125cc Motor in a badged Buddy 50 ?

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Up2Drew
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125cc Motor in a badged Buddy 50 ?

Post by Up2Drew »

Hi folks - the newbie-est of newbies here.

I just bought a 2006 Buddy for my wife - tangerine, 2400 miles, $800. Couldn't resist.

My newbie question - I know that 2006 was the first year for this model. The scoot has Buddy 50 badging but the 125cc four-stroke motor. Did this happen sometimes? Any stories of first-year bikes with Buddy 50 trim because maybe they didn't have the Buddy 125 body panels ready yet?
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Stanza
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Post by Stanza »

Methinks someone was trying to get around not having their motorcycle license, since most states don't require one for a 50cc bike.
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charlie55
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Post by charlie55 »

Nope. Some previous owner put the 50 badge on a 125 to get around vehicle classification/parking/insurance regulations. In many places a sub-50cc (49.9) is considered a moped and not subject to more stringent/expensive vehicle laws.

Also, in many places anything registered/plated as a moped cannot exceed something like 30/35 MPH. You get caught doing 50 on a mis-registered, mis-badged scoot, be prepared for some expensive aggravation. A lot depends on where you live and what the laws are.
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DeeDee
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Post by DeeDee »

Look at the label on the outside of the cubby on the inside of the front legshield. That will tell your VIN and displacement.
scootERIK
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Post by scootERIK »

It could have been crashed and the cheapest replacement body panels were from a 50.
Up2Drew
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Post by Up2Drew »

Makes sense. The bike is correctly titled. Looks pretty well kept, no obvious evidence of a crash. I was just wondering if it was a dealer-prep mishmash or an owner modification. Thanks for responding, all.
Alzero
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Post by Alzero »

What’s illegal about putting 50cc badges on a 125 if you are registered and insured as a 125 and have a motorcycle license? It’s like putting 305 badges on your 396 and going looking for a sucker to race. Nothing that hasn’t been done a thousand times since the invention of the motor vehicle! Now if you get caught parking in a bicycle space, which I believe 50cc scooters and mopeds are permitted to do, that’s illegal, but just having badges that don’t match the motor in the vehicle is not a crime.
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charlie55
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Post by charlie55 »

Alzero wrote:What’s illegal about putting 50cc badges on a 125 if you are registered and insured as a 125 and have a motorcycle license? It’s like putting 305 badges on your 396 and going looking for a sucker to race. Nothing that hasn’t been done a thousand times since the invention of the motor vehicle! Now if you get caught parking in a bicycle space, which I believe 50cc scooters and mopeds are permitted to do, that’s illegal, but just having badges that don’t match the motor in the vehicle is not a crime.
I agree with you for the scenario you describe. It's not the re-badging itself, it's re-badging with the intention of circumventing laws, regulations, etc. I could badge my Helix as a Schwinn if I wanted to, just so long as I didn't try to pass it off as a bicycle. (Besides, the lack of baseball cards in the spokes would be a dead giveaway.)

The OP's scoot is perfectly legit.
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Up2Drew
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Post by Up2Drew »

Upon further review ...

Now that I've had some time to sort out the scooter a bit, I can see some discreet scrape marks around both of the logos. So this thing was purposely re-badged. It also has a old college parking permit (Illinois-Chicago) - maybe somebody did it to skirt campus/parking rules.

In any case, that answer is preferable to purchasing a crashed or modified bike. :)
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Stanza
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Post by Stanza »

In illinois, you don't need a motorcycle license to ride a 50cc. Someone didn't have one, but still wanted a 125. Sneaky sneaky.
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babblefish
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Post by babblefish »

From what I understand, some college/universities allow mopeds (<=50cc) to park in the bicycle parking area. Since most people don't know the difference between a moped and a scooter the previous owner probably changed the name plates so that he can park in the bicycle area.
Some people can break a crowbar in a sandbox.
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