Modern Buddy

The stars have aligned. A Stella is in my future. I want a 2T but suppose I could hold out for a 4T. I'm just wondering if anyone could talk me down.

I want a 2T for the history and the quirks and the stink. I've ridden motorcycles on and off for 30+ years, and a Buddy for 1.5 years almost constantly (except this stupid winter). I can sling a wrench, and I like to swing a wrench, but I am no master mechanic, and I have no experience with 2T's aside from my weedwacker, and somehow I don't think that counts. I know there will be a learning curve; on the other hand, I won't go completely bat-sh*t if (when) I find myself stranded roadside.

BTW, I know there are other alternative, like a used Vespa, but truth be told, I am a Genuine fanboy.

Am I being stupid?

You want a 2T, right? Get one.

If you understand how engines work, 2T's are SIMPLE to work on. The only moving part is the piston, which means diagnosing problems is simple.

In most cases, the diagnosis process consists of...

1. Does it have spark?
2. Is the compression correct?
3. If 1 and 2 are ok, then it just means you need to fiddle with your carb. End of story.

I got my experience with 2 stroke jet skis, and they are just simple to work on. You will go through pistons and cylinders a bit faster than 4 strokes due to the lack of an oiling system (faster being maybe once every 5-6 years on a regularly run, well tuned bike), but replacing the piston and cylinder is about a 1.5 hour job. EASY.

The key downside to 2 strokes is if the tuning is wrong, you will seize the piston and will need to replace the top end. Basically, if the bike isn't running quite right, DO NOT RIDE IT until the problem is solved. The problem shouldn't be hard to diagnose because there just isn't that much going on in a 2 stroke engine.

In my experience with my 2005 Stella, if you don't mess with the stock set-up, you're not likely to have any problems. Problems seem to occur in direct proportion to homemade "performance enhancements."

you want the 2 stroke get it

yes there are some quriks with the 2 stroke but we know what those problems are and how to fix them

if you get a 4 stroke well we dont know what problems it will have just yet and how to fix them
there is no after market support for the 4 stroke yet
heck im willing to bet that for the first year even factory replacment parts will be hard to come by

just take a look and the brand new z125 there ended up being a fuel pump issue and guys were stuck waiting months for new fuel pumps or just about any part unless they had a conection over in tiwian to get a part

so stick with what is proven instead of being the one with the open can of worms

That's what alot of us early Buddy owners experienced. The parts support and accessories were lacking. One of the running jokes on the early MB was that what ever it was that you needed "it will be here in 2 weeks!"

I will admit that for a Stella or Vespa I'm a 2Ter. I just can't imagine the sound of a 4T Stella!

BuddyRaton wrote: I will admit that for a Stella or Vespa I'm a 2Ter. I just can't imagine the sound of a 4T Stella!

It's like the sound of a 4T Vespa, rather like the sound of a refrigerator.

PeterC wrote:

BuddyRaton wrote: I will admit that for a Stella or Vespa I'm a 2Ter. I just can't imagine the sound of a 4T Stella!

It's like the sound of a 4T Vespa, rather like the sound of a refrigerator.

My refrigerator doesn't make any noise...


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Two-strokes are the best thing on God's Green Earth, Four-strokes are, well, four-strokes.

loodieboy wrote:I know there will be a learning curve; on the other hand, I won't go completely bat-sh*t if (when) I find myself stranded roadside.

I have only been stranded once on the roadside, and it was because of a kill switch. If I had read a little bit more about it, I could have fixed it right then, or just disconnected it when I first bought my Stella. There have been a few electrical problems, but my dealer fixed those by a better securing of the wires under the headset... After that, zero problems.

I am not terribly mechanically inclined, but the Stella is fine for me. Everything that can be worked on is easily accessible and engineered pretty simply... its not high technology. I have not put a kit on mine, just a P200 air filter and Sito+ exhaust, and rejet, but it starts every day and gives me no problems.

I read a lot about the poor reliability of stellas in the days after I bought it, and I read even more that the Stella was NOT a good first choice in a scooter. This bothered me because I had to sell my car when I got my stella, and I'd never ridden a scooter before. But I find a lot of that overstated. My stella is plenty reliable in the areas that count. The electrical stuff and kill switch were quick easy fixes, but the engine has not let me down at all. On top of all this, it is fun to tinker with it and know that there isn't much advanced technology for me to screw up. Parts are cheap for it, and there is no end to the tinkering I can do.

I like it a lot

How about crankcase seals?

How difficult are those to replace?
Special pullers or anything?

Thanks.

bethdavenport wrote:How about crankcase seals?

How difficult are those to replace?
Special pullers or anything?

Thanks.

It really depends on which seal. The fly side seal can be replaced without splitting the cases. You will need a flywheel puller for that but they are pretty cheap. The other seals require splitting the cases.

with a new Stella the seals are going to last a long time. The best thing to do is to run some Seafoam if it is going to sit for awhile. 2T seals don't like ethanol...and neither do I!