Buddy 150 Italia

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Dieselman
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Buddy 150 Italia

Post by Dieselman »

Just wondering what the best known OTD purchase price has been for a new 09' Buddy 150 Italia :?:
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Pappy
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Re: Buddy 150 Italia

Post by Pappy »

Dieselman wrote:Just wondering what the best known OTD purchase price has been for a new 09' Buddy 150 Italia :?:
$3803.29 OTD here in San Diego. Includes Spring Fling stuff. Box, shield, bars...I am considering it.
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theralchico
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Post by theralchico »

I got mine for about $2900 out the door with a windshield and cover.
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Pappy
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Post by Pappy »

theralchico wrote:I got mine for about $2900 out the door with a windshield and cover.
Yeah me thinks my dealer is puttin the bite on my old self. The 8.75% State tax sucks here too. And $120.00 California DMV I see? Probably going to hold off on this little guy. Especially with all the fees they are tacking onto the original price.
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Post by Dieselman »

I ended up getting mine for $2400 OTD (no extras) on ebay from an authorized Harley Dealer, the only problem is their door is 900mi. from my door. I had contemplated having it shipped, however, after researching shipping cost I've decided to go pick it up in person. With the cost of fuel & one night lodging it will probably end up costing me $2,900 +/-. not to bad I suppose.
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Post by MYSCTR »

Sounds like a deal where someone does not want to ship it or just doesn't know how. We turned down a deal that was close to 800 miles one way, even considered flying in and driving it back yet the last purchase (brand new @ dealer) had shipping for $199 included as part of the deal with the chrome promo (this past winter) included.

If you start to consider your time (unless you really want a road trip) - you are really out of pocket a lot of money to get her home. I would ask if they can prep you in the box so to speak and ship it by truck - then pick it up at the truck lines off the dock. We were really surprised how light and compact the crate was ours came in. They usd the stretch wrap to secure everything within a crated framework of open slats.

Place called Athens Scooter Co DOT com
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ericalm
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Re: Buddy 150 Italia

Post by ericalm »

Pappy wrote:
Dieselman wrote:Just wondering what the best known OTD purchase price has been for a new 09' Buddy 150 Italia :?:
$3803.29 OTD here in San Diego. Includes Spring Fling stuff. Box, shield, bars...I am considering it.
This isn't unusual for a new Italia in CA. $3200 MSRP plus fees. Over the past year, a lot of the registration fees, taxes, etc. have gone up. You may want to call another area dealer to get a quote for comparison. Sometimes the closer dealer will match the price.

BUT… some dealers are offering are offering serious discounts on '09 models to clear floorspace. A few are selling under MSRP. That's very unusual but after last year's horrible sales, there are unprecedented deals on new scoots out there.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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Re: Buddy 150 Italia

Post by Lostmycage »

ericalm wrote:BUT… some dealers are offering are offering serious discounts on '09 models to clear floorspace. A few are selling under MSRP. That's very unusual but after last year's horrible sales, there are unprecedented deals on new scoots out there.
Yeah, I'll second that notion. It absolutely pays to shop around.
Check out :arrow: Scoot Richmond's new site: My awesome local shop.
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Post by bpatrick5 »

When we bought our 50 Italia, we also bought a 150 St. Tropez. The St. Tropez was 3,200 out the door and included chrome rear rack and trunk.
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Pappy
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Re: Buddy 150 Italia

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Lostmycage wrote:
ericalm wrote:BUT… some dealers are offering are offering serious discounts on '09 models to clear floorspace. A few are selling under MSRP. That's very unusual but after last year's horrible sales, there are unprecedented deals on new scoots out there.
Yeah, I'll second that notion. It absolutely pays to shop around.
Sad to admit but I gave them a chance and NOBODY will budge. Pricing it this high and marked up has led me to decide to buy the new Honda SH150i. Even more but with that comes a bike that will not hassle me on home maintenance, gives me a clear owners manual with a realistic maintenance schedule, EFI, 16" wheels, and water cooling for my hot San Diego Summers in the land of endless red lights. I always had a fear of anything Taiwan but this group is such a fantastic resource, I was willing to take a chance. Just not at the insane pricing I found. If insane it is, I have to go Honda. Oh, and the 1.9% finance with $200.00 cash back for the rear box helped push me over to Honda last night too. Nicer as the Honda may be to me, I am going to truly MISS the look of the Buddy I planned on picking up this Saturday....But with my dealer choking on inventory, offering me over $1K off on a 250 etc and never anyone at the store but me....I have long wondered how long they will be around. I guess you could say I am paying a premium for "insurance"? I want to KNOW a dealer & product will survive I guess. Getting old makes me chicken!
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ericalm
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Re: Buddy 150 Italia

Post by ericalm »

Pappy wrote:
Lostmycage wrote:
ericalm wrote:BUT… some dealers are offering are offering serious discounts on '09 models to clear floorspace. A few are selling under MSRP. That's very unusual but after last year's horrible sales, there are unprecedented deals on new scoots out there.
Yeah, I'll second that notion. It absolutely pays to shop around.
Sad to admit but I gave them a chance and NOBODY will budge. Pricing it this high and marked up has led me to decide to buy the new Honda SH150i. Even more but with that comes a bike that will not hassle me on home maintenance, gives me a clear owners manual with a realistic maintenance schedule, EFI, 16" wheels, and water cooling for my hot San Diego Summers in the land of endless red lights. I always had a fear of anything Taiwan but this group is such a fantastic resource, I was willing to take a chance. Just not at the insane pricing I found. If insane it is, I have to go Honda. Oh, and the 1.9% finance with $200.00 cash back for the rear box helped push me over to Honda last night too. Nicer as the Honda may be to me, I am going to truly MISS the look of the Buddy I planned on picking up this Saturday....But with my dealer choking on inventory, offering me over $1K off on a 250 etc and never anyone at the store but me....I have long wondered how long they will be around. I guess you could say I am paying a premium for "insurance"? I want to KNOW a dealer & product will survive I guess. Getting old makes me chicken!
Scooter dealers had a really rough year last year. There was a huge boom in '08—best year in three decades or so—followed by the worst year in quite a while. Unfortunately, this has meant that a lot of dealers have consolidated or gone under over the past year. Honda dealers are in a different situation; they rely on sales of much more expensive motorcycles and aren't choking on inventory because they keep their scooter stocks so low. During the boom in '08 Honda ran out of scooters to supply its dealers in July; none got restocked until late fall. (Almost all manufacturers ran out of stock eventually in '08 but Honda was the only one to decide not to bother resupplying until the next year's models came in.)

Still, a longtime scooter dealer like Motorsports in San Diego isn't going to go under at this point. Scooter sales are picking up and the industry is showing some signs of recovery.

As far as questions of reliability, a Buddy is as reliable a scooter as can be had. The old "common wisdom" was that the Italians and Japanese had a lock on quality and that the Taiwanese were a no too distant second. In recent years, there's been some leveling. Many of the Taiwanese models are now the equals of Japanese and European makes in this regard. Sadly, some of the quality from European and Japanese companies has diminished due to cost cutting and outsourcing.

The SH150 is a fine scooter, the most popular scooter line in the world. Hard to argue with that (though if price was your concern, the SH150 is the most expensive 150cc scooter on the market :)).

But, in a last ditch attempt to lure you to the Genuine family, may I present to you the 2010 Blur SS220i! Fuel injected, 220cc kick ass fun for a mere $3899 MSRP.

Well, I tried.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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Pappy
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Post by Pappy »

Funny! :D I am actually Buying from Motorsports (In Vista) as I worked for them years ago and if CAREFUL...I get a good deal still with them. The darn Buddy is just such a seductress! But those tiny wheels were so hyper. I am so used to such large motorcycles and scooters that the switching back & forth may get me into trouble with that? The Honda with 16 inch wheels will at least not be such a scary transition when jumping back & forth. When I got off the Buddy & back onto my wife's GT 200 Vespa, her bike felt like a Cadillac by comparison the the Buddy. I don't really even LIKE her Vespa and thought it was always scary. Well till I rode my much lusted after Buddy...

I agree completely with you on "quality" and am all too aware of the industry having come from it myself. And I really get the feeling my local Genuine/Kymco etc dealer is barely hanging on. I hope they make it as this Country (in MY opinion!) needs to start thinking right and get out of the gas guzzlers etc. Plus, scooters just make sense. Now my old Harley buds STILL have coronaries when I pull up on any of my scooters with my Crippled Old Biker Bastards Jacket (colors) on and ride with them. The fact my scooter is faster than their HOGS just upsets them further. But I will NOT be deterred into riding some 800 pound plus behemoth just to feed my ego. I got too old, too smart. My scooters, ALL of them are fun, offer better storage, more true economy and for 1/4 the insurance cost per year as well over my motorcycles. Don't even get me started about cars. I just sold my only car so will be a scooter only guy for the 1st time in my 61 years.
Hope I can lurk on here as a Buddy may STILL be in my future to add to my quiver as I watch & wait, ready to pounce on any good deal on ANY brand of scoot. I love em all, respect em all, always will. Unlike my Harley buddies, I have no bigotry to brand, size etc. I just ride whatever makes me smile!
Mike
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Lostmycage
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Post by Lostmycage »

Pappy wrote: Hope I can lurk on here as a Buddy may STILL be in my future to add to my quiver as I watch & wait, ready to pounce on any good deal on ANY brand of scoot. I love em all, respect em all, always will. Unlike my Harley buddies, I have no bigotry to brand, size etc. I just ride whatever makes me smile!
Mike
I don't know... we are kind of a "Buddy only" forum. I certainly wouldn't mention anything about being "open-minded" or "enjoying whatever bike I own". Those are like fighting words 'round these parts. Yep, probably best to either suck it up and buy the Buddy, or head to some other forum. Don't even get me started about buying a bike because of finding a good deal on it. That just makes me nauseous!

Love of riding, PFFFT! That's rich! :wink:
Check out :arrow: Scoot Richmond's new site: My awesome local shop.
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Post by ericalm »

Lostmycage wrote:
Pappy wrote: Hope I can lurk on here as a Buddy may STILL be in my future to add to my quiver as I watch & wait, ready to pounce on any good deal on ANY brand of scoot. I love em all, respect em all, always will. Unlike my Harley buddies, I have no bigotry to brand, size etc. I just ride whatever makes me smile!
Mike
I don't know... we are kind of a "Buddy only" forum. I certainly wouldn't mention anything about being "open-minded" or "enjoying whatever bike I own". Those are like fighting words 'round these parts. Yep, probably best to either suck it up and buy the Buddy, or head to some other forum. Don't even get me started about buying a bike because of finding a good deal on it. That just makes me nauseous!

Love of riding, PFFFT! That's rich! :wink:
I truly need to get to work on figuring out how to add a sarcasm tag.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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Lostmycage
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Post by Lostmycage »

ericalm wrote: I truly need to get to work on figuring out how to add a sarcasm tag.
Might be a good idea. I tend to lay it on pretty thick. :roll: (that smiley seems like it could help...)
Check out :arrow: Scoot Richmond's new site: My awesome local shop.
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Post by Reesh »

$3199 out the door, but I'll have to pay the sales tax when I get it registered which will be on the order of $250

Sales tax...

Image
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Pappy
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Post by Pappy »

Reesh wrote:$3199 out the door, but I'll have to pay the sales tax when I get it registered which will be on the order of $250

Sales tax...

Image
I just don't understand why so many consider "OTD" as any price EXCEPT "OTD? Anyway, if my dealer had even come within $700.00 of that, I would own my much wanted Little Buddy 150 instead of the much loves Honda SH150 I have now ridden for 7 of the past 7 days...
red face MY definition of life? A SEXUALLY transmitted incurable disease… red face

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Reesh
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Post by Reesh »

My dealer proudly stated that they do not charge for any set up, shipping or 'fees'. I won't be able to finance that $250 but I was really pleasantly surprised by the price I paid for it after reading some of the prices here. Must simply vary state to state?

I'm sorry you didn't get your dream buddy, Pappy!
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Pappy
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Post by Pappy »

Reesh wrote:My dealer proudly stated that they do not charge for any set up, shipping or 'fees'. I won't be able to finance that $250 but I was really pleasantly surprised by the price I paid for it after reading some of the prices here. Must simply vary state to state?

I'm sorry you didn't get your dream buddy, Pappy!
Yep, and with our screwed up California tax now hovering near 10%...well it just sucks. I envy your deal! I would never have walked away. And my dealer had 9 of them they were choking on and wouldn't budge. On the bright side? If they survive, it will be good for everyone in my town so no hard feelings towards them. I just can't imagine any dealer holding at full MSRP AND charging all the other silly "fees" for set up and on & on, surviving even in a great economy with gas at $5.00+ per gallon. I simply won't pay it. But I did pay, and a lot more. But what I got in return is a "safe" bet with an owners manual I can understand in GOOD English, in SAE not metric "code", and the most amazing step by step Service guide I have ever seen. My Silverwing 600 & Burgman 650 Service Guides are just a nightmare for me. The SH150? I can easily do every single thing IO will ever need to do. Truly idiot proof. But again, boy did I pay a price!
I like the Buddy 150 so much, I will probably still pounce on a new one when I see the dealer fold? Time will tell. I much prefer my Honda 150 for handling. But the Buddy? IT has STYLE! It's just a charmer.....
red face MY definition of life? A SEXUALLY transmitted incurable disease… red face

-I ride my motorcycle WAAAY to fast to worry about cholesterol
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Post by bpatrick5 »

Pappy wrote:
Reesh wrote: But what I got in return is a "safe" bet with an owners manual I can understand in GOOD English, in SAE not metric "code", and the most amazing step by step Service guide I have ever seen. My Silverwing 600 & Burgman 650 Service Guides are just a nightmare for me. The SH150? I can easily do every single thing IO will ever need to do. Truly idiot proof. But again, boy did I pay a price!
I'm not sure what you are looking for in terms of a manual? A Chiltons? Water is well under and beyond the bridge, but what could a more detailed manual on any motor vehicle tell you that you cannot find with a few minutes on Google? The Buddy manual is very basic (reminds me of Ikea), and yet I've found every answer to every question by Googling it. Plus, the Buddy has a 2 year warranty along with 2 years of roadside assistance. Seems safe to me, assuming you get value out of the scoot in the first two years. My assumption, when buying Buddy's based on user reviews, was that I'd at least get depreciation worth of fuel savings and fun in the first two year, meaning I could sell it as a 2 year old and feel I walked away at least even. If, after 2 years, I still feel great about it, I keep it for however long. Either way, I win.

I think this is a very good thread for people considering a Buddy purchase to read. Different purchase drivers.

Good luck!
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Post by DutchIV »

[quote="

If you start to consider your time (unless you really want a road trip) - you are really out of pocket a lot of money to get her home. I would ask if they can prep you in the box so to speak and ship it by truck - then pick it up at the truck lines off the dock. We were really surprised how light and compact the crate was ours came in. They used the stretch wrap to secure everything within a crated framework of open slats.

Place called Athens Scooter Co DOT com[/quote]

Glad to see the kudos to The Athens Scooter Company. They are my local shop. Good guys !
'07 Vespa GTV - Damfino
'06 Vespa LX 150
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Thadsgood
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Post by Thadsgood »

ok, a 'fair price' is whatever you can charge and get for it. I know my dealer personally. The profit margin on each scooter is only a couple hundred dollars. If they budge, they lose. Money is made more on the accessories (profit margin-wise). The "silly fees" that my dealer charges are prep (which entails more than putting the key in...see dealer setup video), Shipping/freight (which the dealer is charged), and of course taxes (which the dealer has nothing to do with). I know not of your dealer, but mine bends over backwards to give a potential customer as good a deal as possible. I love my buddy, I got a 'deal' though I'd have paid the full price because of the word of mouth (mostly from this website). Good luck with the Honda, hope you can brag the same way in a few years on the modernhonda website.
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Reesh
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Post by Reesh »

Well it seems like some of what I was seeing was MAJOR, MAJOR mark ups.

I understand that the set up can cost in labor but that's also a decision that a dealer makes. I don't think it's bad to charge for these things that they feel the buyer should cover, but frankly, I'm really happy that my dealer offers the set up and shipping as a service to the customer rather than something extra that they ought to pay for. They haven't been open for very long, but perhaps their high customer volume enables them is enabling them to do this so far.
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Post by Stormswift »

I got my Dobby from Athens scooter co. Took a while for them to ship it but it got to me just fine It was all set up and ready to rolll. I have Itllia 150 2009.
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phuocsandiego
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Post by phuocsandiego »

Forget new. Buy recent models pre-owned. I was able to pick up a 2009 Buddy Italia in excellent condition with 3,000 miles on it for $2,000. I can't tell the difference between mine and a brand new 2009 from the shop.

$18 for the registration fee (and sales tax... but buying used has other advantages here as well :wink: ).

So in all, about $2030 for my scooter and I let someone else take that depreciation.
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