cracks in Buddy's body

redcass · Post by **redcass** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:41 pm

I've been driving my Buddy SI for just a few days (it had been in the garage waiting for me to finish the MSF and get my license).

I had a top case installed at the dealer when I bought it. I haven't carried anything heavy in the top case while riding, I just put my helmet in it when I've stopped. But a couple days ago I noticed some cracks in the frame right around where the rack meets the frame. I can only imagine this happened when the top case was installed, but I can't prove it. Anyway, the important thing is that I want to stop the cracks from getting worse. What can I do?

We have no Genuine dealer in town, I bought this 2 1/2 hours away.

Thanks in advance for your help!

BlueMark · Post by **BlueMark** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:06 pm

Lets be clear ... this looks like cracks in the plastic body panel - which is no big deal - order a new panel through your dealer, or just reinforce it from the rear with fiberglass cloth and epoxy and refinish the topside.

Cracks in the frame - big deal - have it replaced or re-welded under warranty. (Even if the frame is cracked in a non critical area, I'd be afraid of all the welds being bad).

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:02 pm

Looks like this is in the body plastic, not the frame. I'd remove the rack before it gets worse. This could have happened due to overtightening of the bolts. If they use Loctite or similar it can actually tighten up after application due to changes in temperature.

The dealer should replace the damaged panel. Have you contacted them?

The panels are fairly inexpensive and you should be able to swap it yourself (though they really should do it)...

redcass · Post by **redcass** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:18 pm

Yes, I should have chosen my words (frame/plastic) more carefully -- realized after I had posted and was driving down the road.

I called the dealer and they're sending me a new piece. Is this a fix I can do, or should I take it to a dealer? There's a dealer an hour away from me (not where I bought the SI), and I'd have to scoot there.

tam · Post by **tam** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:52 pm

You can easily do that yourself, provided you have the tools. From the screenshot, it looks like all you need is a philips head screwdriver. No biggie, just make sure not to overtighten again

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:02 pm

I haven't pulled off that particular panel but know from others it can get a little tricky—sometimes others have to be removed to access them, etc. In general, all you need are a couple screwdrivers. But the hard part (for me) is that most have plastic tabs that break if you try to bend them too much attaching them to other panels.

davev · Post by **davev** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 12:25 am

redcass wrote:Yes, I should have chosen my words (frame/plastic) more carefully -- realized after I had posted and was driving down the road.

I called the dealer and they're sending me a new piece. Is this a fix I can do, or should I take it to a dealer? There's a dealer an hour away from me (not where I bought the SI), and I'd have to scoot there.

Make a ride out of it and let the dealer install it.
That way if it gets broke again, it's on them.

mlee10018 · Post by **mlee10018** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:02 am

The base of the center screw where the rear rack attaches broke about 3 weeks ago, of course now it has come complete out and the center bracket of the rack has broken off as well and now just bounces off the plastic of the body when I ride. This is covered but it's taken a while to get the parts needed for the work, 3 weeks now. The rack and givi box almost completely fell off one night when I was riding, thank god I had a screw driver handy.

Do be careful what you put in the givi box, my helmet and cover was heavy enough to kill the weld, with the help of a few bumps...

redcass · Post by **redcass** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:41 pm

Thanks for the info and warnings. I'll give the replacement a shot, but if it gets too tricky, I'll stop.

I did take off the top case and the rack to slow the cracking--it's gradually getting worse.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:59 pm

mlee10018 wrote:The base of the center screw where the rear rack attaches broke about 3 weeks ago, of course now it has come complete out and the center bracket of the rack has broken off as well and now just bounces off the plastic of the body when I ride. This is covered but it's taken a while to get the parts needed for the work, 3 weeks now. The rack and givi box almost completely fell off one night when I was riding, thank god I had a screw driver handy.

Do be careful what you put in the givi box, my helmet and cover was heavy enough to kill the weld, with the help of a few bumps...

These welds were breaking quite frequently for a while; thought Genuine had fixed the problem. Grr. How old was this rack?

mlee10018 · Post by **mlee10018** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:23 am

ericalm wrote:These welds were breaking quite frequently for a while; thought Genuine had fixed the problem. Grr. How old was this rack?

it's not just the weld on the rack, it is the weld of what the rack is attached to inside the scooter. My rack was one of the first that the dealer re-welded once already. It would have worked except the weld inside the scooter gave out. The new racks fixes the problem with the racks, but what it is attached to is also very weak.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:41 pm

According to a post here, the racks have been redesigned and improved. So, those with faulty ones may be able to swap 'em if they break...

mlee10018 · Post by **mlee10018** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:37 am

My rear rack just fell off tonight after waiting 3+ weeks for genuine to ship the parts necessary to my dealer to fix the issue of the center weld coming undone. Now all three welds have broken off. My rear rack and givi fell off my bike and bounced along the road. I now also have a scratched new givi box.

For all of you who were wondering if the welds are strong... look at the photos and answer your own question. I have only kept a cover and extra helmet in the givi since installing it. May be an extra pair of gloves sometimes.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:59 am

mlee10018 wrote:My rear rack just fell off tonight after waiting 3+ weeks for genuine to ship the parts necessary to my dealer to fix the issue of the center weld coming undone. Now all three welds have broken off. My rear rack and givi fell off my bike and bounced along the road. I now also have a scratched new givi box.

For all of you who were wondering if the welds are strong... look at the photos and answer your own question. I have only kept a cover and extra helmet in the givi since installing it. May be an extra pair of gloves sometimes.

It's kind of hard to see what broke off where—Did the plastic break where the rack was attached to the body causing the rack to fall off or did the rack itself break?

mlee10018 · Post by **mlee10018** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:30 am

ericalm wrote:

It's kind of hard to see what broke off where—Did the plastic break where the rack was attached to the body causing the rack to fall off or did the rack itself break?

The weld under the center screw of the rack broke first, image further up on this thread. then the center bracket on the rear rack broke(which has been rewelded by the dealer once already), leaving me with a loose center column piece now stored in my pet carrier. Then the two front arms pull out of the welds inside the scooter. All the bolts are still attached to the nuts that they were screwed into, what broke was what the nuts were welded to inside the scooter. Of course I have not been carrying anything in the givi during this time. The plastic just broke away as the metal gave way, it did not do anything to help or hinder, other than provide a place for the givi and rack to rest on when the center column broke.

I have been waiting for the rear body pieces from genuine which was sent once already, but one side in cream and the one side in red! If I did not have to wait for 3+ weeks for parts, it would not have gotten so bad. I was very lucky to not have a car behind me and going fairly slow when this happened.

bikebuda · Post by **bikebuda** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:12 am

when you first noticed the center weld was broken why didnt you remove the rack then and return it ?

pcbikedude · Post by **pcbikedude** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:53 am

Which of the racks are defective the black ones or the chrome ones or both?

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:38 am

pcbikedude wrote:Which of the racks are defective the black ones or the chrome ones or both?

The problem with the center weld occurred on all rear racks. The new racks reportedly have been redesigned without this piece. I haven't seen one yet, though.

redcass · Post by **redcass** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:03 pm

I received the replacement panel from the dealer where I bought the scooter (Dealer1) sans Buddy Italia decal, unfortunately, I believe they were out of those. I decided to have another dealer (Dealer2) switch it out for me. They also had chrome racks, so I got that installed as well. I sure hope I don't have any more problems with this.

If I may be frank, I think the guy (Dealer1) who put the first rack on my scooter didn't know what he was doing. He overtightened most of the bolts and tore my seat cover. I learned from Dealer 2 that my seat cover should be under warranty, so I have to go back to Dealer 1 and try to get a new seat cover too.

vitaminC · Post by **vitaminC** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:53 pm

redcass wrote:I learned from Dealer 2 that my seat cover should be under warranty, so I have to go back to Dealer 1 and try to get a new seat cover too.

If it's under warranty, why cant' Dealer 2 take care of it for you??

redcass · Post by **redcass** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:38 pm

Now, that's an excellent question. Hm. I'll make some calls.

kmo2771 · Post by **kmo2771** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:56 pm

looking at the picture above, it looks like the part that broke was the nut that was welded to the frame, not he rack. Picture two shows the nut\bolt still connected through the rack. Am I missing something?

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:54 pm

redcass wrote:If I may be frank, I think the guy (Dealer1) who put the first rack on my scooter didn't know what he was doing. He overtightened most of the bolts and tore my seat cover. I learned from Dealer 2 that my seat cover should be under warranty, so I have to go back to Dealer 1 and try to get a new seat cover too.

This could have been the cause of a lot of your problems, grrr. Are you having to pay out of pocket for any of these repairs?

Is the replacement chrome rack one of the new ones, without the troublesome center weld?

mlee10018 · Post by **mlee10018** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:30 am

kmo2771 wrote:looking at the picture above, it looks like the part that broke was the nut that was welded to the frame, not he rack. Picture two shows the nut\bolt still connected through the rack. Am I missing something?

the rack has been fine after the first replacement weld by the dealer. What broke, like you said, were all the welds on the scooter.

andy · Post by **andy** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 2:11 am

I had major cracks on my Buddy 125 where my rack and trunk sat. Brooklynbretta replaced the rack with a newer better model and reinforced the frame all under warranty. Thank you Nick and Cotter. THey're terrific. Apparently there is a problem with the design of the rack and the frame - lack of support for the frame.
I'd check with the dealer as at least 3 Buddy's in Brooklyn have had the same problem.
Good luck

FuManStu · Post by **FuManStu** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:49 pm

unfortunately for you to do it yourself, the back half is the trickier part of the panels to replace. I did all of mine for a repaint. You will need to take off the side panels and work your way back. I would also recomend pulling the seat and storage unit out as well (although you don't really have to, just makes it easier)

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:32 pm

FuManStu wrote:I did all of mine for a repaint.

Repaint? We'd love to see pics in the Gallery forum!

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