Getting to Know My Kick

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Thu May 25, 2017 6:37 pm

I decided to give my own "first impressions" about the new Buddy Kick (I have not named her yet) since I didn't find too many videos out there on the Kick save a few "pan-arounds" with awesome music and well-done captioning.
Hopefully my comments and the quick walk-around might help someone making a decision about whether the Kick might be something they want to consider as well.
I am certainly happy with mine.
You can find the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQAEIHhrzDw

(Please excuse the "Texas-transplant/Midwestern accent I have acquired. Hopefully it is not too annoying.)

wheelbender6 · Post by **wheelbender6** » Thu May 25, 2017 11:31 pm

Nice vid. I like the way you don't need to raise the seat to refuel like traditional Buddys. Passenger pegs are better too. They also kept some of the best features like the storage pouch near the ignition switch and the flat seat.

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Fri May 26, 2017 12:23 am

Thanks, Wheelbender6! I thought that was a good idea to put the gas cap near the front too. Easier to access. The seat is VERY comfortable. My stepson rode it and said the seat was more comfortable than the seat on his Harley.
I have to say I will run into some potential difficulty putting on the deadlight adapter as the "innards" are not as easy to access as the other Buddies.
The fit is so tight and seamless, that you need to work to get that front off and get to the wires.
Oh well, that is something to tackle long term. For now, I have to say it is a blast to ride.

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Fri May 26, 2017 12:53 am

I gotta Kick outta the vid...

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Fri May 26, 2017 6:42 am

I really like the wheels on the Kick. And exposing the brake master cylinders makes servicing the brake fluid much easier. The LCD readout is also really nice, providing information that is lacking on the non-FI Buddy's. As silly as it may sound, I miss having a clock (my Blur has one). I guess it's because I'm always late to somewhere, lol. One interesting thing: my Buddy never came with handlebar mounted turnsignals. They're on the front fairing where the factory intended them to be.

I'll bet that "mystery" port under the seat is for doing diagnostics on the FI system.

Question: will a full coverage helmet fit under the seat? I know it won't on my Buddy. I might have to think about getting one of these Kicks...

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Fri May 26, 2017 1:11 pm

I'll bet you're right about that port having something to do with the efi.
I checked the undersea storage capacity. It would not close shut with my full face Nolan N44 helmet, but it would close (albeit with some effort) with my max open face helmet.

PhillyKick · Post by **PhillyKick** » Sat May 27, 2017 3:01 pm

Daves Kick wrote:I'll bet you're right about that port having something to do with the efi.

Yup. That's exactly what it's for.

Daves Kick wrote:I checked the undersea storage capacity.

I haven't been nearly that adventurous with it

Jokes aside, I have an HJC modular helmet and it'll fit, but there's not eve room for the manual or toolkit left over, unless you jam them in the head-hole of the helmet. Weirdly, the manual says helmets should be placed facing rearwards??? Which clearly will not work.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Sat May 27, 2017 3:29 pm

PhillyKick wrote:
Daves Kick wrote:I'll bet you're right about that port having something to do with the efi.
Yup. That's exactly what it's for.

Daves Kick wrote:I checked the undersea storage capacity.
I haven't been nearly that adventurous with it

Jokes aside, I have an HJC modular helmet and it'll fit, but there's not eve room for the manual or toolkit left over, unless you jam them in the head-hole of the helmet. Weirdly, the manual says helmets should be placed facing rearwards??? Which clearly will not work.

I'm more of an afternoon person myself...sorry, couldn't help it.

What size is your HJC?

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Sat May 27, 2017 3:31 pm

PhillyKick wrote:. Weirdly, the manual says helmets should be placed facing rearwards??? Which clearly will not work.

SO FUNNY. I turned the helmet backwards too and it was worse!
I did manage to make a hardware stop and take quite a few things. Even bungeed a roll of felt to the back on that rather useless chrome handle at the back. I will be getting the rack shortly.

On a side note, I tried to remove that front panel to see if the wiring configuration was similar to the Buddy 125.
Wow! Not happening! Even with the screws out that front leg shield panel is NOT coming off, or at least not off easily enough for me to attempt to "force" anything off.
I'll have to explore my options at length in this area!

PhillyKick · Post by **PhillyKick** » Sat May 27, 2017 4:18 pm

That rack is a game changer. Even without the plus-sized milk crate I have bungeed on (ugly, but practical. Like myself.), it'll still hold a decent amount. If you're going that route, you might as well get the chrome side bars, too. They add to the looks, and protect the bodywork in case of a down.

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Sat May 27, 2017 4:52 pm

PhillyKick wrote:If you're going that route, you might as well get the chrome side bars, too. They add to the looks, and protect the bodywork in case of a down.

That is no lie. When I had a Vespa, those chrome guards were practically mandatory seeing those steel panels were huge chunk of change to restore if damaged.
I hope that Genuuine comes out with more accessories for the Kick. I'd like a rubber mat that's made to fit (I know, 1st World Problems, right?)

PhillyKick · Post by **PhillyKick** » Sat May 27, 2017 5:23 pm

Agreed. So far it looks like the rear rack, cowl protectors, two versions of a windshield, and an NCY performance exhaust. Hopefully there are some more add ons. I'd love to get a deadlight kit from Voodoo, but I don't know if they work on the kick, and, like you said, getting inside the shield is not an easy task.

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Sat May 27, 2017 5:44 pm

PhillyKick wrote:I'd love to get a deadlight kit from Voodoo, but I don't know if they work on the kick, and, like you said, getting inside the shield is not an easy task.

My dealer said that it would be an hours worth of service to put them on, but he didn't push the idea so I thought I'd find something on YouTube or online about it. No-o-o-o-pe!
Just not enough on the Kick out there yet to deal with this one.

dckick · Post by **dckick** » Sat May 27, 2017 8:02 pm

Question for y'all kick owners. Today was my first real ride, the scooter shut off twice after extremely bumpy patches. The screen was still on but the engine just died. Has anyone experienced this?

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Sat May 27, 2017 8:40 pm

dckick wrote: Has anyone experienced this?

Not yet. (Hopefully not at all)
I did have that happen to me once on a Yamaha C3 when I went over some very bumpy railroad tracks.
I never got it checked and it never happened again.
I'd definitely take to the dealer if you can.

dckick · Post by **dckick** » Sat May 27, 2017 9:19 pm

babblefish wrote:I really like the wheels on the Kick. And exposing the brake master cylinders makes servicing the brake fluid much easier. The LCD readout is also really nice, providing information that is lacking on the non-FI Buddy's. As silly as it may sound, I miss having a clock (my Blur has one). I guess it's because I'm always late to somewhere, lol. One interesting thing: my Buddy never came with handlebar mounted turnsignals. They're on the front fairing where the factory intended them to be.

I'll bet that "mystery" port under the seat is for doing diagnostics on the FI system.

Question: will a full coverage helmet fit under the seat? I know it won't on my Buddy. I might have to think about getting one of these Kicks...

I have a 3/4 (one with a visor but no chin protection) it fits under the seat.

dckick · Post by **dckick** » Sat May 27, 2017 9:20 pm

Daves Kick wrote:
dckick wrote: Has anyone experienced this?
Not yet. (Hopefully not at all)
I did have that happen to me once on a Yamaha C3 when I went over some very bumpy railroad tracks.
I never got it checked and it never happened again.
I'd definitely take to the dealer if you can.

Taking it in next week, I'll keep y'all posted.

PhillyKick · Post by **PhillyKick** » Sat May 27, 2017 9:51 pm

dckick wrote:
Daves Kick wrote:
dckick wrote: Has anyone experienced this?
Not yet. (Hopefully not at all)
I did have that happen to me once on a Yamaha C3 when I went over some very bumpy railroad tracks.
I never got it checked and it never happened again.
I'd definitely take to the dealer if you can.
Taking it in next week, I'll keep y'all posted.

Never had this happen, thankfully. If I start it and it's below, say, 60f or so, it'll die after about 15-20 seconds of idling without input. I have to blip the throttle every few seconds. Kinda irritating. Anyone else have this?

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Sat May 27, 2017 10:19 pm

dckick wrote: Taking it in next week, I'll keep y'all posted.

I saw this on a scooter thread some place else. It sort of resonated with me so I copied and pasted the comment here:

"A while back I had a scoot exhibiting the same exact symptoms... I pulled the faring off and got to my harness... After CLOSE inspection, I discovered the yellow w/black stripe wire and green ground that run from the CDI to coil had been sandwiched in between the frame and body panels. Whenever I hit a bump, it would arc the two wires together and kill the scooter.

I'm not saying this exact malfunction is your problem, but I would wager money it's something similar. My guess is it is electrical related and you're wasting time looking for fuel and air leaks... "

Let us know what you find out, dcKick!

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Sun May 28, 2017 4:32 am

Does the Kick have a safety interlock that prevents the scooter from running/starting if the kickstand is down? If so, maybe on rough roads the bouncing is causing the kickstand to bounce up and down enough to kill the engine (?)

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Sun May 28, 2017 4:17 pm

babblefish wrote:Does the Kick have a safety interlock that prevents the scooter from running/starting if the kickstand is down? If so, maybe on rough roads the bouncing is causing the kickstand to bounce up and down enough to kill the engine (?)

Although it embarrasses me somewhat to say, I doubt this is it, because I left my side stand on my first outting and the scooter never stalled or quit running.
I also learned a valuable lesson!

dckick · Post by **dckick** » Sat Jun 17, 2017 3:08 pm

So I finally took my scooter in. Apparently there was a recall on one of the fuel injector sensors. You more seasoned scooter riders may be able to understand this better than I would.

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Sat Jun 17, 2017 4:49 pm

I really am digging the kick. Everyone is curious about the top speed.

I love the underseat storage, if I wasn't 6'3" I may own one.

PhillyKick · Post by **PhillyKick** » Sun Jun 18, 2017 8:39 pm

I'll tell you that I hit 64 indicated before backing off, I'm 6'2" and 190 lbs, with a not-very-aerodynamic milk crate bungeed onto the back, no windshield.

kmrcstintn · Post by **kmrcstintn** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 3:11 am

i like the styling on the kick...felt cramped on it; would love the extra 3.5 + horsepower over the performance in my Buddy 125 powerplant yet the Buddy fits me alot better...

PhillyKick · Post by **PhillyKick** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 9:43 pm

dckick wrote:So I finally took my scooter in. Apparently there was a recall on one of the fuel injector sensors. You more seasoned scooter riders may be able to understand this better than I would.

Any more info on this? I assume they would've contacted me if it were affecting mine as well, like they do for cars.

dckick · Post by **dckick** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 1:43 am

PhillyKick wrote:
dckick wrote:So I finally took my scooter in. Apparently there was a recall on one of the fuel injector sensors. You more seasoned scooter riders may be able to understand this better than I would.
Any more info on this? I assume they would've contacted me if it were affecting mine as well, like they do for cars.

I pick it up tomorrow; I'll ask some more questions then.

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 12:45 am

dckick wrote:
PhillyKick wrote:
dckick wrote:So I finally took my scooter in. Apparently there was a recall on one of the fuel injector sensors. You more seasoned scooter riders may be able to understand this better than I would.
Any more info on this? I assume they would've contacted me if it were affecting mine as well, like they do for cars.
I pick it up tomorrow; I'll ask some more questions then.

So how is the Kick doing, DC Kick? Did you get your issue resolved to your satisfaction?

dckick · Post by **dckick** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:17 am

Daves Kick wrote:
dckick wrote:
PhillyKick wrote: Any more info on this? I assume they would've contacted me if it were affecting mine as well, like they do for cars.
I pick it up tomorrow; I'll ask some more questions then.
So how is the Kick doing, DC Kick? Did you get your issue resolved to your satisfaction?

Daves Kick - I've been scooting about 10 miles a day using D.C. roads and the issue hasn't returned (fingers crossed). I've been over speed bumps, and other pesky barriers DDOT throws my way and the scooter is going strong.

Phillykick - The scooter dealer didn't know if it was a recall or a defect with my scooter. When I prodded, he mentioned there wasn't a centralized dissemination system. I tried to call Genuine but got a voicemail a bit back but haven't gotten around to calling again. If the info from the dealer is accurate, the lack of a system is concerning.

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 3:34 am

dckick wrote:
Daves Kick wrote:
dckick wrote: I pick it up tomorrow; I'll ask some more questions then.
So how is the Kick doing, DC Kick? Did you get your issue resolved to your satisfaction?
Daves Kick - I've been scooting about 10 miles a day using D.C. roads and the issue hasn't returned (fingers crossed). I've been over speed bumps, and other pesky barriers DDOT throws my way and the scooter is going strong.

Phillykick - The scooter dealer didn't know if it was a recall or a defect with my scooter. When I prodded, he mentioned there wasn't a centralized dissemination system. I tried to call Genuine but got a voicemail a bit back but haven't gotten around to calling again. If the info from the dealer is accurate, the lack of a system is concerning.

D.C. kick, did you see this thread?
http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/topic29935.html