A long slow ride.

xtetra · Post by **xtetra** » Tue May 06, 2008 9:05 pm

Hi all,

A good friend of mine has a moped with a top speed of 18mph. He told me the other day he wants to take it on a trip that is around 80 miles. Its about 1/3 flat, 1/3 uphill and 1/3down hill. I know its gonna take him all day but he's really into the idea. He's a pretty serious mechanic and a long time biker so I don't doubt that he could do it.

Anyway, I was thinking of riding with him on my 06' Buddy 125. Would pacing with him at 18mph (and less for much of the way) be bad for the buddy? I hear sport bike guys talking about their spark plugs "loading up" in traffic and their engines overheating etc. Would this be an issues for the buddy?

I realize I can always scoot ahead and either wait or loop back to meet up with him again, but it would be fun just to keep pace.

Safety wise there are really wide shoulder the whole way and its only secondary highway so there is no trouble there.

If I could find a moped really cheap I'd go that route perhaps...but I'd rather save that money for saddle bags etc.

Thanks in advance for any input.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Tue May 06, 2008 9:53 pm

The buddy wont overheat or die, theres riders going 50 or 60 mph straight for several hours on a long trip.

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Tue May 06, 2008 11:50 pm

jfrost2 wrote:The buddy wont overheat or die, theres riders going 50 or 60 mph straight for several hours on a long trip.

Um, faster makes for better airflow, slower makes for, well...NOT better airflow. Bottom line? Slower riding (like 18 mph) will probably not allow for enough airflow to keep the Buddy engine cool. Comparing the cooling characteristics of those who ride for hours on end at 60 mph (like me) to the cooling characteristics of those who ride 18 mph is misleading.

In my humble opinion, riding for a significant distance at a very slow speed would make the possibility of unfortunate mechanical issues (such as overheating and undue wear on the transmission) much greater.

--Keys

KRUSTYburger · Post by **KRUSTYburger** » Wed May 07, 2008 12:14 am

Since bud is forced-air cooled doesn't that help a little as opposed to regular air cooled? Still not good enough?

CTL11 · Post by **CTL11** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:22 am

I don't have a buddy, but would kinda disagree with what was said prior.

I know driving slow will decrease the cooling of the engine, but 18 mph should be fast enough to get decent air flow to the engine. I probably wouldn't go to much below that for long periods though.

You could always drive that speed then speed up for a bit to get more cooling then back it down again.

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:40 am

Man, 18 mph?!? I can't even stand going 20 in a school zone (and apparently Corsair can't either

). I see people walking on the sidewalk passing me by. A turtle crossing the street looked at me like it wanted to ask if Buddy is alright. Heck, there are even old ladies in mobility scooters beeping at me, telling me to speed up. Suffice it to say, I hate going slow.

madtolive · Post by **madtolive** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:44 am

lojical1 wrote:A turtle crossing the street looked at me like it wanted to ask if Buddy is alright. Heck, there are even old ladies in mobility scooters beeping at me, telling me to speed up.

too funny! sounds like you guys may have more than a few speeding tickets under yalls belts, eh?

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:51 am

Take cool down breaks. Go to a gas station, get a soda/coffee. Use the bathroom, talk for 30 minutes and annoy the cashier.

By that time you get done and remember why you far from home, your scooter will be cooled down and ready to ride for another couple of hours.

xtetra · Post by **xtetra** » Wed May 07, 2008 3:07 am

Thanks,

I kinda thought that the low airflow might not be good.

I'm not much of a fan for going slow either, but it is a nice ride, lots to see!
(Around Cayuga Lake in Upstate New York.)

Maybe I'll go and just sort of leap frog my friend on his moped.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Wed May 07, 2008 3:15 am

I think the real definition of slow (and hot) for an air cooled engine is moving slowly through heavy inner city traffic at high air temperatures with many stops.

Now if you want to hear about a moped trip, read this -

http://www.crappylittledreams.com/expedition.htm

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Wed May 07, 2008 4:10 am

Unless it's a hot day, I don't think you'll have any worries. I mean, these engines routinely survive riding in stop-and-go traffic in very hot conditions, so what you are suggesting will be easier on the engine than that. It sounds like an excellent trip. I say, go for it, take lots of photos and post them here.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed May 07, 2008 5:15 am

Keep in mind that at speeds under, say, 25mph or so, the scooter is actually harder to control.

If you can't find another moped, maybe you could rent or borrow a 50cc scooter someplace?

mandyscoots · Post by **mandyscoots** » Wed May 07, 2008 7:56 am

CTL11 wrote:I don't have a buddy, but would kinda disagree with what was said prior.

I know driving slow will decrease the cooling of the engine, but 18 mph should be fast enough to get decent air flow to the engine. I probably wouldn't go to much below that for long periods though.

You could always drive that speed then speed up for a bit to get more cooling then back it down again.

agreed

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Wed May 07, 2008 11:50 am

It won't hurt it. Stop worrying, go riding.

DoubleD

Dibber · Post by **Dibber** » Thu May 08, 2008 12:03 am

Dooglas, Thanks for sharing the crappy Moped trip. Pretty Cool!!

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Thu May 08, 2008 1:39 am

madtolive wrote: too funny! sounds like you guys may have more than a few speeding tickets under yalls belts, eh?

Ha! None yet, but next time we get together Corsair has to share his experience with foot patrol.