bigger scooter for my wife?

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff

Post Reply
birdmove
Member
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:38 pm
Location: Keaau, Hawaii

bigger scooter for my wife?

Post by birdmove »

She has put over 2000 miles on her Honda Metro 49cc scooter. She wants a bigger one pretty soon.Heres some more info:
1.The Metro actually works for her very short commute just fine and gets about 115 mpg.
2.We have trucked her Metro and my 2007 Yamaha XT225 dual sport to the Anacortes ferry docks, where we unload and ride them onto the boat, and go to one of the San Juan Islands, where we stay for a few days and tool around. The Metros top/cruising speed is a little bit of a problem there, but not bad.
3.She wants to be able to take some trips via her scooter, and one of my motorcycles. We're not talking about going over a mountain pass, or cruising long distances on a freeway. We'd take backroads. However, once in a while, it might be nice to be able to do a little bit of freeway if needed-although this usually could be avoided.
4.It would be nice if the scooter wasn't too heavey or large, so we could still get her scooter and my Yamaha in the back of my Toyota Tacoma pickup.
Here the scooters she and I are considereing.
1. Vespa LX150. Though its pretty expensive.
2.Yamaha 125cc Vino.
3.Buddy 125cc.
4.Maybe the new Vespa S model that sells for about $4100.00?
From what I know, the Buddy is very fast for a 125cc scooter. Has anyone ridden these other scooters? How does the Yamaha Vino compare? We would certainly need to be able to cruise at 50 mph at least.Oh yeah, she doesn't want to have to shift, which leaves out the Bajaj Cheetak (a favorite of mine), and the Stella.
Thanks for your comments,
Jon in Puyallup, Wa. USA
Attachments
DSC01100.jpg
DSC01100.jpg (140.14 KiB) Viewed 2050 times
Jon in Keaau, Hawaii
Ed Hit
Member
Posts: 235
Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:08 pm
Location: Chicago

Post by Ed Hit »

I cannot speak to the vespa option. But I was looking at both a Vino and a buddy. This article sold me on the buddy. And I have not been at all unhappy.

http://www.justgottascoot.com/buddy.htm

my first time posting a link, but just google vino vs buddy and this pulls right up...
User avatar
EP_scoot
Member
Posts: 760
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:42 pm
Location: Eden Prairie, MN

Post by EP_scoot »

Jon,
I am not familiar on those scoots so I can't comment, other than to agree the Vespas are expensive.

However, it looks like you have 125cc scoots in there as well. Have you checked the laws in WA? Some states limit highway use to 150cc and above.

FYI
Beer is the answer . . . what was the question?

D.
User avatar
robtaylor
Member
Posts: 538
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:12 am
Location: tulsa,ok
Contact:

Post by robtaylor »

unless money is no object i would buy the buddy all over again, they do make a buddy 150 now

p.s. the just gotta scoot comparison between vino and buddy (the link posted above) is a good write up
formerly known as robonz23

www.cannonballbuddy.com
User avatar
scullyfu
Member
Posts: 558
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:57 am
Location: Niagara Falls

Post by scullyfu »

EP_scoot wrote:Jon,
I am not familiar on those scoots so I can't comment, other than to agree the Vespas are expensive.

However, it looks like you have 125cc scoots in there as well. Have you checked the laws in WA? Some states limit highway use to 150cc and above.

FYI
washington has no such law, only requirement is that you have a mc endorsement (and insurance, of course; oh, and a helmet). :)
WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!!! Starbuck, BSG
User avatar
Eddy Merckx
Member
Posts: 214
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:25 pm
Location: Hartford West

Post by Eddy Merckx »

Go with the buddy international, its a 150cc and should go 65 mph or more with no problem, my 125 bud will do 60 mph without going full throttle and I go in at 210 lbs. jmo
"Social graces, got any"
User avatar
Sharon
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:04 am
Location: Falls Church, VA

Post by Sharon »

I am 5'3", about 110 lbs. I first bought a Vespa 150cc which was too heavy for me & seat too high. I sold the Vespa & now have a Buddy 125 Italia....LOVING the Buddy!
User avatar
jfrost2
Member
Posts: 4782
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:32 am
Location: Somewhere in Ohio, Maybe.

Post by jfrost2 »

Buy her a buddy! Slightly bigger bike plus it has 125cc!
Wiggins
Member
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:15 am
Location: Bellingham, Wa

Post by Wiggins »

I have ridden the Vespa and the Buddy but not the Vino. Based on all accounts I have heard about the Vino being slower than the Buddy, and the fact that the Vespa I rode was slower than the Buddy 125; I would say you should not get any of them if you plan on taking it on the freeway. If you are in a population center where the speed limit is 60 no one will be driving that slow and you won't be able to keep up with traffic. Maybe the Buddy 150 would be a better choice, but I would look at a scoot with a bigger engine.

There is no engine size requirement to ride on the freeway in Washington, and you do not have to have insurance for any two wheeled vehicle.

Kyle
Ms. Milan
Member
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:24 pm
Location: Milan, Michigan

Post by Ms. Milan »

I think the Buddy would be your best bet. Other scoots are heavy and the Buddy is super light. And going up to a larger displacement seems to be natural. I started with a 50cc Mojito and then went to a Vespa PX 150. Thats a heavy bike. With the Buddy, I feel comfortable. And for the price of the Vespa S, you can get a Buddy and some nice accessories.

Happy shopping.
User avatar
jfrost2
Member
Posts: 4782
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:32 am
Location: Somewhere in Ohio, Maybe.

Post by jfrost2 »

A vespa may have a bigger engine, but dont forget it weighs itself down with an all metal body.

A buddy has a weaker engine, but a light weight plastic body, it will go faster and have more top end. It has a steel frame, with plastic panels for the looks and convenience, rather than metal. To me, if you get into an accident, I'd rather buy a bunch of plastic parts and snap them on, then take my scooter to a body shop to be repaired.
User avatar
NathanielSalzman
Member
Posts: 429
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:07 pm
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Post by NathanielSalzman »

In comparing the Vino to the Buddy 125, definitely check out Dave's review at JustGottaScoot. It's a very direct comparison between the two. I know Dave from the local scooter crowd, so when my wife was looking for a scooter, I emailed him with some more specific questions comparing the two scooters and his response was
"The Buddy would kick the living snot out of the Vino in pretty much all categories."
The Vino as I see it only has two advantages. A) You can pick them up on Craigslist for $2000 pretty much any ol' time. B) If you don't have a Genuine dealer near you, chances are you have a Yamaha dealer if you need service.

But even still, you could probably pick up a brand new '07 Buddy left over at a Genuine dealer for less than $2500 out the door. And that'd be with two years of warranty and a year of roadside. Besides that, the Vino just seems like such an afterthought to the rest of what Yamaha has going on. They haven't changed it significantly in at least five years and I doubt they've spent any real R&D dollars on it. It's a fine scoot, but hardly cutting edge.

My wife ended up going the Buddy route - bought herself a pink '06 Buddy 125 which she loves. I put probably the first 40 miles on it and I was very impressed with how much power it had, how easy it is to ride, and just the overall quality of the scoot.

As for the Vespa S, I love it, but it's pricey. What you're getting for the money is a metal body and a lot of Italian pedigree. Is it worth it? That's up to you. Scooters are intensely practical, but I can't help but feel like the newest Vespas are overbuilt and overpriced because they've become style objects.
Nathaniel Salzman | Founding Editor at ScooterFile.com
User avatar
jfrost2
Member
Posts: 4782
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:32 am
Location: Somewhere in Ohio, Maybe.

Post by jfrost2 »

I dont think a 2006 or 2700 would go for 2500$ out the door. They sell too well for the price of a new bike to be lowered, some dealers might to clearance them, but most dont even have bikes old enough for them to be cleared off, the buddy is too popular for the price to decrease.
User avatar
NathanielSalzman
Member
Posts: 429
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:07 pm
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Post by NathanielSalzman »

jfrost2 wrote:I dont think a 2006 or 2700 would go for 2500$ out the door. They sell too well for the price of a new bike to be lowered, some dealers might to clearance them, but most dont even have bikes old enough for them to be cleared off, the buddy is too popular for the price to decrease.
I have a Pink Buddy in my garage that would disagree with you ;-)
Nathaniel Salzman | Founding Editor at ScooterFile.com
User avatar
jfrost2
Member
Posts: 4782
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:32 am
Location: Somewhere in Ohio, Maybe.

Post by jfrost2 »

Do you mean out the door, or tax needs to be added? My father bought a creme buddy for 2595+ tax out the door.
User avatar
ranpianoman
Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:24 pm
Location: Duluth, Ga

Post by ranpianoman »

My creme Buddy was $2595 + tax as well. My dealer, Twist and Scoot, in ATL had a Vino and I passed. Buddy's are (according to the resident mechanic and a friend who is a motorcycle mechanic) much more mechanic friendly than most any other scooter. Both guys, who do not know each other, mentioned they are very logically laid out, both mechanically and electronically. They actually mentioned Buddy and Honda in the same reference.
User avatar
Dooglas
Moderator
Posts: 4368
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:17 am
Location: Oregon City, OR

Post by Dooglas »

We have a Vino and Buddy. I like the Vino. Finish is excellent. It is a very reliable scoot and a good runner. Parts and service are less hassle than the Buddy. The big plus for the Buddy is stronger acceleration. I have ridden an LX150 a couple of times and I didn't think that the Buddy gave away much of anything to the Vespa in acceleration either. If this is all about a scooter that will do a better job of keeping up with an MC on a casual ride, my experience says Buddy is a good choice. The new 150 Internationals may be an even better choice. Probably the only way you do any better is with a large frame scoot like the GTS250. You are really into major bucks then but they are capable of some freeway riding if thats what you need.

As an aside, just as well you ruled out the Bajaj. Great classic appearance but it is really a dog when you twist the throttle compared to most other 125/150 scoots.
User avatar
jrsjr
Moderator Emeritus
Posts: 3746
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:26 pm

Post by jrsjr »

Well, first, I have to warn you that this is a Buddy site, so you can expect us to recommend the Buddy, right? :wink:

So, the Vespa... here's the thing, if the looks of the Vespa are the most important thing (it doesn't sound that way from your post), and money is no object, the Vespa has got it going on. Parts and service on the Vespa will be a concern depending on who your dealer is, but that's a minor concern relative to my big concern which applies to all Vespas. The problem is economics. If you happen to have a minor spill on a Vespa, the repair bill is going to start at about $2000. Trust me on this, I have been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. If a car bumps your Vespa in a parking lot (or you bump into something) and it happens to bend the body (there is no frame on a Vespa) just wrong, it's totalled. It happens all the time. Again, the Vespa argument is all about economics. If money is no object, you can't beat the looks.

[EDIT: I completely forgot to mention that the above is not the case with either the Buddy or the Vino. They both have frames with plastic bodies. If you have a spill with either of those scooters, you can usually just replace cheap plastic body panels no big deal.]

That leaves the Buddy vs the Vino. For me, this would be a no-brainer. I have a *great* Buddy dealer and a lousy Yamaha dealer I wouldn't recommend to anybody. I'd get the Buddy without any doubt. If I had a great Yamaha dealer and lousy Buddy dealer, I'd get the Yamaha, *unless* I had my heart set on an '08 International model, then I'd probably grit my teeth and buy it anyhow. :wink:

All of my experience leads me to the same conclusion. All other things being approximately equal, the dealer is the most important decision factor.

-John
MonsterGirl
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2007 5:26 am
Location: Seattle

Post by MonsterGirl »

I can hit an indicated 65 going up the hill on the West Seattle bridge on my buddy, so the speeds should be sufficient. It doesn't have any additional oompf at top speeds for avoiding a situation on the highway though, so I wouldn't recommend making that a regular occurrence (I take my Monster if I need highway speed).

For the most part here, people are rediculously accomodating of slow vehicles, especially if you stay in the right lane. If you have to get on the freeway to get around something, it should be fine. People in the left lane go 45 when traffic is going 60+!

The 150cc Buddy might be an even better option if you're interested in a new scoot.
Keys
Member
Posts: 2037
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:57 pm
Location: Next to a big dirt lot.
Contact:

Post by Keys »

I hope nobody stones me for this, but I own 2 Honda Helix's...my wife's is stock and mine is...well, it is what it is. Anyway, for 2 up riding, there is probably not a comfier seat this side of a Goldwing. For BOTH parties. It's a 250cc, will do a good 70+ mph and get 70+ mpg. Neither is stellar, but it's a good solid scooter that will run forever and will carry you both with ease.

--Keys 8)
"Life without music would Bb"
User avatar
KRUSTYburger
Member
Posts: 3366
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:54 am
Location: Pee-Cola, FL

Post by KRUSTYburger »

Keys wrote:I hope nobody stones me for this, but I own 2 Honda Helix's...my wife's is stock and mine is...well, it is what it is. Anyway, for 2 up riding, there is probably not a comfier seat this side of a Goldwing. For BOTH parties. It's a 250cc, will do a good 70+ mph and get 70+ mpg. Neither is stellar, but it's a good solid scooter that will run forever and will carry you both with ease.
The Helix seat IS VERY COMFY!!! It's like sitting on a mini la-z-boy... The passenger seat is pretty good too. Hey Keys, do you know where to get a passenger backrest for the helix? We've been looking for one (preferably with a rack, but NOT a topcase). So far we've only bee able to find the topcase & mount.
Image
User avatar
robtaylor
Member
Posts: 538
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:12 am
Location: tulsa,ok
Contact:

Post by robtaylor »

Keys wrote:I hope nobody stones me for this, but I own 2 Honda Helix's...my wife's is stock and mine is...well, it is what it is. Anyway, for 2 up riding, there is probably not a comfier seat this side of a Goldwing. For BOTH parties. It's a 250cc, will do a good 70+ mph and get 70+ mpg. Neither is stellar, but it's a good solid scooter that will run forever and will carry you both with ease.

--Keys 8)

i thought a goldwing was a motorcycle, did you mean silverwing?
formerly known as robonz23

www.cannonballbuddy.com
Keys
Member
Posts: 2037
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:57 pm
Location: Next to a big dirt lot.
Contact:

Post by Keys »

robonz23 wrote:i thought a goldwing was a motorcycle, did you mean silverwing?
Nope. I meant Goldwing. And yes, it is a motorcycle, but it is also the standard by which all touring mounts are measured.

--Keys
"Life without music would Bb"
Keys
Member
Posts: 2037
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:57 pm
Location: Next to a big dirt lot.
Contact:

Post by Keys »

KRUSTYburger wrote:Hey Keys, do you know where to get a passenger backrest for the helix?
I actually have one that I removed from mine and put on my wife's. It looks like a factory item to me...it was part of the original grab-bar. You can also go to the hondahelixdiscussion group at yahoo...they have all kinds of backrest ideas in the photos section.

--Keys 8)
"Life without music would Bb"
User avatar
ERik3tb
Member
Posts: 320
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 8:10 pm
Location: Wyoming

Post by ERik3tb »

Another option is to go slightly bigger then what you have listed.

I've looked at the SYM HD 200 and found to to be, at least for me, better then the Kymco P200.
birdmove
Member
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:38 pm
Location: Keaau, Hawaii

Post by birdmove »

I took my wife to look at a Honda Helix because I had read great things about them as far as comfort,reliability etc. But my wife-and I find this rather hilarious coming fro her-just doesn't like the "looks" of the Helix. I never thought the appearance of a scooter would influence her, but it did. Also I think it felt really big to her, and it is a pretty long scooter with the front bodywork sticking way forward.I would heve bought her one and felt good about the Honda reliability etc. Our 2005 Metro has been perfect as far as reliability goes. I took her to see some Kymcos, and she took a People 200 for a short spin, but again, she felt it was to large physically for her. I haven't got her out yet to check out the Buddy or Vino, but I will predict those will feel more comfortable to her. I like the Buddy. The gas mileage seems to be not far off from 90-100 mpg and it has good acceleration and cruising speeds from what I hear. We also have a dealer not far away that sells Kawasaki,Kymco,and Genuine scooters. I'm really doubting we'll ever get her on a freeway, and if we do a little bit of route planning, we won't ever need to get on one.
My wife is a good rider that I taught myself (I've got maybe 200,000 miles of motorcycle riding in over 45 years of riding), but she failed her first attempt at the Wa. State motorcycle riding test.She took the test on her Metro scooter, and says the instructer was unclear in some of her instructions. Whats funny about it is, here my wife shows up on this 49cc Metro scooter with the "girlie" flowery/blue paint job.Along with her are all these "bikers" on Harleys and a full dress Gold Wing. These bikers told her they didn't know you could take the mc test on a scooter. They all asked her if they could do the test on her scooter. The GW rider said he couldn't even see where the cones were when he rode his 'Wing! So all these tough HD riders and GW rider took the test on her Metro! They all offered to buy her lunch after, but she had to go.They offered to buy her some gas, but she told them they all used maybe a nickels worth and not to worry about it. Wish I'da been there to watcj all that!.

Jon in Puyallup, Wa. USA
Attachments
3af4.jpg
3af4.jpg (50.42 KiB) Viewed 1577 times
Jon in Keaau, Hawaii
User avatar
Dooglas
Moderator
Posts: 4368
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:17 am
Location: Oregon City, OR

Post by Dooglas »

Yeow, I love those Enfields!

I think you are on the right track. Let your wife sit on a Buddy and a Vino and see which one feels better to her. If your wife is not an aggressive rider, I would think either one would do the job for her. You sure want to go for a scoot that is inside of her comfort zone.
paige
Member
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:05 pm

Post by paige »

I have a Buddy, MP3 and an LX. Ericalm has said what I would say about the two smaller bikes. I would recommend for your situation a Buddy International.The Stebel horn alone would be worthwhile. If I had to sell one of mine, the LX would be the first to go. I like it a lot, but it is a little tall and I do think about how much it would cost to drop it. Not just dollars, but down time. A broken Vespa takes months to repair. A broken Buddy takes days.
Post Reply