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Joined: Sept 12, 2014 0:36:35 GMT -5
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Post by lynz on Sept 12, 2014 0:46:05 GMT -5
Hello, this is my first post here. : ) I've been wanting a scooter for a long time, and there's a Genuine Buddy 150 I think I might buy. Before I go through with that, I thought I might ask all of your opinions of riding in the desert.
I live near Palm Springs in Southern California. My intention for this scooter was not just for zipping around town, but also for using it as my primary commuter to get to work and college in nearby cities. My daily commute back and forth would probably be 45 mins to an hour a day. I do know that the Buddy would be able to reach high enough speeds to ride on these streets as long as I avoid the highways, so that isn't my main concern.
Now, as you might know, this is a windy desert. We have lots of wind mills out here to harness these winds. No doubt there would at least be some days out of the year where the wind would be too much, but what about more moderately windy days? Is that something you can ride in easily enough with practice?
Also, what about sand? Until I started reading about road hazards more, I never realized something as mundane as sand and gravel could cause an accident. It's the desert, you can't escape the sand. It's on the streets I'd be taking daily, it's blowing in the wind, it's even in my drive way. Are there special tires I could buy to make driving in the sand safer? Are their techniques I could use? Or is the area I live in just bad for scooters?
Thanks for reading through that, sorry if it's a bit lengthy. I appreciate anyone's input on this.
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Post by rockynv on Sept 12, 2014 4:17:51 GMT -5
The Buddy is a fine scooter however I am not sure how it is in a cross wind. I know that my Sport City is much better in cross winds than the Lance Vintage (similar style to the Buddy Stella/Vintage) which I previously owned was. Riding in the wind also has a lot to due with mindset. If you watch for the wind and make fluid adjustments for it so that it becomes second nature and automatic you will be OK in all but the most severe conditions (sand blasting the paint off your ride) however if you are super nervous about it and stay tense then you will get sore pretty quickly and be all over the road. The diamond tread knobby tires are generally better in the sand than the modified slicks on most modern scooters so tires may need to be considered. Friends with the Vespa that the Buddy Stella is based on like the Heidenau K38, K58 or K47 (in that order) available from Parts for Scooters in sandy areas better then say the racer styles. K38:  K58:  K47:  Racer Style:  |
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Post by earlwb on Sept 12, 2014 6:44:30 GMT -5
The desert should not be a problem for the scooter. Now then the dust in the air means you need to change the airfilter more often. The 150 size scooters have a small air filter on the CVT drive on the side where the variator and clutch is with the belt. You are probably best to simply remove the little filter as it is small and clogs up fast, you would have to clean it every couple of days otherwise. Just leave a small gravel or rock screen over the hole for the CVT drive to keep out the little rocks though.
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Post by spandi on Sept 12, 2014 14:29:47 GMT -5
Let's see... NO SNOW, Sunshine all year round and breathtaking scenery. Yep, it's "BAD"  But seriously, it's Palm Springs not the Baja 500. Get the Heidenau's like rock said if you want extra traction, and just stay away from the wash after a storm unless you want to become part of the "Vista Chino Regatta" |
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Post by alleyoop on Sept 12, 2014 14:59:54 GMT -5
Just take it easy and be careful making turns the sand acts like ball bearings and the front wheel will slide out on you so not to much lean on the turns.
Alleyoop
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Post by spandi on Sept 12, 2014 15:14:33 GMT -5
Just take it easy and be careful making turns the sand acts like ball bearings and the front wheel will slide out on you so not to much lean on the turns. Alleyoop Spot on, AO. It tends to accumulate at intersections near the curb (just where you are turning) after a storm. |
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Post by urbanmadness on Sept 12, 2014 18:10:27 GMT -5
Best advice I can give you is to get some gear, and find some people who ride in your area. You can learn a lot riding with others. Always you just your rear brake in parking lots, especially when you are learning and turning.
Read everything you can about riding technique and take the msf course if you can.
Keep your head up and straight ahead when stopping and look where you want to go, don't fixate on where you don't want to go. Learn and practice these techniques and they will really help you when or if you move to a bigger heaver bike.
Try to keep your arms loose not all tensed up. This helps when you run into sand, or grooved pavement.
Learn to counter-steer to combat the wind.
Give it a month riding that kind of distance and you will feel at one with the bike. The Buddy 150 is a small bike you will get comfortable with quickly, it's a great choice for learning and the 150's are just a ton of fun.
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Post by JerryScript on Sept 13, 2014 21:43:46 GMT -5
I ride all year here in Vegas, and summer time means one very important thing, change your oil once a month or every 250-300 miles when it's hot! This may seem extreme, but we are only talking about $3 worth of oil each time, and it will save you more expensive repairs in the future. And when taking those 45 minute rides in extreme heat, do not keep it at top speed! If it means leaving 10-15 minutes earlier, lowering your top speed will help keep your engine from overheating (make sure you are not running lean, or you could have serious issues riding that long at high speed).
If you are riding in sandy conditions, I would also advise removing your CVT cover and blowing it out with compressed air when you do your oil changes.
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Post by rockynv on Sept 14, 2014 0:18:16 GMT -5
Remember to keep the CVT cooling inlets air filter clean. Had one friend complaining about the cheap belts constantly failing on him and he was using Gate Premium Aramid belts however when we pulled the CVT filter we found it had never been cleaned and was full of leaves, dust and bird feathers. His belts last a lot longer now that the CVT filter get cleaned regularly.
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..BAD TO THE BONE..
