2009 Buddy International 150 15 Miles Won't Start?

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:10 pm

I am looking at a 2009 Buddy International 150 that has 15 miles on it. It is in near perfect condition but it won't start. The owner says it just needs the carb cleaned and battery replaced and it will run. It looks like that is all that it will need but how can I be sure? What advice can you give me? What is a fair price for this scooter in its current condition? What are other potential problems to look for? Thank you for your help. I am looking into purchasing this for my son who is in college and will be living off campus next year.

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:38 pm

If you can do the work yourself, you can thoroughly go through the scooter in about 4 hours. I would pull the fuel tank, clean the carb, do fuel filter and change all the fluids. With that low of miles, PO is probably correct about that is all that is needed. As for price, less is always good. Tell the seller you need to pay for a carb clean, battery, valve adjustment and so on. That scooter running like a top would bring $1,800 +/- in June where I'm at. Good luck.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 12:42 am

I'm guessing that it is highly unlikely that you will do the work yourself. Unfortunately, you have run up against "scooter dis-economics." The problem is that this model scooter has a carburetor rather than the fuel injectors you are probably used to dealing with in your car. The catch is that, if you aren't a mechanic, you will have to pay shop rates to get that carb fixed. And the bite is that shop rates for scooter repair are the same as for other vehicles, $100+ per hour. If, as the poster above suggests, repairing this scooter takes 4 hours at $100 per hour, plus the cost of a new battery, let's say $50, then you are into $450 just to get it running. If I had to guess, I'd guess that it will be more like $500 at least.

If you are thinking about tackling the repair yourself, here is the exploded diagram of what you will be dealing with. It's not that bad, but there are couple gotchas that you have to watch out for. You'll need to strip the carb completely down to the body because you're going to need to soak the body in solvent to clean out the passages so that air can pass through them. You'll need pressurized air to blow those passages out after you soak the body in solvent. Don't skip the pressurized air because they only way to know if you have cleaned the air passages properly is to actually reassemble the whole thing and then find that it won't carburate properly which means you'll have to take it back apart and do the whole thing again.

If you decide to tackle this job yourself, come back and ask a lot of questions because there are other things you need to do and one big gotcha to avoid on the reassembly process.

P.S. If you are not used to handling solvents, do some reading up on that first to make sure that you don't hurt yourself or the environment as many solvents are highly carcinogenic and poisonous.

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:50 am

Thank you for the great information. I have cleaned carburetors before on dirt bikes. I have watched some tutorials on cleaning the carburetor on the Buddy. It doesn't seem like a difficult job but one that you can't mess up or your SOL. The asking price for the scooter is $900. Should I offer $700 and make reference to the value adjustment, carburetor work, new battery, and new tires. I assume the tires will need to be replaced after sitting for 5+ years. Do you think $700 is a fair price?

avescoots1134 · Post by **avescoots1134** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 2:08 am

$800 would be fair if you're doing the work yourself and the carb is salvageable. Although I've done a couple that have sat long enough that the carb never worked as it should, for whatever reason. Retail on a new buddy carb is $200.

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 3:00 am

I'd go for offering $700. Seller is obviously not that fond of the scooter, or it would have more miles on it. The buddy carb is a fairly simple straight forward piece of equipment. you don't say where you are, but where I am it is 12 degrees. Cash is king, and you need a cushion for unforseen (not likely) problems.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 3:50 am

Kevinpsu160 wrote:Thank you for the great information. I have cleaned carburetors before on dirt bikes.

Were they Constant Velocity carbs? There's a diaphragm on the Buddy CV carb that is a bit tricky when you reassemble it. You need to find a way to stabilize it temporarily while you put it back together. Here is a thread with pictures and explanation of how to do it.

jd · Post by jd » Tue Feb 24, 2015 3:29 pm

avescoots1134 wrote:$800 would be fair if you're doing the work yourself and the carb is salvageable. Although I've done a couple that have sat long enough that the carb never worked as it should, for whatever reason. Retail on a new buddy carb is $200.

Wait a minute. If the cost of a brand new carb is $200, why would anyone spend $400 paying someone to fix the old one? If you can't, or don't want to, rebuild the carb, just get a new one and sell the old one on eBay. Throw on a new battery for $50, and off you go!

One more thing: Check the tires. They may be dried out given their age and lack of use.

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:33 pm

If you can't fix the old one youreself, you're unlikely to be able to swap out a new one. Plus the carb currently on the scooter is likely jetted / or adjusted to the altitude. Use the link furnished by jrsjr along with this link:
viewtopic.php?t=20718&highlight=clean+125+carb

A few basic tools, and a little patience and you should be good to go. Worse case you tear the diaphragm and spend $29.00 on a replacement.

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:03 pm

Thank you so much for these tips. I can't wait to get the scooter and to get started. Everyone has been very helpful and I am very appreciative. I will post back my results with pictures when I get the scooter.

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:13 pm

Just to make sure--- Are the Buddy 125 and 150 carbs the same?

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:21 pm

jd wrote:
avescoots1134 wrote:$800 would be fair if you're doing the work yourself and the carb is salvageable. Although I've done a couple that have sat long enough that the carb never worked as it should, for whatever reason. Retail on a new buddy carb is $200.
Wait a minute. If the cost of a brand new carb is $200, why would anyone spend $400 paying someone to fix the old one? If you can't, or don't want to, rebuild the carb, just get a new one and sell the old one on eBay. Throw on a new battery for $50, and off you go!

One more thing: Check the tires. They may be dried out given their age and lack of use.

The labor charge I quoted was based on DeeDee's estimate for the hours of labor involved in repairing the carb, pulling the gas tank and cleaning that, plus changing all the fluids. If you want to compare apples to apples, you need to add the labor involved in pulling the old carb, setting the new one up properly, and installing the new carb. Do all that and look at the numbers again.

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:07 am

Is this the scooter?

Looks to be in great shape. I'm glad it's not in my town, I'd have to buy it. Don't really need another.

KrispyKreme · Post by **KrispyKreme** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:19 am

I have one just like it. Great scooter.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:12 pm

You are stealing it at $1,000 even with the maintenance you will have to do.

Consider a brand new 2009 (that also sold in 2010) out the door cost and you are getting this one for under 25 cents on the dollar - spending a little time or $200 - $500 extra on it is nothing. Not to mention you can not get the St Tropez International anymore - the new blue is the Brit color scheme.

I would have to agree with DeeDee if it was closer to me I would have to buy it and I already owned two St Tropez before (08 & 09). Your son will get years use out of that scoot with just basic maintenance and taking care of it.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:52 pm

I'd consider replacing the tires while you're at it. The Prima whitewalls were never that impressive anyway, and after 5+ years of sitting, they might be cracked or have weak spots you can't see.

If you're going through the beast anyway, a new set of tires isn't so bad.

I love my 150, have 14500 miles on it, and it's been very reliable.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:03 pm

skully93 wrote:I'd consider replacing the tires while you're at it. The Prima whitewalls were never that impressive anyway, and after 5+ years of sitting, they might be cracked or have weak spots you can't see.

A good rule of thumb is that scooter tires should be replaced at 6 years regardless of wear or signs if sidewall checking. The Continental Zippy is a good tire for the Buddy at a reasonable price.

KrispyKreme · Post by **KrispyKreme** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:26 pm

Dooglas wrote:
skully93 wrote:I'd consider replacing the tires while you're at it. The Prima whitewalls were never that impressive anyway, and after 5+ years of sitting, they might be cracked or have weak spots you can't see.
A good rule of thumb is that scooter tires should be replaced at 6 years regardless of wear or signs if sidewall checking. The Continental Zippy is a good tire for the Buddy at a reasonable price.

A good rule of thumb is $1000 for that bike is good. Great buy.

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:18 pm

I picked up the scooter today. The lady took my $700 offer. Although it is new condition (still has price sticker on front lamp), the battery is dead and I am getting nothing when I try to kick start it. The lady purchased the scooter new in 2013 so although it is a 2009 it has been used once in the last two years. She purchased the scooter with 6 miles on it and now it has 17 miles.

You all have been very helpful and I was wondering where I should start to get this running. Should I replace the battery and see if it wants to turn over or should I get started on the fuel system?

It is the scooter in the picture above. You did some good detective work in finding it. The scooter brand name (genuine) wasn't in the craigslist post. The only identifying feature in the post was a picture and the model name, Buddy. Good work

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:30 pm

First off, great score on the scooter. I have been down this route before. I started with a battery and starter fluid, and ended up taking off all the rear plastics, the fuel tank and the carb. If It was mine, I would pull and drain the tank, and remove and clean the carb. I believe the air filter is fine, I wouldn't bother with the valves. I would do fuel filter, spark plug, engine oil (Rotella T 15w40) with filter and gear oil. If the tires show no signs of distress, and hold air I would not replace them. I would inflate, and monitor air pressure. In my opinion you are wasting money if you get rid of the current tires. If you have rebuilt a carb on a dirt bike, your are more than capable of doing all this yourself. It will be a lot of fun, and a good way to become familiar with the new scoot. Take you time with the carb clean. Gently remove the lip on the big diaphragm. Once you have it loose, drop some carb clean into the slide to start to work it free. I wouldn't spray the cleaner in. Spray some into a shot glass and dribble it into the top of the carb. Good luck, and enjoy the terrific buy!

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 12:05 am

I am going to get a new battery tomorrow from Advance Auto and start cleaning the fuel system. What battery should I purchase? Is there a Wal-mart battery that will work?

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:00 am

Take the number off the current battery and search amazon or ebay. It will be less than half the cost of buying one locally. I usually don't spend more than $20.00 on a battery.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:09 am

Whatever you do, do not try to jump start it from a car with the car running. Not running is said to be okay, but don't let anybody talk you into jumping it from a running car. The Buddy's electrical system can't handle that much juice.

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:26 am

Thanks for the advice. I will not jump it from a car battery. I am trying to recharge and salvage the old battery. I don't think it is going to happen. I will order a new one from Amazon (if I can wait for two day shipping

. My son doesn't need to scooter until August but I want to get it running asap.

I have a 2013 Honda PCX150 and I want to compare the two scooters.

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:11 am

Kevinpsu160 wrote:I am going to get a new battery tomorrow from Advance Auto and start cleaning the fuel system. What battery should I purchase? Is there a Wal-mart battery that will work?

$25.00 shipped to your door. One year warranty.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shotgun-YTX7A-B ... f0&vxp=mtr

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:52 am

Nice--- I am going to take the scooter to the shop tomorrow. It was purchased on 4/13/13 so it is within a 2-year warranty period. Although, I hear the warranty isn't transferable. It won't hurt to try. Maybe they will do the work at a discounted rate. One can only hope

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:36 am

Kevinpsu160 wrote:Nice--- It was purchased on 4/13/13 so it is within a 2-year warranty period. Although, I hear the warranty isn't transferable. It won't hurt to try.

Build a relationship with the dealer first. Get to know them and let them get to know you. They will be happy to do your maintenance work yet imagine how they would have really liked to sell you a new scooter with your own 2 year warranty. The factory warranty is gone for this scoot, not that you would need it anyway.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:43 am

Kevinpsu160 wrote:I am going to get a new battery tomorrow from Advance Auto and start cleaning the fuel system. What battery should I purchase? Is there a Wal-mart battery that will work?

YES Everstart - See MB post:

viewtopic.php?p=189284#189284

Kevinpsu160 · Post by **Kevinpsu160** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:57 pm

I charged the original battery in several stages. The first time I charged the battery I got it to 11.48v. I took it off the charger for a minutes (to reset my charger) and charged it a second time to 12.26v. I did it a third time and got it to 12.55v. I started a fourth round but got to excited and took it off the charger and took it to the scooter. I tried to start it and it sounded like it wanted to kick over so I gave it a second try and she kicked over. I rode it for about 3 min. but it wasn't smooth. I have to drain the gas and but some seafoam in it. This scooter is a beast. I didn't think there was any way the scooter was going to start without some major wrenching. I should have trusted everyone on here

Now, I am off to advance auto and the gas station. Any tips for draining fuel? I am also going to change the motor oil. Do you think I should also change the gear oil?

Thank you so much for the helpful advice.

theemptythrone · Post by **theemptythrone** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:25 pm

I would change all the fluids just to be safe

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:29 pm

theemptythrone wrote:I would change all the fluids just to be safe

...and the battery, too. 12.5 volts is not good enough. It should be able to hold a charge of 13.2 Volts.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 12:20 am

jrsjr wrote:
theemptythrone wrote:I would change all the fluids just to be safe
...and the battery, too. 12.5 volts is not good enough. It should be able to hold a charge of 13.2 Volts.

Yes the Walmart EverStart ES9BS PowerSport Battery has a bit more capacity and comes in handy on short rides or running the BOB light conversion. We have used this battery on three Buddy scoot's, my wife has 15K on her scoot with this battery from day one and no problems.