Modern Buddy

Happy to report that the rev happy yellow Grom next to me downtown today was left behind as we raced from light to light and then eventually he turned off as he realized the Buddy was quicker than he probably thought.

Anyone else go head to head with a grom?

Good job on the Grom.
I haven't raced a Grom, but I did beat a 500cc sportbike for three stoplights. Couldn't tell what it was since he was always behind me. I only know it was 500cc when the rider yelled at me at the 3rd light "I'm riding a 500cc and I can't catch you! What the hell is that thing?!". Lots of fun being juvenile, isn't it?

Only vehicle of any sort that's beat me off the line was some dirt bike just today. It was probably due to the super low gears - he had to shift 3-4 times within the first 50 feet, it seemed. I think he asked me at the next light if I wanted to race, but I ignored him and he wheelied away when the light turned green.

I try to not show off against other riders, so I will stay behind them if they're waiting at a light and I pull up alongside. It does take a bit of restraint to do so, however. I think the reason most motorcycles are slower than us is the need to shift their manual transmissions.

I'd love to see how a buddy with a 166 kit would perform against a sport bike on a short track.

I know we love our Buddies but.... Here is my real life experience.

I owned a Buddy 125 and a Tmax500 at the same time. My wife on the Buddy (lighter than I am) and me on the Tmax. We wanted a comparison of acceleration. When the light turned green we took off. I cleared the intersection before she was half way across. In about 6 seconds I surpassed the Buddys top speed of approximately 60mph. I now have a vStrom650 in place of the Tmax. No sense doing a head to head with the Strom since it has about double the acceleration of the Tmax. I'll pass 60 in 2nd gear in about 3.5 seconds. The Strom is not even considered a fast bike.

I did have a kid on a bicycle challenge me one time, I declined. He was kinda' smart-assey about it.

I leave traffic behind at intersections almost always but where the Buddy really shines is on tight, twisty roads 30-50 mph. I ride the Buddy faster there. I'm tapping the brakes & beginning to lean my motorcycle into a turn but on the Buddy I just turn & go. More gas, more lean, less brake & wait.

New2Scoots wrote:I leave traffic behind at intersections almost always but where the Buddy really shines is on tight, twisty roads 30-50 mph. I ride the Buddy faster there. I'm tapping the brakes & beginning to lean my motorcycle into a turn but on the Buddy I just turn & go. More gas, more lean, less brake & wait.

Yup. There's a 50 mile stretch of curvy mountain road near me where you have to ride between 25 and 50 the whole way. There's not a motorcycle made that I can't drop like it's walking on that road while I'm on my Buddy.

gr8dog wrote:
I did have a kid on a bicycle challenge me one time, I declined. He was kinda' smart-assey about it.

Similarly, at a stop sign after a very late work night, a couple dudes were tauntingly making revving noises at me on my stella... I was just about to feel insecure when I realized they were grown ass men with dreadlocks riding around on skateboards in the middle of the night... I'll keep scooting happily and accept that we're all just getting through life the best way we know how.


And to keep on topic... I've lost a step off the line since up-gearing with a new clutch, but I looove the range in each of my gears now. I spend a lot more time in 3rd in situations where i would have formerly been in 4th. I have a bit higher top speed too- though I haven't tested on GPS yet.

I beat an R1 at a light once.................

Only because he let me.

He thought it was funny that I challenged him at the stop light.