Modern Buddy

Like what I said to you what is the best scooter you can buy for the money. Like for driving around goin to work or this goin to meat friends.


The scooter that I pick is the Buddy. Best scooter I never had and it has power and the space for me to put everything I need.

I"ll have to agree. New?The buddy 125 wins...And I don't even own one. But it does everything well , runs like a top and is cheap to own and operate.

viney266 wrote:I"ll have to agree. New?The buddy 125 wins...And I don't even own one. But it does everything well , runs like a top and is cheap to own and operate.

Yeah because I have bean looking around and it's like only the buddy you get something good/more what you pay for. Honda is really starting to suck now when it comes to scooters. They what $2500.00+ junk fees for a 50cc now... That's a joke. Yamaha sucks try to buy a vino 50cc once and they jack the MSRP price up by $300.00 and they said I needed to pay 18% sells tax when my state is 7% ...

AS long as the dealer network, improves (it would be almost a crime if it didn't), and the SYM HD200 EVO with an msrp of $3400 has to be in the discussion. I'm biased, but it's still the truth.

While the Buddy is a popular and solid choice, there are some great incentives on Piaggio bikes right now, especially with winte on it's way. Both the Fly 50/150 and typhoon 125 undersell Honda and Yamaha and you get a Piaggio designed engine. True, they are assembled in China but in Piaggio owned factories and deliver solid peformance for nearly the same msrp as the buddy. But it's those dealer fees pe state and the sometimes irritating Vespa/Piaggio dealer network that is a dealbreaker for some.

Depends on what you mean by 'for the money'.

I bought my Buddy BlackJack 150 used with only 400 miles on it for $1700. Looks just like new. That to me is a killer deal for the money.

But... if I was looking at new prices from a dealer, I would spring for the extra $1K that a Vespa 150 costs. Because now that I own a Buddy I can compare it directly to the Vespa and see why it is cheaper. It is built cheaper from the quality of the suspension to the instrumentation, to the switchgear, to the thin plastic panels etc.
It is a blast to ride, no doubt, but I highly recommend buying used to make the price separation from a Vespa worth while.

neotrotsky wrote:While the Buddy is a popular and solid choice, there are some great incentives on Piaggio bikes right now, especially with winte on it's way. Both the Fly 50/150 and typhoon 125 undersell Honda and Yamaha and you get a Piaggio designed engine. True, they are assembled in China but in Piaggio owned factories and deliver solid peformance for nearly the same msrp as the buddy. But it's those dealer fees pe state and the sometimes irritating Vespa/Piaggio dealer network that is a dealbreaker for some.

Forgot about the new Typhoon 125. That bike is a killer deal new.
$2700.

http://www.piaggiousa.com/scooters.html ... yphoon-125

As I've said before, if I didn't have my current scoot and I were shopping for a new one, I'd buy... my current scoot: a Buddy 50. The Buddy 125 might offer "more bang for the buck", but it's bang I don't need, so that isn't a better deal for me.

If you're looking for pure value, as in best scoot for the least amount of money, I'd have to say the Kymco Agility 125 wins hands down. Show me a quality 125 class scooter that you can own brand new for probably less than the $1,799 MSRP.

But since I had a little more money to spend, I bought a better scooter in the Buddy 125. But that luxury cost me almost $1,000 more.

well, if we're talking MSRP's in the the 150cc-200cc range

Vespa 150 is $4500-$4600

Honda SH150 is $4500

Stella is $3600

Kymco Yager (175cc) is is $3500

Sym HD (172cc) is $3400

Buddy 170 is $3300

Piaggio Fly 150 is $2700

Kymco Like (163cc) is $2600

In my case, I have dealer support for all the above brands but Sym. Being a retro fan...at this point i'd be going for the Like. one or two grand is not chump change for me.

And a compelling argument for the wonderful, powerful Blur 220 at $3999! Talk about bang for your buck!

ravenlore wrote:well, if we're talking MSRP's in the the 150cc-200cc range

Vespa 150 is $4500-$4600

Honda SH150 is $4500

Stella is $3600

Kymco Yager (175cc) is is $3500

Sym HD (172cc) is $3400

Buddy 170 is $3300

Piaggio Fly 150 is $2700

Kymco Like (163cc) is $2600

In my case, I have dealer support for all the above brands but Sym. Being a retro fan...at this point i'd be going for the Like. one or two grand is not chump change for me.

Rippinyarn wrote:And a compelling argument for the wonderful, powerful Blur 220 at $3999! Talk about bang for your buck!

ravenlore wrote:well, if we're talking MSRP's in the the 150cc-200cc range

Vespa 150 is $4500-$4600

Honda SH150 is $4500

Stella is $3600

Kymco Yager (175cc) is is $3500

Sym HD (172cc) is $3400

Buddy 170 is $3300

Piaggio Fly 150 is $2700

Kymco Like (163cc) is $2600

In my case, I have dealer support for all the above brands but Sym. Being a retro fan...at this point i'd be going for the Like. one or two grand is not chump change for me.

Only reason the Blur was left out is that it's a 220cc and I was strictly going with 150-200. Broaden the scope to 225 and absolutely the Blur is in a good place.

ravenlore wrote:Only reason the Blur was left out is that it's a 220cc and I was strictly going with 150-200. Broaden the scope to 225 and absolutely the Blur is in a good place.

If the subject is bargains - why leave out the 125s?

Piaggio Typhoon $2699 msrp

Genuine Buddy 125 $2699

Sym Fiddle 125 $2298

Kymco Agility $1799

(and the Kymco People 150 is only $2799 msrp)

Dooglas wrote:

ravenlore wrote:Only reason the Blur was left out is that it's a 220cc and I was strictly going with 150-200. Broaden the scope to 225 and absolutely the Blur is in a good place.

If the subject is bargains - why leave out the 125s?

Piaggio Typhoon $2699 msrp

Genuine Buddy 125 $2699

Sym Fiddle 125 $2298

Kymco Agility $1799

(and the Kymco People 150 is only $2799 msrp)

TOTALLY forgot about the People.

Eh, the topic was sort of subjective. My personal minimum is 150cc. When you dip to 125cc, darn right there's affordability there.

ravenlore wrote:

Dooglas wrote:

ravenlore wrote:Only reason the Blur was left out is that it's a 220cc and I was strictly going with 150-200. Broaden the scope to 225 and absolutely the Blur is in a good place.

If the subject is bargains - why leave out the 125s?

Piaggio Typhoon $2699 msrp

Genuine Buddy 125 $2699

Sym Fiddle 125 $2298

Kymco Agility $1799

(and the Kymco People 150 is only $2799 msrp)

TOTALLY forgot about the People.

Eh, the topic was sort of subjective. My personal minimum is 150cc. When you dip to 125cc, darn right there's affordability there.

The Buddy 125 is certainly in the same class as the Vespa LX 150. Before mine went kaput it was faster off the line, had a higher top speed, and handled better than my husbands LX (IMHO). (Of course, now I'm riding that LX . . . ) hmmm.

Also, I believe there is a weight difference between the Typhoon 125 from Piaggio and the LX150 giving that little bike more of an edge. If you're looking for a commuter with attitude, it may not be retro-cool but Piaggio has some nice styles. Part of me wonders if I should've just gone with a modern Piaggio instead of the P200, but at the end of the day I still have a car and the bike.

If it were to be my only mode of transport, I honestly would've chose the Fly 150. Almost did until we knew we were able to afford the car. Now I can wrench more often and have time to enjoy it!

After having a 150 Buddy for some time now I will have to say that a 125 is about the best size for scootering.It is economical and will go as fast as you need to go on a scooter.Going bigger than the 125 leaves you vulnerable to the temptations of speeding or getting on freeways that are unsafe and losing the great gas mileage..
Now as far as Buddy goes , there may be better out there. I think larger wheels are for sure safer and not so rough to ride.
To venture to past 200cc size one may as well go to motorcycle's. There are some good ones to choose from.
Just an opinion!

It is hard to beat a People 150 or the Sym Fiddle 125 but it would be preaching to the choire to say the Buddy 125 was and is one of the "got it right the first time" vehicles. R

The Sym Fiddle is plagued with issues. My father in law hates his, something is always broken, and the parts line still hasn't recovered since the sole importer (I think it was Carter Brothers or something like that) burned down.

A used scooter is always the most economical option. I bought a 2006 Buddy 125 for $1300 from a guy in Alabama 2 years ago... It was in near-new shape and had under 500 miles on it. I got an offer later that year for nearly $2000 for it (and a similar offer for the 2nd 2006 I'd bought for my wife for just a smidge more) and ended up making over $500 off of driving the scooter for a season.

I did a whole bunch of bike trading until I saved enough from profit to plunk down cash for the PCX I ride now. I couldn't resist another deal, so I picked up a trashed Buddy 125 for $700 less than a month ago. Less than $300 later, it will end up looking like new once I get around to painting it.

Use Craigslist and be patient. There are loads of awesome deals on there to be had.

Odd, I had a couple things pop up on my Fiddle (while under warranty), but since then not a thing. I'll never like it like the HD200, but at 4000 miles now, teh Fiddle is better than ever.

He's been having constant issues with the drivetrain, and he has less than 2k on the scooter. He keeps saying he should have gotten a Vespa or a Buddy.

Syd wrote:Odd, I had a couple things pop up on my Fiddle (while under warranty), but since then not a thing. I'll never like it like the HD200, but at 4000 miles now, teh Fiddle is better than ever.

Syd...he said Fiddle...it MAY have been the 50cc...he didn't specify Fiddle II. Back when I was in the scooter-selling game, I thought the Fiddle II was one of the best!

--Keys

supermach wrote:Like what I said to you what is the best scooter you can buy for the money. Like for driving around goin to work or this goin to meat friends.


The scooter that I pick is the Buddy. Best scooter I never had and it has power and the space for me to put everything I need.

Me? anything Honda
well.....maybe not the Metro

Keys wrote:Syd...he said Fiddle...it MAY have been the 50cc...he didn't specify Fiddle II. Back when I was in the scooter-selling game, I thought the Fiddle II was one of the best!

--Keys

It's a red Fiddle II, 125cc.

synaps3 wrote:

Keys wrote:Syd...he said Fiddle...it MAY have been the 50cc...he didn't specify Fiddle II. Back when I was in the scooter-selling game, I thought the Fiddle II was one of the best!

--Keys

It's a red Fiddle II, 125cc.

Mine too. I do have a chatter taking off from a dead stop, but I can mostly avoid it in how I start. I now roll on the throttle pretty slowly; once it catches (belt? clutch?), I can go as hard as I want and it runs like a champ.

While more spartan, and built on the mainland, the Kymco Agility 125 is really good basic scootin' transportation. The Buddy's a better value, if you have the baksheesh.
.

I totally love the buddy 50 and if we're talking 50cc then I'd have to say the Buddy or the Zuma is the best out there.

As far as the best bang for buck to get you to work, now your talking about wanting serious reliability and I have never regretted buying my sh150i. That scooter is absolutely amazing and with the top case and the side rack for the trolley it's a hauling machine. It's got the big tires too which give far better stability at speeds over 40mph than the little Buddy wheels although that makes it somewhat less fun to ride. So for pure fun I'll take my little Buddy 50 and for starting the first time every time and getting me to work worry free I'll take the sh150i. I really do own two of the best scooters in the U.S. market

1) Buddy 125
2) Kymco People 150

i must admit to being partial to my Agility 125. but the best for the money? hmm, at $1800 a strong argument could be made. i mean a good 125cc for under 2K? not bad

the engine did kaput at under 5000m, but Kymco took care of it under warranty. the service manager at the local dealership where it was repaired said he couldn't say what caused it, it was just "all tore up" inside. he couldn't make heads or tales of it

so i got a brand new engine and it seems stronger then the original did at anytime during its short life. feels more like a 150cc and gets my well over 200lb ass to 55mph no problem. i would say 60mph is an attainable cruising speed under ideal conditions and WOT. before the new engine i struggled to get to 55mph, period. now i hit that speed pretty quickly and without as much wringing of the engine. passing power has improved, too

i like the "near" $2K segment of scootering choices. if local / city scooting the Honda Met is great. let's not forget the 50cc Buddy's, too. i like the Yamaha Zuma and Vino 50cc's less for the money. i have no experience with either, just going by styling / looks. those needing more power can look to the SYM Fiddle II and Lance Cali Classic if available in the area. and aside from the Agility 125 Kymco has a bunch of 50cc scooters for around $2K. its nice because they are the same as the scooters with bigger engines, the engine is the only change. sometimes other makers shrink the scoots along with the engines

if looking for a bit "more" from a new scoot but are aiming low price, the CFMoto Glory can most likely be had on sale somewhere in the low $2000 range. heck at the end of last year they were selling for $1700, i believe. good deal. but only buy CFM if a solid dealer who can service it is in the area imo. pretty much goes for any scooter, but perhaps even more important for the spottier makes

so in the lower price segment at least (sub $2,500) i think all those give great value for the money. and they will certainly do whatever more expensive scoots will do

The best scooter I have bought for the money is a 1979 P200 for $478. Within 3 hours of getting it home I was riding it around the neighborhood!

In a new TNG I still think a Buddy 125 is the best bang for the buck!

BuddyRaton wrote:The best scooter I have bought for the money is a 1979 P200 for $478. Within 3 hours of getting it home I was riding it around the neighborhood!

In a new TNG I still think a Buddy 125 is the best bang for the buck!

$478?!?!

We're not mentioning how much I paid for my P200 BUT... it's still the best damn bike out there!

I may add the SYM Allo 125cc aka Lance Cali Classic into the mix at $1995 msrp

The original question was awfully broad. To answer something like that, you have to know how big a rider, what sort of distances over what type of roads, whether 2-up is normal, etc.

Also, nothing is a bargain if you don't have a good dealer nearby. The low price is no consolation if it's messing up and you can't get it fixed.

irishtim wrote:1) Buddy 125
2) Kymco People 150

Yep. You can hardly go wrong with either. Choose whichever one has the best and closest dealer.

hardd1 wrote:I may add the SYM Allo 125cc aka Lance Cali Classic into the mix at $1995 msrp

Do you own one? I've heard that these aren't as reliable and well made as the Taiwanese built SYMs but I haven't spoken to owners about them (simply because I don't know any).

neotrotsky wrote:

BuddyRaton wrote:The best scooter I have bought for the money is a 1979 P200 for $478. Within 3 hours of getting it home I was riding it around the neighborhood!

In a new TNG I still think a Buddy 125 is the best bang for the buck!

$478?!?!

We're not mentioning how much I paid for my P200 BUT... it's still the best damn bike out there!

Well it had been sitting outside in Miami for 2 years. Floorboards rusted and the shifter locked but the motor started. He was asking $475 and all I had was $20's. He only had $2 change and well...I wasn't gonna quibble over it. He also threw in a bunch of carb parts, Haynes red book and some other stuff. I pulled the motor and am going tobe using it for CBR 2012.

Seriously..I would have paid more than that just for the motor.

ericalm wrote:

hardd1 wrote:I may add the SYM Allo 125cc aka Lance Cali Classic into the mix at $1995 msrp

Do you own one? I've heard that these aren't as reliable and well made as the Taiwanese built SYMs but I haven't spoken to owners about them (simply because I don't know any).

the Cali's we have sold seem to be of sound quality to date. Only a couple of fuel gauge/sender issues that require a simple 10 min fix

That's another Joker copy, right?

Southerner wrote:That's another Joker copy, right?

yep, SYM has a little history of building similar Honda products. The Honda Joker and the SYM Allo are indeed a reflection of one another...
other notable examples: Honda Cub vs Sym Symba or Honda Metro vs Sym Mio.

I would have a little more confidence in one with the SYM name on it, even if it's rebadged.

I like that "handlebar" style for some reason. I guess a lot of other people must as well as I've seen several around here. I don't know what the brands were but probably not SYM, and certainly not Honda.

Southerner wrote:I would have a little more confidence in one with the SYM name on it, even if it's rebadged.

I like that "handlebar" style for some reason. I guess a lot of other people must as well as I've seen several around here. I don't know what the brands were but probably not SYM, and certainly not Honda.

People love this style. LOVE it. To the point where they lose all reason. Before the Cali Classic was out, people seeking scooter buying advice would ask me about all kinds of junky Joker clones from all over. Exactly what they want for $900! Too good to be true. And they are.

I've reservedly recommended the Cali Classic to some who just had to have that style. Definitely better than Brand X.

Though I wouldn't mind having an Aprilia Haberno/Mojito Custom if I could ever get a cheap one. And an extra for parts.

Yep. Honda could sell more than they could possibly make it they'd produce a new one. Even with their usual pricing.

Not that they'd ever do it. Not Honda.

If Honda was still making the Joker, I'd own one instead of my Buddy. I LOVE that styling.

I rest my case.

They could so easily substitute it for the lame styling on the Elite.

Lame is in the eye of the beholder!

Cali Classic? Pictures? R

still shifting wrote:Cali Classic? Pictures? R

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Cali+Classic

If I were after this style scooter with naked handlebars. I'd go hunting for a nice used Yamaha Vino 125 before I would take a chance on something like the "Lance Cali Classic". Better build, better finish, better dealer network.

k1dude wrote:If Honda was still making the Joker, I'd own one instead of my Buddy. I LOVE that styling.

Actually they still make them. Just not for us.
They're called Honda Today F in Japan.

Dooglas wrote:If I were after this style scooter with naked handlebars. I'd go hunting for a nice used Yamaha Vino 125 before I would take a chance on something like the "Lance Cali Classic". Better build, better finish, better dealer network.

Very true but dont forget the Honda PCX also has naked handle bars.