Taking my Buddy 50 to the mountains?

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 11:40 am

One of the things I did on my just-finished ride was reevaluating the performance of my Buddy 50 on challenging terrain. Thanks to the long-gone glaciers that dug these pits we call the Great Lakes, most of the land in Michigan is relatively flat. But there are some pretty hilly areas in the northwest of the Lower Peninsula (where I just went), and some minor mountains in the western UP (where I hope to go next).

The fact is that the scoot had some difficulties on the hills. Rolling hills aren't much of a problem: build up momentum going down one hill and it'll carry you most of the way up the next. But on long steep grades without a running start, my bike bogged down to 20-25mph and I had to turn on the hazards and ride the shoulder for a minute or two until I reached the top.

The question then is whether my Buddy can handle the wilds of the UP. Some routes look great for riding on a map, and even better on Google StreetView... but when checked on a topographical map look like they'd involve a lot of climbing. 1500-1900 feet isn't exactly high-altitude, but it's higher elevation than my bike is used to. And when you add in the fact that my engine isn't young anymore, I'm left with misgivings about trying it. As much as I love my 50 for my usual riding, this is a bit different.

I've been contacting folks who are familiar with riding in the western UP (e.g. on advrider.com, upcruising.com) and the replies have been reassuring, pointing out a few places my bike definitely wouldn't be able to handle, or might have trouble, but saying that overall it's not that bad. Of course none of them have tried it themselves.

I'm juggling a few options in my head, trying to decide. An obvious one is to just call it off, or postpone it until... whenever. Or take my chances with what I've got. Or try to beg, borrow, or buy a 125/150 for the trip (e.g. buy a good used bike, do the ride, then sell it). Or upgrade my Buddy 50 for the trip with the Prima "stage 1" kit (pipe, spring, rollers, jets), to give it more power on the hills. (I'd probably switch the muffler back when I got home: not a fan of loud pipes.)

Thoughts?

avonpirate · Post by **avonpirate** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 2:50 pm

I'm a transplanted Michigander. Left Bellaire for Squaw Valley, then moved to Vail. I live at el. 7,500, work at 8,040. I have a 1000', 1.5 mile elevation gain to get to work. My 125cc kicks butt on the uphill climb. Great fun going downhill as well. Don't think the 50cc would work for the climb. I'm at 45mph during the climb ... up to 65 on the flats ... but rarely max it out.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:28 am

TVB wrote:I'm juggling a few options in my head, trying to decide. An obvious one is to just call it off, or postpone it until... whenever. Or take my chances with what I've got. Or try to beg, borrow, or buy a 125/150 for the trip (e.g. buy a good used bike, do the ride, then sell it). Or upgrade my Buddy 50 for the trip with the Prima "stage 1" kit (pipe, spring, rollers, jets), to give it more power on the hills. (I'd probably switch the muffler back when I got home: not a fan of loud pipes.)

I found a Pamplona 150 for sale nearby, asking $2K (a little under blue-book), with only 100 miles on it. I'd need to jump on that and get it broken in (with just a month before I leave).
I'm also going to call the local dealer and ask what it would cost to have the "stage 1" kit put on my 50.
Nervously trying to make up my mind.

gar1013 · Post by **gar1013** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 4:59 pm

Go for the larger scooter, and drive a nice hard bargain. Sounds like there won't be any question of capability -- which means you can relax and enjoy the ride more than worrying about when you're going to find a hill too steep.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:58 pm

One teensy problem with buying a bigger scooter (short-term) is the fact that I don't have the required license for it.

Christophers · Post by **Christophers** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:18 pm

TVB wrote: I found a Pamplona 150 for sale nearby

Ah ha! You're finally coming around.

Get the bigger bike. You'll be a convert. All the convenience of the Buddy 50 with just that much more to give.

Good luck!

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:31 pm

Don't misunderstand: to me this would be like renting a jeep for a trip to the mountains ... except that I don't have a place I can rent one, so I'd have to buy it for a little while. At the end of the trip, I'd have two scooters, and the one with the higher resale value (the 150 with ~2K miles on it) would be the one I'd want to sell.

Christophers · Post by **Christophers** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:49 pm

TVB wrote:At the end of the trip, I'd have two scooters, and the one with the higher resale value (the 150 with ~2K miles on it) would be the one I'd want to sell.

I wouldn't be surprised if you end up keeping the scooter with the highest utility. Bang-for-the buck is definitely on the side of the 150.

Go for it!

gar1013 · Post by **gar1013** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:03 pm

TVB wrote:One teensy problem with buying a bigger scooter (short-term) is the fact that I don't have the required license for it.

Expand your horizons!

Seriously, having a full blown motorcycle endorsement is never a bad thing. You might even want to own a motorcycle at some point -- if you're a fan of small displacement bikes, check out what these guys do to the lowly Suzuki S40:

http://www.rycamotors.com/bikes/CS1/about/index.html

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:26 pm

I've thought about getting the motorcycle endorsement just to have it ... but I leave in 30 days.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:36 pm

Have you replaced the belt/rollers recently? When I finally did on my HD200 after too long, I was surprised at how much more, uh, everything I got with new belt/rollers.

As you well know, it all depends on time, traffic and patience. If you (and traffic) have the patience, pulling the hills is just a matter of time. I hope you can make it on the 50, but if you can't, enjoy the 125 while you have it!

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:34 am

My belt and rollers were replaced at the end of the winter, and I am getting the best performance in a long time since then. That's why I pulled the trigger and planned this trip. I'm just concerned that better-than-best would be... better.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 1:12 am

TVB wrote:I've thought about getting the motorcycle endorsement just to have it ... but I leave in 30 days.

I'm not sure of the laws in MI, but you might want to check into a learner's permit.

That's what my wife did before she received her endorsement via the MSF course. She only had to take a written test but I believe the permit was good for up to a year. There were a few other provisions. I think they were you had to wear a helmet, couldn't ride 2 up, and you could only ride during daylight hours ... something like that.

Rob

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 2:15 am

The Michigan learner's permit requires supervision by a licensed motorcyclist.

Th17kit · Post by **Th17kit** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:24 am

Did you get the Pamplona? I really love mine and I just pull the plates and park on the sidewalk whenever I need to go downtown. Plus, my gas mileage is reasonably similar to the 50cc, so in my mind you might as well explore your options!

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 11:08 am

I've pretty much decided to skip buying a whole new scooter (in addition to the hassles of the legal requirements, I'd rather not tie that much money up while I try to sell the "extra" one), and just get the Prima State 1 kit for my 50cc.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:48 pm

That would be a good deal if in the market!

Maybe in a couple years there will be a 170i in a similar position, then would be the time

.

Modern Buddy

Taking my Buddy 50 to the mountains?

Taking my Buddy 50 to the mountains?

Re: Taking my Buddy 50 to the mountains?

Re: Taking my Buddy 50 to the mountains?