Is a Buddy 50 enough in NYC?

[Type-scoot]

I live in NYC, where the official speed limit on city streets is 25mph. While it appears that no one really does the speed limit (including myself), when I decided to monitor my driving for a few days during normal everyday commuting, I realized that I rarely travel above 45mph and typically most of the time its not much faster than 30-35mph. This is simply because there's always another car, stop sign or red light or random pedestrian in your path to slow you down.

I don't have a mc license, but plan on getting one, that's not the issue - 47 is not too late right?

I want to be able to get across the bridges into Manhattan, but have no interest in riding on any freeways or expressways. Will a 50cc be enough?

[giddyup98]

If you plan on getting a mc license, I would spend the extra money and get a 125 Buddy.

[RoaringTodd]

49cc is good for neighborhood cruising or making a long trip on country roads. I ride in Philadelphia on a Roughhouse without issues.

However...

Bridge? Not unless it is rush hour and traffic is bumper to bumper.

[Type-scoot]

49cc is good for neighborhood cruising or making a long trip on country roads. I ride in Philadelphia on a Roughhouse without issues.

However...

Bridge? Not unless it is rush hour and traffic is bumper to bumper.

Philly is a good comparison. Is your Roughhouse stock or derestricted? The bridges almost always have traffic, unless it's very early morning or late at night. The Roughhouse has a little more power than the Buddy right? I've read that they both use the same engine, but dealer specs list the RH50 as having about 1 extra HP, not sure if that's correct.

One of the problems is that dealers don't do test rides. I get the insurance thing, but it's really difficult to choose when you can't do a true side by side.

Does anyone know offhand, what the top speed difference between a 50 (derestricted) and a 125 is?

[k1dude]

Basically a derestricted 50 can do 40. A 125 can do 60.

[Type-scoot]

Basically a derestricted 50 can do 40. A 125 can do 60.

Thanks. Sounds like a good amount of reserve left with the 125.

[KooK]

I ride a Rough house here in New Orleans and it is perfect(other than hitting potholes that can swallow you up) for me it is fine. I do wish I had about 5 more mph on some roads when going uptown, but with traffic and congestion it works fine. I would be Leary with major hills and overpasses(I have only one if I choose to use it) as impatient drivers might hate you. My top speed is barely 40 mph indicated, but it seems I have a black sheep of roughhouses as the dealer has checked it twice and says mine is just a slow one. And with the traffic I always hit and being 225 lbs, I have already replaced my front brake pads at less than 2000 miles.

[RoaringTodd]

I'm 230 on a good day and I hit 50 indicated on the RH. (actuality 43-45). Must be the thick New Orleans air.

[Whimscootie]

I think a 50 is sufficient, but you have to pick your routes and more or less ride it like a bicycle in some areas. Stay to the side and make yourself hi viz.
I've ridden out on rural backroads and zipped around the burbs on mine, no problem. 45 mph on a 50 feels like 80 in your car. So much fun!
There's a guy on here who rode most of Michigan on a Buddy 50.

[Type-scoot]

I think a 50 is sufficient, but you have to pick your routes and more or less ride it like a bicycle in some areas. Stay to the side and make yourself hi viz.
I've ridden out on rural backroads and zipped around the burbs on mine, no problem. 45 mph on a 50 feels like 80 in your car. So much fun!
There's a guy on here who rode most of Michigan on a Buddy 50.

Ha ha....I've never ridden before I took lessons on an Eliminator 125 and to me as a first time rider, two things stood out, the thing felt bulky, big and heavy, even though it only weighs like 320lbs, it felt like it was chock full of torque, with lots of pull and it felt fast even though I was only going like 40-45 and I loved it, lol.

[wheelbender6]

A de-restricted, 2 stroke 50cc should be adequate. If you don't want to deal with de-restricting your scoot, get a 125cc.

[Clydeo]

I have a 50 cc Buddy. It goes 40-43 mph. It is great in the city (Harrisburg), and I can keep up with traffic, no problem. It's a great grocery getter, errand runner, and all around fun bike. I have never felt that it was inadequate for its intended usage.
Having said all that, I would recommend the 125. Why, when I like the 50 so much? Because I have other bikes. If I want to head down to visit family in Maryland, I can hop on my Suzuki, and head on down. Could I do that on the 50? Sure, but it takes a bit more route planning, and it's a lot slower, because I have to pull over frequently to let people by.
The 50 would be adequate for the city, but the Buddy's (and bikes in general) are just too much fun to be used just for commuting. If the Buddy is your only bike, get the 125. It will expand your riding opportunities.
But the 50 will do fine if you don't mind making some adaptations.

[jd]

The 49cc Buddy will be plenty fast enough for New York City, but there are other things to consider. I've owned bikes with a variety of displacements, and there are more differences than top speed, some of which will depend on your locale.

Consult the local and state regulations to determine how the 49cc bike is legislated versus the 125. In many places, 49cc scooters are considered "mopeds," which may carry an entirely different set of regulations, some of which may be of consequence to you:

- A "moped" might be able to park on sidewalks or in bike racks. That can be a serious advantage where parking is difficult or expensive. When we were touring Washington, D.C., where parking is always a challenge, having the ability to park on the sidewalk was a HUGE advantage.

- A "moped" may have to keep to the right to allow faster traffic to pass, which can be dangerous and inconvenient. There's all sorts of stuff going on in the right shoulder, including parked cars (with opening doors), bicycles, and detritus in the road. On the other hand, the 125cc bike can travel in the center of the lane with traffic. I found this to be the most significant difference in going from 49cc to 125cc, regardless of the speed limit. It's a LOT SAFER to ride with traffic rather than having to let it squeeze by on your left, in urban riding or otherwise.

All in all, I'd suggest making your decision based on other issues besides top speed. Top speed just isn't likely to be an issue in an urban environment.

[Type-scoot]

Thanks everyone for your input. I went to a dealer to check out the Buddy and liked it. I had a chance to sit on both a Buddy 50 and the Vespa S150 which was right next to the buddy (should have taken a picture as I haven't seen pics of these two scooters side by side). The Vespa is bigger, feels solid and heavier (not heavy by any means, just heavier when switching to it from a Buddy. The Buddy feels lighter and definitely more balanced - it feels effortless when sitting on it; the Vespa almost feels top heavy by comparison.

The Vespa is not a consideration for me, not so much for the price, I mean these things are still relatively inexpensive, but I don't have a garage and will be parking on the street, in between cars a lot and I don't see it fairing too well (or my blood pressure).

Back to the Buddy, which kind of grabbed me from first sit (NY dealers don't allow test rides). My wife was there and she was super cool, with an encouraging "get it", but the salesman, who was a cool guy who just happened to end up being a "scooter guy" that used to be a Kymco dealer and still has 2 scooters and a motorcycle, suggested getting a Buddy 125 or a Piaggio Fly 150 3v, for that added getting out of a situation power. I haven't had a chance to sit on the Fly or the Buddy 125 yet, but there's another dealer in NYC that has the 125 in stock, so I'm going to try to check it out in the next couple of days. Ironically, the NYC dealer is suggesting the 50 for the city, saying that's their best seller and if I feel I want more power, to jump to the 170i. He said the 125 is their slowest seller in the Buddy line. Confusing and difficult choice without being able to ride these things......but the hunt is still fun.

[cummingsjc]

Thanks everyone for your input. I went to a dealer to check out the Buddy and liked it. I had a chance to sit on both a Buddy 50 and the Vespa S150 which was right next to the buddy (should have taken a picture as I haven't seen pics of these two scooters side by side). The Vespa is bigger, feels solid and heavier (not heavy by any means, just heavier when switching to it from a Buddy. The Buddy feels lighter and definitely more balanced - it feels effortless when sitting on it; the Vespa almost feels top heavy by comparison.

The Vespa is not a consideration for me, not so much for the price, I mean these things are still relatively inexpensive, but I don't have a garage and will be parking on the street, in between cars a lot and I don't see it fairing too well (or my blood pressure).

Back to the Buddy, which kind of grabbed me from first sit (NY dealers don't allow test rides). My wife was there and she was super cool, with an encouraging "get it", but the salesman, who was a cool guy who just happened to end up being a "scooter guy" that used to be a Kymco dealer and still has 2 scooters and a motorcycle, suggested getting a Buddy 125 or a Piaggio Fly 150 3v, for that added getting out of a situation power. I haven't had a chance to sit on the Fly or the Buddy 125 yet, but there's another dealer in NYC that has the 125 in stock, so I'm going to try to check it out in the next couple of days. Ironically, the NYC dealer is suggesting the 50 for the city, saying that's their best seller and if I feel I want more power, to jump to the 170i. He said the 125 is their slowest seller in the Buddy line. Confusing and difficult choice without being able to ride these things......but the hunt is still fun.

If the price is a lesser consideration and you have the proper license for them, my advice would be to get the Buddy 125 or 170 since they are effectively the same physical size as the 50cc model with considerably more "oh shit" power for those times when you guessed wrong on traffic or other folks are being stupid. You will lose a bit of MPG but you will still be getting way better mileage way than a car.

On a related note, you should also get your wife a similar scooter since riding as a couple is great fun and you will eventually want to share the experience with her.

[jasong222]

Hey,

I bought a Buddy 50 (derestricted) this summer, and I live in Brooklyn. A 50 is totally fine for me, I love it and ride it almost everywhere.

You don't say where you live, but you say you want to go INTO Manhattan. I assume you live in a borough then?

There are some times when I wish I had a little more 'oomph' in my motor, but I certainly don't 'need' it.

I haven't done any bridges yet, but I'm working up to it. I'm fuzzy on the exact details (probably because there is no exact right answer, but - Note that with a 50 depending on how you look at it, you can't legally do the Verazzano or the Holland, and maybe some others. Brooklyn B and Manhattan B should be fine. Don't know about the GW. (Because they're 'officially' listed as highways.)

I mean, if you were to just go over the bridge and then turn off to a side street, I'm sure you'd be fine. That'd be my plan anyway.

Hope that helps.

-J

[Dooglas]

I haven't had a chance to sit on the Fly or the Buddy 125 yet, but there's another dealer in NYC that has the 125 in stock, so I'm going to try to check it out in the next couple of days.

Actually, you have had a chance to sit on a Buddy 125 (in effect). The Buddy 50 and the Buddy 125 have an identical body and frame. And as far as your dealer saying to avoid the Buddy 125 because it is the least popular Buddy - he evidently has his reasons why he is trying to sell you on a different model. A quick look thru this site will show you that there are plenty of Buddy 125s out there, They are also the mechanically/electronically simplest and most cost effective of the larger engine Buddy's.

[BuddyRaton]

Buddy 125. I have lived there. A 50 can get you around but you know how people drive. It is nice to have the extra power and acceleration to get you past and around trouble.

To me a Buddy 125 is still the best bang for the buck. If he says it is the least popular tell him to sell you one dirt cheap. I'm still riding an 06 and have had no problems...just regular service items.

[jd]

He said the 125 is their slowest seller in the Buddy line.

With all due respect, that sounds like nonsense. If it's true, then he may be the only Buddy dealer in the entire country to have that situation. The 125 is by far the volume leader and represents the "sweet spot" of the line-up. That said, the Buddy 50 still might be the right tool for the job here.