Scooters in Consumer Reports

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

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Scooters in Consumer Reports

Post by Perkussion »

We subscribe to Consumer Reports.
The February issue just arrived and
I noticed in the 'Coming Next Month' blurb...

'Scooters and small Motorcycles!' :o

Be on the lookout......
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Post by polianarchy »

OMG OMG OMG THIS IS SO EXCITING!!! The librarian in me is a big fan of Consumer Reports magazine. :nerd: Thanks for sharing this tip, Perkussion.
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Re: Scooters in Consumer Reports

Post by Syd »

Perkussion wrote:We subscribe to Consumer Reports.
The February issue just arrived and
I noticed in the 'Coming Next Month' blurb...

'Scooters and small Motorcycles!' :o

Be on the lookout......
Oh, this should be entertaining. Given CR's opinion of trucks, I can only imagine what they will have to say about scoots. :shudder:
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Post by Syd »

polianarchy wrote:OMG OMG OMG THIS IS SO EXCITING!!! The librarian in me is a big fan of Consumer Reports magazine. :nerd: Thanks for sharing this tip, Perkussion.
I'm not a librarian (but I know one). How do CR and librarian go together? (Or is my stoopidity showing?)
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Post by jmazza »

I seem to remember hearing about this and that they basically didn't recommend scooters at all. I could be wrong but I really think it's somewhere in my "oh that's interesting" part of my brain. This part is shared by the "beer" part though, so all bets are off.
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Post by ericalm »

jmazza wrote:I seem to remember hearing about this and that they basically didn't recommend scooters at all. I could be wrong but I really think it's somewhere in my "oh that's interesting" part of my brain. This part is shared by the "beer" part though, so all bets are off.
FWIW, I recently heard Click & Clack recommend someone in Mass. get rid of their car and get a scooter. They only drove when the weather was clear (took public transport the rest of the time).
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Post by nissanman »

How the heck did CR test them? Their vehicle track is in CT... not too warm around these parts right now. Hopefully they "get" scooters and don't make a mockery of scoots and small motorcycles.
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Post by jrsjr »

polianarchy wrote:OMG OMG OMG THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!
I wouldn't get too excited, yet. Many years ago Consumer Reports published an article about motorcycles that said, "Don't buy your kid a motorcycle for his last birthday!" :shock: My mom saw it and that was the end of me getting a bike while I lived at home.
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Post by mattgordon »

Will be interesting to see what they say regarding the different brands...
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Post by ericalm »

What if CR discovers you can fall off a scooter and get hurt? That they don't have airbags? Combined with low gas prices, this could be the end of the scooter industry as we know it!
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Post by Syd »

I want to see the crash test videos!
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Post by gt1000 »

I'm a librarian as well and while I'm not a "fan" of CR, I do respect a good portion of what they do. Their testing of things like appliances, cell phones and vacuum cleaners can be very helpful because there's really nobody else doing stuff like that.

For anything involving what I'll call "taste", I take their ratings with a grain of salt. This includes cars, audio and video systems, cameras, etc. Sure, their frequency of repair charts are very helpful for finding reliable cars. But, the way they review and compare cars has little to do with the way I compare and choose cars. In other words, what's often most important to them is of relatively little importance to me. Still, if read critically, their reviews can provide relevant information.

My guess about the scooter article? Not pretty.
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Post by polianarchy »

Syd wrote:I'm not a librarian (but I know one). How do CR and librarian go together? (Or is my stoopidity showing?)
That's not stupidity! I was unclear, sorry. :oops:

When I used to work at the central branch of the Free Library here in Philadelphia, we had so many reference questions along the lines of, "How can I find out if this product here is any good?" that we kept binders of the most recent CR & Good Housekeeping yearly indeces at the refdesk. These publications are so INCREDIBLY useful.

As gt1000 says here on this thread, it is important to read Consumer Reports critically, but I would hope that we all know the basic tenets of information literacy, yes? No? Here's a shortlist of Information Literacy Competencies, taken from ACRL:

* Determine the extent of information needed
* Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
* Evaluate information and its sources critically
* Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
* Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
* Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally
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Post by polianarchy »

jrsjr wrote:I wouldn't get too excited, yet. Many years ago Consumer Reports published an article about motorcycles that said, "Don't buy your kid a motorcycle for his last birthday!" :shock: My mom saw it and that was the end of me getting a bike while I lived at home.
Well, can I get excited about ripping the article to shreds? Snark is pretty fun, too. :wink:
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Post by jfrost2 »

If consumer reports goes off saying negative things about scooting or the buddy, I doubt it would change anyone's current opinion since we all have experience scooting and know how great and awesome the buddy is. But info placed in their magazine could change the opinion of possible future scooter and motorcyclist. People may be attracted into it, or be driven away.
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Consumer Reports

Post by PeterC »

Consumer Reports is an excellent reference, and I've been a subscriber for years. Many of their reviews, however, should be taken with a large grain of salt. They do tend toward a nanny mentality, regarding anything even slightly enjoyable as highly suspect. I recall, back in 1968, I bought a new American Motors AMX, a two-seater, short-chassis version of the Javelin muscle car. CR rated this vehicle as dangerously squirrelly at high speed, and a menace to both driver and pedestrians. I found its handling to be superb and, in the thirty years I owned it, the AMX required only routine service. I finally sold it to a collector for twice what I paid for it. That said, if I wanted to buy a new kitchen appliance or TV, CR would be the first place I'd look.
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Post by EBee »

ericalm wrote: FWIW, I recently heard Click & Clack recommend someone in Mass. get rid of their car and get a scooter. They only drove when the weather was clear (took public transport the rest of the time).
I heard that broadcast too and was extremely annoyed by their hypocrisy. On a previous broadcast they told a college girl who bought a scooter that they were extremely dangerous and to get rid of it. I wonder if they just operate under the "Girls shouldn't do that stuff" policy.
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Post by Syd »

I too have been a Consumer Reports subscriber for years and read their reviews every month. But when it comes to vehicles, the only information I pay much attention to is the repair history data.

I suspect that if there are any positive statements in their scooter review they will be backhanded compliments along the lines of: "The Buddy is the least unreliable scooter available now, but the fuel consumption could be better."
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Post by Ed Hit »

I have to say their opinions seem to outweigh the reviews a little too often.

I subscribed online for a month, while I was looking for reviews about a automatic vacuum cleaner (Roomba). The entire review focused on how much slower and less thorough a job the Roomba did (robot mind you) vs a human being running an upright vacuum. They made a real point of crowing that it took the human with a vacuum only 5 mins to vacuum the room that Roomba took 20 minutes to do.

Sort of missed the point that Roomba did not require a human!!!

And I sit here and read MB while Roomba cleans up cat hair.

And I canceled my subscription....
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Post by jmazza »

We discovered during our thorough testing of these motorscooters, commonly just called scooters, that many models lacked four wheels and typical cabin protections offered in many larger model vehicles such as the Lincoln Navigator or Ford Excursion. This allowed passengers to, in some cases, be literally thrown from their seating position, potentially causing severe damage to internal organs.

One of our test riders slid 30 feet after losing control of his scooter while texting and attempting a wheelie. While not confirmed, we believe he suffered significant damage to the frontal lobe of his brain, as he simply laughed and said, "That was AWESOME!" while jumping back on the scooter again. He has not been seen or heard from since, speeding away in a puff of blue smoke.

-Consumer Reports, Jan '09
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Post by ericalm »

jmazza wrote:We discovered during our thorough testing of these motorscooters, commonly just called scooters, that many models lacked four wheels and typical cabin protections offered in many larger model vehicles such as the Lincoln Navigator or Ford Excursion. This allowed passengers to, in some cases, be literally thrown from their seating position, potentially causing severe damage to internal organs.

One of our test riders slid 30 feet after losing control of his scooter while texting and attempting a wheelie. While not confirmed, we believe he suffered significant damage to the frontal lobe of his brain, as he simply laughed and said, "That was AWESOME!" while jumping back on the scooter again. He has not been seen or heard from since, speeding away in a puff of blue smoke.

-Consumer Reports, Jan '09
:rofl:

Exactly!
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Post by gt1000 »

I would hope that we all know the basic tenets of information literacy, yes?
:rofl: At what utopian library do you work? Most of the students I work with figure if it's on the internet, it's true.
And I sit here and read MB while Roomba cleans up cat hair.


Wait. Roombas work? For pet hair? That changes everything!
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Post by siobhan »

EBee wrote:
ericalm wrote: FWIW, I recently heard Click & Clack recommend someone in Mass. get rid of their car and get a scooter. They only drove when the weather was clear (took public transport the rest of the time).
I heard that broadcast too and was extremely annoyed by their hypocrisy. On a previous broadcast they told a college girl who bought a scooter that they were extremely dangerous and to get rid of it. I wonder if they just operate under the "Girls shouldn't do that stuff" policy.
Then you heard me squealing from Rhode Island when the guys suggested the couple get a scoot.

And the show with the girl and scoot was a joke. She was the one who wrote in saying how both she and her dog hated the show. In the end, the guys asked she send the scoot to them.

They've even asked for people to send in the answer to the Puzzler on a Vespa. They most definitely are proponents of scoots.

And it's not just my WBUR getting up!

And ya gotta love a thread that includes the ACRL's Info Lit criteria.
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Post by rabbitgod »

gt1000 wrote: :rofl: At what utopian library do you work? Most of the students I work with figure if it's on the internet, it's true.
Are you saying that George Washington didn't shoot lazers out of his eyes and rip cows in half with his hands?





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Post by loodieboy »

rabbitgod wrote:Are you saying that George Washington didn't shoot lazers out of his eyes and rip cows in half with his hands?
No, he lied about that one. But he did throw a cherry tree across the Delaware.
Clearly.
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Post by Scooter Hoot »

I would be scared for my life if I thought that even an appreciable fraction of the stuff you find on the internet was real. Thankfully, I can sleep at night because I know that the bulk of the internet trolls will never leave their mother's basement anyways.
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Post by ellen »

I sold my 2003 Piaggio Fly 150 this past summer to a woman who works at the Consumer Reports HQ in Yonkers, NY. Would be funny if they used it in the ratings!
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CR Lost me when they reviewed the Dodge Omni.....

Post by Tenchi »

....and lied through their teeth. They claimed the vehicle spun out of control doing basic defensive driving techniques and tagged it as "Unacceptable." Either Motor Trend or Car and Driver, intrigued by this rating, got their hands on one and tried to reproduce the findings. They could not. Ralph Nader (the man who killed the Corvair off) was a piker compared to CR. During this same time period, they had nothing but praise for the various Japanese-built small cars (some of which were not too hot back then).
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Post by polianarchy »

gt1000 wrote: :rofl: At what utopian library do you work? Most of the students I work with figure if it's on the internet, it's true.
I'm so glad SOMEBODY got my little joke... :P
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Post by polianarchy »

loodieboy wrote:
rabbitgod wrote:Are you saying that George Washington didn't shoot lazers out of his eyes and rip cows in half with his hands?
No, he lied about that one. But he did throw a cherry tree across the Delaware.
I thought it was the Schuylkill.
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Post by betsy q. bramble »

nissanman wrote:How the heck did CR test them? Their vehicle track is in CT... not too warm around these parts right now. Hopefully they "get" scooters and don't make a mockery of scoots and small motorcycles.
We actually sold a few scooters to them from my shop. So far just Vespas and Kymco Peoples. It was back in the summer, so they have had time to do some testing.
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Post by loodieboy »

polianarchy wrote:I thought it was the Schuylkill.
No, it was a cherry tree.
Clearly.
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Post by mattgordon »

betsy q. bramble wrote:
nissanman wrote:How the heck did CR test them? Their vehicle track is in CT... not too warm around these parts right now. Hopefully they "get" scooters and don't make a mockery of scoots and small motorcycles.
We actually sold a few scooters to them from my shop. So far just Vespas and Kymco Peoples. It was back in the summer, so they have had time to do some testing.
Do they haggle? (you know, like the rest of us?)
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Post by nissanman »

CR aka Consumers Union... will take a run at getting a discount, but when you say no they cave in fairly easily. They are there to buy the vehicle not shop all day. They only let you know it's CR right before they pick it up because they want the "buying experience" too.
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Post by betsy q. bramble »

they didn't haggle, and we knew they were CR before they actually stepped through the door. They had called and talked with us. They sent two young guys to do the paper work and pick up...pretty casual.
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Post by n2tattoos »

-----from consumerreports.org

Vespa LX150 scooter – A fair-weather friend

About a month ago we promised to get our hands on some scooters for evaluation. We’ve just added a couple of Vespas to our test fleet, a 50cc LX50 and a 150cc LX150. The LX50 model cost us $3,299, the LX150 $4,399. After some buzzing around (“Vespa” means wasp in Italian) in the immediate vicinity, it became clear that most of us prefer the 150. Though the 50cc model doesn’t require a motorcycle license, it’s limited to only 30 mph and feels sluggish. In order to ride legally and confidently on highways, you’d need a 250cc scooter.

The other day I ferried the LX150 home on a trailer so I could ride it in more urban and suburban settings than the rural roads around our test track. I immediately felt very trendy. Spurred on by record high gas prices, the Vespa has become a fashion statement in my neck of the woods in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Mind you, I’m not a two-wheeler novice: I used to own a Triumph motorcycle. It took a bit of a mindset adjustment to ride the Vespa, but I’m happy to announce that my ego remained intact. Luckily, everything else also remained intact despite a few nerve-racking moments in rush-hour traffic and a sudden booming thunderstorm. Riding in the rain is very stressful and fatiguing due to the reduced grip, impaired visibility, and the already oblivious motorists around you.

The 150, with just 12 hp on tap, had no problem keeping up with traffic in the range of 15 and 45 mph. There’s enough oomph for clearing an intersection without feeling overly vulnerable, and for quick spurts to escape from a potentially hazardous situation. Climbing mild grades is also quite effortless, at least when riding solo. The CVT automatic works well and the muted engine noise is unobjectionable. The manufacturer claims 72 mpg “under lab conditions.” We haven’t been able to confirm that yet, but stay tuned.

We’ve reached a top speed of about 65 mph on a long straight, but the scooter’s natural habitat is the neighborhood, not the interstate. The brakes, activated by two levers on the handlebar, work well and are easy to modulate.

From a motorcyclist’s perspective, you’d think that with the Vespa’s small wheels and the floor board, it might scrape the pavement in corners. Actually, there’s ample clearance, and the Vespa feels quite agile and responsive. With just a gentle lean, you round any corner. Low-speed maneuvering in tight quarters is very easy. The ride is firm yet compliant, and very well controlled when traversing dips, swells, and undulations. Notably, there is very little vibration felt through the seat, handlebar, and floor.

The beige suede seat on our LX150 looks sharp and got several compliments from bystanders. Plus, it dispels rain drops easily. Unfortunately, birds like it, too. I loved the ability to store my full-face helmet under the seat. However, I missed not having a side-kick for quick stops, even though the center stand was easy enough to use. I could see that it might be awkward for the uninitiated.

Overall, the Vespa LX150 is a fun little urban runabout that’s very easy to drive. It can serve as a wind-in-your-face ride to the beach or as a frugal commuter to the train station. There is a certain freedom element to driving the Vespa, as long as you keep in mind that it is a limited-use vehicle and a fair-weather friend.

Keep an eye on the blog for additional posts on motorcycles and scooters, including full evaluations.

—Gabe Shenhar
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Post by Kaos »

There is a certain freedom element to driving the Vespa, as long as you keep in mind that it is a limited-use vehicle and a fair-weather friend.
Apparently they forgot to ask us here at ModernBuddy. It seems that a fair portion of us consider our scooters all-weather, all-use vehicles ;)
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Post by jmazza »

That's a pretty fair write up, I'd say (regarding scooters, specifically- I have no personal experience with the LX150).

Sure, many of us have our scooters as our only transportation and know that we can make them work in almost any situation, but where they shine is just what this reviewer said- urban commuting and shorter runs (talking of course of small frame scooters in the 125-150cc range).

The comment about riding in the rain seems true of ANY two-wheeled vehicle, motorcycle or scooter (and actually I just got to ride in the rain on my new Michelin S1 tires and the grip was about as good as on dry pavement!).

All in all, I think this little writeup did a good job of evaluating a scooter for what it is, not what it isn't. I hope the larger review in the mag does the same!
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Post by ellen »

n2tattoos wrote: the Vespa has become a fashion statement in my neck of the woods in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
That's it, I'm moving!

That article sounds very familiar, Wasn't that write up from this past summer?
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Post by chicagoscooterclub »

Lets hope they are not as out of touch with Scooters as they are with Smartphones. To me they know their stuff when it comes to dishwashers, toasters, and the like but OMG they suck when it comes to tech items. Sure the BlackJack II is an okay device but top 5 of the list for 2009? They missed so many other better choices.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/cell-phones/?p=375
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Post by lobsterman »

I also thought the remarks about the rain were more indicative of the author's opinion than anything else. OK, he gets stressed and fatigued riding in the rain. I don't. Plenty of people get stressed and fatigued riding in cars in the rain as well.

Other than that, fair enough I think.

What I would really like to see them do is a long-term review using a scooter as a primary or secondary vehicle as many of us do.
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Post by ericalm »

It's a good write up and fairly accurate though the writer seemed to have no scooter experience so no real basis for comparison other than a Triumph motorcycle. This is a somewhat generic review and would apply to a lot of different scooters. Given the popularity of scooters these days and many models available on the market, it would have made sense to provide information or reviews on several models.
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Post by ellen »

I knew it was familiar. Original blog posting from August with comments.
Vespa LX150 scooter – A fair-weather friend
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Post by n2tattoos »

ellen wrote:I knew it was familiar. Original blog posting from August with comments.
Vespa LX150 scooter – A fair-weather friend
sorry, still a n00b on the forums. :)

but hey! i just got my new Pamplona today! woo hoo!
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Post by rayk »

Welcome. Another Buddy on the San Diego streets. Woo-Hoo! :)

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Ride safe.
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Post by irishtim »

My March 09 print-edition came today.

Here's what I posted at www.scootcleveland.com :

http://www.scootcleveland.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=377
OH,PA,IN,WV,KY,TN,WI,MI,SC,ON,BDA
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Post by Kayla912 »

Hello All!
I hope to be a Buddy International (Pamplona) 50cc owner as soon as possible. However, I am in need of some kind of written evidence that the Buddy is the winner I know it is to show to my father, who is purchasing the scooter for my graduation present. I was hoping to get this in the CR, but as you all know, the Buddy was not even mentioned!

What I am wondering is if any of you know a creditable website or article that compares scooters, and shows the Buddy on top!

I have a dealer that can get me one for $2100 (which i hope is a good price) this week but I need to convince my father! ( he is looking into the Honda Ruckus, solely because it was listed on CR, which breaks my heart)!

So any help any of you can give me will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
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Re: Desperate Female

Post by ericalm »

Kayla912 wrote:Hello All!
I hope to be a Buddy International (Pamplona) 50cc owner as soon as possible. However, I am in need of some kind of written evidence that the Buddy is the winner I know it is to show to my father, who is purchasing the scooter for my graduation present. I was hoping to get this in the CR, but as you all know, the Buddy was not even mentioned!

What I am wondering is if any of you know a creditable website or article that compares scooters, and shows the Buddy on top!

I have a dealer that can get me one for $2100 (which i hope is a good price) this week but I need to convince my father! ( he is looking into the Honda Ruckus, solely because it was listed on CR, which breaks my heart)!

So any help any of you can give me will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Um, the winner in what way? There are all kinds of reviews out there, but most aren't any more telling than the existence of this forum!

But if he won't take our word for it, here's a good review in the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/traff ... 8606.story

I may have some more bookmarked; I'll look for them and post any I find.

[Edited to add…]
Just Gotta Scoot (blog) review:
http://www.justgottascoot.com/buddy.htm

Motor Scooters Guide Review:
http://www.motor-scooters-guide.com/gen ... ooter.html

Overall, 50cc scoots aren't often reviewed. But a lot of these will address issues of quality and so on shared by both the 125s/150s and 50s.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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Rob
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Location: Munster, IN (Chicago 'burb)

Re: Desperate Female

Post by Rob »

Kayla912 wrote:Hello All!
I hope to be a Buddy International (Pamplona) 50cc owner as soon as possible. However, I am in need of some kind of written evidence that the Buddy is the winner I know it is to show to my father, who is purchasing the scooter for my graduation present. I was hoping to get this in the CR, but as you all know, the Buddy was not even mentioned!

What I am wondering is if any of you know a creditable website or article that compares scooters, and shows the Buddy on top!

I have a dealer that can get me one for $2100 (which i hope is a good price) this week but I need to convince my father! ( he is looking into the Honda Ruckus, solely because it was listed on CR, which breaks my heart)!

So any help any of you can give me will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Before I went with the Genuine Buddy, I did a ton of research and was finally convinced that the Genuines were quality, very reliable machines. Besides coming across MB and some of the other websites that Eric has mentioned, I also read accounts of Alix Bryan's cross-country Buddy rides http://www.peacescooter.com/. I was impressed not only with her rides, but that also further reinforced, in my mind anyways, the reliability of the Genuine products.

If that doesn't help convince your dad, the 2 year warranty and 1 year (might be 2 now?) free roadside assistance should help ease his concerns.

As a side note to all, when I was looking up the PEACE site I noticed that Alix's father passed away a few days ago. I'm going back to her website to pass along my condolences.

Rob
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stickykitteh
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Location: Mpls / St. Paul, MN

Post by stickykitteh »

ericalm wrote:
jmazza wrote:I seem to remember hearing about this and that they basically didn't recommend scooters at all. I could be wrong but I really think it's somewhere in my "oh that's interesting" part of my brain. This part is shared by the "beer" part though, so all bets are off.
FWIW, I recently heard Click & Clack recommend someone in Mass. get rid of their car and get a scooter. They only drove when the weather was clear (took public transport the rest of the time).

I have that podcast hahhah, that caller was wierd....
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