twisty Buddy or shifty Stella?

[Witch]

Yeah, another one of those "which bike do I get?" threads.

I've once again put my Vespa dream on hold simply for the sake of getting another scooter ASAP. I've done tons of research, and still do all the time, just to keep up to date on what's out there. Based on my current needs, I think either a Buddy 150 or a Stella would be perfect, and also within my new self-imposed budget.

Ideally, I'd get the Stella, no questions, if there's still any availible (I have seen occasional ads for gently used ones, but financing part of one would greatly help my credit). I only have a concern over shifting. I'm sure I could learn it quick enough, so I'm not worried about that. I'm more worried if I could do it all the time. I busted my left arm pretty bad a few years ago, and was told that yes, it'll probably bug me for the rest of my life no matter what I do to it. The shifting would probably be great physical therapy if I can take it.

Obviously I wouldn't have any issues with a Buddy, except that it feels a bit small to me for the speeds it can reach. I've only had automatics so far, but do have a desire to get a shifter someday, if I can handle it.

So to those of you who have a Stella or other shifter, just how easy is the clutch on a new or lightly used one? I know the manual bikes all have their own little quirks and can each be different. Should I just go try to find one on a showroom floor and play with the clutch lever for a while? Suggestions welcome, even if it's just "go with the ____ because we all worship it" or something.

[illnoise]

I think Stellas might actually be easier to find than Buddys right now.

If you keep the cable lubed and adjusted properly, the clutch on a Stella is no big deal. You could try aftermarket dogleg levers if your hands are small.

Shifting is fairly easy to learn. f you can drive a manual car, a Stella should be cake. I can think of a few people I've met who just couldn't figure out shifting, but they didn't fare well on twist-and-go scooters, either, let's just put it that way. : )

Bb.

[alienmeatsack]

My 2 cents...

I have a Stella. It was my first scooter and my first shift-scooter.

At first, the hardest part was the wear and tear on the inside of my thumb where it touched the grip. It got pretty sore from holding things while I shifted.

Next issue was the wrist-twist-pain. It's not bad, just my wrist getting used to shifting. It's not difficult or anything, just takes getting used to.

As long as your wrist is good, you should have no problems shifting a Stella.

[siobhan]

What kind of riding will you mostly be doing, in-town, stop-and-go, stoplights and 4-way stops or between towns with a minimum of stoplights?

I have both a Buddy and a P200 and I cannot deal with the constant shifting in town. It makes me nuts and tires out my wrist (and my left hand is my good one!). It's great for between towns with few stops--my b/f has basically taken the scoot as his own for his 12 mile commute where he can keep it in 3rd and 4th gears most of the time. We're talking about adding a Stella to the stable if we can find one cheap (I'm very patient).

I also second illnoise's comment about shifting...if you know how to drive a manual car, it's a piece of cake to transfer the skills. First time I took our first scoot out (an old Lammy LI150), I hopped on, shifted away and managed not to hurt myself!

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Witch]

What kind of riding will you mostly be doing, in-town, stop-and-go, stoplights and 4-way stops or between towns with a minimum of stoplights?

At least to start, probably mostly light in-town commuting. Getting a new scoot will bring the opportunity of getting a job off the bus route, so I may end up with longer trips a little out of town. But actually, depending on my top speed after break-in (and what season it happens to be), I'll probably go all over hell and back with it until I get a bigger automatic. I'm one of those folks that likes to ride everywhere and nowhere just because it's fun.

Now that I think about it, the action of shifting a manual scoot is almost exactly like some of the exercises I had to do in physical therapy. Hmm, maybe it's a sign.

[Christy]

Obviously I wouldn't have any issues with a Buddy, except that it feels a bit small to me for the speeds it can reach. I've only had automatics so far, but do have a desire to get a shifter someday, if I can handle it.

Having only sat on a stella, not ridden one, my only comment is that the buddy is physically larger than the stella. not by much...

[wolfpackscooter]

Having only sat on a stella, not ridden one, my only comment is that the buddy is physically larger than the stella. not by much...


Actually, I'd have to disagree with that. I, too, looked at both, and ended up with the Stella. I found shifting to be really easy to learn, and I liked the Stella because (at least to me) it seemed bigger and heavier than the buddy - particularly the 125. Less of a difference between the Stella and the 150 internationals....but I'd still say Stella is slightly bigger.

Cheers...

[siobhan]

At least to start, probably mostly light in-town commuting. Getting a new scoot will bring the opportunity of getting a job off the bus route, so I may end up with longer trips a little out of town. But actually, depending on my top speed after break-in (and what season it happens to be), I'll probably go all over hell and back with it until I get a bigger automatic. I'm one of those folks that likes to ride everywhere and nowhere just because it's fun.

If you're planning on getting a bigger auto-scoot in the future, why not try the Stella for now? It's a lot of fun, got some nice heft to it, and it's a real head-turner. I find the P200 (which is basically the same as the Stella) to be comfortable for long rides as there's more room my feet and I sit up straighter on it so my back doesn't hurt as much compared to when I'm riding the Buddy on longer rides.

It sits lower to the ground than the Bud which I prefer (my Met practically dragged on the ground which was my last scoot so I like being lower).

[illnoise]

It's funny that the "Buddy is bigger than a Stella" argument has come up again. It's all perception.

The seat height on the Buddy is lower, and I think it's smaller in just about every dimension, but it does seem bigger in person. The Buddy's really one of the smallest scooters out there, especially in the 125 class.

Bb.

[Christy]

Having only sat on a stella, not ridden one, my only comment is that the buddy is physically larger than the stella. not by much...


Actually, I'd have to disagree with that. I, too, looked at both, and ended up with the Stella. I found shifting to be really easy to learn, and I liked the Stella because (at least to me) it seemed bigger and heavier than the buddy - particularly the 125. Less of a difference between the Stella and the 150 internationals....but I'd still say Stella is slightly bigger.

Cheers...

oh I definitely agree that it's heavier, much heavier even, but not bigger.

of course we could look up the stats and know for sure... it's a pretty easy thing to compare being that its a tangible thing.

[jfrost2]

I'd say if you like it, go for it, dont just buy the first scooter they have in the lot because it's a scooter, put down a payment and reserve one that ships in.

If you want to do this all the time when riding, then the bike is for you.

How to shift a px150. Same as stella, same bike, different company.

http://scootinoldskool.wordpress.com/20 ... and-asked/

[illnoise]

Stella
Dry Weight: 240 lbs.
Length/Width/Wheelbase: 1760 mm./ 695 mm/1235 mm.
Seat Height: 820 mm.

Buddy 125
Dry Weight: 223 lbs.
Length/Width/Wheelbase: 1778 mm*/ 686 mm*/1209 mm.
Seat Height: 754 mm

So the Stella is a good deal heavier and has a much higher seat, otherwise the dimensions aren't radically different. The Stella is a bit wider and has a longer wheelbase, but the Buddy's actually a bit longer, which surprises me.

Still, to me, the perception of "size" is mostly based on seat height and weight.

Bb.

[irishtim]

I've owned 2 Stellae (and 2 P series Vespas) and now have some Buddy experience under my belt. Stellae are great. About as modern a shifter as you can get that still faithful to it's Italian/Indian heritage. Still ,the Buddy will kick the Stella's behind in so many ways: take off, mileage, manueverability, ease of operation in traffic, etc. I'd say get a Buddy for the daily commute and a Stella for weekend riding (if money didn't matter ).

[jrsjr]

What kind of riding will you mostly be doing, in-town, stop-and-go, stoplights and 4-way stops or between towns with a minimum of stoplights?

At least to start, probably mostly light in-town commuting. Getting a new scoot will bring the opportunity of getting a job off the bus route, so I may end up with longer trips a little out of town. But actually, depending on my top speed after break-in (and what season it happens to be), I'll probably go all over hell and back with it until I get a bigger automatic. I'm one of those folks that likes to ride everywhere and nowhere just because it's fun.

Now that I think about it, the action of shifting a manual scoot is almost exactly like some of the exercises I had to do in physical therapy. Hmm, maybe it's a sign.

Well, that's an interesting set of requirements. You've gotten lots of good advice about your two choices, but I wonder if you wouldn't be better off to start with a slightly larger (but not too much more expensive) automatic scooter like the SYM HD 200 (actually 171cc). That scoot, with its bigger motor and bigger wheels should keep you entertained for a while.

I mention this specifically because you say you're "one of those folks who like to ride everywhere..." If you want to ride all over everywhere, it's not going to be long before you encounter a highway (or an Interstate where the Buddy isn't really even technically legal in many states).

This is a Buddy forum, so I don't want to deter you from buying a Buddy if that's what you want, but I wanted to give you an idea outside the box. Here's a picture of the HD which is also a clickable link to Scooter Station's page about the HD where there are more pix and specifications.

[Witch]

Well, that's an interesting set of requirements. You've gotten lots of good advice about your two choices, but I wonder if you wouldn't be better off to start with a slightly larger (but not too much more expensive) automatic scooter like the SYM HD 200 (actually 171cc).

I did take a good long look at the HD for a while, and seriously put it on my consideration list. But I'm aiming for either a GTS or a GTV by the start of next summer, so whatever smaller bike I end up will just be temporary. A smaller bike is just so I can get on the road faster, and if I keep it, my boyfriend will most likely end up using it as a commuter for his 3-4 mile trip down the street to work.

I appreciate everyone's advice! Sounds like if I can get my hands on one, the Stella deserves a more serious look from me.

[Scooterpup]

I own both a Buddy 125 and the Stella. I like both for different reasons but some comparisons:

Buddy is smaller, lighter, zippier
Stella is heavier, feels very stable

Buddy stops on a dime (be careful with that one though)
Stella requires more braking distance and downshifting

Buddy can outrun most scoots and some cycles from a dead stop (I have an MRP performance exhaust though...)

Buddy is great for communting in Denver with lots of stop start traffic
Stella is great for a Sunday ride or a casual ride into work on Friday

Overall, I like both machines and how they ride and feel. The stella makes me feel like I'm riding a classic and have total control over speed, gears, etc. The buddy makes me feel like I'm riding a sport bike with incredibly smooth ride.

That's my take on both scoots.

[AxeYrCat]

I had a Buddy, and I now have a Stella.

In many ways, I think the Stella is more 'fun', but I think the Buddy is much more practical.


A friend and I discussed it, and the best analogy I could come up with was that the Stella is like a Nissan 240Z from back in the day in really spectacular condition, and the Buddy is like a current Nissan Sentra:

While the former is definitely more of a sports car, the latter outperforms it in pretty much every way.


I hope that helps, even if it does use cages as a point of reference.