Is my Buddy 170 able to...

ronnie421 · Post by **ronnie421** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 9:40 pm

Hello, All. I am in the process of purchasing a Buddy 170i, 2016 model with only a little over 300 miles on it. I will be picking it up in a couple of weeks. When a friend of mine learned of my purchase, he quickly told me that he has always wanted to do long ride and been wanting a riding partner. We both live in Corpus Christi, Tx. He asked if I would be willing to ride out to Aspen with him, next summer. I must admit that that sounds like a hell of an idea to me, too. But I'm curious. Will I have enough bike? Will my 170 be able to handle the climbs and winding roads in Colorado? He has a Kymco 200. Does this sound doable? Any thoughts?

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 10:12 pm

Several people have run Buddys in the Scooter Cannonball http://scootercannonballrun.com/.
Many of those have finished. Some of the roads you won't be fast. but your Buddy should make it.

ronnie421 · Post by **ronnie421** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:42 pm

Syd wrote:Several people have run Buddys in the Scooter Cannonball http://scootercannonballrun.com/.
Many of those have finished. Some of the roads you won't be fast. but your Buddy should make it.

Thank you, Friend. I will definitely check it out! And thanks for the confidence.

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 1:51 am

With the right planning and funds, anything is possible. I watched an Amazon video last month about a bunch of middle age guys riding Zuma 125s from Florida to Washington State. A couple, Mike and Kari, rode two-up on a 50cc Yamaha C3 3,000 miles in 11 days coast to coast across Canada. Anything is possible. I think it sounds like a blast. Do it!

ronnie421 · Post by **ronnie421** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:09 am

DeeDee wrote:With the right planning and funds, anything is possible. I watched an Amazon video last month about a bunch of middle age guys riding Zuma 125s from Florida to Washington State. A couple, Mike and Kari, rode two-up on a 50cc Yamaha C3 3,000 miles in 11 days coast to coast across Canada. Anything is possible. I think it sounds like a blast. Do it!

3,000 miles in 11 days. Wow. That's crazy. But hey, if they can do it on a 50cc riding two up, then It's starting to sound more and more like maybe I will have enough bike to make it. I may start getting excited here pretty soon!

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:03 pm

The main problems people running the Cannonball on a Buddy have had are a stator and a crank failure running WFO through the desert however Buddys have finished.

Last Cannonball I ran was 2016 on a 67 Vespa GT, 3,700 miles in 11 days. Oldest scooter to finish every leg.

ronnie421 · Post by **ronnie421** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 5:36 pm

BuddyRaton wrote:The main problems people running the Cannonball on a Buddy have had are a stator and a crank failure running WFO through the desert however Buddys have finished.

Last Cannonball I ran was 2016 on a 67 Vespa GT, 3,700 miles in 11 days. Oldest scooter to finish every leg.

I kinda don't want to sound like I'm still wet behind the ears in the scooter world, (but I kinda am)... What is WFO?

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 7:08 pm

Certainly there are those who have ridden a Buddy long distances. The Buddy is a capable scooter. That is not the same thing as saying that a Buddy is a good choice for long distance touring. If a long distance touring scooter is what you want, consider a bit larger displacement and liquid cooling. A low mileage Vespa GT200 is a great choice for long distance riding at a reasonable price, as an example.

(and I suppose WFO is intended to mean "wound flat out"; the usual scooter term is WOT, "wide open throttle")

ronnie421 · Post by **ronnie421** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 7:26 pm

Dooglas wrote:Certainly there are those who have ridden a Buddy long distances. The Buddy is a capable scooter. That is not the same thing as saying that a Buddy is a good choice for long distance touring. If a long distance touring scooter is what you want, consider a bit larger displacement and liquid cooling. A low mileage Vespa GT200 is a great choice for long distance riding at a reasonable price, as an example.

(and I suppose WFO is intended to mean "wound flat out"; the usual scooter term is WOT, "wide open throttle")

Ahhhh. Gotcha. Now I know. Ok. I'm not wet behind the ears anymore! LOL. Maybe one day I'll purchase a larger scooter. I bought this one because it was too good of a deal. I'll probably never find another 170 with 300 miles on it for under 1,000 dollars. I may be wrong but I couldn't take the chance that someone would walk into the dealer and take it from me. The owner of the dealer said that they had just put it on the floor after lunch time the day before. I got there about an hour after opening the next day.

eggsalad · Post by **eggsalad** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 7:31 pm

Dooglas wrote: (and I suppose WFO is intended to mean "wound flat out"; the usual scooter term is WOT, "wide open throttle")

I've always taken "WFO" to mean "Wide Fxxxing Open".

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 1:47 am

ronnie421 wrote: Maybe one day I'll purchase a larger scooter. I bought this one because it was too good of a deal. I'll probably never find another 170 with 300 miles on it for under 1,000 dollars. I may be wrong but I couldn't take the chance that someone would walk into the dealer and take it from me. The owner of the dealer said that they had just put it on the floor after lunch time the day before. I got there about an hour after opening the next day.

Don't get me wrong. The Buddy is a great scooter and I am sure you will enjoy it. I have owned and ridden one for years. I have also owned and ridden two GTS Vespas and a BV350 in the past few years. If my primary purpose was touring or other longer rides, my choice would lean in that direction.