Modern Buddy

Hi, nice forum.

Looking for a scooter for gas-efficient commuting (two-up riding a likelihood). A few questions, if you will...

1) Does derestricting the Buddy 50 void the warranty?
2) Is the 2-stroke buddy 50 engine of equal, greater or lesser longevity than that of the 4-stroke buddy 125?
3) What is the resultant gas efficiency of a derestricted buddy 50?
4) I weigh about 135 pounds and my wife about 125. Will a restricted buddy 50 be able to keep up with traffic in this configuration? A derestricted?
5) My local genuine (shack) dealer offers a buddy 50 for $2100 out the door, but a buddy 125 for $3900 out the door. Does this seem strange?

I'll have more questions, I'm sure...

Thanks!

ishi

id go with the 125 if your looking to ride with two. derestricting will void your warrenty. the 50 just want have the hp to move two people me and my wife are looking a getting two buddy 125,s they have a top speed of around 60 to 65 mph . i like to have some go in reserve if i need it.

I'm a seattle dealer-we have some of the worst taxes, tabs and sub agent fees in the nation and still we're less than that on a 125.

Still, Dude, 2 up? Why punish yourself on a 50? Take the 125.

$3900 is a little steep, do you mean $2900?

if youre wanting ride 2 up, the 125 is the way to go.

I would strongly advise against a 50 and in favor of a 125. if you want to ride 2 up, there really is no choice. The 125 is certainly more flexible and a far better performer in the traffic conditions we all have to ride in. It will also be a reliable performer for far longer. A 2 stroke 50cc pushed to its max with various performance modifications is still not the equivalent of a 125. The prices you quote do not make sense. At my dealer, the price difference between the two models is less than $600. Our 125 was about $3000 out the door including a 4 year registration fee. If you are talking to a dealer that is asking $3900 for a 125, talk to a different dealer.

Get the 125. It has the power you need and will get better gas mileage.

The ONLY reason to get the 50 is if you can't handle the license and insurance requirements in your state, or you are in a restricted environment where 'moped' rules make a 50 much more practical - like some resort communities or campuses, or free sidewalk parking.

ishi wrote:5) My local genuine (shack) dealer offers a buddy 50 for $2100 out the door, but a buddy 125 for $3900 out the door. Does this seem strange?

I think everybody is telling you that's too high. If that's your only Buddy dealer, you might want to look around for a Kymco dealer.

Thanks for your replies. I see now that a buddy 125 is the only real option. Now I have to deal with this local guy who wants $1000 more for his buddy 125s than anybody else in the country.

Any advice on how to talk this guy down to a reasonable price? My record of success with this sort of businessman is not so great. Basically, the psychological profile is similar to a pawn shop owner. Outrageously overpriced goods, and an attitude of amusement or outrage when confronted with the discrepancy between the price and the actual market value. "Fine, some other rube will buy it" seems to be the ethos.

Or maybe I just don't know how to haggle.

when talking to someone about price i have to have a number of my own to deal with before i walk in. i believe this MSRP for the buddy is readily available on the genuine site. that would be the number to insist on. the only number the dealer has of his own is the set up price. i'd call around and see what other similar shops in the area charge for that service. add tax and registration which differs from city to city and you've got the price to deal with. more or less.

My worry is that when I catch him in a lie about his costs (almost inevitable with $1000 above market value) he'll become very offended and the interview will be over. How can I allow him to save face while coming down $1000 from his stated price?

someone who overcharges this much is someone who thinks differently than you. so you can assume what you like about this guy. i say, assume you would save face in his eyes when you have the price you're willing to pay discussion.
do you really want someone maintaining your scoot who intimidates? he would most likely continue to do so with parts and labor.

louie wrote:someone who overcharges this much is someone who thinks differently than you. so you can assume what you like about this guy. i say, assume you would save face in his eyes when you have the price you're willing to pay discussion.
do you really want someone maintaining your scoot who intimidates? he would most likely continue to do so with parts and labor.

It's a good point. He's the only game in town as far as Genuine scooters go, and even if I bought a buddy out of state, I would have to deal with him for maintainance. If I can't get a buddy 125, which other scooters would fit my requirements? I've not yet seen another scoot with such a nice seat for 2-up riding..

What about the kymco people S 125? Any thoughts?

buddy is my first. though i've heard good things about the peeps. i think they come in 150 models and might even be a better choice as a 2 up ride.

1) Don't know, but would be it does unless done by a dealer

2) Lesser longevity, not only because it's a 2 stroke, but because you would be beating on it a lot more to get to a reasonable speed. Fuel economy will also be better on the 125 for the same reasons.

3) I seem to recall people saying it's around 80 mpg.

4) No, it won't be able to keep up two up. One up, it may keep up, but you'll have people riding your tail while it is slowly getting up to speed.

5) $3900 is highway robbery. I got a new '06 for $2600 out the door. A new '07 would have been about $3200, and this is in the Chicago area. You should be able to get it for about $3000 out the door, new. For the money savings, it would be worth travelling quite a distance.

The only thing you're obligated to use that dealer for is the first maintenance, to honor the warranty obligations. After that, you can do your own maintenance or take it to any dealer that works on scooters.

If I were you, I would not support that dealer. That may even be a strong enough reason to consider Kymco, Yamaha, or Piaggio instead, if the dealer is better.

Since the OP doesn't have a profile that shows where he/she lives, it's hard to answer some of the questions with any degree of accuracy. For example, if the OP lives on Mars, I can sympathize with the dealership tacking on some additional destination fees.

Similarly, if the OP lives in Canada, I would expect higher OTD costs for a Buddy. This assumption is based on the complaints from Canadians I've read on other moto forums. If the OP lives in the US I'd be inclined to agree with JeremyZ's "highway robbery" comment. Perhaps the only other competition nearby is a Vespa dealership and the local Buddy dealer thinks he can tack on an extra thousand in profit while still underselling the LX-150. If I was confronted with the option of buying a $3900 Buddy, I know I would've bought a Vespa instead.