Scoot or no scoot?

[Petunia the Purple]

My first time looking around this forum was 3 years ago when I hoped to get a Buddy 125 but in the end couldn't afford it. I never gave up hope and with the early warm spring began to think that I'd get one this year.

But now I plan to move from the city to the country - in a couple months I'll move to Barron County WI - 90 miles from the twin cities - I was thinking that I'd get a scooter now and be able to use it to explore the scenic area around my new home and as a fun way to make the 90 mile trip to MSP now & then, but probably not more than weekly in nice months. Checking with an experienced rider I've been told that because of the distance and highway I should have a bigger scooter (Kymco 200 Yager etc) or at least a scooter with bigger tires than the Buddy 125.

But today I looked at these two. Essentially, I worry that as a new rider and a smallish woman (5'5", 142 lbs) the bigger scooter will scare me and I'll end up hesitant/scared to ride it and just won't. The Buddy 125 (or the Psycho) feels MUCH more comfortable to me in size and I feel confident that I'd ride that if I got it. Or would I? Would it be so uncomfortable that I wouldn't want to ride it that far (90 miles each way then around town for probably a 200+ mile day once in a while)? The best route is a little urban freeway but mostly 2-lane highways going thru towns down from 55 to 45 to 35 to 25 and back, so I don't think it would be too bad. (?)

So I looked here wondering if anyone rides their Buddy in remote areas or this kind of distance. I saw someone did a 250 mile day on his Buddy a couple days ago and saw several large total mileages for a few years.

What do you all think? Maybe I'll just scrap the scooter idea for now and think it over once again when I move to an urban area again.
Sorry for the long post but thanks in advance if you have thoughts.

Happy riding!

[Mutt the Hoople]

Highways or interstates? I have a Buddy 50cc and love it for driving in the city. I found out pretty quickly that driving faster on rough roads... I want something with larger wheels. Hopefully this week I am trying out the Kymco People 150. I am also going to try out the Sym Wolf 150 which is actually a small motorcycle. I am only about 5'3" and weigh a bit more... Not much more, and the Wolf felt easier and more comfortable than the larger scooters. I could put both feet down with no problem, and it was not unwieldy. It only weighs about 40 pounds or so more than my scooter. I sat on a Kymco People and that was fine as well... Waiting to ride one when the local place gets them in. I just got my Buddy in February. I love it and am keeping it, but it is not good on roads over 45 mph, and Saint Louis has horribly maintained streets... Rough, speed, and small wheels don't mix very well

[michelle_7728]

My husband and I do a 187 mile (one way) trip once a year to go visit relatives on the coast. It is a blast, but if you are thinking of doing it once a week just be advised that it is quite a jaunt. Going 55-60 is not an issue, but I wouldn't do it on a major interstate (too many whackos), and be prepared for it to take a bit longer than in a car. Reason being that if you avoid the interstate, the roads vary between 25-55 mph, AND you only have (in essence) one gallon of gas to use before you have to stop and fill up again. Yeah, I know the Buddy holds more than one gallon, but that's the most I have ever put in at one time.

Factor in lunch and stretching your legs, figure about 7 hours.

It is, however, lots of fun. which is why we keep doing it.

[gr8dog]

Hi Petunia, and welcome to the forum.

You ask a lot of questions. Ultimately, only you can answer any of those questions. There are people here who do long distances on a 50cc scoot and are perfectly happy with that. Others, like me, have a larger displacement scooter for long trips and highway riding as well as a Buddy 125 for in town.

I have taken my Buddy over 200 miles on my longest trip. The scooter is completely capable of those distances and maintaining 50 to 55 mph but there is not much power left over. Barron county is not real hilly so no problem there. It's really a question of your comfort level. A great way to explore that is to take the Scooter Safety Class. My wife took that at our local tech college. I took the Motorcycle Safety Class. They provide the bikes, you provide your own gear, ie: helmet, boots, gloves etc.... They start you out as though you know nothing at all about riding and build from there. You get lots of riding time, learn how to identify and avoid hazards, how to make emergency maneuvers and so much more. I believe it will help you with riding confidence and competence.

The only way to answer your questions is to get in the saddle and log some ride time. The safety class is a good way to do that without actually buying a scooter.

[Petunia the Purple]

Thanks, Mutt the Hoople, I've been considering that Wolf 150 so maybe I'll take the encouragement from you and go try it on for size!

Highways or interstates? I have a Buddy 50cc and love it for driving in the city. I found out pretty quickly that driving faster on rough roads... I want something with larger wheels. Hopefully this week I am trying out the Kymco People 150. I am also going to try out the Sym Wolf 150 which is actually a small motorcycle. I am only about 5'3" and weigh a bit more... Not much more, and the Wolf felt easier and more comfortable than the larger scooters. I could put both feet down with no problem, and it was not unwieldy. It only weighs about 40 pounds or so more than my scooter. I sat on a Kymco People and that was fine as well... Waiting to ride one when the local place gets them in. I just got my Buddy in February. I love it and am keeping it, but it is not good on roads over 45 mph, and Saint Louis has horribly maintained streets... Rough, speed, and small wheels don't mix very well

[skully93]

No matter what, I think if you really want one, you will end up getting one. It gets in your blood!

But only you can decide what vehicle you really need. Take the course first if you haven't, and go from there. MSF class rules.

[TVB]

I go for a multi-day road trip around Michigan on my Buddy 50 every summer, usually averaging 100-150 miles each day, and leaving plenty of time for sightseeing, sit-down meals, stopping to smell and photograph the roses, etc. I cannot recommend it enough for that purpose; people who just take freeways and other fast highways between cities have no idea what they're missing.

In the process of these trips, I've also done one-day 200+mile rides a couple times. In both cases, I took pretty much the whole day for it (sun-up to sun-down). It's do-able, and it can be enjoy-able once in a while... but if you're thinking of doing it on a regular basis, it might be worth investing in something faster.

[un_designer]

But now I plan to move from the city to the country - in a couple months I'll move to Barron County WI - 90 miles from the twin cities - I was thinking that I'd get a scooter now and be able to use it to explore the scenic area around my new home and as a fun way to make the 90 mile trip to MSP now & then, but probably not more than weekly in nice months. Checking with an experienced rider I've been told that because of the distance and highway I should have a bigger scooter (Kymco 200 Yager etc) or at least a scooter with bigger tires than the Buddy 125.

But today I looked at these two. Essentially, I worry that as a new rider and a smallish woman (5'5", 142 lbs) the bigger scooter will scare me and I'll end up hesitant/scared to ride it and just won't. The Buddy 125 (or the Psycho) feels MUCH more comfortable to me in size and I feel confident that I'd ride that if I got it. Or would I? Would it be so uncomfortable that I wouldn't want to ride it that far (90 miles each way then around town for probably a 200+ mile day once in a while)? The best route is a little urban freeway but mostly 2-lane highways going thru towns down from 55 to 45 to 35 to 25 and back, so I don't think it would be too bad. (?)

I think it should be doable, but not very comfortable...

1) If the 2-lane highway is pretty sparsely driven, you may be able to just stay in the slow-lane and go at your own pace. If you have impatient cars around, it may be an issue because most 2-lane highways are 55mph for the majority of the time and only slow down for the occasional towns they run through. Keeping the Buddy at 55mph (for real, not the 55mph on the overly optimistic speedometer) is not that easy. I'm 5'5" and 110lbs so your size but quite a bit lighter, and keeping it at a consistent 50mph is a challenge for longer distances. It's basically WOT all the way, which gets really tiring really fast and will affect your mpg. For comparison, a "starter bike" is a Kawasaki Ninja 250 motorcycle, with the 250 = 250cc.

2) Riding around the country, also keep in mind the road condition. Our scooters aren't made to ride off-road. A scooter with fatter tires like a Honda Ruckus is better suited, but of course the Ruckus is only 50cc so forget about taking it on any roads faster than 35-40mph.

3) Regardless of which scooter you end up with, taking a MSF course will help tremendously with your confidence and skill. Knowing what to look out for, and what to do, will keep you safe. It's also required for any scooters above 50cc.

4) It's true that the Buddy is quite maneuverable. It has to do with its weight (235lb i think), seat height (29"), and low-end torque. I test rode a couple of scooters and found the Buddy to be a nice combination. As you get better, the first two aren't as much an issue, but I can appreciate their contribution to the feeling of ease for a new rider.

The only other thing I can think of is maybe a 150cc Piaggio, which will make it a bit easier to ride on the 2-lane highway and has 12" wheels (Buddys have 10" wheels):

<a href="http://www.piaggiousa.com/scooters.html ... 0">Piaggio Fly 150</a>


Or, a Buddy 170i, which costs a couple hundred more than the Piaggio.

[Michelle7471]

If you're staying on pavement, might consider the 170i. Slightly bigger engine so you can get to 50mph a little easier and has the same look as a 125. I have the green one and love it. It keeps up with my husband's Harley off the line (he eventually passes me). I've never done a long trip with it yet, but i wouldn't hestitate if the weather was nice and i wasn't in a hurry.

[AWinn6889]

I live "in the country" in NY and I do just fine with my 170i.
I'm about 5'1" and 150lbs, and can hold it (now that it's mostly broken in) at 65 mph at about 3/4 throttle, sometimes less throttle depending on wind, road condition, how much crap I'm lugging around in/on the scoot, etc.

I will not recommend riding on freeways with these scooters though, they are just not fast enough, and not stable enough, especially for long distances. That said, there's a lot you can do to avoid freeways. It will make your ride longer, but usually it makes it more enjoyable as well.
The two roads that I need to take to get anywhere other than my home town are both 55mph max old county highways (like the kind with houses and businesses right on them, not exit ramps and such), I do just fine for long distances on those, but I wouldn't push it for anything faster or busier than that.
If you absolutely cannot avoid a major highway I would suggest a bigger scoot. Any from the 300+ range would serve well for that purpose, and make sure you've got some decent sized wheels.


Good luck, I hope you find the perfect scoot for you!