Noob looking into a scooter, leaning towards Buddy 150.

[kawasakifreak77]

A little background here for ya'll. I'm Ray, 25, I live in Kansas & drive a truck to pay the bills. I've been riding since before I can remember, as you can tell by my screen name, a serious Kawasaki fan.

I've been thinking about a scooter for awhile & now that I'm a city slicker again the economics & user friendliness of a scooter would be quite useful. My riding consists of a 6 mile trip, one way with a short 55 mph zone. That's about the fastest I need to go & it's a lightly traveled road.

My only legal & riding motorcycle right motorcycle right now is a 1977 KZ650B1 I've modded heavily. It does any task more than admirably, but can be a pain around town as she has no storage for errands. This is where my scooter idear comes in. My riding is about 70% commuting & errands, 20% touring & 10% seriously disregarding my personal well being.

Investing in something that covers that 70% would take a lot of wear & tear off my KZ. I was looking at the Vino 125, the looks, size performance, price was all really close to what I think will fit my needs wonderfully.

Then someone brought up this Genuine place. I looked around the sight, gotta say I'm impressed, especially the pea green Buddy 150. I read a review, beats the Vino pretty much hands down for a couple hundred bucks.

2 year warranty, better / more accessories, lighter, faster (top end & acceleration) good looks, etc really have me leaning this way. Little things like a 12V outlet, 1/2 gallon more fuel capacity, standard white walls, LED tail light REALLY have me leaning this way.

So I see this place & figure I might as well hear from actual owners. How many miles have you put on? Dealership / warranty experiences? Real world performance? Breakdowns, trouble, maintainability, etc? Let me have it, I'm hear to learn. Cheers!

-RCP III.

[pairofscoots]

We don't have the 150's but my wife and I have two 2009 125's. We bought them in March and almost have 4000 miles on them. I sometimes use mine to commute to work around West Michigan (up to 50 miles one way). These are great scoots. We have not had any problems with them. Ours can cruise at 55mph on flats no problem. Very loud horn for the size of the scoot. Gas mileage in the 80's-90's. Quick acceleration. We love them! I think you would be very happy with a 150.

[TVB]

...Little things like a 12V outlet, 1/2 gallon more fuel capacity...

You know, on one level, I bought the Buddy because of the 12V outlet. I stumbled across Genuine fairly early in my shopping around, and noticed the outlet because I had an iPhone that often needs recharging. As I kept looking at other models, every time I noticed that a scooter didn't have one, even if it was otherwise a nice machine, it had a "yes, but..." attached to it. That's not to say that other scooters didn't have features the Buddy lacked (the C3's storage space was really tempting, the Ruckus was much funkier looking), and it wasn't a "litmus test", but knowing that I'd never be stuck with a dead iPhone gave me a warm fuzzy feeling when I decided on the Buddy.

Now, about the fuel capacity. The Buddy is a fun, look-on-the-sunny-side kinda vehicle. Unfortunately, that applies to both its speedometer and its fuel tank. The speedo always tells you that you're going faster than you are (yes, the 150 can do 55mph, but it'll tell you that you're doing 60), and the stated capacity of the fuel tank... is a bit larger than most people manage to put into it. I usually get a little over a gallon in, filling it when the needle is sitting on E and you can see a little fuel splashing around on the bottom. I don't know if the Vino's stated tank size is similarly "optimistic", but if it isn't I'd call them about equal on that item.

As for your other questions, I've put about 3400 miles on my Buddy since April, and I've simply had no problems with it. Unless you count when I parked it on the side stand on an uneven shoulder and it tipped over, breaking the brake handle. (Hint: Don't do that.) I was on a road trip, and the smalltown Genuine dealer I took it to didn't have a replacement in stock, so he took one off one of his own bikes. So pretty good service, I'd say.

[Asburyjer]

On the terms of service, and I can only speak from the purchasing end of things because my Buddy 125 only has 40 miles on it, I like the Buddy because I wasn't looked at like a 2nd class biker there like I was at the Yamaha and Honda dealers. There when I asked about the scooters it was "Oh...they're over there" and I never heard from them again. I would actually call my Genuine dealer a friend. He met me on a Sunday afternoon to look at the Buddy, and he met me at 7pm on a Friday evening to pick up my scoot. I can't speak for all Genuine dealers obviously, but I really think that you get better treatment from them then you do the "real bike" dealers. Just my own personal experience.

[Howardr]

I've got 12k miles on my 150 in 17 months of use. I drive it hard, including some off road stuff (that 10% thing ) I have no real troubles with it. I ride at 55-60 mph all day long. My dealer/service hear in Tucson are top notch.

I love it! and I give the Buddy 150 my highest recommendation.

Howard

[kawasakifreak77]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Howard, that's what I was really looking for, some sort of longish distance review. I heard about a gal that's done like 22,000 on a 125? That sounds outstanding for a scooter to me! Now to just save up (after vacation at the end of this month, riding to the east coast! 5000 miles in two weeks..) & go pick one up this winter. Thanks again, I'm pretty much sold on these little things from what I've heard!

[Lostmycage]

22,000 isn't even close to the top mileage on these things. Although Alex did do it in a much shorter time than the others (except maybe Kaos, but he's nuts - he's got close to or over 20k in about a year and his Buddy is seriously tricked out for performance). Bonegirl, last I checked was right around 40,000 miles on her 2006; maybe more, maybe less - I'm estimating on this one based on my foggy memory and my assumption that she uses the scooter instead of walking.

At any rate, the Buddy is the perfect urban commuter/utility vehicle. You can park it almost anywhere (the frame is the same on the 50cc "moped" version as the 125/150 "motorcycle" version which lets you "get away with" a lot more than larger bikes) for the most part, you can load it up with racks to haul stuff and 80+ mph is nothing to sneeze at! Combine that with a really well placed headlight and bright marker/signal lights and being light enough to pick up and put in your pocket.... OK that last one makes me want to mention that you'll need to consider a good lock and chain set-up. It's really a nice ride for the money.

Genuine's a pretty decent company and they've got some really nice models out. I can't see how you'd go wrong. They don't make a "perfect" cycle (then again, no one does) but they come close.

For your needs a Buddy would do you quite well. I miss my Buddy every now and again. The Blur doesn't quite have the pep or storage (it's all in the suspension and brakes for that model) but it's still a fine machine.

If you've got any questions or just want to do a little research, check out the <a href="forum12.html">Guide/FAQ section</a> and the <a href="forum9.html">Tech Library</a> for a good idea of what to expect from ownership as well as a lot of other concerns!

Also, Big K's not a bad thing to be a fan of

[Tocsik]

I have a Buddy 150 and have put about 7500 miles on it in about 13 months. I have a few mods and the only problem I have encountered was a stuck needle valve in my carb. It was still running pretty good with this going on but when I mentioned the symptoms to my dealer at my 5K service, they looked in to it and found the stuck throttle pin. Fixed under warranty; no prob.

I ride every day as a commuter - about 45 miles/day - and much of that is at 50-55 mph. I ride if the weather is dry enough and the temp is above 26 degrees (I have found this to be my threshold for my gear, heated grips, distance and speeds).

I have as much or more fun on my scooter than my past motorcycles (although that Yamaha RD200 was a real kick in the ass!).

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

my fiance and I bought Buddy 125s, mine is black, hers seafoam green. We love em, sold both our cars, and scoot in all elements. No problems in light or moderate rain, same as the physics of any other bike, minimal lean if at all on turns, slow deceleration, and avoid paint, steel plates, etc. A ton of fun, worth every penny. No problems getting up to 60mph, and very nimble on short trips. Everywhere we go we get asked about them and her especially, the eyes are fixed. I'd like to think they were checking out her bike, but probably not just that.

We've also fit a ton of things on our scoots. Grocery trips are easy breezy, small appliances, backpacks full of clothes, storage totes, and a few cases of beer. The 150 would be good, but in my opinion, you get pretty much the same bang for the buck with a 125, and it's a little cheaper msrp. Either way, it's a Buddy.

[KCScooterDude]

A little background here for ya'll. I'm Ray, 25, I live in Kansas & drive a truck to pay the bills. I've been riding since before I can remember, as you can tell by my screen name, a serious Kawasaki fan.

I've been thinking about a scooter for awhile & now that I'm a city slicker again the economics & user friendliness of a scooter would be quite useful. My riding consists of a 6 mile trip, one way with a short 55 mph zone. That's about the fastest I need to go & it's a lightly traveled road.

My only legal & riding motorcycle right motorcycle right now is a 1977 KZ650B1 I've modded heavily. It does any task more than admirably, but can be a pain around town as she has no storage for errands. This is where my scooter idear comes in. My riding is about 70% commuting & errands, 20% touring & 10% seriously disregarding my personal well being.

Investing in something that covers that 70% would take a lot of wear & tear off my KZ. I was looking at the Vino 125, the looks, size performance, price was all really close to what I think will fit my needs wonderfully.

Then someone brought up this Genuine place. I looked around the sight, gotta say I'm impressed, especially the pea green Buddy 150. I read a review, beats the Vino pretty much hands down for a couple hundred bucks.

2 year warranty, better / more accessories, lighter, faster (top end & acceleration) good looks, etc really have me leaning this way. Little things like a 12V outlet, 1/2 gallon more fuel capacity, standard white walls, LED tail light REALLY have me leaning this way.

So I see this place & figure I might as well hear from actual owners. How many miles have you put on? Dealership / warranty experiences? Real world performance? Breakdowns, trouble, maintainability, etc? Let me have it, I'm hear to learn. Cheers!

-RCP III.

I don't know where you are in Kansas, but I'm in Kansas City and I highly recommend Scooterworld in downtown Overland Park. Great to deal with. Mike owns the place and Patrick is the manager. They really go the extra mile.

The Buddy is a great scooter. If you like older bikes and you are handy with the wrenches you might look into a Stella. Check you the Blur section too. Pretty much the same performance as the Buddy 150 and more sporty looking. (I'm partial as I am a Blur owner). You will have to find a used 150 or wait until Spring when the 220 comes out, if it in fact becomes a reality.

I've got an older bike myself. A Suzuki GS550L from 1981. I know exactly what you mean. The motorcycle is great, but I got to my scooter for commuting and around town stuff.

You might want to check out Kymco too. They've got some great bikes at the same price point. Both Kymco and Genuine (PGO) will give you basically the same performance and reliability of the Japanese bikes.

[KABarash]

You WON'T be dis-satified!! I put nearly 1000 miles/month on my 150!

[iMoses]

kawasakifreak77 where in Kansas are you?? We live in Kansas City, KS and have a great Genuine dealer here in town (KC area). ScooterWorld has been nothing but great with us.

We are 2007, 125 Buddy owners and have 6,000+ on the scooter. We started out with two but I just traded in one to get a SYM HD 200. This fat boy need the extra cc's to get up those long hills. But to be honest it was a stock 125, the only thing I added to the scoot was a windscreen and a milk crate.

My wife's Buddy has a stage 1 kit (think loud pipes), and now we are thinking of putting the extra money to bump it up to 161cc's.

We have had no issues on her scoot, I had a stator go bad. But it was under warranty and replaced for free. Even the tow to ScooterWorld was free.

Welcome to the Buddy life... Safe riding

[McFlyMpls]

Then someone brought up this Genuine place.

I wonder who that could have been?

Hmmmmm

[Kaos]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Howard, that's what I was really looking for, some sort of longish distance review. I heard about a gal that's done like 22,000 on a 125? That sounds outstanding for a scooter to me! Now to just save up (after vacation at the end of this month, riding to the east coast! 5000 miles in two weeks..) & go pick one up this winter. Thanks again, I'm pretty much sold on these little things from what I've heard!

I'm not a gal, but I've got 22.5k on a 2008 125cc. I ride it daily, and its my commuter. My commute is 50 miles round trip, so it gets at LEAST 50 daily, often MUCH more than that.

Mine is also HEAVILY modded for speed. It currently tops out at 88MPH, and is seriously quick off the line.

As lostmycage pointed out, I'm a bit nuts though

[DennisD]

I own both a Buddy 125 and a Vino 125. I ride both equally to keep things running (I'm the battery tender) and like both but the Buddy is the better choice. It is quicker to accelerate, better handling, better fuel mileage and faster at top end. Both are stock as far as engine and tranny. One more thing, the Buddy seat is more comfy than the Vino. I used to prefer the Vino then put more miles on the Buddy. Their riding differences are noticeable but not that much different. They are both good scooters and if you choose either over the other you won't be unhappy. More accessories are available for the Buddy. The Vino has the superior dealer network and parts availability at this time. Face it, the big 4 are established and if you're used to that, its tough to let go. Even those differences are narrowing.

[kawasakifreak77]

Then someone brought up this Genuine place.

I wonder who that could have been?

Hmmmmm

Oh no... I've been caught! *head explodes*

Seriously though, this seems like a great place & I keep hearing awesome things about 'em. I haven't gotten around to finding a used one or buying new yet as work has kept me ultra busy & I'm trying to launch my feeble attempt at a writing career which all is making me slowly lose what's left of my mind.

Thanks again for all the replies & info, especially to DennisD there for comparing the two models I'm thinking about! If only all forums were this user friendly! No need to go into porcupine mode!

For those of you that have asked, I currently live in Great Bend (well, that's where my apartment is.. I'm never there!) & wichita would be about half the distance to go to a dealer (anybody here done business with these joints?) than that place in KC. Ironically I drove through KC today... Wonder if I could stop by & stuff one on the back of my rig!

[Lostmycage]

One other thing to note. Do you think you'd be happy with a 125/150cc's pep for around town? Basically, do you think you'd want to mod it? The reason I ask is that you can get a 125 for cheaper and you can up the displacement more for a lot less (it comes with a longer crankshaft). It's just something to keep in mind.

[kawasakifreak77]

As much as a adrenaline junky as I am, I'm sure I'll mod her some but the more I think about it, it's just a scooter.

In my mind, no point in modding one for speed when I have a solid 125 mph daily ride. I see me doing a few things cosmetically to her just to be different like yanking off a mirror, fender trim & a P! sticker. That'd be about it though to begin with, I've really been thinking about this a lot.

Then I saw a vid of people doing wheelies on 'em!! I suppose that's enough for in town use!

[TVB]

In my mind, no point in modding one for speed when I have a solid 125 mph daily ride.

Please tell me this is some kind of typo.

[Cheshire]

In my mind, no point in modding one for speed when I have a solid 125 mph daily ride.

Please tell me this is some kind of typo.

I think he's referring to the top gear's redline for his 1977 KZ650B1 motorcycle.

[kawasakifreak77]

In my mind, no point in modding one for speed when I have a solid 125 mph daily ride.

Please tell me this is some kind of typo.

I think he's referring to the top gear's redline for his 1977 KZ650B1 motorcycle.

Actually, a stock geared KZ650 redlines (9 grand) around 115. Mine's up one on the front sprocket because after I started modding last winter I pulled 11 grand!

Once going to check the mail (30 mile ride one way.. Long story!) my ex neighbor paced me on his FZ1 to 'around 130' but I'm sure that's a touch optimistic.

& 125 ain't nothin'... You should see my fast toy...

[Lostmycage]

Same thing with Kaos' 88mph Buddy or my 137mph Concours (from what I hear). It can do it, but it's not actually an everyday occurrence. Or any day for me, lol.

I think the Buddy 150 would be a fine ride for you. You might want to consider looking for a Blackjack since it comes with the upgraded suspension and slightly better front brake. However, since I noticed that you like to tinker, you could find a used Buddy 125 (in whatever color you like) for pretty cheap in the coming cold months and get the aftermarket suspension bits and the big bore kit, then you'd have the best of both worlds and for less than a new Blackjack would cost you.

Personally, I wouldn't mind finding an 07 Italia (had the 125cc engine in it) and rehashing the paint I did on my 08 Italia but with a few more goodies. Then again, I'm a tinkerer.

Let us know when you bite.

[kawasakifreak77]

Yeah, I've been thinking about the 125 since I saw the white one, man that is slick! Plus I'd save myself 500 bucks since I still can't find a used one.

[Lostmycage]

The white Buddy is a special kind of hot. I never figured myself for liking a white bike, but when I saw that I was definitely smitten.