Buddy First Impressions + Photos
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- jess
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Buddy First Impressions + Photos
Got my hands on my, err, my wife's Buddy 125 today. First impressions are as follows:
- Nothing at all on the scooter seemed cheap or flimsy to me. There wasn't a single thing that I thought would be prone to breaking or rattling or otherwise being a nuisance. The fit and finish are good, and the whole scooter feels "tight" and very solid.
- It's louder than a Honda Metro, but then so is Marcel Marceau. It had a nice little puttputtputtputt going at idle, but that gets a bit noisier while running down the road. More on this later.
- My XXL full-face Shoei helmet fits under the seat. w00t!
- Pickup is excellent, although I did get it all the way up to WFO going up a hill, and it eventually reached the point where I just couldn't go any faster.
- Handling is good -- not great, but really good. I suspect jrsjr and I like different things in the handling department. What he would describe as responsive, I would describe as twitchy. Overall, I didn't notice anything really negative in the handling department, but when I pushed the speed while going down a hill (and a potholed one at that) I felt a little vuhnerable and backed off.
- The turn signals make a very audible click-click-click when they're on, as good or better than the Honda Metro. Huzzah!
- The body is very narrow -- perfect for urban lane splitting.
- It really is built in such a way that a large range of people can (theoretically) be comfortable. It's a clever design that works well. My wife, at 5'4", can put both feet down, yet my 5'8" frame doesn't feel cramped at all.
Here's the things I didn't like:
- The orange color is really burnt sienna, and not the orange I was hoping for. Not a deal breaker, just not quite what I had in mind.
- The rear drum brake is not very effective. It's useful for balancing against throttle in a slow, tight turn, but it's not going to do much in the stopping department. Maybe the rear drum brake shoes will pad-in better with some time.
- The sidestand is not wired to the kill switch, and does not automatically retract.
- There's actually not a lot of room to put your feet down on the floor boards.
- Under load, the scooter makes a frapping noise and I can't tell if it's from the pipe or the belt hitting something. It was a little disconcerting at first, although I learned to ignore it. It's possible it's some plastic panel resonating, but I think it's more engine-ish. I'll investigate further.
------
Here's some pictures:
that's my wife -- she's about 5'4"
that's a size-8 women's Fluevog
- Nothing at all on the scooter seemed cheap or flimsy to me. There wasn't a single thing that I thought would be prone to breaking or rattling or otherwise being a nuisance. The fit and finish are good, and the whole scooter feels "tight" and very solid.
- It's louder than a Honda Metro, but then so is Marcel Marceau. It had a nice little puttputtputtputt going at idle, but that gets a bit noisier while running down the road. More on this later.
- My XXL full-face Shoei helmet fits under the seat. w00t!
- Pickup is excellent, although I did get it all the way up to WFO going up a hill, and it eventually reached the point where I just couldn't go any faster.
- Handling is good -- not great, but really good. I suspect jrsjr and I like different things in the handling department. What he would describe as responsive, I would describe as twitchy. Overall, I didn't notice anything really negative in the handling department, but when I pushed the speed while going down a hill (and a potholed one at that) I felt a little vuhnerable and backed off.
- The turn signals make a very audible click-click-click when they're on, as good or better than the Honda Metro. Huzzah!
- The body is very narrow -- perfect for urban lane splitting.
- It really is built in such a way that a large range of people can (theoretically) be comfortable. It's a clever design that works well. My wife, at 5'4", can put both feet down, yet my 5'8" frame doesn't feel cramped at all.
Here's the things I didn't like:
- The orange color is really burnt sienna, and not the orange I was hoping for. Not a deal breaker, just not quite what I had in mind.
- The rear drum brake is not very effective. It's useful for balancing against throttle in a slow, tight turn, but it's not going to do much in the stopping department. Maybe the rear drum brake shoes will pad-in better with some time.
- The sidestand is not wired to the kill switch, and does not automatically retract.
- There's actually not a lot of room to put your feet down on the floor boards.
- Under load, the scooter makes a frapping noise and I can't tell if it's from the pipe or the belt hitting something. It was a little disconcerting at first, although I learned to ignore it. It's possible it's some plastic panel resonating, but I think it's more engine-ish. I'll investigate further.
------
Here's some pictures:
that's my wife -- she's about 5'4"
that's a size-8 women's Fluevog
Last edited by jess on Thu Jun 15, 2006 10:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- Shellee
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Re: Buddy First Impressions + Photos
Jess.... what was the indicated speed at this point? This is one of my big concerns, since my Vino 125 always bogged down on hills. I'm hoping the Buddy has more oomph.jess wrote:- Pickup is excellent, although I did get it all the way up to WFO going up a hill, and it eventually reached the point where I just couldn't go any faster.
~ Shellee
- Tikka Masala
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- jess
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Re: Buddy First Impressions + Photos
I didn't notice the speed at that point, sorry. It wasn't particularly slow, it just didn't have any more to give even though I was out of throttle. I'm also reasonably heavy (220ish) so YMMV.Shellee wrote:Jess.... what was the indicated speed at this point? This is one of my big concerns, since my Vino 125 always bogged down on hills. I'm hoping the Buddy has more oomph.
- Crystal
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Nice pics, Jess, and thanks for your insights/review. I haven't seen one in person yet and I'm looking forward to trying one out.
I'm curious about something - where is the gas cap? is it under the seat? on the floor like a Met, or under the rear rack like a Vino 125 (which I really don't understand)?
thanks!
I'm curious about something - where is the gas cap? is it under the seat? on the floor like a Met, or under the rear rack like a Vino 125 (which I really don't understand)?
thanks!
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gas cap is under the seat. see http://www.justgottascoot.com/images/Bu ... lage01.jpg. (there is also a good review on that site: http://www.justgottascoot.com/buddy.htm.)
i don't understand your comment about the side stand not automatically retracting. is this standard on other scooters?
i don't understand your comment about the side stand not automatically retracting. is this standard on other scooters?
-lnl
- jrsjr
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Orange Buddys are Fastest
Congratulations on your new scooter! Nice write-up and photo gallery, too. The Buddy really hits the sweet spot in the price/performance curve for an urban commuter scooter, doesn't it?
I'll be very interested to follow you and your wife's experiences with the Buddy. If I were in your shoes, and had a Buddy and a Vespa GTS, I would ride the Buddy on days when I didn't have to attack the Interstates. The Buddy gets better gas mileage, is more fun to ride around town, can be parked in a tiny niche, and probably won't sustain a thousand dollars worth of damage if somebody accidentally bumps into it in a parking lot.
Orange is the fastest color.
I'll be very interested to follow you and your wife's experiences with the Buddy. If I were in your shoes, and had a Buddy and a Vespa GTS, I would ride the Buddy on days when I didn't have to attack the Interstates. The Buddy gets better gas mileage, is more fun to ride around town, can be parked in a tiny niche, and probably won't sustain a thousand dollars worth of damage if somebody accidentally bumps into it in a parking lot.
Orange is the fastest color.
- jess
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As I understand it, DOT requires that a sidestand on a motorcycle (or scooter) be wired to the kill switch, such that if the stand is down, the scooter won't start. Alternately (and I don't know if this is allowed by DOT, but it's an alternative) the stand could be spring loaded such that as soon as the weight is lifted from it, it would spring back to the retracted position.lets_not_listen wrote:i don't understand your comment about the side stand not automatically retracting. is this standard on other scooters?
It's a safety issue, which is why (I thought) DOT required it. If you get on and drive away, neglecting to retract the sidestand, you could be seriously injured when the sidestand makes contact with the ground on your first left-hand turn.
I'm not an expert on the subject of DOT certification by any means, but I honestly thought that sidestands were required to be wired to the kill switch.
- jess
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Re: Orange Buddys are Fastest
This is in fact exactly what motivated me to get one. I'm afraid to park my GTS in most urban areas, let alone between two parked cars, for fear of my prized possession getting damaged. If the Buddy gets knocked over or scratched, it's no big deal.jrsjr wrote:can be parked in a tiny niche, and probably won't sustain a thousand dollars worth of damage if somebody accidentally bumps into it in a parking lot.
- Crystal
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Thanks, lets, I had read that review but I must have skipped right over that picture!lets_not_listen wrote:gas cap is under the seat. see http://www.justgottascoot.com/images/Bu ... lage01.jpg. (there is also a good review on that site: http://www.justgottascoot.com/buddy.htm.)
- Tikka Masala
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This was my understanding as well. And also why Vespa's come with the attachment point, but no side stand in the US.jess wrote:As I understand it, DOT requires that a sidestand on a motorcycle (or scooter) be wired to the kill switch, such that if the stand is down, the scooter won't start.lets_not_listen wrote:i don't understand your comment about the side stand not automatically retracting. is this standard on other scooters?
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Re: Orange Buddys are Fastest
OK, Jess. That's some serious "reasoning" there for adding another ride to the stable! Sounds like one of my reasons for adding yet another bicycle to mine. Hey, good for you! Congrats! I mean, congrats to your wife, of course.jess wrote:This is in fact exactly what motivated me to get one. I'm afraid to park my GTS in most urban areas, let alone between two parked cars, for fear of my prized possession getting damaged. If the Buddy gets knocked over or scratched, it's no big deal.jrsjr wrote:can be parked in a tiny niche, and probably won't sustain a thousand dollars worth of damage if somebody accidentally bumps into it in a parking lot.
Some thoughts on the Buddy:
1. Glad to hear from someone like you (owns multiple makes of 2-wheeled vehicles) giving the thumbs up for overall impression not looking cheap or flimsy. Your photos give me the best idea so far as to the finish of the plastic body parts. I like what I see.
2. The exposed brackets on the turn signals looks really cheap and unfinished to me. On the other hand, that retro-looking console KICKS ASS!!! I like it even better than the one on my LX. Gorgeous.
3. Nice sensible basket/glove box. You know how I love that subject. That said, however, I still like the "look" of the mesh basket carrier on the Metropolitan more. But the fact that you can fit a full-face under the seat is hugely kickass.
4. I actually like the orange they went with. Feels a little more premium that the hot orange I was picturing.
Overall, I think Genuine has a hit. From the positive attention it's been getting on the often "negative" BBS, I think that speaks volumes as to the Buddy's potential in the marketplace. I for one am rooting for its success. I said it in another post—nothing bad can come from more people having affordable, yet seemingly well-produced scooters to steer them away from cars.
My guess is the quick attention to the Buddy has as much to do with the the fact that a company like Genuine already has a positive reputation, image and vibe out there with the Stella—not to mention some very smart marketing and attractive business practices like the 2-year warranty included on the Buddy. That's a HUGE bonus for first time buyers who don't know anyting about motorized 2-wheel vehicles. And that, along with the price, brilliant marketing and brand image, just makes this bike even more tasty.
I think the Kymcos, T'NGs and Barons out there can learn from Genuine when it comes to marketing their product in the States. It's kinda cool, yet a little embarrasing for those other manufacturers, to see how quickly all these eyes and voices have focused their attention on the Buddy. You gotta ask yourself why you jumped on purchasing the Buddy when other Taiwan made scooters have been available for years here. I think I have an idea as to why, but I'd love to hear it directly from you.
I can imagine a future (hopefully sooner, rather than later) where Buddy's are like the Honda Civics of the scooter world: bang-for-the-buck, reliable (hopefully), and pleasently attractive in that economic kind of way. Vespas would occupy that niche of "Euro, premium, gorgeous, but quirky mechanically"—like Audis. I hope Vespa is watching Genuine and the Buddy closely. Hell, I hope Hondas eyes are open as well.
This scooter is a good thing on many levels.
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- jess
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Re: Orange Buddys are Fastest
Let me expound on that a bit -- The Buddy is not quite as refined as my Vespa GTS in terms of the overall quality and "feel". My expectations are a little lower, though, given that it's a plastic scooter at almost a third of the cost of the GTS.robotribe wrote:1. Glad to hear from someone like you (owns multiple makes of 2-wheeled vehicles) giving the thumbs up for overall impression not looking cheap or flimsy. Your photos give me the best idea so far as to the finish of the plastic body parts. I like what I see.
I agree, and I neglected to put that in my original post. They're solidly mounted, but it does look like the afterthought that it almost certainly is.robotribe wrote:2. The exposed brackets on the turn signals looks really cheap and unfinished to me.
Agreed again. The Metro wins here in basket utility and convenience.robotribe wrote:3. Nice sensible basket/glove box. You know how I love that subject. That said, however, I still like the "look" of the mesh basket carrier on the Metropolitan more.
To tell you the truth, I really don't know. I've seen and even ridden Kymcos, and they left me flat. Kymco has a great reputation for reliability, and I have a dealer close to me that sells and services them, so there's really no good reason why I should like the Buddy more than the many offerings from Kymco for this utility purpose that I've assigned the Buddy. The Buddy isn't really styled any better than the Kymcos, either.robotribe wrote:You gotta ask yourself why you jumped on purchasing the Buddy when other Taiwan made scooters have been available for years here. I think I have an idea as to why, but I'd love to hear it directly from you.
I think part of it might have to do with my general dislike for the larger-wheeled design that Kymco seems to favor. Also, I think maybe I could just never get excited about the Kymco label in general, and for some stupid and indefensible reason the fact that Genuine is importing these makes the Buddy somehow more attractive. Really, it's unclear to me why I got excited about this while ignoring the Kymco.
- MikeS
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I don't know the exact DOT rules, but the side stand on my Kawasaki will let you start the bike with the side stand down, even if the bike is in gear, but if you try and let out the clutch while in gear it kills the bike. I don't know how they would do something like that on a CVT scooter tho.jess wrote:As I understand it, DOT requires that a sidestand on a motorcycle (or scooter) be wired to the kill switch, such that if the stand is down, the scooter won't start.
-Mike
We could plan a murder, or start a religion -JM
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- jess
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On my Moto Guzzi, there's a similar arrangement, but it's based on being in Neutral. You can start the bike with the sidestand down as long as you're in neutral, but as soon as you put it in gear (independent of the clutch) it will immediately kill the engine.MikeS wrote:I don't know the exact DOT rules, but the side stand on my Kawasaki will let you start the bike with the side stand down, even if the bike is in gear, but if you try and let out the clutch while in gear it kills the bike. I don't know how they would do something like that on a CVT scooter tho.
- jess
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Forgot to mention -- the turn signal switch on the Buddy is excellent, maybe even better than on the modern Vespas. You slide the switch from side to side (instead of rocking it) and it slides back to center position. To cancel, you press a button inset into the slide switch. It works very well, and I think is easier than the one on my GTS.
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- smorris
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Hey Jess,
I've posted links to MB over on Urban Scootin when a question came up about the Buddy. Think about copy/pasting your entire review over there (sans links to here so it doesn't come off as trolling for members.) As you know, a lot of us came from the 50cc Metro/Vino sized scooter forums.
Just a thought.
I've posted links to MB over on Urban Scootin when a question came up about the Buddy. Think about copy/pasting your entire review over there (sans links to here so it doesn't come off as trolling for members.) As you know, a lot of us came from the 50cc Metro/Vino sized scooter forums.
Just a thought.
Steve - Avon, Ohio
The Morris Garage
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2002 Subaru WRX Wagon ____ 1958 MGA Roadster
The Morris Garage
2007 Suzuki Burgman 400 ____ 2006 Vespa LX150 ____ 1965 Vespa 180 SS
2002 Subaru WRX Wagon ____ 1958 MGA Roadster
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:thumbup:
Hey, where'a that emoticon?
Hey, where'a that emoticon?
Steve - Avon, Ohio
The Morris Garage
2007 Suzuki Burgman 400 ____ 2006 Vespa LX150 ____ 1965 Vespa 180 SS
2002 Subaru WRX Wagon ____ 1958 MGA Roadster
The Morris Garage
2007 Suzuki Burgman 400 ____ 2006 Vespa LX150 ____ 1965 Vespa 180 SS
2002 Subaru WRX Wagon ____ 1958 MGA Roadster
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Over all it sounds like a typical Taiwan scooter to me. Ifn you think the turn signal mounts are ugly, the wiring may be worse, should see the wiring on my Vitality for the DOT required signals (which mysteriously fell off ). As to the side stand thing, neither my sidestand nor my centerstand stop me from starting the scoot. In fact, the side stand on my was definately an add on for the market, not only is the welding work ugly, but when I replaced the belly pan, there wasn't a cut out for the side stand. The turn signal switch sounds like the one on my, very nice to work with, now if only we could get the four way version (left, right and cancel are all the same, four ways are activated by sliding it down).
Javarod
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Re: Orange Buddys are Fastest
Agreed about the large wheeled scooters. For many, like me, those proportions always look off, even if they do have better riding characteristics in certain cases.jess wrote:I think part of it might have to do with my general dislike for the larger-wheeled design that Kymco seems to favor. Also, I think maybe I could just never get excited about the Kymco label in general, and for some stupid and indefensible reason the fact that Genuine is importing these makes the Buddy somehow more attractive. Really, it's unclear to me why I got excited about this while ignoring the Kymco.
I think they're popularity has a lot to do with the fact that Genuine is importing them. Their rep with the Stella plus that healthy swath of "good 'ol American feel-good" marketing is a winning combo—at least from my skewed marketing background perspective. They're website alone oozes "community" and "cool"—two key ingredients to scootering.
Genius, Genuine.
http://www.genuinescooters.com/friends.html
http://www.genuinescooters.com/2ct/index.html
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- Bryce-O-Rama
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Good review, and I agree with most of your comments Jess. I'm a big fan of Kymcos, but they do seem almost stodgy. They are the Toyota of the scooter universe. Reliable, solid, but they typically don't generate much in the way of passion. Toyota had their exceptions in the Celica, Supra, and MR2. Kymco had one in the Super 9.
Honda is also very practical, but somehow they have positioned themselves as a bit more fun. Genuine has positioned themselves over the years as fun, and they have done a superb job of it. I'm continually impressed with their marketing. They have done the best job tailoring their message to American buyers of any scooter company in the past 5 years. The 2 year warranty is also a good thing. Genuine has picked good color combinations, the product is good, and nearly all of the dealers are scooterists. It's all packaged perfectly.
Honda is also very practical, but somehow they have positioned themselves as a bit more fun. Genuine has positioned themselves over the years as fun, and they have done a superb job of it. I'm continually impressed with their marketing. They have done the best job tailoring their message to American buyers of any scooter company in the past 5 years. The 2 year warranty is also a good thing. Genuine has picked good color combinations, the product is good, and nearly all of the dealers are scooterists. It's all packaged perfectly.
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Here's a question that hasn't been asked, how's the manual? Yeah, I know its not something at the top of your mind, but it is I think a reflection of the product. For how much KYMCos are lauded, the manual in my Vitality is poor, suffering from a bad case of Engrish, and considering how long they've been here, how long they've been sold in other English speaking countries, one would think they could do a better job.
Javarod
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Good question. Vespas aren't immune to bad translation or poor manuals either. Although fairly 'OK', my LX150 manual is far from perfect.Javarod wrote:Here's a question that hasn't been asked, how's the manual? Yeah, I know its not something at the top of your mind, but it is I think a reflection of the product. For how much KYMCos are lauded, the manual in my Vitality is poor, suffering from a bad case of Engrish, and considering how long they've been here, how long they've been sold in other English speaking countries, one would think they could do a better job.
Scooter t-shirts that don't suck
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- jess
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Oh, and I'm up to 23 miles on it. I rode it to the Scooter Rage meet & greet. The vintage guys mostly viewed it with suspicion as if I was an interloper in their midst. I think I heard someone whisper "Chinese" to someone else, as they were unclear about it's origins. Most of them don't know me anyway, and don't know I own Vespas, new and vintage, and a motorcycle, but whatever.
Getting to know the scooter a little better, and how it behaves under different circumstances, just like any scooter. The weight distribution is different than on my other scooters, so I was a little hesitant at first to push it around curves too hard, but now that I'm used to it (23 miles later) it feels predictable and I can hang it out a little farther. The tires still aren't "scrubbed in" either, so another reason to exercise a bit of caution in the curves. I kept up with the LX150s I was riding with tonight without a problem, and I outweigh both of those riders, so I think the Buddy did a good job in the speed department.
The balance is really really good. I've convinced myself that if I balance just right, I can come up to a light and stop and not put my feet down indefinitely. I haven't actually done it yet, but the balance is so good that I'm convinced I can do it if I try hard enough. I would be a shoo-in at the slow race at every gymkana event of every rally I attended -- I could just sit there, at the starting line, with both feet off the ground. I'm sure they'd find a way to disqualify me, though.
Getting to know the scooter a little better, and how it behaves under different circumstances, just like any scooter. The weight distribution is different than on my other scooters, so I was a little hesitant at first to push it around curves too hard, but now that I'm used to it (23 miles later) it feels predictable and I can hang it out a little farther. The tires still aren't "scrubbed in" either, so another reason to exercise a bit of caution in the curves. I kept up with the LX150s I was riding with tonight without a problem, and I outweigh both of those riders, so I think the Buddy did a good job in the speed department.
The balance is really really good. I've convinced myself that if I balance just right, I can come up to a light and stop and not put my feet down indefinitely. I haven't actually done it yet, but the balance is so good that I'm convinced I can do it if I try hard enough. I would be a shoo-in at the slow race at every gymkana event of every rally I attended -- I could just sit there, at the starting line, with both feet off the ground. I'm sure they'd find a way to disqualify me, though.
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Actually its not just a matter of Engrishy (mine's not even understandable at times) but whether or not its accurate for the scoot. For example, mine mentions a headlight on off switch (not allowed in the US) but makes no mention of the kill switch (required in the US). Also my dealer's called the maintenance chart into doubt, one chart is supposed to cover both 4T and 2T models, and apparently there's some confusion on it regarding the differences in servicing the two different types of engines.
With Genuine, I'd really expect them to work with or create from scratch an actual English manual that's accurate to the product. With KYMCo, I'd expect basically the same, though perhaps in Queen's English as the US is not a major market for them.
With Genuine, I'd really expect them to work with or create from scratch an actual English manual that's accurate to the product. With KYMCo, I'd expect basically the same, though perhaps in Queen's English as the US is not a major market for them.
Javarod
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They look exactly like the stock Stella mirrors. And yes, those are too small, short and vibrate too badly to see what's behind you when idiling at a stoplight, but that's on a Stella.jess wrote:Forgot another thing -- I didn't love the mirrors much. They're a bit small, and don't go out quite far enough to see past my admittedly broad armored shoulders. Again, not a dealbreaker.
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I totally agree!lets_not_listen wrote:ditto that.jess wrote:Forgot another thing -- I didn't love the mirrors much. They're a bit small, and don't go out quite far enough to see past my admittedly broad armored shoulders. Again, not a dealbreaker.
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