Modern Buddy

Hi everyone,

Hoping you can give me some direction here. I have a 2007 Buddy 125, which was purchased a couple of months ago, used, with 300 miles on it. The scoot would start and run without any issues, but it tops out around 45 mph, clearly not within spec. The following steps have been taken:

1. engine and gear oil changed
2. carb cleaned
3. air filter checked (no issues)

Any ideas? Some shade tree mechanic opined that the rings had not set properly yet, and I could expect it to improve in a few hundred miles, but I'm not convinced this accounts for the marked lack of power.

What do you guys think?

with one that has set for long periods of time it could be a number of things i would bite the bullet and hv a scooter shop look at it. If that's not possiable do a compression test if that's good carb jets need to be cleaned

What does it sound like when accelerating and what does it sound like at its top speed?
Does it sound like it's bogging down or does it sound like it's winding-out at top speed?
Trying to find out if something in the tranny is slipping or if you fuel mixture is way off or.........

Your scooter is brand new and not broken in. It will gain speed and performance improvement at/by around 1500 miles. Keep riding it. If it still will only go 45 when it is broken in then you have an issue. But for now it just sounds like a new engine to me.

Thanks, guys, for the replies. The scoot sounds like it's winding out, not bogging at all, at 45 mph. If in fact there's a performance improvement once it's broken in, I will just ride it awhile and observe the performance. Short of taking it in to the dealer, sounds like there's not much else to check on. I am pretty sure, after taking apart the carb and cleaning it manually and with carb cleaner, that the fuel is not clogged, although I would really be tempted to replace the fuel filter just in case.

FYI, my scooter gained 20mph from new to broken in.

45mph seems a bit slow even for a new engine. Of course I could be wrong.

strfish7 wrote:Thanks, guys, for the replies. The scoot sounds like it's winding out, not bogging at all, at 45 mph. If in fact there's a performance improvement once it's broken in, I will just ride it awhile and observe the performance. Short of taking it in to the dealer, sounds like there's not much else to check on. I am pretty sure, after taking apart the carb and cleaning it manually and with carb cleaner, that the fuel is not clogged, although I would really be tempted to replace the fuel filter just in case.

If it's revving high and only going 45 max, there is a chance the previous owner put in lighter weight rollers or sliders for better off-the-line or hill-climbing.
It's true that these bikes get noticeably faster after break-in which can be anywhere from 1000-1500 miles. I think mine continued to improve even after 1500 miles. But, I was definitely able to reach 65 bmph before that mark. It still doesn't sound quite right to me.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:FYI, my scooter gained 20mph from new to broken in.

I think that's unusual.

You should be able to hit 55mph on a brand new Buddy 125.

You shouldn't ride it wide open throttle for very long, though.

45mph max seems low either way.

It's a 2007 with only 300 miles? I'm surprised no one has mentioned Seafoam yet. Even if you cleaned the carb, you may not have gotten the main jet fully cleaned. A little Seafoam and some miles may well take care of that.

^^^^^Are you beating the red horse again?

The carb has been cleaned and jets manually cleaned as well as blowing carb cleaner through them. Seafoam and Techron have been used as well. I am thinking at this point that the carb is not the problem since it seems to start and run.

Any idea of how/where it was stored and sat for so long with little use?

If you haven't already, I'd do a service on something that had been sitting around for so long. Engine and gear oil, air filter, and check the transmission for excess dirt and dust. (Blow it out.) May not fix anything, but it's I think it's often best to get back to the baseline and make sure all the basics are where they should be.

I also don't trust sellers to give the straight line on this stuff.

There will be metal in the engine oil. At 300 miles, I'd suggest replacing with dino, then doing a 600 mile (or so) change and switching to synthetic.

Well, I am still puzzled about this...the engine and gear oil were changed right after I got it, and the ail filter is still pretty clean. I have no history on this vehicle, other than it was down on both sides (obvious) and had a dead battery at the time of sale but would kickstart and run. I will look into blowing out the transmission.

Try replacing the fuel filter also. An inexpensive and often overlooked quick fix.

Since the scooter has been on its side and then sat a long time maybe you should check the vapor canister too (may be fouled with old spilled gas).