe it's just me,but my helmet knocks the noise down quite a bit, I don't feel the need for earplugs (but if you do, by all means, use them)

harmony101017 wrote:Thanks everyone.

Got the scooter today and it's so cool! I drove around a little to get used to stopping and starting. Was really fun.

One question: with earplugs is it harder to hear around you and be aware of the road and noises you need to hear?

Congrats! You found a fun little hobby. Life style, if you like!!

I wear ear plugs when I ride, but only because I inadvertently ended up with excessively loud exhaust pipes on my bikes. In my case, the pipes are loud enough on their own that I wouldn't hear anything that the ear plugs would prevent me from hearing by themselves.
When I have a chance to hop on a normally exhausted Buddy, I usually don't bother with ear plugs. I happen to wear a full face helmet, but even when I wore a 3/4 helmet I felt that my ears were sufficiently protected from wind noise by the helmet.

Welcome to the Buddy life. The area you live has some GREAT riding. Enjoy the experience, and be safe!

Philly Riders - there's a scooter rally put on by the Royal Bastards this weekend. Come on out.

PhillyKick wrote:Where did you buy it from? Just curious. Also, as someone who has mistreated their ears for years (I'm a drummer) and is therefore very conscious about hearing protection, I still don't wear ear plugs. Maybe it's just me,but my helmet knocks the noise down quite a bit, I don't feel the need for earplugs (but if you do, by all means, use them)

I got it at Philadelphia Scooter in South Philly.

I don't know how much I will be going over 40 mph, most of my town is 25/35mph speed limits but I want to try them. My stepson however is a new motorcycle rider and goes at faster speeds, trying to see if he will try the earplugs too, he's the one concerned about not hearing his surroundings well enough.

Congrats on your birthday present! Can't wait to see lots of pics
of the new toy.

...

Google motorcycle and ear plugs for much more info.
It's your hearing!