Modern Buddy

I normally avoid those Scooter vs Motorcycle debates (I could go the rest of my life without hearing another one) but there have been so many people I've come across that really don't seem to understand what scooters are capable of. I'd like to show them that scooters really can go the distance. Not to win a debate but to honestly... educate. If you have any links or stories about long distance scooter rides can you please post them here.

So far I have:


R.A.M.B.L.E. (one of the best stories ever to follow!)

www.peacescooter.com - Promoting Peace With Every Mile

www.scootercannonball.com

Touring on LX150

pretty much anything Keys posts ...lol

Caitlin & Gary's adventure

Lake Erie Loop (annual, but Phil's 2006 Buddy story is probably the best)

Crappy Little Dreams (Moped Ride to Alaska)

The "Ride of a Lifetime"

Around Australia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjpaU8Dh9js

From Portugal to Asturias (Spain) in a 4 hp scooter

Wan's Ruckus Adventure

Iron Butt

On The Road - Mad Bastard Scooter Rally

Vespadition.com Great Journey for a Great Cause!

Honda 49cc Motor Scooter Ride US Coast-to-Coast


I'd like to update the links as you add them

Lake Erie Loop (annual, but Phil's 2006 Buddy story is probably the best)
http://2strokebuzz.com/index.php?p=2984

Many people have done the Iron Butt (and its variations) on scooters.
http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/

British dude Greg Kinge rode a loop around the US on a 50s Douglas Vespa a few years ago

German dudes did the same before/after Amerivespa last year on 50s Hoffman Vespas.

NZ dude Neil rode thousands of US miles back in the late 90s on a crazy Lambretta chopper.

Mark "Bobo" Bobotek has done several cross-country rides, including the cannonball

Ronh Engh rode across several continents on a Vespa in the 60s

Many others have done months-long trans-continental rides over the years

Vespas have competed and finished in the Paris-Dakar Rally, the Sei Giorni, etc.

Two dudes rode TGB Lasers across the US a few years ago

The "Ride of a Lifetime:"
http://www.vespa.org/itin.htm

A guy rode around the perimeter of Australia last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjpaU8Dh9js
http://2strokebuzz.com/index.php?p=3141

A scooter can do anything a motorcycle can on the road from 0-60, it's past that, usually motorcycles win. But do motorcycles have under seat storage?

thanks for the links keep the stories coming!

Corsair,
I don't have a link, but thank you for posting this. It will make for some interesting reading.

PS/ very jealous of your upcoming move to warmer climates . . . make sure to post how hot it is in the middle of summer so we northerners feel better.

Thanks for posting this!! What cool reads!

Write up from the 2005 Mad Bastard Rally:
http://www.motorbyte.com/mmm/pages/2005/79/onroad79.htm


Pics from the 2007 event (Buddy content):
http://gearwhore.smugmug.com/gallery/30 ... #166638518
http://gearwhore.smugmug.com/gallery/30 ... #166609370

Update--just found this link: http://charles.robinsontwins.org/photos/2003/mn1k/
-K

What about Vroom with a View: In Search of Italy's Dolce Vita on a '61 Vespa by Peter Moore. I can not wait to read this.

Thanks for the post. Actually, I am intrigued by the idea of touring at a 40-50 mph pace. I have done my time on the interstates on a motorcycle, and now I prefer the back roads and a slower pace. I am really looking forward to a trip on my Buddy, and thesee tales should inspire me!

ncsteve wrote:Thanks for the post. Actually, I am intrigued by the idea of touring at a 40-50 mph pace. I have done my time on the interstates on a motorcycle, and now I prefer the back roads and a slower pace. I am really looking forward to a trip on my Buddy, and thesee tales should inspire me!

And that's why I'm here enjoying them too.

This one hasn't happened yet, I found out about it through scooterswag.com but it sounds pretty sweet.
http://vespadition.com/

BuddyLove wrote:This one hasn't happened yet, I found out about it through scooterswag.com but it sounds pretty sweet.
http://vespadition.com/

That is such an amazing thing to put together. That has really giving me motivation and inspiration. Sometimes you just need to hear something positive Hopefully I'm in Austin when he arrives there.

Ah, here's the grandaddy of all of them, I'd been looking for it, and just came across it accidentally:

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/200 ... -news.html

In 1994-95, writer and journalist Giorgio Bettinelli rode a Vespa 36,000km from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego and in 1995-96 from Melbourne to Cape Town -- more than 52,000km in 12 months.

In 1997, he left Chile, reaching Tasmania after three years and eight months, having travelled 144,000km and crossed 90 countries across the Americas, Siberia, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. All in all, Bettinelli has travelled 250,000km on a Vespa.

Even being abducted by a group of guerrillas in the Congo did nothing to deter him.

His next stop? A tour through the capitals of all 33 provinces of the People's Republic of China, covering more than 60,000km.

There's a bit about racing and other tours in that story, too.

And here's something current in Tasmania:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008 ... 184320.htm

Thanks for putting that together. R.A.M.B.L.E was the second one I came across when researching long distance trips by scooter. The first was http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/vandyck/-the story of a 49cc Honda Met 9,000 mile ride. At that point I knew-if he did it-I could!

I've never been disappointed traveling by scooter. One lady traveled from Alaska to the end of South America, on a motorcycle, but only 250cc's. THe only advantage she really had over my scoot was the bigger tires! But not the storage baby!
Recently I watched that miniseries, "Long Way Round" and thought, well, I probably couldn't travel to Mongolia via my Buddy. BUT, I have no plans ahead for Mongolia anyhoo...
Right now, I'm finalizing my route for this spring/summer's ride, finishing the peace sign route I started-20,000 miles total.
Me and Vespadition have plans to meet up on our long journey's...being that we are both promoting similar things and traveling on scooter's...I call it scoot-a-vism.
He's a solid guy-will also be a good story to follow!
Show us some love on the road this year-we really couldn't do it without such a good community..

you both are amazing people! Good luck on your journeys. If you stop through Austin get in touch with us

any new stories to add?

I don't have a link (yeah, I'm lame about that) but I have a story about my upcoming ride! We're riding across the US this summer to help raise money for breast cancer research. I'm doing the 3-Day walk in November so I thought I'd raise some $$ with our ride. We're leaving from southern California, up to Lake Tahoe for our Bastard Rally and then we'll take Highway 50 across the country and go from there. We're riding the entire Natchez Trace and will eventually hit the east coast (I think we'll go see New Orleans) and then on to Amerivespa before we ride back to California. We'll do well over 6,000 miles. Look for us! We're Scootin' For A Cure!

I really need to sit down and get a site going for this but I just haven't had the time.

I've met and spent some time with Peter of Vespadition. He is an amazing guy so please visit his site and offer up a place for him to crash if he's coming to your town.

wow that's sooo great to hear! I really wish you much success and if you come through the Austin TX area feel free to contact me.

Hey, those of you going on long rides: do you have any recommendations for packing and prep? I'm still planning my ride to Bloomington (IN and IL) this fall and I'm looking for recommendations. To wit:

1. How many miles in a day is reasonable? I'm thinking around 350 miles per day but that may be a bit long according to some of my motorcycle friends.

2. How often do you take a break and rest? I'm guessing a good stretch when I stop for gas will do.

3. Packing--any recommendations on gear? I was originally planning on latching a small travel case and a backpack to the rear of my Buddy but I don't think the case will stay on well. Other thoughts?

4. If anyone is on a long trip and makes it to Tulsa OK, I'll be happy to help you out! Contact me.

pugbuddy wrote:Hey, those of you going on long rides: do you have any recommendations for packing and prep? I'm still planning my ride to Bloomington (IN and IL) this fall and I'm looking for recommendations. To wit:

1. How many miles in a day is reasonable? I'm thinking around 350 miles per day but that may be a bit long according to some of my motorcycle friends.

2. How often do you take a break and rest? I'm guessing a good stretch when I stop for gas will do.

3. Packing--any recommendations on gear? I was originally planning on latching a small travel case and a backpack to the rear of my Buddy but I don't think the case will stay on well. Other thoughts?

4. If anyone is on a long trip and makes it to Tulsa OK, I'll be happy to help you out! Contact me.

1. I think 300 miles a day is a good number. We did a couple of 400+ days last year going to Seattle and it was tough. Very long days.

2. Stop and stretch at each gas stop. The GTS gets about 140 miles per tank so we'd rest when we got gas and another stop for lunch and any sites we might want to see. The Buddy will get probably close to that many miles per tank given the better gas mileage.

3. I'm traveling with the GTS so the seat is bigger than my Buddy. I bungee a bag to the seat behind me and put another small bag in the roll case on the back. This year I'll have a tent and sleeping bag so I'll have to be more creative. I have a front rack but I don't want to mess with my center of gravity. Keep it low.

4. I will check my route and see if we're going through Tulsa!

This year I'll have a tent and sleeping bag so I'll have to be more creative. I have a front rack but I don't want to mess with my center of gravity. Keep it low.

Compression sack. The best invention ever. One on my front rack. You saw my scoot right, teacherquinn? That was 3 months of gear, made manageable.

pugbuddy wrote:Hey, those of you going on long rides: do you have any recommendations for packing and prep? I'm still planning my ride to Bloomington (IN and IL) this fall and I'm looking for recommendations. To wit:

1. How many miles in a day is reasonable? I'm thinking around 350 miles per day but that may be a bit long according to some of my motorcycle friends.

i have found that using google maps is pretty acurate on mph for me. so when i look it up on google maps(and hit the AVOID HIGHWAYS button) and it says 3 hrs. i can usually get there in 3 hours give or take.

i would use some sort of mapping software like this and start trying out how accurate it is for your style and pace of riding.

i would not just pick a number of miles per day as your route should determine how far you go i.e. if there are hills it will slow you down etc.

Thanks for the information, everyone! If there's more, please continue to share!

Alex, never heard of a compression sack. What is it?

Alix B wrote: You saw my scoot right, teacherquinn? That was 3 months of gear, made manageable.

do you have a larger pic of your avatar? Or pics in general of how you packed your scoot?

pugbuddy wrote:Thanks for the information, everyone! If there's more, please continue to share!

Alex, never heard of a compression sack. What is it?

it's like a "stuff sack" for camping only it has four cords or straps that you can tighten to make the sack smaller and smaller

Compression sack, amazing. My sleeping bag, tarp, towel, rain pants/top were in there. And it was only the size of a sleeping bag stuff sack by the time I was done.

I have some photos here. Give me one week and I will put up a video of packing for this year.
ALL THE DANG GEAR

3months packed away. This is day one of the trip, tinkering was done. I began rolling the two mats together. The blue cooler somehow made it into my topcase. Yellow tent at my feet went in the topcase as well. Riding with gear near feet is impossible, even with my short legs. Must have room to move, do yoga.....

Gassing up with these saddlebags could seem daunting, and yes, the first week it was a pain. They tightened around my cowling. By the end the whole process took maybe 5 min. It was worth it, the saddlebags hold so much and are VERY waterproof. (RevPacks)

Pic with stuff shifted around, gas tank at feet. Don't use one of these, get on of those MSR 22oz fuel bottles.

Idea of depth to RevPacks

Secured near footpegs, which I switched eventually to the side of cowling. NOt sure why?

dang, that's alot of crap.

i love it.

pictures of my rig coming soon.

This hasn't happened yet, and it's practically a daytrip compared to some of the other rides here, but I humbly submit <a href="http://toddverbeek.com/miway/">MI way</a>, my planned trip "around" Lake Michigan this summer, on my 50cc Buddy. I'll be taking a shortcut across the Lake rather than going all the way around it, but I'm also taking a detour up to Lake Superior to see Pictured Rocks. It'll be about 1000 miles in 9 days. I call it "MI way" because it'll be almost entirely in Michigan, and I definitely won't be taking the highway.

TVB wrote:I'll be taking a shortcut across the Lake rather than going all the way around it.

I've been hearing a lot about the 2010 Genuine AmphiBuddy. Will yours be a prototype or a production version?

I used to have a wonderful kitted Scarabeo. Two-stroke 70cc automatic with an aftermarket pipe. Rode it solo from Texas to California. Top speed on the scoot was 67 under the right conditions, but I probably only did 55 most of the way for the trip itself. It was an awesome experience.

scooterquest.com always does rides over 1k miles.

Lookin' To Scoot wrote:

TVB wrote:I'll be taking a shortcut across the Lake rather than going all the way around it.

I've been hearing a lot about the 2010 Genuine AmphiBuddy. Will yours be a prototype or a production version?

I will be the fairy taking the ferry (Manitowoc WI to Ludington MI). :curtsy: