after months of research, i had narrowed my choices down to the buddy 125, vino 125, kymco people 150, and vespa LX150.
the new scooter would be replacing a 50cc vino i purchased used from craigslist a few months prior (which i got mainly as a cheap way to test out scootering). i was primarily looking for an upgrade in speed and the ability to ride with my girlfriend as a passenger (i'm 6' 155lbs, she's 5'6" 110lbs). we're actually selling one of our cars since i'll be using it to get around town and commute a mile to work.
i obviously loved the vespa, but at $5k+ OTD, i couldn't justify the extra cash.
i was torn between the appearance of the vino 125 and that of the buddy 125, but i had read enough rider reviews online to sway me towards the buddy for performance reasons.
i really liked the kymco people 150 for it's 150cc engine, extra large seat for carrying a passenger, retractable metal foot pegs, large 16" wheels, dashboard clock, and overall build quality. however, at about $3500 OTD, the kymco made the buddy look like the bargain that it is.
so, on saturday my girlfriend and i stopped by NOHO scooters here in los angeles to take one final look at the buddy 125 before placing a deposit on a creme one.
when we got there, i was shocked to see a beautiful silver 2005 kymco people 150 with just 500 miles on it listed for $2500! suddenly, i was faced with a real dilemma -- should i go with the buddy 125 or a virtually new people 150 for *less* money? my brain said buy new and stick with putting a deposit on the buddy, but my heart said risk it on the used kymco (especially after assurances from mike).
mike was extremely helpful in my decision making process, but what probably sealed the deal for me was actually his wife's offer to let me rider her very own people 150. talk about great service! i had a blast riding it and my girlfriend felt a lot more comfortable sitting as a passenger on the kymco, so i threw caution to the wind and decided to get it. mike gave me a great deal on it too, including a helmet for my girlfriend.
i had no intention of actually purchasing anything that day, which was obvious by my attire (shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, no helmet, etc), but i wasn't willing to wait, so i squeezed the new size small helmet on and had my girlfriend follow me in my car. i tore across LA through the valley, then south through the curvy sepulveda pass, all the time doing about 50-55mph and dressed for a day at the beach.
we've since taken a few joyrides to the beach and elsewhere here in west LA, and we've had a blast. the 150cc engine has no problem keeping us in the flow of traffic (40-55) and the seating has been very comfortable for both of us. we're stoked to finally be able to check out some scooter rallies together.
so, i didn't get a buddy after all, but i'm excited about my new ride. thanks go out to mike and his wife @ noho scooters. we can't recommend shopping there enough!
i'll still be lurking here, but i just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all of your informative posts. we'll be blogging about our scootering journey soon at scooterdiaries.com and we're also putting together something at lascooterclub.com for fellow LA scooterists.
by the way, if anyone's interested in a 2005 vino 50cc with under 2k miles for a grand, hit me up.
