Modern Buddy

One of the main advantages scooters have over motorcycles is onboard storage. Many (most?) modern scooter designs have under-seat storage, and that's great, except for the fact that it's right on top of the very hot engine! Better not put that pint of ice cream in there for the trip home from the grocery!

In my case, I put a top box on my Buddy mostly for the purpose of storing my helmet after a long ride. Storing it under the seat meant that my helmet was uncomfortably hot when I put it back on after leaving a store or whatever.

But now I'm giving some thought on applying some heat-rejecting insulation to the under-seat "bucket", either on the inside or the outside. Before I embark on this journey from scratch, I wonder if someone has tried this before so I can learn from that, rather than starting from square one.

My initial idea would be to wrap the underside of the bucket with something like Reflectix, but I'd love to learn what others have tried before me.

eggsalad wrote: My initial idea would be to wrap the underside of the bucket with something like Reflectix, but I'd love to learn what others have tried before me.

Without the proper air gap, Reflectix is a very poor insulator. For anything to be effective, you'd have to insulate all around incliding sides, top and bottom and have it fairly sealed.

I personally think you'd be better off using a soft sided cooler when you need one.

It's almost winter. That hot helmet is going to feel GREAT!

VSP wrote:Without the proper air gap, Reflectix is a very poor insulator. For anything to be effective, you'd have to insulate all around including sides, top and bottom and have it fairly sealed.

It might work OK on the outside of the pet carrier to reflect so radiated heat coming off the top of the engine.


As to helmet storage, that's what those big pins at the front top of the pet carrier are for - you can lock your helmet to the bike and leave it on the outside.

If you remove the plastic piece that is behind your feet when seated on the scooter your under seat storage area will be much cooler. I did some testing a few years ago and if I remember right there was a 20-40 degree difference.

I just hang my helmet on the post under the seat. If it's hot and sunny I will cover the helmet with my jacket(that is hung on the other post.) But I usually try to park in the shade. This has worked pretty well for me.

JettaKnight wrote:

As to helmet storage, that's what those big pins at the front top of the pet carrier are for - you can lock your helmet to the bike and leave it on the outside.

Yes, so anyone with a knife can get a free new helmet. Excellent idea.

eggsalad wrote:

JettaKnight wrote: As to helmet storage, that's what those big pins at the front top of the pet carrier are for - you can lock your helmet to the bike and leave it on the outside.

Yes, so anyone with a knife can get a free new helmet. Excellent idea.

Are you serious? Is Las Vegas that bad? (Olhogrider, want to chime in?)

Who goes around stealing helmets? 'Round here 75% of motorcyclist don't wear a helmet, so why steal one?

I don't know about your helmet, but mine fits quite snuggly on there, and getting a knife in to cut that one inch strap to get a helmet, that probably won't fit their head, and can't be strapped on...

JettaKnight wrote:

eggsalad wrote:

JettaKnight wrote: As to helmet storage, that's what those big pins at the front top of the pet carrier are for - you can lock your helmet to the bike and leave it on the outside.

Yes, so anyone with a knife can get a free new helmet. Excellent idea.

Are you serious? Is Las Vegas that bad?

Oh, heck yes! Folks around here will steal things not because they need them, or can sell them for money, but simply because they are available to be stolen.

I had no idea things were not like this in the rest of the country!

eggsalad wrote:

JettaKnight wrote:

As to helmet storage, that's what those big pins at the front top of the pet carrier are for - you can lock your helmet to the bike and leave it on the outside.

Yes, so anyone with a knife can get a free new helmet. Excellent idea.

I wonder about this, too, but is this really a thing? A helmet with a slashed chinstrap isn't worth anything. It's more an act of pointless vandalism which I'm sure does happen. Again, I wonder if this is a thing. Has anybody ever actually had this happen? I'm curious.

jrsjr wrote:

eggsalad wrote:

JettaKnight wrote:

As to helmet storage, that's what those big pins at the front top of the pet carrier are for - you can lock your helmet to the bike and leave it on the outside.

Yes, so anyone with a knife can get a free new helmet. Excellent idea.

I wonder about this, too, but is this really a thing? A helmet with a slashed chinstrap isn't worth anything. It's more an act of pointless vandalism which I'm sure does happen. Again, I wonder if this is a thing. Has anybody ever actually had this happen? I'm curious.

Certainly it's a thing! I only had to have one helmet slashed off the "helmet holder" on my Honda C70 Passport to learn that it was a thing.

Go on YouTube and look for videos of people doing stupid things while wearing motorcycle helmets as "protection". Please notice how many of those helmets don't have straps.

Huh.


Life's easier in the Midwest (for manifold reasons).

eggsalad wrote:

jrsjr wrote:

eggsalad wrote:

JettaKnight wrote:

As to helmet storage, that's what those big pins at the front top of the pet carrier are for - you can lock your helmet to the bike and leave it on the outside.

Yes, so anyone with a knife can get a free new helmet. Excellent idea.

I wonder about this, too, but is this really a thing? A helmet with a slashed chinstrap isn't worth anything. It's more an act of pointless vandalism which I'm sure does happen. Again, I wonder if this is a thing. Has anybody ever actually had this happen? I'm curious.

Certainly it's a thing! I only had to have one helmet slashed off the "helmet holder" on my Honda C70 Passport to learn that it was a thing.

Go on YouTube and look for videos of people doing stupid things while wearing motorcycle helmets as "protection". Please notice how many of those helmets don't have straps.

That's a shame. Sorry to hear. It's really just absolutely pointless vandalism.