Modern Buddy

Okay, I bought it… “>})
My second scoot is now a nice, cream color, 125cc 2007 Genuine Buddy! My final choice was between the Buddy, a 125cc Yamaha Vino, and a 150cc Bajaj Chetak.

The Chetak I ruled out after seeing it in person. I didn’t realize it was so large; this all steel Bajaj is w-i-d-e, and squeezing it into my garage next to my 250 Reflex would’ve been a bit of a minor hassle. (Wife’s gardening tools, y’know…) “>})

I liked the Vino. It has looks, comfort, spaciousness, and room for your feet, all without being big or wide. And when I test rode it, well, it was nice, but a bit slow accelerating and thru the curves, and a bit buzzy on my hands also. But it was a definite contender…

Until I rode the Buddy… It’s smaller than the others; a real small-frame type of scoot. Not much room for your feet. And I had to slide back on the seat a bit. But the ride? Oh man, that was something else! It’s motor growls like a small nasty dog, but with no buzzing. It takes off like a bat out-a-anywhere, takes curves like it’s on rails, and when you hit the brakes it stops! Quickly! (About as quick, maybe even quicker, than my Reflex, which has 2 disks while the Buddy has but one.)

And it’s tight; where the Vino felt just a little ‘loose’ to me, this Buddy felt tight and solid as a (small) rock. While the Vino felt like it would get you thru the curves alright as long as you held onto the bars tight, the Buddy felt almost like it could take itself around the bends!

I rode it around Philly for a while behind Larry, the owner of Philadelphia Scooters, who was on a Bajaj Chetak. The Bajaj is 150cc’s, and no slouch either, but the 125cc Buddy had absolutely no trouble keeping up with it! I can’t believe this thing is only 125cc’s!

Won’t be delivered until next week tho, and then maybe another week or so until I have all the paper work, title, registration, insurance, etc, etc. So I’m maybe still almost 2 weeks away from finally owning it on the road. Should be great fun; I can hardly wait… Riding this scoot around the tight obstacle course of Philadelphia’s back streets brought back to me the true pleasures of small bike handling! An interesting little machine, to say the least……!

Congrats!

Keep us updated once you get it.

Congratulations Drumwolf!

I know you're going to enjoy it. I've had mine since October, I ride to work daily, and today I rode for fun and attitude adjustment at lunch time. I still enjoy all those qualities you described so well.

congrats on the new addition

I took a look at the vino also before buying my Buddy. The absolute clincher was the gas fill location on the Vino. You can put a top case on it...as long as you never need to fuel up again!.. You have made a wise choice grasshopper!


Not David

Excellent review and congratulations on the NEW SCOOT! I am loading up the saddle bags in the morning and headed off for the weekend.........between 75 to 80 mile trip one way, for those with the sticking seat problem I did that adjustment tonight because it was irritating the crap out of me.......simple folks.....dont just squirt wd-40 on the hinge........fix it right......take the front cowling off and you will see the brass colored cable housing protruding from the back of the ignition switch......loosen the nut that is fwd and then adjust the back long portion of the housing until she opens and closes easily and then re-tighten the fwd jam nut....you will be much happier once you do so......I am anyway.........

Funny thing to note is that when I was riding my zx-50 before I broke it I rarely would get the motorcycle wave except from other scooter riders........now I get it all the time, from harley riders as well.......I guess its hard to tell I am on a scoot with that big headlight staring them down.......its almost as if they try to hurry and pull there hand back when they see I am on a scooter! I laugh every time and wave back!

Yay, drummer! Congrats on your new scooter.

So, do you ever ride with the Hostile City folks? And will I see you at the rally?

Congratulations, you've nailed some of the best points about the Buddy! Now to get past the agonizing anticipation!

-jetboy

Glad you're enjoying it. There are only 3 things in my life I've ever had absolutely zero "buyer's remorse" with:
1. My dog.
2. My Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bicycle.
3. My Buddy.

I take it out for "attitude adjustment," too, like when I get bogged down with studying for school. I've never owned a gasoline-powered vehicle I enjoyed this much, plus, it's a chick magnet. Not as much as the dog, but still...

congrats. i came really close to getting a different scooter, but in the end went with the Buddy also because of all the little convenient, thoughtful touches that makes it more practical for everyday use.

polianarchy wrote:Yay, drummer! Congrats on your new scooter.

So, do you ever ride with the Hostile City folks? And will I see you at the rally?

I haven't yet, but as I'm only about 63 miles away (Freehold, NJ) there's always that possibility. I'm originally from the South Bronx (in the old 1950's too!) but I gotta say I really like Philadelphia. I've been there maybe 5 or 6 times in the past year with my lady, and I think it's stayed a friendly city in so many ways that NYC seems to have forgotten!

I doubt if I'll make this year's rally. Maybe next July 4th. But thanks for asking...

Drumwoulf wrote:I haven't yet, but as I'm only about 63 miles away (Freehold, NJ) there's always that possibility. I'm originally from the South Bronx (in the old 1950's too!)

Drumwoulf,

I'm a NJ native myself, now transplaneted to Cincinnati. Around here folks think I'm high strung, but they haven't met most of the people I grew up with.

Good luck with the new scoot man. I expect I don't need to warn you about Jersey drivers.