Buddy Evolution

[az_slynch]

In some ways, the Buddy reminds me of a VW Beetle. To the casual observer, it never seems to change.

One of the most well known changes is the headlight. The inaugural year had a smaller headlamp, which was replaced with a larger one in 2007.

I recently noticed another change while working on my Pamplona project: the rear turn signal housings.

According to the Genuine parts books, the new housings were for 2011. It's subtle, but much more obvious when placed side by side. Here are a few pictures to compare the old and new housing:

The '03-'10 housing.

The '11-Present housing.

Side by side.

The cool bit is that the hole in the rear panel and the mounting points haven't changed, so they interchangeable for all current Buddy models.

What subtle changes have you noticed about the Buddy?

[DeeDee]

I compare it to the Stratocaster. Got it right from the get-go, so why make changes?

[sc00ter]

Wheel change from steel 2-piece rear and steel front with a bolt on rotor to aluminum 1-piece front and rear was a major one to me.

Horn from LOUD to loud on the current models.

I can't believe you noticed the change to the turn signal pods. What made you notice that?

Other than my 2 obvious findings I have yet to notice anything else. I didn't notice any "extras" either like added emissions (I have a 125cc/non-EFI) compared to my old Buddy scooters.

Things I would like changed? A better rear rack and/or mounting points.

Fold-out passenger pegs like the ones a member was making and selling. I might try my hand at making some just for fun. I have access to a full machine shop if needed. I think the Kick has fold out pegs.

Bring back the fun limited edition models like the Psycho and the Lemon Head, and all the others I'm forgetting. I know Phil was behind a lot of those crazy models.

Stupid stuff:

Anyone want ABS on the front brake? Me personally, no. I also like the rear drum brake, makes servicing easier. Plus drum brakes are super simple and reliable.

I like the 10" wheels but hear people say "It needs bigger wheels, like 12"'s.".

Another thing people comment on, no LED headlight. I don't have a issue with the headlight that's on there now.

[az_slynch]

Wheel change from steel 2-piece rear and steel front with a bolt on rotor to aluminum 1-piece front and rear was a major one to me.

Horn from LOUD to loud on the current models.

I can't believe you noticed the change to the turn signal pods. What made you notice that?

The alloy wheels do look nice! I wonder when they changed over and if they're lighter or heavier than the steelies. I know the old steelies were lighter on the early Honda Helix than the alloy wheels were.

I may be off base here, but I though that only the big Internationals and the special models got the LOUD horn. The wiring harness is different, with a battery feed direct to the horn relay and a special relay socket built into the harness. On those harnesses, the power sent through the horn button only operates the relay, momentarily directly connecting the horn to the battery.

Both of my Internationals had horn issues. The St. Tropez had a fried relay, followed by the housing popping apart at the stamped body tabs. The Pamplona one "works" but sounds like a drunken goose. Might be trash in the sound guide or a bad seal. In both cases, the "139dB" Stebel is getting replaced by a "123.5 dB" Wolo Bad Boy horn. It's still plenty loud and is still louder than the "115dB limit" for passenger vehicles. After reading a recent article about a driver who was sued for causing hearing damage to a guy he blasted with his big horn, I figured I'd play it a bit safer.

As for the rear signals, I had a tipoff because panels for the Pamplona came from a 2013 model and I'm rebuilding a 2008 model. I noticed it when I had the panels side-by-side to see how sun damaged the original color was.

Other than my 2 obvious findings I have yet to notice anything else. I didn't notice any "extras" either like added emissions (I have a 125cc/non-EFI) compared to my old Buddy scooters.

Things I would like changed? A better rear rack and/or mounting points.

Fold-out passenger pegs like the ones a member was making and selling. I might try my hand at making some just for fun. I have access to a full machine shop if needed. I think the Kick has fold out pegs.

Bring back the fun limited edition models like the Psycho and the Lemon Head, and all the others I'm forgetting. I know Phil was behind a lot of those crazy models.

Stupid stuff:

Anyone want ABS on the front brake? Me personally, no. I also like the rear drum brake, makes servicing easier. Plus drum brakes are super simple and reliable.

I like the 10" wheels but hear people say "It needs bigger wheels, like 12"'s.".

Another thing people comment on, no LED headlight. I don't have a issue with the headlight that's on there now.

The limited edition models were a fun touch. I have a set of Blackjack rims in the garage (were in there for years, never thought I'd have a use for them, though). I feel like Genuine has lost a fair bit of the "fun factor" that kept people coming back. I looked at the lineup last year, and the only thing that got my attention was the Rattler 200i in Red...sharp!

Single channel ABS might work, but I think it would only manifest if regulations required it and sales volumes were great enough to justify the engineering spend. It'd make more sense to replace it with a model that had dual discs by design than to retrofit on something that the tooling for is more than paid off.

Keep the 10"s. I think going to 12"s would dampen the flicky handling that makes the Buddy fun. While it's fussier at higher speeds, the low speed handling more than makes up for it.

LED is a styling thing now. Swap the bulb for a LED version, or get a decent HS-1 bulb like a PIAA Plasma GT-X. Maybe the latest offerings offer better beam focusing. The other thing would be to switch the scoot from AC to DC lighting, which circles back to making engineering changes to a paid-for design.

[az_slynch]

The "windshield" changed over time. Newer panels don't have a pre-perforated hole for mounting a front rack.

New on left, old on right. Don't know the cutover year yet.

I also noticed while working on a friend's 170i that the 12V lighter plug was swapped for a 5V 1A USB-A socket.

[sc00ter]

Good catch for the rack hole mounting points! I always liked the idea of a front folding rack for the Buddy but could never bring myself to buying one and installing it, because to me it ruins the look of the front of the Buddy. I'd also hear about it constantly from a coworker who owned a Buddy who feels the same way. I know that sounds dumb considering I actually use my Buddy for all sorts of weird hauling but I just use the awesome flat floor for overflow items.

[tenders]

I don't like front carrying hardware either. The PO of my scoot installed a Prima wire basket, which is a chintzy accessory to begin with, and did a poor job drilling the holes in the (perforated) windscreen to mount it. I ended up removing the basket and embiggening the windscreen butchery just a little with a Forstner bit so I could cleanly fit black rubber plugs into the holes. Into those plugs I placed whimsical NASA and Space Force pins, apropos of nothing in my lifestyle. These lasted about five years before corroding/rusting to the point of unattractiveness. I replaced the rustier of the two with a Star Trek uniform pin that looked better online than it does on my scooter - its asymmetry doesn't look right on the plug. So, back to the drawing board.

My point here, I guess: the previous owner did a terrible job cutting for the mounting even WITH the perforation. How do people get those holes properly placed on the newer scooters without the indicative perforations?

[az_slynch]

My point here, I guess: the previous owner did a terrible job cutting for the mounting even WITH the perforation. How do people get those holes properly placed on the newer scooters without the indicative perforations?

There are locating marks on the back of the newer shield. I'd carefully select a hole saw or a step drill and maybe drill a small pilot hole through from the backside. I'd also put some painter's tape over the paint to keep the drill from chipping it.

Luggage rack hole locating marks.

Used that technique to put a top case mount on a Forza for a clubmate and it came out very tidy.

[az_slynch]

I was troubleshooting an '09 St. Tropez with a "no spark, no start" condition, and came across this post, where Stanza pointed out a variance in the ignition switches.

I had already looked at the coils provided with the scoot (the original one with dead primary windings and one Amazon coil that had been wired backwards...remember kids, on Hondas and Honda clone parts, the green tab is ground) and checked the coils with a meter. The Amazon coil primary had resistance below spec, so I replaced the ignition coil with a new stock unit. Unmarked Chinese CDI was a red herring. All the wiring checked out. Checked the stator and it was in spec, though the pulser coil ohm'ed out on the low, low end of acceptable. Bit the bullet and bought an NCY stator, which didn't resolve the issue.

The kill switch had tested good, but I tried the known good one off my Pamplona with no change observed.

This morning, I resolved to inspect the whole harness. When I pulled back the boot over the ignition switch connector, the orange and red/white wires matched, but the two wires for the CDI ground didn't.

Tested the switch with for continuity, and found my problem. Switch was fine, but unsuitable for this scoot.

There is an electrical difference in the Buddy kill switch.

For the '03-'12 Buddy, when the ignition switch is in the On position, the orange and red/white wire pair is connected, providing 12V battery power and the blue/black and black pair is disconnected, leaving the CDI ungrounded.

For the '13-On Buddy, when the ignition switch is in the On position, the orange and red/white wire pair is connected, providing 12V battery power and the blue/white and yellow pair is connected, leaving the CDI grounded.

If you use a '13-On ignition switch on an '03-'12 Buddy, you will have a "no spark" situation. I believe the reverse is true if you put an early ignition switch in a late Buddy.


At any rate, I un-pinned the blue/white wire from the switch to un-ground the CDI and it sparked. Then, I cleaned the fuel system and assembled the carb correctly (atomizer was installed upside down and sitting in the venturi). Now it starts and runs, so I can address all the neglected tune up items.

Wrong way, Corrigan

Key takeaways: pay attention to the parts books for notes delineating changes. The exploded diagrams help to assemble stuff correctly too.