A particularly brutal winter…. Suffice to say I had more than enough time to really get to know the layout of the Buddy Kick.
I put the scooter in my office in November and spent hours and days walking various store aisles to see what would fit and how I would go about adding all of my essentials. Hardware, thrift, and surplus stores were my go-to while I tried and failed and tried again.
A first look at the insides left me a little intimidated. There are about 12 unlabeled components that still remain a mystery. Most riders in the SCBR will modify some mechanical component on their bikes. There may even be a few who modify the engine in a way that dramatically changes its capabilities, however these modifications come with risk. Generally the more you modify beyond factory specifications, things become less reliable. At least that’s what I’ve been consistently told. I intend to never modify a mechanical component on this bike for that reason. It runs just fine and supposedly has the ability to run in extreme climates.
After mapping out on paper all of the configurations and places I will need auxiliary power, I ran trailer wiring from the under seat storage area to the handlebars. The trailer wire contained four leads which allowed me to run switched 12V back to the rear of the bike.
A bit of a fail with my first attempt at power distribution. I initially thought it was important to have an easy method to make changes on the road. A block terminal was unfortunately not up to the task. Wire management was not ideal and would likely fail during extended vibrations. I decided literally everything possible should be soldered to ensure nothing disconnects.
After getting my 12V distribution box soldered up, I ran the appropriate wire to front and rear LED side markers. They are absolutely bright and perfect for daytime visibility. An additional benefit of these side markers is that I can confidently see whether or not I left my AUX switch on.
In addition to the 2″ round LED spot lights I installed a year ago, I wanted a second set of brighter lights as a precautionary measure. These lights (and every add-on after the 2″ LED spot lights) are powered by the AUX power source. They also have their own dedicated switch for them. I know that all of my riding will be during daylight hours (5:30am-5:00pm) so if anything, these additional lights would make for a good “get out of my way” signal.
After installing the much brighter square LED spot lights, I realized they were far too heavy for the handlebars. They were later moved to the front chassis and are much more effective as a result.
Things are looking brighter!