My Buddy and Me
July 10, 2007 @ 04:16 PM
So I've recently decided that I want a scooter. A Buddy 125 (125cc) by the Genuine Scooter Company of Chicago, to be exact. I've been considering getting a scooter ever since I moved to Des Moines and realized how feasible it'd be. So I did a lot of research and decided the Buddy should be the object of my idolatry.
Why a scooter? Well, I live a 10-minute drive from work, which could just as easily be a 10-minute scooter ride, seeing as how there are no major highways involved. I rarely exceed 40mph to or from work, so a 125cc scooter could easily keep pace. Scooters get mad gas mileage, usually at least twice that of the average car. And besides... I think they're cool looking. Those who prefer crotch rockets or choppers might not agree with me on that one, but if you really think about it, can you picture me on either of those things? I thought not. :)
Why a Buddy? Well, certainly not for the name. Looks are high on the list, and I like the Buddy's retro styling. Speed is also important, and the Buddy can do freeway speeds if need be. It can also beat most 150cc scooters off the line, so its acceleration is fine. And its gas mileage is good even for the scooter class: most Buddy owners claim 85-90 miles per gallon city, depending on location and load, while some even average out over 100 mpg. You can't even squeeze that out of a brand-new hybrid car.
At the moment, there are only two things holding me back from scooter ownership. The first is that there are no Buddy dealers in Des Moines as yet. The closest is in Kansas City, requiring a road trip some weekend (and borrowing someone's vehicle so I can get it back home). The second speed bump is that I've decided I would like to purchase the scooter outright, without having to make any payments on it. Unfortunately, the scooter runs around $2600 before taxes and so forth, and I don't have that kind of money on-hand. I'm saving up as we speak, and am about 3/4 the way there, but that was the easy 3/4 (i.e., I had some savings already). I'm now in the squeezing-blood-from-turnips stage, so things are going to go a little slower. I'm selling a few things I don't need on eBay, which will get me a little closer, and after that I'm just hoping to find some freelance web work to make some extra cash.
The goal is to have a scooter in my possession by the end of the summer, such that I can ride it to work all autumn before having to store it over (most of) the winter. I don't know how realistic that goal is, but I'm going to do whatever's in my power to see it gets done. Wish me luck!
I'd be curious to know how insurance is handled on those.
Posted by: Lindsay at July 10, 2007 10:18 PM