Modern Buddy

Hey all you stella owners. I am currently a Buddy rider but want to start building my fleet of scooters. I really like the look and attitude of the Stella, and my friend is letting me test ride his next weekend. I was wondering how everyone that has one feels about it? I am guessing a lot of you guys also have, or have had, or at least have ridden a Buddy also… since you are on MB.com. What are some of the big differences, other than the obvious manual vs automatic, metal vs. Tupperware, that I should know before I get involved. Thanks!

Scutellosaurus and I had only had our Buddy for about 4 weeks before I was informed that I should get my own scoot. I had really wanted a Stella, but didn't think it would make a good first scooter. So when we went to Magic City Motor Scooters, I pretended it wasn't even there.

Now I'm only 10 days into Stella ownership; but I can offer a couple of points:
*The Stella handles very differently from the Buddy. She likes very light steering input and will let you know about every little change in wind and road surface. The upshot is that corners and curves are a blast.
*Get ready get your hands dirty. There are several maintenance issues and tune ups you will need to do, sometimes unexpectedly. Clutch and shifter cables are a good example. Order a set of inners as soon as you have get the scoot and learn to replace them. To me, learning the scoot inside and out is part of the fun.
*I was a little surprised at how much quicker and faster the wife's Pamplona is. I think a deblue, Sito+ exhaust and re-jetting will put us on fairly equal ground. I'm waiting for complete break-in, though.

I'm sure there's more; but that's what come to mind right now. It's good you get to test ride for a while. Most of this stuff will be immediately obvious. Be sure to hit us with your comments and/or questions once you put some miles on one.

part of the allure is getting my hands derty I really want something I can play around with a little more, and not worry if it isnt running 100% of the time. I have my buddy which should stay as reliable as it has been and start up everytime I get on it. I will definately let you know what I think next week!

The Stella is a great scooter and I want one. But when I buy one it will be with this clearly in mind. The Stella is NOT a retro scooter. It is an OLD scooter. As long as you don't expect the convenience of modern day engineering, you'll be ok. Stella is the Royal Enfield of scooters.
On our last club ride one rider told me not to ride behind that Stella, it STINKS.

Love that 2 cycle.

Dennis

Also keep in mind that the Buddy is VERY well-balanced.

The first time I got on a Stella, I was amazed at how heavy it was on the right side.

You might want to look around for a beat-up Vespa P200 as it'll probably be cheaper than a new Stella...I got mine for $350 but it wasn't running (had been sitting 8 years). I was so happy to finally be one of those people who got the deal on a vintage scoot. How many times had I heard,"yeah, I picked it up for 50 bucks from the son of the farmer who had it for riding in the apple orchards in upstate New York" and thought, damn, I need to find me that kinda deal. It came from a wonderful former neighbor who decided to have kids instead of getting the scoot running.

The P200 is the same bike as the Stella so you can kit it out with all the chrome you can afford. And if it's a little beat up, you won't feel bad customizing the paint and stuff.

If I could afford a second scoot, the Stella or P200 would be it. Same reasons, I already have a very reliable one. I would also use it differently, more leisurely rides and would have a differrent attitude about its expectations.

Aside from being marketed/distributed by the same parent company, there aren't alot of similarities. It sounds as if you are already well aware of that. I guess you'll need to decide for yourself if a Stella is a wise addition to your fleet. You may want to consider finding a used Stella or Vespa P200/P150. They are plentiful and will save you some $$$.

i am thinking this fall or early winter i might hunt around for a deal on a used stella... i think the rain will start to wear on some of the citizens of seattle that thought they could handle a scooter year round...

I love my Stella. She is my first scoot, but I tried a few others before I got her and like folks said, Stella's feel different.

It's kind of a pain to have to put in 2T oil every so often, but I think that's also part of the allure. And the sound it makes when idling rules.

I waited for my Stella since 2004.

And I've loved it every second that I've had it.

500 miles in 13 days.

Get one.

ooh, Stella thread!

Keep it up, guys, I may yet be swayed!

Okeh, here's what we're gonna do:

Everyone send me $2. There's over 2000 members on this forum. So I figure that after y'all complete your assignment, I can afford my new Stella! Now, get cracking, people. This scooter ain't gonna pay for itself.

There is alot of people who will say the Stella needs constant maintance. I have not found this to be true. Outside of doing a few upgrades, I cannot think of any additional maintance she needs any more than a 4 stroke.

With that said, I love my Stella and would not trade her for all the 4 strokes in the world. She has a ton of get up and go, can be sassy, gets a TON of looks and strikes up a ton of conversation. So much conversation that it gets on my nerves sometimes. I love the full metal body and there are parts on every corner for her. Never has the been a scoot so loved and adored by all.

With that said, after you get her broken in, make sure you so some upgrades...sito+, BE3/55-160 idle jet/100 or so main/160AC. At the very least, you will be able to blow away most other scoots out there.

Legend wrote:sito+, BE3/55-160 idle jet/100 or so main/160AC.

Recommended place to purchase?


Also, do you happen to know if the '08 headlight can be retrofit to the previous models?

AxeYrCat wrote:

Legend wrote:sito+, BE3/55-160 idle jet/100 or so main/160AC.

Recommended place to purchase?


Also, do you happen to know if the '08 headlight can be retrofit to the previous models?

Scooterworks is the main shopping place for Stella Parts. Zcheck out stellaspeed.com. Although the folks there are a bit rough around the edges, they know their shit. By doing the above upgrades, I increased my top end by 7MPH and have a ton more power in the low and mid range. It cost me less than 130 bucks to do ti and its so easy to do.
I have a few extra jets too, PM me for details.

Not sure about the headlamp. It is the same basic frame so I do not se why not but truth be tolf, i would not see a problem with the change.

AxeYrCat wrote:

Legend wrote:sito+, BE3/55-160 idle jet/100 or so main/160AC.

Recommended place to purchase?


Also, do you happen to know if the '08 headlight can be retrofit to the previous models?

No direct experience; but I see Scooterworks and Scooter Parts Direct recomended a lot. I will order from Scooterworks soon, so we'll see how it goes.

As for the headlight, I get the feeling that practically no one has compared or tried to swap the two.

AxeYrCat wrote:

Legend wrote:sito+, BE3/55-160 idle jet/100 or so main/160AC.

Recommended place to purchase?

If you use Scooterworks, here are the part #s for the jets:
191362 Jet, Idle 55/160 - SI 1 $5.50
89145 Jet, Main SI #100 1 $5.50
97438 Jet, Atomizer BE3-SI 1 $5.50
150049 Jet, Air #160 - SI 1 $5.50

Also note that you will probably want to get a few extra Main jets 105, 110, etc depending on your location to dial it in just perfect. There are threads here (cant find the link, so "here" goes nowhere. Its on StellaSpeed.) with all this info.

As mentioned in another thread, I'm not a fan of StellaSpeed.

A post I made got one response (that didn't answer my questions), and yes, I'd searched for relevant information, and then a moderator locked it.

I sent a message to one of the moderators that day, and I still haven't heard back.


Maybe my experience was just a lousy one, but if the moderators are that unhelpful, I think it speaks volumes for the site...

Also, thanks to those of you who shot some info my way!

Greatly appreciated!!

I love my new Stella.

I loved her a lot the first week.

Since she's not been running since Sunday and I had to push her home a mile in 90 degree heat, I love her just a little less.

She's just been shuttled away to the shop, so I bet i'll be loving her more in a couple of days or so.

The first week was quite a lot of fun, however.

Shane can you let us know what happened with your Stella (sorry to hear)? I wonder if they vapor lock because of their gas caps like the Buddys have.

Kerry

They don't vapor lock like the buddy's do.

The gas cap has a lovely hole right in the top where it should be .

My issue is definitely electrical in that I have no spark.

I took her to the car wash on sunday and two blocks after she was squeaky clean, she died.

I did as much trouble shooting as I could, but decided since she's under warranty, the shop can handle it.

I'll fill you in when she's healed.

I bought a Stella in summer of 2003 and rode it as my daily driver year round for almost 4 years. I loved that bike and put a ton of time and money into it over the years on upgrades. Finally, there was nothing else left to tweak or modify or upgrade because I had done everything I wanted to do.

I sold mine to buy a GTS and I started over with a clean slate.

*brought to tears by the beauty*

goofy_foot wrote:I bought a Stella in summer of 2003 and rode it as my daily driver year round for almost 4 years. I loved that bike and put a ton of time and money into it over the years on upgrades. Finally, there was nothing else left to tweak or modify or upgrade because I had done everything I wanted to do.

I sold mine to buy a GTS and I started over with a clean slate.

Who did you sell this to, and how might I best convince them to sell it to me?!

My Stella lives again.

The damned kill switch failed. It seems to be a recurring problem with the new Stellas.

The mechanic bypassed it and ordered a replacement.

In the meantime I get to keep breaking her in and just have to shut her off with the key instead of the switch.

so i have officially started saving for a vintage... I will not be getting a stella, unless a 200-250cc version comes out in '09. I am on the hunt for either and Allstate, or a larger cc Vespa Sprint or Super... anyone selling?

MikieTaps wrote:so i have officially started saving for a vintage... I will not be getting a stella, unless a 200-250cc version comes out in '09. I am on the hunt for either and Allstate, or a larger cc Vespa Sprint or Super... anyone selling?

Good luck finding one, they seem to be a little more scarce in the PNW.

Shane Wilson wrote:My Stella lives again.

The damned kill switch failed. It seems to be a recurring problem with the new Stellas.

The mechanic bypassed it and ordered a replacement.

In the meantime I get to keep breaking her in and just have to shut her off with the key instead of the switch.

Honestly that's probably safer, the kill switch isn't really a kill switch IMO.

It doesn't completely disable the bike, if you're in gear and kill it and then let the clutch out it will start again.

I replaced my kill switch with a vespa switch instead of a stella switch.

It's actually a rocker instead of a momentary contact switch. So it is a true kill switch.

Went on a scooter club ride on Stella today, and I have to say I love her alot.

I was thinking about selling my buddy, but I took the buddy in for the 8K service and she got new rollers and a general tweaking and I'll be damned if I could even consider selling her.

Two amazing rides with two sets of completely different satisfactions.

AxeYrCat wrote:Also, do you happen to know if the '08 headlight can be retrofit to the previous models?

Yes, the '08 headlight does fit the earlier Stellas. In fact, Scooterworks has been selling 'em for years as a upgrade. Numerous Stella owners have made the upgrade since their OEM headlight lens had a habit of falling off, when riding!

I actually own a Vespa P-200 but it is close to the Stella, and a Buddy. I love them both but for commuting I prefer the Buddy. it has more storage space plus the automatic twist and go is awsome in traffic. I like leasurely rides and hotrodding on the Vespa. So I guess it depends on how you plan to ride. The Buddy will require less maintenance.

I've put almost 4,400 miles on my Stella since i bought it new 2 years ago. I have kept the engine pretty much stock (Sito+ and rejetting by the dealer) and added cargo carriers and windshield. It is a phenomenal, virtually trouble-free ride, and every time I park it, people come up and ask me about gas mileage, top speed, etc. I liked it so much that i bought a cherry (3,500 miles, original paint) 1980 Vespa P200E as a backup, so i don't have to use my 13-15-mpg 1981 Chevy pickup when Stella is in the shop for scheduled maintenance. Perhaps my opinion is colored by the fact that my first scooter was a 3-speed 1954 NSU/Lambretta that i bought down at Ft. Belvoir, VA, back in the late 1950s. I rode that scooter back home to Boston when I was discharged in 1959. So, 4-strokes, twist 'n goes and tupperware hold no real appeal for me.

4400 miles in 2 years? You don't ride much do you?

I have 1700 on mine and it's not even 6 months old

alienmeatsack, what can i tell you? I'm not out to break any mileage records; I rely on my scooter(s) as a source of transportation. I live just 2-10 miles from the nearest supermarkets, and my newly formed scooter group holds rides once a month. This doesn't pile on the miles, although I usually get to ride both scooters at least once a day.

Just giving you a hard time The way I see it, if you (or anyone) has a scooter of any kind and at least rides it a little here and there, it's all good. Be it 1000 miles in a month or 1000 miles in a year, scootering is love straight up.

160 miles in 3 days.

Get one now.

Just do it!

i just love mine and i ride it just a bit 500 miles in the first week

like it was stated before its not a new scoot

its more like a "new vintage" scoot or a restored scoot