Buddy 170i on freeway

[mike932]

My Buddy 170i now has 620 miles on it which means it is officially broken in. I'm gonna try some freeway riding. My plan is to sit at the freeway entrance and wait for a big slow big rig to go by, and then ride behind it at 55mph or so. I'm not going to tailgate it. It will be slow enough for me to ride behind it so cars won't get mad at my slow speed. Anyone else ride on the freeway?

[k1dude]

Everyone does 75+ mph in my area. So no go.

I've done it a couple times. But won't do it again unless I have no other options.

[Christophers]

I'm gonna try some freeway riding. My plan is to sit at the freeway entrance and wait for a big slow big rig to go by, and then ride behind it at 55mph or so. I'm not going to tailgate it. It will be slow enough for me to ride behind it so cars won't get mad at my slow speed. Anyone else ride on the freeway?

I ride the freeway fairly frequently on a Buddy 125/161. I typically reserve this activity for when there's heavier traffic so that I am not slowing anyone down. Of course, heavy slow freeway traffic brings it's own risks.

I do NOT recommend riding behind a big rig. They are often not moving as slow as you suspect, and, even worse, the tail draft is very turbulent.

[RoaringTodd]

I've ridden on my 1985 Honda 150 in the freeway several times. I try to time the trip so that it is done either early morning when the traffic is very light, or during rush hour when traffic isn't moving that fast.

The biggest thing is to be alert to cars coming up behind you. Drive as if you own the lane and don't ride on the right side of the right lane, or cars will just try to pass you in the same lane.

[Dooglas]

No, don't try to draft a large truck. When you are that close behind a large vehicle your vision is severely restricted, you can't see what is happening around you, and you lose reaction time.

[laurfunkle]

No, don't try to draft a large truck. When you are that close behind a large vehicle your vision is severely restricted, you can't see what is happening around you, and you lose reaction time.

Agreed. Plus, cars who may be waiting for the truck to pass them to get over may not see you if you're hidden behind it.

[GregsBuddy]

I ride on the highway in the North Bay a little. My thoughts;
Stay in right lane except to pass and get by quickly if you do pass.
Riding behind a large truck works if you stay a safe distance and are aware that trucks can/will drive or obstacles you will hit. Ride in one of the lane's wheel tracks to miss what comes out from under trucks.
Turbulence CAN be an issue. Not all trucks shed the same amount of turbulence.
Burn holes in your rear view mirrors. Due to highway driver lack of lane discipline, fast drivers overtake slow drivers using right lanes. They can converge on you very quickly; BE AWARE.
Happy riding!

[mike932]

Yeah, I was planning on keeping a safe distance from the big rig. I just need him to set the slow pace so cars won't cut me off. Big rigs have a speed limit of 55mph on California freeways, but of course many of them go faster than that.

[GregsBuddy]

Mike,
You should be able to stay with most of them, especially up hills.
The drive line smooths out at ~65-70MPH, indicated. If you're getting a little aero assistance from the truck, the ride is quite nice. Although the engine is spinning pretty high, you'll find you have a little engine left on the flats and down hill.
I didn't do any of this until ~1,600 KM, just to be certain all was broken in.
The 170i can out brake a large truck so there's little chance of running into the back of a large truck in an emergency situation. The problems will come from behind. The parking lane is your friend!

[mike932]

Yes the parking lane will be my escape route. I figure I will ride 5mph slower than full throttle. If a maintain a 2-second gap for safety, will I still get a draft?

[mike932]

Just rode on the freeway. Was not able to keep up with big rigs. Felt like a sitting duck. Now I want a Ninja 300. lol. Anyone want to buy a Buddy 170i with 700 miles on it? lol

[Dooglas]

Just rode on the freeway. Was not able to keep up with big rigs. Felt like a sitting duck. Now I want a Ninja 300. lol. Anyone want to buy a Buddy 170i with 700 miles on it?

Surely you didn't buy a Buddy with the expectation that you would use it primarily on freeways? Want a freeway capable scooter? Get yourself a BV350.

[Clydeo]

Riding on the Interstate on any bike can be an intimidating experience. Trucks blow you around, drivers don't see you, and idiots on their cell phones are too busy to look before they change lanes. And, because of the speeds involved, everything seems to happen so much faster. The paradox is that the Interstates are actually much safer than back roads are for bikers: no one is going to turn left in front of you, run head on into you around a curve, or fail to yield right of way at an intersection.
I ride a fair amount on highways, commuting in a semi-urban area on a 250cc motorcycle 5 days a week, 9 months a year (usually about 10-12 thousand miles). For what it's worth, here are a few thoughts;
1. If you have only ridden a few hundred miles on a bike, you might want to get some more experience before trying to ride on the Interstates. I have a Ninja 250 (among other bikes). It can keep up with traffic just fine. But the wind coming off of the trucks will still toss you around like a paper bag (my theory is that the wind pushes on ones arms, causing the rider to push on the handle bars, causing the bike to move back and forth).
2. The first few times on the Interstate, pick a quiet time and place, and learn how to handle things in a low stress environment.
3. Yeah, the Buddy isn't an ideal highway bike. The 10 inch wheels and light weight, the things that make it so much fun at 50 mph, make it kind of sketchy at 60. It won't go much faster than that most of the time anyway. But short stretches of highway should be fine, if you pick your routes carefully.
4. I learned how to ride on a 50 cc bike. I am glad I did; I made all of my early mistakes at low speeds, and I learned how to make the most out of my very limited horsepower. The Ninja 300 is a popular "beginners" bike, and it IS a truly great ride, but it's not the bike I would recommend for beginners. My Ninja 250 could top 100 mph. At those speeds, you had better be ready to handle things without having to think about them. That requires experience. It would be better to put 5-10 thousand miles on the Buddy first, before moving on to the Ninja. Even then, be ready for a whole new ball game! The Ninja 300 is a whole lot more bike than any Buddy, in terms of performance.

Oh wait a moment. Never mind. The Buddy 170 is a complete dog. You should never have bought it in the first place! But this is your lucky day! I will give you $1000 for the bike, if it's in good shape, and then ride it all the way back to PA on the curviest two lane roads I can find! I know it would be a sacrifice on my part, but hey, anything for a fellow rider!

[mike932]

I felt comfortable on the freeway except for my lack of speed. I put 10,000 miles on my last scooter, and I used to race road bicycles. But 55mph is not going to cut it when all other traffic is going 70-85mph. If the Buddy 170i top speed was 80mph, I would be a happy camper. This will be my next bike....
http://powersports.honda.com/2015/cb300f.aspx

[Clydeo]

I just took my Buddy out on the highway. It was kind of windy (25-30 mph plus gusts, we have a cold front going through. It might actually snow here over the weekend), traffic was pretty heavy (Penn State U is having graduations every weekend for a while), and trucks were everywhere. 50 actually felt kind of marginal under those conditions. The idea of going 80 mph on a Buddy would terrify me! On the other hand, no one seemed to mind me just tooling along. But PA is a lot different from CA!
I think that your choice of a new bike is an excellent one. I prefer single cylinder bikes, and the 300 has enough power to keep up with traffic, while still being thin enough to "lane split" with ease. It has a great reputation for being a fun, reliable, sporty bike. Everyone I know who has ridden it has enjoyed the experience.
But if you haven't ridden a motorcycle much in the past, just be ready for a very different experience. The Budddy is kind of like a squirrel on steroids: it turns, stops, and rolls VERY quickly, with very little rider input. A motorcycle has much slower responses. I ride both all the time, but I still have to make some mental adjustments every time I switch bikes.

[GregsBuddy]

I ride on I80 from Fairfield to Vacaville regularly. I can usually find a big rig I can hang with. The draft can be felt from about 150'.

[mike932]

But if you haven't ridden a motorcycle much in the past, just be ready for a very different experience. The Budddy is kind of like a squirrel on steroids: it turns, stops, and rolls VERY quickly, with very little rider input. A motorcycle has much slower responses. I ride both all the time, but I still have to make some mental adjustments every time I switch bikes.

That's why I want 300cc. I like nimble bikes. Too much power means less nimble.

I ride on I80 from Fairfield to Vacaville regularly. I can usually find a big rig I can hang with. The draft can be felt from about 150'.

I should get a police radar gun so I can wait for a big rig that is going 55mph and then get on the freeway. Actually, I could determine a truck's speed by counting how many seconds it takes to travel a certain distance. Or I could enter the freeway every time I see a big rig, and then if I can't keep up with it, I could take the next exit, and then wait for the next big rig.

[iwannascoot]

I have no plans to ride my Buddy on the interstate. I don't even like riding my FZ1 on the interstate. To me riding on a 2 lane twisty road is the reason for two wheels.

Billy

[mike932]

I like long road trips. Rode my last scooter from Fresno to Monterey, camped at Laguna Seca, and rode back. That scooter was 125cc, so I had to take the side roads.

[k1dude]

I ride on I80 from Fairfield to Vacaville regularly. I can usually find a big rig I can hang with. The draft can be felt from about 150'.

Dude!

You crazy!

Everyone is doing 80+ on that stretch unless it's rush hour. You also have the big hill!

Edit: Oops. I see you have a GTS 250. So you have the power. Still, the drivers are fast and stupid on that stretch.

[Dooglas]

I have put in a lot of miles on a lot of scooters and I have a very high opinion of the Buddy. That doesn't change the fact that it is small and light weight. It also has fairly narrow 10" tires. It would never be the scooter I would pick for riding 60+ mph in freeway traffic, no matter what speed you could wring out of it. Horses for courses.

[GregsBuddy]

I stay in the right lane and have "situational awareness", ie, I review my mirrors several times a minute. I enjoy it but only go a short distance.
The left lanes are much faster than the right lane and there's usually a truck to follow.
The 170i is NOT that slow, especially down the slight grades on this part of I80.
No problem!