performance shocks upgrade

applejackATL · Post by **applejackATL** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:50 pm

Has anyone upgraded the suspension on their Buddy? I got an newsletter from Scootworks the other day and saw some performance shocks adverstised. I'd like to know if it makes the ride a lot smoother.

The roads in ATL are pretty bad. So it would be nice to know if some better shocks would make the ride nicer (I weigh about 175 lbs).

Thanks,

Applejack

BigColdMartini · Post by **BigColdMartini** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:52 pm

I'd like to know too because my lower back is taking a beating. It may be due to the fact that I'm not used to leaning forward and need to improve my riding posture.

Piedmont · Post by **Piedmont** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:53 pm

I don't have the summer add with me, but I think those shocks were for Vespas.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:55 pm

Nope, YSS makes shocks for the buddy now

http://www.scooterworks.com/YSS_Gas_Pig ... 47C290.cfm

Piedmont · Post by **Piedmont** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:57 pm

I'm glad to be wrong on this one. A little rich for my blood though.

schlagle · Post by **schlagle** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:27 pm

Wow, I was hoping for something like this too, but that is a hefty price.

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:31 pm

And they don’t even have any in stock! When they do become available, this is definitely on my list. I have my appointment scheduled to get my Prima Pipe, a larger jet for the carb and new sliders put in! I think a big brake kit, and suspension would be nice to add!

chancerbeans13 · Post by **chancerbeans13** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:45 pm

Ok, I'm not trying to be condesending in any form, but all of these performance upgrades that people do, might I ask why? I'm not talking about the headlight, turn signals, etc. I'm talking about exhaust, re-jetting, new sliders, etc. Is 65 mph not fast enough? I can understand the the exhaust for looks purposes, but do you really need more power under you?

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:04 pm

I am looking for more mid-range acceleration, thus the reason I am dropping the slider weights… I am justifying this in my head by saying it will be safer because I will be able to accelerate out of problems. 25-45 is where I spend most of my time, that’s where I am trying to pick up a little power. There is also the customization bug that has bitten me…

oh and the hellian that is inside of me

Groovealufagus · Post by **Groovealufagus** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:29 pm

I'm after several things by doing the mods to my Rattler 110...

Faster acceleration from a standing start, consistent acceleration throughout the entire cycle, a little more top-end, a smoother ride, especially at higher speeds... and then a fat sound and sexy looks.

To that end I will have replaced the variator, rollers, sliders and spring, replaced the clutch and bumped up the spring tension, replaced the carb & jets, air filter, pipe, and rear suspension.

After that is done in the next month, I'll move on to lights, front suspension, tires, and a sporty windshield. Last will be a custom paint job.

I love my stock Rattler, but it was always just a starting point for a personal customization project. Gonna be real sexy when all is said and done.

NathanielSalzman · Post by **NathanielSalzman** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:51 pm

I'd be much more interested in FRONT suspension upgrades for the Buddy. Every time I ride my wife's Buddy, I have to be careful not to bottom out the front fork.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:58 pm

NathanielSalzman wrote:I'd be much more interested in FRONT suspension upgrades for the Buddy. Every time I ride my wife's Buddy, I have to be careful not to bottom out the front fork.

Right on! That's my ONLY complaint about the Buddy. The front suspension is very harsh. Either they need more travel or a more progressive travel to help smooth things out. I have no problems with the stock rear spring. It's unfortunate that they came out with performance rear springs rather than front suspension options. I've seen many complaints about the front, but almost none about the rear. So it seems they addressed the wrong end of the bike with upgraded suspension products.

sotied · Post by **sotied** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:18 pm

Will any of the three new shocks help the ride?

The low end one was only about $70 I think.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:20 pm

Low end one is actually just a "stock" replacement. No performance gain.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:20 pm

Life is full of compromises, including those involving changing the performance of a motor vehicle. If you're wanting a softer ride to soak-up the bumps and cracks in the road, you're going to lose handling around corners and some maneuverability requiring quick response. On the other hand, if you want to stop the suspension from bottoming out in deep potholes and ruts, the suspension has to be stiff which while good for performance handling, isn't so good for everyday cruising. So's takes your pick of the worst of two evils.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:39 pm

babblefish wrote:Life is full of compromises, including those involving changing the performance of a motor vehicle. If you're wanting a softer ride to soak-up the bumps and cracks in the road, you're going to lose handling around corners and some maneuverability requiring quick response. On the other hand, if you want to stop the suspension from bottoming out in deep potholes and ruts, the suspension has to be stiff which while good for performance handling, isn't so good for everyday cruising. So's takes your pick of the worst of two evils.

Not so. If you are familiar with shock technology, huge strides have been made in small-bump compliance while not sacrificing big-hit capability and quick handling. They used to be mutually exclusive many years ago. Not so anymore. Modern shocks truly are marvels of engineering. I suspect to keep costs down, the Buddy uses old obsolete technology. I have no problem with that. But at least give us an upgrade path.

chancerbeans13 · Post by **chancerbeans13** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:42 pm

Maybe I am missing something, but I went out and looked at my Buddy, and there is no seperate shock on the front. There is a telescoping fork. I'm not sure if these would be able to be upgraded without replacing the entire fork.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:46 pm

chancerbeans13 wrote:Maybe I am missing something, but I went out and looked at my Buddy, and there is no seperate shock on the front. There is a telescoping fork. I'm not sure if these would be able to be upgraded without replacing the entire fork.

I haven't looked at it closely yet. But there are a few ways to upgrade. Yes, one way involves replacing the fork. Another is replacing the lowers. And finally, you can replace just the cartridge and/or spring if it has one (or two).

chancerbeans13 · Post by **chancerbeans13** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:47 pm

I'm pretty sure all buddy's have 2

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:50 pm

chancerbeans13 wrote:Ok, I'm not trying to be condesending in any form, but all of these performance upgrades that people do, might I ask why? I'm not talking about the headlight, turn signals, etc. I'm talking about exhaust, re-jetting, new sliders, etc. Is 65 mph not fast enough? I can understand the the exhaust for looks purposes, but do you really need more power under you?

This is actually a good question. I used to wonder why people bought something that seemed not to meet their demands for performance. but over time, I've come around a bit.

I'm not sure if it's as much about the stock Buddy being somehow deficient as it is that some people are natural born tinkerers and enjoy eking every ounce of possible performance out of a machine, even at the risk of shortening its lifespan. There's definitely a broad culture of customization and modification that extends beyond scooters to computers, video games, home electronics, everything. In some ways, it's a reaction to homogenization and mass-production. Look at the Make magazine aesthetic, which pretty much says everything is hackable and deserves to be modded to suit the owner or, sometimes, just because you can. Even with cars, you can now order exactly what you want, a la carte, from the manufacturer's website.

Sometimes, though it is about getting a little edge on performance. I'm not sure that edge is often worth the cost—especially when it comes to engine mods. For instance, a fully-modded Buddy 50 will cost as much or more than a Buddy 125 but still not perform as well. Still, some people want to have the fastest Buddy 50 in the world. Okay.

All that said, of my 2 scoots, one (the Vespa) is totally modded out (190 kit, MultiVar, exhaust) and the other (Buddy is stock). Aside from the aesthetic changes to the Vespa, I often wonder if all the performance mods were worth it. Yeah, it's faster and has a higher top end. But I rarely ride in that top end range. And for better (and sometimes worse) it feels like a different machine than the one I bought.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:02 pm

k1dude wrote: Not so. If you are familiar with shock technology, huge strides have been made in small-bump compliance while not sacrificing big-hit capability and quick handling. They used to be mutually exclusive many years ago. Not so anymore. Modern shocks truly are marvels of engineering. I suspect to keep costs down, the Buddy uses old obsolete technology. I have no problem with that. But at least give us an upgrade path.

Oh, I realize that, but I was speaking in context to what can be done within a scooter's size and price constraints.

AmyNTX · Post by **AmyNTX** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:05 pm

I really want the prima pipe..I LOVE the way it sounds!

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:33 pm

chancerbeans13 wrote:Ok, I'm not trying to be condesending in any form, but all of these performance upgrades that people do, might I ask why? I'm not talking about the headlight, turn signals, etc. I'm talking about exhaust, re-jetting, new sliders, etc. Is 65 mph not fast enough? I can understand the the exhaust for looks purposes, but do you really need more power under you?

Well, there are a lot of "Tim Taylor" types out here - including myself.

I grew up with dirt bikes and muscle cars and with those, there's never enough power. And the handling could always be improved or the brakes could be stronger or yada, yada, yada. Plus yes, even though I don't do it very often, I need my motorcycle to do at least 140 mph.

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:02 pm

babblefish wrote:
chancerbeans13 wrote:Ok, I'm not trying to be condesending in any form, but all of these performance upgrades that people do, might I ask why? I'm not talking about the headlight, turn signals, etc. I'm talking about exhaust, re-jetting, new sliders, etc. Is 65 mph not fast enough? I can understand the the exhaust for looks purposes, but do you really need more power under you?
Well, there are a lot of "Tim Taylor" types out here - inluding myself.
I grew up with dirt bikes and muscle cars and with those, there's never enough power. And the handling could always be improved or the brakes could be stronger or yada, yada, yada. Plus yes, even though I don't do it very often, I need my motorcycle to do at least 140 mph.

I definately hope that you are talking about something other than a buddy...

StL_Stadtroller · Post by **StL_Stadtroller** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:09 pm

k1dude wrote:
NathanielSalzman wrote:I'd be much more interested in FRONT suspension upgrades for the Buddy. Every time I ride my wife's Buddy, I have to be careful not to bottom out the front fork.
Right on! That's my ONLY complaint about the Buddy. The front suspension is very harsh. Either they need more travel or a more progressive travel to help smooth things out. I have no problems with the stock rear spring. It's unfortunate that they came out with performance rear springs rather than front suspension options. I've seen many complaints about the front, but almost none about the rear. So it seems they addressed the wrong end of the bike with upgraded suspension products.

+1 for nathanial

-1 for k1dude

spoken like someone who doesn't weigh upwards of 200lb!
I find that I have to be constantly conciensious of not leaning on the bars at all, because the jarring of the front end will knock the teeth out of my skull it bottoms out so readily!

It also takes almost no effort to bottom out the rear... and as I ride behind my wife on her '06, I can see the rear shock a mere fraction of an inch away from full compression.

The front end really, really needs some high-po cartridges to be made available!

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:15 pm

StL_Stadtroller wrote:-1 for k1dude spoken like someone who doesn't weigh upwards of 200lb!
I find that I have to be constantly conciensious of not leaning on the bars at all, because the jarring of the front end will knock the teeth out of my skull it bottoms out so readily!

It also takes almost no effort to bottom out the rear... and as I ride behind my wife on her '06, I can see the rear shock a mere fraction of an inch away from full compression.

The front end really, really needs some high-po cartridges to be made available!

Sorry, I should've included my weight in the post. You're correct, I don't weigh over 200 lbs. I did think about my post not applying to heavier riders after I posted my message, but I never fixed it with an edit. I should have.