Since Bumblebee talks in song, does that make him... WHEELIE?

[Goktimus Prime]

...and by the way, what did G1 Bumblebee add to the story beyond just hangin' out with Spike?

 

+ Was the first Autobot to make contact with humans after being obtained by Buster Witwicky and repaired by his father Sparkplug. Was also present in the Autobots' early contacts with G.B. Blackrock.

+ Helped Ironhide "make a new river" to divert flooding water from Sherman Dam, saving nearby human residents (More Than Meets The Eye)

+ Saved two teenage punks from Decepticon attack (the same teens had "stolen" Bumblebee for joyriding).

+ Discovered the Decepticons' Space Bridge in the ravine

+ Was part of the team sent to Cybertron to retrieve the component from Wheeljack's lab to save Optimus Prime (Transport To Oblivion).

+ Risked his own life to attach the device onto Optimus Prime to make him 'good' again (Attack of the Autobots).

+ Saved Spike's life by using his own body to shield Spike from collapsing rubble (Desertion of the Dinobots)

+ Destroyed the Pearl of Bahudine.

+ Single handedly saved three Autobot POWs and disabled the Decepticons' mind control over Sludge.

+ Saved a young boy's life during the Decepticons' attack on Power Station Alpha. Unforunately this heroic act got him killed by G.I. Joe (who were guarding the Power Station and fending off hostile Transformers), his autopsy by Mainframe allowed G.I. Joe to learn more about the Transformers and ultimately to forge an alliance with the Autobots (G.I. Joe Vs Transformers) - with Ratchet's assistance, G.I. Joe rebuilt Bumblebee as Goldbug. This alliance would prove crucial when G.I. Joe would use their special beacon to summon the Autobots to return to Earth to combat the combined threats of War World and G2 Megatron (G.I. Joe Vs Transformers Generation 2).

+ Charles Fong and Goldbug inadvertantly discovered the cure for the Scraplets.

+ Goldbug went toe-to-toe against Galvatron during the Time Wars (and was later reinforced by Ultra Magnus).

+ Goldbug aided Blaster in going AWOL from Grimlock's tyrannical rule.

+ It was Goldbug who made contact with Ethan Zachary and retrieved the floppy disk containing Optimus Prime's brain patterns. Goldbug helped Prime's mind establish contact with the Autobot Pretenders and remotely led them in victorious battle against the Decepticon Pretenders. The disk was later transported to Nebulos where Optimus Prime was rebuilt as a Powermaster.

+ Goldbug was one of the many casualties of the Underbase Saga and later rebuilt by Ratchet as an Autobot Pretender. The Autobot Classic Pretenders breathed new life to the Emirate Xaaron's Autobot resistance on Cybertron - with them soon being branded heroes as they led the Autobots to victory after victory against the Decepticons (hence eliciting the attention of the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad who were order to specifically terminate the Autobot Classic Pretenders).

+ The battle between the Autobot Classic Pretenders and the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad resulted in the disturbance of Primus, which attracted Unicron to Cybertron.

+ Bumblebee, Jazz and Grimlock were part of the Matrix Quest and actually found the Matrix, only to lose it to Thunderwing.

+ During the Earthforce Saga, Bumblebee aided Ironhide in thwarting the Decepticons' attempt to rebuild Devastator as an individual being (autonomous from the Constructicons).