Buddy 125 & People 150 decision

[Fullserve]

I'm having a bit of a tough time deciding which way to go between the Buddy 125 and the People 150. They are both excellent machines by most accounts, but they are quite different.

Pros for Buddy:
I'm a first time rider, so the size is much less intimidating. Wife will also ride occasionally, so it's better for her, I'd guess.
Better foot position (for me). P150 seems cramped on footboard.
Performance is right up there with most 150's.
Storage is MUCH better than on the P150. Significant because of commute.
More "fun" factor with the Buddy -- better handling on short jaunts
Easier to park, both at home and away.
~$500 less.


Pros for P150:
I MAY outgrow the Buddy in time, since much of my intended riding is a 25-mile each way commute. The P150 may seem "big" to me now, but maybe not in a few months.
16" wheels will probably be more comfortable on the long commute.
Reliability of the P150 is well-documented. Buddy is first-year model.
Superior for the (very) occasional two-up riding.

Ultimately, it will come down to the test rides coming late this week. If anyone has anything to add to these lists, I welcome all comments.

[Bryce-O-Rama]

I agree with all of your points except these two

- I MAY outgrow the Buddy in time, since much of my intended riding is a 25-mile each way commute. The P150 may seem "big" to me now, but maybe not in a few months.

- 16" wheels will probably be more comfortable on the long commute.

If you do outgrow the Buddy, the People 150 wouldn't be satisfactory for you. It's really not any faster, and it's not a whole lot bigger. So if you're going to outgrow it, you would outgrow the P150 as well.

The People does have a good suspension, but it's not really because of the wheel diameter. The Buddy was pretty comfortable for me.

[KidDynomite]

Buddy is first-year model.

Yes and no......PGO makes the Buddy and has been making scoots for a long, long time. The Buddy is actually based upon the MyBuBu in Japan. It has been around longer.

As far as the People 150 goes, I'm certain what's made up on the top end (negligible) on the 150 is lost on the nimbleness of the 125.....as far as two up riding. I'd say the 150 will certainly be more comforatble for you both than the Buddy. As far as I'm concerned the Buddy is only realistically available for 2 up riding if both riders are under 5'9" and total less than 300 lbs. Since I'm 6'0" and 170 this doesn't include me.

I've given rides, but never for long distances and both riders were my wife (5'4" 115) and step-daughter (5'1" 100) so it wasn't really that bad.

Why not buy a Buddy, then if your wife takes to it, buy another Buddy for her to ride with you. I know my wife wants a Pink Buddy come this Spring.

[dru_]

Or buy the Buddy, and if you elect to go bigger in a year, add a People S 200, which will replace the People 250 in the spring, the People S 125 has already replaced the People 150 for the most part, though some dealers have both on the floor right now.

[castleton]

I MAY outgrow the Buddy in time, since much of my intended riding is a 25-mile each way commute. The P150 may seem "big" to me now, but maybe not in a few months.
16" wheels will probably be more comfortable on the long commute.

I have over 1300 miles on my buddy, and I drive 36+ miles one way to work at least 3 days a week. That's over 72 miles round trip. From my experience, the smaller wheels just add to the ease of cornering and add to a sense of balanced handling. I love the ride home, especially--I really feel "one with the bike" and just tool around, enjoying the back roads. As for comfort, I'm 5' 8" and still feel like I'm riding an armchair (without the arms). The fit is great.

[Fullserve]

I MAY outgrow the Buddy in time, since much of my intended riding is a 25-mile each way commute. The P150 may seem "big" to me now, but maybe not in a few months.
16" wheels will probably be more comfortable on the long commute.

I have over 1300 miles on my buddy, and I drive 36+ miles one way to work at least 3 days a week. That's over 72 miles round trip. From my experience, the smaller wheels just add to the ease of cornering and add to a sense of balanced handling. I love the ride home, especially--I really feel "one with the bike" and just tool around, enjoying the back roads. As for comfort, I'm 5' 8" and still feel like I'm riding an armchair (without the arms). The fit is great.

Wow, I'm impressed. That's quite a commute! What is your average speed on your commute?

Although I am 5'11", I have only a 30" inseam, so the Buddy actually seems to fit me really well. Like I said, it's going to come down to the road test to make up my mind in the end.

Thanks for the feedback and ride safely!

[toga28]

I'm 6'0", 220 lbs, and have put on 1300+ comfortably and enjoyable miles since buying my Buddy on August 2nd. I drive about 12 miles each way to work daily, plus all my other around-town stuff that I end up doing on it. I've hit 70 mph on a couple of occasions, but usually do 60-65 mph majority of the time, and maintain a consistant mpg of 98-102 tank in and tank out. Plus, the People's big wheel just look funny. They seem too big for a scoot.

[Fullserve]

Buddy is first-year model.

Yes and no......PGO makes the Buddy and has been making scoots for a long, long time. The Buddy is actually based upon the MyBuBu in Japan. It has been around longer.

Why not buy a Buddy, then if your wife takes to it, buy another Buddy for her to ride with you. I know my wife wants a Pink Buddy come this Spring.

I know about PGO's reputation as a quality manufacturer, but I didn't know that the Buddy was based on another model -- thanks for the info.

Great idea on getting a second one for my wife! With two small ones at home, however, it'll have to wait a while.

[Fullserve]

I'm 6'0", 220 lbs, and have put on 1300+ comfortably and enjoyable miles since buying my Buddy on August 2nd. I drive about 12 miles each way to work daily, plus all my other around-town stuff that I end up doing on it. I've hit 70 mph on a couple of occasions, but usually do 60-65 mph majority of the time, and maintain a consistant mpg of 98-102 tank in and tank out. Plus, the People's big wheel just look funny. They seem too big for a scoot.

Geez, it's still amazing to me that the Buddy can maintain ~55mph (true speed, considering speedo error) without breaking a sweat. Just awesome. I can't wait to get on it.

Yeah, the People's big wheels do make it look a bit funny and should make it handle, er differently, if not better.

[rajron]

I have a choice of riding my wife’s People 150, or my Buddy 125.
The People will out performer the Buddy in any acceleration test in particular from a standing stop. Top speed and going up hills the People also has an advantage but its not as obvious as the standing starts.
The People 150 is a better machine in the sense it is sturdier more powerful and has amenities that the Buddy 125 doesn’t have.
The Buddy 125 is more agile, has a larger under seat storage area and in both of our opinions the Buddy is better looking, oh and its $800 cheaper.
It is just plain uncomfortable to ride two on the Buddy but on the People though cramped it is much more comfortable.
That all said if my wife had a choice (she got the People before the Buddy came out) we would both be riding Buddies because the costs and the Buddy has a larger fun factor built into its design.

[dru_]

I'm 6'0", 220 lbs, and have put on 1300+ comfortably and enjoyable miles since buying my Buddy on August 2nd. I drive about 12 miles each way to work daily, plus all my other around-town stuff that I end up doing on it. I've hit 70 mph on a couple of occasions, but usually do 60-65 mph majority of the time, and maintain a consistant mpg of 98-102 tank in and tank out. Plus, the People's big wheel just look funny. They seem too big for a scoot.

Geez, it's still amazing to me that the Buddy can maintain ~55mph (true speed, considering speedo error) without breaking a sweat. Just awesome. I can't wait to get on it.

Yeah, the People's big wheels do make it look a bit funny and should make it handle, er differently, if not better.

I've got a People 250, but I had a brutal time deciding between the Buddy 125, Blur and People. Ultimately, the power of the 250, the ability to cruise 80 (which is the average speed around here) is what sold me.

[SirLexelot]

Wow, 220 LBS, and 70mph and 100mpg! I'm 6'3", 195 LBS, and I've never gotten the Buddy above an indicated 63mph. Also, the only tank of gas I measured mileage on I got 78.6 mpg. I wonder if my bike needs further adjustment? I haven't put many miles on it yet, and it hasn't even had its first service. Maybe after that it'll start performing better.

As for the Buddy vs. the People, it's a tough call. For me, it came down to two main factors: the Buddy was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper (mentioned here already), and the Buddy really has an authentic scooter community built up around it. That's probably due to a combination of factors (the brilliant marketing and design teams at Genuine, who managed to take a seriously ugly and boring asian plastic scooter and turn it into the hippest retro-styled scooter in years, and the excellent price/performance ratio that resulted in tons of sales in a short period of time which built a community very quickly).

If I had the money to spend, and really had nothing else to do with it, I might get a People S 200 in ADDITION to the Buddy. I certainly would like a somewhat more powerful bike that can handle 2-up riding.

Also, if you could find a used People 150 for around $2500 or so, it might make the People a better choice. But if you're buying new, I recommend the Buddy.

[gt1000]

I've got to agree with others here. If you "outgrow" the Buddy you'll likely outgrow the People 150 as well. I test rode both (along with quite a few other scooters) when my Mojito died and found the Buddy to be a much more enjoyable ride and, at least here in Denver, $800 cheaper than the People. I just couldn't justify spending an additional $800.

Also, a debadged Buddy 125 looks jost like a 50, so i can park it anywhere. For me, in downtown Denver, that's a huge advantage.

[Bryce-O-Rama]

Also, a debadged Buddy 125 looks jost like a 50, so i can park it anywhere. For me, in downtown Denver, that's a huge advantage.

Do you just run yours without a plate, or do you velcro it on? I've heard of a few people out there doing that. Also of importance, you have you removed the VIN plaque that's on your leg shield basket? They can track your scoot pretty easily with that.

[castleton]

I have over 1300 miles on my buddy, and I drive 36+ miles one way to work at least 3 days a week. That's over 72 miles round trip.

(Fullserve responded:)
Wow, I'm impressed. That's quite a commute! What is your average speed on your commute?

Depending on which roads I ride, my speed while commuting is 40 mph (1/3 of the time) and 55-60 mph (2/3 of the time).

[toga28]

I average 60 to 65 mph in my daily commute on the usual route down state highway 66 (yes, that route 66). If the wind is blowing a decent amount (I do live in Oklahoma, after all), then I will take an alternate (i.e. more residential) route around a lake road to avoid the wide-open fields along the state highway. But, even that way will let me average 40+ mph.

[gt1000]

Also, a debadged Buddy 125 looks jost like a 50, so i can park it anywhere. For me, in downtown Denver, that's a huge advantage.

Do you just run yours without a plate, or do you velcro it on? I've heard of a few people out there doing that. Also of importance, you have you removed the VIN plaque that's on your leg shield basket? They can track your scoot pretty easily with that.

I haven't decided what to do yet about the plate. I've got a temp until late November, in the meantime I'll figure it out. I will legally license it so the VIN plaque will stay, but the velcro idea could be genius!

There are plenty of places I park where no one would care if my scooter had a plate or not. But downtown, or at various events, it could be trouble.

[Bryce-O-Rama]

I haven't decided what to do yet about the plate. I've got a temp until late November, in the meantime I'll figure it out. I will legally license it so the VIN plaque will stay, but the velcro idea could be genius!

The velcro thing has gotten a few people into trouble. So if you're going to park illegally, I would recommend drilling out the pop rivets and putting a thin piece of blank or engraved aluminum there in it's place. Also remove the 125 from your Buddy outer legshield badge. Also, velcro might get noticed by the fuzz (bad pun, but I had to do it). If you could find a way to inconspiculously glue strong magnets onto the backside of the mudguard and onto your license plate, you might be much more incognito. Having said all of this, I don't advocate breaking the law. I do, however, love idly speculating on how it could be done by a clever person.

By the way, does your username denote the Ducati of the same name?

[gt1000]

The velcro thing has gotten a few people into trouble. So if you're going to park illegally, I would recommend drilling out the pop rivets and putting a thin piece of blank or engraved aluminum there in it's place. Also remove the 125 from your Buddy outer legshield badge. Also, velcro might get noticed by the fuzz (bad pun, but I had to do it). If you could find a way to inconspiculously glue strong magnets onto the backside of the mudguard and onto your license plate, you might be much more incognito. Having said all of this, I don't advocate breaking the law. I do, however, love idly speculating on how it could be done by a clever person.

By the way, does your username denote the Ducati of the same name?

Thanks for heads-up on the velcro as well as the other hints. I have never had a problem parking my scooter anywhere and I'm hoping to have the same luck with my Buddy without breaking any laws. I have removed all 125 badges and the bike looks so small. Hell, it's smaller than my old 50, so hopefully I have not problems. I've seen lots of Vespa 150's parked with 50's and they don't seem to attract any attention. If I were a car driver or a cop I think I'd probably be more pissed if I saw a tiny scooter taking up a valuable parking space.

And yes, the username denotes the Ducati, which is always parked legally.

[okiejack]

My wife has a Pink Buddy 125 and I have a silver P150. It is her first motorcycle and my 6th ... the last being a Honda VTX1300R.

I rode hers home from the dealer and felt it was a bit small but power was fine.

She is 5' 1", 96 lbs and I am 5' 9" and 147". I figure the power/weight ratio is very similar.

Our objective was to be able to travel in city streets whos speed limits are 50 or less, and be comfortable with traffic.

The Buddy 125 meets those for her and the P150 does for me. She wouldn't be able to touch the ground on my P150 and her Buddy 125 is too small for me.

[Fullserve]

She is 5' 1", 96 lbs and I am 5' 9" and 147". I figure the power/weight ratio is very similar.

The Buddy 125 meets those for her and the P150 does for me. She wouldn't be able to touch the ground on my P150 and her Buddy 125 is too small for me.[/quote]

Interesting. I didn't feel that the Buddy was too small for me and I'm 5'11" 185lbs, but I am not an experienced rider, so what do I know.

As posted elsewhere, I've now ridden both of these scooters and a third, the new Kymco Agility 125.

I am leaning toward the Agility, simply because of the price differential ($600 less than the Buddy). I liked the Buddy a lot and it is clearly a nicer looking machine than the Agility, but the Agility that I rode had a bit more off the line than the Buddy, so it definitely got my attention. The Agility also has 12" wheels, so theoretically it would be better for my long commute (50 miles round trip).

To me, the People is in another class altogether. It was quite a bit quicker off the line than either of the 125's and altogether a beautiful scooter. The 16" wheels made it feel...er...different than the other two. Perhaps because I'm a first timer, I felt more comfortable on the smaller scooters.

[gt1000]

Yeah, I'm around 5'9" and 150 and the Buddy is pretty much perfect for me. But, and this is important, I ride scooters for very specific reasons. My scoot is my daily commuting ride and I ride year round. The only thing that stops me is snow and ice or if it's pouring rain when I leave for work in the morning. Under these conditions I ride my scooter 3 or 4 times a week and my motorcycle once or twice. When i can't ride, it's the bus.

One of the main reasons I have a scooter is so I can park anywhere. A small scooter is also perfect in the inner city. I can dodge traffic and swerve easily to avoid hazards. I've ridden lots of scooters, from 50's to 400's and above and, so far, I draw the line at 250cc's for scoots. The main reasons for this are size and stability. I like my scooters small and a small scooter is inherently unstable at high speeds. When I start looking at 400cc scoots I start to see diminishing returns in terms of value when you compare those scoots to similarly priced motorcycles. And dollar for dollar, that similarly priced motorcycle will outperform the scoot in many areas, making it a much safer ride at high speeds. The big scooter also tends to be wide and heavy, with lots of bodywork and I'm not big on any of those features. Please, I'm not putting down these big scoots, they're just not for me. Obviously there's a market for them just like there's a market for Gold Wings, which I'd also never consider.

Ironically, the one exception to this rule is the Vespa GTS. It's stupidly expensive so from that standpoint it doesn't make sense. But, in every other way it fits my profile for scooters. I would bet that I could even get away with parking it at a bike rack most of the time (as long as it's not parked next to a 50) and you'd never get away with that on a Burgman or Silver Wing.

Anyway, that's just me. I scoot around town but when we want to ride in the mountains or I need to go some distance at highway speeds the minimum I feel safe with is a 650.

[Fullserve]

Yeah, I'm around 5'9" and 150 and the Buddy is pretty much perfect for me. But, and this is important, I ride scooters for very specific reasons. My scoot is my daily commuting ride and I ride year round. The only thing that stops me is snow and ice or if it's pouring rain when I leave for work in the morning. Under these conditions I ride my scooter 3 or 4 times a week and my motorcycle once or twice. When i can't ride, it's the bus.

One of the main reasons I have a scooter is so I can park anywhere. A small scooter is also perfect in the inner city. I can dodge traffic and swerve easily to avoid hazards. I've ridden lots of scooters, from 50's to 400's and above and, so far, I draw the line at 250cc's for scoots. The main reasons for this are size and stability. I like my scooters small and a small scooter is inherently unstable at high speeds. When I start looking at 400cc scoots I start to see diminishing returns in terms of value when you compare those scoots to similarly priced motorcycles. And dollar for dollar, that similarly priced motorcycle will outperform the scoot in many areas, making it a much safer ride at high speeds. The big scooter also tends to be wide and heavy, with lots of bodywork and I'm not big on any of those features. Please, I'm not putting down these big scoots, they're just not for me. Obviously there's a market for them just like there's a market for Gold Wings, which I'd also never consider.

Ironically, the one exception to this rule is the Vespa GTS. It's stupidly expensive so from that standpoint it doesn't make sense. But, in every other way it fits my profile for scooters. I would bet that I could even get away with parking it at a bike rack most of the time (as long as it's not parked next to a 50) and you'd never get away with that on a Burgman or Silver Wing.

Anyway, that's just me. I scoot around town but when we want to ride in the mountains or I need to go some distance at highway speeds the minimum I feel safe with is a 650.

Excellent points -- thanks for the input. BTW, I'll never be taking this (or any other scooter) on the freeway. It's down the Coast Hwy for me with a max speed limit of 50 (for about 2 miles), the rest being 40mph limit. Because of this, I think I can get away with a 125, but the P150 would probably be better.