lx150 vs buddy 125 vs piaggio fly

[jediblues]

okay i know the subject is a little off but i was wondering from any of you piaggio vespa riders out there about the performance of the buddy to the piaggio vespas. i hear that the buddy more or less smokes the 2 other scooters off the line. is this true?? and how about handling?? the buddy seems a little small but i am strongly considering it if it outperforms the "bigger" 150's.

[ellen]

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I would recommend you test ride the Buddy, Fly and LX and and then decide for yourself

[ericalm]

okay i know the subject is a little off but i was wondering from any of you piaggio vespa riders out there about the performance of the buddy to the piaggio vespas. i hear that the buddy more or less smokes the 2 other scooters off the line. is this true?? and how about handling?? the buddy seems a little small but i am strongly considering it if it outperforms the "bigger" 150's.

I wrote about this at some length here:
viewtopic.php?p=10631#10631

The Buddy and Vespa LX 150 are almost the exact same weight. I wouldn't sat it outperforms the LX at all, just different. Can't compare to a Fly; I've not ridden one. The Fly has the same LEADER 150 engine as the LX but is probably the lighter of the three scoots.

In terms of speed, check out this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=558

The Buddy is definitely faster off the line than the Vespa, but the Vespa has a higher top speed. Many will debate this, but I think it holds true. If not, it's damn close.

In some ways, though, comparing these based solely on speed and handling is a bit like looking at a Mercedes C series and a VW GTi and then asking which is faster. The Buddy & LX150 are different in a number of other ways (see my post linked above). It's more a matter of what kind of ride you want.

[Roose Hurro]

I agree with ericalm... three completely different scoots. Only way to know which is "right" for you is to test-ride all three.


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[jediblues]

thanks everyone. i know i really have to get out there and test drive them. i just keep obsesseing over all the choices. you hear so many different opinions yet i want to keep hearing more of them. this week, in fact i am getting my learners permit. ha! i haven't had to say i am getting my "learner's permit" in like 15 years! so i will be getting out there and test riding them very soon. can't wait!

[smorris]

At the Cleveland Fall Colors Tour, I had 4 Buddies regularly pulling away from me at the lights. We all ended up at the same place, so overall everything was equal. I don't know how the Budddy is gas wise, but I've averaged 62MPG over the last 3800 miles.

My LX150 will soon be sportin' a 190cc kit. Maybe then I can keep up with a 125.

[gt1000]

They're 3 great choices, as far as I'm concerned. The main reason I went with the Buddy was that it was such a better value, although I've heard that the Fly's price is greatly reduced this year. I own another, quite expensive 2 wheeler and couldn't justify spending an additional $1000-$1500 for the LX. If the scoot was my only ride, I'd take a harder look at the LX. The Fly is very nice and I especially like the wheels, tires and suspension. It seems as though there are very few accessories available for the Fly though.

Like others, I've noticed that my Buddy seems to be much quicker off the line than the LX or the Fly, but I don't know how hard those riders were pushing their scoots.

As far as gas mileage, it's hard to beat the Buddy. Most folks report 90 plus mpg but in hard riding I tend to average in the mid 70's.

One last thing, it this is your first two wheeler odds are you will wind up dropping your scooter at some point. The Buddy, and I'm guessing the Fly as well, will be cheaper to fix than the LX. More important than any of these details is your gut feeling. Ride them all, including the Kymcos, and buy the one that gives you the most smiles per mile.

[polianarchy]

buy the one that gives you the most smiles per mile.

Awww! That melted my cold brittle heart!

[ebcspace]

as suggested here, they are different in their own ways.

i own a 2002 Vespa ET4 (150) and recently picked up an '06 Buddy 125 for my wife. i've volunteered myself to break the Buddy in, as it is my duty, and i keep going and going and going... 2000 miles so far (gulp, the guilt in my throat for "borrowing it" for the miles of smiles).

for very windy conditions, the Vespa is much more stable, and with my Sito exhaust on it, i'll hit 75 on the freeway, if i want to pick up some minutes on my daily commute. doing this on the Buddy is a different venture, a little more prone to getting blown around.

the Buddy has a great personality, but i would not give up the Vespa when it comes to riding 2-up with the wife on board.

i much prefer the rear rack on the Buddy to the Vespa, which i have a topcase on.

the winter time is crunch time in the business I work in, which allows me to justify the superior mileage of the Buddy to help out the family budget, and keep riding the Buddy.

the great thing about scooters is the range of personality and style, and the chance to ride different flavors suited to your taste. they're all different and unique ! who's your buddy ?

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http://www.zazzle.com/ebcspace/product/ ... 0639068916

[jediblues]

ha! you "volunteered" yourself to break it in hmm?

i can't even imagine fighting the wind over there in ontario and fontana! whew! that gets scary even in some cars.

the guy over in noho scooters brought up a good point about the buddy vs vespa. he mentioned that if and when you drop your scooter- a dented vespa requires body work. or you just leave it. with a buddy you can replace cracked body panels by ordering them. anyone have any experience with this??

[vitaminC]

Don't really have much to add other than "Welcome!"

I did my undergrad at Whittier- go Poets!

Actually, I did test ride an LX150 a while back, and it struck me as not being to zippy, while I was immediately impressed with the B125. Hence the presence of one instead of the other in my garage.