Modern Buddy

Hi everyone,

My top speed according to my speedometer is about 30-33mph. I started searching the threads here to see what others were saying and I'm coming across posts from people who claim to be going 40-45mph on a Buddy 50.
Is something wrong with my scooter?

At first I was worried that maybe my scooter hadn't been de-restricted (dealer claimed it was when I bought it in 2010), but then I remember having had my speedometer hit 40mph...that was like four years ago though when I would ride my scooter from Boston to Concord through Minuteman State Park.

I've also had my rear tire changed twice and I'm sure the mechanics would have said something if they took the exhaust off and found a restrictor in there.

Anyway...is my scooter going at its normal speed or is it possible something is clogged?

mukaiboston wrote:
I've also had my rear tire changed twice and I'm sure the mechanics would have said something if they took the exhaust off and found a restrictor in there.

Lost it there.....


Does a 333 post count mean something? Half a devil?

(A mechanic wouldn't necessarily say anything if your muffler still had the restrictor, because there's nothing "wrong" about it being there: many people choose to leave the restrictions in place for legal reasons.)

But if your speedometer used to say 40mph on level ground, and now it's topping out at 33mph, I'd say there's something not right. The simplest "fix" would be to add Seafoam to the next couple tanks of gas, and see if that has any effect. If not, I'd ask a mechanic to take a look.

mukaiboston wrote:I started searching the threads here to see what others were saying and I'm coming across posts from people who claim to be going 40-45mph on a Buddy 50.
Is something wrong with my scooter?

I doubt if anything is wrong with your scooter other than perhaps worn CVT rollers and a worn CVT belt. Next time you have the scooter in the shop, ask them to check your CVT components for wear. They have to pull the cover off the transmission and take a bolt off to pull the variator to check the rollers. Considering the cost of labor, you'll probably want them to just change the rollers while they do the inspection whether they are completely worn out or not. Same deal with the CVT belt. If you've been through two back tires, you're probably due for belt anyway and the cost of labor argument applies here, too.

jrsjr wrote:

mukaiboston wrote:I started searching the threads here to see what others were saying and I'm coming across posts from people who claim to be going 40-45mph on a Buddy 50.
Is something wrong with my scooter?

I doubt if anything is wrong with your scooter other than perhaps worn CVT rollers and a worn CVT belt. Next time you have the scooter in the shop, ask them to check your CVT components for wear. They have to pull the cover off the transmission and take a bolt off to pull the variator to check the rollers. Considering the cost of labor, you'll probably want them to just change the rollers while they do the inspection whether they are completely worn out or not. Same deal with the CVT belt. If you've been through two back tires, you're probably due for belt anyway and the cost of labor argument applies here, too.

You are mad.....

Did I miss this? How many miles are on your scoot? If you have 8-10,000 miles on the scoot it probably does need a belt/rollers.

Yes, however my mechanic knew that my scooter was supposed to be de-restricted because we had talked about it and it needed an inspection for its limited use plates. Restricted scooters in Massachusetts have stickers instead of limited use plates.

Okay, I had always wondered about the belt, but I don't want to have it replaced unless I'm sure that's the problem so I might just have to combine it with another repair.

Does anyone know about what the top speed of the 50 is supposed to be? Some people say 50mph but that still seems way too much for me.

BTW, I weight 112lbs so I can't be adding that much weight.

mukaiboston wrote:Does anyone know about what the top speed of the 50 is supposed to be? Some people say 50mph but that still seems way too much for me.

First you have to distinguish between what's indicated on the speedometer, and actual speed. As a general rule of thumb, the speedo reads about 10% high, so if it says you're going 50mph, it's probably more like 45mph. If someone tells you theirs goes "50mph" and they haven't done any additional mods (e.g. 70cc conversion, performance exhaust), they're probably just telling you what the speedo says (and rounding up a little).

The fastest I ever got consistently from my Buddy 50 was about 40mph(actual). In cold weather, or when it was overdue for service, etc. I'd get a little less. That's with a 200+pound rider.

KrispyKreme wrote:

jrsjr wrote:

mukaiboston wrote:I started searching the threads here to see what others were saying and I'm coming across posts from people who claim to be going 40-45mph on a Buddy 50.
Is something wrong with my scooter?

I doubt if anything is wrong with your scooter other than perhaps worn CVT rollers and a worn CVT belt. Next time you have the scooter in the shop, ask them to check your CVT components for wear. They have to pull the cover off the transmission and take a bolt off to pull the variator to check the rollers. Considering the cost of labor, you'll probably want them to just change the rollers while they do the inspection whether they are completely worn out or not. Same deal with the CVT belt. If you've been through two back tires, you're probably due for belt anyway and the cost of labor argument applies here, too.

You are mad.....

Maybe, but there's not much economics to paying the going shop labor rates twice. Since the labor is more than the parts, might as well replace the parts and pay the labor once, doncha think? I know you're going to argue with me because you apparently don't have anything better to do, so I'm posting this for the benefit of the OP. Thanks for letting this drop now, okay, KrispyKreme?

Sorry, to update this post so late. If any of you saw my post on my muffler going out...this is what was causing all the problems.

Glad you found the reason for loss of power and have successfully addressed that. Now, you never answered Syd's question about number of miles on the scooter. If you actually do have 8-10,000 miles on it - you are running a fair risk of a broken CVT belt. They often make quite a mess when they break while underway and can lock up the rear wheel.