Modern Buddy

Picked up my Buddy on Friday. So far here are my mods. All chrome is now satin black. All silver is now satin black. Wheels, brakes, forks, engine side cover, all satin black. All gloss black has been flat blacked. Mirrors removed. Restictor in air box removed. Bar blinkers removed and body blinkers hooked up. Flat black has been old school pinstriped. Fender has been cut below top of license plate. Blaupunkt speakers and a small amp with an ipod hookup have been installed. All this completed in less than 24 hours and now have just under a hundred miles on her.

you forgot to attach the picture

gmon wrote:Restictor in air box removed.

Hey gmon,
what does removing the restrictor do for the performance? Would you include some pictures as to what it looks like and how to remove it?
Thanks, Megen

As far as the pics , I will get some up during the day on Sunday. The restrictor is found when you pull the side cover of the air box off. It slides in the outer cover , it has a tube that goes from one side to the other. It slides out and there is no damage to remove or replace. It seems to give me more low and mid range power. Have only put about 40 miles on it so far, so it very well could be my imagination. Two of my friends agreed that it felt better.

Here are some pics, will get better ones in a little while

its Darth Buddy! I love the speakers and stripes. more pics, more i tell you!

Couple more

Hmm... I don't want to sound like a wang, so please, don't think I'm trying to hate.

I really thought that a totally blacked Buddy would look sweet. In fact, it was something that I was definitely considering doing.

However, now that I see one done like that, I don't think I like it in reality as much as I liked it in my head.

Mad props to you for getting so much work done so fast!!


BTW, with the speakers there, how do you wash your buddy? How much do they intrude into your storage compartment?

You would have to see it in person to get the full effect between the two blacks. Also you would have to be a fan of old school rat style.No offense taken, no worries. Its not for everyone , but thats the joy. I would have to guess only a small percentage would like it , but thats ok with me. The speakers are poly, so the water doesnt affect them too much. I have had the same ones on my golf car for two years with no problem.

Like the flat black Buddy! I need to check out that speaker install, It is something that I know I will need. Did you get your Buddy at Scooter Smith? Hope to have mine in the next couple of weeks. If I spot you around , let me have a gander at the system.

Late.

Looks great!
Flat black is the um.. New black

Picked mine up at x-it cycles in League City. And Ellen you are very correct, flat black is the new black. Or maybe the old black.lol

Great work! You know, some might consider the all black to be "hard core" but when you pair it with the "Dora the Explorer" picnic set, it looks like a real family vehicle!

Guess I'm not fooling anyone, good eye formerstella. does anyone know if there is a passenger age limit in Texas. My girlfriend is 103 .............................just kiddin', my daughter is 4 and enjoys putting on a helmet and getting on front and going for a spin.

Oh and is there a 2 person limit , we usually ride 3 up. Me, girlfriend, and daughter.

Found out there is no age limit and depends on how many people the vehicle is designed for.

That's almost too cool for words... Nicely done, gmon!

Thank you , jrsjr.

I like, very cool. Not for me, but cool none the less

If you get a chance, could you take a pic under the seat? I would love to see how the speakers and amp mounted, and more importantly, can you still get a helmet under the seat?

Here are a couple of pics. A full face helmet will not fit but I think any other would most likely fit.

Cool – like the Rat style; amazing you were able to get all that done in such a short time.

Where to you get power for your stereo? For that matter where is the stereo?

The power for the amp is coming from a large guage terminal block found near the air intake for the air box . My stereo is actually a 60 gig ipod. I can put it on shuffle and never hear the same song twice for several long rides. I like the ipod because I can download my own music and delete the songs I dont like. I am also a VW collecter and I have started using an ipod in those cars also, keeps them looking unharmed and in the VW's and thescooter it leaves nothing for the not so honest people to be curious about. The ipod sits in the small storage compartment in front. Thanks for the positive comments.

Thanks for the pics. I have noticed that on my buddy 50, the headlight will pulse while at idle. As I rev the engine, the light will get brighter. Have you noticed any problems with the rather low output alternator/generator wrt your power amp.


Also, when cruising, can you really hear the speakers while wearing a helmet?

TIA

I removed the “restrictor� in the air box to see what would happen, it wasn’t good for me.
The motor went lean and started to miss, no torque and the sound went hollow, acceleration dropped significantly but once at cursing speed it was OK.
Needless to say the thingamajig is back in place. I think for me to run a new or modified air box I would have to re-jet.

As far as the draw on the battery, I have not noticed any problems what so ever. Its been a week and a few hundred miles. I actually left the amp on for about 26 hours and it started right up. Of course I dont expect much out of a battery that is only guaranteed for 30 days. On the restrictor I think it would depend on the altitude, but I put mine back on. I will wait on a kit.

Would you mind posting a detail shot of your rear fender?

I'm trying to figure out the best route for getting rid of mine, and so far, it looks like what you did is the quick and easy solution. :thumbup:

I'm wanting to just delete the rear fender dealie in general, cutting it just underneath the license plate light, and then cutting off the fender-mounting holes on the rear fender bits...


I'm just scared to cut on the buddy at this point.

Here are a couple of pics

Cool! Thank you!

if you dig the rat style it's certainly that..........although night riding has got to be scarier.......but i dig the stereo i was workin on one for mine when i sold it...

I am a tattoo artist so the rat style kinda goes with the territory. Everything I own is either black, satin black or flat black. Each to his own. I just appreciate everone being themselves no matter what kind of taste you have.

I got her up to 72 on the feeder yesterday. 72 on the factory speedo.

It is cool as heck but I have a safety issue with you removing your mirrors and not keeping all the turn signals. I'm a fan of conspicuous! Be safe!!

Since these pics I have added a bar end mirror.

Raced a scion xb and beat it today. I will add it to the bug that I beat a few days ago.

Raced a scion xb and beat it today. I will add it to the bug that I beat a few days ago.

Yeah, people get pissed when they're laughing at you at the stop light and you beat them to the next one.

How far did you race?

BTW, there is a tattoo artist in our scoot circles who always goes rat. Nice work.

Can you post pics of it with the bar end mirror on?

Okay, love the scoot. Also, love the fact that you are a tat artist. I am in the process of "inking" my scooter (figuratively speaking). I am getting old classic flash and having cutsom vinyl decals printed.

One hold up -- I am having a hard time finding flash that I REALLY like. I ordered one book offline and it was mainly old school sailor tats (which I love, but don't want to cover my scoot with). I am an artist myself -- acrylic and mixed mediums...so I techincally could draw all of them myself...but in true artist fashion I would be waiting on myself for years to finish.

Anyway, sorry to detour from the "rat" (which is rock solid) -- but if you have any advice...

I am looking for the "classics" -- Swors through heart, eagle, Mom heart, anchors, etc.

Would love some tips...

Thanks!

As far as the old school tattoos I would suggest the traditional sailer jerry tattoos. I think it would cover all the basis and keep it uniform at the same time. There is a book with 11x14 prints in it. I will try and post some pics of the bar end installed tonight. And my race was only up to about 50(I only race untill they start gaining on me).

Yeah, Sailor Jerry was my first thought -- I think It might end up being the flash I use but I was just hoping for something else too.

I definatley want consistency...

Thanks.

(I only race untill they start gaining on me).

yeah, I guess that'd be the best way to do it.....LOL.

Can't lose if you only race until they start gaining on you.

That reminds me of something that happened earlier this week. I was at a stop light adn two teenage boys in the car to my left. At first I thought they were asking me a question, then I realized they were making fun of me..........Light turned green we both took off, they didn't catch me until close to 55 on the stock speedo.....BTW, they were in a Chevy Cavalier. I could just feel how pissed they were. Met each other again at another stoplight. They were no longer making fun!

As Joe Dirt (pronounced Dee-urtay) would say........."Keep on keeping on!"

Were you going to post pics of your bar end mirrors - several of us would like to see them.

Hi--- Can you provide the full recipe for your sound system? Please, please.

I don't know anything about electronics or cars and would like to buy everything online and bring it to an installer in town. Please help!!! The weather is great in Seattle. Thanks.

hey, were you riding around seattle on saturday? I saw a tangerine buddy out and about... I drive a red '07 with a black full face.

MikieTaps wrote:hey, were you riding around seattle on saturday? I saw a tangerine buddy out and about... I drive a red '07 with a black full face.

That's a sunset, I think!

well... i saw an orange one

I dont really know the other color groups real well.

Um, beautiful black! But...about that RED shock spring...

Dennis

Gmon I gots a question. If you need to do some engine work are the speakers easily removed to get the pet carrier out to get at the top of the engine?

Curious because I was looking forward to do the same thing but wasn't sure where I wanted to place the speakers.

jencallwa wrote:Hi--- Can you provide the full recipe for your sound system? Please, please.

I don't know anything about electronics or cars and would like to buy everything online and bring it to an installer in town. Please help!!! The weather is great in Seattle. Thanks.

My Sunset Buddy looks good, but not THAT good! There's just something about a Buddy!

Dennis

kilted texan wrote:Gmon I gots a question...

Um, folks, I don't mean to rain on your parade, but gmon hasn't posted here since November 2006. This is a really old thread that somebody resurrected.

jrsjr wrote:

kilted texan wrote:Gmon I gots a question...

Um, folks, I don't mean to rain on your parade, but gmon hasn't posted here since November 2006. This is a really old thread that somebody resurrected.

Who cares! Scroll up and look at the orange buddy.