Modern Buddy

Mike at NoHo Scooters got the first batch of Buddies this morning. I'd been saving for a long time to get a bike this summer, and when I heard that he was getting the Buddy I didn't have to think twice.

So this morning I ran over there and bought the Very First Buddy 125 to hit the Streets of Los Angeles! Woo hoo!!

So what color, you ask? Orange, of course! Man this bike looks good.

The Buddy really is fantastic, and is definitely the perfect scooter for Los Angeles. I would highly recommend that anyone looking for a scooter in LA go over to NoHo Scooters and check out the Buddy. For what you get, the price absolutely can't be beat.

And I LOVE the rumble of that engine! Man, what a cool growl. I had a Honda Metro as my first scooter, then a Kymco People 50, and now this Buddy. This engine sounds by far the coolest of the three (and being an audio engineer, I think/care about these things

BTW, I'm 6'3" and weigh 200 pounds and I'm perfectly comfortable on the Buddy. I can see why people say the foot space isn't the best, but it's really not an issue in my opinion. Frankly, I like the small size of the bike as it lends itself to manuverability. So if you're tall and think the Buddy might be too small for you, fear not. I think it's a great fit.

Now I just need a chrome rack and a matching top case!

Check out these pictures:

(note: the sun was shining straight down, so the shadows on my face made me look pretty menacing on my bike; I promise, I'm a nice guy )

SirLexelot wrote:Mike at NoHo Scooters got the first batch of Buddies this morning. I'd been saving for a long time to get a bike this summer, and when I heard that he was getting the Buddy I didn't have to think twice.

So this morning I ran over there and bought the Very First Buddy 125 to hit the Streets of Los Angeles! Woo hoo!!

W00T! Have fun on the first Buddy in LA. I bet you'll have lots of company soon.

NICE! The FIRST in L.A. town! Congrats!

Those are going to be bragging rights, someday (I hope).

Yeah, but I got to ride it first! Congrats on the new Buddy!

Make sure you guys come out tonight for the ride to the screening of Psycho at the cemetary. We are leaving the shop at 7 sharp.

very cool. Have you driven ur scooter for extended ranges to see if your feet/legs start to feel uncomfortable?

I've put about 40 miles on the bike so far, including one trip that was fairly long and involved quite a number of steep hills and tricky traffic situations, and the Buddy performed admirably.

I had one long uphill stretch where I was able to travel a sustained indicated 55 mph (so I'm guessing that really means 50 mph or so).

Comfort over longer distances has not been an issue, and I don't expect that it's going to be. Of course, my rides involve a ton of stoplights where I stretch out my legs. If you're going non-stop for a significant amount of time, your results may vary.

Anyway, so far so great! I can't wait to get the matching bucket and front rack!!

Took a Buddy over Coldwater Canyon from Beverly Hills to the Valley. It exceded expectations and flew over the hill. Indicated just over 50 up the hill with me on it, and im a big guy. The twisty part coming down the other side was tons o' fun.

Just like I said, its a perfect LA bike.

Should I be paying close attention to the whole "break-in period" thing? I've already pushed my bike fairly hard in the first 50 miles or so. How seriously should that be taken? What could go wrong if I don't heed the manual's warnings?

You are supposed to take it easy during the break in period. If you have to speed up for a minute or two or go over a hill, I would not worry.

I had to take the Buddy over the hill to see how it will do. Customers always ask how a scooter will do going over the canyons, and I need to give them an honest answer.

My wife rode a Buddy to the screening on Saturday. She helps out selling bikes on Saturdays since that is our busiest day. Needless to say she loves the Buddy as well.

I like that shot...we should make a gallery of the Buddys in front of one of our hometown landmarks...

peabody99 wrote:I like that shot...we should make a gallery of the Buddys in front of one of our hometown landmarks...

There's a "Horse & Buggy Parking Only" sign at my local CostCo. That's what most of the tourists take pictures of when they're in Lancaster, PA.

That always amazed me. They also have one at Avondale hospital, with stables for the horses as well.

peabody99 wrote:I like that shot...we should make a gallery of the Buddys in front of one of our hometown landmarks...

I think we'll have to take a picture of ours on the Golden Gate bridge . ; ) But the easier shot is going a block to the beach.

-Freehope

I was in NoHo Scoots today and am now 2 weeks away from buying a pink Buddy for my wife. She felt totally comfortable on it and looked great, too. Honestly, I can't wait to ride it myself.

The wife's going to be blowing me away at stop lights and up hills in no time. May be time to invest in some upgrades for my Vespa!

Memories, am I right?

Anyone know what become of that "first" Buddy in L.A.?

Yes. It still comes into NoHo for service, though with a different owner.

Holy cow that is great!

6 years down the road and Buddy soldiers on

Boy, peabody has been waiting on that Cruiser for awhile....