The Buddy 50 is a great machine. Were I shopping 50cc, that’s likely what I’d buy. That or the Yamaha C3.

That said, I’m not a fan of the whole 50cc genre except for very particular circumstances (free parking, basically). Otherwise, I think they’re a bad idea. Keep in mind that you’re going to be limited to 34 mph as a TOP SPEED. That’s it. That’s all you get. Totally pegged, that bike will only do 34 mph. So on any road with a speed limit above 25 mph, you will be IN THE WAY. That’s unsafe in my opinion.

Most people buy 50cc scooters because they don’t have to get their motorcycle endorsement. It’s really not that big a deal. It’s so much better, fun and safe (in my opinion) to be on something that can outrun everything around it. The Buddy 125 and up definitely qualifies. You are not safer because your scooter is slow. The faster it goes, the more stable it is. And the way I look at it, if a car is going to run over me, it’s got to catch me first.

I wonder what your opinion of the 2011 and current model of the Kymco Agility 50cc. I was at a dealer recently who said that Kymco’s quality has just in the past year really gone downhill and now he “no longer recommends” the Kymco 50cc models at all (even though he is a Kymco dealer!) and instead is steering his customers towards the Genuine Buddy 50cc which he is also an authorised dealer. Have you heard of such problems with Kymco models lately?

Kymco Agility 50cc is about $500 cheaper than the Genuine Buddy 50cc and we were sure the Agility was the model we’d be getting until we visited the dealer and heard this.

The thing is, speed isn’t the issue. It’s fall height and abrasion. The impact a dog would take from falling awkwardly at any speed would likely be pretty damaging. Add to that the unforgiving and abrasive nature of road surface and that’s just a recipie for terribly injured dog. You’ve got to make that call for yourself, but I’d never do it with my dogs.

Finding torque in today’s 50cc scooters is a tall order no matter the wheel size. With emissions standards so much higher these days, the restricted 50cc class bikes are almost all 4T and subsequently pretty weak in the power department. The only 50cc scooter that I’ve heard of being pretty punchy is the SYM Mio. That’s not a big-wheel bike, but it’s something in that class that — especially if de-restricted — should get you around just fine. Bluecat Motors, the local SYM dealer, tells a story about doing errands 2-up on a Mio. That said, the Mio is not a big-wheel scooter.

If you simply must ride a big-wheel scooter in that size class you’re somewhat stuck with the Kymco People or People S. Both come in a 50cc size, but I’m afraid I can’t testify as to the torque of either. I am told, however, that the People S 50, which is the same chassis as its larger 250cc sibling, is laughably underpowered, even for a 50cc. Aprilia has the Sportcity One with 14″ wheels, but unfortunately no torque info. One thing you might think about is the Sachs MadAss. It’s sort of a moped on meth and I’m told by reliable sources that the motor is bolt-for-bolt Honda and can be impressively tuned. (I saw one such MadAss at Bluecat Motors in St. Paul earlier this year and must admit, I lusted after it)

But if I may be so bold, if you’re looking for something with some of the charm and character of the Bravo, big wheels, but better power, I’d have to point you toward SYM’s newly released Symba. It’s literally the reincarnation of the iconic Honda Super Cub, just with SYM’s first rate fit and finish. You can get a lot of great information on the Symba from David Harrington’s Just Gotta Scoot podcast. Search for it on iTunes. It’s a free download and everything you’d ever need to know about the Symba from folks who really know it well. If I had the cash laying around, I’d buy a Symba almost sight unseen.

Hope that helps!