Modern Buddy

While checking back on some earlier posts, I realized that many of the people that were on MB when I first got involved are no longer regular visitors.

Some of the more memorable to me in regards to their technical abilities, knowledge & expertise, and some just for the entertainment value and humor were:

Leeroy Jenkins
rickko
olhogrider
kneil67
Kaos
djelliott
pocPhil
KRUSTYburger
DennisD
Orange Guy
MikieTaps
Becktastic
taile84
LisaLisa
jfrost2
Drumwoulf
ScooterDave (Okay, I might not get much agreement here, but he made me laugh as he shamelessly pushed buttons and got the desired response)

Anyway, just a few of the former regular posters that I wish were still routine contributors.

I'm sure I left several hundred off of the list.

Rob

In a few months, this site will have been live for 7 years. It's very hard to believe. (Many thanks to our founder, jess and our admin, ericalm!) After test riding the first Buddy to arrive in Richmond, I predicted on the old ScooterBBS that the Buddy would become the "smallframe" of a new generation of scooterists, a small, inexpensive, fun-to-ride, reliable, cute scooter that would put a whole lot of folks on two wheels for the first time in their lives. I think I was right about that.

Unfortunately, the nature of the beast is that the Buddy scene would be a transitory thing as folks learned, changed, grew, moved on to other scooters (or motorcycles), and generally passed through on the road of life. I discovered very early on that I enjoyed the new folks. Helping them discover that scooters were for them (and sometimes, sadly, not for them) was something I don't get tired of. And even better, the folks who decide to hang here a while tend to be a great crowd.

So, to everybody who's ever been a member, the folks who've come and gone, the folks who stayed, the folks who've just joined, I raise a steaming hot cup of coffee. Cheers!!!

Drumwoulf rode with our club up until a couple of years ago, but is no longer a part of the two-wheeled scene. From what I can recall, he felt that he was getting a bit long in the tooth and decided to hang up his guns. Nice guy, and truly missed by the rest of the gang.

Becktastic sold the Buddy and picked up a KLX 400. She got taken out on the road by a car driver, had some bad injuries but is doing ok now. She's on another forum I'm on.

I'll second that cheers to all of them!

I noticed a kind of changing of the guard about 6mo's to a year ago. Many of the names you mention stopped coming by. Such good peeps, many helped me a ton when it came to learning about the scooter — not to mention always keeping a smile on my face. I hope they are all doing well.

Remember the Voodoo avatars that Krusty drew for who was it... Kaos, djElliot and I forget the third, OrangeGuy? And Kaos' Voodoo website for Buddy mods? He sure knew his stuff!

Maybe it's not the season for many of us. So it gets a bit quiet...

Last time I saw Krusty she had gone vintage with a P200e. I know I'll run into FireJ at Cocoa and I hope Krusty shows up too!

Drum Pro wrote:Maybe it's not the season for many of us. So it gets a bit quiet...

I had thought that folks would post MORE if they weren't able to ride, but maybe that's just me.

If I can't be out on the scoot, i can at least interact with fellow scooterists, you know?

That's the pattern on a lot of MC forums. I know the PC800 group I'm on gets really active in the winter as the folks up north have to put their bikes up for the winter. I'm pretty sure they get stir-crazy.

People into DIY do their mods and the more extensive maintenance and repairs in the winter as well, and that generates a lot of posts.

I guess I may be sort of transient here as well, as I have yet to own a scoot, but it's a really good group here so it's interesting just to listen in.

kaos had a big project going. vespa swap and ran into some hurdles.

ravenlore wrote:

Drum Pro wrote:Maybe it's not the season for many of us. So it gets a bit quiet...

I had thought that folks would post MORE if they weren't able to ride, but maybe that's just me.

If I can't be out on the scoot, i can at least interact with fellow scooterists, you know?

no kidding! maybe talking about it when they can't ride depresses them.

I tend to forget people don't work online like I do all day so they can post random nonsense.

jrsjr wrote:Unfortunately, the nature of the beast is that the Buddy scene would be a transitory thing as folks learned, changed, grew, moved on to other scooters (or motorcycles), and generally passed through on the road of life.

Buddy is a gateway drug.

its just the way forums work. users come and go and sometimes come around again. sometimes not. fact of the matter is unless you know someone personally posters are just usernames and avatars. and fairly random

i think its important to remember whatever has been contributed is still here for as long as MB is, and maybe beyond if the internet has a say. the knowledge, stories, and insights will continue to come from other usernames, and those of us here to see it will, and those not will not

and that pretty much sums up a forum for me

don't worry, Rob. we're still here for YOU

ingrate

charlie55 wrote:Drumwoulf rode with our club up until a couple of years ago, but is no longer a part of the two-wheeled scene. From what I can recall, he felt that he was getting a bit long in the tooth and decided to hang up his guns. Nice guy, and truly missed by the rest of the gang.

That's what I remember about him. Very nice person. Hope he's doing well. I often wonder if and when I'll decide to call it quits on 2 wheels. I don't think so, if I have to give in just a little and eventually end up with a trike.

siobhan wrote:Becktastic sold the Buddy and picked up a KLX 400. She got taken out on the road by a car driver, had some bad injuries but is doing ok now. She's on another forum I'm on.

I think she was the adventurous sort. And on the artistic side as well. If I remember correctly she helped design some artwork for a scooter club or two on MB.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:I'll second that cheers to all of them!

I noticed a kind of changing of the guard about 6mo's to a year ago. Many of the names you mention stopped coming by. Such good peeps, many helped me a ton when it came to learning about the scooter — not to mention always keeping a smile on my face. I hope they are all doing well.

Remember the Voodoo avatars that Krusty drew for who was it... Kaos, djElliot and I forget the third, OrangeGuy? And Kaos' Voodoo website for Buddy mods? He sure knew his stuff!

Yes, the sheer volume of technical expertise available on this site has always amazed me. I've always been able to do my own work on my toys and machines, but the scoot was my first experience with a CVT. I found so much reference material and received tips from many of those on the list, that it was made things easy.

And I'd forgotten about Krusty's Voodoo avatars ... those were impressive.

Rob

Phil and Dustin (POCphil and DJElliot) do a great podcast:

http://clevelandmoto.blogspot.com/

connected to POCscooters and ClevelandMoto, Phil's shops. The podcast is mostly about vintage bikes and cafe racers, but usually they at least mention scooters lovingly, and often remind their regular listeners that scooter riders are ten times cooler than motorcyclists.

I don't see Phil nearly as much as I used to, or as much as I'd like to, but the podcast is great for road trips, it's like having Phil, Dustin, and James chugging beers in the car with you, telling their awesome stories.

POCPhil also opened up a second shop east of Cleveland in Mentor. I think that as a dealer he tries to stay out of the forums unless he is needed. As this one now has so many experienced riders on it, he is less vocal. I am just guessing, but I bet he still lurks. I am lucky that I can see Phil whenever I want. After all, I bought my Buddy from him and his shop has also worked on my Super Sherpa. He is one of those guys that recognizes me, even if it has been over a year since I stopped up.

I remember when Becktastic bought the dual sport. She outgrew the speed limitations of the Buddy (or any scooter) pretty quickly. Sorry to hear about the encounter with the car. I remember the pics with her with the knee pads over whatever else she was wearing (on the scooter, not the KLX).

I miss Krusty most of all. All the posts of updates and modifications on the look of her scooters. And she had a good sense of humor. Mine is too dry for forums, it doesn't quite translate sometimes.

I have been on and off here for a few years now. Now quite a bit less. Too many other things going on, and I think that when I don't see familiar people on the site I tend to want to interact less. But I don't think that as long as I own my Buddy I will ever completely leave this forum. Kindred spirits and all that.

Phil is running a truck load of scooters to the Cocoa Beach Rally again. I'll tell him to stop in here and say hey!
http://modernvespa.com/forum/topic109628

It's just the nature of these things. I don't even post on MB with the frequency that I once did, though I'm often here, lurking in the shadows.

I used to be one of the most prolific posters on ModernVespa, too. Now I go on, check in with the Moderators, scan the thread titles in General Discussions, decide that half of them are just going to drive me nuts if I read them, and move on.

Some 2006 members (aside from me & the mods) who are still around and active: peabody99, mattgordon still pops in on occasion, Rippiyarn, BuddyRaton.

Dude....you're making me feel old!

hi guys here i am

alright there i go

ericalm wrote:It's just the nature of these things. I don't even post on MB with the frequency that I once did, though I'm often here, lurking in the shadows.

I used to be one of the most prolific posters on ModernVespa, too. Now I go on, check in with the Moderators, scan the thread titles in General Discussions, decide that half of them are just going to drive me nuts if I read them, and move on.

Some 2006 members (aside from me & the mods) who are still around and active: peabody99, mattgordon still pops in on occasion, Rippiyarn, BuddyRaton.

I belong to both Honda and Kawasaki forums and while the active membership is probably more stable, they don't attract new members the way MB does. Perhaps there's more movement from scoots to larger machines ... I'm not sure? Regardless, MB is a repository of great info .... I just have to remember/force myself to use the search function from time to time.

illnoise wrote:Phil and Dustin (POCphil and DJElliot) do a great podcast:

http://clevelandmoto.blogspot.com/

connected to POCscooters and ClevelandMoto, Phil's shops. The podcast is mostly about vintage bikes and cafe racers, but usually they at least mention scooters lovingly, and often remind their regular listeners that scooter riders are ten times cooler than motorcyclists.

I don't see Phil nearly as much as I used to, or as much as I'd like to, but the podcast is great for road trips, it's like having Phil, Dustin, and James chugging beers in the car with you, telling their awesome stories.

Thanks for that link! I listened to the Tail of the Dragon podcast .... not only interesting, but funny.

We're leaving tomorrow for Indy, weather permitting, so I'll do as you suggest and take the podcasts along for the ride.

Rob

topic24264.html

you see. it'll be ok

Rob wrote:Thanks for that link! I listened to the Tail of the Dragon podcast .... not only interesting, but funny.

It's usually more funny than interesting, ha.

Be sure to write them and tell them motorcycles are boring and they should talk about scooters more.

Bb.

PeteH wrote:
Buddy is a gateway drug.

^^^^ LMAO...I'm going to use that again, with your permission.

Heh. No worries.

illnoise wrote:

Rob wrote:Thanks for that link! I listened to the Tail of the Dragon podcast .... not only interesting, but funny.

It's usually more funny than interesting, ha.

Be sure to write them and tell them motorcycles are boring and they should talk about scooters more.

Bb.

I'll do that. Something tells me they won't listen.

Rob

what ever happened to mikietaps or badbrains? or anyone else from the old austin crew? any one know?

i sure miss those two silly boys.

MikieTaps got a big motorcycle.

He was, at one point, the most prolific poster on ModernBuddy, racking up an amazing post count in a shorter time than anyone else had. He's still in the top 15 and hasn't posted in 2 years.

His last post:

MikieTaps wrote:Hey yall!

Got spammed with a PM from here so I figured while I was here I would stop by and say hello!

How is everyone?

How am I still in the top 10 posters?

viewtopic.php?p=184835

Hilarious.

I've been SLAMMED since opening the second shop www.clevelandmoto.com

We try to stay on top of the podcast, our goal is to drop a new one every week...it ends up being every other week at best.

I got to ride Lynlee's Buddy 125 to Mexico and Back and it was Awesome, I'm helping Josh D. Build a custom low-rider from a salvaged buddy 125.

Cocoa Beach rally was Fantastic, I was doing wheelie school on a Buddy 170i and blasting around all weekend. Big Fun.

We've been selling a whole LOTTA buddies and been doing a few motor upgrades and generally keeping busy...whoever said winter was dead at a scooter shop never spent any time around here.

I lurk about once a week if I'm sitting in the title bureau or something.

Getting ready for springs so it's a lot of dirty carbs and dead batteries these days!

pocphil wrote:I've been SLAMMED since opening the second shop www.clevelandmoto.com

COME TO SAN DIEGO FOR AMERIVESPA.

Hell, come to LA and ride down with us. Would love to see you and hang out again.

I went back to big bikes. Currently riding a Triumph Scrambler. I have been commuting from S.F. to Miami but starting in May I'll be working in L.A. The need for two wheeled transport in Socal brought me back here. I loved my Buddy and was truly sad when it was stolen. I'm thinking of a Stella but you still get more bang for your buck with a Buddy. What to do?

I guess sometimes they do come back home.
One of the reasons I'll be downsizing to a 2 bedroom condo when I retire.

topic24504.html

Anyway, welcome back Ohhogrider!

Rob