Modern Buddy

Well, I did it. I've been toying with the idea of painting my Buddy in some heretofore unrealised color. There exists now a Red/black buddy! I did the headset, front-piece, side rails and the rear surround in red. The headlight bezel, speedo bezel, rear rack and other odds and ends are now black. Looks good, too! As soon as I take some pics and figger out how to post them, I'll do so.

I just can't ever figure out how to shrink the pictures, then how to "cut and paste". I'll try, though...

--Keys

Can't wait to see the pictures!!!!!

Honestly, it puzzles me when any scooter or motorcycle isn't available in red. Genuine might want to have a peek at your Buddy. I know I can't wait to see the pictures.

gt1000 wrote:Honestly, it puzzles me when any scooter or motorcycle isn't available in red. Genuine might want to have a peek at your Buddy. I know I can't wait to see the pictures.

I think this was intentional on Genuine's part. When rolling out the new line, they probably wanted their own palette so they new scoots are distinguishable from all the other models on the market. Doesn't stop people from calling 'em Vespas, though. But when you're shopping for a scoot and walk into a dealer stocked with Kymcos, TGBs and Genuines, the ones that get noticed are the Genuines, I'm sure.

That picture sizing is easy compared to painting a Buddy!
Can’t wait for the pics.

Maybe...?

...and again...

Here. This is a little better. I'm just learning, you know...

--Keys

Well done! The black/red combo looks sharp.

Great job!! Now you need to do the rims red as well!!

Susan

I agree. I'm kinda tentatively planning to maybe someday perhaps hopefully paint the fork legs and rear turn signal bezels black, add a black racing stripe down the front and paint the rims red if the opportunity presents itself.

It MIGHT happen.

Of course, you realize HOW difficult it is to cease riding long enough to do something like this. It takes enormous levels of self-disclipline and self-sacrifice. I am SO proud of myself...

--Keys

P.S. I've had it four months and it just turned over 3500 miles, so ceasing riding is something I'm unfamiliar with...

Looks good! What kind of paint did you use? Surface prep, etc?

Glad to see that it's RED!!!

ECS

Very nice Keys! I can't wait to see it "live"

Well, ECS, I used Krylon Fusion (specifically designed for plastics)...two rattle cans worth, and I took them at their word that surface prep was not needed and just cleaned everything real well. I couldn't figure out how to remove certain plastic pieces, so I just taped 'em off and let it fly...

Leave me alone with a scooter on a cold, snowy day and something strange is BOUND to happen...

--Keys

I am surprised Genuine didn’t make a red Buddy, it’s a great color.

Very Christmas-y

rajron wrote:I am surprised Genuine didn’t make a red Buddy, it’s a great color.

PGO does make a RED Buddy! They just don't import it here!

ECS

Elm Creek Smith wrote:

rajron wrote:I am surprised Genuine didn’t make a red Buddy, it’s a great color.

PGO does make a RED Buddy! They just don't import it here!

ECS

It's called "Bella" in Australia

dahuffy wrote:

Elm Creek Smith wrote:

rajron wrote:I am surprised Genuine didn’t make a red Buddy, it’s a great color.

PGO does make a RED Buddy! They just don't import it here!

ECS

It's called "Bella" in Australia

And it's RED!!!!!

Here's info on the Bella, FWIW.

http://showandgo.com.au/sales/bella.htm?bella_bf.htm

...by the way, there are more pictures at my blog; www.skutergruven.blogspot.com

--Keys

Keys wrote:Well, ECS, I used Krylon Fusion (specifically designed for plastics)...two rattle cans worth, and I took them at their word that surface prep was not needed and just cleaned everything real well. I couldn't figure out how to remove certain plastic pieces, so I just taped 'em off and let it fly...

Do let us know after a bit how that paint is holding up! I'd love to add some "character" to the Buddy in terms of spicing up the paint, and it would be great if I could do it myself!

Oh Mr. C,

The paint seems to be doing very well. As you read, I went down Monday. The paint was just scratched. It didn't peel or anything else. I was impressed. When I got it home, the paint was scratched in much the same way the paint on my wife's Helix was scratched when my sister biffed it. I can therefore assume the paint is of good quality.

As for using it, make sure all surfaces are well cleaned. There were a couple of spots where something foreign was on the surface and the paint didn't adhere. I suspect oil or something similar. In most places (where I cleaned adequately) the paint adhered very well...better than any other rattle can paint I've used. It also covers well. It covered black without any shadow showing through. Like I said; I'm impressed.

--Keys

When I was up at Wal-Mart, I found a whole shelf of the stuff, quite a variety of colors... and in textured finishes, no less! Thought how good that would work for floorboards. So, gloss for the main stuff, flat for the details, textured for where you don't want things to slip. All in a can! Not bad on the price, considering what a shop would want for a prof job. For... what?... ten bucks and change back, if that, for two cans? A super bargain, and well worth the elbow grease, far as I can see.

Give me a Buddy, a few cans of Olive Drab (maybe a can of flat black for the stencil work), and I could throw together a WWII themed Army scoot.... (Just like the HDs they used back then...)


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Just had another thought. YELLOW. The Budd is already black. Use the YELLOW to cover the silver, add some stripes, and you've got a Budd-blebee!

Hmmm.

ECS

Fantastic! I don't get why they don't make one in red either! Red is definitely a scooter color. What type of paint did you use?

Though the red looks great, I'm still going to defend Genuine's choices for colors for the Buddy's first year(s) out in the US. I think the avoidance of more traditional scoot colors (red, blue, green) was intentional. When a prospective buyer walks into a dealer, the Genuines really stand out among the other scoots. I think customers gravitate right to them. They get a lot more attention on the road, too.

And, as we see, it's not all that hard to do a really nice DIY paint job if you really gotta have that red!

Digging up this thread to share some news...

I've heard from a reliable source that there is a very good chance of seeing a 2007 Buddy in Red as a factory color. No pictures yet to confirm it, but I'll keep my ear to the ground.

weebl wrote:Digging up this thread to share some news...

I've heard from a reliable source that there is a very good chance of seeing a 2007 Buddy in Red as a factory color. No pictures yet to confirm it, but I'll keep my ear to the ground.

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Ah, well. I guess I'll just have to make my *NEXT* scooter a red one.

They must have gotten tired of hearing me say, "I have the only red one...(in the U.S.)...nanner, nanner, nanner..."

Keys

keys, I hate to burst your bubble , but you have the only red one in the continential US. I rented a red Bubu in Hawaii. I posted a pic elsewhere, but it could only be sized thumbnail. When I get a chance I will play with it and resize and post. It looked like the Austrialian counterpart.

peabody99 wrote:keys, I hate to burst your bubble , but you have the only red one in the continential US. I rented a red Bubu in Hawaii. I posted a pic elsewhere, but it could only be sized thumbnail. When I get a chance I will play with it and resize and post. It looked like the Austrialian counterpart.

you still have the only red b125 with a "fluc capacitor" decal on the fuse panel, though, keys...

here's Red,

peabody99 wrote:here's Red,

WOW!! I WANT TO GO TO HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah I posted on a busier site (Modernvespa) and got some ideas about where to ride. I thought the rental was very reasonable-$35 for 9 hours (esp since we are snowy now at home and missing the scoots). This was on on Oahu. When we went the Big Island they were around $75 day . So a no go!

This is just below Diamond Head.



ECS

This is downtown Honolulu from my hotel room about one year ago.



We'll go back next year.

ECS

and it is very scooterable...except that 8-10 lane highway. the drivers seemed very aware ...plus they were louder then our mainland steeds.

peabody99 wrote:and it is very scooterable...except that 8-10 lane highway. the drivers seemed very aware ...plus they were louder then our mainland steeds.

Wow, it must just be my location. I've only got a Buddy 50, and it is higher pitched, but it "rumbles" out here.

Then again, I gotta remember. I'm on Fort Carson, I've got a great view of Cheyenne Mountain from the livingroom window, and two bedroom windows. The entrance to Norad is right before the first entrance to Fort Carson on Hwy 115. I'm closer to the second entrance on Ft Carson (which is actually gate 1) and it's only MAYBE a mile south of gate two (the first.) I live in between the two gates on base. We can see just about everything going up to the base of the mountain too. LOL

Needless to say, SOUND ECHOES out here. If we hear a "married spat", there's no telling how far away it is. Having phone conversations on the front porch means that the neighbors WILL hear you. LMAO

I guess it's the echo I'm hearing. Hehehehehehehe

I wonder what this place would sound like if more people had scooters?

Keys;

I prefer your color scheme over the stock Buddy50, with your black fenders and red running board, it looks more integrated and not just panel color changes.

Why, thank you! The headlight rim and the horn cover are also black. I, too thought it looked better with the black than the silver and chrome, but didn't want to say anything. Some folks just dig chrome.

--Keys