Modern Buddy

Hi everyone,

It was just three weeks ago that I sold my much beloved Suzuki GS500 and a little more than two weeks ago that I brought home a brand new red Buddy 125. In those two weeks I've managed to put in close to 500 miles and just wanted to share a few of my observations.

As I drove the Buddy off of the dealer's lot and into Atlanta rush hour traffic the first thing I noticed was just how sensitive the Buddy was to driver input versus my motorcycle. Whereas on the GS500 direction changes required a little bit of counter-steering heft, on the Buddy just a sneeze causes it to change direction. As a result I've had to adjust my riding style a bit to smooth out my inputs. Also, one of my complaints about the Buddy is that it is way too easy on left hand turns to drag the center-stand. As a result I am a lot more cautious about making aggressive left hand turns.

The other thing I noticed was that all of the reviews were right. The Buddy really does have a lot of low end grunt and power, especially considering its 125cc displacement. I found that in most cases I've been able to pull away from all but the most aggressive drivers at stoplights. I also love the low growl the engine makes when coasting. The only time that the Buddy's engine falters is when it has to head up long hills. Luckily most drivers in Atlanta tend to slow up going uphill so I have still been able to stay ahead of traffic.

I have to admit that I am having a harder time adjusting to the seating position of a scooter than I thought I would. The GS500's riding position allowed me to transfer my weight to the pegs allowing a much tighter connection between rider and the machine. It also allowed me to rotate my hips on the bike to provide a better position through the curves. With the Buddy my weight is placed on my rear end which also means that every heavy bump is transfered up my back and through my spine. After getting the Buddy I know for sure that I definitely am not buying a cruiser style motorcycle anytime in the future. The other night I did notice that if I ride with my feet on the passenger pegs I am able to shift more weight to my legs and gain more leverage and front end feel. I felt more confident and it made cornering a lot more fun.

Overall, I have enjoyed time with the Buddy, although I really do miss the pure acceleration of the motorcycle and the greater lean angles it affords. I'm due for service so I think when I'm there I'll also look at the Blur. I wonder if the larger wheels allow it to lean more and if the extra 25ccs give it more uphill pull. Other than that I also realize that I enjoy both motorcycles and scooters so come this fall I will be looking at Craigslist for a new motorcycle to add to my stable.

Thanks to all of you for helping make this site a great resource. I lurked on this board for months to determine if the Buddy was a good fit for me.

V

Thanks for the interesting observations and comparisons between the Buddy and GS500. Just for reference, may I ask your height and inseam? Also, being used to the controls of the motorcycle, do you miss shifting when on the Buddy?

vincent wrote:
I have to admit that I am having a harder time adjusting to the seating position of a scooter than I thought I would. The GS500's riding position allowed me to transfer my weight to the pegs allowing a much tighter connection between rider and the machine. It also allowed me to rotate my hips on the bike to provide a better position through the curves. With the Buddy my weight is placed on my rear end which also means that every heavy bump is transfered up my back and through my spine. After getting the Buddy I know for sure that I definitely am not buying a cruiser style motorcycle anytime in the future. The other night I did notice that if I ride with my feet on the passenger pegs I am able to shift more weight to my legs and gain more leverage and front end feel. I felt more confident and it made cornering a lot more fun.
V

There's a Buddy accessory called "Footpegs". It's obviously supposed to be for the passengers, but as these newer and larger pegs stick out right where the passanger footrests now are, I'm guessing that they would be great for a solo rider to rest his feet on, motorcycle-style, also..

My Buddy hasn't been delivered to me yet, but as an old long time motorcycle rider I'm already planning to add on this accessory ASAP myself...

beelzebubbles wrote:Thanks for the interesting observations and comparisons between the Buddy and GS500. Just for reference, may I ask your height and inseam? Also, being used to the controls of the motorcycle, do you miss shifting when on the Buddy?

I am an even 6ft tall with a 33 inch inseam. I've found the Buddy's seat is really well designed to accomodate a wide variety of heights. However, my opinion might be different if I had someone riding pillion.

In the conditions that I ride the Buddy (commuting, running errands, etc), I really don't miss the shifting. In fact I appreciate that I have one less thing to worry about and can spend more time concentrating on the road condition and traffic patterns.

Drumwoulf wrote:

vincent wrote:
I have to admit that I am having a harder time adjusting to the seating position of a scooter than I thought I would. The GS500's riding position allowed me to transfer my weight to the pegs allowing a much tighter connection between rider and the machine. It also allowed me to rotate my hips on the bike to provide a better position through the curves. With the Buddy my weight is placed on my rear end which also means that every heavy bump is transfered up my back and through my spine. After getting the Buddy I know for sure that I definitely am not buying a cruiser style motorcycle anytime in the future. The other night I did notice that if I ride with my feet on the passenger pegs I am able to shift more weight to my legs and gain more leverage and front end feel. I felt more confident and it made cornering a lot more fun.
V

There's a Buddy accessory called "Footpegs". It's obviously supposed to be for the passengers, but as these newer and larger pegs stick out right where the passanger footrests now are, I'm guessing that they would be great for a solo rider to rest his feet on, motorcycle-style, also..

My Buddy hasn't been delivered to me yet, but as an old long time motorcycle rider I'm already planning to add on this accessory ASAP myself...

I saw those. If you get them I'll be interested in hearing how you like them .

I have the footpegs (they came w/ the cowl protectors) and I do enjoy putting my feet up on them. They allow for some adjustment while riding to help with fatigue. They also provide some extra comfort while I'm cruising for extended periods since I can (somewhat) rest my arms on my knees. I've also noticed a little extra stability in that position while travelling on the highway @ faster speeds.

I have the footpegs (they came w/ the cowl protectors) and I do enjoy putting my feet up on them. They allow for some adjustment while riding to help with fatigue. They also provide some extra comfort while I'm cruising for extended periods since I can (somewhat) rest my arms on my knees. I've also noticed a little extra stability in that position while travelling on the highway @ faster speeds.

I too still look for the pegs, even after closing on three thou on my Vespa LX one fitty. What I've found seems to work is getting your feet out to the sides of the bike. Almost a sport bike position. But you're quite tall. I don't know if it'll work.

On your point about the handling of the scooter; they actually force the rider to ride more correctly because the rake and trail is so much less than the bigger bikes. Now add to that the fact these things have such short wheelbases and you end up with a machine that can react on a thought. Really freakin' weird until you get used to it.

I ride pretty hard (or so I thought) but it sounds like some of you outride me by a substantial margin.

Roadbum