Anyone commute 60 miles round trip???

chadc · Post by **chadc** » Wed May 14, 2008 6:07 pm

Alright, I have been lurking and am finalizing my scooter decision. Obviously Buddy is the top of the list right now, plus I really like the folks on this forum. My commute would be 60 miles round trip, and the road is at times 55MPH. I live in the Charlotte, NC area so 55 is more of a suggestion. I have been reading and it seems that most people are doing 10-15 mile round trip commutes. We bought our home when we worked downtown and it was a 20 minute drive, now we both have better jobs, but have to drive that long to get to it. Do you all feel the Buddy would be up to that, or should I jump into the 200CC scoots? I am a bit torn.

weaseltamer · Post by **weaseltamer** » Wed May 14, 2008 6:56 pm

i sometimes make a 50 mile commute, roundtrip. The reasons i do this seldom are because the roads i have to take (either hwy 40 or 45th st) between lawrence and topeka aren't great for scooters.

Hwy 40 is hilly, twisty and turny as s**t two-lane-not-divided road. posted is 55mph, but sometimes semi-s come careening down at 65 or 70. I weigh 140 and prob. have 20lb of books with me average. I can keep up speed pretty well, but it just feels less fun, (& has a reputation of drunks wrecking) so i don't like to do it much.

As for 45th street- its also 55 i believe , and its much more straight, but it has some long/wide-not-very steep hills. i'll hit top speed coming down from the previous hill and by the time i get to the top of the next i'm barely making 50mph. During the middle of the day there is no other traffic i can get away with cruising around 50 and its a much nicer ride (except for the plethora of bugs)

i would most consider how safe the road is, and the speeds. If i had a 200cc you can bet i'd take it everyday. for our KS terrain the buddy just seems happier if she only needs to take the occasional excursion out of town.

chadc · Post by **chadc** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:07 pm

I went to K-State, my brother to KU, so I know all about that road. Thanks for your suggestion, there are a lot of semi's going down this road as well.

sunshinen · Post by **sunshinen** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:11 pm

Twice a week I do 40 miles roundtrip. It's not really the distance, it's the speed, the road conditions (hills, flat, potholes?), the traffic style (average 5 over, 10, 15?; aggressive, moderate, polite drivers?; etc.), lanes of traffic (lots of lanes means lots of directions to watch out for cars that don't see you) and your own risk tolerance to consider.

I weigh 100lbs and have never had trouble with speed on 55mph roads... but I'm okay riding near full throttle when traffic is moving fast (though usually I get behind someone going slower) and on flat roads I can hit an indicated 72mph. Others find the Buddy a bit scary at those speeds. And if you're at full speed... you don't have room to accelerate out of the way.

Lately, I've been opting for slower, more scenic roads. They take longer, but are much more enjoyable of a commute.

chadc · Post by **chadc** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:24 pm

One of the problems I face is there are not a lot of choices on roads to take. This is a 2 lane highway with semi's and yes typical larger city impatient drivers, so they will be aggressive. That does not really bother me, I have been there before, but I have had the power behind me to get out of the way if I needed. There would be no good place to pull over and let aggressive drivers by. There are a few hills, but none that would kill the buddy I don't think.

I am not a small guy 5'9" about 190, so 60-65 will probably be my max speed. I really want to get the buddy, I like the fit of it, I don't want a large scooter, I will just get a motorcycle at that point. I guess it boils down to do I want to risk the money, and see if Buddy works for me.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:32 pm

chadc wrote:I am not a small guy 5'9" about 190, so 60-65 will probably be my max speed. I really want to get the buddy, I like the fit of it, I don't want a large scooter, I will just get a motorcycle at that point. I guess it boils down to do I want to risk the money, and see if Buddy works for me.

I still think the SYM HD200 would be a better machine for that commute and it's really not that much more money. I'm looking forward to reading your follow-up posts no matter what you get, so pls don't forget us.

Thanks and Good Luck!

EDIT: I misspelled SYM earlier. Sorry!

chadc · Post by **chadc** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:15 pm

I plan on sticking around. Like I said the Buddy is hands down my favorite as far as looks and size. I just wish they offered a bigger power plant.

weaseltamer · Post by **weaseltamer** » Wed May 14, 2008 10:03 pm

consider the 150 maybe? i'm riding a 125.

riancurtis · Post by **riancurtis** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:03 am

i do thirty mile roundtrips on my way to work. it is about 30 minutes each way. not 55 the whole time for sure, but honestly i have it at 45-55 MOST of the time. Half throttle. No problems yet. Just enjoyment.