Modern Buddy

Hi folks - the newbie-est of newbies here.

I just bought a 2006 Buddy for my wife - tangerine, 2400 miles, $800. Couldn't resist.

My newbie question - I know that 2006 was the first year for this model. The scoot has Buddy 50 badging but the 125cc four-stroke motor. Did this happen sometimes? Any stories of first-year bikes with Buddy 50 trim because maybe they didn't have the Buddy 125 body panels ready yet?

Methinks someone was trying to get around not having their motorcycle license, since most states don't require one for a 50cc bike.

Nope. Some previous owner put the 50 badge on a 125 to get around vehicle classification/parking/insurance regulations. In many places a sub-50cc (49.9) is considered a moped and not subject to more stringent/expensive vehicle laws.

Also, in many places anything registered/plated as a moped cannot exceed something like 30/35 MPH. You get caught doing 50 on a mis-registered, mis-badged scoot, be prepared for some expensive aggravation. A lot depends on where you live and what the laws are.

Look at the label on the outside of the cubby on the inside of the front legshield. That will tell your VIN and displacement.

It could have been crashed and the cheapest replacement body panels were from a 50.

Makes sense. The bike is correctly titled. Looks pretty well kept, no obvious evidence of a crash. I was just wondering if it was a dealer-prep mishmash or an owner modification. Thanks for responding, all.

What’s illegal about putting 50cc badges on a 125 if you are registered and insured as a 125 and have a motorcycle license? It’s like putting 305 badges on your 396 and going looking for a sucker to race. Nothing that hasn’t been done a thousand times since the invention of the motor vehicle! Now if you get caught parking in a bicycle space, which I believe 50cc scooters and mopeds are permitted to do, that’s illegal, but just having badges that don’t match the motor in the vehicle is not a crime.

Alzero wrote:What’s illegal about putting 50cc badges on a 125 if you are registered and insured as a 125 and have a motorcycle license? It’s like putting 305 badges on your 396 and going looking for a sucker to race. Nothing that hasn’t been done a thousand times since the invention of the motor vehicle! Now if you get caught parking in a bicycle space, which I believe 50cc scooters and mopeds are permitted to do, that’s illegal, but just having badges that don’t match the motor in the vehicle is not a crime.

I agree with you for the scenario you describe. It's not the re-badging itself, it's re-badging with the intention of circumventing laws, regulations, etc. I could badge my Helix as a Schwinn if I wanted to, just so long as I didn't try to pass it off as a bicycle. (Besides, the lack of baseball cards in the spokes would be a dead giveaway.)

The OP's scoot is perfectly legit.

Upon further review ...

Now that I've had some time to sort out the scooter a bit, I can see some discreet scrape marks around both of the logos. So this thing was purposely re-badged. It also has a old college parking permit (Illinois-Chicago) - maybe somebody did it to skirt campus/parking rules.

In any case, that answer is preferable to purchasing a crashed or modified bike.

In illinois, you don't need a motorcycle license to ride a 50cc. Someone didn't have one, but still wanted a 125. Sneaky sneaky.

From what I understand, some college/universities allow mopeds (<=50cc) to park in the bicycle parking area. Since most people don't know the difference between a moped and a scooter the previous owner probably changed the name plates so that he can park in the bicycle area.