Modern Buddy

Swapping a buddy 125 engine with a kit, 161cc into a Honda Metro. Got the Buddy for $400 with front end frame damage but the engine only has 500 miles on it. Swapping the engine, front brakes, tach and harness into the Met. Picked up the Met from a salvage yard for $500. Just got some part in today. Waiting on the engine mount and new front fork setup.

Organ donor

The Met

Met frame, new paint


PGO GY6 161cc


New tank, gas cap, and ignition

F---ing sweet, looking forward to hearing how it comes along and if it works

Very cool! So are you going to be reusing the Metro plastics or will it be a nude affair?

While you're digging around in there, can you offer up any insight into the centerstand lock that the Metro has under it's seat? I've been curious about that one for a while.

I can't wait to read about how a Metro with teeth handles.

Coffeejunkie wrote:I can't wait to read about how a Metro with teeth handles.

They can be pretty sweet. I've seen a GY6 Met here in Portland before. They look like fun little rides.... I always thought if I was gonna go that route I'd mod a Met before a Ruck.

Lostmycage wrote:Very cool! So are you going to be reusing the Metro plastics or will it be a nude affair?

While you're digging around in there, can you offer up any insight into the centerstand lock that the Metro has under it's seat? I've been curious about that one for a while.

using all the metro plastics. Going to look pretty stock. I'm think black out wheels and a light gray paint. Sleeper look. No center stand. I picked a kickstand for $5 on ebay. Looked like dogshiet but I cleaned it up nicely.

Just about done. Added the rear lights and front directions last night. Just got a few small thinks left to do.

crackerman wrote:Just about done. Added the rear lights and front directions last night. Just got a few small thinks left to do.

Starting to look good

I'm kinda digging all the motor swap threads here lately.

NICE! that thing must be doing wheelies! do you have the big valve head on there as well?

thats looks awesome! I've actually been talking to my wife about picking up a used vino 125. She has a Ruckus that she really digs but would eventually like something with more get up and go (or at least thats what I keep telling her ). She liked the look of the metro/vino scooters and they're super short like her

Sweet! Looking good:) what are those wheels off of?

jasondavis48108 wrote:thats looks awesome! I've actually been talking to my wife about picking up a used vino 125. She has a Ruckus that she really digs but would eventually like something with more get up and go (or at least thats what I keep telling her ). She liked the look of the metro/vino scooters and they're super short like her

tell her to put a buddy 161 engine into it like mine

also the front wheel is the ncy disc brake setup kit for the ruckus

I've had a hard time convincing her to modify the Ruckus. I think I finally have her talked into the ncy front end for safetys sake but I don't think I could ever talk her into an engine swap

gearhead wrote:NICE! that thing must be doing wheelies! do you have the big valve head on there as well?

No just the piston setup. Where did you get the big valve head setup from? It's a strange setup compared to my Ruck. So much shorter. Need to work out some kinks with it. Gotta check the timing again and values.

i got the 58.5mm big valve head off scooterworks. its suppose to be the setup for that cylinder kit.

Mr Miller wrote:Sweet! Looking good:) what are those wheels off of?

Front wheel is a Honda Dio wheel, which is narrower than the one typically used on the Ruckus kits. This wheel would work on a Buddy 150cc and I'd guess a 50cc as well. Rear wheel is the stock Buddy rear wheel just painted black.

are you using the stock metro triple tree right? isn't a little narrower than the ruckus tree? so the front wheel setup called for the dio wheel since it's a little narrower?

gearhead wrote:are you using the stock metro triple tree right? isn't a little narrower than the ruckus tree? so the front wheel setup called for the dio wheel since it's a little narrower?

Yea exactly the met tree is narrower then the ruck. So you need a narrow wheel, I think the width is 2.5 and a Ruck is 3.00.

gearhead wrote:i got the 58.5mm big valve head off scooterworks. its suppose to be the setup for that cylinder kit.

Ok I found that big value head. What are you running for a carb and manifold on your setup? Running the stock?

yup running the stock

Found this thread on google.. all I can say is I'm massively jealous and would pay a lot of money for this..

Hey gearhead, you're local to Austin - right? Wanna make some money?

Very cool!

Can't wait to see the final pictures!