Modern Buddy

I'm very interested in getting a Buddy, but the closest dealers aren't within scooter driving distance of my house. I don't own a truck but I do have a Pontiac Vibe, and I was wondering if you think a Buddy could fit in the back of one, or if I'd have to rent a trailer and get a hitch. (If anybody wants to measure their Buddy for me, that would be great, too!)

Also, Genuine really needs to update their dealer list. Era Ski & Bike shop, which has been removed by my request, never got the zoning for a dealership, and Cumberland Kawasaki no longer carries them.

You might consider a hitch and then one of those platforms that slides into the receiver to carry the Buddy on. They are usually rated at about 350 pound carrying capacity and only cost about $75.00. Then you wouldn't have to rent a trailer and you'd have it for when you want to go on vacation or to a distant rally and need your scooter with you.

--Keys

Here's a list from the other thread viewtopic.php?t=54

Honda Element - 2 Buddies
Honda Civic Wagovan - 1 Buddy (passenger seat max forward)
Lincoln Navigator - Leaning slightly
Jeep Commander - 1 Perfectly upright
Checker Marathon - 1 in the back seat...sideways
Toyota Tercel Wagon - 1 upright Front wheel in the rear seat foot-well
Scion xB - 1 tilted and diagonal, but no straps were needed.

I have one of those Vers-Haul thingy, and it has been working great for me so far. Since I haven't receive my license yet, I been hauling my Buddy to parking lots to practice my skills. My cost me more than $300 though....

These are approx measures, the best I could do with my little tape measure, but hopefully they'll give you a good idea if it would fit in your Vibe. If it looks close, but you aren't quite sure, let me know, and I'll try to get better measurements.

25 inches wide at the widest part of handgrips
45 inches tall at the speedo, if you remove the mirrors
64 inches long from tire to tire (add approx 4 more inches for fender and muffler clearance)

Hope this helps,
Jody

Stuff a Buddy into a VIBE might be physcialyl possible (if you remove the mirros), but the actual act of getting it in and out might be a tought task...

Icelander,

Have you asked your dealer is they would deliver it for you? Also, you can rent a van from home depot for $25 for a couple hours I think. That may be easy to load it into.

Just a suggestion!

Good luck. By the way, I have strong Icelandic roots.

Converting the numbers from the PGO BuBu 125 gives:

67.3" long
25.4" wide
41.7" tall

I've already looked into getting a hitch on my Vibe, but it's about $200, which is more than I'd like to spend right now. I'll mock up a Buddy with some cardboard tonight to see if it'll fit in the back. (Thankfully, my wife just ordered a bunch of stuff and we've got plenty of cardboard.) The only thing I'm really concerned about is the height. There's a pretty good chance that, if it's not too tall, I could roll it right into the back seat!

The closest dealers are over an hour away from me, so renting a truck from Home Depot isn't really possible for me, and the cheapest truck rental $60 from Enterprise.

I'll call the dealerships to see if they'll deliver. Thanks for all the great information and suggestions!

I just placed a deposit on the last black Buddy 125 in my area! If push comes to shove, I'll l get a UHual truck, but I'm almost certain I can fit it in the back of my Vibe with the seats folded down and tilted slightly.

Thanks for all the help guys!

I made a cardboard Buddy based on the measurements you guys gave me and it won't fit in my Vibe. If I could take off the handlebars, it might fit.

But my dad has a trailer hitch and he's willing to help me out on Friday.

Thanks again!

Think I can get one home in a Nissan Pathfinder with the back seats down??

I just bought some ratchet tie downs at Home Depot for $15 and rented a truck from Enterprise for $50 for the day.

s_check wrote:Think I can get one home in a Nissan Pathfinder with the back seats down??

"Will it fit?" is kind of different from "Can you get it in and out without scratching and denting the hell out of it?" Fortunately, these guys are MUCH easier to lift and tile than my Vespa (and less dent-prone, cheaper to fix and so on), but I'd still think that rolling it up and into the vehicle is the best way to go.

$50 for truck rental and tie downs is probably better than a deep scratch or bent mirror...

That said, my next vehicle is going to need to haul 2 scoots via trailer or whatever...

Well, I met Shelby in Phoenix (130 miles away) to pickup my Buddy. Hauled it back in the back seat of my Sebring convertible. The front end stuck way up, but it all fit! I had a couple in a Scion in the fast lane pass me and take pictures on their camera phone. Got home and neither the Chrysler nor the Buddy were any worse for the wear. I, however, got a terrific sunburn on my little bald head...

--Keys

Keys wrote:I, however, got a terrific sunburn on my little bald head...

Don't you hate it when that happens? Seriously, giant congratulations on Buddy ownership!

Ride Safe.

Two words for the wise convertible driver:

Baseball Cap.

I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago in my old Mustang. I broad brimmed hat would be better, but you can't get them tight enough to stay on at 65 mph, so a good fitted baseball cap is the only way to go. I actually carry an extra one under the seat of my scoot as well, for the quick, helmet hair coverup . I always carried one under the seat or in the glove box of the convertible.

Me, I want a copy of those camera phone pics though, something tells me that was a picture that would work great in a 'Priceless' sketch.

Gas for the 130 Mile Drive to the Dealership: $28 (picture of ownere filling up the car at the station)
Buying a Scooter to save on future gas: $2900 (taking the keys at the dealership)
Helmet to protect the head: $120 (covering that bare noggin')
Gas for the 130 Mile Drive home: $28 (driving home with the scooter hanging out the back seat)
Aloe for the sunburned scalp: $3 (pink scalp with a dollop of green aloe gel)

Hours and Miles of 100MPG, ear to ear grinning fun: Priceless (crusing off into the sunset on the new Buddy with new helmet)

fade to black, with the Buddy Logo and a link

I love the commercial idea... BRILLIANT!

The Ducati in Seattle delivered mine for me... considering I own a Ford Focus. I live outside of Seattle (about fifteen miles away) and they were nice enough to deliver in rush hour traffic for no charge.

Plus, it doesn't hurt to bat your eyes at the sales people. The wonders of being a girl!

There have been numerous threads on scooter hauling on MB's sister site, ModernVespa.com.

Check out:
http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1683
http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=108

and for tie-downs:
http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1042

ModernVespa, by the way, is a great resource for many general scooter-related questions and issues (Vespa-related or not), shares many members with this site, and is home to a number of Buddy fans. Register, check it out, use the search.[/u]