MOD COST: $25 shipped from eBay seller Autotech355 or www.buggypartsnw.com
MOD DIFFICULTY:
Easy. If you can change your oil, you can probably change sliders.
SPECIAL TOOLS: Impact wrench is required to remove the variator nut.
MOD BENCHMARK: Not a huge gain in performance, but a good starting point for new modders.
NEXT STEP: A variator upgrade would be a good next step.
One of the very first modifications I did to my bike when it was totally stock was to swap
out the sliders for something more performance oriented.
After reading around on Modern Buddy I settled on Dr Pulley as the brand I wanted. They offer a uniquely designed sliding weight quite unlike the stock rolling weights. These sliders move more smoothly across the ramps and allow for a more even power band due to the unique sliding design. They also allow for the variator to move farther open since they are slightly taller than the stock rollers. (See photos for example)
Dr Pulley also claims they last 20% longer, a claim that holds up in my testing.
I also wanted to change weight of the sliders, as I thought that the Buddy wasn't quite in its optimal power band, and that a slightly higher RPM would serve my needs more fully.
The stock weights are 11.5g, and the ones I was installing were 11g. Not a huge difference, but I wasn't going for a huge change in RPM. The Buddy runs NEARLY where it needs to be already if you are looking for a good balance of top speed and initial acceleration.
Leave a comment