Upgrade advice

[heatwave23]

Hello All,

I have just finished putting 400 miles on my new buddy and can’t help but want a little more power to get me up some hills quicker. I have already de-restricted it but still need more power.

I have read a lot of article on modernbuddy that have helped my understand the upgrades. I think I would like to start with a 70cc head kit and variator but I have questions.

1st Does adding a 70cc kit require re-jetting the carb? I have read conflicting information on this.
2nd What are you thoughts of leaving the stock pipe on with a 70cc head.
3rd Does anyone have a parts list and links to where they were purchased their upgrades.

Because I am having a hard time determining what parts are compatible with the buddy. I have emailed scootronics and provoscooter without receiving any useful information… seem they are focused on the scooters manufactured in China. Scooterworks web site isn’t helpful and I have been waiting on their catalog for over a week.

Thanks,

[iloveducks11]

You should read this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=4546&highlight=grades
It has some useful information on how to get a bit more speed outta yer 50.
As far as part number - The first place to go would be a local Genuine dealer. If you don't have one close to your location you could try buying from ecomoto.com. They are the #1 Genuine dealer in the USA and I know that they sell & ship a lot of scooter products.

[BGK]

I think the 70cc kit and variator are the best first step. The same kit on a different engine (as several engines share the same cylinder configuration) may require different jetting. Conflicting information on jetting is because sometimes you need to and sometimes you don't. From the Malossi installation guide:

ORIGINAL FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM
If you wish to retain the original carburettor you will have to replace the main jet, if included in the kit, or else position the needle on the fifth and final notch from the top (basically the pin must be fully raised).
With this method performance will be good, but not comparable to that of a scooter equipped with a specifically designed Malossi fuel supply
system.

So, if the kit doesn't come with a jet, raising the needle by placing the clip on the lowest (I know it says top but it's backwards) position (thus putting it as they say 'fully raised') can usually fulfill the increased fuel needs on an otherwise unmodified engine. So if you have a stock air filter and stock exhaust, you can get away without upjetting. I have 1500 trouble free miles on my cast iron malossi kit on an ET2 with that adjustment.

The Malossi cylinder kit and a variator add a nice bit of extra pull and run well together without any additional noise. If you want more by adding an aftermarket exhaust or carburetor, then more fine tuning will need to be done to the jetting, variator and clutch for optimal performance. Just bolting them on will make it slower. Modifying the intake (air filter) or exhaust will increase the noise significantly as well as make a bigger dent in fuel economy.

Other aftermarket exhausts may fit the Buddy 50. I'm not sure exactly which ones. But the cylinder will accept any other Minarelli/Yamaha exhaust so it's just whether the exhaust bracket mounting point is the same. Bracket modification is sometimes easy, sometimes it's a pain.

[Dooglas]

The other possibility is that a 50cc scoot does not really meet your needs. Rather than pumping more money into it, the other alternative is to sell it to someone else as a starting scoot at some point and upgrade to one that does what you want.

[BGK]

The other possibility is that a 50cc scoot does not really meet your needs. Rather than pumping more money into it, the other alternative is to sell it to someone else as a starting scoot at some point and upgrade to one that does what you want.

Where's the fun in that!

After reading all the repetitive "how much money will this scooter save me" posts and arguments I did my own back of the envelope calculations. Considering I kept my van, commuted on my scooter as well as did a few extra errands, if I went out an bought a brand new Rough House and got out the door and on the road for under 2,000.00. It would take me 5 years of regular use to break even on my investment considering gas, maintenance, tires, insurance and registration. If I were to spend 3K on a Buddy 125 it would take me even longer. But wait! If I were to consider the benefit of parking for free for 35 weeks of the year I cut that down to about 1.5 northern state riding seasons. And at the end of that 1.5 years I probably still have a 1200.00 asset to continue to save with or sell. I know that parking privileges vary by municipality and costs of parking vary by job. But this is the real killer saving that turns an illusion of economy into a real money saving venture. Could I do that with a Buddy 125 or Rattler 110? Nope. I'd get a 35.00/day ticket if I didn't pay to park in the car lot.

That said, I agree that many people should just buy a 125, not worry about getting an endorsement and ride scooters for fun more than for economy. The 125/150 will be able to take one on a few more roads at higher speeds, a 50cc scooter (unrestricted) will serve most urban needs. But when people have already bought a 50 or have bought a 50 for parking reasons (let alone some areas not even requiring registration or insurance) there is not much sense to saying they need to upgrade and extend their time to pay off their investment with economy. My above calculations considered I do all the work myself. If one wants to do 50cc upgrades and do it themselves then it really makes sense just to add a few inexpensive performance parts. Selling or trading in and upgrading will probably cost the owner around 1500.00 at best. For far less than that they can have the fun scooter they really want and still reap that killer parking/registration benefit.

[jfrost2]

You will have to rejet, and get the muffler, if you want the power from the 70cc kit to actually be noticable, the pipe will allow you.

[BGK]

You will have to rejet, and get the muffler, if you want the power from the 70cc kit to actually be noticable, the pipe will allow you.

Mr. Frost, You seem very knowledgeable... How many of these have you installed?

[scoot50]

Anytime that you make a performance modification to a scooter you should pull the spark plug to make sure that it is not running too lean. There are several web sites that explain how to do this. I installed a 70cc kit on my scooter. If you are mechanically handy it is not difficult. No jetting change was needed but I am at high altitude and the scooter was running rich before the change anyway. After the change the top speed increased but hill climbing was still weak. Adding a new variator took care of that problem. But you could probably just change the variator weight size and get the same results. Both kits were purchased from Sportique in Denver. Each kit was around $200.

http://www.sportiquescooters.com

[heatwave23]

I do agree with what BGK stated. I always see alot of people post you should buy a 125cc+ scooter... not upgrade.... But most people who buy the 50cc have a good reason for doing so... I live in NC and we don't have to register <50cc scooters. Plus the fact I enjoy tinkering on things so I bought it with the intention to learn more about tuning scooters.

BGK do you have a part number or link that you used to purchase the Malossi 70cc kit and varitor?

What was you MPG after this install?

Thanks,

[BGK]

Try Motorsport, Scooterworks and Sportique (for the variator or both.)

I'd install one at a time so you can see the differences contributed by each one.