Noob questions, your patience appreciated

[DanteG]

I've just signed up for this forum after checking it out for a week or so. I'm new to the scooter and motorsports world, and of course have a few metric tons of questions. This site has already answered quite a few of them, but I thought I'd post a few specific ones.

1) I'm located in the suburbs of Philly, and am looking at Philadelphia Scooters on Passyunk as my dealer. Does anyone have any experience in dealing w/ them ? All feedback appreciated.

2) My area doesn't have the scooter-friendly climate that many of you seem to enjoy. I'd probably put the Buddy up for long-term storage in the winter. While this forum has plenty of top-notch tips for winterization, I've seen nothing about storing a scoot outdoors in the winter. Is it a dead foolish notion to do so ? At this time, without renting space, I've no indoor storage space available for a scooter.

3) Has anyone used the roadside assistance offered by Genuine ? How does it work, and how well does it work ?

4) Any outstanding issues re parts/service ? Anything that you'd want a potential Buddy buyer to know ?

5) Is the Buddy highway legal in PA ? While I have no intention of going onto major roads for quite some time, I'd like to know if I can.


6) Other than advising me to search the #@*&$@ forum, anything else (and yes, I am going to take the safe rider program ... it's part of the PA licensing process).

Your help most appreciated. Thanks for putting up with another newbie.

[solo_movement]

While I can't answer any Philly questions you have, as I am in N.M., I can try to answer other q's.

2. You can have it outside, but you'll want to purchase a cover, store the battery indoors, and try to drain the gas. Gas in the carb over the winter goes bad and could result in visits to your dealer afterwards for a good carb cleaning, etc.

4. As a Buddy dealer in N.M., we haven't had ANY problems. Yay!!!!! We got Buddies off the first shipment over one year ago.

5. Again, no PA experience, but the 125 goes 60 or there abouts and cannot be taken on the interstate unless you have a death wish (75+ MPH in N.M.), but we have other highways in N.M. that the Buddy would do quite nicely on given one is comfortable with other driver speeds.

Good luck with the rest of the info. Welcome to Buddyhood!

[Eddy Merckx]

Welcome to MB,
I live in Ct. and as long as the streets are dry you can ride as far into winter as you want to, or can stand the wind chill, I'm lucky cause I have a garage for storage.

Buy a quality trickle charger and a real good all weather cover, you can buy them at a bicycle shop for about $29.99 they are called heavy duty rain covers, they get them from J&B importers, they won't sell direct to you but any good bike shop can get one for you.
You may want to explore renting a storage area with electric so you can use your charger, and if you do that run the engine a couple of times a week to keep the scoot running well, then get it tuned / carb cleaning in the spring.....Just a thought

Ps. use gas stabilizer during low use times like winter !!!!!
My dealer offers winter storage for a fee check that out as well

[cowgirl helmet]

I'm a Philly native (moved away in 1980, but my mom still lives there), and I'd be most concerned with somebody stealing your Buddy if you kept it outdoors.

Polianarchy, who posts on this board, loves Philly Scooters on Passyunk. She might also be able to help you out re: PA law.

Re: the roadside service: I called them for help when my Buddy died (it was a battery issue), and was told that all they could do for me would be to tow the Bud to the nearest shop for service. Not sure what they'd do if my tire was flat.

Also, welcome.

[Drumwoulf]

I'm located in the suburbs of Philly, and am looking at Philadelphia Scooters on Passyunk as my dealer. Does anyone have any experience in dealing w/ them ? All feedback appreciated. .

Good guys. I'm in Freehold, NJ. Bought my Buddy from Larry at Philly Scooters. So far they've been very helpful and honorable there.

When I got my scoot they told me that one of the mirror mounts was stripped and they would fix it later for me. I'm glad they did tell me, because when I tried to remove this mirror later it snapped off in the socket! And by them being honest with me in the beginning I knew it wasn't my fault and would be covered under warranty..

Friendly service, good service. They'll charge you $200 over Genuine's MSRP to buy it, and that's about it....

drummer
(Skip)

[StL_Stadtroller]

When I got my scoot they told me that one of the mirror mounts was stripped and they would fix it later for me. I'm glad they did tell me, because when I tried to remove this mirror later it snapped off in the socket! And by them being honest with me in the beginning I knew it wasn't my fault and would be covered under warranty..

If the mirror socket was "stripped", that means there would be no holding power for the threads and the mirror would be loose/wobling around on you, if not falling out completely. ie - you shouldn't have been able to tighten down anything enough to break something if it were stripped.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and take a guess that you - like many, many people have done, including the former owner of my BMW /5 - didn't realise that one of the mirrors are left-hand threaded and when you thought you were loosening were tightening and it broke off.
just a guess though.

[JeremyZ]

2) My area doesn't have the scooter-friendly climate that many of you seem to enjoy. I'd probably put the Buddy up for long-term storage in the winter. While this forum has plenty of top-notch tips for winterization, I've seen nothing about storing a scoot outdoors in the winter. Is it a dead foolish notion to do so ? At this time, without renting space, I've no indoor storage space available for a scooter.

Take the battery out & bring it inside. Trickle charging it in the winter in low temps won't work well. Buy a kickass Kryptonite chain & disc lock. I read of a lot of scooters being stolen in Philly.

4) Any outstanding issues re parts/service ? Anything that you'd want a potential Buddy buyer to know ?

Make sure you aim the headlight properly before driving at night. You'll need an 8mm box or open wrench. (or have the dealer do it) They're aimed way too low, in general.

5) Is the Buddy highway legal in PA ? While I have no intention of going onto major roads for quite some time, I'd like to know if I can.

Highway yes, expressway, no. Although a lot of the expressways here have 55 mph speed limits, traffic moves at 75+. Even the grannies go 65-70. I wouldn't feel safe. I probably wouldn't even do it on a Blur. I'd want at least 250cc under my butt.

[tam]

Hey Dante, I'm a philly suburban too. Springfield area.

I bought mine at the BMW Dealer in Devon but they've since closed down. I've only had to use the philly scooter shop to buy a few parts and they seem friendly enough. Only dealt with them over the phone so far.
What you should know about parts is that they're not always easy to get quickly. Lot of things are on backorder. But if you want to have it shipped, you could call around and I'm sure some of the remote dealers will have whatever you need.

As for storage, I'd be very hesitant to leave it outside during the winter. Not only because it may get stolen, but with the snow and stuff that comes down, it can't be good. And there's always the off chance critters will start using the scoot to store their food etc. You definitely want to take the battery out, fill up the tank and put stabalizer in, like mentioned before. I did that last winter and it started right back up once I got back on.

When I bought the scoot, i was told it was highway legal. No way I would ever take it on 202, 95, 476 etc though, that's suicide. I have no trouble keeping up anywhere else, but if the speed limit is over 55, cars will just be going too fast, and that's asking for problems with the density of traffic we have here, and the amount of people on cellphones doesn't help either.

Where are you at? Try craigslist to find some indoor storage, preferrably heated. I'm sure you can find something around

[lobsterman]

I have used roadside assistance twice, both times for flat tires. Genuine made it painless to make the call and painless to pay for the tow, as in it doesn't cost you a penny within range.

They do use local towing companies, obviously, so your experience with service may vary depending on who they send out to you.

[Drumwoulf]

When I got my scoot they told me that one of the mirror mounts was stripped and they would fix it later for me. I'm glad they did tell me, because when I tried to remove this mirror later it snapped off in the socket! And by them being honest with me in the beginning I knew it wasn't my fault and would be covered under warranty..

If the mirror socket was "stripped", that means there would be no holding power for the threads and the mirror would be loose/wobling around on you, if not falling out completely. ie - you shouldn't have been able to tighten down anything enough to break something if it were stripped.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and take a guess that you - like many, many people have done, including the former owner of my BMW /5 - didn't realise that one of the mirrors are left-hand threaded and when you thought you were loosening were tightening and it broke off.
just a guess though.

As it turned out, that was not the way it happened. The dealer told me the socket was 'stripped,' and the mirror did NOT wobble but was jammed tight into the socket! (It is possible to force something into a socket while stripping it, I found out)

Drummer

[jrsjr]

As it turned out, that was not the way it happened. The dealer told me the socket was 'stripped,' and the mirror did NOT wobble but was jammed tight into the socket! (It is possible to force something into a socket while stripping it, I found out)

...and to get back to Drumwolf's point, Philly Scooters was honest and helpful about dealing with the problem.

DanteG, welcome to Modern Buddy! The Buddy scooter is what it is, but what it is is pretty awesome if you ask us. About the Roadside Service, folks have had widely varying experiences with it, depending on the local provider of the service. That seems to be the way it is with all "roadside assistance" programs, including the one that comes with the far more expensive Vespa scooters.

For your particular location (Philly) my biggest concern would be about security. I'd have to search the archives, but I think we've already had one case of a scooter being stolen there, so you'll want to do some research into securing your scooter against theft.

The other thing everybody is chomping at the bit to tell you is that you'll need to set aside some funds for protective gear like a helmet and riding jacket and it's a very good idea if you're a new rider to take a motorcycle Safety Foundation course to get you ready to ride.

Again, welcome to Modern Buddy. Feel free to ask a metric ton of quesions.

-John

P.S. Sometimes it's a good idea to focus on one or two questions per thread. You actually get more answers that way. Strange, but that's how it seems to work...

[healingpath]

You might google "Bike Barn" for a great sounding and great looking outdoor storage option. It's a bit pricey ($300 plus $30 shipping on ebay; $325 plus $55 shipping direct from Bike Barn). Or I think the direct website is bikebarn.net.

I'm thinking about one myself, but haven 't taken the plunge yet.

Welcome and ride safe.

Matthew

[DanteG]

Thank you all for your kind welcomes and information. While I have done a fair amount of research prior to posting, y'all have given me some great info and a reality check. The more I think about it, the more that I have to think that this may not be the hobby for which I was looking. There's a lot of preparation to enable that escape ... and it seems as though, in my case, a scooter may cause more headaches than it solves. These are just my circumstances, of course ... YMMV.

It's nice to know that, should I reconsider, that there's a good dealer in my area, a decent scooter to see, and a great community built around said scooter.

Again, thanks for your time. If I see you at a crossroads, I'll waive the right-of-way.

[ScooterDave]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and take a guess that you - like many, many people have done, including the former owner of my BMW /5 - didn't realise that one of the mirrors are left-hand threaded and when you thought you were loosening were tightening and it broke off. just a guess though.

That is why you guys are Airheads.

Dave

[StL_Stadtroller]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and take a guess that you - like many, many people have done, including the former owner of my BMW /5 - didn't realise that one of the mirrors are left-hand threaded and when you thought you were loosening were tightening and it broke off. just a guess though.

That is why you guys are Airheads.

Dave

HAY NOW I resemble that remark!
I don't help that I drive air-cooled VW's either I guess..