150,000 mile Buddy 125!

[scootERIK]

Did you watch Robots review of the Royal Alloy 300? I watched it again and I might have to make space in the garage.

I have watched his video and test rode one. I would like to go on a 50-100+ mile test ride to see how comfortable it is on longer rides since that would be it's main use. I would also like to take Vespa GTS out for a 100 mile ride to see how does on a longer ride.

[sc00ter]

I can't do Vespa because I don't have a good dealer should something computer related fail. The OBD2 reader for the Royal Alloy 300 is very appealing. I've owned a few crappy cars in the past that I have a good grip on OBD2 readers. Concerning longer pre-purchase rides I don't have that option either. I can borrow a friends Yamaha X-Max and take it out as long as I want but I don't know anyone with a Royal Alloy. Besides, now that I'm older all 2 wheel vehicles get uncomfortable after 100 miles. That's my new max distance before a I need a break! Thankfully I recover pretty fast.

I need to get a Out The Door price on a Royal Alloy 300. I have a number in my head before it looses its appeal for being overpriced. I'm not 100% sold on the vintage look (in pictures, haven't seen it in person) yet and the fact that there is little to no native storage.

[scootERIK]

I'm pretty lucky to have a good dealer about 12 miles away that sells Genuine, Vespa, Piaggio, Lance, Sym, and Royal Alloy.

[scootERIK]

140,000 miles! 7,000 on the rebuilt engine.

More trouble free miles, some of those miles were a little cold.

[scootERIK]

141,000 miles! 8,000 on the rebuilt engine.

Again more trouble free miles.

141,000

[scootERIK]

143,000 miles! and 10,000 on the rebuilt engine.

The last 2k was more trouble free miles, except my horn button has started to not work all the time. One day it didn't work at all and another day it only worked it I pressed it just right. But a few days later it was working again. I think maybe some corrosion on the contacts in the button, will have to keep an eye on it. I did an oil change and wore out two used tires I had sitting around. I should change the filter next oil change since this one has at least 8k on it. I need to put on a new front since the one I am running is cupping really badly. New belt and rollers will be installed shortly since the current belt has about 10k on it. I am planning on trying the Dr Pulley variator again to see how that performs. I need to take a look at the diaphragm in the carb since my top speed is a little slow, but the low top speed might also be from the worn out belt and rollers. Also, I ordered a new battery(a cheap ytz10s) so that will get installed as soon as it arrives.

Tomorrow my Buddy will be leading a Vespa Parade Day ride.

142,000.1- Missed it by that much.


143,000-

[sc00ter]

And I was proud that I hit a wimpy 8000 miles in the first year. I would take me at least 10 years to catch up to your crazy miles! I did my belt at 8000 miles and saved the old belt, v-slides and rollers as a "Oh crap!" back-up spare. I had ever slight wear marks on the OEM variator face(s) in the fast/top area. Nothing to worry about and no better or worse than my old Liberty's variator wear. My old Burgman 200 would wear out variators at 6000 miles max! Suzuki wanted to drag me across the coals for a new one and no one made a quality aftermarket one, so I purchased a few gently used ones from ebay stores from a motorcycle breaker.

Let us know how the Dr. Pulley variator works. I don't really care for their pre-worn rollers but a friend swears by them.

[scootERIK]

Let us know how the Dr. Pulley variator works. I don't really care for their pre-worn rollers but a friend swears by them.

I really liked the Dr Pulley with 11g slider(I think 11) the off the line acceleration was great, it ripped to ~45 indicated. The reason I stopped using it was some weird wear(you can see a picture if you look at the post on page 4 of this thread when I hit 135k) and I thought it might be causing a bog when coming off of full throttle(it was a crab issue.) Now that I now it was the carb I want to try the Dr Pulley again.

The first time I tried Dr Pulley sliders(11.5g) in the stock variator I didn't like them. After 4,500 miles they stopped returning to the "low gear" position so when I would leave a stop sign it would bog and jump until it got going. I think that 11.5g rollers were too heavy for my set up. I am planning on buying some 11g and 10.5g to do some testing with( might even try some 10g.) I never had any issues when running the Dr Pulley variator and sliders.

As for the Dr Pulley rollers, I really like them. I have been running the 11g ones for years and they perform well and last a long time. I tried the NCY ones but like the Dr Pulley ones more.

[az_slynch]

I agree on the sliders performance. I've run them for 16K in my Yager and they've worked pretty well.

As for the bogging, consider replacing the torque spring or cleaning and re-greasing the secondary sheave. I've dealt with weak stock springs on old scoots before (my '08 Scarabeo is the most recent one) and it's always good business to break down/clean/regrease the secondary achieve during belt changes to prevent the lube from drying out and gumming up the sliding movement.

Kudos on making the most of the mileage on your Buddy! Hard to argue with the results!

[scootERIK]

144,611.6 miles! While that might seem like an odd number, it marks 100k since the first engine failed. To commemorate the first engine I redid the ~200 mile ride that killed it, but this time I was able to finish which was nice.

[scootERIK]

145,000! 12k on the rebuilt engine.

So 143k-144k was fairly uneventful, except for installing a new battery(YTZ10S-BS.) But 144k-145k had some "events." I started out with an oil change and two new tires. During this time I rode the scooter without a helmet or earplugs and I heard a rattle I didn't like. I figured the rollers needed to be changed and I needed a new belt too. But when I opened the CVT I discovered that it needed more than rollers and a belt. It turns out two of the three little U shaped sliders had disappeared and the other one was barely there. I don't know how old these U shaped pieces were but I probably put too many miles on them. When these U shaped parts fail the variator has metal on metal. There are some pictures below. So I needed to replace the variator. I put a used Dr Pulley variator back in with a new belt. I tried two different sets of sliders but I didn't like how either set worked, slow acceleration and a slow top speed. Not sure if it's the used sliders or that the variator has some damage or both. Luckily my local dealer had a complete used CVT, so I got that and installed it with the new belt and new U shaped sliders, I did install some used rollers but they looked pretty good but I will be buying some new rollers or sliders soon. With this "new" CVT setup I picked up a few mph and it accelerates a little quicker and a lot smoother.

Also, while do some CVT testing I notice a weird rattle/buzz. I figured out I lost one of the bolt that holds the exhaust on. While replacing that bolt I saw that one of the hose connectors on the hose that connects the gas tank to the air intake(evap hose?) was broken. I was able to get one off of my parts frames. Funny thing is I don't think having this hose connected or disconnected makes a difference, at least on my scooter.

Variator-
[/url]

U-Shaped slider-


Broken hose connector-


144,000-


145,000-

[scootERIK]

147,000 miles! 14,000 miles on the rebuilt engine(~34k total.)

More easy miles. The only real issue was a hole in the rear tire at 146.5k. The tire had ~2.5k so I think I will put a plug in it to get few more miles out of it. But for now I threw a new tire on since I have a few long rides coming up.

146,000 -


147,000 -


Bonus picture from the first day of the local scooter rally, ~33 scooters taking over a drive-in. -

[scootERIK]

149,000. 16k on the rebuild.

2,000 more fairly uneventful miles. There is something going on in the carb so I pulled the sparkplug and it looked like I was running a little lean. I took the carb off to give it a quick cleaning and noticed that I was running a #92 jet and not the #95 jet I thought I was. I forgot I needed to get a new #95 jet(I broke the other one.) So it now made sense why I was running a little lean. I went to the local scooter shop and they had a #95 jet so I got it and replaced my #92 and now the plug is looking a lot better. I am still having the same issue the carb but it isn't happening as often. The issue is sometimes after I go full throttle for a long time AND the speedometer goes over ~60 mph when I let off the throttle I will get a little surge or a bog. I had a very similar issue with the carb that came on this replacement engine. I need to go in and give the carb a good cleaning to see if that will fix the problem. Plus, I did an oil change.

In fun news I did a 300 mile trip and it ran well the whole time(except for the occasional surge or bog from the carb.)


148,000 -


149,000 -

[scootERIK]

150,000 Miles!

I don't have the exact numbers but I think I had more close calls in the last 1,500 miles than the previous 15,000 miles, it was like the car drivers were trying to stop me from getting to 150k.

Next goal is to get to 151,000, at that point I will have put 150k on it by my self(previous owner did ~942, a friend rode it about 15 miles, and a mechanic rode it 1-2 miles.) Then it's on to 200k. But I should probably do some of those repairs I keep saying I need to do.

And I think it's time to start shopping for a 300cc.

150,000 -


I hit 150k at my local dealer -

[sc00ter]

Nice! I just hit 10k on mine. I might look at Chalie55's Helix he has listed. Simple, reliable and fast enough for me! I'll keep the Buddy for a runner though. I also hear ya on the cars! I almost got side swipped last week. The one time I DIDN'T have my mace strapped to my wrist.

[scootERIK]

151,000 miles, 18,000 on the rebuilt engine(~19k before the rebuild.)

It's dying. Or at least I believe this engine is nearing the end of it's life. The slight rattle that sounded like valves that needed adjustment or bad rollers 1-2k ago has turned into a fairly loud rattle now. At 150,900 I checked the variator and the rollers had some flat spots. But I ran the engine with the variator off and it was still rattling. So next I checked the valves and both were close. It sound the worst at idle, and actually doesn't sound too bad if I hold a constant 30-40 mph. Above that it gets louder. Also, I think my top speed is down several mph. Right before it got bad I was able to do a 200 mile ride. Despite the rattle it is still performing fairly well. I am going to do an oil change soon and I think I will get some of that STP Oil Treatment with Zinc to see if that will quiet thing down a little.

So the search for the next engine(or larger scooter) will have to get a little more serious. But in the mean time it still starts well and is still running so I will continue to put miles on it. I would really like to get another 2k out of it so it will have done 20k on the rebuild.

From my annual 200 mile fall ride-

From the top -

151,000 miles-

[sc00ter]

That's still very impressive on a miles front. I just crossed 10,000 on mine and all is well. The motor still doesn't feel as smooth as my older Buddy's but I guess it is what it is. If you pull the trigger on something else what are looking at? My want list with the don't wants still stands:

Vespa GTS 300. Fast, fun and smooth. No support that I trust should I need it.

Royal Alloy 300. Fast, fun looking and has good reviews. No support should I need it.

SYM CityCom 300i. I loved that scooter but hate Alliance. Not supported at all.

Honda Helix. Almost had another but those things are considered old now.

KYMCO's are great but no support at all should I need it.

As I get older and as I value my time more I'd love something I can drop off at a good dealer and get the services done. I do like the Honda PCX 160 but I'm not a fan of the step-thru hump. Overseas gets a cool step-thru variant that I would buy in a second. I guess I'm just a old cranky scooter owner that likes girl bicycles. But the Buddy 125 is still a great scooter and I love mine.

Do you have any urge to find out what the rattle is? I've had rattles that were main bearing fails (SYM CityCom) or a rattle from the upper con-rod (Buddy 125 from being lazy on maintenance). My Zuma 125 got a rattle from the timing chain upper cam wheel. My old CBR900RR ALWAYS has rattles from timing chain tensioner issues but was stone dead reliable. My 2016 Honda Fit makes this weird noise at random on cold start-ups that sounds like a speed metal bands drummer is cranking on a snare for a split second. I'm trying to catch the noise on my phone but every time I pull my phone out to capture this random noise the car doesn't do it. I hate weird noises!

Keep us posted on your next move please!

[scootERIK]

If you pull the trigger on something else what are looking at?

A used Vespa 300 is high on my list but the used prices in my area are a little high, but they seem to be coming back down.

I like the Royal Alloy 300, but in a year I would have one of the highest mileage ones in the US and there doesn't seem to be a strong community out there to help guide me through repairs(I don't Modern Buddy even has one active user who owns a RA 300 yet.)

Honda Adv 150 would be great for all the bumpy backroad I ride and the top speed is decent.

Honda PCX 150 I still have to ride one of these but the top speed is about what I need for most of my riding. The size and weight are good. But some people report that it is kind a boring ride(or at least not as fun as a Buddy.)

The two Hondas would do most of what I want but it seems a little weird to only go up ~25cc's. The Adv 150 I test rode easily went over 60mph GPS speed while my Buddies usually only do 52-53 mph GPS speed so it would be much better on 55 mph roads. Plus, the prices on the Hondas aren't too bad.

Do you have any urge to find out what the rattle is?

I would like to know what is causing the rattle. I am planning on stopping in at the local shop to see if they can help identify the rattle and I have a few things to try. But there is a good chance I won't be able to figure it out before the engine fails.

[DeeDee]

I'm pretty lucky to have a good dealer about 12 miles away that sells Genuine, Vespa, Piaggio, Lance, Sym, and Royal Alloy.

I would look patiently for a Vespa GTS 250 or 300, non ABS, non HPE during the dead of winter. They are popping up in Denver. Well cared for reasonable mile Vespas going for 40% less then they would have sold for 2-3 years ago. Probably one of the best scooters ever made. I have nothing to back this up, but I'd lay money that either of these Vespas will outlast the RA by a margin of 2:1 or better.

[sc00ter]

What years are you talking about DeeDee? I know nothing about different Vespa years in the GTS line-up. I would love a simple Vespa but have heard that parts are getting harder to find for a 250. A used pre-HPE Vespa sounds tempting.

[DeeDee]

I don't know who you are talking to, but Vespa parts are easy to come by unless you need certain specific painted body parts. 07,08 and 09 250 Is probably the best Modern Vespa built. I like the early 300's, but I would take a 250 same miles, same condition. I don't like Vespa ABS. If you gave me a Vespa HPE I would sell it and buy something else. Vespas are easy to work on. Same fuel pump in a Zuma 50f fits the above GTS models. Spend some time on Youtube watching Robot's tutorials. Between Robot and Mitch, there is a detailed, easy to follow video on just about anything you would need to do. The thing I really like about them, is they can do hiway speed with a bit to spare, while still fitting through a 36" man door to your garage.

[sc00ter]

Thank you for the response DeeDee. All I know about newer Vespa is HPE. Hand to check oil, broken dipsticks and electrical gremlins. All I know about the 250 era was my dealer wanting a mint for a new one, like crazy hidden fees, so I passed on buying one new. I might look into a used Vespa of the pre-HPE era now. Only experience with Piaggio products was a P200E that had a shoddy restoration and my Liberty 150. I loved the Liberty but didn't know enough about the P200E at the time to really enjoy it and keep it running right.