No questions here... just resolve... I think [kind of long]

[BeetleGoose]

My Manifesto

So after staying up most of the night last night reading posts after posts on the threads here, I must say, "I'm sold!" I didn't have any true intentions of registering here, but there was one thing I wanted to say to all involved here: Thanks.

I have been researchng scooters (and motorcycles) for some time now, partly because of rising gas prices and because I always wanted to have a two-wheeled vehicle. With that said, I decided to narrow my choices to two scooters - sorry motorcycle, but the MPG on scooters are off the charts - the Vespa (of course!) and Genuine Buddy. Over the course of a couple months, I leaned from the Vespa, to the Buddy, back to the Vespa, then back to the Buddy, and now I'm sticking to the Buddy. Alot of it has to do with the price and also the fact that this would be my first scooter (why would someone learning to ride, start on anything truly expensive?). And after all the review articles and comments I've read, I think it would be a great first scooter.

I visited the closest dealer from my place in Santa Clarita Valley, CA - NoHo Scooters - yesterday, and got to be upclose and personal with the Buddy. I am truly impressed. So with that said, after finishing this, I will be heading back there today to drop off a deposit and count the days until I take mine home. I've decided to go with the Pamplona because of the 150cc (CA freeway capable) version, but I don't expect to be taking it out on it anytime soon, and not too often - still, I want that option if I need it. Then I'll trick it out by replacing the beige seat and handle grips with black ones. Then color the cream panels yellow. I eventually want it to sport a black, yellow, and red color scheme so I'll be minimizing the chrome accents. I want it to have the same color as the coral snake/scarlet king snake.

And with the posts I've read here, I know it's possible, and I know I'll have fun doing it, and I'll have fun riding the scooter... so smiles a plenty! So from the deep recesses of my tortured soul... nah, nah... from me to you all, Thank You.

... and sorry for the long post.

[Pic of what I want it to look like]

[sotied]

You're welcome.

And I think I speak for everyone when I say that if you have a chance to reserve one of the Zombie Blood 2009 Buddys, do it. DO IT NOW!

Welcome to the boards!

[GFridrich3]

Good choice of scooter you have made in the end now!

However, I dont know if you will have a lot of people agreeing on your choice of "McDonalds on wheels" color scheme. It just really seems wayyyyy too gaudy and contasty to look good... but, since its your scooter, its your choice, and you have to ride it. Just wouldnt be my first choice for a custom paint job.

And yea, enjoy the scooter and have fun here! Im sure from the way you speak that you know pretty well that just about anything someone could ask has been asked, and has been discussed and sometimes even beaten to death, turned into a zombie, then had its head smashed in for good measure... The search button will be your friend more than asking the same old questions again and littering the forums.

Looking forward to seeing what you end up with and your final color scheme (whatever it may be)

[BeetleGoose]

See! There's a reason that I put the pic up and I didn't even know it. I tell you, it's great having others' opinions on things like even the color scheme. It was not in my intention to color the scooter after McDonald's patterns, but I definitely see what you mean. It would have been a shocker to me if someone had pointed that out, let's say, at a McDonald's, and I probably would've turned beet red upon realizing that. With that in mind, I think I will forego the yellow and stick with the cream, or change it to black or dark blue (or dress up as Ronald McDonald). Good catch on that, GFridrich3!

Sotied, What is this Zombie Red you mention?

So I've just returned from the store after placing my order ($500 depo) for one. I should be getting it sometime around September (beginning of, hopefully), so I have time to take the MSF training, take the written test, and enjoy a couple weeks in East Asia, riding on one or two. Ain't life sweet.

By the way, $3,680, out the door... decent, bad, good price?

[olhogrider]

By the way, $3,680, out the door... decent, bad, good price?

Almost to the dollar what I paid. Where are you getting it?

[BeetleGoose]

I will take delivery from NoHo Scooters in North Hollywood, California. To the penny, I got it for $3,678.38.

[jmazza]

Great post. I felt (and still feel) the same thing about MB before I bought my scooter.

Welcome to MB and to Buddy ownership! I can't say I'm particularly digging the color scheme either, but it's your scoot and modding it how you like it is the point!!

Oh, and kudos for using the word "manifesto."

[PasadenaSue]

BeetleGoose, I thought the yellow and red looked nice! If I didn't like my Italia the way it is, I would paint it - red and yellow. (I may still if I can find more panels.)

Welcome to the fold. Sounds like you already have a name for your scoot - coral snake. Your price sounds fine for a 150.

PasadenaSue

[BeetleGoose]

Thanks for the warm reception.

After careful consideration, I have decided to (eventually) paint the sides and wheel cover white to match the white walls of the tires. Even though I thought yellow would be nice, I prefer less clutter of colors, and also because of the overlooked McD's color match. I think I'll even look for a red stripes on white helmet, because the stripes make things go faster (less faster than a flame would though)... hehe...

But in all seriousness with the Pamplona, eventually I want the clean lines and simple color scheme, so it will eventually be black seats/handle grips, white wall tires, front tire cover, and sides (where the yellow was), and red all over everything else...

... come to think of it, my scooter will eventually be one of those jokes: What's black and white and red (read) all over?

I'm still wondering whether I should get a chrome rear rack or go with black.

Oh by the way, I like all colors of the Buddy 125s and 150s, but I would have gone with the Orange one if they had it in 150cc. So the consolation is the Pamplona. I would've gone with the St. Tropaz or the Italia, but in the end, the fact that the Pamplona had red in it made it just stand out a little more, I think more so than the other two. However, if I would've gone with the Italia I would have eventually made it a camoflaged color scheme.

[ericalm]

I will take delivery from NoHo Scooters in North Hollywood, California. To the penny, I got it for $3,678.38.

Hooray! Congrats!

NoHo is my local dealer as well (I conveniently live a couple miles away). They're a great, family-owned business and do a lot to support the scooter community and riders in the area. Mike is as knowledgeable a guy as you can find when it comes to scooters and he's completely honest when it comes to these things.

There's probably some great riding through the hills and canyons up in Santa Clarita. I've never been up there but may have to ride up some weekend just to explore.

[newslinky]

You can greatly expand your helmet schemes and in the process reduce the cost of the helmet purchase by getting a plain helmet, in your case white, and visiting this site for decent reflective decals. http://www.streetglo.net/streetglo_file ... .decal.htm
Plain helmets are generally less expensive than detailed ones and this site you can pick a style, including flames for even more speed , and color.

[siobhan]

However, I dont know if you will have a lot of people agreeing on your choice of "McDonalds on wheels" color scheme

Thanks for the chuckle. I used to paint my kitchen every year over Labor Day weekend when I lived in New York and I got it into my head to go from yellow & blue to yellow & red. It looked great. Nice bold yellow walls and the frames of the cabinets were also bright yellow. I then did the cabinet doors screaming primary red along with some of the trim. I even found a red shelf with yellow painted metal brackets at IKEA to hang over the doorway for cereal box storage. I thought the place looked sick.

A few years later I was showing pics to a friend and there were a few taken in the kitchen (this is New York, no one ever comes over to your apartment). He said, wow, McDonald's kitchen. I was so jarred...and he was so right. I cannot look at the crazy picture when I was cooking a lobstah that my friend brought down on the bus from Maine without thinking, McDonald's kitchen. What was I thinking?

That was also the year Stairway to Heaven wasn't the number 1 song on the Best of 500 countdown. It was Layla.

So, do not paint your Pamplona red & yellow.

[esk]

aw! for what it's worth, i didn't think of mcdonald's at all when i saw the picture. i hate to think that mcdonald's has ruined the color combo of red + yellow for all time.

but red + white will look great, too!