Modern Buddy

Titanium with the blacked out chrome. I'll post a picture when I take one. I left my house at 8:45am to pick it up today, didn't pull into my driveway till 5:45pm. What a long day but I got the Buddy home safely in the back of my Subaru Baja.
Things I noticed:
Alloy rims now! Should I be excited or worried? The old steel rims never gave me issues.
LOUD horn. I'll post a picture of it. Some weird brand that's very loud.
Mine didn't come with the little tool kit or the rear fender extender flap. I liked that little screw on extender.
I already put Yamaha C3 mirrors on it. Look much better than the OEM mirrors.
Did the pricey ScooterWest plug and play dead light conversion. One LED is dull. Boo! I reached out to ScooterWest for a part number/replacement bulb.
Still need to:
Replace stock seat with the low-down version. My butt likes the low-down seat!
And find a trunk. My options. SHAD, I like their products. No key/one hand open. But I saw a K-Max trunk. Very nice overall. Anyone do the rear option lights on a K-Max? Are they worth it? SHAD does the trunk base with a LED strip for their additional lighting option.
That's all for now. Now I need to get some break-in riding in and start my service log notebook.

sc00ter wrote: ↑Thu Mar 30, 2023 1:24 am Alloy rims now! Should I be excited or worried? The old steel rims never gave me issues.

I haven't heard anyone having any issues with the alloy ones, but we don't really have a lot of new scooter owners on MB right now who are active.

I noticed the lack of "newer" posters as well but I just put it down to winter. It was cold and miserable here last winter but we did avoid snow! I still ride year round but no longer ride to work in the rain. The showers at work are on the other side of the building and sometimes there is a wait, plus some creepy dudes hang around in the locker room.

My friend hated the steel wheels on the Buddy. I mean HATED them! I was like "Whatever, they work fine and easy to paint if you wanna change the color.". I also like steel because my Honda Fit has steel wheels and they're all nicked up, ding marks everywhere and the hub caps are cracked. If my Fit had alloys I know I'd have flats by now!

Loud horn. Some weird brand.

Congratulations on the new scoot. It is good to hear that the horn on the new models are loud. The rear fender extender flap is nice, the used Buddy I had didn't come with the flap and I ended up ordering one for it - I think it was around $7.00.

I am curious about the alloy wheels too. They look nice. Is the alloy rear wheel is one piece as opposed to a bolt in drum like on the steel wheels?

There is a very good chance I will be ordering a new Buddy (or Kick) this year, so it is interesting to see what changes or updates have been made. I have been leaning towards the Titanium color.

Rear wheel is one piece now. On the front wheel the rotor bolts into the wheel now, no more nuts on the inside. No more "easy" big rotor removal.

Thank you for the pictures of the new wheel design. They look nice. I had forgotten just how clean scooters are when they are new.

It looks like the '23s are still using the same shock tires on the 125s as they always have. It's been a long time since they were on my Buddy, if I recall correctly they are Cheng Shin C922 and that they handled ok and lasted a lot longer - wear bars at 8600 miles on the rear - than anything I have run since.

Congratulations on the new Buddy, I really dig the color combo. Makes it look more serious than most folks give them credit for.

Will be watching to see ho far the mods train runs on this one.

Yamaha C3 mirrors.

Weird, the front view won't load.

Looks good!

Enjoy your new ride! Looks sharp. My 2022 170i didn't come with little tool kit but did have extender flap.

So, a few updates:
ScooterWest did me right on the dead light conversion, not that I expected anything less.
When did the Buddy 125 require premium fuel, or did it always call for it?
What 15/40 oil is everyone using? I always ran Walmart brand 10/40 in my old Buddy's.
I did buy some of the full synthetic Genuine brand oil though.
I'm only at 100 miles. I'm sorta following FortNines break-in procedure on YouTube.
Got the low down seat installed and I'll get the Cuppini med. windshield on this weekend.
I also have a rear rack and a SHAD SH29 trunk coming.
So far happy going back to a Buddy but the old Liberty 150 is still a great scooter.
Finally, before I forget, this Buddy 125 came to just over $4000 OTD. I'll post up the receipt later. Nothing funny or sketchy from my semi-local Genuine dealer.

When did the Buddy 125 require premium fuel, or did it always call for it?
-I believe they have always recommended "premium" in the manual BUT at one point they said you can run 87 octane. I use 87 octane gas 99% of the time. If the scooter is running a little rough after sitting I might put some premium in if I don't have Seafoam or Berryman's. I will also use ethenol free gas if I think the scooter is going to sit(this isn't very often.) From a compression standpoint these motors don't need higher octane, I believe they run 87 RON overseas which is really low octane. Seat of the pants I didn't notice a difference and at $0.6-$1.00 a gallon difference it just isn't worth it if you ride a lot. If I rode under a 1,000 miles a year I might run premium.

What 15/40 oil is everyone using? I always ran Walmart brand 10/40 in my old Buddy's.
-Shell Rotella T4 15w-40. Since you are under warranty you might want to look into a Jaso MB oil.

I did buy some of the full synthetic Genuine brand oil though.
-I am curious about this oil. If I get another low mileage engine I might use it for all the miles to see if the engine will last longer. I wish Genuine would sell it by the gallon or by the case so I could get it cheaper.

I'm only at 100 miles. I'm sorta following FortNines break-in procedure on YouTube.
-My latest theory on break-in is heat cycling. Specifically doing lots of short rides to start then longer and longer rides as the engine wears in.

Thanks again for the tips! The Genuine synthetic oil is $11 a quart, or is it a liter? But I wanna run regular dinosaur oil in it for the next oil change or two, just to ensure everything's seated correctly. I also got those magnetic drain plugs. Curious to see if they catch anything. My wife's old Can-Am Spyder always had shavings IN the oil. Best part was it was a mix of magnetic and non-magnetic shaving dust. I hated that Spyder.

The owners manual, that still has 'Chinglish' in it, states premium fuel and I'm used to running premium in the old Liberty. I don't have any ethanol free fuel places nearby anymore but like you, my scoot doesn't sit longer than 2 weeks.

I know about heat cycles from 2-stroke builds. My 14 mile commute is the Buddy's "heat cycle" break-in. I think it'll be fine. I just vary the throttle and do non-aggressive twist. I did have to "punch it" really quick and the Buddy shuffled along like a little rocket. I can't wait for it to be broken-in!

FWIW my local Genuine dealer used Motul 7100 4T 10W-40

Oh boy, I don't know if something changed, but the Gen-U-Bin DH (drink holder) fits like crap. I might just post it up for free to get rid of it. The plastic scratches super easy and the screws seem too short. That was one accessory that didn't meet expectations!

The windscreen went on just fine. I even spray painted the hardware black, just for a more uniform look.

Now waiting on the rear rack (yuck) and my SHAD SH29 (yay!) and she'll be done for now.

sc00ter wrote: ↑Thu Mar 30, 2023 1:24 am Alloy rims now! Should I be excited or worried? The old steel rims never gave me issues.

The steel rims on our '07 Buddy 125 have certainly given us no problems either, but in fairness neither have the alloy rims on our '20 Buddy Kick. For that matter, never had any problems with the alloy rims on the 4 different modern Vespas we have owned in the past 17 years.

This is my concern. Most motorcycle shops put 10" tires on with spoons and always tear the lip up. They say "Our tire machine goes that small but it takes too much time to swap it down." or "The small tire machine is down, so we used spoons.". At my Honda shop I offer a $20 'No spoons' bonus to whoever installs my tire. I don't want my rim lips all banged up from a tire install, especially on alloy wheels.

Yes, I can do it myself but I'd rather pay someone now that I'm older. Steel wheels are much more resistant to stupidity. A ding is much better than a crack from a heavy handed spoon install.

I'm in shock! The Prima rear rack went on with no force needed! Lined up at the front/by the seat perfect. I didn't say one dirty word while putting it on. Wow!

Check out my clock. Formortian brand stick on. Great quality as well. I've had this one for 15 years.

Snazzy!

SHAD, now made in Indonesia. Quality still top notch. Wanted the mounting brackets stealth. I think it worked out great. No extra hardware required.

Windshield with blacked out hardware. Was gonna powder coat it but ended up spray painting it. Note the black at the bracket V. That's rubber coat/leak sealer to prevent rust. Tip: The V area will rust and look tacky after awhile. It drives me bonkers when it rust in the V area!

What rubber coat/leak sealer product did you use?

I'll post a picture tomorrow if I remember. Just tape it off, spray away and slowly remove the tape when the rubber seal dries. My friend at work saw the Buddy today and the seal on the windscreen bars was the first thing he noticed! He hates the rust that happens in that area as bad as me. I'm not sure I motivated him to buy a Buddy again. He purchased my black 125 off me after I kept my wife's powder blue 125. I'll let him take mine for a spin, that might motivate him.

He fine tuned that black Buddy 125 motor to perfection. He's gonna rummage and see if he has a copy of his build sheet for the Buddy 125 since he still has a super fast Yamaha Vino 50cc 2-stroke. Poor Vino has been sitting forever. He needs to get back on 2 wheels, either get the Vino running again or buy a new Buddy, or a Kick. He likes the Kicks lines and overall style.

Great stuff!

Time for blasting! Passed the 500 mile mark last night, did the oil and filter and checked everything over. Got my full Gen-U-Bin installed as well, the one with the little glove box. It's almost Slurpee weather and I now have a cup holder! Things I noticed when compared to my old Liberty 150:

The Buddy is much smaller then the Liberty. I'm used to both and each one has its advantages and disadvantages size wise. I need to post a picture of my parking situation. It's very tight. The Buddy squeezes thru easier.

The Buddy is much easier and cleaner to change the oil and filter.

Liberty was a little easier to check the valves on.

Liberty has a bullet proof rear rack system and a better mounting system for the windscreen BUT the OEM Liberty windscreen gets crazy glare from the headlight.

Speaking of lights, the Buddy is a tad better with the headlight but the Liberty was much better on the tail light. Both have nice bright tail lights though.

Side note observation. I always had the ladies compliment my Liberty. It was a small added bonus! So far the Buddy gets more compliments from guys! Very strange. My wife said I should have ordered a fun color and I probably would have gotten better results. I like my gloss titanium color though.

So far happy to be back in Buddy land!

Slightly off subject but thought everyone would like to know, the trade-in value of my old Liberty 150. I think it was a 2019 model, 30,000 miles and mint. I was told the following affecting my trade-in value. Note that this is a Vespa dealer and I purchased the Liberty new from them.
I needs the 30,000 mile service done. The dealer said it'll be $1200 in labor to get it current. How much is labor per hour? I can do the following in 3 hours, 4 if I get lazy:
Oil/filter change.
Reduction box oil change.
Valve check/adjust if needed.
Spark plug.
Brake fluid flush.
Belt, v-slides and rollers.
Check/grease if needed torque driver.
Sand clutch shoes and inner clutch bell.
Air filter change.
That's a full service. It's a simple air-cooled motor. I also supplied all the service parts, all oils and tools since I no longer own it.
I recently did new front brake pads.
Also have a new front Angel tire on it.
But:
It (Liberty) does need a new rear tire.
Needs a new exhaust crush gasket as well, but you replace that when you do the rear wheel anyways.
And it has a random CEL fault issue but the dealer has the code (PADS) computer to help figure it out.
So, the trade-in value? $250. Yup, you read right: Two Hundred Fifty Dollars and 00 cents.
And to think I "almost" traded it in around 2 years ago towards a GTS. Glad I didn't! I'd get $500 for a GTS at trade-in!

I wonder what they would give for my Buddy 125?

I would probably have to pay them to take it.

I bet you'd still get more than me! My friend sold my old black Buddy for $400. Tatty, 45,000 miles and needed a service. I almost went back and got the Liberty but I can't bring myself to sell it to someone knowing there's a issue. And if I did bring it back no one in my area has a PADS computer or the skills to fix it. I'm not throwing parts at it to figure out the problem that causes the CEL to come on and randomly make it run weird.

I mean I fully understand that scooters seem to loose instant value but a $250 trade-in seems off. Oh well, I'm back in to trusty, fix-it-yourself Buddy land again. No computer. No EFI. No ABS. No chipped key. Good old fashioned simple, plus the bonus of a kick start!

I check the rack bolts every 2 weeks. It appears i forgot the thread lock on this bolt. Luckily nothing broke. Still dislike the rack design.

I did replace the lower washer that's missing in the photos. I popped the rack back on before taking the picture. I thread locked the poo outta the new bolt with red thread lock. This happened at just over 2000 miles, so this morning was oil/filter change, fix the rear rack and give the Buddy a bath. Still love the simplicity of the Buddy 125.

Before I forget, the dealer that gave me $250 trade-in on my Liberty (details above in this thread) has it listed for $2199. I never got the email on what they found wrong with it so I assume they just reset the TPS like the last dealer did. Wonder how long before the random loss of power fault will come back? It took me 2 weeks of daily 30 mile commutes, something that won't show up during a test ride.

If anyone was waiting on the NCY exhaust to come back in stock at Scooterworks, they're in. I filled out the email notification but never received a heads-up. I was looking at something else and noticed it was back. I'm not putting it on right away. It can hang in the rafters in my garage until needed. Those NCY exhaust are the best value in aftermarket exhaust. Durable, kinda quiet with the decibel killer insert installed and has a factory look.

I had one on the black Buddy 125 I sold. I got it after running over a huge rock that fell out of a dump truck and kinking the OEM exhaust down pipe. That NCY survived me, the next owner and even the final owner without failing. That poor scooter lived outside, was dropped on both sides multiple times and the end/tip of the NCY will hit/clip the ground when you loop out doing a wheelie. Again, great quality for the price!

So if you wanted one Scooterworks finally has them back in stock.

No decibel killer!? Granted, the NCY isn't "that" loud.

That is strange. I really liked my NCY with the dB killer in. It wasn't bad without it, but I tried it both ways and liked it better installed.

I agree, as I work nights and don't want to come thru the 'hood all loud. The new NCY doesn't even have the little hole drilled for mounting a DB killer. I'll email Scooter Works and ask them whats up. The NCY is still cheaper than a OEM exhaust, plus you get a little it of performance gain.

So I installed a SHAD color plate to my top box. It's VERY silver compared to the Buddy but I think it looks okay....

And, incase anyone wonders about security. Abus, forgot model, but it's the "light" series. Yup, I lock up in my garage!

Just hit a whopping 4000 miles. Did the motor oil and finally did the reduction box oil. The reduction box oil was yucky looking but I didn't see anything that caused concern. Back tire still looks good on wear, but I do stay on top of my tire pressure. My wife says she "Misses going on rides.", meaning a bigger scooter or a motorcycle. I like my Buddy to much to even consider replacing it! We had this discussion before I purchased the Buddy and it was settled then. I gave my folding foot pegs to a member on this forum because I had no need for them anymore. I finally quit my search for the elusive "perfect" Honda Helix. You either find one with around 2000 miles, meaning it sat for a long time, or it has higher miles and is a state of disrepair. A Honda SIlverwing is just a tad to large and clumsy to wrestle into my parking spot. So its Buddy for the win!

BUT 2 even more rare (in my area) mid-sized scooters could sway me. 1: I always loved the ugly KYMCO Grand Vista 250. 2: Yamaha Morphous for some strange reason as well.

I think the Morphous and Grand Vista are both excellent scooters. The GV seemed a bit cramped for me, and I'm only 5'-10. I've come to the conclusion that a Buddy 125 is a great middle of the road scooter. I was without one for 5 years. I went through a Burgman 400 and Vespa GT200. I picked up a cheap 125 two years ago, and have put 12,000 miles on it since then. I have a spare engine sitting under the workbench when the day comes. My wife didn't want to ride on the back anymore since we bought a Prius. I sold my Burgman and was looking for a Vespa GTS250 or a Morphous to do the longer mountain rides I like. Both of those were pretty scarce. In July I found a Piaggio BV250 w/ 1,700 miles. It needed a fuel pump, which was covered under recall. It came with an upgraded Givi windshield and matching Piaggio 36L top case w/ backrest. I paid $1,200 for it. The BV250 wasn't even on my radar. It is exactly what I needed. The Buddy 125 is an awesome scooter. I think I will have one from here on out.

That BV is nice! I've always liked big wheel scooters, and a personal favorite was the SYM CityCom 300. I have the 'no local service' jinx or I would have gotten a BV400 to replace my Liberty.

I wish Genuine would have made a large frame Buddy. Say 30% bigger with 12 or 13 inch wheels, dual rear shocks and a 250 engine similar to Kymco's Grand Vista. That would be one great scooter. I did a full service with belt change a couple of years back on a Kymco Grand Vista with 32,000 miles. The valves had never been checked. The pullies showed virtually no wear, and the valves were spot on. If you would have told me the scooter had 1,200 miles I would have believed it.

Genuine did something close to that wish list, the Blur! Shame it never really caught on and was discontinued in America.

I changed the reduction box oil and I'm pretty sure I overfilled it. Where does the overfilled oil leak out from? Dumb question I know but I don't see a vent hose from the reduction box

So this time I drained the reduction box while hot and let it drip overnight. Then refilled with the little bottle of Genuine 85-140 gear oil and cleaned everything really good. Fourteen miles later I get this.....

sc00ter wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 5:19 pm So this time I drained the reduction box while hot and let it drip overnight. Then refilled with the little bottle of Genuine 85-140 gear oil and cleaned everything really good. Fourteen miles later I get this.....

If you used the whole bottle then you used too much, the little bottle Genuine sells is 115ml, the Buddy 125 only needs about 90ml.

The gear oil really doesn't like being overfill at all, especially if you ride fast.

Drain it all out, measure 3.1 oz and put that much back in.

Thanks for the tips guys. I feel like an idiot for overfilling it, again. I would assume that it would eventually balance itself out but I'll try and get to it this weekend.

I forgot to include purchase numbers. Note that I transferred the plate from the Liberty to the Buddy. The $1000 order deposit covered all the "extra" fees.