Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:24 am

Need advice on the purchase of my first scooter.
I was all set to go for the Vespa 150 and then I heard about the Buddy 125 and now I'm not sure.
Is the Vespa worth the extra money over the Buddy?
Is the Buddy easy to service such as oil, oil filter, air cleaner changes and lubing?
The scooter will be driven in a rural area on fairly flat surfaces and maybe a small hill now and then.
The highest speed limit in my area is 55MPH.
I'm 6.0 ft tall and weigh 172. Which scooter would be the most comfortable to ride for someone my size?
I'm new to the scooter world so any info is great.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:04 am

Rokky wrote:Need advice on the purchase of my first scooter.
I was all set to go for the Vespa 150 and then I heard about the Buddy 125 and now I'm not sure.
Is the Vespa worth the extra money over the Buddy?
Is the Buddy easy to service such as oil, oil filter, air cleaner changes and lubing?
The scooter will be driven in a rural area on fairly flat surfaces and maybe a small hill now and then.
The highest speed limit in my area is 55MPH.
I'm 6.0 ft tall and weigh 172. Which scooter would be the most comfortable to ride for someone my size?
I'm new to the scooter world so any info is great.

IMO, the Buddy is a better value. Buddy is about $1500 cheaper. With proper maintenance, you should be able to get the same mileage out of either scooter. Having ridden both, I think the Buddy has better throttle response, smoother acceleration and better braking feel.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here but I believe the Buddy has a better warranty too. 2 years vs 1 year???.

The Buddy is easier to maintain. Air filter, oil filter and spark plug are easier to get to on the Buddy. Although the Vespa air filter is washable, which is kinda nice. They both use the same over-priced oil filter.

There are plenty of people your size that ride a Buddy with no problems but you would probably feel more comfortable on the Vespa since its a little bit larger. You should try and test drive both.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:07 am

I own both. Here's my review comparing them: topic4835.html

Rokky wrote:Is the Vespa worth the extra money over the Buddy?

Kind of depends on what your priorities and personal preferences are. To use the not entirely accurate car analogy, is a Mercedes worth more than a Toyota? How about if that Toyota is faster off the line and gets better MPGs? In terms of the fundamentals—performance, reliability—both are quite good. If style, fit and finish, resale value and a smooth ride are your top priorities, it may be worth it. If getting the best scooter at the price (value per dollar) that still performs great and gets high MPGs are your priority, then the Buddy.

When it gets down to it, Vespa is a luxury brand and comes with most of the pluses and minuses of other luxury brands.

Some other differences: The Buddys have a 2-year warranty, compared to Vespa's 1-year. A Vespa may cost more to insure.

Rokky wrote:Is the Buddy easy to service such as oil, oil filter, air cleaner changes and lubing?

Yup. The Buddy and Vespa are pretty much equal in this regard.

Rokky wrote: The scooter will be driven in a rural area on fairly flat surfaces and maybe a small hill now and then.
The highest speed limit in my area is 55MPH.
I'm 6.0 ft tall and weigh 172. Which scooter would be the most comfortable to ride for someone my size?

Both will handle the speed. Do the drivers actually drive the speed limit? You should be able to cruise at 60mph on either, no problem.
The size may be another issue. You should definitely sit on both. The Vespa has a longer seat and more foot room; I find it more comfortable than the stock Buddy for longer rides. However, the new Buddy Blackjack has a different seat that was immediately more comfortable for me.

There are people of all sizes who ride Buddys. I think most riders just adapt to whatever they own.

Hanz · Post by **Hanz** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:40 am

Both scooters will have plenty of power for 55 mph roads. I am 5'10 195Lbs and my buddy is a comfortable fit.

General matinance on the buddy is easy. I have had no issues while changing oil or any thing like that.

The advantages of a Vespa is the steel frame, Higher resale value, and they look awesome.

The Vespa is worth the extra money if 1) You want the classier look and feel. 2) you can afford the extra $1,400.

If I had my choice I would choose a LX150 or a S150 over a Buddy. The Vespas just did not fit my budget. That being said, I am very happy with my Buddy and I think it is a great scooter as well.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:24 am

you are in the buddy forum... everyone here chooses buddy

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:07 pm

Well....This being your first scooter, you might drop it, everyone drops their first bike sometime, just remember...which bike will need to be hammered out and repainted to be repaired, and which one can do a quick panel switch and be new again.

Also dont forget....vespa engines are made in....CHINA! They are still good quality, but a while back, a bunch of fly 150's had recalls, they use the same exact engine as the lx150.

If you go to a vespa only dealer, chances are they will tell you Genuines are bad, a few people have said their dealers have made such claims.

Both bikes are good, the vespas are finished much nicer, and the metal frame is kind of nice, but if you ever wrecked, you'd be in a body shop and paint shop. Wrecks dont happen to 1 single person everyday, but it's possible they can happen. I just prefer plastic panels, if you scratch then, just go tell your dealer to order a new piece for you, and screw it on and off in a minute. The buddy also gets 80-90+ MPG in most cases while the lx150 gets 60-70+MPG

I read scoot.net everyday 2-3 times a day, they have great deals on classic bikes, and modern bikes, I've found a few buddys and other genuine models for GREAT GREAT prices, but whenever I see a vespa, the last lx150 I saw had 3k miles, and was 3 years old, the guy wanted $4000 for it. Not really a great deal even used. I can find a brand new restored PX150 on that site for $2800 done by some authorized vespa shop, then you can find 2005 PX150's for $5000 used.....

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 4:47 pm

I really like what I'm hearing about the Buddy.
I do most of my own maintenance on my vehicles and so I would also do the same for a scooter. The Buddy sounds more friendly in that respect then the Vespa.
I like the idea of the panels being replaceable if need be rather then a body shop visit and as some of you stated the price of the Buddy is very attractive.
I have several Vesper dealers in my area and I will search out a Buddy dealer and give each a try.
The Blackjack sounds intriguing, but only comes in flat black and I understand that the specs are the same as the other Buddy's. It's several hundred dollars more.
I would like to know if the Buddy 125 is now being replaced with just the 150 or is the 125 also offered in the new models.
If the 125 is being discontinued then would picking up a 125 be a better pick then a 150 if the price was right?
Thanks for all the input as I like hearing about all the details no matter how minor they are.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 4:54 pm

125's are here to stay! They're the base model of bikes, then there are "special" international colors, pamplona, st tropez, and italia, those come in 150cc models. Slight more power, but not much, mostly, bump in price is a nice 2 tone paint job.

The black jack is actually a monster bike, it's got the 150cc engine, special clutch, variator, weights, suspension, exhaust, etc. It's a modded buddy, a 125 or 150 can be modded to be the same or similar from parts easily purchasable from scooterworks.com.

I'd say start off on a 125 or 150, they have plenty of power, and if you want more after a few months of riding, get the prima pipe, it will add bottom and mid range power.

Go to genuinescooters.com if you havent and look at the buddy's they have a great site! Also check out the dealer section and search for a near by dealer, many vespa dealers will also carry genuine scooter products. The dealer I purchased my bike from started out selling TGB and Genuine scooters, now they sell kymco, sym, and vespa.

Any bike from those manufactures are great, you cant beat Taiwanese quality and engineering.

oryx · Post by **oryx** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:14 pm

I started looking for my first scooter several months ago. I originally was set on a vespa s150, because it is a gorgeous sporty little scoot. Then, I started looking at other brands and other shops and found the Buddy. The price was alot better for the Buddy vs. the Vespa at my local scoot shop, plus they didn't tack on delivery/freight/title fees like the vespa dealer. Then, they announced the Blackjack and I was sold on it because it had the style I wanted. I just picked it up 2 weeks ago and it's a blast.

I guess besides the price and quality what sold me on the Buddy was the modernbuddy community and a great local scoot shop.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:49 pm

jfrost2 wrote:Both bikes are good, the vespas are finished much nicer, and the metal frame is kind of nice, but if you ever wrecked, you'd be in a body shop and paint shop. Wrecks dont happen to 1 single person everyday, but it's possible they can happen. I just prefer plastic panels, if you scratch then, just go tell your dealer to order a new piece for you, and screw it on and off in a minute. The buddy also gets 80-90+ MPG in most cases while the lx150 gets 60-70+MPG

The metal monocoque body on the Vespa is a blessing and a curse. Dents and scratches will cost a lot more to repair on a Vespa. The pluses: a more balanced ride (IMHO), looks better and will last longer, and most importantly, the Vespa will survive a lot of crashes that would total a Buddy. That's not to say they can't be totaled or that the frame can be twisted back into shape, but I've seen several Buddys totaled in crashes a steel Vespa would survive (with very expensive body repairs).

I bought my LX before the Buddy made its debut. If I was buying my first scooter now, I'd buy a Buddy.

If I had to replace my LX for whatever reason, well, I dunno. I'd probably buy a Rally 200 or similar Vespa P-series or other fairly reliable vintage scoot and trade my wife's pink Buddy 125 in for a Buddy 150 (St. Tropez). Or wait until Genuine came out with its larger-CC scoot. Or the fabled 50-state Stella. Or get a vintage Honda Dream CA 305 (white) and get an out of state Stella. Or something like that.

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:59 pm

ericalm wrote:If I had to replace my LX for whatever reason, well, I dunno. I'd probably buy a Rally 200 or similar Vespa P-series or other fairly reliable vintage scoot

I would call the Rally 200 several things and none of them would be reliable.

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:02 pm

Rokky wrote:Need advice on the purchase of my first scooter.
I was all set to go for the Vespa 150 and then I heard about the Buddy 125 and now I'm not sure.
Is the Vespa worth the extra money over the Buddy?
Is the Buddy easy to service such as oil, oil filter, air cleaner changes and lubing?
The scooter will be driven in a rural area on fairly flat surfaces and maybe a small hill now and then.
The highest speed limit in my area is 55MPH.
I'm 6.0 ft tall and weigh 172. Which scooter would be the most comfortable to ride for someone my size?
I'm new to the scooter world so any info is great.

Do a search on the forum. I have owned both & I know it has been covered here before.

Dave

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:07 pm

ScooterDave wrote:
ericalm wrote:If I had to replace my LX for whatever reason, well, I dunno. I'd probably buy a Rally 200 or similar Vespa P-series or other fairly reliable vintage scoot
I would call the Rally 200 several things and none of them would be reliable.

Ha, yeah, hence the need for a Buddy as well!
My guy (okay, it's Greasy) can probably hook me up with a P200E or something he's fixed up that can take some miles.

Angela · Post by **Angela** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:18 pm

ericalm wrote:

Or the fabled 50-state Stella.

Yes, please.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:19 pm

A bad crash that would wreck a buddy would probably total the frame of the vespa so bad, buying a new one would be more justified than repairs from a body shop. I've seen bills where people paid 2-3k to repair the front end of a smashed up vespa, for 2k more, you could buy a new bike.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:33 pm

jfrost2 wrote:A bad crash that would wreck a buddy would probably total the frame of the vespa so bad, buying a new one would be more justified than repairs from a body shop. I've seen bills where people paid 2-3k to repair the front end of a smashed up vespa, for 2k more, you could buy a new bike.

Anyone who paid that much for a repair needs to learn about the wonders of insurance!

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:13 pm

ericalm wrote: Anyone who paid that much for a repair needs to learn about the wonders of insurance!

Hence the higher insurance cost for the Vespa. More expensive to repair, more expensive to replace. (But, damn, that painted metal looks good)

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:18 pm

You guys have really got me interested in the Buddy, and especially the 125.
The Vespa sounds nice, which it is, but the Buddy seems more practical.
I like the price range better as well.
The plastic panels are much easier to replace then the metal stuff and you can do it yourself.
The Buddy seems more like a hands on scooter where as the Vespa would require more professional attention.
I hate taking anything into a shop when I can do it myself and besides it more fun.
I just need to find the dealer and check it out in person.

lmyers · Post by **lmyers** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:50 pm

Rokky wrote:The plastic panels are much easier to replace then the metal stuff and you can do it yourself.

You can do metal yourself, too.

Laura

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:31 pm

You also may want to look into a used Vespa ET4. 150cc, cheaper than a new LX150, and in my opinion, better handling.

But lets get real...buy the Buddy!

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:16 am

Not everyone knows how to work with bondo and putty... Actually really easy to learn, just remember to wear a NIOSH approved respirator designed for organic vapors or else you've got cancer!

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:55 am

Rokky wrote: I just need to find the dealer and check it out in person.

That shouldn't be too hard. I suppose you should start with these guys.

Motorsport Scooters
4225 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 280-1718

There are plenty of Buddy dealers in SoCal so finding Buddys shouldn't be your problem.

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:43 am

jfrost2 wrote:just remember to wear a NIOSH approved respirator designed for organic vapors or else you've got cancer!

Now I definitely know I want a plastic scooter.
No Bondo, Sandpaper, Primer, Paint, Rags, Masking Tape, Lacquer Thinner and Rubbing Compound to deal with.
Plus, no paint on the garage floor to clean up and no over spray on the Mustang.
Just remove one of those crushed plastic panels and screw on a new one and ride away breathing in all that fresh air in my cancer free lungs.
Yes, the Buddy looks better and better all the time.

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:09 am

[quote="ericalm"]I own both. Here's my review comparing them: topic4835.html

Eric,
Great review and summary on the two scooters.
I would like a nice riding scooter like the Vespa, but I like the simplicity of the Buddy.
It actually comes down to ones priorities and simply trying out both.
I figure that the Vespa would handle uneven pavement and rougher roadways better then the Buddy, but in your estimation is this an issue that would rule out the Buddy?

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:41 am

Rokky wrote:I figure that the Vespa would handle uneven pavement and rougher roadways better then the Buddy, but in your estimation is this an issue that would rule out the Buddy?

No, not at all. The Buddy has a slightly smaller front wheel, the Vespa has a stock adjustable rear shock, but in terms of handling different road conditions both will do just fine. They do handle differently, but again it's one of those things you adapt to easily and that most people wouldn't know about or notice unless they rode both.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:48 pm

In truth, paint from a can of spray paint you get at the hardware store also produces organic vapors, they are not as strong as those in resin and fiberglass based products, but if inhales excessively, they can be dangerous. Of course you'd need to be doing this everyday for any effect.

Also, there are people who paint their buddy, for looks, or repairs, or color changes! Since the panels are removable, they are easy to just take off and spray.

I wouldnt let this all bother you, if you want and love the lx150 or some other model, go and get it if money isnt an issue, but if you like the buddy equally, and money is tighter, go get a buddy! Both are great bikes! Plastic can never replace the greater looks of a all metal bike, but both have pros and cons.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:02 pm

lmyers wrote:
Rokky wrote:The plastic panels are much easier to replace then the metal stuff and you can do it yourself.
You can do metal yourself, too.

Laura

did my first body work on a motorcycle tank yesterday. it was fun. bonding time with your bike

Kurt · Post by **Kurt** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:25 pm

gearhead wrote:did my first body work on a motorcycle tank yesterday. it was fun. bonding time with your bike

Don't you mean "Bondo-ing time"?

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:30 pm

Rokky wrote:I figure that the Vespa would handle uneven pavement and rougher roadways better then the Buddy, but in your estimation is this an issue that would rule out the Buddy?

Negative.

Anyone who has seen me ride my pink Buddy knows how much abuse it will take. It will handle the roughest of roads with the best of them.

Dave

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:55 pm

ScooterDave wrote:
Rokky wrote:I figure that the Vespa would handle uneven pavement and rougher roadways better then the Buddy, but in your estimation is this an issue that would rule out the Buddy?
Negative.

Anyone who has seen me ride my pink Buddy knows how much abuse it will take. It will handle the roughest of roads with the best of them.

Dave

Have you crashed that pink Buddy? I'm starting a Men Who Crashed Pink Buddys Scooter Club. So far, I'm the only member, but I'm going to recruit pocphil.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:23 pm

in the end, go with your gut instinct

rayk · Post by **rayk** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:41 pm

rokky,

I see you're in San Diego. Me too. I got my St. Tropez in Sept 08. Love it. The Buddy dealer in San Diego is Motorsport Scooters at 30th and El Cajon Blvd. http://www.scooterwest.com

They are a great bunch of guys, both sales and service. They've been in business for over 16 years and sell Genuine, SYM, and Kymco.

Drop by and talk to Kevin or Eric. They can answer all your questions about Buddys.

And like the old ads used to say ... tell them Ray sent you.

And, yes, I too did look at Vespa's before I bought. Just couldn't justify the price difference. And I'm not sorry.

Ray

Angela · Post by **Angela** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:46 pm

Rokky,

Motorsport is awesome. They will show you all you need to know. I am biased since my friends work there but they know how terrified I was of riding a scooter and totally helped me out.

Too bad you don't have a scooter yet, we have a ride tonight from Motorsport to Filipi's Pizza Grotto for all you can eat pizza.

monza · Post by **monza** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:47 pm

i didnt read all the replies...but here is my $0.02

I dont own a buddy, and I own three Piaggio/Vespas. But if I was to choose between Buddy and LX150, hands down I go for the Buddy. Its peppier and has a way better value. Dealing with Genuine and Scooterworks is better than the blackhole that is Piaggio.

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:27 am

monza wrote:i didnt read all the replies...but here is my $0.02

I dont own a buddy, and I own three Piaggio/Vespas. But if I was to choose between Buddy and LX150, hands down I go for the Buddy. Its peppier and has a way better value. Dealing with Genuine and Scooterworks is better than the blackhole that is Piaggio.

Testimonials don't get any better then this.
I'm really anxious to check out the Buddy now.

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:13 am

[quote="rayk"]rokky,

The Buddy dealer in San Diego is Motorsport Scooters at 30th and El Cajon Blvd.

Rayk,
That area is my old stomping grounds from years past. I lived on Arizona street at the time.
Motorsport would be just off El Cajon Blvd on 30th going toward University. There was a Drug store on the corner. Doria Drugs I believe.
How is the parking there up there as it use to be a bear.
Do they Have their own parking lot?

Angela · Post by **Angela** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:58 am

Rokky wrote:
Rayk,
That area is my old stomping grounds from years past. I lived on Arizona street at the time.
Motorsport would be just off El Cajon Blvd on 30th going toward University. There was a Drug store on the corner. Doria Drugs I believe.
How is the parking there up there as it use to be a bear.
Do they Have their own parking lot?

They do not have their own parking lot, but its never been a problem. I don't recall a drug store but its pretty much on the corner of El Cajon Blvd and 30th (on 30th). If you go during business hours you really can't miss it.

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:31 pm

Rayk,
The Drug Store was in the brick building on the southwest corner of 30th and El Cajon.
The scooter guys must be just up from their on the same side of the street. I will get over there sometime next week and thanks.

Christy · Post by **Christy** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:32 pm

if price isn't an issue for you, just test ride them and go with the one that feels best for you.

All scooters ride just slightly differently and it's very important to be comfortable on the 2wheels you choose.

personally, if I had the money, I'd get a Vespa S...but since it's (imo) essentially the same scooter as the Buddy, I went with the Buddy.

I've ridden LX150's extensively and I do like them. But I LOVE my buddy and wouldn't swap it for an LX.

$0.02

chris brewer · Post by **chris brewer** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:01 am

How about the SYM FiddleII ?(horrible name)
Looks just like LX150 priced like a Buddy excellent quality.
SYM is one of the best Taiwanese manufacturers [/list]

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:04 am

When I see the fiddle, I think it feels cheaper than the buddy. It's a good bike, but you cant beat PGO's quality for similar bikes.

I dont think sym really understands the USA scooter market as good as Genuine does, just look at color options and accessories for the buddy, then look at the fiddleII. Sym does make really nice quality bikes though, I cant remember, but I think the fiddleII is built in main land china. I know 1 of the sym bikes are.

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:58 am

Rayk and all,
I couldn't wait until next week so I made the trip to Motorsport on 30th and El Cajon blvd today and sat on all the scooters in the shop.
They even had a used Vespa that I was able to try out for size that give me an idea without having to stop at the Vespa store.
The guys a Motorsport were really great and gave me a lot of their time.
Well, The Buddy won me over as far as comfort, style, and all around looks.
I especially like the foot room and the sitting position was very good.
They had a bunch of 125's as well as 150's on the floor and it is really is a toss up on which one I liked the best.
There's a difference in price of about $500.00.
The 150's are classy looking and slightly more comfortable to me, at least at first sit.
So, I'm kind of leaning toward the Italia or the Pamplona.
However, there was a sweet little Red 125 that looked like it needed a home.
I also sat on the Kymco People 150 that is also a nice scooter and would handle 2 riders very easily and I also liked the larger wheels that would handle the potholes better so I'm told, but the Buddy still felt better.
Anyway, I have narrowed it down to either one of the two Buddy's (125 or 150) so far.
They also had a Black jack on display for a few dollars more that's very interesting .

Rokky · Post by **Rokky** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:10 pm

Just curious.
What do you Guys and Gals think about this machine.

http://www.gekgo.com/gekgo_150cc-3-w.html

chloefpuff · Post by **chloefpuff** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:47 pm

If you get a Buddy, Genuine sends you this:

viewtopic.php?t=9905&highlight=swag

If that doesn't decide it for you, I don't know what will

(mine came today - they were quick)

armacham · Post by **armacham** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:51 pm

chloefpuff wrote:If you get a Buddy, Genuine sends you this:

viewtopic.php?t=9905&highlight=swag

If that doesn't decide it for you, I don't know what will

(mine came today - they were quick)

they didn't send me crap!

jfrost2 wrote:When I see the fiddle, I think it feels cheaper than the buddy. It's a good bike, but you cant beat PGO's quality for similar bikes.

I dont think sym really understands the USA scooter market as good as Genuine does, just look at color options and accessories for the buddy, then look at the fiddleII. Sym does make really nice quality bikes though, I cant remember, but I think the fiddleII is built in main land china. I know 1 of the sym bikes are.

Fiddle II is slow as crap compared to the buddy, also.

Christy · Post by **Christy** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:56 am

armacham wrote:
chloefpuff wrote:If you get a Buddy, Genuine sends you this:

viewtopic.php?t=9905&highlight=swag

If that doesn't decide it for you, I don't know what will

(mine came today - they were quick)
they didn't send me crap!

I heard the T's only for buying a new 2009 model. *shrug*

monza · Post by **monza** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:15 am

jfrost2 wrote:
I dont think sym really understands the USA scooter market as good as Genuine does, just look at color options and accessories for the buddy, then look at the fiddleII.

Buddy is much more spot on for marketing, packaging, colors, etc...thats all because of the hard work of the guys at Genuine/Scooterworks. Sym's importer hasnt quite figured out yet how to 1) force Sym to tailor for the US market, and 2) what it is they need to change to be as successful as the Buddy. If Genuine operated like Sym and some other, the Buddy would be branded as the BuBu, which would be a marketing disaster here.

Gen. Magnus · Post by **Gen. Magnus** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:17 am

monza wrote:
jfrost2 wrote:
I dont think sym really understands the USA scooter market as good as Genuine does, just look at color options and accessories for the buddy, then look at the fiddleII.
Buddy is much more spot on for marketing, packaging, colors, etc...thats all because of the hard work of the guys at Genuine/Scooterworks. Sym's importer hasnt quite figured out yet how to 1) force Sym to tailor for the US market, and 2) what it is they need to change to be as successful as the Buddy. If Genuine operated like Sym and some other, the Buddy would be branded as the BuBu, which would be a marketing disaster here.

While they do not market nearly as well, SYM does still put out a solid scoot. I actually just closed a deal on the RV 250 at SW today. I'll be picking her up on Tuesday (since the weather was so foul today).

As for the 125 / 150 range, I'll go Buddy over anything else right now. I love my Italia.

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:53 am

Rokky wrote:Just curious.
What do you Guys and Gals think about this machine.

http://www.gekgo.com/gekgo_150cc-3-w.html

It made me throw up in my mouth a little bit

chloefpuff · Post by **chloefpuff** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:55 am

Re: swag, I bought a 50 last year and didn't get no swag.
Upgraded this year to the 125 and got me the swag. It seems to be for '09s only.

Modern Buddy

Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Re: Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Re: Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Re: Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Re: Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Re: Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Re: Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

Re: Buddy 125 or Vespa LX150?

SWAG

Re: SWAG

Re: SWAG