Brand, spanking, super new!- A few questions....

[Velma]

Hi all,

I'm Melissa and brand new to the forum. I've read a lot of old posts for beginners about easing into riding in traffic, insurance, and how to be visible. But there are a couple things I didn't find old posts on so I thought I'd ask. (If there are some, please direct me there and I apologize for my oversight!).

Background: Just bought a Buddy 50cc for commuting. My partner and I live in the city (Atlanta) and I just landed a job about 1.6 miles away from our home. We are dying to be a one-car family, so scoot commuting seemed like a good option. 90% of my ride can be done on neighborhood streets, with only one block on a 3 lane road to get to my office.

Questions:
Am I going to instantly regret the 50cc? The (super nice and knowledgeable) scooter store guy recommended the 50 and I'm a pretty small girl who doesn't need to carry much back and forth to work. I figured it would be a good way to start out for about a year, and the highest speed limit on my route is 35mph. I just want to know if i made a mistake.

What riding gear do I really need? Other than a helmet, i was going to get some boots to ride with and just put my heels for work in a pack/bag. Anything else I should look into or any brand recommendations.

Any advice on securing my scooter? I have a lock and this little alarm thing that hooks into the disk on the front wheel. What else should I know?

What accessories would be useful (and cute!) on my new awesome Buddy? Is there a rack or basket that is preferred generally or is it all subjective?

TL;DR: I'm probably making this more difficult than necessary, but I am an analyst/researcher and that bleeds into my personal choices as well! Any thoughts you can offer would be well received and if you live in the Atlanta area, I'd love to hear about some area specific stuff!

[olhogrider]

Congrats on the Buddy and welcome to scootering! Before you outfit it with racks and such, try it the way it comes. The "pet carrier" under seat storage holds quite a bit. Then there is the bag hook that helps secure what you might place on the floor. Messenger type shoulder bags come in lots of different sizes. As for security, locking it to a solid object like a light pole is always the best option. Two guys can pick it up and throw it in a truck. Atlanta gets kind of warm. Don't be tempted to give up protection for comfort. Look into mesh motorcycle jackets. They have padding and abrasion resistance in critical areas but are as cool as a t-shirt on hot days. Gloves. Even those fingerless ones the hog riders like will protect your palms. When you fall you will instinctively put you hands out. Not good at thirty five mph. Some people would have you dress like a MotoGP racer or an astronaut, but if the garb is too much hassle you will just pop down to the store in shorts and flip flops. That can end badly. Not trying to scare you, just speaking from my own experience. (Ouch)

[Velma]

Good advice. I definitely don't want to skip the protection level, or sweat my butt off on the way to work. Mesh jackets sound awesome....I will look those up! Thanks for the information!!

[TVB]

Am I going to instantly regret the 50cc? The (super nice and knowledgeable) scooter store guy recommended the 50 and I'm a pretty small girl who doesn't need to carry much back and forth to work. I figured it would be a good way to start out for about a year, and the highest speed limit on my route is 35mph. I just want to know if i made a mistake.

I can't say whether you'll "instantly regret the 50cc", but I just passed 19,000 miles on mine, and I don't regret it... at least not yet. If your scoot's been derestricted (a fairly simple two-part procedure that anyone with the tools can perform), you should have no trouble keeping up with traffic on 35mph roads. Derestricting does mean the scooter no longer qualifies as a "moped" in most jurisdictions, but it's very common.

What riding gear do I really need? Other than a helmet, i was going to get some boots to ride with and just put my heels for work in a pack/bag. Anything else I should look into or any brand recommendations.

There's an FAQ post that talks in depth about gear, but as a quick answer: Most safety-conscious riders wear at least a helmet, gloves, protective jacket (mesh jackets stay cool in hot weather), long pants, and sturdy shoes. Heels... not really a good idea, because of the risk of twisting an ankle (and wrecking the shoe) using your feet to hold up the scooter at stoplights and dis/mounting.

Any advice on securing my scooter? I have a lock and this little alarm thing that hooks into the disk on the front wheel. What else should I know?

It depends on where you're parking, how long, etc. of course. Locking the scooter to something (not just itself) is the single biggest step you can take to keep it secure. Without that, it's not too difficult for a couple strong people to pick it up and load it into a truck.

What accessories would be useful (and cute!) on my new awesome Buddy? Is there a rack or basket that is preferred generally or is it all subjective?

I find the rear rack really helpful, either for bungeeing things to, or to attach a milk crate. Some people prefer adding a top case, which you can lock.

[Velma]

So would a search on this forum be best to learn how to derestrict? I'm pretty handy and have installed clutches, brakes, exhaust systems and a few other things in my life. But I do love a good step-by-step. I can google, but if there is one instructable that is better than all others, please share.

I'm glad to hear someone else loves their 50cc! I was convinced it was perfect in the store and test driving, but reading the forum led me to believe most people recommend going bigger. At a minimum, it's better than my car (or is it called a "cage" now ) and it'll be an awesome way to learn.

A rack sounds like a good idea...if only to throw a box of wine on on Fridays!

[skully93]

The buddy 50 is not a bad choice at all! Think of it this way, with all the money you're saving, you could buy a bigger scoot for both of you to bomb around on later . If you end up not liking it, 50cc's hold their value pretty well.

I sold my 50cc zuma after a short time because it wasn't for me. it's a good machine, it just wasn't what I needed, and I don't regret owning the next 2 sizes up for various needs.

For gear, it's all about choice. I choose to armor up like a power ranger because I commute all over the place and ride into the mountains all the time. also, even if you are close to home, a minor spill can mean a fair amount of downtime. The ground is unforgiving!

Anyway, a big welcome, it's a fun, zany place around here.

[Christophers]

Questions:
Am I going to instantly regret the 50cc?

I'm temporarily back to riding our Buddy 50, and I can't wait to get back on a larger Buddy.

For the most part a 50 cc Buddy will do a surprisingly good job a getting you around and keeping up with traffic. Where you'll encounter problems is anytime that you have to go up a hill. Even a modest incline that keeps going will slow a Buddy 50 to a painful 15-20 mph. On the flat or downhill you'll be totally fine. You might occasionally miss a light or two that you could have easily made on a 125, as well (and you'll know you're going to miss it from a long way off), but the impact on your overall travel time will be negligible (at least in CA, where it is legal to filter to the front of the line).

Overall, to me, there is no way that I could tolerate commuting on our Buddy 50 in L.A. traffic "for the foreseeable future". We replaced our Buddy 50 with a Buddy 125 within a matter of weeks.

Actually, it's more accurate to say that we augmented the stable with a Buddy 125 rather quickly since we still have the Buddy 50. And I still choose to commute, and am currently commuting, on the Buddy 50 rather than on one of the motorcycles. The convenience and versatility of a Buddy is unmatched and always brings a smile to my face.

[TVB]

So would a search on this forum be best to learn how to derestrict? I'm pretty handy and have installed clutches, brakes, exhaust systems and a few other things in my life. But I do love a good step-by-step. I can google, but if there is one instructable that is better than all others, please share.

topic3566.html has a few resources, including the video supplied to Genuine dealers for how to fully prep their 50cc scooters.

I'm glad to hear someone else loves their 50cc! I was convinced it was perfect in the store and test driving, but reading the forum led me to believe most people recommend going bigger. At a minimum, it's better than my car (or is it called a "cage" now ) and it'll be an awesome way to learn.

Some people feel that anything less than 500cc is useless. Other "bikers" think that having an engine at all is overkill. It really comes down to what you want to be able to do with it. I consider the speed limitation of a 50cc to be a feature, not a weakness, as it not only holds me back from going crazy on it, but it's also compelled me to take routes - both within town and across the state - that someone on a 125cc would have no need to take... so they don't. And (as Frost put it) that has made all the difference.

A rack sounds like a good idea...if only to throw a box of wine on on Fridays!

Many boxes will fit fine in the "pet carrier" under the seat or on the floor. But... yes, the rear rack is good for that too.

[BuddyRaton]

So would a search on this forum be best to learn how to derestrict? I'm pretty handy and have installed clutches, brakes, exhaust systems and a few other things in my life. But I do love a good step-by-step. I can google, but if there is one instructable that is better than all others, please share.

If you can do those things then derestricting will be a piece of cake for you. Run a search on MB and you will find some good how tos. There are probably some you tube vids out there also.

Sounds like the 50cc will meet your needs fine

[PeteH]

Video: http://vimeo.com/2575002

Derestricting (variator washer and exhaust restrictor) starting at 04:30.

You'll want a torque wrench - the lb-ft numbers are given in the voiceover. The mechanic in the video has a calibrated elbow and thus doesn't use one

[Velma]

Fabulous! Thanks so much for all the tips. I will set to derestricting post haste. Also...I never even thought about driving the scooter further than the metro area. Across the state? Sounds like I have a new goal. Now just to go practice some more....

[Stilts]

Fabulous! Thanks so much for all the tips. I will set to derestricting post haste. Also...I never even thought about driving the scooter further than the metro area. Across the state? Sounds like I have a new goal. Now just to go practice some more....

You'll be wasting hours plotting various routes via Google Maps in no time.

[iMoses]

I've had my milk crate no my Buddy since 2007.... I just love the flexibility
of it. No it won't lock you stuff in but you can carry a tall item where as in a top case your relegated to the box's size.

[Velma]

Fabulous! Thanks so much for all the tips. I will set to derestricting post haste. Also...I never even thought about driving the scooter further than the metro area. Across the state? Sounds like I have a new goal. Now just to go practice some more....

You'll be wasting hours plotting various routes via Google Maps in no time.

Already guilty! Festivals here in Atlanta are my favorite part of the spring/summer/fall....except for the 30 mins spent looking around for parking...Now, I'm more excited than ever.

As an added bonus my fabulous scooter shop guy already derestricted the scoot! I'm stoked!