Genuine Buddy 125cc Scooter Review (2007 Series Italia)

by Kathi (Webmaster Here)
(Boise, ID)

This is my own Genuine Buddy scooter review. You'll find information elsewhere on the site that is a bit less biased, but let me try to detail the pros and cons of the Buddy based on my own experience.

As I mentioned elsewhere on this site, my local scooter dealer told me the Genuine Buddy scooter was their best-selling model and that they had trouble keeping them in stock. But they had quite a few different scooter brands to choose from, so I wasn't sure when I first went in which would be right for me.

I actually sat on a Diamo Retro first. (I definitely like the retro styling, which actually a lot of scooters do have these days.) The Diamo "Retro" was cute though and came in a nice array of colors, including 2-color combos that I really liked.

My concern was my size–I'm less than 5 feet tall and I have short legs. I don't weigh that much either. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to reach to straddle a scooter bigger than a 50cc model, nor control it.

The sales guy, though, thought I'd be able to handle a 125cc/150cc scooter without trouble. So, first he had me sit on a Retro. It was OK, but I wasn't totally comfortable.

Then, I sat on the Buddy and ... it was love at first sight... OK first sit!

I felt really comfortable on it and a test ride confirmed it. The Genuine Buddy scooter was the best fit for me. Of course, your experience might be different. Supposedly, the Buddy and the Retro both have the same 29" seat height, but I definitely felt closer to the ground when straddling the Buddy. It could be that the Retro seat rises a bit towards the front; I'm not sure.

So, obviously, the comfortable fit was a big factor in me choosing the Buddy, but here's the rest...

Pros

• Styling. I love how the Buddy looks, especially my limited edition Series Italia, which is avocado and cream, as you can see from the pic. I like the 2-tone color scheme, and the retro styling.




• Quality. I am convinced, after my research, that the Genuine line offer true quality. Reasonably priced, but great value for the money, and I liked the 2-year warranty and road service.


• Performance. My Buddy has great pickup... I can merge into busy rush-hour traffic without any difficulty at all. It accelerate quickly and has been dependable as anything.


• Storage space. When I bought it, I intended to get the optional topcase (trunk), but so far I haven't really needed it. The underseat storage holds a lot and has a helmet hook, so you can lock your helmet, without taking up all the storage space.


• Convenience. The Buddy has a front dash with a built in cupholder and a charger for your cell phone. Too cool.

Cons

• Mileage. To be honest, I haven't yet achieved the 100MPG, but I am getting probably somewhere between 70 & 80MPG at least, and that's a lot better than my car! OK, so this isn't really a con...


• Umm... I know that when you do a review, you're supposed to mention both bad things and good things, so you sound unbiased. But my question for you is, how can I do that when I'm so in love with my Genuine Buddy scooter?

I mean, do you want me to make up some bogus little thing that I wish was different about my Buddy motor scooter? OK, I wish it only cost me $500 bucks but was still the same quality. How's that?

Actually, I forked out a little over $3 grand for my Genuine Buddy scooter, once all was said and done, but to my mind it was well worth it. And nothing has changed my feelings about that since I brought her home!

So, there you have it... my very biased Genuine Buddy scooter review!

Genuine Scooters Buddy 50cc Review

by Peter
(Chicago, Illinois)

The Buddy's are great. I own a 2006 Buddy 50. She does exactly what she is made to do... Get you from point A to point B Efficiently. Ohh yeah, they make it a hell of a lot of fun too! I top out at about 45-47 mph. In the city of Chicago, that is plenty fast.

What I like:

The Buddy 50 is easy. put 2 stroke oil where the oil goes, put gas where the gas goes. if you remember to do both, its hard to break these scooters PGO, the company that makes the scooters that are sold under the Genuine name, makes a quality product. Parts are inexpensive and easy to come by.

In the summer I'll get 80-90 MPG, but I run heavy on the throttle. In the winter, yes I scoot in the winter, the auto choke stays on much longer and ill only get 50ish MPG. I'd really recommend upjetting your carb if you get any 50cc scooter. Ask them to give you a deal if you do it right when you get the scooter.

What I don't like:

The paneling parts are inexpensive and plastic. This is a dual edge sword. The bad part is they are plastic and you can tell. The good part is that they are plastic and inexpensive to replace when you drop your scooter and scuff it up.

Over all, it is an impressive little scooter. The Genuine Buddy scooter may seem like any other scooter, but in the long run you'll appreciate the long term value of the bike.