Modern Buddy

I knew the Roughhouse Sport had some upgrades over the standard, but until today I had not laid my hands on one. I'm fixing a flat in the rear tire and installing a LED headlight in a 2017. Check it out: Dual piston front brake caliper, 12" tires, front and back. The same tire sizes as on a Vespa GTS300. It also has what looks to be a Forsa adjustable rear shock. Hey Genuine Scooter Company, I have an idea! Instead of bringing in all these Chinese bikes and sticking the GSC badge on them, how about putting a 150cc PGO built carbureted engine in the RH Sport? I do believe I would buy one.

A Roughhouse Sport with a 150cc carbureted PGO engine (or a 170i) would be like…the elusive Big Ruckus.

But doesn’t the Hooligan already do that?

I'm not after the fuel injected engine in the Hooligan. I had a 170i. I didn't care for it nearly as much as my Buddy 125. I was thinking the long case version of the Black Jack engine. A good deal of the Buddy's charm in my eye is it's perfection of low tech.

I prefer simple as well, hence my ordering a Buddy 125 instead of buying a in-stock 170i on the showroom floor. I no longer want to be a prisoner of a dealership who would rather throw parts at a problem because they don't fully understand the diagnostics computer (Piaggio PADS system for my old Liberty 150.).

Could Genuine get another larger 125cc engine to pass the EPA requirements with a carb? EFI is always the answer it seems.

My 170i never loosened up. It always felt rigid and stiff compared to my 125. The exhaust valve was alway tight. I'd adjut it, 500 miles later tight again. It went into limp mode a couple of times in the summer after I ran it hard. The warming light came on and wouldn't go above 45. None of my 125s have ever done that. I'd love a water cooled 4 valve engine, but that would push the bike into a price that wouldn't make sense.

Interesting about your 170i never loosening up. I'm coming up on 6000 miles and my 125 doesn't feel as smooth as my old black Buddy 125 or my wife's old powder blue Buddy 125. When I get above 50mph it just feels rough, if that makes sense. Valves are set correct and the engine oil is at the proper level (and the reduction box as well) so I might try a upjet to the next size up on the main jet, but the plug color looks good as well. Maybe my butt-dyno is just getting sensitive in my older age, giving me weird vibrations? But I still recommend a Buddy scooter for overall quality and value, with KYMCO a close second recommendation.

I watched the Robot video review of the Royal Alloy 300 and discovered the motor gets read with a regular OBD-2 engine reader, no dealer diagnostics! Very tempted to look at one in person now! A 300cc liquid cooled last year model Vespa motor that's not PADS locked!