Modern Buddy

Brought my customized Buddy to the Minneapolis No Direction Home Rally this weekend. Well recieved.

Here is the list of modifications:
- Custom Paint
- Custom Speedometer
- Custom Decals
- Passenger Floorboards coated in LineX
- Chrome Grips
- IPOD/MP3 Player
- Ground Effects Lighting
- Painted Rims
- Painted Fork
- Trim on Front Fender
- Removal of stock turn signals (use original ones)
- Dual Horn System
- Digital Clock
- Visistop Brake Modulator

I will post more pictures when I have some time. I will even post how to's on my website... but for now I am just too busy.... here are a few pictures.

The scooter next to it is my wife's Vino 125 . - Also customized.

now that is sweet, and I am super jealous of that color! one of my fav's. would you mind disclosing how much this approximately cost?

Costs:
- Custom Paint $300 - but I did all prep work.
- Custom Speedometer - FREE - had supplies on hand.
- Custom Decals - $60
- Passenger Floorboards coated in LineX - $10
- Chrome Grips - $20 JC Whitney
- IPOD/MP3 Player - $80 Ebay
- Ground Effects Lighting - $25 Ebay
- Painted Rims - Paint $4
- Painted Fork Paint $4
- Trim on Front Fender $2
- Removal of stock turn signals (use original ones) - FREEBIE
- Dual Horn System - Checker Auto $9
- Digital Clock - $2 Walmart
- Mirrors - $35 Scooterville (from Kymco Scooter)
- Visistop Brake Modulator $15 Ebay

Really not that expensive. And it only took me about 20 hours total labor.

That looks killer!

Nice work.

awesome love it! did you know an avacado colored Buddy is on the horizon? I love the bike next to it too. Did you do the actual painting? great job!

Amazing job! I love it! I love what you did with your wife's Vino, too. I used to have a red one, would never have thought of doing what you did!

P.S. What is LineX?

Kudos, looks great.

Now you’re talking – it’s not a 2 stroker but it looks cool.

About the rims, did you remove the tire when you painted them? I mean did you remove them from the rims???

That's awesome. Urban Assault Buddy (UAB). Gotta love it! Good job.

Yep thats my scoot too. If you goto Scoot.net there are quite a few photos of my scooter from the No Direction Home Rally. I have gotten a lot of PMs about the scoot so I will try to post pictures in more detail later this week.

RIMS: Nope I did not remove the tires to paint the rims.... its a rattle can job. I only had 10 days so I had to cut corners where possible. Long term I probably will powder coat the rims.

Thanks all for the nice posts..... hopefully some others will start customizing there buddys too. Looks like the "Bundy" is coming soon.

dsleedesign wrote:Looks like the "Bundy" is coming soon.

It won't be nearly as intense as yours, but it sounds like a fun plan to me.

dsleedesign,

- Chrome Grips - $20 JC Whitney

I' interested in getting some chrome grips. What size did you order to fit the Buddy? Do you like them? Is the fit good?

I wasn't sure what to expect when you first told us about your potential mods and I must say, I think it looks pretty damn cool. The colour rocks!

Dope.......If you are gonna be a bear, might as well be a GRIZZLY!
You really hit it off on the mods. Congrats.

These are the grips.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Prod ... 37/c-10111

I bought the 5" ones.... the 6" ones look crappy on the bike.


You will need to apply electical tape under the grip as the diameter is a bit bigger.

Use WD40 to slide it on when the WD40 is dry it will work like glue. if you ever want to take the grips off.... just squirt wd40 in again... bam there off again.

I have done this on every bike I have owned... SUPER EASY.

I much prefer using hairspray to WD40, but to each his own.

I have used Harispray with mixed results. You gotta get the REALLY cheap stuff or it doesn't work sometimes....

Either solution works well. I like WD40 because it works like a lube to stick em on. and then dries hard.

dsleedesign wrote:I like WD40 because it works like a lube to stick em on. and then dries hard.

how long does it take to dry before you can ride again?

dsleedesign wrote: - Custom Decals - $60

Impressive work! I recently posted on a craftster.org scooter thread that the Buddy may be the most cheaply and easily customizable scoot on the market.

Re: custom decals... Were these made from your own designs? If so, could you tell me where you had them done? I am designing custom graphics for my scoot and the wife's Buddy but have yet to figure out how/where to have 'em produced.

Thanks!

If you can't find someone, I've got a guy around the corner from me that can do 'em. He's also a two wheeler rider (of the sport-tourer variety though), and has done some nice work for me in the past.

TAG Signs, Alpharetta, GA (Ask for Tony)
678-366-7975

I loved your customization of your Buddy. Can you tell me the source of the replacement mirrors, and if you know it, the mirror size and thread? (suspect 10MM). Thanks.

northgardener wrote:I loved your customization of your Buddy. Can you tell me the source of the replacement mirrors, and if you know it, the mirror size and thread? (suspect 10MM). Thanks.

dsleedesign wrote:Mirrors - $35 Scooterville (from Kymco Scooter)

The "custom" mirrors were from a TGB scooter. Kymco mirrors use right hand thread on both sides. Buddy and TGB mirrors use r hand thread on one side and left hand on the other.

scootervillain wrote:The "custom" mirrors were from a TGB scooter. Kymco mirrors use right hand thread on both sides. Buddy and TGB mirrors use r hand thread on one side and left hand on the other.

Somebody make up their mind I'm having my Pink Buddy altered and I wanted the Black mirrors, I told my dealer that they were KYMCO.

Arrrg!

dahuffy wrote:

scootervillain wrote:The "custom" mirrors were from a TGB scooter. Kymco mirrors use right hand thread on both sides. Buddy and TGB mirrors use r hand thread on one side and left hand on the other.

Somebody make up their mind I'm having my Pink Buddy altered and I wanted the Black mirrors, I told my dealer that they were KYMCO.

Arrrg!

Yup, you need mirrors with 8mm screw posts and the reverse thread on one side.

Since ScooterVillian is Scooterville (Bob) - He's right..... it TGB... I thought it was a Kymco... but it must have been a TGB.... sorry.

Like the handle bar grips, how do you remove the stock grips? Are they 7/8? I'd like to do something similar.

Yes how do you remove the stock grips?
Also do you think it would be possible to instal a drink/cup holder somewhere on a Buddy?

ScooterMonkey wrote:Also do you think it would be possible to instal a drink/cup holder somewhere on a Buddy?

This seems to be one of the most vexing questions of scooterdom as it comes up frequently. I think the Buddy's non-glovebox hole thing is ripe for customization. I have seen cup holders for cars which may actually worh by clamping them to the lip of the glove hole and placing the cup part on the inside.

ScooterMonkey wrote:Yes how do you remove the stock grips?

There's a small amount of adhesive holding them on...

I squirted a lil' WD40 in 'em, and they wiggled right off.

Ok cool, I'm gonna' go order those grips right now.
Thx. all for the info

Has anyone else swapped out their stock mirrors for TGB mirrors like those pictured above?

I just ordered some from Scooter Centrale in CT, but was wondering how others were liking theirs.

Thanks!

I have to say the time, and the money and work you put into this really shows. I think this is the coolest customization I've seen so far (just because there is NO color out there like this!). Great work, I love the skeleton on the front, it gives it an edge. But the red Vino next to it is adorable (very classy too).

castleton wrote:Has anyone else swapped out their stock mirrors for TGB mirrors like those pictured above?

I just ordered some from Scooter Centrale in CT, but was wondering how others were liking theirs.

castleton, how did that work out for you? Did you install them?

peabody99 wrote:awesome love it! did you know an avacado colored Buddy is on the horizon?

Super! Finally a scooter that will match the appliances in my mom's kitchen.

ECS

lobsterman wrote:

castleton wrote:Has anyone else swapped out their stock mirrors for TGB mirrors like those pictured above?

I just ordered some from Scooter Centrale in CT, but was wondering how others were liking theirs.

castleton, how did that work out for you? Did you install them?

Thanks for asking! I ordered them, but then I had the small windshield installed and appreciated the better viewing that resulted. I'm going to hold on to the TGB's and try them out in the spring.

One thing that my dealer did on the windshield install: he hacksawed the right reverse thread bolt so that it was even with the left. Everything looks great!

How did you do your custom speedometer? I always find the speedometer on the Buddy to be sort of cheap looking and wanted to glam it up a bit.

Welcome to the forums, but I think this thread died around 4 years ago...

Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 2:23 pm

Hopefully though you can find your answer from someone on the forums.

thanks

dsleedesign,

After glancing at your long list of mods my first thought was your Buddy is going to look overly busy with too many add-ons/mods.But after seeing your Buddy I see I was dead wrong.Hey great looking scoot and it's all yours. Great work!

I thought I was doing good by adding a Texas flag seat cover to my Buddy


Very slick indeed, nice work!!

My poor Dobby is just now finally getting a rear rack. Next maybe I will get some decals. White or off white should look nice . By the way, what type of paint do I need to cover a scratched off paint on a brake handle?
I love the grips. If and when I replace I would want those exact ones

To late to go to the garage to double check but I used krylon black satin on the brake lever just today when I was fixing my partners bike after his accident.

I used windex when I changed my grips. I like it more than wd-40 since it is not so greasy. Your bike looks great! Now give us the low down on your speedo mod.

Stormswift wrote:My poor Dobby is just now finally getting a rear rack. Next maybe I will get some decals. White or off white should look nice . By the way, what type of paint do I need to cover a scratched off paint on a brake handle?

I periodically treat mine with a black Sharpie. It's the duct tape of cosmetic injuries.

Re: brake lever:

TVB wrote:I periodically treat mine with a black Sharpie.

Holy cow! I thought I was the only one that did this!