Classic Scooterist August/September 2018

FAST FLOW FUEL TAPS DO THEY REALLY WORK?

HETTY WAINTHROPP INVESTIGATES...

SHAUN’S LAMBRETTA LI

A Spanish Eibar with attitude

THE LUNA LINE

PIMPING

50 YEARS IN ORBIT

YOUR RIDE

STRAIGHT OUT THE CRATE

THE HISTORY OF SCOOTER BLING

A VERY SPECIALE VESPA

21

YEARS & STILL GOING STRONG

ISSUE 122 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

THE VILLAGE BIKE The tale of a GP200 Electronic

BACK IN THE DAY

SCOOTERAMA! – A FELICITOUS FANFARE OF FACTS, FEEDBACK & FACES

SUBSCRIBE TODAY SEE PAGE 48

Issue 122 Aug/Sept 2018 Founding Editor: Mau Spencer 01507 529408 mauspencer@classicscooterist.com Publisher: Dan Savage Contributors: Rich Addison; Gill Beecham; Jon Betts; David Brown; Terry Brown; Pete Davies, Dave Dry; Rod Gillan, Ashley Lenton; Ben Phillips; Chris Wainwright; Andy Westlake.

Apologies to anyone we’ve forgotten.

Some articles express contributors opinions and are not necessarily those of Classic Scooterist.

Design: Fran Lovely, Justin Blackamore Production editor: Dan Sharp Picture desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Divisional advertising manager: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk (01507 529412) Advertising: Emma Buxton-Rockley ebuxton-rockley@mortons.co.uk (01507 529410) Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steve O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Commercial director: Nigel Hole Editorial address: Classic Scooterist magazine.

PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ General queries and back issues: 01507 529529 (24hr answerphone) Archivist: Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk Next issue (123) published: Sept 26, 2018 Editorial deadline: Aug 13, 2018 CLASSIC SCOOTERIST (ISSN:1756-9494) is published bi-monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $36 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC SCOOTERIST, Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 Email: chris@classicbikebooks.com www.classicbikebooks.com Distribution: Marketforce UK Ltd 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 48 for offer): (12 months 6 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £22.80. Export rates are also available – see page 48 for more details.

UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Customer services number: 01507 529529 Telephone lines are open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm, Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton © Mortons Media Group. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication maybe reproduced without prior written permission.

In the event of a dispute developing between two or more individual clubs, businesses, or organisations – and in the absence of any legal ruling to the contrary – Mortons Media will strive to maintain a neutral position in not disadvantaging either party.

42 CONTENTS 4 6

Back when we had hair

42 Bad Toro

68 Lebrec Lambretta

Scooterama

46 Back in the day

72 A true shed find

Nostalgic memories shared

A felicitous fanfare of facts, feedback and faces

12 What’s going on?

A look at the scooterist calendar

14 Rally Roundup

Recent events at a glance

Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?

50 Messerschmitt GS150 Richard’s German Vespa

54 The Village Bike

The tale of a red Lambretta GP200 Electronic

26 Anniversary Lunacy

60 Hetty Wainthropp investigates

A tribute to Marco Simoncelli

Devon’s scootering duo

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

Dunbar’s Scooter Queen

58 Every picture tells a story

30 The Kittos Member

All the way from France

22 LML No.58

Happy birthday Luna Line

The Professional Publishers Association

A Rat with attitude

34 A brace of Germans The Heinkel A-1 and A-2

38 Something speciale Bob White’s Vespa

1964 Reims Regularity Trial

Shaun’s Lambretta Li 150

62 Trials and tribulations Victor Englebert, Vespa explorer!

64 Pimping your ride

Scooter bling – surely a little-documented subject

‘Project Cometa’ gets under way

76 Fast flow fuel taps How well do they work?

78 The finale

‘Project Tigress’ comes to an end

80 Sealing a rusty fuel tank

Give your tank a treat

82 Scooter clubs

Meet and greet your local club

86 Scooterist classifieds

For all your wants and needs

90 Blast from the past Impressions of the Vespa Rally 200

What’s in a number? More than you might think…

T

here are many significant years that occur during our lifetime; many are specifically significant for personal reasons (in my case that would have been my 16th birthday, as it meant that I was now old enough to ride). For others it could be their 18th birthday, or that 50th wedding anniversary, or possibly even that 65th birthday retirement party.

As far as Classic Scooterist goes, we’ve already passed two significant date milestones

– our 10th anniversary of publication and more recently (last year in fact) our 20th. Well, of course, that makes this our 21st year in print.

So should we be celebrating this when it’s such a short time period since last year?

In the scheme of things you could consider that we are just another year older, but the number 21 has always held some significance; as human beings we have always traditionally looked at 21 as the year that we came of age and transferred from one chapter of our life

into another. And whilst that might not be the case as far as Classic Scooterist is concerned, we can still count it as a significant milestone in our scooter journey through life. There have been many significant changes within the scooter scene since we first published in 1997 – some good and some bad – it’s been an eventful time.

Let’s hope that we will still be celebrating in another 21 years’ time.

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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n e h w k Bac we had hair DO YOU HAVE A NOSTALGIC STORY TO TELL, OR AN OLD PICTURE

TO SHARE?

cooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408 sicsc 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@classics ✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9

80s Yarmouth

60s Southend Mods wanted

I’m looking for original 60s Southend Mods to interview for my book.

I’ve met up with a few guys and got some brilliant stories and pictures – but I need more! So if you want to be included in this project, please get in touch by email: originalsouthendmods@gmail.com Andy McAvoy

Twenty quid SX200 Me in 1969. I bought this SX200 for £20 out of the ‘Used Motorcycles’ section of the Evening Echo. I paid £60 for the jacket from Johnsons, Kings Road, Chelsea.

This was the first of several colour schemes I had for that scooter.

Peter May

‘Seeeaguulll’

Happy memories. Steve Jb

Scooter and sidecar The legendary scooter and sidecar!

Susan Young

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Me and Martin in Yarmouth. I’m not sure of the year – I have a terrible memory. I joined the Army in 1982, so it’s probably 1981?

Hazel Orzel

SCOOTER GLORY!

Taken in 1997 – blimey, 21 years ago!

Simon Kimber

A M A R E T O SCO

CK & FACES A FELICITOUS FANFARE OF FACTS, FEEDBA ooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408 le, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@clas

sicsc

✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncast

M MoT T rumours glow l h hott

SIP shirts video RRP: £ various You can never have enough scooter T-shirts or sweatshirts in your wardrobe.

SIP has launched a whole Fashion for Scooterists collection – and presented it in its Lookbook 2018 video.

This can be seen online at: https://issuu.com/sipscootershop.com/docs/ sip_lookbook_fashion_2018

The change in MoT regulations that came into force on May 20 is causing the scootering rumour machine to glow red hot. One suggestion is that once the new regulations hold sway, vehicles manufactured prior to 1978 may not require an MOT to be allowed on the public highway legally, but these vehicles – lacking any proof of road going safety – will be deemed uninsurable by the insurance companies.

This is a strange rumour, as previously MOT exempted vehicles (those manufactured prior to 1961, that is) were insured quite happily by the

insurance companies. So to put this rumour to rest, contact was made with one of the largest motorcycle underwriters, Carole Nash, whose spokesman said that there’s no reason for this rumour to spread further, as there is no truth in it and pre-1978 vehicles will be insured, despite having not passed the MOT. However, Carole Nash can offer no positive answer on the matter of ‘substantially changed’ vehicles that are not included in this new update of the rules.

A classic example would be a scooter with frame/chassis predating 1978 but with a modern

IoM Post Office celebrates Manx International Scooter Rally

The newly issued eight-stamp Isle of Man International Scooter Rally collection features standout moments from the history of the gathering.

They include the iconic Vespa display team pictured at Noble’s Park in Douglas in 1958, Nev Frost, who smashed the six minute barrier for the Druidale circuit, and the 1957 Ramsey Sprint when the rally – supported by TT legend Geoff Duke – returned after a year off due to the seamen’s strike.

The bi-annual event has huge sporting and cultural significance on the Island, with a history which dates back to the 1950s, and was once described by the chairman of the Isle of Man Tourist Board as “the most important cog in the mosaic of Manx tourism”.

Scooter artwork RRP: £75 upwards If you fancy commissioning an illustration of your own scooter, then Mark Gregory might be the person for you. He’s offering a bespoke service which includes drawing, mounting and framing the picture of your choosing. The artwork can be produced by your preferred method, albeit in pencil, pen, markers, watercolours, etc.

All you need to do is send him a high resolution image and he can take it from there.

Info: mark@marksmotor art.com / www.marksmotorart.com

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engine fitted (for example, a Vespa GS160 with a PX engine).

This sounds like a ‘substantially changed’ vehicle – but is it in reality? Unfortunately, this seems like a ‘suck it and see’ scenario, so only time and the regulators will decide on the true facts of the matter. We shall have to wait and see.

DD

AF Clo5e issues

AF Rayspeed has issued a statement concerning the components used in its new Clo5e ratio gearboxes after several gear selector failures.

The company says that under some circumstances the gear selector may prove inadequate for the task it was designed for.

It went on to say that a new version of the selector will be produced as soon as possible, but in the meantime, the firm will not be supplying any new Clo5e Ratio gearboxes until the failure issue is addressed.

Anyone who wishes to return their gearbox will be given a full refund.

Universal fit rear disc brake conversion RRP: £ ask Suitable for classic Vespa or Lambretta scooters, this new universal rear brake master cylinder has mounting holes that are oval in shape. This allows for a bolt spacing of between 40mm to 50mm. The kit is supplied with the master cylinder, pre-assembled remote fluid reservoir, bleed bolt, and seals. The kit can also be used on many other machines, including lightweight motorcycles and quads.

Info: www.ve-uk.com

PRODUCT REVIEW

Scomadi TL aftermarket exhaust

RRP: £ ask Scorpion Exhausts has added a new fitment for the Scomadi TL 125 Euro 4 to its range of scooter exhausts. Available via VE (UK) in either stainless steel or ceramic black finishes, the system is supplied with all the required hardware for installation included in the box. The exhaust can is also covered by Scorpion’s Lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and corrosion, further reinforcing the product’s quality.

Additionally, VE (UK) also stocks Scorpion exhaust systems for a range of scooters and light motorcycles.

Info: www.ve-uk.com

Airoh Valor Eclipse Helmet RRP: £129.99 Reviewer: Ross Mowbray I’m quite partial to an Airoh lid.

Last year I wore their ST701 sports-touring oriented helmet religiously and found myself very impressed with its comfort, styling and versatility. And since I liked it so much, I thought I had better treat myself to another Airoh. This time though, I wanted something a bit cheaper and lower down its pecking order – enter the Airoh Valor.

Almost three times cheaper than the ST701, the Valor still comes packed with all you need to help keep you noggin safe out on the road (or track – as it’s actually ACU Gold stamped). And it looks great too. I opted for the Eclipse colourway, which blends flashes of orange across a grey background on its sharp, angular, aggressive-looking shell.

After around 1000 miles on the road wearing the Valor, I’ve got nothing but nice things to say about the reasonably-priced helmet. Okay, so it’s not quite as refined as an expensive lid from one of the bigger players in the helmet game – but it’s not going to be is it?

For the money, it’s impressive; it’s quiet, well ventilated with a wide field of vision (with a Pinlock-ready visor) and I found it really comfortable too. Changing visors is also a doddle, thanks to its intuitive locking mechanism, that’ll only take a couple of attempts before becoming second nature. And it also comes with a removable and washable lining, and a micrometric retention system. For an outlay of around £120, I don’t know if you could do much better. It comes in various colours and designs.

Info: www.bikeittrade.com

MRK Pro gloves RRP: £49 Reviewer: Mau I’d describe these gloves as being for summer use, so trying them out on a day when the temperature was barely above zero perhaps didn’t show them in the best light. But having said that, I was quite impressed with the way they performed.

The shell construction consists of a mixture of polyurethane, leather and neoprene with a polyester lining; other features include goat leather inserts on the fingers, knuckles and wrist area plus a synthetic suede fabric material on the palms.

I initially thought that the hard inserts fitted to the knuckle areas might restrict finger movement, but that

Gus Sutton RIP Those of us old enough to remember the Swinging Sixties, will fondly remember their local scooter dealer, and one particular Vespa dealer was Gus Sutton (i.e. A J Sutton, Vespa dealers).

Gus was a driven man, and being a Vespa dealer was all the motivation he needed to be good at what he did. With his wife Ann, he created a great dealership that Douglas Vespa was very proud of.

Gus wasn’t a man to be ignored. If he told you something was wrong with your scooter – there was something wrong with your scooter! Gus didn’t suffer fools. He spoke straight and was a good, honest dealer.

Sadly Gus has passed away, but his memory will last long with those who knew him.

Deepest sympathies to his wife Ann, sons Steve and David, and the family.

Norrie Kerr

PRODUCT REVIEW

didn’t prove to be the case (perhaps aided along the way by the elasticised fingers) and they certainly felt flexible and comfortable enough to me.

Something else that helped to improve comfort was the aerated 3D mesh back ventilation panel, which on a warm day helps to provide a cool, fresh airflow to your hands (it’s just a pity that the review day in question wasn’t actually one of those days).

These MRK Pro gloves have a handy coin pocket in the glove outer where you can keep coins for tolls or parking meters, etc.

But I found that one of the most

useful features of all was the fact that they are ‘touchscreenfriendly’, making them easy to use with mobile phones, sat-navs, etc.

For someone not looking to lash out a vast amount of cash

these gloves are reasonably priced too, making them an option worthy of consideration if you’re thinking of making a purchase. They are available in sizes S to 2XL in Black only.

Info: www.tucanourbano.com/gb/

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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SCOOTERAMA!

JG Scooters S mobile dyno

Vespa Modernist Helmet available RRP: £149 Part of Vespa’s 2018 Lifestyle Collection, the Modernist has a demi-jet design that offers all-round vision. Made in Italy, and with ECE-2205 safety standard approval, this helmet is finished in a combination of matt and shiny navy blue with contrasting round decals on each side and a classic-styled eco-leather trim, The flip-up visor is held in place with tricolour-painted aluminium hinges and is long enough to offer protection from wind, rain and dust. The seatbelt-style strap with a micrometric fastener is fitted with a quick-release buckle.

There’s also a breathable, 3-D fabric lining, which is removable and washable.

The helmet comes in sizes XS to XL. Info: www.fowlersparts.co.uk

Getting today’s highly-tuned engines set up correctly is of paramount importance. Get the fuelling or timing wrong and that engine could become nothing more than an expensive ornament in just a few miles! The best way to ensure this is done correctly is to have it set up on a dyno, normally found in the back rooms of scooter specialists around the country. But how cool would it be to have them come to you?

Well thanks to Jonny Gilbert at JG Scooters that’s now a reality as he’s recently started a mobile dyno service. Jonny has been learning his trade helping out at Replay Racing alongside renowned dyno operator ‘Chalky’ and is now in a position to go out on his own.

The mobile dyno can be set up in a single garage or even on the driveway (weather permitting) and is ideal for a club or individual session. We recently witnessed a four-bike session at the Rats & Rustos SC with all owners receiving attention and going away happy with Jonny’s service.

Q&A So Jonny, what’s your scooter owning history?

I’ve owned scooters since 1984,

starting with a Rally 200. To be honest I’ve lost count over the years but I currently have three 1969 original paint GPs. I’m BSSO treasurer, a scrutineer, and part of the Replay Racing race team, so you could say my life revolves around Lambretta!

How did you end up in the scooter business?

I’ve been part of JPP Lambretta Performance for the last two years alongside Chalky and Paul Green. I got made redundant at Christmas, so decided to take the plunge and make my hobby my job.

What made you go for a mobile dyno?

I’ve been helping out Chalky at Replay Scooters on his dyno, learning as much as I can; then I decided to get a dyno to take to the race circuits for Replay Racing team to use. It’s much safer for setting-up bikes on the dyno rather than racing round the paddock!

Has it been easy starting it up?

All I can say is experience counts; it’s not just a case of looking at the laptop and saying all’s good.

I treat every day as a school day, as I feel we need to learn all the time. The main thing is the scooter needs to be safe and ride

Madrid bans bikes without environment labels on show during high pollution days

Scooter-print shirts join range

RRP: £ various The British Boxers fashion company has added a choice of scooter-print shirts to its clothing range. The company says that the range is aimed at those who love the regeneration of the traditional design.

Info: www.british-boxers.com

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The city council of Madrid has announced that bikes and scooters now have the same restrictions as any other vehicle in the city when its pollution protocols are activated.

Up until now, bikes have been free from any restrictions when air pollution reaches a certain level over the capital, but that’s come to an end.

The move has already come in for loud

criticism with some Madrid city councillors, complaining that bikes should be exempt from any punitive measure because of the benefits they bring in easing congestion in the city.

The fines for riding in the city without the correct environmental classification label displayed will be 90 euros per fine (£79.31), with the rider being offered a 50% reduction if they pay immediately.

BUSINESS REVIEW

well on the road.

I’d just like to say thanks to Darrell Taylor and Chalky for helping me get started.

How does your service work?

I’m happy to visit people at their home to set up their scooters.

Costs depend upon how far I need to travel, but the Dyno is £60 for the first hour plus parts and my travel costs. I carry a full range of spares and jets to try and cover all eventualities.

Info: JG Scooters – Jonnygilbertrb245@gmail.com | 07966 920021

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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SCOOTERAMA!

IIan T Frankland, RIP The older we get the more we see our peers pass away.

I suppose at my age, it’s inevitable that my peers, older friends, neighbours, leave this life. Not the case though with Ian Frankland.

Ian was one of the two ‘Terrible Taffs!’ and was the last remaining Frankland brother, after Terry’s passing a number of years ago.

My first recollection of the Frankland family, was staying over at the family home, where mum Frankland let me have her

Hood K7 Infinity Men’s Jeans RRP: £152.99 (with free leg length alteration) The Original Hood K7 Jeans were launched 20 years ago and since then they have cemented themselves as some of the best-selling and most respected motorcycle jeans on the market.

When released, K7s were the world’s first ‘seamless’ motorcycle jeans (coming without any tell-tale stitching on the outside) and this design remains much the same for the new 2018 version. From the outside the new K7 Infinity jeans look just like any other classic fivepocket western denim jeans, but it’s on the inside that the Hood jeans really stand out.

They boast large amounts of the new K-tech ‘Infinity’ Para-aramid (the softest and most comfortable protective lining ever found in any Hood jeans) in addition to a new full Airflow mesh, which helps to offer coolness, comfort and improved protection.

The most significant change for 2018 is that the new K7 Jeans are now CE-certified to the new European Personal Protective Equipment Regulation and are rated to ‘AA’ performance classifications.

The main changes to reach this classification include revolutionary D3O T5 EVO X hip and knee armour fitted as standard, in addition to new stirrups to stop the jeans riding up in a slide. The jeans come in sizes 30in to 34in; colour options are Stonewash Blue, Midnight Blue, or Black.

Info: www.hoodjeans.co.uk

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room to stay over for the night.

Such was the kindness shown to a passing Scot, we became good friends. All we had in common was our interest in scooters and scooter sport. Ian was working at R J Wares, and Terry was helping out there too, albeit Terry had his own job repairing vans and trucks. I reciprocated when they came to Scotland. I put them up for a night in Glasgow, what a great pair of guys.

Later in life we became competitors, on the track and in business. We had our differences

The Frankland brothers: Terry (left) and Ian (right)

but we remained friends. So it was with much sadness that I learned of Ian’s passing. A younger man than myself, it brought home to me how even more sad it was to lose Ian to cancer. Ian excelled in helping people, and passing on tips and ideas to all and sundry. He was an innovator, someone who could see the end product before he had started to build it. We were team mates in LLRT in those halcyon days of the 70s and 80s. It was all great fun, brought down to earth with the passing of time.

Ian has gone, but along with Terry, he will not be forgotten.

RIP chum!

Norrie Kerr

Ian’s funeral took place on June 14, 2018, at Gwent Crematorium with a funeral cortège of scooters and motorcycles following behind the hearse for Ian’s final journey. The service was followed by a wake and a celebration of Ian’s life. His family, particularly his sister Brenda, would like to thank everyone for the tributes and kind messages at this very sad time.

Two-track vinyl floor filler When is a Detour Records has announced the release of The Sha La La’s new single, Before I Let You Down Again backed with Hold On. The A-side takes in the band’s familiar influences, only this time taking a detour via Muscle Shoals and Wigan Casino.

More info can be found on their Facebook site at ‘the shalalalas’

Instagram Lunacy Anyone with an Instagram account who also owns a Luna line machine (or even just likes Bertone’s quirky creation) might be interested in following the LOC at lunaownersclub – their social media guru, Adam Salvin, runs the account and LOC would like to see more followers – so if you use Instagram, why not join them?

Lambretta not a Lambretta?

When it’s in a House of Fraser store apparently – where this was spotted by Dean Read on an advertising board promoting the new range of Lambretta clothing.

The company has certainly done its research well – that should help with sales!

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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WHAT’S GOING ON? LCGB ‘BEST SUPPORTING MEMBER’ EVENTS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

JULY 28: BSRA Exmouth AUG 4: RSG South Lakes Rally AUG 11: LCW Rally, Aberaeron AUG 18: LCGB Malton Rally AUG 25: BSRA IoW Rally SEPT 1: Mersea Island Rally SEPT 15: LCGB Ypres Rally, Belgium SEPT 22: BSRA Woolacombe Rally SEPT 29: 4 Nations Rally, Lisnaskea, Ireland ■ OCT 24: BSRA Bridlington Rally

LONDON ‘MOD & MINI’ EVENTS

Take place on the first Thursday of the month at the Ace Cafe London, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. Info: 020 8961 1000 or via london.acecafe.com / acecafe.com

ODDBALLS IN OXFORD

Abingdon Rugby Club is the place to be between August 10 and 12 for the Oddballs Rally. The ticket-only event (£20) aims to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

It commences on the Friday with an evening of DiscoFunk and continues over the weekend with live bands and DJs playing various sets. The theme for Saturday is Pirates.

Email oddballs.rally@aol.co.uk for info.

Todrophenia 2018

Taking place on August 19 at Todmorden Cricket Club OL14 7BS, the Todrophenia event kicks-off with a 1pm ride-in from the Wine Press at Littleborough.

At the venue there will be a custom show with prizes and live music with various bands playing throughout the day.

Camping is limited, so book your camping space now on 01706 813140.

Blechroller Championship SIP’s first quarter-mile race for Vespa and Lambretta scooters will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2018, as part of the German Blechroller Championship, held in front of SIP Scootershop’s store at Marie-Curie-Str. 4, 86899 Landsberg am Lech, Germany. The event will be broadcast via www. youtube.com/scootershop and www.facebook.com/scootershop on the day! Signing-on commences at 9am with the first race taking place at 12.30pm.

Entry classes are as follows: ● Old School Class (Cylinders before 2000) ● Rotary valve Class ● Smallframe up to 155cc ● Street Racer (Junior Class) ● Smallframe Sport (Open Class Smallframes) ● 200cc Class ● Pro Sports (Open Class General) ● BoA: Best off all over all classes ● Trophy ceremony

TACHO KARACHO INFORMATION: http://bit.ly/tachokaracho18 www.deutscheblechrollermeisterschaft.de

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ■ JULY 21: AON Rally at Barkerkers Butts RFC, Coventry CV5 9AR. Info: www.aonsc.co.uk or FB ‘All or Nothing Scooter Club’.

■ JULY 27-28: Highland Scoot, Crow Wood Golf Club (G69 9JF) ■ JULY 28: Hope & Glory Rally, Stangmore Park, Dungannon ■ JULY 27-29: Bog Rats Rally, Bangor Rugby Club (BT19 7PN) ■ JULY 27-29: Right Direction #8 Rally (LE7 1NH) ■ JULY 27-29: Exmouth Rally (EX8 2AZ) ■ JULY 27-29: Rocking the Heifer 2, Bradford (BD13 3RH) ■ JULY 29: Individuals SC Charity Day (CV23 0DN) ■ AUG 2-5: Euro YeYe, Spain.

Info: newuntouchables.com ■ AUG 3-5: Run to the Stump Rally, Boston, Lincs ■ AUG 3-5: Modafest, Preston (PR1 1YQ) ■ AUG 3-5: Dirty Devils Rally 2, Canterbury (CT4 6AS ■ AUG 3-5: Salford Knights, Rally on Regardless (CH3 9AY) ■ AUG 3-5: 3 Pears SC, Blowout 2018, The Berkeley (WR7 4QL) ■ AUG 9-13: Wanroij Rally Holland – CANCELLED – Facebook info: Wanroijscooterrally ■ AUG 10-12: Great Yarmouth Scooter Rally (NR30 4AU)

■ AUG 10-12: Cheshire 100, Sandbach Rugby Club (CW11 1RA) ■ AUG 10-12: Unicorn Scooter Bash, Bridgnorth (WV16 6BN) ■ AUG 10-12: 7 Hills 7-UP Rally, Beighton (S20 1ED) ■ AUG 10-12: Mutley’s All or Ruthin Weekender 3 (LL15 1LE) ■ AUG 10-12: Watlerstock, Chesterfield (S45 8AF) ■ AUG 10-12: BSSO 6 Pembrey Circuit (SA16 0HZ) ■ AUG 10-12: Oddballs Rally at Abingdon Rugby Club (OX14 5TJ). Camping, games, music, food, traders, etc. Info: oddballs.rally@aol.co.uk ■ AUG 10-12: Retford Slackers Rally, Ordsall Retford (DN22 7PW) ■ AUG 10-12: FOS Tours Messy in Moortown #4, Caistor (LN7 6HZ) ■ AUG 19: Scooters on the Mount @ National Car & Bike Hill Climb (see SOTM Facebook page) ■ AUG 19: Todrophenia at Todmorden Cricket Club (OL14 7BS). Camping, bands, custom show, etc.

Info: 01706 813140 ■ AUG 25: Scoots & Boots 13, Bretford (CV23 0JZ) ■ AUG 25: Goole & District SC, 13 High St, Hook (DN14 5NY) ■ AUG 25-26: Charity Scooter All-Dayer, Parkers, Anlaby Road, Hull

■ AUG 24-27: Milport Rally (KA28 0HB) ■ AUG 25-27: Brighton Mod Weekender.

Info: newuntouchables.com ■ AUG 25-27: Brighton Garage & Psych Weekend.

Info: newuntouchables.com ■ AUG 31-SEPT 2: Mersea Island (CO5 8SX) ■ SEPT 7-9: WOT Rally, Weston on Trent ■ SEPT 7-9: Gathering of the Clans (BT56 8JE) ■ SEPT 8: Ten inches in Cider Rally (OX44 7X) ■ SEPT 15-16: BSSO 7, Snetterton Circuit (NR16 2JU) ■ SEPT 21-23: Woolacombe Rally (EX34 7BP) ■ SEPT 21-2: A2 Aces 10tn Anniversary Rally (BT40 3HT) ■ SEPT 21-22: Ribble Valley Mod Weekender, Clitheroe (BB7 1BA) ■ SEPT 28-30: Aviemore Scooter Rally (PH22 1RL) ■ SEPT 29-30: BSSO 8, Cadwell Park Circuit (LN11 9SE)

NATIONAL RALLIES ■ ■ ■ ■

July 27-29: Exmouth (SWS) Aug 24-27: IoW International Rally Sept 21-24: Woolacombe (SWS) Oct 26-28: Bridlington

E&OE: All events subject to change. Please check with the event organisers before booking accommodation or travelling

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Three years ago Mark Cooke of Ulster Vespa Club took on the challenge to bring World Vespa Days to his own backyard in Belfast. He sweated blood and tears, moved mountains and overcame numerous hurdles until his dream became a reality...

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espa World Days 2018 arrived in Belfast on Thursday, June 14. Northern Ireland had just enjoyed over three weeks of glorious uninterrupted sunshine – but unfortunately (and right on cue) on the night of Wednesday, June 13, Storm Hector and gale force winds reaching up to 70mph arrived! The Vespa Village set-up on the Wednesday morning in the Titanic Quarter Belfast took the brunt of the storm. Indeed those travelling over from the mainland on the overnight ferries also felt the might of Hector. Luckily the scooters were all securely strapped down and suffered no damage – unlike some of the owners who suffered bouts of sea sickness in between praying for a safe and speedy journey.

Early Thursday morning had seen the wind die down to a mere 40mph. Mark Cooke and his volunteers who had spent the last three years organising the event weren’t going to be deterred. Instead they rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in to repair the damage and reassemble the Vespa Village. This resulted in an unavoidable delay to the official registration at 9am, but with regular updates throughout the day keeping everyone informed of the progress being made Mark and his team opened the village shortly after 2.30pm.

The mammoth task, carried out in just over five hours, was a credit to them. The patientlywaiting scooterists then assembled in the

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registration area and the slick and smooth operation by the staff soon had everyone registered and ensured they also received their goody bags. Once registered you could park in the 24-hour secure parking beside the village.

The village itself contained the usual facilities of food and drink vendors, toilets, stalls selling all manner of scooter-related items and some craft stalls. Retrospective Scooters had a repair stall on-site all weekend and kindly provided free labour on all the scooters.

Those that had the misfortune of suffering a breakdown only had to pay for parts.

The campsite was situated six miles away as this was the nearest suitable green area to the city centre. A free shuttle bus was operated over the weekend for anyone who wished to avail themselves of a few drinks in the village or city centre. Live entertainment was provided each night in the village too, which went on until 11pm. Those wishing to party later into the night had plenty of options to choose from in the city centre bars.

Over the course of the weekend there were several official rideouts organised. Crumlin Road Jail close to Belfast city centre and Ulster Folk & Transport Museum near the campsite were the chosen destinations and proved very popular with those keen to see the tourist attractions of Belfast. Small groups of riders also organised their own rideouts to attractions further afield including The Giant’s

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AT THE TITANIC MARITIME MUSEUM

Causeway and Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge.

Both these destinations could be reached by travelling along the breath-taking Antrim coast road which is an attraction in itself and has been voted ‘Best Scenic Coast Road in the World’ for motorcyclists!

Saturday at 10am saw the main official rideout leave the village en route to Carrickfergus. About 3200 scooters took part in this awesome cavalcade and the Police Service of Northern Ireland was on hand to ensure the safety of all those taking part. Every road junction and sets of traffic lights were manned by the police, which allowed for a continuous journey from startto-finish. The sun was shining for the whole journey and the public came out to line the streets and wave and cheer us on our way.

As we approached Carrickfergus, the local members of A2 Scooter Club assisted the police in manning the numerous junctions and guided us into the car park next door to Carrickfergus Castle, which had been kept empty to accommodate the arriving scooters.

Entertainment – including a family fun day and free refreshments – were laid on for everyone attending, which was gladly received.

The town hall also hosted a custom show for those wishing to enter their scooters. Late night entertainment in the form of a live band and DJs was also provided by the A2 Aces for those who wished to stay.

Saturday night back at the village and it was time for the customary gala dinner with 1400 scooterists attending; they were treated to an excellent three-course meal and complimentary drinks served by Emily and her staff from Posh Nosh Catering. This was another opportunity to meet fellow Vespa enthusiasts from over 40 different countries, all speaking that common language – the love of Vespas. Badges and banners were swapped and new friends made and old acquaintances met. The evening ended with the president and organiser’s speeches leaving us in anticipation of Hungary, the destination for Vespa World Days 2019.

On behalf of all the scooterists attending, I’d like to say a big thank you to Mark Cooke, the Ulster Vespa Club, A2 Aces Club and all the volunteers who helped bring Vespa World Days to Belfast. A great achievement and thoroughly enjoyed by all attending. Thanks must also go to Niall and his staff at the Retrospective Scooters stall who worked tirelessly over the weekend and ensured that over 30 brokendown scooters were repaired, enabling their owners to ride them home again.

Words: Rod Gillan Images: Rod Gillan, Bill Guiller, Ian Hedges

The official Titanic Building was host to the Vespa Museum, where a collection of around 30 scooters was on show.

Entry to this was free of charge and provided free publicity concerning the merits of Vespa ownership.

[Visit www.classicscooterist.com for many more images from this event, as we didn’t have space to publish them all here].

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RALLY ROUND-UP...RALLY ROUND-UP...RALLY ROUND-UP..

Due to space constraints, we’ve had to abridge some reports; we hope it doesn’t distract from your reading.

LCGB Coast to Coast April 21, 2018

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he LCGB Coast-to-Coast is part of their ‘Best Supporting Member’ Championship. This year the route went from Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, to Saltburnby-the-Sea, North Yorkshire (west-to-east).

I’d planned on taking the sidecar, but decided to take my solo standard 150 Special (for easier riding on the back roads). I setoff on Friday morning up the A1, picking up the A65 through Kirkby Lonsdale and on to Cark (near Cartmel). On the A1M a Lincoln & Newark SRC rider, Dean Oxley, was on the hard shoulder with the panel off; clearly a terminal case so a pickup vehicle was needed. Full credit to Dean after returning the dead scooter home, he immediately set-off again on another machine. The ride up was good and the scenery, once past Skipton, was excellent.

Saturday after a Cumbrian breakfast, I rode to the Commodore Hotel in Grange to sign-on and pick-up route information. The car park was nearly full and was steadily getting fuller under a haze of two-stroke smoke; it was good to see several scooter makes, other than Lambrettas, preparing for the ride.

The official start time was 10am, but many riders, myself included, set-off early to avoid the mad dash. The route was clearly laid-out and the direction instructions were accompanied with the distance from the start, together with marked fuel stops. We followed the A65 then turned up the B6255 past the

Ribblehead Viaduct. The viaduct car park was full of scooterists and bewildered walkers taking in the scenery and a quick brew at the snack van. Hawes, home of the Wensleydale cheese factory, was our next sightseeing and fuel stop.

Leaving Hawes we headed over Buttertubs Pass into Swaledale with excellent views of the River Swale. Although Leyburn was the official lunch stop, it was clear the pubs and cafes were drawing in the riders. My (and many others’) stopping point was Reeth with its many pubs, cafes, a village green and good parking.

Lunch break was spent chatting with riders from the Redcar. So on to the halfway signing-in point at the Bolton Arms in picturesque Leyburn.

After getting my card stamped and receiving my commemorative badge we headed towards Northallerton. The ‘routemaster’ included a final scenic road over the Cleveland Hills through Osmotherley, past Cod Beck Reservoir and into Swainby. Then it was on to Saltburn and the finish at the Spa Hotel.

Around 300 LCGB members took part with most completing the 120-mile route together with many Vespa and other make riders.

Congratulations to the LCGB committee for organising this event and the marvellous three days of sunshine!

Words: David Brown Pics: David Brown and Terry Brown (no relation)

Bangor Mayday rideout May 7, 2018

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angor in Northern Ireland is our equivalent to the UK mainland’s Brighton, attracting scooters and riders, mainly Mods and scooterboys, plus everyone in between.

Traditionally Easter Monday draws the largest gatherings and that ritual continues to the present day. Unfortunately Easter Monday was a washout due to heavy rain, but the weather forecast for Mayday looked promising.

Posts on social media gauged the interest for a rideout and the response was positive.

Starting and departure points were quickly arranged avoiding the Belfast Marathon route taking place that same day. Another posting confirmed the Titanic Building as the meeting place and 1pm as the leaving time.

Monday, May 7, was soon upon us; myself and Martin Laverty arrived to find just one scooterist at the Titanic Building. After introductions and a quick chat, we heard the sound of two-strokes, followed by a small group of scooters; then several more small groups arrived, along with the odd single rider.

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The weather was warm and sunny, so perfect rideout conditions. Departure was put back 15 minutes to accommodate late stragglers.

At 1.15pm, about 35/40 scooters left for Bangor. Approaching the outskirts we pulled-in for a fuel stop while I rode ahead to the town centre near the harbour and found a spot to get the camera out and take some photos of the riders and scooters riding towards The Marine Hotel.

More socialising and photographs were taken near the hotel before heading-off for refreshments in the surrounding cafes and bars. After this we broke-off into smaller parties and took off on our steeds to further explore the Ards before making our way home again.

Thanks to everyone who turned up and made it such an enjoyable day at short notice.

I’m led to believe that there were no major breakdowns and everyone got home safe, which made for a great day’s scootering.

Mayday 2019 anyone?

Rod Gillan

April 23, 2018

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or a while people have campaigned for a bank holiday to celebrate St George’s Day, but this wish hasn’t been granted, so the nearest Sunday had to do.

Locally everyone gathers annually at Cambridge United’s ground for the rideout. The event was a hive of activity from early doors with a bright and sunny morning convincing even the fair-weather riders to bring their pride and joy out for the gathering.

The car park was swamped from mid-morning with many East Anglian clubs arriving to take part in the rideout around the historic university town. Trade stands selling vintage clothing and vinyl records set up in the corner of the car park. A local DJ spun

tunes, keeping the crowd entertained. Fellow Cambridge SC members kept the crowds fed and watered, supplying food and coffee with a pre-rideout barbecue.

The sweet smell of two-stroke and the swarm of scooters created a great sight around Cambridge, while the zip of purring engines and horn-blowing was easy on the spectators’ ears. There was a carnival atmosphere as the 350-plus scooters rode around the designated route with lots of waving and people riding with great big smiles from ear-to-ear.

Arriving back at Abbey Stadium, the raffle was drawn and the custom show awards were judged by Cam Lam. My personal favourite was ‘Best

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Vespa’, a cracking SS180 owned by Gary Hardman from St Ives Equals Club.

Cambridge SC raised more than £1000 with proceeds going to a local hospice and prostate cancer. The club would like to thank everyone who turned out and supported the event and all those involved in helping to make it happen. We look forward to seeing you again next year and somewhere on the road soon.

Ben Phillips Cambridge SC Best Scooter in Show – Dave Pegg

More pictures can be found at: www.classicscooterist.com/category/news/events-reports/

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Llangollen

May 12, 2018

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or some reason our journey to LCGB’s Llangollen Members’ Rally was 180 miles there and only 170 miles back – we must have taken a wrong turning somewhere along the way!

There were no issues among our own personal group, not even for Jock on his new-build GP with only 40 miles on the clock before setting-off. The Skeg boys suffered though, with a puncture on the way, plus a puncture and a clutch problem on the return journey. For their outward journey they’d departed at 9am; it took them eight hours to get to Llangollen – our group left after them at 11.30 and we even managed to get our tents up before them.

The weekend weather was excellent, although it was cold in the tent on the Friday night. Did I have my wrong beer coat on, or was a little early morning frost the cause of the problem?

Llangollen is a lovely Welsh town with lots happening. It was Steam Punk Festival weekend (and people think scooterists dress strangely).

There were steam train journeys happening too and my mate Alex, chose to do one instead of going on the organised scooter rideout (it was a good rideout as well). In fact, the whole weekend was good – I’d certainly do this event again.

Terry Brown

May 19, 2018

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AWARD WINNERS:

Furthest Travelled – Nick Prince Best Turned-out Club – LNSRC Best Luna Line – Steve Salvin Best Lambretta – Martin Leech Sausage Speed Trophy – Russ from Indecipherables

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he Flying 8 Balls may not be the biggest event but it has a unique atmosphere that draws riders back every year.

It cannot be the volume of trade stands; there were only two and they had (with the greatest respect) the look of car boot stalls.

It must be the relaxed social atmosphere of scooterists enjoying each other’s company and looking around the scooters over a pint or mug of tea. The ride from Lincoln to Larling was uneventful and we met-up with some L&NSRC riders en route. The A17 isn’t the most exciting road, but once past Kings Lynn the scenery and road improves, especially the woodland sections.

The rally is held in small grass fields connected to the Angel pub located in the middle of nowhere. On arrival we were warmly welcomed by a Flying 8 Balls member and directed to a parking area. Rally entry is free and includes camping.

The club laid on tea, coffee and a barbecue, all of which you paid for via the ‘honesty box’.

After a quick brew we set-off around the rally

looking at the scooters and chatting to old friends and catching up with news and gossip.

There were some interesting scooters on view including the specialised Lambretta on which Jim Rose competed in the Moroccan Time Trial. However, the scooter catching everyone’s eye (including mine) was Martin Leech’s customised Lambretta GP as seen in the LCGB’s Jet Set magazine; there’s been some very innovative engineering work done on this machine.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary, the Lambretta Lui Owners Club had an impressive line-up of scooters. As mentioned previously there were just two trade stands, one being Scoots and Soul owned by Johnny and Jane Cambridge who specialise in Lambretta custom seats.

After a swift half and bag of crisps, we set off home, which was fairly uneventful apart from the threads on the top of my spark plug wearing, causing the plug cap to pop-off a few times – an easy fix.

David Brown

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SHOW RESULTS

Best Vespa: Samantha Muir (VBA 1960 150cc) Best Lambretta: Wendy Furness (Series 1 Framebreather) Best Mover & Groover: Kim Cox As far as the 3 Keys Modernist Weekender 2019 is concerned...

We’re ready! Bring it on!

re You Ready?’ is the traditional rallying cry of Joe ‘The Boss’ Tucker, who heads up the 3 Keys Modernist Collective, calling for faces old and new to join in with the very best fun and friendship a Mod Weekender can offer.

The event centres on the Grosvenor House Hotel opposite Skegness Pier and is held over the May Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Luckily the torrential downpours many experienced on their journeys to the event missed the town, with a beautiful sunny weekend blessing the stylish participants enough for them to casually socialise and chat among the dressed-up ‘Italian Tin’ parked outside – there’s no finer sight than scooters in sunshine at the seaside!

The weekend and casual socialising, consists of three nights of sensational soulful sounds spun by some of the scene’s best vinyl aficionados. This is played to an appreciative audience who slide, shuffle, shake and shimmy across the Imperial Ballroom’s beautiful wooden dance floor until the early hours.

During the daytime on the Saturday and Sunday, there’s time to socialise and browse the vintage and scooter market stalls while listening to sounds selected by amateur DJs; I say this with no disrespect, as the resonating sounds within the small hall were an equal high standard to the tunes played at night in the main room. On the Sunday afternoon Joe led the gleaming scooter rideout, where

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appreciative members of the public smile and wave as the Modernist scooter convoy pops, splutters and smokes down the main drag, in the way only classic two-stroke scooters do.

The Sunday night finale saw a tired, but still game congregation partying strong to another bombardment of sounds from the DJs. There was then a short break in the proceedings to announce the winners for the ‘Best Lambretta’ and ‘Best Vespa’ trophies.

These beautiful glass trophies were again generously sponsored by Scooteroller, with green being this year’s in-vogue colour, as both winning scooters were in this emerald shade, as were many of the male contingent’s jealous faces, as the ladies took a clean sweep of the prizes available.

For the spouse of the ‘Best Vespa’ recipient (who’d been the previous year’s winner), this proved too much as he witnessed his pride and joy toppled from top spot by his own wife.

Knowing he’d never hear the last of it, he turned, to drink and drugs, popping two Rennie indigestion tablets and ordering a pint of shandy and a Babycham chaser with a brolly in the top, to cheer himself up, leaving his beaming wife and everyone else to dance the night away!

Another fantastic Mod Weekender; many thanks go out to the organisers and participants for making it happen.

Cristoforo Grande

Sleaford All-Knighters’ rally June 15-17, 2018

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his was our second rally at the local rugby club which is only half-a-mile from Sleaford’s town centre.

Many scooter clubs turned up on Friday, the largest being the Armed Forces SC who’d decided to make the rally their Annual Thrash.

Rats and Rustos put their stand up, and Jonny Gilbert, aided by Chalky, set-up a dyno machine next door. It proved popular over the weekend with several scooters needing adjustment to get the best out of them.

Sleaford All-Knighters’ resident DJ, Dave Morris, and his friends, Ray, Brian, Joel, Rick and Phil supplied music until the live bands took over during the day and in the evenings on both days Saturday saw the Armed Forces SC ride to the Barge and Bottle (our club’s regular meeting place) for breakfast. Mick, the landlord, had been warned lots were coming, but was surprised when 85 turned up – his staff had to get their skates on! After a hearty breakfast the lads rode to the newly-opened Bomber Command Memorial on Canwick Hill, Lincoln, to lay a wreath (this memorial is wellworth a visit). Back on site more traders and scooters arrived and the Red Arrows flew over on their way to an air show.

Nicky, our ‘happy chappy’ is even happier now on his upgraded mobility scooter, which

goes much better over the grass; it’s also faster now – doing 8mph; Colin (Nicky’s carer) said he now needs new trainers, as he’s wornout his old ones trying to keep up with him!

Dave Brown had his work cut out judging the custom show with some excellent scooters on display (and some very nice artwork) – a credit to the owners. ‘Best Original’ went to a 75-year-old rider, possibly the oldest participant on the field; ‘Long Distance’ went to a serviceman from Austria; and the Angry Pirates won ‘Best Club’. Other awards were: ‘Best Mod’ (PGV 124E), ‘Best Vespa ‘ (HAX 150C), ‘Best Auto’ (G5 ULF), ‘Best Lammie’ (BEW 264T), ‘Best In Show’ (BEW 264T) and ‘Best Restoration’ (ELD 1).

Ladies came around collecting for Blesma, the limbless veteran charity. In the evening, a Spitfire flew over three times. The music had been good all day and the final band, The Score, were awesome.

Well done to Sleaford All-Knighters and those manning the gate (who worked tirelessly over the weekend). Thanks to everybody who turned up and made it a brilliant weekend. I noted at least a dozen visiting scooter clubs on the field. Our next event is Happy Chappy 4 on September 16 at The Barge and Bottle, Carre Street, Sleaford. See you there.

The Cake Man

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EuroLambretta #29 June 8-10, 2018

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Our roving reporter for the event, Terry Brown, only arrived home just as we were going to press and we grabbed his pics before he even had a chance to unpack.

Day 1 (Weds): outward was a little cramped

Partly because of this (and partly because of space) we haven’t got a full event report put together, so we’ve captioned his pics to give you a flavour of what went on. Terry travelled to the event with Lincoln & Newark Scooter Collective, so most of the pictures seen here reflect their experiences of the event.

More pictures can be found at: www.classicscooterist.com/ category/news/events-reports/

Day 1 (Weds): the gathering of the clan

Day 1 (Weds): on foreign soil at last

Day 1 (Weds): Warren, doing what he does best Day 2 (Thurs): arrived, set up and ready to party

Day 2 (Thurs): socialising with old and new friends

Day 3 (Fri): gathering for the daytime rideout

Day 3 (Fri): smile for the camera!

Day 3 (Fri): at the rideout destination

Day 3 (Fri): looks like it’s a thumbs-up for the local ale

Day 3 (Fri): hope you’re all hungry!

Day 4 (Sat): at the gala dinner

Day 3 (Fri): Tommy Hunt and his band provide Friday night’s entertainment Day 5 (Sun): return journey stopping point

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A MARCO SIMONCELLI TRIBUTE

LML 58

Lohia Machinery, Lohia Machines Limited, or LML (as it’s probably best-known), was the Indian company, now defunct, responsible for producing the Vespa PX-style scooter from the 1990s until 2016. A special edition of the ‘last run’ of the two-stroke version proudly sports a badge stating that fact on the top of its horncasting.

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he Indian company was once in partnership with Piaggio and continued (thankfully) to produce the PX clone after their relationship was no more. In fact Piaggio’s decision to again fire-up the PX production line in Pontedera must in some way be attributed to the successful sales of the LML two-stroke machines, with the bean counters and business analysts in the Tuscan factory’s financial department probably grimacing at the loss of income to the Italian Società a responsabilità limitata.

In fact, two-stroke Vespa enthusiasts must be grateful to LML for Piaggio’s change of heart, giving us several more years of classic production until it was finally finished-off once and for all by the thud of the bureaucrat’s rubber stamp resonating like a hammer blow knocking the last nail into the coffin of the classic two-stroke scooter.

But even though we owe this debt of gratitude to LML for this stay of execution for the Vespa PX, within the scootering world the Indian classic scooters, albeit the Vespa or Lambretta derivatives, have always been viewed as the poor relation to ‘genuine’ Italian versions. But to be truthful, the last of the LML ‘PX’ machines in comparison to the Piaggio-produced genuine items were fairly well matched in build quality, with each example having positive and negative features against the other. So well done LML and thank you for helping to keep scootering real – tin, two-stroke and geared!

‘OK, I WILL BE ARREST!’

This sporty LML belongs to Shaun Akroyd from Preston, Lancashire, who describes himself as a lifelong scooterist and long-standing MotoGP fan. This is where Shaun first became aware of Marco Simoncelli way back in his 250cc two-stroke days. Shaun liked the fact that he didn’t fit the mould of a normal motorcycle racer being so tall with a great mop of hair; Shaun followed his career from that point on and when Simoncelli made the upwards move and broke into the Premier Class, he was a revelation and often caused controversy with complaints and criticism from other racers of his aggressive approach. In fact it’s from a discussion at a press conference in Estoril 2011 where this particular scooter gained its name.

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Fellow rider Lorenzo was unhappy with what he considered Marco’s aggressive move on himself during the race, publicly airing his views on the subject to Simoncelli in front of the cameras, to which Marco just smiled and replied in broken English: “Okay, I will be arrest!”, gaining laughter from the press and not pleasing Lorenzo in the process.

After following MotoGP Shaun became a big fan of Simoncelli and was shocked and heartbroken as he watched the TV early in the morning and witnessed live the tragic accident in Sepang in 2011 which claimed yet another motorsport victim.

MECHANICAL MEMORIAL

As a fitting tribute to his sporting hero, Shaun wanted to create a sporty scooter in his honour, but due to various personal reasons this didn’t happen until 2016, even though he’d already bought and dismantled a scooter which was perfect for this project some time well before.

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Early in 2016 Shaun had approached his painter/fabricator to get the ball rolling and bounce ideas about a bit, so slowly between the start of 2016 and October 2017 it all came together, being finished almost six years to the day after that fatal crash.

This is one of those machines that you walk past, take a look at, then if you find it appealing, you’ll stop and look again – and that’s when the details start to appear.

Shaun is the first to point out that most of the graphics are ‘just stickers’, but aren’t many race machines of the type he’s trying to emulate liveried up with ‘just stickers’?

An awful lot of thought has gone into this machine, but there was always one thing that was at the forefront of any planning – it was going to be used, and used well.

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL This project’s base machine is the LML 125 shown, using the reed valve engine cases with the DRT 23/68 gearing being powered by a BGM 177cc kit and matching BGM Touring exhaust. It’s fuelled through a 24mm carburettor with matched box still using the autolube set-up.

The body takes advantage of the sporty looks with a T5 horn casting and front mudguard, which Shaun hastened to add has had the fork leg bracket moved to accommodate this upgrade (it’s a pet hate of his when this detail gets overlooked).

The addition of an SS90 tank complete with pad gives a competitive appearance, further highlighted by the stacked and Frenched-in rear LED light set-up and belly pan.

Other one-off items include the Jaguar skin effect laminated underneath the custom stainless floorplates and on his helmet (taken from the Jaguar skin effect used by Simoncelli on his own helmet). Apparently, as explained by Aldo Drudi (Marco Simoncelli’s helmet designer) when being asked why he, Simoncelli, had chosen the Jaguar motif and pattern, Marco replied that it was the calmest animal in the world, laid out on a branch because it’s hot and not wanting to do a thing.

But then, when they wind him up, you’d better watch out, because he’s one of the most unpredictable animals. He hit the nail on the head with that one then!

Other clever touches are the use of guitar knobs for the choke and fuel levers, giving a clean technical look, and the front braking is assisted by a SIP caliper grabbing hold of a wavy disc with the brake line being redirected through the fork leg, adding to the neat tidy appearance. The front suspension has been uprated via a YSS shock absorber, giving a firmer more planted feel to the scooter when ridden hard.

Power is delivered to the hard top via a 100/90x 10 rear tyre and the sporting appearance is finished off with the utilisation of smoked indicator lenses and reflective rim tape on the wheels and kick-start. On the toolbox top are the gauges for the cylinder head temperature (CHT), voltmeter and clock; so all-in-all, a very clean well thought-out and practical sporty machine.

AS PLAIN AS BLACK OR WHITE

Simoncelli was a charismatic individual who gained a massive following from all types of two-wheeled fans and I’ve previously seen

several scooters dedicated to the man with all of them being white based (the colour of Marco Simoncelli’s own race machine). So I asked Shaun why he’d gone with a base coat of high gloss black instead? He explained that he wanted to create something different from the other tribute machines already out there and had chosen the black as this was the colour of Simoncelli’s test bike which he rode at the Sepang track in February 2011, where he was the fastest rider over the three days.

This is the track where he would tragically lose his life at the race weekend in the October of the same year.

All in all Shaun’s LML is a fitting and very well executed personal tribute to a true racer; Marco Simoncelli (January 20, 1987 to October 23, 2011).

Big Chris FOOTNOTE: Being a motorsport related feature, I wanted to set the scene against a race track backdrop – ideally somewhere close to the area where Shaun lived, but was unable to pursue this idea due to what can only be described as corporate greed.

So, after much head-scratching, I contacted the South Yorkshire Kart Club at Wombwell, South Yorkshire, who could not have been more helpful, with club chairman Alf Limer coming down personally to open up the circuit for us to do the shoot on the last bank holiday, without any time restrictions and a pretty much free rein of the track. So our heartfelt thanks go to Alf and the club for their help.

It just goes to show that passion is stronger than the pound.

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50 YEARS IN ORBIT

Lambretta’s Luna Line and the UK market

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ob Dylan released The Times They Are A Changin’ in 1964; for Innocenti, change was always a constant theme with new additions to the Lambretta range; by 1967 one of the most radical range changes was to be designed by the renowned Italian designer Nuccio Bertone.

Innocenti’s idea was to launch a scooter aimed at the youth market (something Piaggio had already got a foothold in with its various Vespa 50 and 90 models).

The question was, where would Innocenti go with this idea and how would it translate onto the UK market?

The result of Bertone’s work was the Lui, a scooter that even to the untrained eye could be seen to be radically different to any other Lambretta with its open frame looks harking back to earlier Lambrettas like the Model C and D. Innocenti said (in its advertising material at least) that this was the scooter with the ‘Year 2000’ look.

It would be another year before Luna Line machines started rolling out of Innocenti’s Milan plant with the Lui 50 C and CL machines hitting the roads in March 1968.

I should point out that Lui was the name given to the whole range (in Italy) – with the machine designations being the things that separated them. The name Lui (in the UK at least) seems now, by some, to have become attached to the two 50cc offerings – of which only three machines came into the UK for assessment purposes.

LAUNCH DATE

November 1968 would see the Luna Line launched onto the UK scooter market with an event at the London Planetarium.

Funnily enough I have a copy of a letter dated November 5, sent by Lambretta Concessionaires to the Glass’s Guide Service.

The letter is headed ‘Strictly Confidential’ and

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Pt 1: Blast Off!

mentions the Luna Line launch (set up for November 26, 1968). It outlines three models calling them the Luna 50 (which the letter states wouldn’t be available in the UK until March/April 1969); the Vega (referred to as the Luna 75 S); and the Cometa (as the Luna 75 SL). The letter also states that the first Vega would have the frame number 650310 and the first Cometa 650016.

Despite the machines being aimed at the youth market, Lambretta Concessionaires obviously decided that UK buyers wouldn’t want the low-powered 50cc machine as other than the three machines brought in for evaluation no others followed them (an opportunity missed maybe)? Another interesting point is that on some UK brochures, the 50cc machine is featured with a dual seat (something that it didn’t come with on the Italian home market).

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

Given that the UK market had access to many Lambretta models at that time (including the SX150, Starstream and the SX200) how was Bertone’s design so radically different from what had previously come out of the Milan plant? Unlike previous Lambrettas where the frame was tubular steel with the bodywork bolted on, now the front half of the frame was tubular steel with the legshields bolted on. The rear section was a pressed steel monocoque design. The wheel rims and hubs were designed to give a sporty look, with the hubs made out of a single piece of cast alloy. Anyone who looked at the design then, as with now, would have seen that it was radically different to anything else in the Innocenti range.

In Itay, the Luna Line’s introduction saw Innocenti’s advertising machine swing into action and a huge marketing campaign was undertaken with the slogan ‘All for Lui and Lui f a for all’ with the company eve en n advertising on school boo okks in their attempt to aim m firmly at the youth ma arrket. Adverts also ap pp peared in many major Ita alian magazines of the tim me. Here in the UK, m 1,,0 000,000 brochures, 20 0,000 posters, stickers 0 an nd streamers had been dis stributed by Lambretta Co C oncessionaires among tth he UK dealer network, alll aimed at encouraging a people to buy the scooter with the year s 2000 look.

2 Allied to the dealer iitems, a free booklet

was given away with the LCGB’s JetSet magazine, with its cover stating: “Lambretta Lead The Space Race With The Luna Line”.

The booklet made bold claims with comments such as: “They’re known as the Lambretta Luna Line and represent a revolutionary breakaway from the traditional scooter, lightweight motorcycle or moped”. The booklet also provides the price bracket for the Vega and Cometa, which were launched in Italy in August 1968 and which were now heading for the UK. The Vega had a list price of £129 10s 0d and the Cometa £139. 10s 0d. How would the UK market react to the price? After all, the price was cheaper than any of the larger cc Lambrettas, so the Luna Line should have been a sure fire winner!

Ahead of the pack, Peter Davies (not me but the then-general secretary of the LCGB) wrote in glowing terms about the sporting capabilities of the Vega and Cometa, clearly looking to boost sales by appealing to the club sportsmen and women of that time.

But despite this, sales figures were poor – very poor.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?

There’s no doubt that scooter showrooms would have been a feast for the eyes with Vega and Cometa machines in their shades of Venus Green, Astral Blue, Martian Red, Orbit Orange and Luna Dust (yellow ochre to you and I); but fancy paint doesn’t sell machines in the main. It’s interesting to note that despite machines being available, no road tests were published until 1969, about two months after the launch! The scooter press (for that read Scooter World, Scootering and

Lightweights, along with Meccano Magazine and Motorcycle Mechanics all gave the machines a try.

It all looked like the launch would fall on its face, as the price point was clearly too high and despite people being told about the tuning and sporting capabilities of the range, it would be a move on the price point that would eventually see machines being sold.

December 1969 saw the price being dropped to £99 19s 6d for the Vega and £109 19s and 6d for the Cometa. The lower price saw the machines being sold in better numbers, but was it too little too late?

Although Innocenti looked at capturing the youth market with the Luna Line, the first two machines were never imported into the UK. Mind you, it’s hard to know how much of a market there would have been for the Lui 50C and Lui 50CL. Both were underpowered and not something that would appeal to everyone, though some sales could have been captured.

Let’s be honest, learner laws weren’t an issue as riders were restricted to machines of no more than 250cc (a rule that had been in since 1961).

momentary. Normally the brakes would not be put on in such a harsh manner, but it is in emergencies that one needs powerful progressive braking and not a brake which is like an electric light switch – either on or off!” – Motorcycle Mechanics, January 1969.

“Everyone was impressed with the power this fussy little two-stroke produced. Careful use of the gears gave nippy acceleration up to about 40mph when it started to run out of steam. The long kick-start is a joy to use and never failed to start the machine on second prod; in fact, first kick usually got the engine running. In the usual scooter manner the engine cooling is catered for by a ducted fan system, simple and at the same time extremely efficient”. – Meccano Magazine, September 1969.

THE COMETA (75 SL) “‘Don’t you want no oil mate?’ At last, a worried service station attendant. Few in that hardy breed seem to care whether they serve you with 20-1, 50-1, or any old mixture, but this freckle faced youth had obviously never seen a Cometa before.

MIXED OPINIONS

So what did the testers think of Bertone’s design and the Innocenti built machines?

THE VEGA (75S) “Not satisfied with my own opinions, I took the machine along to the local Maldon Auto Club, a band of motorcycle grass track racing and scrambles enthusiasts. Without knowing anything other than ‘one-up, three-down’ for the gear change, the bike was taken for a ride. Opinions varied from ‘very surprising’, ‘most stable’ to ‘very quick’, ‘I like the lights’ and ‘acceleration pretty fair for a little-un, handles lovely’. Without exception they all thought the engine was at least 100cc, most thought it was over 125.” – Scootering and Lightweights, December 1969.

“Another common fault with small-wheeled machines is the brakes and in this the Luna was no exception. The rear brake, although powerful enough, had no feel and it was very easy to lock the back wheel. Luckily, on the couple of occasions it happened to me, the road was dry and the resulting skid was only

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‘I had an Li, used to do seventy,’ he added, then asked what I had done with the sidepanels. ‘Looks nice like that, wonder if my mate has seen one, better call him over.’ There’s no denying that the Luna Line has caused a lot of comment; these two youngsters hadn’t seen it before and were quite impressed with the looks, upswept exhaust, wide-n-high bars, slim legshields and above all, no sidepanels.” – Scootering and Lightweights, June 1969.

“During the past few years, great advances have been made in two-stroke design, notably by Yamaha and Suzuki with their breakaway from the traditional twostroke mixture which was expensive to buy as well as being inconvenient to mix if you happened upon a garage without the right equipment. Now, with the Luna, Lambretta have followed suit and separate oiling is no longer an expensive luxury, but within the reach of Mr Average in the street. There are two separate tanks on the 75SL, one for a gallon of petrol and the other for two pints of oil. Oil is driven by a crankshaft-operated pump in direct ratio to the demands of the engine at any given time”. – Motorcycle Mechanics. January 1969.

“The Lambretta 75cc Cometa is one of three small-engined machines launched by Lambretta in England. These three machines comprise i the h Lambretta L b Luna L Line Li and d

are a considerable breakaway from the traditional idea of either the scooter or the moped. The styling is by Bertone, famous for his Italian car designs. This futuristic line has reduced the legshield height and area.

Both engine and exhaust are way out in the open, a return to Lambretta’s very early days. The Cometa given for test purposes

had been used by several people and had done sufficient mileage for us to be able to give it some hard work. It proved to be an exceedingly useful little machine, with lots of pep, handy in traffic and very easy to drive.

Its unusual lines caused some comment, as did its twin tank Lubematic system, for well intentioned garage staff tried hard to fill it u up with petrol and oil combined”. – Scooter W World, April 1969

A ATTRACTIVE AN P PROPOSITION?

A All-in-all a mixed bag of reviews for Innocenti’s new line, but how did that ttranslate in terms of sales? The resultant p price drop wouldn’t see the Vega or the C Cometa suddenly appeal to the UK youth m market. It did however make the machines m more of a proposition for scooter racers who ffound the lightweight 75cc machines to be a real prospect on both the track, in trials, a and for grass tracking. The likes of Ann Weir, JJohn Ronald, Bev Flanagan, Norman Ronald, G Geoff Stephens, Nev Frost and Andy Smith a all had success on Luna Line machines.

C Coupled to all of this were the likes of R Rafferty Newman’s who worked on a new b barrel for the machines called the X5.

Next time I’ll take a look as the Luna race h headed into the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Pete Davies

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DEVON’S SCOOTERING DUO

Luke’s Devon-registered Rod Model, now restored

The Kittos

2009: Gross Glockner, Austria

Luke and Sheila Kitto are just a nice, polite, mature couple. Sheila is tall, trim and softly spoken; Luke on the other hand, is the perfect example of an English gentleman, well-spoken to the point of sounding posh, always conservatively dressed, often sporting a tie, but always smart casual.

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f you didn’t know any better you could quite easily walk past both of them of during an evening’s passeggiata, maybe exchanging a polite ‘Hello’ or ‘Good Evening’ without ever noticing the slightest hint of their strong competitive nature, or the lust and passion for scootering, with a strong leaning towards the classic Vespa, which they both possess.

You could also be excused for not knowing their vast historical connection to scootering, the events they have attended, or the people they are associated with. But I can tell you this; having experienced first-hand the pleasure of socialising and riding with them,

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that they party and ride as hard and strong as any scootering couple 30 or 40 years their junior – and long may it continue!

LUKE

Scootering began for Luke in 1958 when he started work for a local engineering firm specialising in agricultural and garden machinery. He needed transportation, so a Lambretta LD150 provided an economical way to commute to work. That was it; Luke had been infected, because to be honest this classic scootering thing of ours can only be described as a disease – once it’s in the blood you ain’t never getting rid of it!

From that first scootering experience, a lifelong interest in scootering began.

In 1959 a local motor club always ran an ‘Invitation Event’ on Good Friday. So Easter of that year was Luke’s first attempt at a competitive event on a scooter and he won an award; not bad for the first time he had competed on his machine.

1967: Sheila on Torquay seafront with her first scooter

Luke In early 1960, he met the late Ken Harris who ran a local Vespa dealership and was soon to be converted to Vespa. At that point he joined the South Devon Vespa Club, participating in regular club runs to local beauty spots and competitive events. This ultimately resulted in trips to the Isle of Man Scooter Weeks where he had a great deal of success. Luke continued to attend these IoM events until they ceased in 1976, when he personally won the overall event. He’d previously won the team award along with Bob Young and Ted Parrott.

Other events he’s taken part in and very much enjoyed over the years have been Vespa Club Britain national rallies and the Auto Cycle Union 600 (a point-to-point event whereby you had to cover 600 miles in 24 hours, visiting designated spots along the way and finishing in Battersea Park, London. Luke has always been extremely competitive in his work and social life and has enjoyed competing and winning in the Vespa Championship and Federation of British Scooter Club’s Championships.

Even with this strong competitive streak in him he’s the first to admit it’s the taking part in the event which gives him the most satisfaction and a great buzz. When not competing, Luke also acted as a VCB council member and as a steward at some of the early race meetings and hill climbs.

THE MISTER’S MACHINES

Luke at Druidale, IoM

1971: Sheila at the start of the IoM Full Day Trial

they say, the rest is history. Her first scooter was Vespa 90, which was sadly stolen from right outside her back gate in Torquay and found six weeks later in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire. During this period, Luke loaned her his Vespa 90SS so she could continue to get about.

After the return of Sheila’s 90, she swapped to a Vespa 150 Sprint; while riding that she competed in the South West Biker of the Year, competing against all classes on two wheels and winning the overall event. She competed several times at the IoM Scooter Week, winning awards in most years.

Sheila acted as secretary to the Torbay Scooter Club following Ted’s retirement and as an instructor in the RAC/ACU training scheme which trained riders before compulsory training was introduced.

Sheila

Over the years Luke has owned many different Vespa models including GS150 and 160, SS180, 90SS, 90 Racer and 125 ETS. His Vespa fleet today is a GS150 and 1953 Rod-type which he’s painstakingly restored after it was found in a shed locally, and was originally sold in a dealership 300 yards from where he now lives – how’s that for keeping scootering real and alive: a Devon-registered machine, owned, restored and soon to be ridden in Devon.

Luke is also the present custodian of the Vespa ETS 125 which was previously owned by late VCB secretary Ian Kirkpatrick, which he rides on a regular basis.

SHEILA

Sheila’s involvement with scootering started when two work colleagues met Ted Parrott, the then-secretary of Torbay Scooter Club ‘The Tigers’; later Ted became VCB secretary.

Her work colleagues encouraged Sheila to join them at a meeting of ‘The Tigers’, and as

Luke on a Vespa SS90 – Quarter Bridge TT course

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2016: Luke on the ETS in the same place

1971: Luke at Brac-a-Broom, IoM

They both have very fond and happy memories from all the years of competitive rivalry and friendly competition with the now late Ian Kirkpatrick, Bob Young and Peter Chapman and have been glad to meet and become good friends with well-known names from the scootering world such as David Barker, Norrie Kerr, John and Norman Ronald, Kev Walsh, Les Hale and last, but by no means least, the amazing Mr Marshall ‘Chuck’ Swonnell, and many, more.

FAMILIA CONFRACTUS

After the usual family break and a lapse in proceedings of several years, Luke and Sheila met up with Vespa friends once again at a 1996 rally in Northampton. Since that time the scootering flame has been well and truly been re-lit and they have attended and enjoyed many events including the Vespa World Days in Zell am See, Austria, and were looking forward to Vespa World Days in Belfast in June, followed by the Veteran Vespa Club rally in Wicklow, Southern Ireland. They are both very active and keen members of the VVC, attending most clubs’ events the length and breadth of the country.

THE MOUNTAIN IS CALLING

In 2016 Luke and Sheila returned to the IoM to join Mark Kelly for his two day event and were pleased to see that the Island hadn’t changed that much in the time since they were last there. They were accompanied by their exIan Kirkpatrick Vespa P125 ETS and couldn’t resist the calling from the mountain circuit to get it out and have a jolly good go. Luke told me they’d decided to have just one more lap of this world-famous street circuit just for old times’ sake; they set-off and called into a café to get that caffeine rush just to sharpen things up somewhat. The day wasn’t the best, being quite damp with poor visibility caused by the mist or low lying cloud. There were a few highpowered sports motorcycles in the car park with the riders looking like ‘Power Rangers’ in their fashionable full-race leathers.

After their stimulant fix, Mr and Mrs Kitto headed towards their very own sporty twowheeled machine wearing their waterproof hi-viz coats, trousers and open face helmets.

The ‘Guy Martin wannabes’ enquired as to where they were going on their ‘little moped’?

To this they were politely informed in Luke’s

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finest Oxford English with a slight West Country twang, that his dear wife and himself were heading-up and over the mountain to do a full lap of the circuit. The bikers were dumbstruck with this retort, as they were not going themselves due to the inclement weather which their super-duper machines and very expensive carbon fibre and cowhide could not cope with. With this win tucked firmly and proudly into his top pocket, Luke set-off with Sheila in pillion on the ‘little Vespa P125 ETS moped’ to complete what they had set out to do – show the mountain who was the boss!

As Luke was reiterating this story to me, I could see the youthful cheeky twinkle in his eye as he stated that once in the swing of the mountain circuit he couldn’t help but go for it one more time, and in his very best and poshest voice informed me that he couldn’t resist the temptation to push the little Vespa to the maximum and “spanked its bottom”.

Absolutely fantastic! What spirit – I can only hope I have that when I’m the same age.

What more can I say? Well, nothing!

But both Luke and Sheila say they will be back to the Mountain and that they’re over the moon to still be involved with the scootering world which has stood the test of time so well.

Big Chris

1963: Luke arriving at Battersea Park after completing the ACU 600, winning a gold medal

1970: Sheila at the Druidale Watersplash

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A BRACE OF GERMANS

The

Heinkel A-1 and A-2

With spec including a rubber-mounted electric-start four-stroke engine, impressive handling, superb weather protection and a 60mph top speed, you might think I’m writing about a modern super scoot and not bikes which first appeared over 60 years ago.

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he bikes in question are a pair of Heinkels (an A-1 and a later A-2) belonging to West Country enthusiasts Simon Balistrari and his friend Roy Butler.

With a collection of rare, unusual and (in his own words) slightly oddball scooters which now totals 23, Simon is well-known to regular readers and Roy has also appeared before in this magazine with his 1959 Cezeta and equally rare PAV trailer. Having previously ridden one of the 175cc Tourist singles, I can vouch they’re from the top drawer of small two-wheelers. These lines, taken from an article published in the Motor Cycle on January 7, 1965, sum-up the whole experience perfectly: “It’s more than a scooter – it’s a motorcycle dressed up as one. To drive a Heinkel Tourist is an eye-opener for anyone. The handling characteristics can only be compared with a motorcycle – and a good one at that. And at all speeds the rubber-mounted engine feels completely free of vibration. There’s plenty of punch throughout the range; flexibility is one of the engine’s most charming features.”

It concluded by saying “Germany’s Heinkel Tourist is a very good mixture of all the best ingredients. It has performance and handling of a lightweight motorbike, plus every refinement of a quality-built substantial scooter.”

HEINKEL TOURIST LIFELINE

Launched at the 1953 Brussels Motorcycle Show, the Tourist A-0 (initially powered by a 149cc OHV single) offered a degree of unrivalled sophistication, and not without good reason was it labelled as the ‘Rolls-Royce of scooters’. With a tubular steel frame enclosed by sheet metal pressings, the Heinkel’s design owned much to the company’s wartime aircraft

building experience and despite its high price it was enthusiastically received by German scooter enthusiasts. From the first prototype (which appeared in 1949) the Tourist was designed as a luxury machine and came fully equipped with a steering lock, speedo, clock, spare wheel and carrier as standard; with its engine turning out a healthy 7.2bhp it was more than capable of accommodating two people and their luggage; and its aerodynamic styling gave the four-stroke single a decent 56mph top speed along with a claimed fuel economy of 137mpg.

The neatly-styled front apron also gave both the rider and passenger excellent protection from the elements and allied to Heinkel’s engineering reputation and the bike’s low running costs, it quickly became a success in its home market. In the first two years some 6500 examples rolled off the production lines of Heinkel’s new factory at Karlsruhe; these were powered by engines which had made the 30-mile journey down the road (or possibly river) from their long-established works in the nearby Rhineland city of Speyer. The A-O was equipped with a kick-start and a 6v battery, but

TECH SPEC

ENGINE: 174cc fan-cooled OHV single cylinder four-stroke ELECTRICAL: Bosch 12v (2x 6v) 12 amp batteries GEARBOX: 4-speed twist-grip change SUSPENSION: front telescopic forks, rear single damper BRAKES: single leading shoe front and rear FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 2½ gallons WEIGHT: 334lb fully equipped IMPORTER: International Sales Ltd, London SW8

by June 1954 this was updated to 12v when an electric-starter was added. By August ’54 the 150cc bike was superseded by the new 102 A-1 – the main change being a capacity increase to 175cc (60mm x 61.5mm) and a Bing 1/18/5 replacing the Pallas 18/10 carburettor. This saw the power output rise to 9.2bhp at 5200rpm which made it easier when carrying a passenger or a heavy load, but made little difference to the top speed as the gearing remained the same. Two years (and 17,500 examples later) the 102 A-1 was replaced by the new 103 A-0 which featured a four-speed gearbox and wheels increased from eight- to ten-inch running on 400 profile tyres.

It was also the first to be officially imported into the UK when in late 1955 it went on sale under the name of ‘Excelsior Heinkel Tourist’.

Initially available only in beige, it was priced at a lofty £239 8s 0d including purchase tax and for those wanting the all-important extras like a clock, a carrier and a spare wheel, another £2 8s 0d and £13 4s 0d had to be found. Heinkel’s association with Excelsior was short-lived and the following year (1956) the concession was taken over by Nobel Motors Ltd of Piccadilly, probably as part of the deal when they started importing the German bubblecars. In 1957 the 103 A-1 arrived and although the price of the Tourist dropped to £229 10s 0d it was still high compared to the 150cc LDB Lambretta (£164 15s 2d) or the GS Vespa (£188 12s 8d). The new bike’s styling remained largely unchanged except for the introduction of a cast handlebar incorporating the instrument panel. However in the engine compartment the 175cc single now featured a two bearing crankshaft, a Bosch Dynastart (as fitted to the 198cc engine used in the cars) and was rubber-mounted; this reported in the period press as making a significant improvement to rider comfort and

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suppressing the noise generated on the earlier models. In its final incarnation the 103 A-2 appeared in 1960 and in this guise of restyled rear body (including indicators in the rear light unit) it would run for the next five years.

By the mid-60s, the first scooter boom was over; the German motorcycle industry was in serious decline and at the end of ’65 the last Tourist rolled off the Karlsruhe production lines. It brought the curtain down on a very special two-wheeler that was undoubtedly many years ahead of its time.

FALLING IN LOVE

The 1965 A-2 belonging to Simon kicked-off his love for unusual scooters nearly 25 years ago and as he explained he is only the second registered owner of the highly-prized German class leader.

“I saw the Heinkel advertised under ‘German scooters for sale’ in Old Bike Mart in 1994” he said. “The seller (a bit of a dealer in microcars and scooters) had bought it from its original owner and although it had over 40,000 miles on the clock and was a bit ‘rough and ready’, it was complete and ideal for my needs. Back home I managed to get it running but it was obvious the engine was in

need of an overhaul. Previously I’d owned one of the same company’s bubblecars, so as the motor was virtually the same as fitted to the microcar, I knew it well. With the engine out of the frame I rebuilt the crank, fitted new cam followers, valves and valve springs and treated it to a new clutch. One thing I discovered was that you have to be very careful when rebuilding the gearbox as if you put them in out of sequence they simply fall into the engine case and it all needs stripping down again! With some new petrol in the tank just one press of the button (there’s no kick-start fitted) had the single rumbling into life.

“Over a period of several months I did quite a few miles on the Tourist, but after running it in I decided to follow the tip I’d picked up from the Heinkel Owners Club and replace the old Bing carb for a modern Keihin; this (as I soon found out) transforms the previous rather hesitant throttle response. Both handling and brakes were first class and on the open road it easily holds a steady 50mph in top, but I was disappointed with the handlebar gear change in the four-speed box. Since overhauling the engine I’ve covered about 6000 trouble-free miles, mostly on local club runs, but also to the Isle of Wight where I met a group of

German Heinkel owners. They agreed with me that although the engine and running gear on the Tourist is top-notch the weak spot is the gearbox, especially the selection from first to second which is a bit of a lottery.”

ONE BECOMES TWO

Simon’s A-2 had a lonely time as the only Heinkel in his Lowriders club runs, but this changed in 2011 when it was joined by an earlier A-1 brought back to life by his friend, Roy Butler; Roy takes up the story…

“I’d been very impressed by Simon’s bike and started to look for one to join my small collection which includes a couple of Lambrettas, an IWL Berlin and a 1959 Cezeta.

My search proved to be fruitless until Simon got talking to a fellow exhibitor at a microcar rally who had an A-1 Heinkel for sale. The German scooter (originally sold in Turin) was complete and had been brush-painted, but the owner had run out of enthusiasm to get it on the road and it was down to me to sort out the giant oil leak and get it registered in the UK. “Thanks to some sealant the oil leak was soon rectified, but I discovered that at some time the spindle in the rocker assembly had suffered metal fatigue and damaged the casing, making it beyond repair. Thankfully I managed to locate a replacement cylinder head on eBay, but this was not without its problems because at some time the spark plug thread had been stripped and replaced by a Helicoil insert. This needed attention before I eventually got the little four-stroke fired-up. In the last couple of years I’ve covered around 2500 trouble-free miles a year, most on Lowriders club runs, but at least once a week I also use it for my 20 mile trip to work.”

For our ride through the Dorset lanes, both Heinkels were willing first press-of-the-button starters with a deep and purposeful growl through the well tucked-away silencer. On the open road, the four-stroke singles were soon up to their happy cruising speed of around 50mph and other than being careful when changing between first and second gear, the handling, braking and rider comfort were all top class and it’s no wonder at the time they were likened to the ‘Rolls-Royce of scooters’.

Big thanks to Simon and Roy for their time and hospitality.

Andy Westlake

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SOMETHING SPECIALE

Bob White’s everyday scooter Piaggio ‘officially’ announced it would end production of the 200cc-powered PX Vespa in 2003. Sad news indeed for devotees of the model, which had proven itself as the backbone and workhorse of the British scooter scene since its inception.

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o celebrate the classic Vespa flagship’s cessation, Piaggio stated that a special limited edition production run would be created. It would be known as the Series Special or ‘Serie Speciale’ and was to be a black-bodied PX with white sidepanels and mudguard. Each machine would have a plaque on top of the toolbox, denoting a number out of the designated batch of 400 supplied to the UK. It would also sport the Union Jack in the same line as the rather poorly-fitting chequered tape sticker within the recess in the sidepanel. It would also have this same chequered sticker running vertically down the front legshields.

When I first set eyes upon this so-called ‘Special’ edition I wasn’t exactly impressed by the lack of effort that had been put into the project by the aesthetic designers at Pontedera. But to be totally honest, I’ve never really been impressed with any of the so-called limited editions machines they’ve produced over the years; they’ve always struck me as a bit of disappointment and a wasted opportunity to produce something really

special. But in retrospect, if I had the chance to be the owner of such machines rather than the stock items, I’d most likely opt for the special edition versions.

A CHEQUERED PAST?

Now this is just my interpretation of the possible thinking behind the chosen colour scheme for the last models and it is pure conjecture but... …As this final run of machines was aimed at the UK with our long-lasting love affair of the higher capacity scooters and the Vespa PX200 arriving on our shores at the end of the 1970s, not long before the images of Walt Jabsco were imprinted upon our psyche, and everything went Two-Tone; could it just be possible that this is the inspiration and thinking behind this particular special edition?

Just a thought!

But however it got its chosen top coat it’s unmistakable as one of the last 200cc machines and with classic two-stroke scooter production now extinct, prices are on the up with anything out of the ordinary being at a premium.

So if you have got one, look after it but please: ride it don’t hide it!

QUALCOSA DI SPECIALE

Advert for the last 400 PX200s off the factory line in 2003 – the limited edition ‘Serie Speciale’

If you’re a regular reader, cast your mind back couple of years and you may just remember Bob White – well you might not so much remember Bob White as such, but are more likely to remember the lucky find he ended up with in the shape of a beautiful mint condition yellow Vespa T5 Classic, found with only 43 genuine miles on the clock and featured a while back in issue 107 (Feb/March 2016).

Bob adores his T5 and has attended several rallies with it, even taking it to a Veteran Vespa Club event in Bruges, Belgium. But he had a bit of a dilemma; first of all he wanted a scooter for the pleasure he would get from

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The contents of the special edition presentation pack which accompanied the PX200 Serie Speciale riding it – fair play, but w with such s a rare find, how do you find the corrrect balance b between enjoying scoote er rid ding and not loading up the m miles s onto such a modern Vesp pa classic in such fine fettle e?

Simple! You request that the e finder of this stunning ma achine finds you another nice Vespa, preferrably bly a PX for the practicality and prefera ably a 200cc which can be used to do some serious miles attending the rallies and for regular day-to-day use.

This task was once again given to Scooteroller to do the work and come up with a suitable machine for Bob’s requirements.

In no time at all, Bob received a call inviting him to come and have a look at a low mileage standard untouched Vespa PX200. He was instantly impressed and said he would have the machine, saying that he would collect it the following week, giving Scooteroller the chance to check it out and give it a service.

The following week Bob called over to see how things were getting on and to arrange ccollection. ll i When he arrived he could see a

rather large box, with Stabilimenti ra Di Pontedera, (Factory of Pon ntedera), printed on it along with the e Piaggio P logo.

He enquired enquir d as to what was inside and was told it was “something very special indeed”.

He asked if he could look inside and as the box lid was slowly and teasingly removed, Bob peeped in to see a beautiful two-tone Vespa PX200 Serie Speciale, completely standard with everything just as it should be. This included the original special edition presentation pack containing the Piaggio Technica PX book, key ring and a tin box with a Vespa watch inside.

Now the cogs inside Bob’s head began to slowly turn; spinning, clanking, whirring and banging, until his mouth was able to work and he enquired as to who it was for. He was told that is wasn’t for anyone in particular and was just a stock machine waiting for the right person to come along to become the custodian of such a beautiful thing.

He was also told that it would be no good for him, as he had the T5 already and was reminded that the reason he wanted another machine was to use as an everyday scooter to preserve the T5 in a concours condition, and if he had this machine he would still be in the same predicament.

But it was too late for such thoughts, the seed had been well and truly planted – he wanted the one in the box, so a deal was done to take the Serie Special instead.

Bob White is now the proud owner of two stunning Vespa scooters – and to be fair to him, he does use them both for what they were initially designed for, that being the enjoyment and feeling that only riding a classic scooter can bring (well not really; they were designed for reasons of practicality and to mobilise a country in the aftermath of a world war, to be sexless, classless, to nip to the shop on and go to work on – but you know what I mean, don’t you).

Big Chris

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A BULLISH SPANIARD WITH ATTITUDE…

Bad Toro!

The whole rat-look scene, while nothing new borrowing heavily from the hot-rod fraternity, has really taken hold over the last few years. Rattle-can spray jobs and cut-down panelwork made popular in the 1980s may be what some people relate to, but the current crop of ratty scooters is very different…

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he emphasis is on the original aged look with plenty of hard-earned patina, or in some cases faked patina! The days of needing to have a fully restored or even custom scooter to be able to turn heads or win a trophy are long gone. Money that would have previously been spent on a top-class paint job or gold plating is now being invested on performance upgrades with high-powered engines adorning most rat-look scooters.

As with many current trends, social media seems to have a large input, enabling people to swap ideas and share their images with an unlimited amount of people and one of the most popular online links is the Rats & Rustos Facebook page. R&R was the brainchild of Lincolnshire scooterist Rob Castle; he said he had set-up a Facebook page to reach out to other fans of the rat-style scooter: “I was never really into the rat scene, but there seems to be a real buzz about it now. I set the page up to try and gain a bit more recognition for this style of scooter and to bring people together to swap ideas.”

Rob’s own personal rat is based on a 1964 Eibar Winter model: “I just love the look of them; the Italian scooters have always been more popular, but these are just a little bit different and there doesn’t seem to be quite as much scooter snobbery around these days,” explained Rob. This Li 150 came into Rob’s hands around a year ago, having been imported into the UK back in 2013. A reported one-Spanish-owner-from-new machine hailing from Barcelona; it was the ideal basis for his latest project. The frame and associated panelwork was good and solid with just the right amount of original wear and tear, giving it a great patina. This is being preserved with the rusty scooter owner’s ‘must-have’ product: ACF 50!

Rob has added to this with period style accessories, stickers and badges. I say period style, as many of them, like the glovebox or panel straps for instance, are new items made to look like they’ve been on the scooter for decades. This is all part of the fun of building a rat-look scooter and is what can help yours stand out in the crowd; it’s all about getting the look just right without overdoing it.

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“It’s most definitely a keeper – and I love the fact I can just get on it and throw it around without having to worry about damaging it!”

SCOOTER OWNER

Name: Rob Castle Scooter club: Rats & Rustos First scooter: GP150 (my brother’s) Other scooters owned: Loads, including a few nice 1959 S1s!

Favourite scooter: This one, ‘Bad Toro’ First scooter rally: Tenby 1984 Favourite rally: Weston-super-Mare – always a good’ un Favourite dealer: Mario @ ShawFire Scooter Spares. Chalky @ Reply Scooters Project advice: Make it your own – there are no rules

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The scooter was all-original when Rob acquired it, but with a new TS1 motor planned, a few items would need to be changed to ensure it could handle the power. Front and rear disc brakes have been added and some modern shock absorbers help ensure the wheels stay in contact with the road surface at all times. “I’ve added an Oiltek rear disc brake, it’s a good bit of kit; expensive, but well worth the money,” added Rob. The original Li 150 engine has been put into storage and in its place sits a 225cc TS1 engine based around an Indian GP block.

Rob has built the engine himself (something he’s getting known for locally) and when we visited to take the pictures for this feature, it was being set-up on a mobile dyno. The self-built engine was putting out a healthy 25bhp (something Rob was obviously pleased with), but plans are already afoot to build an even quicker motor; as Rob confessed to us: “I’m in the process of building a 40bhp monster on a brand-new GT block!”

Over the last few months the engine has been developed with various components coming and going in pursuit of the best set-up.

“The exhaust made a huge difference; I was running an original Taffspeed, but it wasn’t great; but the new CST 5 pipe is amazing; and the Clo5e 5-speed gearbox has also transformed the ride, it’s taken a bit of getting used to, but it really is a great bit of kit!” explained Rob. Also thrown into the mix is a Darrell Taylor crank, BGM reed block under a TMX 35mm carburettor and the ignition is

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controlled by a Varitronic unit. Surprisingly, Rob’s favourite purchase is located in the headset rather than the motor, as he told us: “I’ve fitted a Jockeys Boxenstop headlamp; it’s the best money I’ve ever spent on a scooter!”

Like many of us, Rob has owned a large number of scooters, but he did confess that this one is special: “It’s definitely a keeper, especially once the new engine has been fitted

as I love the fact I can just get on it and throw it around without worrying about damaging it! Of all the scooters I’ve had this is by far my favourite; it’s also the heaviest, but it handles really well and its lovely to ride; slightly scary at times, but that’s part of the charm!” says Rob. So it would appear that the scooter does indeed live up to its name, ‘Bad Toro!’

Words/images: Jon Betts

SCOOTER DETAILS

Make/model/year: 1964 Eibar Winter Model Li 150 Scooter name: ‘Bad Toro’ Paintwork: by Stevie Wonder and Afar Brick!

Engine: TS1 225, Wiseco 70mm piston, 5mm packer, BGM V Force Yamaha reeds and block, TMX 35mm carb, Iwis chain and Jockeys chain adjuster. MB seals and bearings, Series 3 layshaft, JPP gear and adjuster block and Varitronic ignition unit, CST 5 expansion pipe.

Gearbox: Clo5e 5-speed, 19-46 sprockets, AF 6-plate cassette clutch Brakes: Oiltek front and rear disc brakes, Oiltek hidden front master cylinder Suspension: PM Tuning & BGM fork kit and springs, front anti-dive setup Other modifications: 12-litre stainless steel fuel tank, OMG fast flow tap, JPP quick action gear and throttle control wheels Thanks to: Jon Gilbert, Paul at Oiltek, Martin at Chiselspeed and Darrell Taylor for the crank What does the future hold: I’m in the process of building a 40bhp monster on a brand-new GT block

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BA

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IN THE D K C

Catherine Thomson, Dunbar Scooter Queen 1959, leads a procession of more than 1000 scooters through the town on a Sunday afternoon.

Picture courtesy of Mortons Archive (www.mortonsarchive.com)

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Vespa scooters participating in the 1962 Isle of Man Scooter Rally.

Picture courtesy of Mortons Archive (www.mortonsarchive.com)

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Messerschmitt Vespa GS150

Mention the word Messerschmitt and you’ll probably associate it with either warplanes, micro cars, or sewing machines – but possibly not with a Vespa scooter.

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etween 1955 and 1957 the Messerschmitt factory at Regensberg was where 27,800 of the German version of the Piaggio-designed machines were produced. From the final batch of the top-selling GS150s, 200 were imported to the UK in ’57, among them the bike carrying the registration number 442 AHT; a machine which has recently been brought back from the dead by West Country enthusiast Richard Gabb, a man well-known for his stunning scooter restorations.

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With its silver grey paintwork gleaming in the sun the Vespa looks as good (probably better) than the day it rolled off the production lines; however, before we hear about Richard’s many months of hard work, perhaps we should briefly reflect on the history of the Germanmade machine.

Piaggio was founded by Enrico Piaggio in 1882 (initially as a ship fitting company) and it wasn’t until 1946 that the first 98cc Vespa appeared. Initially sales were slow, but by the following year no fewer than 10,535 of the

innovative two-strokes were produced, and two years later sales had really taken off. The Piaggio family were quick to see that they were onto a winner, but in the days before the Europe Union and the single market, high import tariffs in Germany and Spain meant that the only way to overcome these was to set-up a manufacturing plant in these countries. In 1949 a deal was done with the huge Hoffman Werke Company for the exclusive rights for the scooter to be manufactured at their factory at Lintorf near Dusseldorf.

Despite plenty of strong opposition from other home-produced scoots the Hoffman Vespas were a huge success and in 1951 alone, some 12,000 of the ultra-reliable twostrokes took to the German streets. In the early 1950s the previously unknown factory of war profiteer James Hoffman stormed the peak of the German economic miracle and in addition to the Vespas they also produced 150,000 bicycles, 100,000 motorcycles and some very impressive small cars. Sadly by 1954 the Hoffman Company (described by the period press as ‘the most modern German motorcycle factory’) surprised the public by going bankrupt – something which the Rheinisch bank called ‘the biggest and ugliest collapse of the last 20 years’.

However the Hoffman works collapse wasn’t due to the lack of success of the Vespa and on January 18, 1955, Vespa Messerschmitt GmbH was founded. With a licence agreement with Piaggio this took over the manufacturing and exclusive distribution rights of the scooters in Germany. The first bike (a GS150

VS1) was manufactured at their Regensberg base alongside micro cars, sewing machines and various sundry items; all of the scooters were made from parts supplied direct from Piaggio in Italy. Up until 1958, some 27,800 Vespas were manufactured in the Regensberg factory, including the model designated the VD2TS now restored by Richard Gabb. The two owners of the Messerschmitt car factory, Fritz Fend and Valentine Knott, bought the licensing agreement to build the Vespas for only three years and after that date a new organisation called ‘Vespa GMBH Augsburg’ was formed 150 miles away from the Regensberg factory. Just to confuse things, there was an existing Messerschmitt factory in Augsburg (but this had no connection with the scooters) and most of the early bikes – the VD2TS – were made there from parts supplied by Regensberg with their VIN plates showing ‘Messerschmitt Augsburg’ stamped on them.

This is where things get a bit tricky, since this model appears to bridge the change-over to non-Messerschmitt production. In terms

of specification, things were similar to the earlier GS2 except for the VS2 headset with enclosed cables and the appearance of the rather distinctive Hella rear light. The 200 machines imported into Britain by Douglas were of this type, but the records show that production of this model started in March/ April 1957, some months before the official formation of Vespa GMBH Augsburg, which would suggest they were all assembled by Messerschmitt in Regensberg.

SUPERIOR QUALITY

Production of the GS150s would continue in Germany up to 1962 and period reports would suggest that the build quality was superior to those manufactured in Italy; however few could match the bike recently restored by Richard Gabb. He bought the machine carrying the registration number 442 AHT in 2014, but as he told me it took the best part of four years of hard work before it was on the road again. Richard takes up the story: “Since I started riding I’ve always had a soft spot for the Bristol-made Douglas machines and I was interested in a Mk5 at a dealer’s in the Cotswolds. I’d arranged to go and see it, but on the day before my visit, I was alerted to this Messerschmitt Vespa for sale from a ’Schmitt micro car enthusiast in Somerset.

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SPECIFICATION

ENGINE: 145.6cc air-cooled single cylinder two-stroke POWER OUTPUT: 8.8bhp @ 7500rpm SUSPENSION: Coil spring with double acting shock absorber, rear single shock

I instantly knew it was an incredibly rare machine and although it was fairly rough and there were some parts missing, it was too good an opportunity to miss, so I bought it. It came with the old logbook, lots of paperwork, a box full of bits and pieces, parts and repair books – the latter two being invaluable when I started restoration and had to order parts from Germany. The old logbooks revealed that the first owner was Derek Joynson of Fishponds in Bristol who owned it for 18 months before selling it to John Stephenson, a neighbour in nearby Knowle.

“It would seem that it had spent most of its life in Bristol and the milometer would suggest that it had only covered just over 7000 miles before being laid-up in the 1970s.

Before I started stripping it down I made a comprehensive list of missing parts which included the headlamp and chrome surround, flashes on the sidepanels, speedo lens/drive, rear shock, along with seat foam and cover, all of which were sourced in Germany from SIP and Der Rollerden. I like to do as much work on a restoration project myself, but I farmed out the bodywork to Disco Dez in Worcester for painting; he did a fantastic job with its silver grey finish.

“The chrome plating was entrusted to S&P in Yate; they couldn’t plate the very thin Hella horn cover (a new one wasn’t available), but they cleverly managed to build-up the backing with some new metal before re-chroming; it took a long time, but the result was first class. On stripping the engine I discovered it was very tired with an extremely worn-out crankshaft. Rebuilding the motor was fairly straightforward but involved renewing the crank, re-bore, bearings and a new GS piston.

All of these came from SIP and although they weren’t cheap, it’s probably fair to say that

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they were superior quality to the originals when the bike was manufactured over 60 years ago. Sadly the original Piaggio badge was missing from the front legshield, but thanks to Pamela David Enamels in North Devon (01769 520536) I managed to get a replacement manufactured and this really finished the restoration off. Better still, with the tank full of 25:1 mix of petroil it started first kick and ran like a Swiss watch. This was in May 2018 and in its first outing I took it to the VMSC’s extravaganza, where it picked up four trophies.”

EXPENSIVE LOOKS

With the sun shining on the gleaming silver grey paintwork there’s no doubt that the German-made GS150 looks a million dollars and (as we were soon to discover) it also goes equally as well. From cold it only needed some choke and a good prod on the kick-start to bring the 150cc two-stroke bursting into action with the typical ’pop-pop’ through the underslung silencer. Although the little single only turns out a fairly modest 8.8bhp at 7500rpm, acceleration was surprisingly quick and gear selection on the close-ratio four-speed ’box was spot-on as we pulled away though the busy Saturday traffic.

Out of reverence to the newly-built engine we kept the speed to around 45mph, but period road tests would indicate that fully run-in the GS150 would be happy to cruise at 60 with little or no trouble. This was exceptional at the time and the testers and journalists (a pair of hardened motorcyclists) were also very complimentary regarding the little Vespa’s cornering and handling; they claimed the GS150 was on a par with some of the best motorcycles they’d ridden. They went on to say that the offset motor had

little effect on the general handling and with its 10in wheels (two inches bigger than the previous model) the Vespa felt incredibly wellplanted and secure. This was mirrored on our ride through the Cotswold lanes where the trailing link front suspension did an admirable job of soaking up the 21st century potholes.

Although only single leading shoe, the brakes were more than a match for bringing the scooter and its rider to a controlled halt.

It’s easy to see why so many enthusiasts regard the GS150 model as the best Vespa ever made. How many of those 200 Messerschmitt Vespas which arrived in the UK in 1955 still survive is unknown, but Richard has done a superb job in restoring this very rare German/Italian thoroughbred back to life; a bike which back in the 1950s became the benchmark for others to attempt to emulate; it really is a fantastic little machine.

Big thanks to Richard and his father for their time and hospitality.

Andy Westlake

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THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

VILLAGE BIKE The story of a red Lambretta GP200 Electronic.

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‘Sav’ gives his mum a ride

W

hen I was too young to remember, my parents relocated from Yorkshire to Oxfordshire and then to Avon with their work. From 1969 up until 1978 when we eventually moved back ‘up north’ permanently, we’d travel up to visit during school holidays, staying with family members in Yorkshire.

While on one of these visits to see my grandparents, who lived in the mining village of Grimethorpe in the south of the county, my uncle John (my mother’s younger brother), who was nicknamed ‘Sav’ for some strange reason which I still don’t really understand to this day, was keen to show his big sister his new scooter.

This was some time in 1974; I’d have been seven or eight at the time and can still vividly remember going out of the house, up the shared path between the pebble-dashed Wimpy pit houses to the back garden, where the ramshackle ‘hut’ was securely fastened with a combination lock and chain from an old push bike. It was dark and I held a cheap silver torch, which was no better than a candle as our ‘Sav’ turned the numbers of the combination to the correct sequence for it to open. I remember he made me look away so I couldn’t memorise the numbers and get in when he was out.

As he pulled open the door I could see the scooter from the back, stood in the middle of this small shed. He sat me on it, turned the key, and kicked it up. I can still remember him revving it a while, then letting me have a go at turning the throttle to make this fantastic popping noise get faster and louder. I was given strict instructions not to turn the other side of the handlebars, for obvious reasons, in the process avoiding the possibility of a lot of pain and damage to myself. Incidentally this would not have been caused by the fact I would have shot through the back of the hut, which was no stronger that balsa wood, through the rickety picket fence and crashed into the coal bunker of the missus who lived over the back. But more likely that I would have suffered the eternal torture of Chinese burns, dead legs and a thick lug’ole from ‘Uncle Sav’ for damaging his pride and joy.

So I did as I was told, just turning the throttle backwards and forwards. It was brilliant, the noise, the smell and the look now I could see more with the lights on illuminating the hut. I fell in love with it, I didn’t really know

what it was, only that it was red, and a motorbike and I wanted one.

‘Uncle Sav’ sold the scooter to one of his mates in 1977, a few years before I got swept along with the Mod Revival of the later end of the 70s, and apart from the occasional reference cropping-up in conversation about his old Lambretta, nothing much more was said about his red Lambretta…

LONG TIME NO SEE

Fast forward 34 years (34 years, I can hardly believe it)! It was on my return from the Euro Lambretta in 2010 when I pulled up in the queue to board the ferry back to Portsmouth.

It was still soaking wet from all that rain, with many more Lambrettas and their equally sodden owners lined-up in the queue. The guy in front of me was doing a bit of tinkering with his machine and we began to chat. I found out he was from Barnsley and asked him if he knew ‘Our Sav’, as my uncle had recently purchased a scooter again and was getting about to the local meetings around the town.

He said he did indeed know my uncle and that a guy called Karl (who was about a dozen-or-so scooters down the line) was on his old GP Electronic. In total disbelief I wandered down the line and saw this beautiful machine once again.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was just the same as I remembered, almost 34 years previous, the shape, the vivid colour, everything almost; the number plate didn’t mean anything to me though and if it hadn’t been identified to me I would have thought it just another nice GP like my uncle once had. But to see the actual machine was like seeing an old friend. I introduced myself to the present owner then proceeded in relating the story of my connection with this particular Lambretta and how it was influential in getting me into the whole scootering thing.

Karl told me that he had been approached by my uncle at a local scooter meeting when

Past and present owners, ‘Uncle Sav’ (left) and Karl ‘Our Sav’ had recognised his old Grand Prix, and over the duration of the very long crossing back to Blighty we had several further conversations regarding the red Lambretta GP. I told Karl that I would love to research the story of his Lambretta further and maybe put an article together to send something to one of the magazines; we exchanged numbers and I said I would be in touch.

So here we are today eight years later and just one week before Karl and the red GP once again depart for the long journey to the Euro Lambretta, which is once more in Spain. And this is the article – it’s like archaeology you know and shouldn’t be rushed!

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PASSED AROUND LIKE AN OLD GIRLFRIEND (The chronology of ownership) 1971: The scooter was first registered on April 21, 1971, and purchased from George Wards in Barnsley, the official Lambretta dealer for the area. This was by an unknown buyer who didn’t have it long before trading it in for a Honda motorcycle from Tommy Garners of New Street, Barnsley.

1971: The second owner was Trevor Machin from Grimethorpe who purchased it from Tommy Garners.

1972: The scooter was bought from Trevor for £150 by Steve Mallinson also from Grimethorpe.

1974: My uncle John ‘Sav’ Davies took ownership, again a Grimethorpe resident and paid £100 for it.

1977: ‘Sav’ sold the scooter for £100 to Melvin Oliver, again from Grimethorpe,

who apparently used it regularly and went all over the place on it. Melvin moved to Cudworth (the next village and a stone’s throw away) only separated by the pit (incidentally Cudworth is where Michael Parkinson was born and lived) taking the scooter with him and leaving it under the room window at the back of the house uncovered to let Mother Nature and the elements do their worst.

1977-1980: Trevor Walker from Cudworth bought the scooter from Melvin Oliver sometime during this period.

1980: The scooter was eventually purchased by Karl Darley, present custodian of this piece of Lambretta scootering history with ownership of YHE 377J transferring g on March 13,, 1980.

Reinvented as the Street Fighter custom scooter

LOVED AT LAST

Even though the scooter was running it wasn’t in good condition, so Karl didn’t mess about and in no time was getting stuck-in stripping the scooter down and sending the bodywork and frame to DownTown Custom in Leeds for the master ‘Maca’ to transform it into a full custom scooter, reflecting that particular trend within the scootering scene. After a seemingly eternal wait of two or three years, the newly painted and now named Lambretta fully customised scooter arrived on the scene with the title of ‘Street Fighter’.

Karl used the machine in this guise until 1988 when it was parked up in his dad’s garage, not completely forgotten, but not thought about too much either, while Karl took a bit of a breather from the scooter scene for about four years to pursue various other interests.

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Present owner Karl during the Milano Taranto road race In 1992 Karl got back into the scene and eventually e got round to stripping down the Lambretta L in 2008, taking two years to lo ovingly restore this ‘local girl’ back to her former f good looks. The restoration was completed c in 2010 just before the Spanish Euro E Lambretta from where I set eyes on her h for the first time in 34 years.

THE HAPPY COUPLE

Since that time Karl and the red Lambretta have been almost inseparable, with Karl doing some truly serious riding to the Euro Lambretta Jamborees and competing in the Milano Taranto event since the rebuild.

This has proved to be an excellent job, as it has given him very little trouble if any in the 10,000 miles plus since.

I think that you’ll all agree that the scooter still looks great even after eight years of some serious riding. I know it did to my ‘Uncle Sav’ and me when I took him along with me to the do the pictures.

Thanks to Karl for all his help and patience with this feature and thanks to ‘Our Sav’ for sitting me astride this red Lambretta Grand Prix 200 Electronic all those years ago.

Big Chris

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EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

The long and winding road...

This rather evocative picture shows the VCB team preparing to depart from the 1964 Reims Regularity Trial for the long ride home. What to many of us may just seem to be a picture of a few old Vespas is actually something that tells you a lot about the time.

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he continental Vespa competition scene gained momentum throughout the 1950s, and by the time this photo was taken was largely keeping scooter clubs going as regular non-sporting members defected en masse to cars.

In some years the FIV ran a European Regulatory Championship event. National Vespa Clubs selected and sent teams, and in Britain (as elsewhere) this was a complicated affair involving the most successful participants from the previous year’s National Regulatory Championship. It was considered very prestigious too as representing your country even within a Vespa club context was seen as a great honour – not to mention a logistical nightmare. Unlike other countries in Europe, we had the Channel to cross, followed by a hectic blast into the heart of Europe.

Many VCB members did this several times a

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year by taking in smaller club events. A very definite ‘way of life’ evolved, which was on the decline by the mid-1960s, but not yet finished.

When you look at this photo, remember that this was their only transport and that these Vespas had to get them to work – possibly the next day!

The Vespas too are worthy of comment.

Since this was 1964, the then-current GS160 naturally prevails. Mostly they are two-toned – in marked contrast to those from other countries which were largely just the standard white. Somehow the idea has taken hold that two-toned scooters were originated either by or for the Mods, but in fact, ever since Andre Baldet showed his first ‘Arc-en-Ciel’ Vespa in 1957, two-toning had been enthusiastically embraced by VCB members in this country – and certainly before Eddy Grimstead got the idea. Dealer two-toning was a particularly

British thing – but not specifically a Mod one. Having said that, any version of the 160 would have looked perfectly at home at a Mod gathering; the owners, though, would probably have been horrified at such a suggestion!

Among the new GS scooters seen here is an eight- or nine-year-old GS150 VS1 that had been resurrected just for this event by Frank Brookes – who would shortly after, form the Veteran Vespa Club. This Vespa would have been considered as some sort of poor relation at the time – not now though!

Finally, we should note that the rider in the photo is female. Generally 1950s scooter clubs were ahead of their time socially in including women on equal terms and this could include the competition side as seen here. Eventually, the rest of the world caught up!

AL

Clas

rist is e t o o c S c si

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HETTY WAINTHROPP INVESTIGATES

Lambretta Li 150 Patricia Routledge headed-up a pilot episode of TV detective series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates in 1989.

This original episode was broadcast by ITV on May 30, but they decided not to pursue the storyline and several years later it was picked up by the BBC.

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he storyline had been altered considerably from the ITV pilot – including Hetty’s characterisation and lifestyle. Hetty Wainthropp (Routledge) was a nimble, intelligent 60-year-old looking for a new challenge and out to make some sorely needed cash; so she decided to become a private investigator to the disbelief of her unemployed husband. But Hetty becomes an unstoppable force and to halt a local teenage runaway – Geoffrey – from becoming a juvenile delinquent, she teams up with him, riding around the countryside on his vintage Lambretta Li 150 (in the original pilot episode, she travelled by bus). The strongwilled Hetty leads Geoffrey and husband Robert as they investigate crimes pushed to one side by the local police force in and around their little village in the beautiful Lancashire landscape.

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THE END OF THE BEGINNING

The TV show ran for four series with no further episodes being made after 1998; there were rumours about a fifth series at one point, but it was never to be and so the show just passed down into history as another nostalgic TV show, forgotten by many... …But not by Shaun Wivaquiff, a relic (sorry Shaun) from the 80s/90s scooter scene; a man who’s interested in preserving all twowheeled offerings from Italy. He’s become a bit a well-known character around his home town of Weston-super-Mare. An ‘MOT chap’ as he puts it, he’s always willing to help any scooter enthusiast with issues getting their cherished vintage machines running. “Working in an MOT bay has its perks I suppose; you see all sorts of two-wheeled vehicles coming in to the garage,” says Shaun.

Advance PR for the first BBC episode His first interest in scooters goes back to 1989 when he found out quickly that they were good, cheap, transport for a teenager. He began his scooter journey with a Vespa V100 – a great choice to cut his teeth on. The very first rally he attended was Bournemouth in 1992 and he just remembers it being brilliant with no problems at all travelling there and back (I'm sure that must be a first also for many of us). These days, Shaun prefers smaller rallies – the more oddball the better.

If it’s got two wheels, Shaun has a passion for it

A reminder to the film crew as to what fuel to use

The three regular stars from the show

The torn seat remained on the scooter for the entire four series run

He believes that rallies are what you make of them; if you’re attending them with mates, then they can all be good; nothing needs to change on the scooter scene, other than the cat fighting and bitchiness (ha, ha; who would have thought it was a scene for grown men and women?).

KEEPING THINGS ON TRACK

Be it Lambretta or Vespa, Shaun finds something interesting in the unusual, and more often than not, his scooter purchases of late are unrestored specimens.

Geoffrey’s scooter from the TV series was tracked down and Shaun approached the scooter’s owner who had kept in its original TV series condition for the 26 years he’d owned it. Nothing had been replaced or changed, even down to the black sticky tape on the damaged seat in the TV series that lasted for

four seasons. A deal was struck and Shaun acquired the ‘Hetty’ scooter in January 2018, for an undisclosed though very reasonable price he assures me. He could remember the TV show and he was over the moon at finding the scooter; he also liked the originality of the model and it only took him a couple of weeks to re-commission it ready for the road (another good reason for working in an MOT bay).

Number plates on the front mudguard, a rear rack, all untouched and displaying a replica tax disc from the time it was used in the TV show just finished the authenticity.

Though the scooter hasn’t done loads of miles, like all genuine original Italian models, it’s proving to be very reliable so far.

When asked the usual question concerning what was possibly the most difficult part of re-commissioning something as old as this Lambretta, Shaun said: “The journey to fetch it was a six-hour round trip!”

Looking back on past experiences and escapades, Shaun recalled that he asked the lads at Scootopia to help with a running issue one day, and remembers the look on Danny's face when his not-so-tightened flywheel departed from the engine at around 7000 revs and almost kneecapped him – whoops!

Even after that small hiccup, Shaun still thinks his favourite scooter dealers are Scootopia and Allstyles Scooters. And with no other hobbies in his life (because scooters are his life) he’s almost certainly living the dream in his Somerset man cave. So hopefully I’ll meet up again with Shaun to share a cider or two at a rally soon.

Rich Addison

The scooter’s original logbook

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TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS

Victor Englebert, Vespa explorer!

Anyone looking back at scooter riders’ nostalgic exploits can’t fail to see how, in a way, they were pioneers. In a world where sat-nav hadn’t even been thought off (let alone other modern gadgets), these riders were left with paper maps, maybe help from the AA or RAC and a pocket-full of dreams to help them to their destinations.

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elgian rider Victor Englebert’s desire to see the world drove him to do exactly that, for part of it on a 125cc Vespa.

He takes up the story…

Travel is addictive. I didn’t know it in 1957, when I left my native Brussels on a 125cc Vespa scooter to ride across the length of Africa to Cape Town. I’d already served two years in Occupied Germany as a Belgian army sergeant. I’d worked on a ship that ferried people between Belgium and the former Belgian Congo, and I’d spent a couple of years working in the Congo for Sabena Airlines.

Was that travel? Not to me. Travel had to be the stuff of dreams. It had to be adventure and discovery. No plans; no preparations; just throw a few things in a bag and go. Face what comes; eat what you find; and sleep where you may, mostly under stars. My budget had no allowance for hotel rooms or restaurants; that’s how I embarked on my six-month adventure. I’d pay dearly for failing to worry about the best months to travel there, but I’d learn from that and do better the next time.

As a kid I dreamed of becoming an explorer.

Having learned that all the blank areas on the world’s maps had been filled, I cursed that fate had brought me to the world too late and despaired of ever being able to enjoy the only life I could imagine for myself. I longed for adventure, and swore that if I managed to live at least one memorable escapade, I’d never ask anything more from life. I was, after all, growing up in poverty. Aged 15, I left school to help my family with a salary of my own. I worked in a restaurant, 12 hours-plus a day, sometimes without a day off for two or three weeks. Our poverty was partly because my father had been away between 1939-1945 (one year under arms, and five years as a German prisoner of war). Without him, my family had suffered great hunger every day.

Now, three years after war ended, we were still paying its price.

I inevitably looked to a bleak future, but having thrived in school, it helped me see a light at the end of the tunnel – self-education. I started self-studying foreign languages, which, I thought, would help me find work overseas; and I devoured books on exploration.

Thanks to that I’d been able to live the memorable adventure that should have kept me forever happy. I’d squeezed safely through

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a throat-slashing Algerian war with France. I’d found my way through hellish Sahara summer sandstorms. I’d sloshed through the mud of one of the worst rainy seasons in years throughout West and Central Africa.

South of the Belgian Congo, Africa had no real roads; sand, mud, stones and deep holes had constantly had me flying over my handlebar. At night blood-curdling shrieks, bellows, or roars of wild animals lurking around in the moonless bush or jungle sometimes pulled me out of my sleeping bag to ride a light-less scooter into the night (Africa was sparsely populated, but teeming with wildlife). And scary storms soaked me during my sleep, tearing down trees and setting them on fire. I had lived all that, and was still unhappy.

But I’d seen too much too fast, and now needed to return for a better look and understanding. First I’d have to spend time with the Tuareg nomads (how I’d envied the amazing freedom with which they moved from horizon-to-horizon, unaffected by the tyranny of trails, the rarity of gas stations and the fear to get lost which restricted me to the straightest courses between oases. No trails, in fact; only tracks of trucks that had gone before, and which a sandstorm could erase at any moment. I wondered why I’d not sold my Vespa, bought a camel and followed the Tuareg – that would have to be later.

I went on that journey with the intention of writing a book, or at least some magazine articles. Three years earlier, while photographing Congolese village people, I’d had an epiphany. I’d become a magazine photographer and writer and as such, would be able to travel to the world’s secret corners and get paid for it. Everyone aware of my background found my idea preposterous.

I wondered why. But it was certainly more difficult than I imagined.

At my journey’s end, the South African and Belgian media feted me; the Vespa company gave me a brand-new 150cc Vespa in exchange for my battered old 125cc (they’d exhibit the latter all over the country). I basked in my glory and expected good things from it; a magazine assignment, perhaps? Instead, I learned that my writing and photography weren’t of publishable quality.

Having run out of money and glory, I was back at square one – the waiter’s life that I’d thought to have left behind aged 19. It didn’t help that I now had a baby daughter to raise, soon to be followed by a baby son (I’d married my girlfriend before accepting the Congo job three years earlier).

Colonel Mustard [Ed’s note: Because of space we’ve had to abridge Victor’s story slightly – we hope that doesn’t detract from the gist of it].

PIMPING YOUR RIDE

Scooter bling

The Douglas Vespa Sportique Supreme

A summary of a little-documented subject.

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s soon as mass-produced scooters appeared on the scene, a cottage industry supplying accessories to individualise this new form of transport sprang-up, varying from the supremely obvious sidecar to provide more carrying capacity, down to not-so-evident bolt-on mirrors for safety at the lower end of the scale.

This phenomenon has followed the development of scooters and the tastes of scooter owners up to the present day. The companies manufacturing in this field became vast in number over the years and quality varied from the useful to the purely decorative; and from the built-to-last to the, quite frankly, cheap-and-cheerful rubbish. Here follows a brief overview that will, no doubt, leave out some scooterists’ favourites, but will also include a few surprises, hopefully…

IN THE BEGINNING

The humble but ground-breaking Moto from the Innocenti stable in 1947 follows a classic example of the genesis of the accessory in the world of scootering. Later designated as the Lambretta Model A, the Moto could be bedecked with a plethora of bolt-on goodies, including, as already mentioned, the left-hand mounted sidecar, almost from day one of production. The Vespa, from 1946 with the Vespa 98, was another prime example of where accessories could transform another of these very basic early scooters.

The Lambretta Model A and B relied on a sprung saddle and the small diameter pneumatic tyres for rear damping, so it was inevitable that aftermarket suspension would prove a comfortably viable addition from the

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workshop of some enterprising manufacturer.

In fact, even the sliding pillar front end could be fitted with aftermarket, bolt-on dampers to further smooth the ride.

The Vespa 98 was nearly as basic as its Lambretta rival – it was, for instance, not even fitted with a stand and was just propped-up when not being used by leaning the footboards on a handy kerb (so best to turn-off the petrol first, or the angled carb would leak precious fuel onto the strada)! Security was via the simple expedient of lining-up two lugs and locking these together with a padlock. The accessory market must have been revving up on the starting blocks to sanitise these new arrivals on the Italian streets.

THE HIGH WATERMARK OF ACCESSORIES

Arguably, it was not until the arrival of the Lambretta Model D/LD, in the 1950s, that the high watermark for accessories occurred for Innocenti scooters and, arguably, there was much scope for accessorised improvements – obvious ‘add-ons’ such as speedos (not then a legal requirement in Italy), bolt-on rear suspension dampers for the 125s, clocks, radios, fuel gauges and all manner of racks, bumpers, fork embellishers and legshield surrounds were made available. In fact the sales-hungry and highly innovative UK Lambretta Concessionaires produced fully kitted ‘special editions’ such as the LDA Mayfair (accessorised with a self-starter as well as a clock and ammeter) and the LD Riviera, both having many accessories as standard, but at a premium price over the base model.

A Lambretta Model A, complete with luggage

Vespa radio fitted to Rod Model

At a similar period (and up to and including today’s market), the Vespa was far from left behind on the accessory front; among the more memorable and collectable items available in the UK were the Vespa Club cog badges with their chrome and enamel faces.

Also (and not to be beaten by the Lambretta), the accessory market echoed those supplied for its rivals – even down to a radio. Some Vespa legshield front embellishers were huge affairs covering the top half of the legshield – somewhat ‘over-the-top’ Ulma products, to be honest, and very much a matter of taste into the bargain; but like all things, accessories are a matter of personal taste and the phrase that applies here is: ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’. The continental, non-Italian, market for accessories catered for the French market by Ardor and, also notably, the German Hoffman and later Messerschmitt model offerings – sometimes in quite a baroque manner to the extent that there was something of an otherworldly Viking Valhalla look if the scheme was carried out using everything posted in the accessory catalogues. Again, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ to use another excuse for outrageous accessorising.

UNORTHODOX & ‘ACQUIRED’ ACCESSORIES

Scooter accessories weren’t made principally for scooters; the Desmo Company with their ‘Nymphs’ and other similar car mascots were roped-in to embellish many a front rack, not forgetting to mention many an unfortunate Mercedes-Benz being relieved of its ‘gunsight’ radiator insignia, as also were (but slightly less often) the Rolls-Royce ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ flying lady emblems and, the most purloined of all, the leaping Jaguar mascot. Another freebie was found in the beautifully domed VW Beetle hub caps – a perfect fit to 10in scooter rims, making them an equally easy target for any cash-strapped would-be 1960s accessoriser.

These looked particularly ‘ace’ if fitted to the Vespa front wheel with a mounting hole drilled off-centre near the crown of the hub, so they appeared to rise and fall as the front wheel rotated (the light-fingered Lambretta owner wasn’t necessarily absolved of these crimes, as he could always bolt the VW hub caps onto the spare wheel on the backrest to gleam resplendently in the sunshine!).

The stainless perforated-around-the-edge hub caps from the ubiquitous BMC Mini were also freely available, as they were a common sight innocently displayed on any adjacent street and were (as the Mini shared the 10in wheel syndrome) a perfect fit for scooter rims.

The theft of parts, not just from cars, but from other scooters reached epidemic proportions during the 1960s and easily removed items such as spare wheels and the compressed air Sax hooters were seen as fair game and one good reason not to leave your scooter parked on the street.

LIGHTS & MIRRORS

At last we arrive at the non-scooter owning or general public’s mental picture of the classic scooter: ‘The Lights and Mirror Brigade’ – a much parodied look, but one with a certain reality quotient.

Although having largely run its course in London by 1964, but continuing on in the provinces to perhaps 1966, this was a clear fashion statement, partly driven by the Douglas Vespa Company from their satanic Bristol mills. It was an accessory ‘look’ that seemed to combine ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ on the poor benighted scooter.

The Douglas scheme was to dress up the district nurse’s favourite shopping scooter – the 8in wheeled Vespa Sportique – in new

Lambretta LDA Mayfair clock and ammeter clothes to make it look cool and to sell this UK home production Vespa to a younger audience. This ‘Modded-up Vespa’ was known as the Sportique Supreme, and to maintain a suitable youth appeal, it had been treated to a flamboyant polychromatic silver (usually) or a contrasting gold paint job with the additional chrome-plated mudguard and ‘bubbles’ (yes, the sidepanels were actually called that!) as a contrast to the chassis/headset colours.

All manner of accessories were added: Florida bars, rear racks, front racks and – not to mention – unofficial paraphernalia were also lavished on this very reliable, but not terribly exciting model that, by the way, saved the punter some forty quid off the price of the flagship, but Italian-built, GS 160 of the same period (see pic featuring none other

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Eddy Grimstead with accessorised Vespas

Arthur Francis and a Street Racer style Lambretta than the author of this piece sat astride his mate’s Sportique Supreme). This chrome extravagance (depending upon how one views the subject) was either the 60s version of the high point or the low point of the scooter and the accessory. Whatever you think, it is/was very difficult to ignore.

It was not just manufacturers who were ‘in on the game’; dealers such as the Eddy Grimstead organisation (for a period, the biggest UK scooter dealer for Lambretta and Vespa) also played a hand in stoking-up the accessory market, to the point of even having the newest accessories delivered straight from Italy by the vanload, courtesy of the Peckhambased Nannucci accessory company. These accessories were a perfect counterpoint to the scooters sold with two-tone paintwork offered as a Grimstead standard, but with no increase on the manufacturer’s recommended price. Accessories, if added to the limit of possibilities, could easily add as much 25% to the cost of a Grimstead scooter if ordered in the showroom at the point of sale.

THE ACCESSORY DOLDRUMS

The chrome-plated accessories had one major shortcoming (apart from the fact that they were a devil’s own job to keep clean) – the dreaded rust. Not universally, but generally, the chrome on original accessories was not good.

In fact, it was argued at the time by the more technically-minded, that the bare steel tubing of the various racks and bars was simply and cheaply chrome-plated without any protective and non-porous copper or nickel plate under the chrome. For the uninitiated, chrome at a microscopic level is porous (full of miniscule holes). After a couple of winters, especially in the UK where the roads are heavily dosed with corrosive salt to prevent ice forming on the carriageway, the once shiny, pristine accessories soon became reduced to an inelegant framework of red iron oxide (good old English rust)! This factor caused something of a revolution, in the second-half of the 1960s,

inasmuch as a new accessory aspect took over on the scooter styling front – the track, or street racer look.

Probably the smartest and most practical look ever, the street racer pared the scooter back to its factory original design, being setoff with accessories of the most limited, but essential kind: a spare wheel rack (often fitted behind the Lambretta’s legshield), or perhaps a low backrest to stop the pillion falling off and (Lambretta only) the rear, miniscule Sebring carrier. A flyscreen was always an option of course. The practicalities are obvious – the scooter was now far easier to keep clean and was usually faster, as the accessories were now minimal; the overall power-to-weight loss was considerably improved.

Leading the charge in this change of direction in scooter customising from 1963 was, among other sports-focused dealers, Arthur Francis Ltd, Watford’s finest scooter supplier, whose track riding exploits, or those of his riders, his self-promoting magazine articles and his unique, keynote spray jobs were a great contemporary influence on the street racer look.

APOLOGIES TO THE READER

To try to capture a subject as vast as scooter accessories in a few words is quite difficult and this article must be seen as a very inexact and truncated history. There’s many questions to be asked and even more to be answered –

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Ulma legshield accessories

one being the strange naming system of some accessories. Why, for instance, were the sidemounted crashbars on the Vespa that were made in Italy, given American-sounding names such as Floridas, New Yorkers and Cadillacs etc? Perhaps we will never know the answer to that one, but it all adds more to the mystique and interest that surrounds the wonderful world of scootering.

Vespita There’s only one scooter accessory reference book known on the subject: Lambretta Fuoriserie Gli Accessori by Vittorio Tessera, published by Casa Lambretta. Price: £44.

Note: Despite the title, Vespa accessories are featured. Many thanks to the kindness of Ian Wilkins for supplying images used in this article.

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ALL THE WAY FROM FRANCE

Lebrec Lambretta After writing about Allen Beacock’s French LD 125 in the last issue, I came across another Lambretta originally built at the Italian Innocenti factory, then exported to Lambretta France in Levallois-Perret, after which it was redistributed to the local Argentan Concessionaire, M Lebrec.

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mall changes were made to this S2 Lambretta Li 125 for the French market, including the addition of a combined number plate and an unusual rear LD rear light setup. This information was given to me by my French friend, Damien Masson, who explained he was unsure if this change was made before it was exported to France, or at the dealership in Argentan.

This gem of a scooter found its way over to the UK and was spotted at an event at Newark Showground where a mate of Warren Shaw (Shaw-Fire Lambretta Spares) called him and said: “You won’t believe what I’ve found.” Warren immediately asked his mate to put a bid in for the Lambretta, as the original asking price was a little high; Warren told him not to pay any more than £750 and he’d pick the scooter up later if successful. Not hearing anything for a while, Warren carried on working; then he got a phone call – it was his mate puffing and panting: “I hope you have £750, as I’ve just pushed this scooter all the way from the showground to yours!” Wish I had mates like that, going above and beyond to make a deal come off.

PLEASED AS PUNCH

After seeing the scooter’s patina Warren couldn’t have been more pleased with his purchase. He approached another good friend, Bob Freeman, to strip and rebuild the

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engine, which was upgraded to a Mugello 198 barrel and piston with a long-stroke crank and keeping the original Li 125 gearbox. A hidden Oiltek hydraulic master cylinder was fitted under the left footboard so that a front disc brake could be fitted to improve stopping power (Warren was going to use the scooter for the journey to the 2017 Euro Lambretta in Adria, Italy, so the extra stopping power might be called for on those hilly, European mountain regions).

The only problems Warren came up against were the front mudguard and damaged rear runners. After a long, unsuccessful search for replacements having similar patina to the scooter, it was decided to hand over the fabrication job to make replacements and repair – perfect, job done.

With a planned 2000 mile round trip across Europe, just one last modification was required and that was to fit a battery to run a sat-nav, phone charger or other accessories – I didn’t dig any deeper into just what that was, because everyone who knows Warren will realise his favourite tipple is tea – hence the newly signwritten sidepanels: ‘Earl Grey, Mandarin Tea Company’.

PILING ON THE MILES

Now well into the 2018 scooter rally season, the Lebrec scooter has done 3000-plus miles, having been to Italy, Shipston and Derby, among other venues, and it has proven to be very reliable. It has a cruising speed of around 60mph (65 at a push) and the fact that it is able to keep up this pace all day long is a testament to the skills of Warren’s engine building buddy, Bob Freeman. Reliability is key when doing the road miles on a Lambretta.

In Italy, one of the highlights for Warren was to visit the Innocenti factory site in Milan and have a photograph of his Italian-built Lambretta – who’d have guessed so many enthusiasts would return with their scooters after 57 years for a photoshoot?

I asked Warren if he had anything else to add to the scooter? His reply was “many more miles”. As a founder member of Newark on Trent SC back in 1979, he enjoys nothing more than riding with his pals to this day – albeit in the now-formed Lincoln and Newark Scooter Rider Collective, who took the prestigious ‘Best Club’ title last year in the LCGB’s signing-on championship event.

Those same young lads from 1979 still join-up together to ride great distances across the UK and Europe on their (mostly) trusty Lambrettas, with some mishaps along the way; but they always enjoy the ride.

So what is Warren’s advice or tips for anyone starting a scooter project at this present time? “Always try to use your local dealer if possible and don’t forget to multiply how much you think you might want to spend by two – it’s certainly an expensive hobby this scooter lark.”

I think he must be right; I’ve helped with many projects over the years and everyone tells me they end up spending much more than budgeted for. There’s always that next

new part that’s just come out that will improve the scooter in one way or another.

THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Warren never forgets his mates: Bob Freeman, ever present to give mechanical advice and support just when you think it’s time to give up; Tim Devos for his fantastic skills in fabrication and painting; and last but not least, his ‘phone a friend’ buddy and mentor, Martin Cobb, who Warren often consults on a daily basis.

Rich Addison

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PROJECT COMETA

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A TRUE SHED FIND

True bargains are hard to find, but every now and again one crops up that you can’t turn down (well, that I couldn’t turn down).

Last December a ‘for sale’ appeared on the Luna Owners Club forum for a Cometa that had been sat in a shed for over 20 years – so the seller said!

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he seller had provided a link to an online picture album and on checking the images it appeared that the scooter was complete, though the seller did say that the engine was seized.

They also said that the scooter had no paperwork with it, but the registration could be claimed back from the DVLA. Doing a quick check on the DVLA vehicle checker, the registration came back as not being found. I checked where the registration was originally from and it was a Glasgow registration. An email to the Glasgow Archives revealed that they had no paperwork for the scooter either – so at this point I had no way of proving that the frame matched the registration number. I decided that although the scooter was being sold at a good price, I’d try and secure a better price by offering £800 which the seller accepted (well, if you don’t ask you don’t get)!

Trouble is, I’d now bought a scooter that I’d never seen, with no paperwork and I had to get it back from Scotland to the England.

Easier said than done!

UNDER PRESSURE

The next issue was that although the seller had agreed £800, he also wanted it moving before Christmas; now that did pile the pressure on. Luckily, I know David at Glasgow Lambretta and he agreed that he’d collect the scooter and store it until I was ready to have it collected. As everyone will know last winter was bad in terms of weather, so it wasn’t until March that the scooter was moved from Glasgow down to Derbyshire for David ‘Waddo’ Waddingham to work on.

When it got to Waddo’s, I asked him to let me know the scooter’s frame number, as I felt that a V62 application to the DVLA may work. The V62 process is for people who have a machine with a registration number, but no logbook. You simply fill in the form, send it with a £25 cheque to DVLA then sit back and wait. You’re essentially waiting for one of two things to happen. The first is a letter from DVLA, along with your cheque and a message of thanks, but no thanks. The other is a new logbook dropping through your letterbox.

V62 sent off and time to sit and wait.

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In the meantime I agreed a plan of action with Waddo for the Cometa. The plan was simple. A conserved rebuild, replacing cables, tyres, rubbers and anything else that needed replacing while keeping the integrity of the machine’s original paintwork. After all, it didn’t appear from the photographs I’d seen that it was too far gone and as we all know, something is only original once!

ANOTHER PIECE OF THE JIGSAW

One thing missing from the scooter when I bought it was the stand. Now, while the stand may only be a minor item it meant that working on the scooter was difficult, if nigh on impossible. Luckily, the previous owner had sent me the stand and I was able to send it up to Waddo. Now, he was in a better position to begin work on Project Cometa.

While Waddo started work on the Cometa and I waited for the DVLA, I did some browsing on eBay. The first items I saw when searching for Cometa items were a couple of tax disc holders and associated bits and pieces. A quick zoom-in on the one tax disc holder that had a tax disc in it, showed the registration of my Cometa. The tax disc ran out in August 1977; I noticed the seller’s name and realised it was the same fella who’d sold me the Cometa. A quick exchange of emails and an agreement on price and the items were mine.

Little did I know that I just added another piece of the jigsaw to my Cometa puzzle.

Waddo did admit to me that when the Cometa was delivered to him he did wonder what I’d taken on and whether actually it was only fit for the skip!

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First things first and Waddo started a strip-down so that he could see what state the frame and bodywork were in and to then see what was needed. The once-dirty paintwork was pressure washed and cleaned with T-cutting being part of the process along the way. One thing that did stick out was one of the stand cross members. Essentially it wasn’t attached and needed to be re-attached, especially as a previous owner had bodged it (probably why the stand wasn’t fitted).

The engine was seized (well, the scooter had been sat idle since 1977, so a seize was expected) so the engine casing nuts were loosened and the engine casing washed out and cleaned. The seized piston ended up being discarded and the cylinder had a hone and a new piston fitted.

With the stand cross member repaired (correctly this time), the stand could be fitted

and Waddo actually had something he could work on without being bent double. As any Luna Line owner will tell you the forks do tend to swivel to the left and right and hit the legshields when the scooter is on its stand, so new steering stops were welded to the forks. The stand had new feet fitted and new bearings were fitted along with the now repaired forks.

With the forks in, the front brake was serviced and the front wheel fitted. This now meant that the scooter was back on two wheels and looking a little more like it should.

New cables were also fitted and one of the

more important jobs was tackled. What would that be? Yes, cleaning-out the petrol tank and the Cometa’s oil tank. After all, it’s the separate oil tank that marks the Cometa out from the Vega.

When Waddo cleaned the fuel tank and oil tank, he had to fix the Lubematic operating lever. The end of the original had been broken-off where the cable attaches (again a previous owner had bodged the end which had made it too long, so the Lubematic system would not reach full flow when operating at maximum revs. The bodge was also fouling the cable retaining bracket. The solution? Waddo cut it off and made his own. A check of his handiwork showed that the clearance was now okay and the pump should work as it ought to.

Next on the job list was a carburetor refurb which saw it being stripped and cleaned in a sonic cleaner. Once cleaned, it was reassembled and re-fixed. Everything was now working as Mr Innocenti intended. The clutch and gears were all selecting and the Lubematic system (now newly cleaned and bled) was a functioning item. A test ride by Waddo showed that the throttle was bit heavy, but they are on the Cometa. The reason for that is because you’re not just trying to operate the carburetor, but also the pump on one cable. That aside, the machine was now back and working after its long shedbased vacation.

ALL IS REVEALED

While Waddo was doing his bit, I was dealing with a request from someone about their Indian GP which had an original UK registration and while doing that I checked the DVLA vehicle checker for the registration of my Cometa. It had been a couple of weeks now and I’d heard nothing from the DVLA. To my surprise, EGB 253K now appeared on the screen (last taxed in 1977 with the tax being due in September 1977), so the disc I had was the last one issued to the scooter. The DVLA information also stating that the scooter was registered in June 1972.

On checking my records for the Cometa production, it was clear that my scooter was built in 1969 and had sat around then for some three-and-a bit years before being bought. Next, in mid-1977, the scooter was put away; consigned to life in a shed (at least it was sheltered from the elements and not simply left outside to rust and rot away)! It was also clear that the Cometa had spent a lot of its life just hanging around – three years and four months from production to sale, 40 years sat in a shed, then a couple of months in Glasgow Lambretta before work was started on the resurrection. The mileage showing on the speedo (5932) would appear

to be genuine given that it was on the road for just over five years when it was put away.

A week later I had a letter from the DVLA telling me that they were processing my application for the logbook – great news as I didn’t want to lose part of the scooter’s heritage by having to ditch the original registration and then apply for an age-related plate. Subsequently I received the new V5C for my Cometa, though the only thing to change now was the taxation class – after all it was still classed as a bicycle for taxation purposes.

On the issue of taxation classes, I took the V5C to my local post office and asked if they could change the class to Historic Vehicle. I also took a completed V112 so that I could show that the Cometa didn’t need an MOT due to its age. The counter clerk confirmed that the system showed that my scooter didn’t need an MOT and she just needed to see the V112 to confirm why. That part done, she then set about changing the taxation class (also done within 10 minutes); the Cometa was now taxed and MOT status updated. All I need to do now is get some miles in on the scooter – after all, it’s not going to be sat in a shed for another 40 plus years!

Pete Davies

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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IMPROVING YOUR CIRCULATION

Fast flow fuel taps – the truth

As their name suggests, they allow a faster flow of liquid through the fuelling system – but do they really work?

JB investigates…

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he majority of Lambretta owners have carried out some sort of performance modifications, whether it’s a simple carburettor and exhaust upgrade or a full-on race spec 225 conversion. Regardless of what upgrades you’ve carried out however, there is one underlying similarity that links them all together and that is the need to get more fuel/air mixture into the combustion chamber. This means getting more fuel from the petrol tank into the carburettor with the main restriction being the fuel tap – hence the availability of various ‘fast flow’ fuel taps.

But how many owners, when replacing their original tap, bother to check it against the new one? Other topics of discussion that we’ve heard (especially online in the various forums and associated pages) is do they flow more fuel when the tank is full or half-full, or even when on reserve? We tend to pay our money and fit the part, hoping that the manufacturers have done their homework and tested the product fully, so we just assume it does what it says on the tin!

With this in mind, we decided to run a little test using a couple of the most popular variants against a brand-new stock item in full tank, half-tank and reserve mode to see exactly what the figures show. To replicate a real world situation we used a fuel/oil mixture at 3% with a standard Lambretta fuel tank from a Series 2. The results are interesting to say the least; the taps do in fact flow a larger volume of fuel, but they also have some very different specifications when it comes to the reserve feature.

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PROBLEM SOLVER

1 A simple test rig was set up to support a standard Series 2 fuel tank that could then empty into a marked container. Each fuel tap was tested in exactly the same manner, first with a full tank of fuel, then half-a-tank and finally the fuel was drained-off until the reserve setting was required and then it was tested again. For each test the tap was opened for one minute to allow a decent amount of fuel to flow out before the results were then recorded.

2

3

The first tap to be tested was the OMG standard item, Shaw-Fire Lambretta Spares sells these for £7.50 and this gave us a benchmark to compare the fast flow taps to. The results were as follows: Full tank 290ml, half tank 240ml, and reserve 200ml, all achieved in a one minute time frame.

What was interesting to see was that the tank did indeed flow more fuel when it was full as compared to half-full and again when it was half-full compared to the reserve setting, so regular fuel stops on long runs are essential to maintaining the best flow of fuel to the engine.

5

4 The first fast flow tap we tested was the OMG version, again in full tank, half-tank and reserve settings. With the full tank of fuel the OMG tap flowed 550ml of fuel giving an increase in flow over the standard item of 89%.

With the tank half-full, the flow was measured at 440ml, so slightly less, but still a healthy 83% increase over the standard item. On the reserve setting the flow was very similar to the half-tank setting at 430ml and we measured just under two litres still in the tank when it was turned onto the reserve setting.

CONCLUSION

Our final test was the Scootopia fast flow tap which proved to be the quicker of the two we tested with a full tank flow rate of 585ml, giving an increase over the standard item of a tad over 100%! The half-tank flow rate was virtually the same increase over the standard item at 480ml.

I’m pleased to say that on the taps we tried, the fast flow items did indeed flow a considerable amount more fuel over the stock item by at least 89%. The half tank reading did show that the flow rate was indeed lower than with a full tank by around 20% less – so worth bearing in mind if you have a real fire breather of an engine. The reserve settings however showed the biggest difference; the two OMG taps did have a reduced flow at this level but it was the point at which they went onto reserve that differed greatly with the Scootopia item. The latter went onto reserve with only 220ml left in the tank, so you could ride further before this happens but you have much less left in the tank to get you to the nearest station.

RIGHT: The reserve setting was the biggest difference on the Scootopia, as it only flowed 220ml before the tank was empty! I tried this a few times to ensure I hadn’t missed something, but it seems that the Scootopia has a very small reserve capacity – something that’s going to be worth bearing in mind if you’re running this setup!

■ Thanks to Warren at Shaw-Fire Lambretta Spares (07702 037069 | sales@shaw-firelambrettaspares.co.uk) for the loan of the taps; they’re priced at £10.50 for the Scootopia fast flow, £9.50 for the OMG fast flow, and £7.50 for the OMG standard item.

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THE FINALE

Triumph Tigress 5 PART

There’s a very wise saying I’ve heard many times when it comes to building or restoring a scooter and it goes something like this: whatever your budget and timescale, multiply it by two for a more accurate forecast!

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ow while I’m happy to say it’s come in well under budget, Project Tigress has taken me far longer than originally anticipated. The main reasons for this are no doubt familiar to many of you; work and family, but I’ve also added into the mix another full scooter build along the way.

Will I never learn?

I have to say though, of all the scooters I’ve built over the last 30-odd years, this is by far my favourite. Possibly because it’s very different to what I normally build, but also because it’s very different to anything else out there! The Triumph Tigress and BSA Sunbeam scooters are quite a rarity on the scooter scene and I’ve only ever come across them in private collections; never at a rally or a rideout, so it will be interesting to see what sort of a reaction it gets.

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Being such a rare scooter means that spares can be quite hard to come by; there isn’t the back-up that Lambretta and Vespa scooters get. Luckily as mine is so heavily modified, when a part hasn’t been available I’ve just made my own; but I do feel for those carrying out a complete restoration. Making or modifying parts myself has also helped to keep the budget at a reasonable level and the only parts I’ve really had to pay for are those that I can’t do myself, such as re-covering the custom seat, or doing the artwork that adorns the panels.

When it comes to wiring a scooter, I’m usually pretty good as it’s normally just a case of purchasing an off-the-shelf loom and connecting it to various parts. With the Triumph I’ve had to do everything from scratch. Not only the wiring loom itself, but

SCOOTER OWNER

Name: Jon Betts First scooter: Vespa 90 Other scooters owned: Numerous Lambrettas, small frame Vespas and a PX125 Favourite scooter: Has to be this one now!

Favourite rally: Mersea Island, always a cracking weekend

FEATURED SCOOTER

Make/model/year: 1959 Triumph Tigress Paintwork: Matt Black paint with artwork by The Monster Forge Engine: Typhoon 125cc air-cooled, 28mm Stage 6 carburettor, PM59 exhaust Brakes: Typhoon front and rear disc brakes Other mods: Standard frame modified to accept auto engine, custom-made seat covered by Corky, modified Vespa Smallframe fuel tank

also the switches and I’ve been working with a starting system and charging system that I have no experience with so it’s all been a big learning curve! I’d initially thought that the regulator I was using was broken as I couldn’t find a 12v source from it. After asking numerous people it turns out that you first have to apply a 12v feed to the box once the engine is running before that happens; who knew?

With the scooter now finished, I’m pleased to say it’s turned out far better than I imagined. The look is exactly what I had in

mind, very 1950s hot rod inspired and a good mix of old and new styles. In fact, I like it so much that I’ve already bought two more BSA frames and a selection of panels so in the coming months (okay, years) you might see one or two more on the scene!

Special thanks go out to all those that helped on this project, especially Phil Appleyard at The Monster Forge whose artwork has really helped make the scooter what it is. Also, Stephen Robinson for his invaluable advice and parts and Dave Wilson at RetroTech Racing.

Jon Betts

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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GIVE YOUR TANK A TREAT

Sealing a rusty fuel tank An internally rusty fuel tank, whatever make of scooter, can cause all sorts of problems and expense and usually when you want to use the machine. Rust particles will block fuel pipes, clog-up filters and possibly damage engine parts.

So, if you have a tank that’s giving problems, why not bite the bullet and sort it out before it gets worse.

T

he process should only take a few hours plus the time it takes to remove and refit the tank. There are several products on the market for sealing fuel tanks but, in my opinion, the best one available is the POR-15 kit available from Frost Restoration.

The reason this kit is better is because the tank is treated in three stages. The fuel tank needs to be drained, removed, cleaned externally and then checked for small leaks before starting.

It should be emphasised that the correct safety equipment must be employed when using this kit, particularly when handling the Metal Prep and Sealer. (Picture 1) The three elements of the process are: the Cleaner/Degreaser (left of image) – a powerful detergent that removes old fuel residues and sludge from inside the tank; the Metal Prep (right of image) is a strong acid that both removes any rust in the tank and prepares the metal for the final stage of the process, which is the Sealer (centre). (Picture 2) Once the tank has been removed, all orifices must be sealed to prevent leakage during the processes; when doing this remember that one of the stages is an acid.

It’s a good idea to use another method of sealing the filler hole rather than the fuel cap.

Tank caps are usually vented and the sealant may clog the cap. I use an old sealed filler cap and a modified fuel tap for this.

At this point it is a good idea to prepare a stable support for the tank, particularly if it has no flat sides. (Picture 3)

2 The kit

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PROBLEM SOLVER

1

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: Face mask Rubber gloves Funnel Measuring jug

The correct equipment It may be worthwhile, to aid the removal of the sludge and rust, to put a handful of old nuts and bolts in the tank together with some diesel or paraffin. Then shake the tank around for a while and let the nuts and bolts rattle about and dislodge all the flaking rust and

sludge within. I usually find this hard work, but when you drain the tank you may be surprised to see just how effective it is. This will be seen by the detritus that comes out when the tank is drained and the nuts and bolts removed.

(Pictures 4 & 5)

3 Sealing the orifices and making a stable support

4

5

Adding nuts and bolts into tank…

…then shaking the tank

8 Drying out the tank…

6

7

Adding the Cleaner/Degreaser

Adding the Metal Prep

The tank is now ready for the Cleaner/ Degreaser. This is poured into the tank together with hot water on a ratio of up to 5:1 but at least 1:1. On a tank of this size 1:1 is fine, but a larger tank may need more liquid. The tank should be shaken vigorously and then turned regularly to ensure all the internal surfaces are kept wet. After a minimum of 20 minutes the tank can be drained and flushed out with water.

The tank does not need to be dry for the next stage, only drained. However, you will get better adhesion with a dry substrate rather than a wet one. (Picture 6) The Metal Prep can now be added to the tank, remembering to use the safety equipment. Once it is in, the liquid should be rolled around to cover all internal surfaces.

Leave the tank on each side at a time for around 30 minutes so that the acid can really get to work on the rust. When turning to a fresh side, roll the liquid around to ensure all surfaces remain wet. The tank can now be drained and flushed out with hot water.

The instructions note that the Metal Prep is re-usable, so can be strained and saved in the original container. (Picture 7)

The tank must now be fully dry inside because the Sealer will not adhere to damp surfaces; one way of doing this with a hot air gun. Once dry, the Sealer can be poured in and the tank slowly rotated to cover all internal surfaces. The Sealer can now be drained out of the tank. It’s very important that no pools of Sealer remain in the tank as these may cause problems later. The instructions on the tin note that the Sealer, once drained, cannot be re-used – a pity because only 10% was used on this tank.

(Pictures 8 & 9) Once the tank is fully drained of Sealer, it’s very important to ensure all the various orifices and external surfaces are cleaned of all traces of the Sealer before it dries – because once dry, it sets very hard and is difficult to remove. If the tank has an internal pipe its vital this pipe is cleared before the Sealer sets. The Sealer should be left to cure for at least 96 hours before any fuel is added. Once fully cured, POR-15 should not be affected by any modern fuels or additives.

(Picture 10) David Brown

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Frost Restorations for supplying the POR-15 kit. Full instructions for each stage of the process are found on the containers and further product details can be found at www.frost.co.uk

9 …and adding the Sealer

10 Draining the tank

SUBSCRIBE TODAY SEE PAGE 48

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SCOOTER CLUBS & MEETING PLACES BUCKS

SPARTANS MK SC Based in Milton Keynes, Spartan MK SC is a well supported club. Info: Ray Reader: mobile 07969 263840, or 01908 395961 / Lyn Tofts: 07831 383377 (for clothing and general info) / Facebook: ‘SPARTANS MKSC’ TIN SOLDIERS SC Meet at the Coffee Bean, Bletchley, on Saturdays at 10.30am, or monthly at The Prince Albert Pub, Bradwell Village last Thursday of month at 8pm.

See the Facebook page, or call Steve on 07970 607620.

DORSET

LOWRIDERS SC Based in Weymouth, members ride weird and wonderful machines in all weathers.

Facebook: ‘Lowriders Scooter Club Dorset’

ESSEX

CHELMSFORD SC Meet first/third Thursday of the month at The Bird in Hand pub, New Writtle Street, Chelmsford (near cricket ground); meetings are from 8.30pm onwards.

Phone 07940 440773; email ChelmsfordSC@aol.com

FLINTSHIRE

FLINTSHIRE SC Meet on Wednesday nights at the clubhouse behind the Leprechaun Hotel, Welsh Road, Garden City Flintshire CH5 2HX. All scooter riders welcome.

THE NORTHERN ACES SC Deeside (North Wales border).

We welcome all classic scooterists.

Meet Weds at the Castle Inn (Hendeys), Brook Road, Shotton, Flintshire CH5 1HL. For information contact Rich 01244 823112 or Coaty 07872 953780.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

GLOUCESTER & CHELTENHAM SC (GACSC) Meet every Wednesday at the Aviator Pub, Staverton Airport at 7pm for a local rideout commencing at 7.30pm. All makes welcome. Weekend rideouts to national rallies and local events. Info: Andy (07546 485534) or Dave (07901 877917) or see GACSC Facebook page for details.

HAMPSHIRE

GRENADIERS SC Welcomes new members in the Farnborough/Camberley areas.

Contact Andy on 01252 679546 for more information.

LANCS/CUMBRIA

TROJAN SC Covering Morecambe and the surrounding areas. Meetings first Thursday of month.

Contact us via Twitter (@trojan_sc).

LINCOLNSHIRE

BOSTON SC (UNOFFICIAL) The club has up to 30 scooters on Wednesday rideouts. Classic geared scooters are our mainstay, although autos are welcome. Scooter rallies are regularly attended. Find us on Facebook under ‘Boston Scooter Club (Unofficial!)’.

GENERATIONS SC All scooters welcome. Visit our Facebook group at http://tinyurl.com/jdzl85n where you’ll find full details.

SLEAFORD ALL-KNIGHTERS Meet at The Barge & Bottle on Wednesday nights. Contact Rob (07833 475602) or visit www.allknighterssc.co.uk

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LONDON

EAST LONDON & DISTRICT SC Email sirpaulconway@gmail.com or call 07904 349813/07561 569444.

FORESTERS SC, EAST LONDON/ESSEX New members are always very welcome, whatever they ride.

Our club meetings are held on every Wednesday night from 6.30pm onwards at The Horse and Well Pub, 566/568 High Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 OP5.

For more info contact Martin on 07957 663681 or alternatively visit www.mik016.wix.com/foresterssc ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SC Based in Enfield EN1, London.

For more information email sirpaulconway@gmail.com or phone 07904 349813/07561 569444.

SOULS OF ST GEORGE Based in the Beehive, New Eltham SE London and meet on the first Monday of the month until the weather gets better, then it’s fortnightly. Meet kicks-off around 8pm. Facebook: ‘Souls of St George Scooter Club’.

MIDLANDS

BIRMINGHAM ACES Meet at the Urban Village, Digbeth, Birmingham, on Saturdays and the last Sunday of every month at The Shakespeare Birmingham City Centre.

Info: sut7@hotmail.co.uk EMSA (EAST MIDLANDS SCOOTER ALLIANCE) Looking after all the interests of scooter clubs and individuals based within the East Midlands and the surrounding areas.

Email eastmidlandscooteralliance@ hotmail.com or search for them on Facebook via ‘East Midlands Scooter Alliance (EMSA)’.

NORTHERN IRELAND

A2 ACES SC Based in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. We meet in Brewers Fayre on the last Sunday of every month at 11.30am. We’re always on the lookout for new members.

We have 32 active scooter riding members and have weekly runs on every Thursday night and Sunday afternoons. For more info contact: rodney.champion@yahoo.co.uk MOVIN’ TARGETS SC Based in Bangor, County Down, our club has over 40 members – which makes us one of the biggest scooter clubs in Ireland. For more information visit the website: www.facebook.com/ movintargetsscooterclub

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE

LOST & LONELY SC Based in the Isle of Axholme, North Lincolnshire, between Scunthorpe, Gainsborough and Doncaster. Our club meets regularly at the Ingleby Arms in Amcotts at 7.30pm on the first Tuesday of every month. We are an informal club consisting of both male/female Lambretta and Vespa owners. For more information contact either Trevor (07947 725375) or Paul (07745 162760).

Website: http://lostandlonelysc.com/

NOTTS

WORKSOP MOD APPRECIATION SOCIETY Meet Wednesday nights at The Sherwood Ranger, High Road, Carlton in Lindrick.

Anyone is welcome to join in for a drink and a chat. Info: Al or Dave, 0754 124386, 07935 433454.

Advertise your club meeting here free of charge!

(Entries guaranteed for two issues only – after that, please send an update). Email mauspencer@classicscooterist.com

SCOTLAND

GRANITE CITY SC Meet at The Fittie Bar, Aberdeen, every second Monday. Annual membership £10. We also run with other scooterists in the area (not everyone wants to be in a club).

For more info email RobCar1969@msn.com

STAFFORDSHIRE

INBETWEENERS SC Based in Stoke-on-Trent, we meet on the last Thursday of every month at Burslem Golf Club, Stoke-on-Trent. Entry is free and soul, Motown and scooter sounds are played. We also hold Saturday night events every other month. Email giveupwork@ ntlworld.com for info.

NORTH STAFFS JESTERS SC, LEEK The club meets every Thursday at The Cock Inn, Derby St, Leek from 7.15pm onwards.

Info: Steph Knott – 07817 429616 / Jesterssc@hotmail.com / Facebook

SURREY

OLD GITS SCOOTER CLUB Meet every second and fourth Sunday of the month at The Railway Tavern, North Street Carshalton, Surrey.

Everyone welcome.

Contact oldgitsscooterclub@gmail.com CHEAM LAMBRETTA & VESPA CLUBS Clubs meet jointly at the Prince of Wales, Cheam Village Wednesdays from 8pm.

Cheam Lambretta Club contact: Eric Jones (01276 23757). Cheam Vespa Club contact: Paul Roger (07986 258027)

SUSSEX

AREA 51 SC The club is based in Worthing, West Sussex.

For regular updates on what we are up to take a look on our Facebook page.

Alternatively, our website address is www.area51scooterclub.com or failing that you can contact Sarah on 07932 554298 or via email: saraharea51sc@gmail.com

WARWICKSHIRE

BEDWORTH SAINTS The club meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 7pm at the Collycroft WMC in Bedworth (in Collycroft).

We welcome any and all scooterists, non-scooterists, or people who are just looking to have a friendly chat. All ages are welcome. There are no membership fees. Info available from Steve (07736 834073) or via Facebook http://tinyurl.com/z8slckx

NATIONAL SCOOTER CLUBS

BRITISH LAMBRETTA OWNERS ASSOCIATION Club membership is only £10. Info: innocentiSX200@btinternet.com / 07846 728821.

LUNA OWNERS CLUB Do you own a Lui, Vega or Cometa? If you do, email lunaownersclub@hotmail.com and send your machine details.

NEW UNTOUCHABLES Twenty-first century modernism and Sixties Mod culture. Visit www.newuntouchables .com for more information.

VESPA CLUB OF BRITAIN We invite all Vespa, Piaggio and Gilera scooter owners to come along and join us; also to become a member of the World Vespa Club through the Vespa Club of Britain. Info: www.vespaclubofbritain.co.uk (World Vespa Club website: www.vespaworldclub.com).

VETERAN VESPA CLUB Catering for all classic Vespa enthusiasts around the UK. Website contact: www.veteranvespaclub.com Email: vvcmembership@veteranvespaclub.com ZUNDAPP BELLA ENTHUSIASTS CLUB Own a Bella? Join our group of likeminded enthusiasts and share advice, tips and event news with fellow Zundapp owners. Info: briancrook@blueyonder.co.uk / 01772 516924. Website: www.zuendapp-bella.org/zbec/

UK NATIONAL SCOOTER-RELATED ORGANISATIONS BSSO The British Scooter Sports Association runs events throughout the UK for all scooters – automatic or classic, solo or sidecar. There are events for both off-road scootacross and high-speed racing at many of the UK’s best known circuits.

Visit www.scooterracing.org.uk for more information.

HEINKEL CLUB Heinkel Club – Tourist scooter help, advice wanted or given. Rallies, parts, magazines, etc. wanted. Website: www.heinkel-trojanclub.co.uk (01482 806405).

MODS OF YOUR GENERATION Original Mods, revivalists, and young people discovering ‘the scene’ today #ModsOfYourGeneration. Keep up to date with what happened and what’s happening on the scene today, yesterday and tomorrow. Find us on online by typing #ModsOfYourGeneration or https://m.facebook.com/ modsofyourgeneration/ VFM An organisation of active scooterists dedicated to keeping scootering alive in the world. Email vfmscoot2@aol.com or visit the website at www.vfmscoot.co.uk for further information.

OVERSEAS SCOOTER CLUBS AUSTRALIA

LAMBRETTA CLUB OF AUSTRALIA Australia’s official and internationally recognised Lambretta club, with scooter riding members from every state and territory. Benefits include club vendor scheme, quarterly newsletter, internet forum and Lambretta advice. Visit www.lambrettaclubaustralia.com or contact: Max Box (president) – max_invincible@hotmail.com or Mark Williamson (secretary) – mark.awilliamson@yahoo.com

MALLORCA

XAPILLES SCOOTER CLUB (Formerly known as Ruters SC). Based in Mallorca, the club has many different scooters from all over Spain and beyond.

Our membership welcomes you with open arms offering things such as mechanical or technical advice (or just to come along for the stunningly beautiful rideouts).

Call Paul on 00 34699 852703.

SPAIN

‘LOS MOTOS LOCOS’ SC An ex-pat scooter club in the Fuengirola/ Benalmadena region of the Costa de Sol. Members meet up regularly for rideouts; they also have a full calendar of events.

Info: search ‘losmotoslocos’ on Facebook.

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GILERA RUNNER 125 VXR, 55 plate, only 2130 miles from new, exceptional condition, dry use only, long MoT, £1475 ono. Tel. 07882 498588.

LAMBRETTA GP200 1981, (SIL Indian), been on Sorn since owner was first taken ill, exc cond. Offers around £5000 Tel. 07947 627319 for info.

Eythorne, Dover.

LAMBRETTA S1 1959, V5, frame and engine match V5 , Chiselspeed Stage 4 tuned 190cc barrel, 25mm std Dell’Orto, £4500. Email: cjiruk@ gmail.com in Kilmarnock for info.

SCOMADI TL50 with 172 2-stroke engine, still reg as a 50cc, but recent conversion. 65 plate, £3500. Tel. 07866 720333. timmason10@ ntlworld.com Derbys

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LAMBRETTA

LAMBRETTA 125 LI

LAMBRETTA 240SS

LI Series 2, 200cc, reg as 125cc, fast & reliable scooter in mint condition, nut & bolt restoration about 6 years ago, £5250. Tel. 07723 339724.

1965, 15,226km, renovated in 2000 with 150cc, elec upgrades to 12v, running perfectly, vgc, £3250 ono. Tel. 01204 469068. jaseslater@gmail.com Horwich.

Challenger 1 engine, Wiseco H2 piston (from Kawasaki 750), Mikuni TMZ 35mm carburettor, SX200 gearbox, 1971. Email: collier_tdc@yahoo.co.uk for info.

LAMBRETTA LI 125 Special, Italian man, nut & bolt rebuild, badged SX200 (new Indian engine), £3200.

Tel. 07814 786409. chris@ corepublicationslimited.co.uk

LAMBRETTA S2 Li 125, nicely sorted SX200 engine, owned 17 yrs, lots of documentation, too much to list, £4250. Tel. 07967 333559. richard118uk@yahoo.ie Solihull

SPANISH LI175 Professional rest 2015, driven 6000 miles only, has been dry stored,12v conv, 1978, £4500.

Tel. 07802 433072. Alanargy7@ gmail.com Croydon

VESPA GL150

VESPA GT200

(T5 engine), MoT, autolube, serviced 80 miles ago and new carb fitted, sounds and looks great, £3150 Tel. 07970 694558.

Philipjt02@gmail.com Notts

Owned since new, Italian, rear box, MoT, s/s exhaust, garaged last two years, £1250 Tel. 07778 852539. paulrosdol@msn.com Chichester

LAMBRETTA LI 125 1964, std unmodified, 12v elec conv, total strip/back to frame repaint, exc cond, £3500 p/x poss. Tel. 07976 285445. richard.moore66@ntlworld.com

LAMBRETTA GP150 1970 (one of last orig Italian models imported), exc cond, new carb fitted to bring it up to spec. Offers around £6000. Tel. 07947 627319 for info. Dover.

LAMBRETTA LI 125

LAMBRETTA LI 150

1964, (175) S3, professionally restored in 2009 and only 27 miles, lots of chrome/stainless, MoT, £5250 Tel. 07825 837430. forshawb@gmail.com Liverpool

(175cc), Silver Special, Italian, upgraded to 175cc, fitted with a 12v conv kit, £4900. Tel. 07989 591009. gothamd.metalwork@ btinternet.com Worrall.

MURAVERY TULA TRIKE

NECO ABRUZZI

SCOMADI TL300

Rare PX-engined trike, rev gear, reg as trike, imported early 80s, needs recommissioning, £3000 or offers. Tel. 07504 402904. keithmiddleton41@gmail.com

125cc Vespa look-a-like, reg 2011, 4 stroke engine, moded up with jag lights, crash bars, £1100. Tel. 01322 559623. Kent.

No 26 of only 30 built before the present Chinese production scooters, built with Vespa GTS 300 motor, MoT, £7000. Tel. 07739 372987. Ishy66@me.com

SS HURRICANE 180 (Eddy Grimstead), rare breed, v well restored, genuine frame, engine and VIN no, exc, MoT, £6500. Tel. 07765 246925. tonyjtindale@hotmail.com

VESPA PX150 DISC Owners manual, service book, V5, HPI cert, full s/h, MoT until Aug, mechanically perfect, £2500. Tel. 07812 203038. lee. platt@hotmail.co.uk London

VESPA T5

VESPA T5 CLASSIC

VESPA T5 CLASSIC.

Mk 1, 80s style Armandos, fitted with Malossi 172 kit and 26mm Dell’Orto and reed valve, £3000 Tel. 07516 227111. leithy_1998@ hotmail.com Portsmouth.

1992, one owner, 23 years, new: engine, MoT, saddle, tyres etc, 35k miles, always garaged, best sensible offer. Tel. 07910 560258. W London.

1997, good runner, paperwork and photo history available, 80s casuals, graphics on panels and tool box, £2000 Open to offers.

Tel. 07875 911664. Leeds.

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SYM MAXSYM 600i ABS 2015 auto maxi scooter, MoT, 14k miles, top box, manual, two keys, one previous owner, £3195 ono Tel. 07521 571529. Liverpool

VESPA PX177 Only 106km, built by Armandos with 177cc Pinasco motor upgrade, Whitewall tyres, £2995.

Tel. 07710 507950. Email: leeclarke12@aol.com Coventry

VESPA V100 Primavera 125cc engine, Primavera Faco Banana pipe, 4-sp, 12v conv, V5, MoT, £2150 ono. Tel. 07738 594519.

Happytimes72@live.co.uk

T5 CLASSIC c/w original parts incl exhaust, 3,987 miles, MoT, serviced, 125cc engine, equivalent of a P200, £3000 Tel. 07841 989118. candypsycholou@gmail.com

VESPA T5 Millennium, No. 279 of 400, 12,638 miles, MoTs, orig paperwork, £2200 ovno. Tel. 07737 100808. dennisthebadger@yahoo.co.uk

PERSONAL NO PLATE: ‘X1 MOD’ currently held on a retention certificate. This is an executor sale. Open to offers.

Tel. 07947 627319. Eythorne, Dover.

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READERS’ FREE ADS For sale MR VOODOO custom scooter, everything that could be engraved was

by Maestro Adi Clark, the artwork is amazing, extended forks, 4-plate clutch, hand-made seat, Jim Lomas exhaust, bike totally rebuilt and has not been on the road since, £5995 Tel. 07860 335039. darren@dwjfencing.com GP200 reg as 125cc, Mod-style, great runner, MoT, £5000. Tel. 07584 290078. jcopeland1690@ yahoo.co.uk CLASSIC SCOOTERIST is always on the lookout for magazine articles and historical pictures from the past. If you have something to share with our readers, please contact Mau by phoning 01507 529408, or by emailing him at mauspencer@ classicscooterist.com LAMBRETTA LI 150 (175) Series 3, Italian, MoT April 2019, SIP alloys, Special side panels, loads of upgrades, being sold as owner is retiring from scootering (so 10 years of parts will go with it), great paintwork, very reliable, priced to sell, very reliable, completed LCGB C2C last year and Cartmel Rally with no problems, numerous spares, also available at extra cost is a large Sealey bike hydraulic lift (£325), £3995. Tel. (William) on 0191 5292257.

LAMBRETTA LI150 registered as 125 original 9000 miles, 1966, lots of extras, mint condition, £3700 Tel. 07928 818278.

Cheshire.

LAMBRETTA PROJECT: Italian Series 3, purchased as a full renovation project the engine is still in the original condition and turns over with decent compression, the rest is completely stripped with all the original parts saved, the frame/front mudguard/rear running boards/and cylinder head cover professionally painted in an original Italian colour £1700 Tel. 0753 8047943.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NOSTALGIC PICTURES IN YOUR ARCHIVES? If so, why not share your memories with our readers. We are always on the lookout for nostalgic stories and pictures. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a single picture, or a bulging photo album; whatever it is, we’d be pleased to share it. Contact Mau on 01507 529408 or email him at maupsencer@ classicsscooterist.com LAMBRETTA SX200 original 200 standard engine, excellent cond, 600 miles since rebuild, two owners, £10,700 Tel. 07590 684865. Email: k.bennett985@btinternet. com LAMBRETTA TV175 Series 3, (British registered), good runner, good used condition but not going to win any shows, no MoT but don’t think it would have much trouble, I’m missing the steering lock key, use it as it is or ideal for someone with the knowledge to fully restore it. £5000. Tel. 07455 252393.

PRIMAVERA ET3 1977, used regularly, a quick and nimble Smallframe 125, electronic ignition as standard plus uprated front and rear suspension, £1950. Tel. 07736 311316. alanmatthews2011@gmail. com VESPA 90SS legshield trim, new, £20; buyer collects, will not post. Vespa 90SS S Sprint, rear frame badge, new, offers. Tel. 078040 14996. Rotherham.

VESPA GTS SUPER 125 IE white, 2013 plate, one owner from new, low mileage (3,700), full s/h, £2750. Tel. 07990 733527.

Email: mad41uk@gmail. com VESPA PX125 originally a 200, fitted with a new 125cc engine, registered as a 125 and have the V5 in my name, the frame is solid as most of the Vespas from Spain, paintwork is OK, but not showroom, no MoT, but can be discussed as part of the sale, Speedometer replaced, £1250. Tel. 07584 147885. Stirling.

Email: lambretta1964@ yahoo.co.uk

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VESPA 125 GTS Supersport, full s/h, c/w rear backrest/rack, rear crash bars, mudguard bar, flyscreen, chrome eyebrow, excellent condition, selling as I just don’t get the time to use, £2100. Tel. 07824 874109. Witham. scott. craker@outlook.com VESPA PX125 2015 white as new condition, 1350 miles, front screen, rear rack, no damage, £2650 Tel. 07521 376726.

Bedfordshire.

VESPA PX125 T5, 1996, N reg, blue, good condition, 9000 miles, new seat, new wheels, plus spares, £1700. Tel. 01937 583613.

Yorkshire.

VESPA RALLY 200 Restored like new and never used, great paint job, all original features, I’m the second owner, £8500. Tel. Lombardy, Italy. Email: ste. seventy@gmail.com VESPA VBB with PX125 engine and 10” wheel conversion, MoT, fully restored, too much done to mention in full. Tel. Rod on 07837 121613 for details.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? Can we help you find the answer? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a technical question and can be about any scooter-related subject.

We might not be able to answer your question ourselves, but if we can’t, there’s probably someone out there who can. Email scooterguru@ scooteristscene.com with your questions, but don’t expect an instant answer – sometimes these things take time.

Parts for sale LAMBRETTA ORIGINAL Italian side panels. Li / Special/SX Series 3, original Italian with original badges and handles, resprayed in Ford diamond white/blue, £500.

Tel. 07807 231318. Email: badgeritfc@hotmail.co.uk REMEMBER YOUR TABLETS: A digital version of Classic Scooterist can be purchased for iPad, Android, and computer viewing… simply visit http://bit.ly/CSStablet

LAMBRETTA up forks and disc brake all new I thermals lovely condition, £800 Tel. 07500 845657.

SCOOTER HYDRAULIC LIFT. Specially modified hydraulic lift with side extensions to suit Lambretta and Vespa stands. Tel. 07889 568742. cjiruk@gmail.com in Kilmarnock for info.

TWN CONTESSA ENGINE in parts which is 90% there, plus the Noris dynastart gears, rear axle and brake drum drive sprocket, the area where the gear change cables fir is missing, pistons stuck in bores (maybe through standing) heavy so buyer collects offers? £70. Tel. Bernie 07703 218690.

CLASSIC SCOOTERIST is always on the lookout for magazine articles and historical pictures from the past. If you have something to share with our readers, please contact Mau on 01507 529408, or email him at mauspencer@ classicscooterist.com

Wanted CONTACTS WANTED. I live in Malta and I’m a Lambretta mechanic who would like to hear from anybody with a Lambretta - even clubs too. My phone nos are 356 21689035 (home) or 356 99893708 (mobile).

Alternatively, you can write to me: Tony Spiteri, 12 Alpen Rose, Dun Gest Muscat St, Zurrier, Malta.

LAMBRETTA TV200 scooter wanted with buff log book, any condition considered, cash waiting Tel. Paul 07748 983650.

Bedfordshire.

LAMBRETTA WANTED anything considered preferable with a tuned well sorted engine, upto £6000 paid for the right scooter Tel. Paul 07968 728822. .

LOOKING FOR a white Vespa 946 I’m based in Canterbury, Kent and willing to travel anywhere in the UK Tel. 07711 166655.

VESPA new Sprint 150 ABS used or new. Tel. 07706 436542.

LAMBRETTA FD, FD PARTS, FD rear brake master cylinder wanted.

Tel. 07814 397893. L@ mbretta.com VESPA OR LAMBRETTA type scooter wanted, prefer excellent condition, but prepared to do a little work, must be close to Merseyside area so I can view. Tel. 07842 577344.

VESPA REAR CARRIER wanted. Flat tear carrier wanted to fit Mk 1 T5, but will take an old rusty PX carrier as I can modify and powdercoat it to suit T5.

Tel. Paul 07954 160140.

Perth.

SOMETHING TO SELL? Why not email it to us at freeads@scooteristscene. com with your advert and it will appear in the next available edition.

Miscellaneous DAVE COOPER BIKE RACK brand new still in packaging suitable for towing and holds one scooter complete, buyer collects, £250 Tel. 01908 376997. .

PERSONAL PLATE: ‘X1 MOD’ currently held on a retention certificate.

Executor sale. Offers £1900 considered Tel. 07947 627319 (daytime hours preferred).

CLASSIC SCOOTERIST is always on the lookout for magazine articles and historical pictures from the past. If you have something to share with our readers, please contact Mau by phoning 01507 529408, or by emailing him at mauspencer@ classicscooterist.com

Classic Scooter

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89

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Fred says no – to the speed stripes!

Scooter World magazine featured the newly-launched Vespa Rally 200 on its February 1973 front cover. The following edition featured a Rally 180 road test, but alongside this were impressions of the Rally which weren’t just written by some magazine hack but by legendary scooter sprinter Fred Willingham.

F

red was a legend on Lambretta sprinters, but he’d been asked to provide his views on Piaggio’s latest offering. His article isn’t just the musings of a Vespa-hater, but an in-depth look at a machine that would seek to encourage more scooterists onto the road and which finally provided Piaggio with a 200cc machine. Fred started-off his article by saying: “At long last it has arrived – Vespa’s long promised 200. Enthusiasts began to despair that Vespa would ever make one.”

He says that the increase in ccs wasn’t just achieved by a re-bore: “With a claimed engine output of 12.35bhp at 5700rpm, it exceeds even the Lambretta GP 200 for power, while weighing almost 20lb less. An output of this order has not been achieved by merely boring a larger hole in the cylinder; true the bore size has increased by 3mm to 66.5mm, but Vespa engineers have done much more than this in their quest for power.”

Fred’s description of how power is obtained is pure class, the “rotary induction system now controls a Dell’Orto carburettor with a choke size of 24mm, compared to the 20mm fitted to the 180. As before, the oil ratio requirements are a mere 2%. Once inside the cylinder the mixture is squeezed at 8.2:1 in the fireplace before being tickled into action with the passage of a 25,000v spark, courtesy of the electronic ignition. Having gone to considerable trouble to organise an efficient bonfire inside the cylinder, Vespa engineers didn’t stop there – a newly-designed free-flow, large bore exhaust system gives a smooth, but quiet, exit for the spent gases”. Fireplaces, bonfires – all used to good effect to talk about

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the new power unit that now accommodated a new increase in the gearing department.

Of course Fred would have more than a passing interest in the machine’s performance figures and while he talks about what the factory claim in terms of performance, he goes on to explain a little bit more: “Before a model can be accepted for taxation purposes in Italy, the manufacturer has to submit a sample to the Government’s own testing station for what is termed homologation. The results of these tests no doubt pleased the Vespa engineers since the Rally 200 covered a flying start kilometre at an average of 72mph (a mere 31 seconds to cover 0.62 mile) and to prove its ability still further, an attempt was made travelling two-up and here the Rally returned an average of 63mph for the distance.”

He continues to talk about minor component changes in respect of the electronic set-up and minor styling changes, but it’s here that Fred isn’t entirely happy: “Unfortunately the

white speed stripes across the front mudguard and rear blisters are gaudy and in poor taste, tending to spoil an otherwise tasteful package.

No doubt they can and will, be easily removed by purchasers.

So enamoured was Fred by the electronic system that he goes on to explain in-depth how it works. But how does he wind up his impression of the Rally 200? “At just £259 the Rally 200 Electronic certainly represents value for money and should be seen on the roads in greatly increasing numbers.” He ends his article: “For our part we look forward to having one of these 200s for performance testing – the sooner the better.”

So a Lambretta sprinting legend he may have been, but that didn’t stop Fred providing a balanced and in-depth review of the Rally 200. After all, the only thing he hated about the scooter was the speed stripes, and they could be removed!

Gill Beecham