1. Genuine Scooters Started in Chicago
Genuine Scooters has always had a strong connection to Chicago. The company was founded there in 2002 by Phillip “Phil” McCaleb, growing out of Scooterworks USA, a scooter parts and service business.
Phil passed away in 2025, but his influence on the American scooter community and Genuine Scooters lives on. He was a passionate advocate for scooters and played a major role in bringing Genuine to life.
The first Genuine scooter was the Stella, which launched for the 2003 model year. The goal was to create a scooter brand specifically for American riders while working directly with manufacturers on product development and specifications.
RIP, Phil—and thanks for getting us rolling.
2. The Buddy Has Been Around for 20 Years
The Genuine Buddy first arrived in 2006. That means the Buddy has now been part of the American scooter scene for two decades.
What started as a simple automatic scooter became Genuine's signature model—and one of the company's most recognizable scooters. Over the years, the Buddy has been used for everything from commuting and college transportation to scooter rallies and weekend adventures.
And it's not just nostalgia. The Buddy is still part of Genuine's current lineup in 50cc, 125cc, and 170i versions.
3. A Genuine Buddy Scooter Had a Cameo in Baywatch
Remember the 2017 Baywatch movie with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Efron? At one point, the two lifeguards find themselves riding around together on a pink scooter—about as far from the macho image of Baywatch as you can get.
The scene became one of the movie's memorable comedy moments, with both Johnson and Efron riding the scooter together. The pink scooter even got its own spot in the movie's promotional material.
4. Genuine Still Makes New 50cc 2-Stroke Scooters
This might be the biggest surprise on the list.
While many manufacturers have moved away from small two-stroke scooters, Genuine still offers new 50cc 2-stroke scooters in America.
The current lineup includes the Buddy 50 and RoughHouse 50, both powered by 49.7cc air-cooled two-stroke engines. Genuine says the two-stroke configuration provides a lightweight, responsive riding experience with more torque and acceleration than many 50cc four-stroke scooters.
For riders who grew up around two-stroke scooters—or anyone who simply likes the character and responsiveness of a two-stroke—it's a pretty unusual thing to find a new one still available today.
5. A Buddy 125 Once Tackled a 70,000-Mile Challenge
Back in 2013, Nick Pappas set out to prove just how far a Genuine Buddy 125 could go.
Nick rode his Buddy 125 more than 70,000 miles as part of an attempt to set a Guinness World Records record for the most miles ridden on a scooter in three years.
He also took an unusually disciplined approach to maintenance along the way. Nick changed the oil, washed and waxed the scooter every 1,000 miles and changed the filter every 2,000 miles.
After putting tens of thousands of miles on his Buddy, Nick was pretty confident in his scooter, saying he “guarantees no other scooter can outperform this scooter.”
More than 70,000 miles on a 125cc scooter? That's one heck of a road trip.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.