Modern Buddy

My large helmets don't fit into that area and I would not have stored
a helmet in there anyway. Such a waste of a HUGE space, to put a helmet
in the compartment.

Here is what I put in there.

Note: Most everything is put into individual Ziploc bags, for protection and
because it's easier to find things that way.

1. Two nylon/plastic jackets. These are rolled and folded into little
packs, a little larger than an approximately 6" x 6" x 2" square. The
jackets are water and wind proof. These are for emergency use when
caught in the cold or rain. I have used them from time to time.

E.g., when traveling home last night it got super cold [wind chill] on the
ride home. I had an Icon Motorhead jacket but I had taken out the
insulating liner and left it at home [because the ride down the Bay Area
was warm, just right for an Icon jacket without the liner. Yes, I should
have packed the liner into the scoot's storage].

Anyway, on the way home I stopped the scoot, put a windbreaker on,
then the Icon jacket over that, I was then warmer.

You can get some great jackets at thrift stores. One score was a $300
"Musto" sailing windbreaker/jacket I bought for $3.50, brand new, never
worn. Another was an "EBTEK" and a "Speedo." All for less than $5 each.

Get jackets that can fold up into a little wad or tube.

2. Two pairs insulated gloves, light but super insulating. Again, thrift
stores = great source for these [ski gloves of all sorts. Get ones that are
light and compact, NOT those big suckers].

3. Five bungee cords different lengths and two bungee cord nets.

4. LED flashlight [super bright, works with one AA battery].

5. Pliers/wire cutter combo tool; strong bailing wire; screwdriver with 5
bits; Smith & Wesson SWAT knife [only because I have four of those, any
folding knife will do].

6. Five high protein, high sugar content nutrition bars. The kind that will
keep for years if you forget to eat them from time to time. These are
great if you suffer hypoglycemic symptoms, get faint from not eating and
you need to eat something in a hurry to recover. [I also keep these
in my backpack when I am on the road bike. I am always eating those
as I have "attacks" many times if I did not eat right before the ride].

7. Two terry towels. These are for drying off the scoot when it gets
wet, e.g., after sitting in the fog or rain. I have 3 one-gallon freezer
bags to store the wet towels into, for transport home after use.

8. Five hand wipe packs, for cleaning my hands if I get gas on them or
"working" on the scoot while on the road. While this may sound anal,
nothing is worse than being on your way to somewhere "nice" and
having gas odor on your hands. Also, who wants to put on gloves
when one's hands smell like Buddy fuel.

9. About 10 of those blue paper towels from the gas station. To wipe
my hands or the scoot, maybe after a gas spill while filling up. Note:
I keep two towels folded up and placed right next to the gas filler cap.
Those are handy to use during a fill up. If I soil them, I replace the
used ones with additional ones from the station.

10. Buried at the bottom, a small coin purse with about $5 in change and
$15 in currency. I don't touch that money unless it's an emergency and
I do not have access elsewhere. If you are tempted to always tap it, then
keep less currency and more coins.

I'll take a pic of everything loaded in the compartment and also the
individual items, so you can see what I am talking about.

wow... i just have a dinky pocket knife, nylon string and extra gloves (rabbit angora, not even riding gloves) Now i feel like i should get better prepared....

Remind me when I visit Barry at SF scoot sometime in the next 6 months to look around town for your scoot It'll help with the bridge toll getting back to Sacto!

Thanks for the tips. Some of them are anal but as a "new" rider I wouldn't have thought of carrying half of that list. Maybe the flashlight, tools...possibly a towel of some sort.

I have:
The liner to my jacket (because it is warm now),
a bandana,
a flashlight,
my Insurance,
whatever I pick up when out and about.

Tbone wrote:Remind me when I visit Barry at SF scoot sometime in the next 6 months to look around town for your scoot It'll help with the bridge toll getting back to Sacto!

Thanks for the tips. Some of them are anal but as a "new" rider I wouldn't have thought of carrying half of that list. Maybe the flashlight, tools...possibly a towel of some sort.

Fact is, I have used everything on my list at one time or another.

If anyone thinks my list is excessive, I won't "confess" what I carry in my
SUV.

Where indicated, two of some items is so I can accommodate the passenger.
Nothing puts the fire out on a romantic, late-night scooter ride than
my passenger saying her hands or "Grand Tetons" are freezing.

E.g., last Saturday night we had to run on the scoot over to my place to
get some video cords [so I could hook up her new DVD player]. It
was a cold SF night. I asked if she was OK and she said her hands were
cold. So out came the extra gloves to save the day [technically "the
night"].

SF,

I'm impressed, you are well prepared.

All I have in mine is my disc lock and a baseball cap, but then I keep the helmet in there while I park it during working hours. What do you do with your helmet when you park?

I do store other items as you describe on a irregular basis. In the colder months I kept glove liners, whatever pair of gloves I wasn't wearing in case it got warmer/colder, the liner from my riding jacket, a sweatshirt, etc.

I really should prepare a kit with some useful items as you have done and keep it stocked. I doubt if it will ever be as comprehensive as yours though.

lobsterman wrote:SF,

What do you do with your helmet when you park?

If in a safe area, I use the Buddy's helmet lock. If in a very public area
with lots of passers-by, I carry my helmet.

But like I said, my large size helmet does NOT fit in the compartment, so
even if it did fit, I would still use the compartment for storage of items.

When you think about it, most items on my list are necessary. And in
fact, most people carry some or all of that stuff in their cars, at least they
should, especially when traveling through snow country [recall the Kim
family tragedy in Oregon].

...I also recommend (having been in the position of having to use them) a motorcycle specific tubeless-tire fix-it kit and a CO2 inflator device. Saved my butt when I picked up a nail... They are small and light-weight and low cost at WalMart in the motorcycles sction of the auto-parts area.

--Keys

Insurance, registration, and roadside assistance number.

I'm sad that my new helmet doesn't fit

My size medium Arai fits in the trunk, but I also keep two helmet lock extenders tucked in with the tool kit:

wow, ive got a coffee cup lid, an envlope and a for sale paper for a 1.2 million dollar house.

i guess i need to get to building an emergency kit.

Dinner usually goes in the trunk

thepickupbear wrote:Dinner usually goes in the trunk

My dinner often makes an appearance under my ass. And how rad is it (yes I said rad) that it keeps my food warm.

vitaminC wrote:Insurance, registration, and roadside assistance number.

Almost forgot: I also carry a pen. Never know when you're going to get a number! Actually, I do know when I'll get one (never ) However, it's handy for keeping track of mileage...

A whole foods store just openned and the ride there is gorgeous (small, well maintained twisties).

I don't allow myself to take the car. I can barely afford to load the trunk of the buddy.

louie wrote:A whole foods store just openned and the ride there is gorgeous (small, well maintained twisties).

I don't allow myself to take the car. I can barely afford to load the trunk of the buddy.

we had a whole paycheck open up in cleveland recently, too! the ride there is the antithesis of gorgeous (congested road, under construction), but i like your idea of not taking the car

back on topic - i'm able to fit my helmet in the seat compartment, but not much else. does anyone have the top box (see pic)? what do you think of it? if i have to put together a kit to rival SF's, i need more room!

mandelia wrote:

louie wrote:A whole foods store just openned and the ride there is gorgeous (small, well maintained twisties).

I don't allow myself to take the car. I can barely afford to load the trunk of the buddy.

we had a whole paycheck open up in cleveland recently, too! the ride there is the antithesis of gorgeous (congested road, under construction), but i like your idea of not taking the car

back on topic - i'm able to fit my helmet in the seat compartment, but not much else. does anyone have the top box (see pic)? what do you think of it? if i have to put together a kit to rival SF's, i need more room!

If you search around the forum, you can find that people (including me) are generally not too happy with the Top Box from Genuine...

sparty wrote:If you search around the forum, you can find that people (including me) are generally not too happy with the Top Box from Genuine...

thanks for the heads up!

I have the Givi micro topcase. My husband installed the taillight modification so my topcase also lights up when I brake. Great product, available at most motorcycle and scooter dealers and on the internet. Just don't go crazy and get a ginormous topcase, as you will upset the geometry of the bike.

P.S. It holds a fullface modular helmet!

Ditto the roadside assistance #, the pliers, and the rain gear
Also a bank or credit card in the event of more expensive emergencies.

All that stuff, and no first aid kit?

Buy a quality first aid kit to put in there. You may need it for yourself one day. (sounds grim, but it's true)

A Six-pack, chaps and leather gloves. :p

I carry my cellphone. Best thing in any emergency

mandelia wrote:

louie wrote:A whole foods store just openned and the ride there is gorgeous (small, well maintained twisties).

I don't allow myself to take the car. I can barely afford to load the trunk of the buddy.

we had a whole paycheck open up in cleveland recently, too! the ride there is the antithesis of gorgeous (congested road, under construction), but i like your idea of not taking the car

!

Whole foods is on the antithesis of the gorgeous ride. It's our most notorious rode, I go the back way.

I think it was Keys who mentioned carrying tire repair stuff, so I went and got a tubeless tire plug kit - it's small and cheap, and fits nicely under seat - and I also bought a mini or compact bicycle pump ($10-12)that I've bungeed to the underside of my rear rack, nicely out of the way, in case I need to fill up a repaired tire. I tested it on the tire, and it works fine.

healingpath wrote:I think it was Keys who mentioned carrying tire repair stuff, so I went and got a tubeless tire plug kit - it's small and cheap, and fits nicely under seat - and I also bought a mini or compact bicycle pump ($10-12)that I've bungeed to the underside of my rear rack, nicely out of the way, in case I need to fill up a repaired tire. I tested it on the tire, and it works fine.

You can also get (and some kits contain) compressed CO2 cartridges that have threads at one end—screw them into the tire and they inflate it for you! They're small, light and require less effort than pumping.

Pump is good, though, for adding air to a good tire in a pinch!

Is this something you'd get at a bike shop? Thanks.

healingpath wrote:Is this something you'd get at a bike shop? Thanks.

Possibly... You can find them online, too. There are some here:
http://cyclepath.com/itemlist.cfm?category=84

Thanks for the website link. An interesting idea. I'll keep this in mind for the future.

HealingPath, you can get them inexpensively at WalMart. That's what I was talking about when I posted about the inflation kit. There is a pack of 3 cartridges and the tool required to transfer the CO2 from the cylinder to the tire. I think it's less'n twenty bucks.

--Keys

hey sanfrancisco....glad i am not the only one who has lots of stuff. i carry paper towels, bungees and bungee net, swiss army knife, my motorcycle license, business cards, extra gloves, liner for my mesh jacket, insurance card, some cash, a tiny keyring flashlight, a sharpie, and all the receipts for gas purchases with date and mileage recorded on them. i just realized this list makes me sound anal, but i am really not! even with all that stuff my helmet can still fit under the seat if i put my gloves and jacket liner inside it.

Keys wrote:HealingPath, you can get them inexpensively at WalMart. That's what I was talking about when I posted about the inflation kit. There is a pack of 3 cartridges and the tool required to transfer the CO2 from the cylinder to the tire. I think it's less'n twenty bucks.

--Keys

OK, thanks Keys. I looked at Walmart and didn't find these, but that's where I got the plug kit. I'll check again next time I'm there. Meantime I have that neat little hand pump for an emergency.

I was in wal-mart yesterday getting parts for the kid's bike. The tire inflating tools keys was talking about were in the bike section.

Hmmm...under the seat goes my helmet and gloves. In the topcase I have my cable lock, a first aid kit, an empty medium-sized stuff bag, my Frog Togs, and a Fossil box with lotion, alcohol gel, duct tape, a swiss knife, about $5 and my insurance card. In the glove box I have another Fossil box for my sunglasses and an insulated drink container.

Whew! That's alot of crap, eh? Oh!! I need a flashlight That's what I forgot!!!!

Add a cheap camera. It's helpful if you get in an accident and you need photo evidence for insurance reasons. In the world of cagers vs. us, I feel that we often don't get the benefit of the doubt when reporting damage.

I don't have an actual list of what is in there, but it seems to fill up fast! I just bought a set of saddlebags from Tractor Supply. They are made of a heavy fabric (maybe codura?) and best of all are insulated. Picked up a six pack on the way home and was very happy to find that they worked! Nothing better than a cold beer to wipe down my Buddy.

Rhody, Could ya post apic of the Buddy and new saddlebags?
I'm curious about the Tractor Supply ones. Almost ordered them online.

wow, you guys fill up the compartment pretty well! i basically just have a whole bunch of paper towels and a chain lock....you might never know when u need extra space for when you go grocery shopping

When I go to the gym I put my helmet in the trunk (Hawk full face size Lrg) it barely fits. It will not fit in the lockers at the gym. (too wide)

Other times I have a wrech, ZIP TIES (woohoo saved my ass on more than one occasion now) my warm gloves, sometimes I shove my warm jacket in there too. It is always warm when I go to work and freezing when I leave work! I work nights.

I have a makeup bag/pouch that I keep my insurance, registration, license and cell phone in. And a 20oz. btl. H20. These items go in my glove box (if thats what it's called)

BANDAIDS... there will be blood (sooner or later)

funny this post should re-appear. i actually ventured out tonight to find items to go in my buddy emergency pack.

two things i got that many might not need or think of were: A) travel size bottle of sport sunscreen and B) a small tube of mosquito spray i found in the camping section (because last year i never thought about taking bug spray with me on a ride, but ended up enjoying those pesky critter bites for days).

Hey Sailortot! You're in Owasso? I know one other person on the forum from Owasso and there are a couple of us in Tulsa. Good to know there are plenty of good scootin' folks in the area! I don't suppose you are a member of the HOS?

Bug spray is a good thing, no doubt. But I like to keep my storage area relatively clear in case I need to put my jacket in there when I'm out. I don't care to wear the armored overcoat in stores, etc.... If I can get my Prima bag put back on, I may put together some items to store in the Buddy. Until then, I'm sticking to a washcloth or two, extra gloves, my lock and the owner's manual--although why I want to keep that around, I'm not sure!

two things I've found that fit well under my bootay:

1) six pack
2) a small, illegally bartered baby

pugbuddy wrote:Hey Sailortot! You're in Owasso? I know one other person on the forum from Owasso and there are a couple of us in Tulsa. Good to know there are plenty of good scootin' folks in the area! I don't suppose you are a member of the HOS?

hey there. there are a few of us, but there should be more. not a member yet...possibly soon. are you going to quadrophenia? im trying to get off work for that saturday, but i dont know if i can swing it.

Am I the only one who strapped a milk crate to the back rack? I did to my Kymco, but don't have the heart to do that the the Pamplona. My wife thinks it's white trash

I have every intention of strapping a milk crate to my Pamplona.
A&E thank you.

charltons wrote:Am I the only one who strapped a milk crate to the back rack? I did to my Kymco, but don't have the heart to do that the the Pamplona. My wife thinks it's white trash

I'm going to get blown off this forum yet. The following comment might just be my key to oblivion.

You ride a damn scooter, now you are worried about what people think.

kazoo wrote: You ride a damn scooter, now you are worried about what people think.

careful Kazoo... I'm gonna have to quote that one too!!

I often think the same thing- about the things we all talk about here and the things I think in my brain.

kazoo wrote:

charltons wrote:Am I the only one who strapped a milk crate to the back rack? I did to my Kymco, but don't have the heart to do that the the Pamplona. My wife thinks it's white trash

I'm going to get blown off this forum yet. The following comment might just be my key to oblivion.

You ride a damn scooter, now you are worried about what people think.

LOL Well, I failed to mention- I zip- tied some Burger King Star Wars Big headed figures (Yoda and Obi-Wan, and a Jedi star fighter) to the crate, and my wife is making a custom star wars seat cover. Good point!

Piedmont is my kind of guy- strap that milk crate to the Buddy!

That's why I like scooters better than motorcycles- the MC riders seem to be all about image sometimes.