Modern Buddy

Since I am still in the looking stage ... are ther any scoots to steer clear of? ... so far Im leaning toward the Buddy 50cc or the TGB Sunset ... any thoughts on TGB?

TGB is a good brand but I would stick with the buddy, my dealer tells me that the buddy still outruns the 150cc TGB's he sells, and also ride better. But you should definitely go try them out or at least sit on them. They are both good brands to go with though.

Most Chinease made scooters seem to be piss poorly made and have problems (Mechanical issues amongst other problems). Getting parts are a bigger headache than a Buddy or Vespa.

Price is obviously a factor but I'd stick with models that seem to have a fairly decent track records/reputations. The BuBu (the Buddy's international name) has a pretty decent track record internationally.

If your only looking for 50cc you have some great choices (At least with a more classic scooter look):
Honda Metropolitan
Yamaha Vino
Buddy
Vespa (MOST expensive)

I'd say anyone on this list are pretty consistent and reliable machines.

Don't forget to check out the Kymco Super 9 and People 50.

Good call on those!

I also forgot from Piaggio (The owners of Vespa) they have their own series.

The Fly 50 (or 150) uses the same engine as the Vespa 50cc (And 150cc).

Their lighter, and cheaper but most likely a bit more of the high end compared to others listed.

TGB is short for Taiwan Golden Bee it's definitely not chinese. Though the design of the sunset definitely smacks of Chinese plastic design. If you're looking for a 50cc sporty desgn from TGB I'd much rather go with the r5.

So I just went through what you are going through right now. There are 5 different dealerships here in Portland, not to mention a couple other random shops selling used scoots. There are also the other usual avenues (craigslist, etc). I spent 6 weeks going from shop to shop and researching what they told me. I, of course, ended up choosing a Buddy 125 (and I love it, I might add).
For me, it came down to two factors, style and price. When I initially started looking, I wanted to spend around 1500 and be able to keep up with 45mph traffic. I quickly realized for that money, I was looking at a chinese scooter. I assessed the situation and upped my budget to around 3k. In my estimation, it came down to two scoots, the Buddy and the Sym (can't remember the model right off hand). They are comparibly priced, but the styling on these two couldn't be different. The Buddy is smaller, so my girl can make a jaunt up to the store a lot easier if need be, and it has a much more retro look (although I believe SYM has a retro looking 50cc scoot). All in all, it was the look that made our decision for us. Good Luck

There are several "generic" brands that you should definitely avoid: NST, Tank, Rocketa, Eagle, those things they sell at Pep Boys. Another more well-known brand is Schwinn—basically rebadged Chinese scoots. Though there are those who defend TN'G, there are many reports online of problems with these scoots and several dealers have stopped selling them.

One thing to consider when buying any scoot, even a reputable make, is the proximity of a dealer and whether you can easily get service and parts. There are a number of Buddy riders whose dealers are quite a distance, but at least they know they can get parts and service, unlike with many of the generic Chinese scoots.

In addition to those previously listed, I'll add Aprilia scoots. Another Piaggio brand with a different lineup. Some dealers still have the Mojito 150s for sale. Problem is finding a dealer then finding one that knows/cares about scooters. Most are focused on their motorcycles. (They really need to bring the new Scarabeo 125 over here—very cool scoot!)

2 Year Warranty and 1 Year Road Assistance...uh...Buddy 125

Dude, Buddy Wannabe.

There's someone selling their Buddy 125 from this board! In black (The fastest color )

topic1689.html

Buddy dealer about 30 miles away ... TGB & Kymco dealer about 15 miles ... Another TGB & TNG dealer about 30 miles away .... he is dropping the TNG line and picking up another one ... cant remember the brand thou ...

How about Italjet ? ... have only seen pics of it ... thought it was a very interesting looking scoot ..... think there is a dealer in the Twin cities (about 70 miles) would rather not go that far .... Im guessing it kind of a pricey one ... anyone know?

.... and thanx for the input....... keep it coming

Visit Scooterville near the UofM...easy location off of 35W.
http://www.scootervillemn.com/

They have Buddy, Kymco, TGB, Bajaj

You can compare which one fits you best

So this has nothing to do with TNG brand specifically, but the TNG dealer here had nothing positive to add about their bike. The were all about bashing the competition. I kept waiting to hear why their bike was superior, but all I heard was "Vespa is overatted, the metal body is just a pain in the ass WHEN you lay it down" and "the guy down the street is selling his bikes illegally". I was pretty set on a 125cc scoot when I walked in and all they could say is "what on earth would possess you to get a 125? 150 is so much better." I just had a very sour experience with this TNG dealer.

APRILLA's are really nice...but a bit expensive...Buudy 125 is one of the best "Bang for the Buck"

Tbone wrote:Good call on those!

I also forgot from Piaggio (The owners of Vespa) they have their own series.

The Fly 50 (or 150) uses the same engine as the Vespa 50cc (And 150cc).

Their lighter, and cheaper but most likely a bit more of the high end compared to others listed.

DOH!!!!! .. How could I have forgotten the Fly!!!

I would never buy a scooter from a place that doesn't service it. When it breaks, who's going to fix it? This applies to used stuff as well. When looking at a used scooter, the first thing I want to know is who can service it and where can I get parts.

Which part of MN are you in? Judson Cycle in Lake Crystal is now carrying Kymco. And I think there is a Genuine dealer in Mankato.

I've seen the black Buddy listed in the MB classifieds, and it's nice.
Short windshield and a Prima pipe, if I recall. He lives near Jordan.
-K

i too am in the looking to buy my first (anyone know about redstreak scooters?) i really am leaning towards the buddy 125, but what is its real top speed? for my commute there's a stretch of 4-lane 55mph speed limit road, would the 125 handle that with dignity & aplomb?

cheers

ryder1 wrote:Visit Scooterville near the UofM...easy location off of 35W.
http://www.scootervillemn.com/

They have Buddy, Kymco, TGB, Bajaj

You can compare which one fits you best

+100 on this!!!

Ellen, too funny! I test rode a fly 15o instead of a Vespa. Don't know how I missed it either!

magpiash: WELCOME!!!

magpiash wrote:i too am in the looking to buy my first (anyone know about redstreak scooters?) i really am leaning towards the buddy 125, but what is its real top speed? for my commute there's a stretch of 4-lane 55mph speed limit road, would the 125 handle that with dignity & aplomb?

As long as it is not a "freeway". Here in the Denver area, 55 often means "do 60-65 or you'll get run over". The Buddy likes 50-55 and can do 60-65, but I don't sense there will be much dignity and aplomb in doing so on a sustained basis. Others will no doubt chime in.

Key questions: How long is the stretch of road you are talking about and is it flat?

-jetboy

A couple of caveats...

I'd avoid Aprilia, at least for now. Beautiful bikes and lovely to ride but acquiring parts can be an exercise in futility. If the Aprilia parts network is worked out they're definitely worth a look.

And (sigh, this may provoke some unhappy responses), if this is your first scoot, I'd recommend avoiding Vespa as well. If you don't have any hours of riding under your belt a new Vespa will prove to be very expensive if it goes down. If you lust for a Vespa, find a used one.

gt1000 wrote: if this is your first scoot, I'd recommend avoiding Vespa as well. If you don't have any hours of riding under your belt a new Vespa will prove to be very expensive if it goes down.

or not so expensive ($100 towing fee since friend wasn't available and Insurance deductible) but a LONG wait to get it back

cheers, everyone, thanks for the welcome & advice. the stretch of road is about 4.5 miles and not a freeway. if the buddy can do sustained 50-5 mph, it seems to me there'd be no problem.

btw, i don't have any particular desire to own a vespa. i got hooked on scooting by riding a honda metro last summer loaned to me by my aunt. so, i guess, if the buddy (is it the Italia?) is comparable cize/comfort-wise, i do believe i'll get one.

Buddy 125 compared to Honda Metro....hmm! Or are you thinking of the Buddy 50cc?

I think you may find a litle difference in size comparison. I don't have a Metro but maybe someone who has both could comment on the actually handling of it while driving.

The Buddy is light, quick and powered to go.

Plan on going 50-5mph for a few miles--I think a windscreen would be beneficial.

zuma is out again....

If you're going to ride the fast roads I would not suggest the Italias, I have one and ride them on the freeways (shhh, it's technically illegal here in Cali, though a chinese POS can go on the freeway) but I've been riding sportbikes for years before switching happily over to scooters cause they're more fun. But unless you change the tires those shinko whitewalls don't handle with anything you'd remotely call dignity or aplomb, change out to Continental Zippies or Michelin S1's for that high speed confidence you need. But you will definitely be happy with the Buddy's performance, 50 to 55 is easy on the buddy, I ride the open roads here at those speeds all the time on my shinko's I don't care to much about the handling since I can tame most any wild scoot, I have an elite 80 and that's a nightmare at high speeds, if you let off on the handlebars for even a second you'll get the worst speed wobbles ever and it'll easily lowside when that wandery rear suspension and leading arm front suspension hits a rough spot in a turn. Whereas the Buddy I can ride without hands (again don't try this at home) at 65 and control the entire bike with just a squeeze of my buttcheeks

I thought the OP was considering a 50cc Buddy.

But he did say his budget increased to 3000 which is about what I paid for OTD for my Italia, get a standard one and it'll run about 3 grand OTD

I don't know if your set on a 50 cc or not.
I was looking at getting a buddy 125 or a kymco s125.
At 6'2" the buddy was just to cramped for me. So I was set to buy a Kymco.
Then I started to look at craigslist, and found a 87 Honda Elite 250 for $1600.
I now own the honda.
The scoot had a little growl in the rear, but I have a friend that works on motorcycles, so we tore into it.
A bearing was going out, I ordered a new one from bikebandit.com, got the part in 3 days.

This lead me to this.
On Craigslist, there is a 73 year old guy in New Richmond Wisconsin selling two 85 Honda Elite 250's. One with 10K miles, $1400, one with5K miles, $1600.

I've had mine going 65 mph and putted around town, both places it does a good job.

The best part is Honda quality and availability of parts, even for a 20 year old scooter.

Good luck.

I considered a Honda for awhile. But then my 17 year-old daughter said that it looked like a snowmobile with tires. I thought about it and came to the conclusion that she was right.

Retro looked much cooler.

magpiash wrote:i too am in the looking to buy my first (anyone know about redstreak scooters?) i really am leaning towards the buddy 125, but what is its real top speed? for my commute there's a stretch of 4-lane 55mph speed limit road, would the 125 handle that with dignity & aplomb?

cheers

It depends on the weight of its rider etc., etc., I way 210 lbs and ride a Buddy 125, and it has no problem hauling me around at speed, so Iwould expect you would have no issue there, except during the engine break in period of course......

im 300 and i have no problem getting to an indicated 60