Modern Buddy

Ok, I'm about ready to pull the trigger and buy something, the questino remains which. It's down to 3 options, but I'm struggling something fierce with the 'best' choice.

Option 1: Buddy 125 in Black or Creme. ($2599 before tax & fluff costs, probably 2900 drive out), no rear rack available yet (a concern since I'm going to be hauling my laptop to and from work).

Option 2: TGB Laser R9 151cc in Red. ($2499 before tax & fluff, has an $80 up charge to get a rack on the back)

Option 3: Kymco People 125 S in Red or Black. (guessing $2999, the MSRP but the dealer won't give me a quote over email), has the rack built in, also has the bigger wheels for smoother ride (16").

From what I can tell without spending a whole lot of time on them. Option 2 is the fastest of the three (marginally), but it's just another sporty scooter that has minimal character. Option 1, is the faster of the 125's, and uses identical controls to the uber cheap 50cc Chinese bike I've been putting around on for the last 2 weeks. Option 3 is the most expensive, but also looks to have the finest build quality, fit and finish of the three.

What I'm curious about is what other peoples experiences and impressions are/were from when they went shopping.

Aesthetically, the Buddy is my favorite (relatively obviously).

The build quality actually really impressed me, and I like the 2 year warranty.


I've carried my laptop (an another laptop that was not mine, simultaneously), both of them 15" PowerBooks, just fine in a courier pack, and I felt more comfortable with them strapped to my back than strapped in a rack. I guess that's a personal preference thing.

I can't give you a particularly swell comparison since I didn't look at the other two bikes...


But I can tell you that I don't regret the purchase of my Buddy at all.

Well, you're posting this question on a Buddy list, so don't be surprised at the responses. Actually I think the Buddy is more comfortable than the TGB to sit on for a shorter person. (I don't know your height). But you really should try sitting on them if possible. Believe me, as you're riding along, comfort will become a very important factor! Where are you finding the People 125? I didn't know they were at the dealers.

I have tested them all. My results;

Option #1 - The Buddy has fabulous power and mileage. 65 mph and
100 mpg out of a 125. Decent comfort. Seat has no
bulges in the seatpan to annoy you like the P150 does. Build
quality appears to be excellent. Good dealer network for
service. 2 year warranty & 1 year roadside assistance.
Most inexpensive of the bunch. Great value for the dollar.
Well-done classic looks.

Option #2 - Good power. Uncomfortable leg position. Very tall seat and
high foot position makes for a high center of gravity. Does
not instill much handling confidence. 2 year warranty. Good
build quality. Mileage in the 80's. Poor dealer network.
Sport scooter looks.

Option #3 - Excellent power and mileage. I found the seat to be
uncomfortable with a bulge in the seat pan where the
"family jewels" reside. The floorboards lock your feet
into one position and one position only. 2 year warranty.
Most expensive of the bunch. Comes standard with
Kymco's reputation for quality and reliability. Excellent
dealer network. Kinda ugly.

Option #4 - (you missed this one) Kymco Agility 125. Kind of an
unknown. I'm getting one this week or next. 125 cc,
Reported 65 mph. Reported 100 mpg. (From Europe).
Low weight, small (12") wheels. $1999.00 msrp. Still has
the annoying Kymco seatpan bulge. More foot-room than
the P150. Quality and reliability unknown, presumed,
however, that Kymco would furiously maintain it's fine
reputation. Excellent dealer network. Kinda ugly.

Bottom line, the Buddy has 3 main things going for it; the Genuine dealer network, excellent dollar value and good looks.

--Keys

Are those prices all at the same dealer? I really like the Buddy and I really like Genuine Scooters, but the more I learn about scooters and scootering, the more I believe that a good dealer is about 1/3-1/2 of the decision factor (the other part being the scooter, of course).

One of the reasons I'm such a fan of Genuine is that they understand how important the dealers are and they are going out of their way to build a strong dealer network. It isn't perfect, but Genuine get it, and they're working hard on it.

I would not let the rack/ lap top thing get to you. I carry mine in a back pack, it rests on the seat, so no strain. My co workers have messenger backs, again no problem. I have not riden the other scoots, but LOVE the Buddy. very, very happy

Hey Keys, was that the P150, or the P125S you tried? He'd asked about the latter, and I've been waiting to see one, so ifn you know of a dealer that has one in stock, I'd love to know as I wanna see one.

Option #5 Blur

Bert

All of the prices are not the same dealer. Probably the biggest ding against the Buddy right now is the dealer, they don't want to sell the Buddy's they want to sell the TGB's. The other dealer seems to be a better dealer, but they are primarily Kymco and classic Vespa's. They do have 6 People 125 S's in stock, and apparently were a Gnuine dealer, but aren't anymore (one of the other Atlanta members got thier Buddy from the Kymco dealer). Unfortunately both dealers are 30+ miles from home for me, so service is going to be a PITA regardless. Anyone familiar with Atlanta's roads should understand the misery that is 400S to 85S into Midtown.

Truth be told, if the Genuine dealership hadn't pushed so hard against the Buddy, I'd already have one, but because of the issues I have with the dealer, I'm looking at other options. I've already ruled out the Vino, the Fly and Vespa options.

The Blur would be interesting if it wasn't several months from general availability, and I suspect it's price would be an issue. I really don't want to go much over 3k for the drive out costs.

As to the location of the post, I expect a Buddy biased answer, but I also notice that fully half the posters are either owners of multiple scooters or other new buyers that had to go through some of the same research as I am .

Most of what I'm reading confirms my suspicions though. The Buddy is still probably the best of the bunch price/performance/value, I may just have to suck it up and deal with the Dealership despite my personal misgivings. I'm also less than thrilled at the +100 markup over MSRP that the dealer is putting on the Buddy.

Anyways, thanks for the input. I'll probably go ride the People this weekend, the bulge may be a problem for me, as I'm 6'3" 200lbs

I'm in the process of getting a bottom line quote from an out of town, but not too out of town, dealer. I'm going to give TnS an opportunity to match. I'll post or send you a private message with what I find out tomorrow.

If you are talking to the Chattanooga dealership, I have a customer up there, and I could steal my brother's F-250 for a day run up to pick up a pair if TnS stays consistent with their price tag and TGB push, which I more or less expect. To say I'm unimpressed would be a gross exaggeration. He's a nice guy, but I get the impression that the TGB is a higher profit unit, and so he'll push them even when the customer is looking at a different unit.

i dont know if anyone else has had this experience, but i rode both a p150 and buddy back to back for comparison sake, and was overwhelmingly swayed towards the buddy... i had also looked at a tgb here in phx, but the buddy just seems like the best bang for the buck...

the whole dealer thing is frustrating, also, especially with the now infamous "here in two weeks" buddy distribution policy... i am pretty much ready to buy, but i have to make the call between:
1-dealership 20min away
-less helpful/friendly vibe
-$60 dollars more
-1 orange buddy that can be mine now
and
2-dealership 1.5hrs away
-super friendly and "straight-up" vibe
-$60 less, plus $110worth of helmet thrown in..
-all orange buddies are currently deposited, so it will be "two weeks" to get another one...
i dont mind the drive, but patience is not my most prevalent virtue, and i will probably end up having it serviced at the closer dealership, anyway...
?????

Well after some discussions last night and the information here, and another hands on, looks like the Buddy is it. Of course, there isn't a Black on in stock, so patience will have to be at play now.

Yeah, Lou, I too would probably have it serviced locally, but for the initial purchase and for accessories and, well...just stuff, Mike and Shelby at Scoot Over would be hard to beat. That's who I'm getting my Agility from and I live clear up in Cottonwood!

--Keys

I think the reason the Dealer is pushing the tng is because of the low profit margin on the buddy. This is the biggest complaint I hear from our local dealers. Good for the consumer though.

peabody99 wrote:I would not let the rack/ lap top thing get to you. I carry mine in a back pack, it rests on the seat, so no strain. My co workers have messenger backs, again no problem. I have not riden the other scoots, but LOVE the Buddy. very, very happy

i've been lurking because i'm thinking about a buddy 125 as an upgrade to my vino 50 (i'm also considering a vino 125).

anyway, just wanted to say that i too carry my laptop in a backpack to work on my short commute in west LA.

i crashed in traffic last week and fell down. it wasn't a huge deal since i wasn't going that fast, but the vino took the worst of it (no serious damage though). point being, my laptop probably would have gotten messed up if it was in a cargo bin or strapped in.

btw, speaking of my bag...

a few weeks ago, i decided to shop around online for "slim profile" laptop backpacks (since that's usually all i'm carrying other than small items). i found a perfect backpack made by timbuk2 (good brand) and it's currently 50% off from REI-outlet.com, which is insane. i got the grey/black one and it's even better quality than i expected. for the price, it can't be beat.

just a little fyi for anyone who's looking for a similar thin laptop backpack like this....

click here since the url is way too long to copy/paste

Wow! That's a kick ass deal for sure!!

Thanks, Shane.


(While I really don't need another bag, I may have to pick one up at that price... Damn!!)

Keys wrote:Yeah, Lou, I too would probably have it serviced locally, but for the initial purchase and for accessories and, well...just stuff, Mike and Shelby at Scoot Over would be hard to beat. That's who I'm getting my Agility from and I live clear up in Cottonwood!

--Keys

yes, i definitely would give scoot over all the props in the world... my roomie bought her pink stella there, and i test rode a buddy there, but when push came to shove, i could not wait for them to get more orange buddies in stock... and scooter invasion sweetened the deal a little bit... they are pretty straight up peeps themselves...
btw, passed the arizona written test for learner's permit on the first try! i am ready to roll... as soon as i get my student loan check....

I see questions have been asked about KYMCO. My recommendation is that you never buy anything from KYMCO, whether a scooter or a motorcycle. I did and I regret it greatly. I purchased a new 2007 KYMCO Xciting 500 scooter, only to have the engine blow up at 70 miles an hour while traveling in fast but heavy freeway traffic. I got away with my life. But even worse, although the KYMCO advertises a 2 year manufacturer's warranty and the scooter itself was not even a year old, KYMCO has renegged on the warranty and has not after many months either fixed or replaced the bike. Before you even think of having anything to do with KYMCO, please visit my site http://www.KYMCOBuildsBadBikes.com and see the evidence for yourself.

Sincerely, Burt

hay im getting the blur and my dealer is 147 miles away !! theres only 2 in michigan that i know of right now.

I really like the fact my feet touch the ground on my Bud/125 ...also
if you check in here often looking for problems, there aren't many so right now Genuine looks dependable. I wish the tires were bigger but I'm accustomed to it now.Smooth sc00t w/ a gentle grrrr when you need it.
I bought mine at exactly the same time as a friend bought an Agility and he almost immediately said he wished he had gotten the Genuine 125.The Vespa dealer that carries them said it was next under the Vespas.I'm
sold. I bought. I ride .Just don't let me down Buddy!

I personally own the Buddy 125 and the Kymco People 150.

The seating comfort is all personal comfort. Most people find the Buddys seat very comfy. I find it very uncomfortable on long rides. The P150 is very comfortable to me.

I have found that they are both quality bikes. I have over 3500km on the Buddy and 1100km on the People. However, I believe the Buddy may have the edge on technology. The Buddy has a better electric starter, engine fires up quickly, auto choke works better, kick starting (if needed) is easier, tail light visibility, better storage, and lots of accessories. The Buddy has an anemic headlight, some quality control issues with the speedometer cable coming off and seat latch not working. The Buddy is noisier but a cool noisy (throaty growl).

The People is a solid scooter. Large tires smooth out the road, strong-quiet engine, nice even power delivery. Unfortunately, there isn't many accessories for those who love to pimp their rides.

I know a couple that own a pair of Agility 125s. They have not had a single issue with either bike. One of their bikes has more km's than I have on my Buddy. Athough the Agility is made in mainland China, Kymco's quality controls seem to be holding.

Both the People and Buddy are very easy to do minor maintenance on. Case and gear oil are easy to change.

From what I hear other people, Kymco and PGO (Genuine) are the tops in quality for scooter manufacturers in Taiwan. TGB and Adly (Lambretta Uno) are ok.

Whatever you buy, buy it soon. The US dollar keeps loosing value overseas. Expect higher prices for the 2008 models (100-250 dollars more).

TGB, Kymco, Sym and PGO all make good scooters. Some models are made in China (Piaggio Fly) and lack the quality of the Taiwanes models. You can't go wrong with any of those. CPI is made by TGB as well. The chap with the "I hate Kymco" site is an angry fella that needs a long vacation. lol His only post is to trash a quality product that produced a lemon. All manufacturers produce lemons. I have a friend with a Honda scoot with nothing but expensive problem after expensive problem. He has a life so can't be bothered spending half of it trashing Honda.