Uphill Battle

[ggtennis]

Hi all!

I am currently the owner of a Vino 125. I love the scoot, but have one issue that bothers me. On my daily commute I have several hills I face on roads with speeds of 45 - 50 MPH. Some of these roads have lights at the bottom of a steep hill. My Vino can only muster 30 - 35 top speed up the hills from a standing stop. Based on your experiences with the Buddy, would it have the ability to get up to speed before reaching the top of the hill?

Thanks!

[jetboy]

It will depend, of course, on how steep that hill is. I'm faced with a similar kind of challenge in a couple parts of town that I ride in. My Buddy will get to 45, maybe 50 if I tuck down tight. I think that's pretty good for a 125 (but then again, my Buddy is red! . It's a 45 MPH zone, but everyone wants to do 50-55 up it in their SUVs. YMMV.

-jetboy

[lobsterman]

There are too many variables to answer your questions as stated.

Please provide us with your dimensions, your weight, the weight and brand/model of your gear, the intended mods to the scooter (baskets, racks, etc), the angle of the hill, the type of pavement on the hill, the weather conditions you'll be riding in, etc.

Seriously, though... I ride on several good size hills and the Buddy does great. YMMV of course, depending on the values of the variables above. I have heard the Buddy has a better low end than the Vino, which would probably help.

The only way you'll get a real answer for your specific situation is to either try it yourself or talk to somebody who has a Buddy in your area and has ridden those hills.

[tam]

It mostly depends on how steep that hill is, really. I deal with plenty hills on my commute, but none are supersteep. I get up to 55mph without a problem, although the time to get there obviously is a bit longer than when it's flat (or downhill!).

Top speed on a downhill slope, tucked down tight and with little/no headwind so far is 70mph (after speedometer correction, so 78mph indicated)

[ericalm]

I have a similar situation on my daily commute. One small piece of advice: get a windshield. Even a short/medium one will help.

If you have to climb from a full stop, don't open up the throttle all the way at the bottom of the hill—just wastes RPMs. I gradually work up to 3/4 open throttle, then reserve the rest for about halfway up the hill, but you may want to vary this depending on steepness and distance. It's not a HUGE boost, but I've found this will let me hit higher speeds than trying to attack the hill from its base.

[codemonkey]

My work is at the top of a steep hill and I go about 50 mph on it pretty easily.

[rajron]

My work is at the top of a Mesa, a steep road with a speed limit of 45 mph - I need to take the back roads otherwise I would be run down by the anxious ones that need to speed to work (the place they hate to be) – if it weren’t for the crazy drivers it would be no problem because I can go the speed limit, its just that some people need to go much faster. By the way the road is @ about 6 to 7 % grade, and I weigh about 165 lbs.

[gt1000]

Not knowing your particular hill it's hard to say. My daily commute is mostly uphill in the morning. If you know Denver, I ride 15th St. out of downtown towards the Highlands. It's a steep hill that typically warms me up nicely if I'm bicycling it. My 125 pulls strongly all the way up the hill and I typically outrun cars on this stretch. I weigh about 160 with gear.

Your best bet is to stop by your local Genuine dealer and ask for a test ride. Then, head for the hills!

[brat]

I live in San Fran and one of the steepest hills I climb I can only hit 35mph. But I am not a little woman, with full gear and a buddy 125. I think that is doing very well. It is long and pretty steep. It is one of those hills you wonder if there is road on the other side.

Susan

[BlueMark]

On my daily commute I have several hills I face on roads with speeds of 45 - 50 MPH. Some of these roads have lights at the bottom of a steep hill.

Ughhhhh! From my days as a (bicycle) roadie, I HATE it when they stick a stop sign at the bottom of a long hill. Top of the hill -no problem. Is that too much to ask?

[KidDynomite]

I've ridden a time or two with a fast Vina 125. She is faster than me downhill, about the same on flat ground and I'm faster than her uphill.

I think the Vino has more metal parts--ie heavier than a Buddy--and therefore isn't as good uphill.

I have a similar issue though I don't travel it all the time. I just gun it, tuck and see what happens. Often I'm passed (although I'm doing the limit) and it really doesn't matter. EFF those people in the SUVs. You belong on the road too.

[pcbikedude]

I chose the Buddy over the Vino for that reason. The Buddy was better on hills. Not to take anything away from the Vino, it is a nice bike. The Vino is heavier, lower to the ground and it has a more motorcycle feel to it.

I have to climb several hills daily. The street has a limit of 50. I can make it up at 50 according to my suspect speedometer. But I'm at the top end of the throttle. I added a windshield but it did not make any difference in speed (unless I got 10 lbs. heavier all of a sudden).

[ggtennis]

Thank you all for your excellent, thoughtful and speedy feedback. I am impressed with your forum and am sure I would be impressed with the Buddy as well.

At this point in time, now that I have discovered scooters and how much fun they can be, (as well as economical), I think I am going to look into larger engines and remove all doubt. It is time for an upgrade. I may as well bite the bullet and go for the ultimate... a GTS 250.

Thank you again!

[BoneGirl]

I may as well bite the bullet and go for the ultimate... a GTS 250.

My husband just opted for the Honda Big Ruckus over the GTS 250. He uses his Buddy for most rides but the Ruckus is a great mule for carrying lots of stuff (including his golf gear) and Rally supplies!

Have fun no matter what you buy!

[pcbikedude]

In the computer world we have an semi-old saying that seems to apply here: Buy the best you can afford.