Modern Buddy

With the help and tools of a friend we did the most basic of maintenance on my Beo and my wife's Buddy. Oils and filter, basic check up.

Both were a little overdue, especially since we took the Scarabeo on a 1000 mile trip late last month. Oil was really dirty!

End of summer they'll get the full treatment at the shop, but they both seem fine.

Always feels good to get a little wrenching experience (he has a garage and way better tools) and make sure the scoots are ready to go for a bit.

I felt that way too the first time I did my own fluid changes...

We don't have a garage, so mostly I've been going to a friend's house to do it. Since he's moving things are in a bit of flux.

However this year I will be investing in the basic tools to do some of this myself. It does save a lot of money, even though I consider our shops to be pretty reasonable. I also don't expect my wife to be piling on the miles, but she is smitten with it so we'll see how the work/school schedules line up until Winter.

My buddy is covered under an extra warranty/service plan from said shop, which I have found to be invaluable and a good deal for the amount of miles I put on. I bought it when I saw how many miles I was putting on, in Winter, in CO, but before I had made friends with some mechanically minded folks who didn't mind helping me out.

But given how reliable they are if I take in the other 2 once a year for a good service and once over, I can justify the tools and extra expense of having some oil recycled pretty fast.

Congrats, it’s a great feeling. I still haven’t attempted the Buddy or the Vespa even though I still get sticker shock from the cost of an oil change. It seems the horror stories from similarly mechanically un inclined riders stick in my head...it seems easy to tighten this or that too much or too little and disaster ensues! Since the only shops I have used, Pride of Cleveland and Motorsport in San Diego are tops in the business, I have been really spoiled. They give the bikes a nice once over and address little things I would not have noticed if I had done the oil change, or had taken them to less conscientious mechanics.

With that said, acquiring the Helix has pushed me to be more self- sufficient. For one, it needs a change every 1000-1250 miles and second it’s so darn easy. I had the mobile mechanic that sold the scooter do the first change and show me how, and I did one this week on my own. It literally took less than 10 minutes. This will be the extent of my DIY though. We only have 2 wheels keeping us from the pavement and I don't mind the experts helping me keep them upright!

A standard 'service', not just oil changes, on the Buddy is @$100.

On the Scarabeo, it's more like $160, so I believe I'll do it every OTHER time .

as an fyi check with autozone about oil recycling. My local one does it for free (well I guess they absorb the cost, hoping you are a customer), maybe it is the same there.

Otherwise dump it in the waterways...Just kidding!