Modern Buddy

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. Today, for the first time, after countless times watching the pros at NoHo Scooters do it, and aided by the experienced hands of EricAlm and his deluxe home scooter repair facility, as well as the oh-so-convenient Harbor Tools located right around the corner, I did my first DIY oil change, oil filter replacement, gear oil change, air filter replacement, and new sliders install.

How did it go? Why, a total piece of cake of course, with pauses only drink a cool beverage, pat ourselves on the back, and chuckle about how easy this is. Oh, and also to wonder where that one extra washer might possibly belong and if that is the right way up to put in a slider...

Seriously though, it was great fun to do and I love the feeling of having done it hands on. I will say this, the first time you do it, no matter how much you have read about it in how-to's or watched others do it, when you are there doing it live there are always complications and things that slip the mind.

The oil change and gear oil change went really smoothly. It helped that Eric had the needed drip tray and turkey baster syringe, er, hi-tec gear oil measuring device. One tip, the hex-head oil filter is much easier to install due to the tight space for getting a tool in there. That all went great.

The air filter install was dead simple.

Opening up the transmission and installing the sliders was the comic relief for the day (and I use the word relief in the loosest possible sense). After removing all screws holding on the trans cover, that sucker was still stuck solid. I figured I must have missed a screw. No. This is where having the right tool for the job really helps—but who knew that tool was a rubber mallet? A couple of well places taps loosened the cover and off it came. (When in doubt, break out the rubber mallet... )

I had thought removing the variator and clutch could be done with a ratchet. No way. A quick sprint to Harbor Tools to buy a $30, 12v Impact Wrench saved the day. That made the removal/re-install easy.

Once the nut holding on the variator was loosened, paying close (but not close enough) attention to where each of the washers were located and the variator's order of assembly, off it came. It was cleaned and new sliders and slide pieces were installed (I'm trying out a mix of 12g and 13g sliders for a combined 12.5g. Heaviest combo I've tried yet. More info on that later).

Being a newbee, the most doubt came in figuring out the correct seating of the sliders. Even though I'd seen photos and watched videos before, in the moment one forgets. Turns out we (Eric) had it right. But having a good photograph on hand would have been very useful here.

Reassembly was pretty straight forward.

All in all it was a great experience and it feels fantastic to have my DIY hands dirty. Doing any of this the second time will be much easier and much quicker.

As for total costs, I started with no tools and no parts, so I spent $110 on tools (64 piece ratchet set, torque wrench, 12v impact wrench, various adapters and extensions, spark plug gapper, rubber gloves) and $100 on parts (2 sets of Dr. Pulley sliders (12g and 13g), Dr.Pulley Variator Slide Pieces, oil filter, Motul oil, PGO air filter, spark plug). So for the most part all expenses were covered by the money I saved in doing it myself.

Tomorrow I change the spark plug (ran out of time for that today) and I am done with everything for another 2500 - 3000 miles.

Most excellent.

Glad to hear you're doing your own sevice work. Actually there's not much to it but you're right that the first time there's always a little doubt.
Which variator are you running and can you tell me your method of holding it while torqing the nut.
Good going!

I've only done fluids,filters, and plugs thus far (only about 2200mi), and haven't opened up the transmission yet. All should be forewarned, however, not to use (or let somebody else use) an impact wrench to reinstall the variator nut: viewtopic.php?t=18615

I've heard around here of dedicated variator-blade wrenches to hold it in place, DIY doodads, and somebody even just jammed a screwdriver between the blades. I've got a Prima pipe install coming up at the dealer (to keep my warranty alive), and it will involve a new main jet and some new rollers/sliders, so I probably won't be in the transmission case for a while yet.

Good to know!

I'm not sure which route I'll go yet. I dont' have a garage or tools. the tools probably aren't that big of a deal. Fortunately I have a good amount of local enthusiasts so I might just beg them to help me the first time or two.

smithrw wrote:Glad to hear you're doing your own sevice work. Actually there's not much to it but you're right that the first time there's always a little doubt.
Which variator are you running and can you tell me your method of holding it while torqing the nut.
Good going!

I have the Dr. Pulley performance variator. Eric did help keep the rear wheel from spinning but other than that no holding was necessary as I used an impact wrench. Made life much easier.

PeteH wrote:I've only done fluids,filters, and plugs thus far (only about 2200mi), and haven't opened up the transmission yet. All should be forewarned, however, not to use (or let somebody else use) an impact wrench to reinstall the variator nut: viewtopic.php?t=18615

I've heard around here of dedicated variator-blade wrenches to hold it in place, DIY doodads, and somebody even just jammed a screwdriver between the blades. I've got a Prima pipe install coming up at the dealer (to keep my warranty alive), and it will involve a new main jet and some new rollers/sliders, so I probably won't be in the transmission case for a while yet.

I would disagree on the impact wrench comment. That said, if there were a way to hold the variator I would use a torque wrench. (I have not found any tool to hold the Buddy variator. It certainly would be useful though.) I would absolutely say you must hand tighten all nuts before impacting anything. Especially on the variator as the washer plate has teeth that must be aligned correctly with the crankshaft. Leave that loose or misaligned when impacting and you could strip threads and do all kinds of damage.


BTW, for anyone interested, here are a couple of good how-to's that I found most helpful:
topic5444.html
http://www.buggypartsnw.com/bpnw-info-c ... cvt-system
http://www.buggypartsnw.com/bpnw-info-c ... stallation

Skootz Kabootz wrote:The air filter install was dead simple.

Heck, even I've done that.

TVB wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote:The air filter install was dead simple.

Heck, even I've done that.

lol. Little victories

I think PeteH's concern is valid. Many impact wrenches are going to tighten to a much higher value than the spec for the variator nut. Unless you know your impact tool is adjustable to (or only capable of) the required value (which is what 35 - 40 ft-lbs on the Buddy?), you stand the chance of damaging the nut or worse, the crank.

Klaborde's bad experience with a stripped crank is but a single data point, but because of the huge downside risk, that one scares me somewhat.

Syd wrote:I think PeteH's concern is valid. Many impact wrenches are going to tighten to a much higher value than the spec for the variator nut. Unless you know your impact tool is adjustable to (or only capable of) the required value (which is what 35 - 40 ft-lbs on the Buddy?), you stand the chance of damaging the nut or worse, the crank.

That's the thing, not once anywhere in all my research have I once found any mention of any torque spec for the variator nut nor any mandate to use a torque wrench. But I have found numerous mentions of the ease of using an impact wrench. Also the importance of the variator being very securely tightened and even loctite used. So being that I am naturally inclined towards ease...

Well, you're one service ahead of me when it comes to this stuff, so I defer to your hands-on experience. Big air-powered impact tools scare the bejeebers out of me, having never used 'em, but just watching the shop guys change lug nuts, etc.

I'd sure like to know the results of changing weights. I currently run 11 gr sliders with the same setup you do. It's really quick but have been tempted to try 12's just to see what happens. BTW, I fabricated my own varitor tool. I remove the nut with air impact but always use a torque wrench to re-tighten it.

PeteH wrote:...Big air-powered impact tools scare the bejeebers out of me, having never used 'em, but just watching the shop guys change lug nuts, etc.

Mines just a cheap little 12v emergency one. Plugs into a 12v socket or clips to the battery. (But don't use the Buddy 12v socket with it. I blew the fuse immediately )

smithrw wrote:I'd sure like to know the results of changing weights. I currently run 11 gr sliders with the same setup you do. It's really quick but have been tempted to try 12's just to see what happens. BTW, I fabricated my own varitor tool. I remove the nut with air impact but always use a torque wrench to re-tighten it.

I have run 12g sliders for a while and they are great (BTW I also have the 1500 main spring installed. This performance kit.), I can pop little wheelies, hold my speed better uphill, cruise at speedo indicated 60-70mph etc, but with this setup I did lose roughly 10mph off my top end compared to stock.

Now that I am able to swap out the sliders myself I thought I'd try experimenting, thus the 12g and 13g sets. I'm starting with the 12.5g setup hoping to lose the wheelies and gain a bit more top end. Hopefully my hill climbing won't suffer too much. That's what I'm waiting to see. If it works out ok I may try the full 13g setup but I think that will be a bit too heavy unless riding on flat ground.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the information. Good luck with future mechanical projects. For me tinkering on these things is part of the fun.

Congrats! Impact wrenches scare me too so I haven't tried any maintenance that requires one either!

Finished up today by changing the spark plug. Easy peesy. Screwed it in by hand before tightening to make sure I didn't cross thread (I learned that here).

I can't begin say how much all that I've learned from various MB members and the various how-to/how-not-to threads has helped me. Seriously, I wish I could by you all a beer (or your beverage of choice). It's really pretty awesome. I knew absolutely zero about scooters 4 years ago other than I liked them and I wanted one. And now, well, I know a little. Very cool. And very fun.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

Syd wrote:I think PeteH's concern is valid. Many impact wrenches are going to tighten to a much higher value than the spec for the variator nut. Unless you know your impact tool is adjustable to (or only capable of) the required value (which is what 35 - 40 ft-lbs on the Buddy?), you stand the chance of damaging the nut or worse, the crank.

That's the thing, not once anywhere in all my research have I once found any mention of any torque spec for the variator nut nor any mandate to use a torque wrench. But I have found numerous mentions of the ease of using an impact wrench. Also the importance of the variator being very securely tightened and even loctite used. So being that I am naturally inclined towards ease...

Page 7 of the Buddy Service manual lists the torque spec for the driving plate nut at 5.0-6.0 kg/m. Page 48 lists a locking torque of 'Nut of driving pulley' at 4.0-5.5 kg/m. These values convert to somewhere between 30 and 45 lbs/ft.

I can't argue about ease of use, but if your impact wrench has specs similar to this one, you'd best be cautious, as it shows max torque more than 100+ lbs/ft.

Skootz wrote:I wish I could by you all a beer

I hope to meet up one of these days too. You can buy me a beer on one condition - I buy the second!

Syd wrote:Page 7 of the Buddy Service manual lists the torque spec for the driving plate nut at 5.0-6.0 kg/m. Page 48 lists a locking torque of 'Nut of driving pulley' at 4.0-5.5 kg/m. These values convert to somewhere between 30 and 45 lbs/ft.

I can't argue about ease of use, but if your impact wrench has specs similar to this one, you'd best be cautious, as it shows max torque more than 100+ lbs/ft.

Thanks for the specs Syd! Who knew? And yes, that is exactly the torque wrench I have. Sure works great Looks like it will be used more for removal once I figure out a way to stop the variator and clutch from moving when being torqued tight. Beats me how to do that.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

Syd wrote:Page 7 of the Buddy Service manual lists the torque spec for the driving plate nut at 5.0-6.0 kg/m. Page 48 lists a locking torque of 'Nut of driving pulley' at 4.0-5.5 kg/m. These values convert to somewhere between 30 and 45 lbs/ft.

I can't argue about ease of use, but if your impact wrench has specs similar to this one, you'd best be cautious, as it shows max torque more than 100+ lbs/ft.

Thanks for the specs Syd! Who knew? And yes, that is exactly the torque wrench I have. Sure works great Looks like it will be used more for removal once I figure out a way to stop the variator and clutch from moving when being torqued tight. Beats me how to do that.

BuddyJ posted a pic of a homemade variator tool in this thread. Dont know if it would work on the clutch.

That's actually the first tool I made for the stock variator. I works very good. The problem is that the DR. Pulley variator doesn't have bolt holes in the variator like the stock variator. I made a similar tool to hold the clutch bell but made it out of heavier material and instead of using bolts to hold it Ijust bent the tips at 90 degrees to fit into the bell holes.

I did know to torque the variator nut and just wasn't thinking because I'd never messed with an impact wrench before and it was dark and getting late by the time we got to that part.

I have all the holder tools for my Vespa and, honestly, when we cracked open the Buddy hadn't given much thought to, "Oh, yeah, it's not the same." We'd have never gotten those damn nuts on/off without the impact.

BUT, YES, EVERYONE TORQUE THEM, ESPECIALLY THE VARIATOR NUT.

More distressed that I somehow managed to lose my rather large and hard to misplace t-wrench that's perfect for all those little transmission case bolts. I saw in the morning; it was gone by afternoon. I had tidied up the garage… hm… Dammit!

Skootz has learned the value of a good hammer!... way to go Eric!!!

Skootz is on his way to being a mechananic!

The true master knows how hard he/she can hit things before they break or fatigue.

smithrw wrote:I'd sure like to know the results of changing weights...

I haven't had the chance to fully wind it out yet—dang cars keep getting in the way—so jury is still out on overall performance with the 12.5g sliders. But so far it is pretty much as I expected — no more wheelies but enough acceleration to get in front of the pack when the light turns green, faster top cruising speed with less engine effort maintaining it, but a little bit slower getting up to speed (compared to 12g sliders).

I have one flat spot in the speed ramp at about 40mph which I think may be because I have mixed weights.

What I can say is it now cruises at 60 indicated with minimal throttle and much less engine strain. I unintentionally ended up going over 70 indicated today without realizing it. All this was while siting upright and making no great effort. If I tucked I'd gain 5+ mph more so I'm fairly sure on level ground I could burry the speedo more easily compared to the previous setup. (Not that I do that very often...)

One thing I was surprised by was how it still held speed going up a long steep 55mph hill (La Cienega between Rodeo and Slauson for those with local knowledge). How well it would do this was my biggest concern in increasing the slider weight. I say it's passed with flying colors so far. I actually managed to accelerate from 60 to 65 going uphill and was passing cars. Lost speed near the top of the hill but all in all not too bad.

I will have a better idea of overall performance after the rest of this week commuting and then next weekend when I go for a ride through the Angeles mountains (it has about a 4000'+ elevation change).

Sounds like it's about where you need to be. Thanks for showing the results.

Haven't done some modification the clutch spring as well? In other words you only modification is not just 12.5 dr. pulley's correct? Just wanted to make sure as I would sure like to hit 70.

bgwss wrote:Haven't done some modification the clutch spring as well? In other words you only modification is not just 12.5 dr. pulley's correct? Just wanted to make sure as I would sure like to hit 70.

I have the Dr. Pulley GY6 CVT Performance Package from BuggyPartsNW which includes the Dr. Pulley performance variator, sliders, and a main/contra spring. (I have the yellow 1500 spring.) That is my only modification.

Hitting 70+ only happens on fairly level ground. Downhill of course can be 10 mph faster. I still haven't had the chance to really open it up with the new setup yet. Happily it does continue to be able to hold 60mph indicated going up the one long hill on my commute which is great for me. Riding this weekend in the Angeles Mountains will give me some more good feedback.

I think the setup I have now with the 12.5g sliders is the closest approximation to stock as far as both off the line speed and top end goes, but the scooter cruises with with less strain and has a more even power band. I have to say, my scooter sure is feeling good to ride right now.

I do miss those little wheelies that came with the lighter sliders, but the improved ease of cruising at higher speeds is worth it to me.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:I think the setup I have now with the 12.5g sliders is the closest approximation to stock as far as both off the line speed and top end goes, but the scooter cruises with with less strain and has a more even power band. I have to say, my scooter sure is feeling good to ride right now.

I do miss those little wheelies that came with the lighter sliders, but the improved ease of cruising at higher speeds is worth it to me.

If you feel like experimenting, next time it might be worth trying to mix lighter and heavier for the same average. I feel like I get better response off the line and at the top end when I do that. On my Vespa I'm running 10g and 14g!

ericalm wrote:If you feel like experimenting, next time it might be worth trying to mix lighter and heavier for the same average. I feel like I get better response off the line and at the top end when I do that. On my Vespa I'm running 10g and 14g!

I have a mix of 13g and 12g in there now for the 12.5 average. I'm wondering if that maybe is what is giving me the slight flat spot in my power curve from about 35-40mph? If I had 6 12.5g sliders in there would it be that much different? The flat spot is really pretty minor. I just really enjoy feeling them g-forces and want to preserve them as much as possible

I was thinking of maybe trying all 13g just to see what it is like but I have a feeling maintaining speed on hills would suffer too much.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

ericalm wrote:If you feel like experimenting, next time it might be worth trying to mix lighter and heavier for the same average. I feel like I get better response off the line and at the top end when I do that. On my Vespa I'm running 10g and 14g!

I have a mix of 13g and 12g in there now for the 12.5 average. I'm wondering if that maybe is what is giving me the slight flat spot in my power curve from about 35-40mph? If I had 6 12.5g sliders in there would it be that much different? The flat spot is really pretty minor. I just really enjoy feeling them g-forces and want to preserve them as much as possible

I was thinking of maybe trying all 13g just to see what it is like but I have a feeling maintaining speed on hills would suffer too much.

12g and 13g are so close, I'm not sure there's any benefit to mixing them. I say try keeping the average, but go with a wider distribution.

Slider/roller behavior is so unpredictable, though, I think trial & error are the only ways to achieve an individual rider's optimal weight/combo. I liked what I had before swapping to sliders. Now, going back to rollers. Lesson: stick with what works if you're happy with it.

Good discussion and details thanks guys for sharing.

Well, after a couple of weeks and several hundred miles, I am going to go back to the 12g sliders. The scooter is just feeling a little to sluggish and struggling a bit more than I care for going up bigger hills. If I lived in an area which was predominantly flat it wouldn't be an issue, but speed up hills is crucial here.

The scooter has lost about 5mph off the top end since installing the new sliders. Not sure why. Maybe belt dust impeding slider movement? I am going to test and see if the variator is getting full rage of motion (It's a very hi-tech procedure—put a line of magic marker on the variator and see if the belt wears it all off. If you have full range of motion the all the marker will be gone.)

Anyways, the experimentation continues...

I've been doing some research... the DP variator comes with three washers. After digging around consensus is to leave them out. They have the effect of lowering the gear ratio of the scooter (describes just what I am not liking about mine) I have two of the three washers installed. I am going to take them both out tomorrow and see how the bike behaves this week. If what I read is correct it should increase my top end. I am very curious...

Love to hear the results as I just installed the Dr. Pulley variator with the two spacers.

Syd wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

Syd wrote:I think PeteH's concern is valid. Many impact wrenches are going to tighten to a much higher value than the spec for the variator nut. Unless you know your impact tool is adjustable to (or only capable of) the required value (which is what 35 - 40 ft-lbs on the Buddy?), you stand the chance of damaging the nut or worse, the crank.

That's the thing, not once anywhere in all my research have I once found any mention of any torque spec for the variator nut nor any mandate to use a torque wrench. But I have found numerous mentions of the ease of using an impact wrench. Also the importance of the variator being very securely tightened and even loctite used. So being that I am naturally inclined towards ease...

Page 7 of the Buddy Service manual lists the torque spec for the driving plate nut at 5.0-6.0 kg/m. Page 48 lists a locking torque of 'Nut of driving pulley' at 4.0-5.5 kg/m. These values convert to somewhere between 30 and 45 lbs/ft.

I can't argue about ease of use, but if your impact wrench has specs similar to this one, you'd best be cautious, as it shows max torque more than 100+ lbs/ft.

An impact wrench is used only to remove hardware. There is no way to properly torque a nut during assembly with an impact. You need a torque wrench for that.

Also - The Rattler manual says 3.2-4 kg/m which is 23-29 ft/lbs of torque.

45 ft/lbs isn't too bad, it's just a tight space with a rotating part. The gland nut on an aircooled VW needs 254 ft/lbs. Not a big deal if you have the right tools.

Adding to the confusion, in the Genuine Training Video showing how to properly do the 500mi service, the mechanic uses an impact wrench to both take off and put back on the variator.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Adding to the confusion, in the Genuine Training Video showing how to properly do the 500mi service, the mechanic uses an impact wrench to both take off and put back on the variator.

Is this the same mechanic who the narrator mentions claims to have a torque wrench in his bionic arm, though mere mortals need to use a torque wrench which isn't demonstrated in the video? Maybe it is a case of "do as I say, not as I do"

I'm a bit confused by this "500 mile" service... My owners manual says 300 km which by my calculations is about 186 miles. What's that all about?

SSCAM wrote:I'm a bit confused by this "500 mile" service... My owners manual says 300 km which by my calculations is about 186 miles. What's that all about?

The manual is wrong! Genuine even came out and said so several years ago.

First service should be done around the 500-600 mile mark. Some dealers do it earlier, around 300 miles. The engine is still breaking in at 186miles so if you do one that early (which doesn't hurt anything), best to stick with dino oil and do another oil change at 600 or so, then swap to synthetic.

Here's what I don't get about Skootz' scoot and the washers: It's not as if we installed a new variator and put in any washers that weren't already there. If performance has degraded, how could it be due to washers that were installed when the performance was fine? Those washers are much thinner than the spacers that come with other performance variators. It's a small unit overall, so maybe they do make a difference, but they should start to affect performance if they hadn't previously.

I'm thinking it's either the sliders or something else.

ericalm wrote:Here's what I don't get about Skootz' scoot and the washers: It's not as if we installed a new variator and put in any washers that weren't already there. If performance has degraded, how could it be due to washers that were installed when the performance was fine? Those washers are much thinner than the spacers that come with other performance variators. It's a small unit overall, so maybe they do make a difference, but they should start to affect performance if they hadn't previously.

I'm thinking it's either the sliders or something else.

My thoughts are that the two spacer washers are what has affected the top end ever since they were first installed. Apparently they serve to increase engine rpm's and torque but at the expense of top end speed. The potential danger of using them is that the engine revs higher which can cause issues over time. We shall see—I'm heading down to take them out now.

[Edit To Add: Well, that was all for naught. The washers I have in there are not the same as the ones that come with the Dr. Pulley variator. These are much smaller. So I just marked the variator to check if I the belt is getting all the way to the edge. Beyond that, it needs a good cleaning. Next weekend I'll dive in again. ]

Skootz Kabootz wrote:My thoughts are that the two spacer washers are what has affected the top end ever since they were first installed.

Ah, that's the part I was missing!

Syd wrote:I can't argue about ease of use, but if your impact wrench has specs similar to this one, you'd best be cautious, as it shows max torque more than 100+ lbs/ft.

Just for engraining.... check out the 175 max torque on this little baby!

Hey everybody. Instead of starting a new post which I know everyone loves, I decided, since this was directly relevant to this post, that I'd post my questions here.

I've always enjoyed working on my car in the past and have recently sold it and purchased a 2012 Buddy. It is just now at 550miles and it needs to have its first service.

I live in Nashville and the shop I would usually take it to went out of business and the new place is a little out of my way and seems to be a one guy shop (and is going to cost me $100 easy for the oil change and checkup).

My question: for $90 I can buy everything I need for my next 3 oil changes. Is it worth it to change my own or should I bring it in for its first maintenance and then do my own oil change after that? It's not that I don't trust the mechanic, I just would like to learn to work on my scooter and I don't want to spend a fortune on maintaining it.

Thanks!!

DanielPerrin wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Adding to the confusion, in the Genuine Training Video showing how to properly do the 500mi service, the mechanic uses an impact wrench to both take off and put back on the variator.

Is this the same mechanic who the narrator mentions claims to have a torque wrench in his bionic arm, though mere mortals need to use a torque wrench which isn't demonstrated in the video? Maybe it is a case of "do as I say, not as I do"

I understand this. Its kinda like touch typing; do it enough and you will get the feel for different torque values. I used to be able to torque a 9/16 socket on a 10" ratchet to 25 ft-lbs by feel. Now I can touch type (kinda) and can't even tell the difference between a 1/2 and a 9/16 without reading the size.

readinweeden wrote:Hey everybody. Instead of starting a new post which I know everyone loves, I decided, since this was directly relevant to this post, that I'd post my questions here.

I've always enjoyed working on my car in the past and have recently sold it and purchased a 2012 Buddy. It is just now at 550miles and it needs to have its first service.

I live in Nashville and the shop I would usually take it to went out of business and the new place is a little out of my way and seems to be a one guy shop (and is going to cost me $100 easy for the oil change and checkup).

My question: for $90 I can buy everything I need for my next 3 oil changes. Is it worth it to change my own or should I bring it in for its first maintenance and then do my own oil change after that? It's not that I don't trust the mechanic, I just would like to learn to work on my scooter and I don't want to spend a fortune on maintaining it.

Thanks!!

For $90 no. But either way, do not do your first maintenance yourself. See this thread: topic20925.html There is a video there that shows everything done in the first service. Also, doing the first service yourself will void your warrantee.

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread...

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

readinweeden wrote:Hey everybody. Instead of starting a new post which I know everyone loves, I decided, since this was directly relevant to this post, that I'd post my questions here.

I've always enjoyed working on my car in the past and have recently sold it and purchased a 2012 Buddy. It is just now at 550miles and it needs to have its first service.

I live in Nashville and the shop I would usually take it to went out of business and the new place is a little out of my way and seems to be a one guy shop (and is going to cost me $100 easy for the oil change and checkup).

My question: for $90 I can buy everything I need for my next 3 oil changes. Is it worth it to change my own or should I bring it in for its first maintenance and then do my own oil change after that? It's not that I don't trust the mechanic, I just would like to learn to work on my scooter and I don't want to spend a fortune on maintaining it.

Thanks!!

For $90 no. But either way, do not do your first maintenance yourself. See this thread: topic20925.html There is a video there that shows everything done in the first service. Also, doing the first service yourself will void your warrantee.

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread...

Thank you. Newbie gotta start somewhere.

readinweeden wrote:

Skootz Kabootz wrote:

readinweeden wrote:Hey everybody. Instead of starting a new post which I know everyone loves, I decided, since this was directly relevant to this post, that I'd post my questions here.

I've always enjoyed working on my car in the past and have recently sold it and purchased a 2012 Buddy. It is just now at 550miles and it needs to have its first service.

I live in Nashville and the shop I would usually take it to went out of business and the new place is a little out of my way and seems to be a one guy shop (and is going to cost me $100 easy for the oil change and checkup).

My question: for $90 I can buy everything I need for my next 3 oil changes. Is it worth it to change my own or should I bring it in for its first maintenance and then do my own oil change after that? It's not that I don't trust the mechanic, I just would like to learn to work on my scooter and I don't want to spend a fortune on maintaining it.

Thanks!!

For $90 no. But either way, do not do your first maintenance yourself. See this thread: topic20925.html There is a video there that shows everything done in the first service. Also, doing the first service yourself will void your warrantee.

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread...

Thank you. Newbie gotta start somewhere.

Welcome

This was my first DIY. If you check at the start of the thread I outlined all my expenses in getting started. That may help you figure out an actual $ cost.

readinweeden wrote:Hey everybody. Instead of starting a new post which I know everyone loves, I decided, since this was directly relevant to this post, that I'd post my questions here.

I've always enjoyed working on my car in the past and have recently sold it and purchased a 2012 Buddy. It is just now at 550miles and it needs to have its first service.

I live in Nashville and the shop I would usually take it to went out of business and the new place is a little out of my way and seems to be a one guy shop (and is going to cost me $100 easy for the oil change and checkup).

My question: for $90 I can buy everything I need for my next 3 oil changes. Is it worth it to change my own or should I bring it in for its first maintenance and then do my own oil change after that? It's not that I don't trust the mechanic, I just would like to learn to work on my scooter and I don't want to spend a fortune on maintaining it.

Check out the periodic maintenance schedule in the Service Manual, which is more detailed than the one in the Owner's Manual. The intervals aren't accurate, but it should give you a good idea of what needs to be checked. In general, oil change every 2K and a "large maintenance" every 4K. Oil changes alone aren't enough to keep the scooter running well! Most importantly, the valves should be checked every 4K service as should the transmission. Unfortunately, the transmission parts don't wear out at precise intervals, so this is one place where DIY could save you a fair amount of money. Many owners wind up replacing these parts either sooner than they need to or much later. Being able to get in there and do that yourself means you can do it when needed, not in addition to or bundled with other service.

I don't mess with valve checks because my mechanic can do it much, much faster than I could without messing anything up. I've gotten a little sloppy and careless when doing my own work in the past… ha…