Hooligan 170i User Reviews?

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff

Post Reply
HanShan
Member
Posts: 148
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 1:24 pm

Hooligan 170i User Reviews?

Post by HanShan »

Anyone have a Hooligan 170i they have been riding for a while and could give me a review?

Looking to buy one. Sat on it in a dealer last year and it felt more comfortable than the buddy seating and positioning.
cummingsjc
Member
Posts: 367
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 5:43 am
Location: College Station, TX

Post by cummingsjc »

I owned one from August 2016 to the summer of 2017. It was a very comfortable and reliable ride, with ample low-end power with decent top end speed, good ergonomics, and a style that I thought was appropriately "tough" looking versus the Buddy series. The bigger tires and longer wheelbase absorbed a bit more of the road's irregularities and it had decent built-in storage. I wanted to keep it but it had originally been bought as a used, slightly damaged bike and I resold it for about $800 profit after fixing it up (and putting about 1,200 miles on it). Additionally, my wife loved it also and used to regularly put miles on it during commutes. The only downside to it was that they tend to be a bit expensive brand new, but used ones in good shape can be found in the high 1000's/low 2000's range if you are patient.

If I found one in the $1500 range and had the cash on hand to buy it, I would definitely consider it.
HanShan
Member
Posts: 148
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 1:24 pm

Post by HanShan »

Thanks for that review. It would ease my anxiety to buy a new one but yes, the price differential is a bit much.
skipper20
Member
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:19 am
Location: Des Moines, WA

Re: Hooligan 170i User Reviews?

Post by skipper20 »

HanShan wrote:Anyone have a Hooligan 170i they have been riding for a while and could give me a review?

Looking to buy one. Sat on it in a dealer last year and it felt more comfortable than the buddy seating and positioning.
The best scooter I've ever owned and I had 2 of them, one in Tucson, AZ and one here in the Seattle area. If you haven't already done it, go for it!

Bill in Seattle
'84 Honda Gyro Red
'86 Honda Gyro S Red
len.barron
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:44 pm
Location: Oceanside, CA

Post by len.barron »

I just bought a 2015 Hooligan 170i this weekend, it replaced my just sold 2011 Blurr 220i, I carry this on a carrier on the back of my van so the weight reduction was a big factor in my desire to change, the hooligan has to be 70lbs lighter. The one I found was more set up for dirt and soft surface with brand new maxxis knobby tires, it also has heated grips, wind protectors for the handles and a front wind screen which were all things that I wanted. I expected a considerable power drop ... but...wow... the hooligan seems to be rev limited at 7500-8000rpm where my Blurr would continue to pull well beyond that...is there a way to open up that too end? the last third of the throttle rotation appears not to do anything..
Other than this the Hooligan is exactly what I wanted and the reduced weight makes loading and unloading it much nicer!
User avatar
wheelbender6
Member
Posts: 852
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Houston area

Post by wheelbender6 »

The rev limiter is in the cdi box on my buddy 125. I suspect that your's would need an aftermarket piggyback ecu since the 170i has efi.
-The piggyback ecu boxes cost 200-350 bucks, but they are necessary if you do engine mods to prevent you from running lean.
Www.magnumtuning.com
2013 Buddy 125, Prima Pipe, #95 main jet, Orange CDI
len.barron
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:44 pm
Location: Oceanside, CA

Post by len.barron »

I saw the magnum product, I was searching to see if anyone had tried them on a Hooligan/Buddy 170i but haven't found any reviews. Thanks for the confirmation.
User avatar
wheelbender6
Member
Posts: 852
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Houston area

Post by wheelbender6 »

I have read on another site that the 170i engine will overheat quicker than the 220i engine. That may be why the rev limiter is set lower on the Hooligan.
-i also read that the Hooligan does not have a spin-on oil filter like the Buddy 170i. I don't know if that makes it more difficult to add an oil cooler.
2013 Buddy 125, Prima Pipe, #95 main jet, Orange CDI
len.barron
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:44 pm
Location: Oceanside, CA

Post by len.barron »

I'll take a look at the oil cooler configuration...I did get a chance to take it out for a couple of short hwy blast, 67mph indicated at 8000rpm...felt more like 57mph but plenty for a scoot..
cummingsjc
Member
Posts: 367
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 5:43 am
Location: College Station, TX

Post by cummingsjc »

I've read the same complaints about Hooligans having issues with heat but I've never experienced it. I ran the one that I had at some pretty high heat levels during the Texas summer and never had an issue with the engine running in any way but strong. Doesn't mean that it doesn't happen, but it just never happened to me. My skepticism on problems reported on the internet is that they tend to get overblown at times because folks with positive experiences rarely go online and rave about how great their bike ran in heat, for instance. My Hooligan, probably like every other Hooligan and scooters in general, ran 10-12% slower than the speedometer reading.
dowlf
Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:26 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by dowlf »

A little late, but I wanted to give my review of the Hooligan. I have had mine since 2014, over 20,000 miles now. It is an awesome scooter. It is perfect for getting around town. It has lots of capacity to carry stuff, so I use it to do most of my shopping. You should see the looks on peoples faces when you unload a shopping cart full of groceries on to a scooter.

As far as maintenance it has been an awesome experience. I change the oil with Rotella T6 15w40 about ever 1000 miles, it is super easy to change and since there is not a regular oil filter to replace, it doesn't cost much with the price of Rotella at Walmart. There is a screen to clean out, but I still have the original. I had to change the belt, clutch and rollers, but that was easy. I changed the brake fluid out once, but the original brake pads are still good. I changed the air filter I think 4 times. I have changed the gear lube 4 times as well, it too is super easy. I change the spark plug every spring, another easy job. I have put 4 new tires on the back, but on the front I have only had to put 2.

Probably the most difficult thing to do was to adjust the valve clearance, I've done it twice, but both times it wasn't far off spec.

I average 75MPG. The insurance and taxes are cheap. It is fun to ride.

Best money I ever spent. I am going to get a new one soon.
len.barron
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:44 pm
Location: Oceanside, CA

Post by len.barron »

I'm at 10,800miles, looking at a belt swap and some clean up on the clutch here in the next couple months. Only problem I've had is that it intermittently will stall when setting at a light...usually just do the ecm reset with the key and throttle and it clears and fires right up...maybe a bad spot on the TPS.
Post Reply