Hey everyone, joined a few months back and have found MB to be a great resource!
I put a deposit down for a Red Buddy 125 here in Austin at Urban Moto Shop about 8 weeks ago. The wait is definitely killing me
My question is this: there are other Genuine dealers across Texas that have this model in stock, should I just rent a pickup truck (or borrow one from a friend) and go pick it up? Anyone have any experience carrying these things in a pickup? Any tips or things I should be aware of?
Yes I brought my Buddy home in a pickup. I used 4 ratchet straps, 2 on the front & 2 on the back. Left side on buddy to right side of pickup bed and visa-versa with the Buddy's front wheel against the cab wall. Some people have gone out & bought the canyon dancer to do the same thing. Be sure to put the Buddy on the kick stand before you strap it down.
Good luck
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crcsmnky wrote:Hey everyone, joined a few months back and have found MB to be a great resource!
I put a deposit down for a Red Buddy 125 here in Austin at Urban Moto Shop about 8 weeks ago. The wait is definitely killing me
My question is this: there are other Genuine dealers across Texas that have this model in stock, should I just rent a pickup truck (or borrow one from a friend) and go pick it up? Anyone have any experience carrying these things in a pickup? Any tips or things I should be aware of?
YES go get it... I paid $150 for mine to be delivered in a normal truck... I rushed the purchase (once I found one anywhere in the area!) and wish I had just found someone to come up and meet me when i bought mine...
borrow someones, get some tie downs and pay the gas money... its well worth it - not to mention its a fun trip
Go get one with a pickup. My local dealer was sold out in May for the year. So I took my truck and picked one up from a dealer two hours away with some in stock.
I used 2 ratching cargo straps and a used scooter tire (shops have used tires laying around waiting to go to the dump). Lay the scooter tire flat on the bed to place the front wheel into (to use as a chock). Then put one strap on each handle. Ratchet the straps down evenly to compress your front shock 1/2 way. Don't ratchet too much or you can bend your handlebars. It doesn't take much tension to keep the scooter upright. You can then add extra straps if you want for additional security. I didn't, but it can't hurt.
You'll most likely need a ramp unless you and a couple friends are strong enough to lift it into and out of the truck bed. You can lift it by placing the front wheel on the tailgate, then lift the back end up and into the bed. Reverse the process to get the scooter out of the bed. Or you can buy a cheap bolt-on ramp-top at a hardware store. Then bolt a piece of lumber (usually a 2"x8"x8' or 2"x12"x8') to the ramp-top and voila! Instant ramp. But you'll still need a couple friends.
How long a wait will it be at Urban Moto? Did they tell you how long it would be and have they exceeded that time?
Here's my one argument against getting a pickup and buying elsewhere: It's definitely beneficial to have a good relationship with your closest dealer. You'll be relying on them for parts, maintenance and other service. They're the customer's link to Genuine. That's an enduring relationship, hopefully a positive one. Canceling a standing order and running out to buy the closest available Buddy in San Antonio (or wherever) isn't the best way to start that relationship. Now that it's fall, school's been in session for a while, and the '09s are shipping to all states, the wait shouldn't be long unless Urban under-ordered and over-pre-sold.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
ericalm wrote:It's definitely beneficial to have a good relationship with your closest dealer. You'll be relying on them for parts, maintenance and other service. They're the customer's link to Genuine. That's an enduring relationship, hopefully a positive one. Canceling a standing order and running out to buy the closest available Buddy in San Antonio (or wherever) isn't the best way to start that relationship. Now that it's fall, school's been in session for a while, and the '09s are shipping to all states, the wait shouldn't be long unless Urban under-ordered and over-pre-sold.
Agreed. Agreed. Agreed. Listen to ericalm, he's giving you really good advice. You may never need your local dealer, but, if you do, you don't want to start your relationship with them this way.
I dont see the connection between the sales floor action and the shop providing services - if they are a reputable dealer they will provide the same service for the products they represent.
My local Genuine dealer recommended that I go get the '06 that I wanted because they werent going to sell me their '07 for any less than MSRP - but they are more than happy to provide service for my Blur. If you talk to your original dealer and find that they cant get the scoot you want in a timely fashion and the guy across town can I say why wait?
There is plenty of logic to argue against what Eric said, but he is right. It isn't about a local dealer refusing service - that would be ridiculous.
Supposedly all kinds of big shipments left Chicago last week...I vote for patience at this point. Your riding season isn't going anywhere being in TX, and if you scratch the local dealer's back, he will scratch yours.
It really helps to establish a relationship with your dealer. Some years back, I bought a used Kymco People 50 from ScootOver in Tucson. I relied on them for service and accessories and, two years ago, upgraded to a new Stella, which I bought from ScootOver This past summer, I was looking for a "back-up scooter" to ride when Stella went in for service (great excuse, huh?), and the folks at ScootOver clued me in to a low-mileage Vespa P200E that one of their customers was selling. They could have sold it to me and made a commission, but they advised me to buy it directly from the owner. Great scoot, and a great dealer!
It's not Urban's fault. Genuine normally doesn't tell them what color bikes are in the shipments they receive, and since you are after a specific color, it could take a while. Someone waited three months for a Pamplona. They have many back orders from the summer to fill, and unfortunately you are probably closer to the end of the list.
As an ATXer, Urban is my dealer. I love the whole staff and they are supportive of the Austin Scooter Club, of which I am the Vice President. They also do discounted labor rates for all Buddy work. It sweetens the deal especially if you buy from them. And I know this first hand, that if they are out of stuff, it normally comes back around to Scooterworks.
If you have any questions about your Buddy when you receive it feel free to ask. And come ride with us www.scootaustin.org
I could not get a scooter in kansas city, so I drove 3 hours each way to witchata ks to get mine, then I got my local dealer to do the first service, no problems at all,
I agree with the comments that you should try to buy from your local dealer (assuming they are reputable). Sure, its not like they wouldn't service your bike, but they don't have the same obligation to "make it right" if something goes wrong.
If you do buy it somewhere else, the phrase "Buddy Road Trip" comes to mind.
this is a sad post,,, a man wants a scooter and cant get one,,, bud i would get the truck go get the bike...
im all for supporting the local guy and do even the ones that dont sale much of what i need,,, i try to send them the buisness of others at least... but 2 months is a bit long,,,
good service makes a good dealer,,, good dealers make the bike enjoyable...
Scoot'in is more fun than beating up your sister, and it comes with a key!!!
BeachBuzz wrote:I dont see the connection between the sales floor action and the shop providing services - if they are a reputable dealer they will provide the same service for the products they represent...
Absolutely!
If a dealership judges you for exercising your freedom to buy anywhere, from anyone, I wouldn't have anything to do with them. In fact, I'd seriously consider another product altogether and spend my money elsewhere.
This is America, not Venezuela. Maybe we should start a thread listing dealerships where where anyone has experienced that kind of discrimination. My guess is, with the state of our economy today it'll be a pretty short list.
Therefore (since the OP asked), I vote you find one anywhere it is available as long as you have a contract that clearly states your deposit is refundable upon order cancellation.
To suggest that all businesses should treat everyone the same and extend the same offers and privileges to everyone doesn't make sense to me at all. Preferential treatment from a business is in no way discrimination. Credit card companies, airlines, Jamba Juice and all sorts of other businesses offer various bonuses, bargains, freebies and services to their frequent and preferred customers. This in no way means that they treat everyone else like crap.
If customers are allowed to show prefer certain businesses or locations, why shouldn't the converse also be true? It's a means for shops to incentivize repeat business and reward frequent customers. It's a function of capitalism. If it's unfair or discriminatory, it's only because our economic engines aren't designed to treat all players as if they're on a level playing field. That sort of parity is nonexistent outside of some fantasy Communist utopia.
The point of buying locally is not that if you don't you'll somehow get inferior service. First, you'll be helping to support a local dealer—most of whom are really hurting right now. Not a bad idea if you want them to help them stay open so you don't have to go to San Antonio for parts and service. Second, as said earlier, it's good to forge a relationship with the dealer and buying your scooter from them is the best way to start this. It lets the dealer know that you're "in" as a customer and will be supporting their business over the years to come provided you remain satisfied with the quality of their service.
It doesn't mean everyone else gets treated like crap. But it may mean that should you need it in the future, you may be able to get a little extra service, above and beyond the norm. It may mean that if you need gear when you buy your scoot you'll be more likely to get a little deal or discount. It may mean that the one time you're running late and need to pick up your scooter a half hour after closing, they'll stick around and wait for you. Or it may just mean they remember your name every time you go in or that they know who you are when you call.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
ericalm wrote:The point of buying locally is not that if you don't you'll somehow get inferior service. First, you'll be helping to support a local dealer—most of whom are really hurting right now. Not a bad idea if you want them to help them stay open so you don't have to go to San Antonio for parts and service.
This was one of my priorities when I first started thinking about buying a scooter, even before I knew the difference between one brand and another, or why some of the scoots I saw advertised on the web were so much cheaper: I'd be buying it from a local dealer. Way too many transportation-related businesses have been closing around here, and my modest scooter money was going to be used to minimize that.
Do your thing man get the scoot ya want when ya want it.
As somebody who was just staring at a 200 mile trip to get his scooter serviced, I say support your local dealer. Even now, my "local" dealer is 20 some miles away but if he goes out of business, it gets alot more tricky from there. Your worried about getting a truck to go buy one what if you need a truck every time you have to get it serviced?
"Hey You, yeah, all you'se thoughts, specially you, creepy wierd one in the corner, Screw you guys, I'm going for a ride..."
You just posted your comment before I got a chance to.
Scoot Richmond's new site: My awesome local shop.rofl I didn't notice but, still support your local dealer!
If you don't have it by now, you have other problems. 
