Modern Buddy

Looks to be POC's from the Pittsburgh Rally on Scoot.net.

Yeah, but it sure looked like somebody was enjoying it before that happened. (Also from the Pittsburg rally pix on Scoot.net) If it was a new Vespa it'd be totalled. As it is, I bet Phil will replace some relatively inexpensive plastic and life will go on.

Somebody must have misread the sign and thought it said all scooters will be crushed.

What in the world happened?

I'm not sure what happened. I was looking further at the rally pics and could not find any showing what happened. Was anyone on here at the PVSC camping rally?

Might have been caused by one of the vintage guys who don't know how to ride a scooter with real brakes.

ellen wrote:Might have been caused by one of the vintage guys who don't know how to ride a scooter with real brakes.

Oh, smack!

It was being test ridden by Penny from Chicago and she was done in by the all-to-good brakes on wet grass.

6, that's right six body panels were damaged, including the headset.

Here's the good news:


I had my replacement parts in LESS than 3 days,

The total cost was MUCH less than I had anticipated,

All parts were pre-painted and ready to go,

Total time to remove and replace ALL the damaged bodywork was under 2 hours, and that's by my novice apprentice.

The scooter runs perfectly and I defy anyone to detect it was ever in a collision.

Had this been a Vespa, Bajaj or other Steel bodied scooter it would still be at the body shop being hammered on, and the cost of the paint alone would be more than I just paid for the entire job.

Say what you will about plastic, when you screw up, it's your best friend.

pocphil wrote: Had this been a Vespa, Bajaj or other Steel bodied scooter it would still be at the body shop being hammered on, and the cost of the paint alone would be more than I just paid for the entire job.

Say what you will about plastic, when you screw up, it's your best friend.

Good point - never thought about it this way, but an actual benefit of the 'plastic' twist-n-go.

mlstephens wrote:

pocphil wrote: Had this been a Vespa, Bajaj or other Steel bodied scooter it would still be at the body shop being hammered on, and the cost of the paint alone would be more than I just paid for the entire job.

Say what you will about plastic, when you screw up, it's your best friend.

Good point - never thought about it this way, but an actual benefit of the 'plastic' twist-n-go.

Yep, the dirty little secret of the Vespa world is out. It's frighteningly easy to total a Vespa because the Vespa's strength, it's steel monocoque body, is also it's weakness. If a Vespa gets hit a certain way and it bends in the wrong place or, if it creases, then it's all over for the scooter, it's totalled. With the Buddy, you replace some plastic and you're golden. Plus (and I've now heard this in two different cases), the Buddy's plastic is cheap and available.