Stiff Suspension

JNV · Post by **JNV** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:12 pm

I feel like the sespension on the Buddy is too stiff. Although it does ride very stable at 50mph, even in crosswinds. Anyone know if they can be adjusted, or do they start to loosen up after a while. My Buddy only has 100 mile on it so far.

xtravbx · Post by **xtravbx** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:37 pm

It'll soften up, but not a ton. You have to realize that the suspension needs to be adequate for many weights and builds of people. Plus carrying cargo. Too soft will bottom out constantly and damage components. Its easier to go too stiff to suit more needs. The only thing you can hope for is custom shocks and/or softer springs to come on the market.

vitaminC · Post by **vitaminC** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:05 pm

It has little wheels and only a few inches of suspension travel, so it will never give a smooth ride.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:41 pm

You've hit on what may be the only real Achille's heel of the Buddy. Neither the rear monoshock or the front forks are adjustable. While I certainly wouldn't expect a fully adjustable suspension on a scooter like the Buddy, it would be nice if the rear shock had adjustable preload. About all you can do is experiment with tire pressures. If you're small, like me, the shock can be a bit jarring on broken surfaces. If you're really big, you can wind up compressing the shock more than you'd think. It's another reason why riding two up is not always practical with the Buddy.

A really good adjustable replacement monoshock will set you back a small fortune. Rather than do that, I'd probably opt for an LX-150, with its standard adjustable preload.

iamryan2 · Post by **iamryan2** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 4:06 am

The best thing to do would be stand up a little bit while rolling through dips or speed bumps. You won't feel it nearly as much and you'll see that putting your weight on the floor of the scooter really lets the suspension work to its full potential.

ThisDude · Post by **ThisDude** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 4:20 am

I found that when I mounted my trunk box and put stuff in it it really helped smooth things out. Adding more rear weight seems to help, try doing that, get a trunk box and put like 5 or 10 pounds in it.

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:38 pm

iamryan2 wrote:The best thing to do would be stand up a little bit while rolling through dips or speed bumps. You won't feel it nearly as much and you'll see that putting your weight on the floor of the scooter really lets the suspension work to its full potential.

I totally agree with this.