Advice for Buddy 125 accessories

[NurseDarling]

Hello beautiful humans!

I'm buying a Buddy 125 on Thursday and I'd like some advice on accessories that you've found sturdy but affordable and where you found them. I use my GPS to an embarrassing degree so I know I will need a phone mount. Can anyone post pictures of where that goes on the scoot and where they found theirs?

I also need more storage because this will be my primary vehicle for errands and work/school commute. From the pictures it looks like I need a rear rack and a top case. Are there other good options you've found?

Lastly I'm not in love with the color of the scooter. I will want to repaint it eventually in fun colors or possibly just put decals and stickers on it to make the titanium color more fun/interesting. Can people post pictures of scooters they've painted along with what you used? Pictures of fun decals and fun stickers are also welcome/appreciated.

I know I"m asking for a lot of advice and I truly appreciate any effort to assist! Hope everyone is having an awesome week so far! Wish me luck on my written motorcycle test tomorrow so I can get my permit?

[k1dude]

Good luck on your test.

Properly painting a Buddy is no easy task unless you just want a sloppy rattle can job. I would suggest using Plasti Dip so you can peel it off if you don't like the color you chose.

Or you could always purchase new panels in the color you like the best and swap them out. But that's expensive and time consuming.

Good luck with decorating your scooter.

[buzzvert]

The fun part of any scooter is personalizing. I can tell you that the rack/top case on a Buddy is great if you need it, but this is a pretty lightweight bike, and it does change the riding characteristics a bit. The standard rack for it is made by Prima and will set you back about 70 bucks.

We have tried the K-MAX topcase and it's fine. Honestly, I like my larger generic top case from Amazon on my Vespa, and if you're not concerned with color matching I'd try cheaper options.

Fantastic upgrades which require some mechanical acumen include (working front to back) an LED headlamp, turn signal conversion to utilize the disabled lamps in the front, an upgraded horn, LED turn signal bulbs (with solid state relay vs. stock mechanical), fly screen or wind screen if you're into that, and maybe a front rack if you need cargo or the "Gen-U-Bin" for more specific utilization of the front cargo area.

More aggressively, you could potentially upgrade the variator and rollers to a Polini + sliders, and if you're super aggressive, kit the whole mess to a larger cylinder, larger gas flow and unrestricted exhaust and air intake.

But this bike? It's fine on its own. It's nuts on power to weight, and it's a real bike in a toy form factor. That's the magic.

[babblefish]

Hmm, I kinda like that titanium color. Wish mine was that color. Congrats on getting a new Buddy though. You made a good choice.

I use my Buddy to commute to work almost everyday, do shopping errands, and go out to eat or get coffee, basically, all around transportation. I can't think of a better way to get around San Francisco and neighboring cities and not worry about traffic and parking.

One of the best things I added is a Givi top case. The one on mine is kinda big but that hasn't been a problem plus it just gives me more room when I go grocery shopping. I can put my full coverage modular helmet inside (which won't fit under the seat) which is a great help when the weather is kind of damp. Givi are expensive but very durable. I overload mine all the time and it hasn't complained one bit.
One bit or warning though, the Prima rear rack is a little weak and many have had the cross brace behind the seat break (mine did). I repaired mine and made it stronger but I know not everyone has the ability to do that. It usually breaks because of constant overloading. I think the weight limit is suppose to be 25LBS.

Good tires is a must. The brands I like are Michelin, Heidenau, and Continental.

I'd like to improve the headlight brightness but the Buddy 125/150 electrical system is pretty weak and is not able to supply enough amps for a truly bright headlight. I'm working on a fix for that though.

[NurseDarling]

[quote="babblefish"]Hmm, I kinda like that titanium color. Wish mine was that color. Congrats on getting a new Buddy though. You made a good choice.

What color is yours? I really like the blue and the orange. The titanium is fine, but I'm a pretty colorful person (hair is always blue or purple and I've got a bunch of tattoos) and I'd like to make it brighter/fit my personality more. I might dip it like one responder suggested. Make it a rainbow scoot.


One bit or warning though, the Prima rear rack is a little weak and many have had the cross brace behind the seat break (mine did). I repaired mine and made it stronger but I know not everyone has the ability to do that. It usually breaks because of constant overloading. I think the weight limit is suppose to be 25LBS.

Noted. I'm SURE I would overload it on the regular, so that's great knowledge!

Good tires is a must. The brands I like are Michelin, Heidenau, and Continental.

Good tires are definitely a must with all the rain and hills here. For sure! Thanks for all the great input!

[NurseDarling]

Good luck on your test.

Properly painting a Buddy is no easy task unless you just want a sloppy rattle can job. I would suggest using Plasti Dip so you can peel it off if you don't like the color you chose.

I looked that up and that stuff is REALLY cool! It may be a while before I'm able to invest in anything, but it's great to know there are options!


Good luck with decorating your scooter.

Thanks, k1dude! I'm pretty excited about having more travel freedom. We lived in Seattle near the light rail until prices rose so sharply we were pushed South about 30 miles. I was so spoiled. The bus system is terribly unreliable but we already have one car so in an effort to keep our footprint smaller I've decided on a scooter. I'm looking forward to naming her. Silly, right?

[NurseDarling]

The fun part of any scooter is personalizing. I can tell you that the rack/top case on a Buddy is great if you need it, but this is a pretty lightweight bike, and it does change the riding characteristics a bit. The standard rack for it is made by Prima and will set you back about 70 bucks.

The weight difference is something to consider. I will hold off until I get to know my bike and scooting in general a bit better.

We have tried the K-MAX topcase and it's fine. Honestly, I like my larger generic top case from Amazon on my Vespa, and if you're not concerned with color matching I'd try cheaper options.

If it doesn't match, color wise, I can either make it match eventually or cover it in stickers. I'm a broke student, so the cheaper options are very welcome!

Fantastic upgrades which require some mechanical acumen include (working front to back) an LED headlamp, turn signal conversion to utilize the disabled lamps in the front, an upgraded horn, LED turn signal bulbs (with solid state relay vs. stock mechanical), fly screen or wind screen if you're into that, and maybe a front rack if you need cargo or the "Gen-U-Bin" for more specific utilization of the front cargo area.

Oh yeah! I saw that Gen-U-Bin. It looks like to would rob me of valuable storage but the locking part is tempting to help lessen the chances of me be actual robbed. lol What did you mean by "disabled lamps in front"? I'll look into that. A loud horn would be nice. Something in line with a Mac truck perhaps. These are all options I'll look into.

More aggressively, you could potentially upgrade the variator and rollers to a Polini + sliders, and if you're super aggressive, kit the whole mess to a larger cylinder, larger gas flow and unrestricted exhaust and air intake.

These are a lot of words I'll have to research. I appreciate the opportunity to learn fun new things! I'm super excited! I met a cool guy who is a scooter mechanic and he suggested the Buddy due to my "unique ergonomics" of being 5'3". HAHAHA! I tried the Vespa and it dug into my pubic bone. When I can afford to buy a bike and also get the seat shaved I may get one of those as well but for now the Buddy feels like a solid choice. Thanks for your advice!!

But this bike? It's fine on its own. It's nuts on power to weight, and it's a real bike in a toy form factor. That's the magic.

[NurseDarling]

So clearly I'm not good at replying on this forum yet, but I'll get the hang of it. I'm interested to see your scooters, fun new scooter friends!

[cummingsjc]

You might look through this website if you want to see what's out there for parts upgrades and accessories for your Buddy. A Prima windscreen, as seen on www.scooterworks.com, makes the ride more enjoyable.

As already mentioned, I highly recommend adding the Prima Rear Rack and a top case. I've seen folks say that top cases "ruin the lines of the bike"; however, the addition of the case makes the functionality of the bike increase dramatically. The K-Max top cases are good quality but I would personally go with a larger Givi case and a Givi universal mounting like this one on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Z113C2-Universal ... 5483&psc=1. Givi offers two different types of cases, their Monolock series and Monokey series. The Monolock series cases are only designed for use as a top case, while the Monokey cases can be used as a top case or side case (mostly irrelevant on a Buddy). Be sure the mount matches the case type. I have a Givi top case somewhere in the 48 liter range and although it sort of overwhelms the back of my buddy, it gives me all kinds of extra space for helmets, gloves, groceries, computer, etc (not necessarily all at once. ). I have even carried a 30-40 pound bag of dog food in it (but I wouldn't recommend doing this on a regular basis). Additionally, since it's not specific to the Buddy, I can switch it between the Buddy, my Genuine Black Cat scooter, and my Piaggio MP3 depending on which one I want to ride (all need a mounting plate however).

The disabled lights are disconnected turn signals down on the lower front sides, routinely referred to as the "dead lights". They are the turn signals used in most of the rest of the world but are disconnected in favor of the DoT turn signals mounted underneath the handle bars her in America. The wiring and light bulbs are generally still in place even though they are not connected to the electrical system. With a little bit of skill and knowledge, they can be reconnected to provide a cleaner look to the bike (if you remove the DoT lights) or be used in addition to the DoT lights with the use of the various wiring harness adapters to be running lights or additional turn signals to increase visibility. Voodoo Scooter parts (search for their thread on this forum) sells these wiring harnesses and also sells a brake light modulator that flashes the brake lights rapidly during braking to improve rearward visibility. http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/topic29569.html

[babblefish]

Hmm, I kinda like that titanium color. Wish mine was that color. Congrats on getting a new Buddy though. You made a good choice.

What color is yours? I really like the blue and the orange. The titanium is fine, but I'm a pretty colorful person (hair is always blue or purple and I've got a bunch of tattoos) and I'd like to make it brighter/fit my personality more. I might dip it like one responder suggested. Make it a rainbow scoot.

Mine is the Buddy St. Tropez, so blue and gray.

[scootdad]

Welcome, NurseDarling! I would also recommend the Gen-u-Bin, we have those on our Buddys and though not large, they are pretty handy. We also have top cases mounted onto rear racks, that make a minor shopping errand easy. A windshield is nice, especially in this part of the country (I am in Olympia). I prefer the shorter version that deflects the wind and rain from the front, but does not place collected spray and rain in front of your view. I would also definitely add a brake lamp modulator (flashes the brake lamp to improve visibility). In addition to Voodoo, look for ThatVWBusGuy on the forums, he also makes great deadlamp kits and other lighting fixes.

There are a couple of scooter clubs in the area (I think), those can be great resources for parts, repairs, socializing, and skill development.

My daughter is moving to Tacoma in a couple of weeks, she rides a Yamaha Vino since she was around 17 or so (7+ years now). There isn't a great way to reach Tacoma from Olympia without some freeway miles, but if I can figure it out, there will be group rides in the future.

Cheers!

Bob