44 Commemorating 40 years of the skid lid
How many can remember that prior to 1973, the wearing of a crash helmet was not a legal necessity.
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Amid incidents and accidents, lifestyle – but from A rarely seen specialist tool for 62 the Lammie Drive crew 66 aScooterist younger point of view 70 the serious scooter mechanic continue across Australia
IN DETAIL
7 What’s new?
34 Good things come in Smallframe packages
66 Talkin’ ’bout My Generation
12 Registration changes
38 The Lambretta project
68 The Lambretta Fascetta
14 Rated or hated?
40 Scaffolding – where it all began
17 Mailbox
44 Helmets are in!
A round-up of the latest gossip and gadgets It’s all change… well some of it is! The latest products on test
Readers express their views, ask questions and show us their pictures
22 Model D Racer
Marc Richardson’s early Lambretta speed machine
26 U is for utilitarian
The 125U was a significant model in Vespa’s history – why?
30 “The red one with the 350cc engine” Karl Sheenan’s Lambretta GP
mauspencer@classicscooterist.com
Daz Kane’s Vespa SS90 An owner’s biography
The Innocenti history banks
Commemorating 40 years of the skid lid
48 What’s going on?
The latest news on rallies and events
50 The best of the best!
The top 20 scooters we featured during 2013
Scootering from a more youthful point of view Do you know what it is, where it’s located, and what it does?
70 Vespa handlebar sleeve tool A rarely seen specialist tool
70 Lambretta LD custom fuel caps
A pantheon of non-standard petrol caps
74 Scooter clubs
Meet and greet your local club
75 What was it?
Our mystery object revealed
56 Rallies and rideouts
78 Scooterist classifieds
62 Lammie Drive 2
90 Originality v practicality
A round-up of all the latest scooter events
Things become a little stressed
For all your wants and needs An evolving dilemma
CLASSIC SCOOTERIST – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
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NEWS VESPA SEAT
QUADROPHENIA CONUNDRUM
Two different Quadropheniarelated press releases have reached our desk since the previous issue – and between them, they throw up a bit of a conundrum over Jimmy’s scooter.
THE FILM SCOOTER
If you fancy a something that is a little different, then what about this Vespa-styled seat? More info from: www.belybel.com/portafoli_inic i_eng_belybel.html
Peace and tranquillity
Fancy some time on scooters away from the normal rally circuit? There’s a bike-friendly bunkhouse and campsite in Nentsberry, Cumbria, which offers a very friendly welcome. Haggs Bank Bunkhouse is set in a stunning location, the North Pennines, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and England’s first UNESCO Geopark; this area is known as England’s Last Wilderness. The North Pennines has a vibrant history of lead mining as a result of its amazing landscape. Haggs Bank Bunkhouse was originally part of this industry, being a mine shop and forge for the miners to rest their heads and mend their tools between shifts underground. However, things have moved on and today travellers are offered a friendly welcome within a warm, renovated building and an adjoining campsite in a wild flower meadow. Visit http://haggsbank.com for more information.
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First out of the trap was a report from the Classic Bike Show which took place recently at the NEC in Birmingham – here’s an abbreviated quote: “A scooter from iconic film Quadrophenia took centre stage at last weekend’s Classic Bike Show at the NEC, Birmingham. The scooter, an Li 150 dating back to 1963, was an instant attraction for motorcycle and scooter lovers. The bike, owned by Dave and Jo Porter from Nottingham, was bought earlier this year. The Li 150 was the second manufactured for the film and was the one used in the famous scene where it is involved in a crash with a post van. Subsequently repaired and now in fine form, the ‘Jimmy’ scooter is valued at around £36,000.” Fine, no problem with that report (although we still feel that £36,000 is a lot of money to pay for a scooter). But here’s where it gets interesting – as the second press release shows:
THE CHARITY AUCTION SCOOTER
“Quadrophenia replica fetches $209,000”. What! Did we hear that right? Well, yes we did. Here’s a bit more from the press release: “A highly-detailed replica of the 1967 Lambretta Li ridden by character Jimmy in the film Quadrophenia sold for an astronomical $209,000 at a Sotheby’s auction last weekend” – that’s about £125,500 at today’s exchange rate! The replica scooter was one of the lots in a special auction, benefiting the RED charity. It was
styled by British builder David Wyburn, already known to our readers for his Quad-related works. While its high sale price is due to the charity and cachet associated with the special auction, the price achieved means that is has sold for a price that is 3.6 times as much as the actual scooter used in the film – probably a world record for a scooter. While it’s good to see so much money being raised for charity, can anyone really justify spending that sort of money on a scooter. What do you think?
WE WANT ONE! We get lots of press releases in the office, but this latest one has got us buzzing. This Zero Scooter from Bel & Bel combines a Segway with a Vespa to create one of the oddest two-wheeled personal transport systems we’ve seen recently. Based on the Segway PT selfbalancing, battery-powered electric vehicle, Bel & Bel has used original Vespa parts to create a different dimension to the Segway. The result is the Zero Scooter, a vehicle that can
carry up to 180 kg (397lb) and can climb slopes as steep as 30º. Powered by twin 1.34hp electric motors this Segway on steroids offers a claimed range of 30-35 km (18.6-21.7 miles) at speeds of up to 20kph (12.4mph) on level pavement. If you’ve any money left to spend after the Christmas break, then you can order one of these at the following web address: www.maxihobby.com/patineteselectricos/patinete-segway-vespapatinete-p-10836.html
GIVI CELEBRATES ITS 35TH BIRTHDAY IN STYLE Bike accessory company Givi has just celebrated 35 years in business with a special celebration party. During the event that took place in Venice recently, guests enjoyed a few surprises, including speeches from brand owner, the Visenzi family, as well as plaque presentation to the Honda LCR MotoGP team.
CLASSIC SCOOTERIST – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
One of the most remembered moments was the percussion spectacle by Leo Di Angilla, who delivered a spectacular performance using peculiar Givi instruments – sidecases, topboxes and helmets. The event finished with the presentation of a commemorative book relating to Giuseppe Visenzi’s competition history and his adventures in business.
www.classicscooterist.com
NEWS
REGISTRATIONS IT’S ALL CHANGE… WELL SOME OF IT IS! The past few months have seen plenty of speculation as to what will happen when the DVLA local vehicle registration offices close (this is a three phase affair that ended with phase 3 on Friday, December 13, 2013). Scooterists who need an age-related registration, or who want to retain a registration number under the V765 scheme, have never had it easy, so would there be any major changes? Scooter Forums have had threads posted on them passing out snippets of information, but I thought that as no one really seemed to know what was going on, I’d ask, and I’d ask the DVLA (my thanks go to Beverly Morgans at DVLA for her help on this one). Okay, so the current system of obtaining an age related registration is as follows: 1 Complete NOVA application online and obtain NOVA number 2 Obtain an authentication letter (from VCB, VVC, BLA, VMSC or LCGB)
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3 Insure scooter (based on the frame number) 4 MoT scooter 5 Check if scooter needs to be inspected, and have it inspected if it does 6 Take all documents (or send them) to local VRO or DVLA Swansea 7 DVLA issue age related plate and tax disc The new system isn’t too dissimilar to what I’ve written above, EXCEPT that when you have all of your paperwork together (steps 1-4 above) then you need to send it (with a form V55/5 and the current registration fee) to DVLA, Swansea SA99 1BE. DVLA will then make a decision on whether your scooter will need to be inspected or not. You will either then receive your V5C and a tax disc, or a letter stating that your scooter needs inspecting and this will be done at a local VOSA station. Once the inspection has been completed, and all is in
CLASSIC SCOOTERIST – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
order, then the registration document and tax disc will be issued. The system for retention of registrations is slightly different in that the current system is as follows: ■ Obtain authentication letter and signed V765 form (from VCB, VVC, BLA, VMSC or LCGB) ■ Supply verified copies of original documentation (that is pre-1983 tax disc, MoT certificate, registration document or original register entry for the scooter) ■ Supply two photographs of the scooter ■ Send the documentation to DVLA which will then check the documents and then if it agrees, you will be issued with a V5C with the original registration mark allocated back to your scooter. Under the new system there is one major change and that is that authentication bodies such as the
VCB, VVC, BLA, VMSC and LCGB can now conduct the verification of original documentation. I would suggest that anyone sending original documentation to any authentication body does so by way of recorded mail – though a safer bet would be to supply a good quality copy/scan of the original documentation and then get the authentication body to verify that (it will need to be stamped and signed to say it’s a verified copy). The rest of the V765 system is the same – once you have all of your documentation together send it off to DVLA Swansea with photographs and then await your new V5C to be sent back. However, there is a new V765 form which you can download from the DVLA website. Hopefully that will give you the information you need to either apply an age-related registration or an order to retain an original number. Suzi Q
www.classicscooterist.com
Great Balls Of Fire
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www.classicscooterist.com
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE ’50s KIND MARC RICHARDSON’S LAMBRETTA MODEL D 125 RACER A huge amount of interest was shown in Marc Richardson’s Model D Racer when it appeared in the Bridlington LCGB custom show. This very special early Lambretta speed machine won a number of trophies, so we sent Rich along to take a closer look at Marc, his machine, and its history.
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arc was born and raised in York. His older brother was part of York Scooter Club, so it was inevitable that Marc would join him one day. So on his 17th birthday, Marc bought a Serveta Jet 200 from his sibling. It all seemed to happen quickly; Marc bought the scooter on a Wednesday, insured it on the Thursday, then rode to his very first rally from York to Brighton on the Saturday – no waterproofs, no tools and no idea what to expect! Riding along with the local scooter boys was the only inspiration he needed to set off down south from Yorkshire. The scooter wasn’t that bad, but the Mk.I Amal carb was a complete nightmare to keep going.
mauspencer@classicscooterist.com
From those early days Marc can remember collecting anything scooter-related and by the early 1980s his Lambretta collection was rising (a couple of Vegas, a GP, and an early Li Series 1 that he rode to and from work. By 1983 he’d become good friends with Ray Kemp at AF Rayspeed and made regular trips to the workshop for spares and a natter. One wonderful memory he has of those early times was when Ray loaned him a prototype TS1 barrel to road test on his rallygoing scooter – supposedly to let a young scooter boy see if he could put it through its paces – which he did travelling up and down the country between Weymouth-Dunbar and-Whitley Bay (I bet there were plenty of surprised looks as Marc flew past on his
CLASSIC SCOOTERIST – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
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Melting Pot
‘THE RED ONE WITH THE 350cc ENGINE’ We don’t feature scooters like Karl Sheenan’s Lambretta GP very often – but there’s always an exception to the rule, right? That’s what makes scooters so much fun.
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his Lambretta GP is certainly different, in more ways than one. While it might not appeal to everybody, it certainly ticks all the right boxes for Karl Sheenan. But if you’re a purist, we’d suggest you look away now... or in the best traditions of Doctor Who, sneak a peek from behind the sofa. This scooter originally started life as a UK registered Lambretta, which was supplied in
June 1966 by Frank Fletcher of Leeds (the company stopped trading in the early 1970s). Externally Karl has tried to keep it pretty much period-looking and as standard as possible – well, as standard as you can with a conversion like this. Karl purchased the Yamaha engine plus a few bits and bobs around 10 years ago, but only started his rebuild around a year ago. The inspiration came via Karl’s love for the Rossa 350 of the 1980s. “I think they could have been made better – the silly removable kick-start comes to mind,” says Karl. “The Rossa stuck in my mind and I knew I would have something similar one day when the funds would allow.” Once he’d started work, it took around four months to complete. Karl did most of the work himself from the frame fabrication through to the graphics and paint which were designed and sprayed by him through his business (www.scooterstickers.co.uk). The whole thing is really a one-off and it’s also an ongoing project (as many of these bike
I like all scooters, from originals to racethemed ones mauspencer@classicscooterist.com
SCOOTER FEATURED: Lambretta Yamaha GP
Name: The Red One (people refer to it as “The red one with the 350 engine”). Cost: loads of money (and time) Any chrome? All stainless steel. Hardest part of project: Trying to fit that lot under what looks like a standard-ish scooter. Project tech tips: Dry build. Anything to add: Always thinking of ways to improve it, so it’s an ongoing project. Anything to do differently: If I were to do it again, I might opt for a foot gearchange.
SPECIALISED PARTS
GPS speedo (YPVS Design) Outboard dampers Hydraulic clutch Digital temp gauge Front and rear disc brakes Twin petrol tanks (one in the legshields and the other on the back in the shape of the spare tyre) Battery eliminator Extra wide 10in rims Xenon and halo headlight with LED rear Twin Micron expansion pipes (modified) GP drop-style headset Digital rev counter Alloy idiot lights (hidden) Two fuel gauges
ENGINE SPEC
Water-cooled Yamaha 350cc YPVS twin cylinder 62bhp Banshee reed blocks Vacuum fuel pump Modified twin Mikuni carbs Uprated power valves.
CLASSIC SCOOTERIST – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
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RALLIES & RIDEOUTS
THE GREAT EASTERN In the space of four years, the VFM scooter collective’s end of season do has established itself firmly on the rally calendar. Nestling behind the rolling sand dunes of Mablethorpe, Haven’s Golden Sands Holiday Park came alive over the weekend of November 15-17, 2013 when scooterists completely took over the site for a weekend of music, bands and other amusements. Following the usual Friday meet and greet, the first band on stage, The Graveyard Johnnys, played their rock’n’roll psycho style of music. They were then followed by DC Fontana, well-known band on the scooter circuit. If the bands weren’t your thing, then the alternative choice was the Soul Lounge or the Jamaican influenced Chill-out Zone.
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Saturday’s activities started mid-morning with the scooter market and ridden custom show and 10 lucky trophy winners went away with smiles on their faces. There was also live music during the day with The Topcats playing classic covers in a rock’n’roll style. Saturday evening commenced with ‘The Ultimate Party’ in the main room where a host of DJs were spinning scooter sounds. First band on stage were The Talks, followed later by the Specials’ man himself, Neville Staple. Again the Soul Lounge and the Chill-out Zone were available for those seeking an alternative. For those who weren’t in a hurry to get away on the Sunday, DJ ‘Mad Dog’ continued to spin sounds in the bar until late in the evening. Well done to the VFM collective for another cracking event. Images: Terry Brown / Moxy www.classicscooterist.com
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VCB AGM AND EVENING DO
Time seems to have shot by since the inauguration of the new Vespa Club of Britain committee and Saturday, November 30, 2013 was the date of the first ever AGM under the new regime. With a start time of 3pm, I thought that I’d left plenty of time to get to the venue at The Kursaal entertainment complex situated in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, before proceedings started. However things don’t always work out as expected, so at around 3.15pm I could be found trying to creep quietly into the meeting without drawing too much attention to myself. Luckily (for me anyway), I wasn’t the last one to arrive, as one of the best known DJs on the scooterist scene crept in after me (I won’t tell anyone Emma).
The AGM was quite formal and various agenda items were discussed, which included an outline of Robin Quartermain’s (the current VCB president) three-year plan for the future. Other things up for discussion included VCB events for 2014 and a financial report on the club. Any other business threw up a variety of suggestions which were discussed openly among those present. The meeting wound up around 5pm, leaving a three hour gap before the evening do began. This left time to relax and have a meal, which was followed by several games of tenpin bowling to whittle away the time until the room upstairs was open. This period of time seemed to drag (but that’s possibly because I was getting my arse thrashed on the bowling lane).
Eventually we migrated to the upstairs function room for the evening do. It was a slow start, but eventually people started to drift in. By this time, DJ Emma Cox was in full flow and when not tied to her turntable, could be found boogieing out on the dance floor. Others mingled around talking to friends old or new, while discussing the afternoon meeting and all things scooterrelated. Only having been granted a ‘day pass’ by the missus meant an early departure for me, so after taking a few quick snaps, I had to be on my way. If the plans proposed by the VCB for the future work out, then it will be an exciting 2014 for the club. Baldie Codger
RIDE OF RESPECT
The Warwickshire Scooter Alliance ‘Ride of Respect’ took place on a typical damp and wet October day. The event was well attended by scooterists who showed up to pay their respect – very commendable and poignant. For the scooterists that came from midlandscooters.com the day began at 11am when they gathered in Birmingham, shortly before heading out to The Plough in Fazeley, Staffordshire, to hook up with other scooterists from the Warwickshire Scooter Alliance (WSA), who’d travelled from Coventry. Shortly after noon, the convoy arrived in Fazeley and it was pleasing to see the car park already packed with more than 100 scooters. After a short break and a chance for old and new friends to meet and chat, the rideout mauspencer@classicscooterist.com
continued en masse to the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire. I’m sure that everyone who attended the rideout would agree that it was an honour to attend the event, surrounded by uniform services from the past to the present day, united in paying respect in the laying of the wreath and honouring two minutes’ silence. Also present at the arboretum was the Duke of Kent, stepping out of a parked Range Rover, who attended the event for the unveiling of the Fusiliers’ Memorial. But we know that his real intention was to see the scooters. Lest we forget those that have served and continue to serve in war-torn countries all over the world.
Brad Baker
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It’s All In The Game
ORIGINALITY v PRACTICALITY AN EVOLVING DILEMMA
This GS150 VS5 has a mainly original body and fittings, plus a PX engine transplant.
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his is a commonplace combination, but in this case, an entire PX front end, complete with hydraulic disc brake, has also been added. These changes are as a result of the neverending pursuit of performance and reliability that’s appropriate to modern traffic conditions. As time progresses, it becomes more of a challenge to get these things out of Fifties and Sixties scooters – what should the scooter purist’s attitude be to non-originality being used to meet this challenge? The first thing to do is to state that ‘originality’ in this context means original specification, including restored, and has nothing to do with the ‘shabby chic’ debates that regularly occupy the limelight. The flight from originality can be an almost insidious process. In my own case, honest intention to keep my GS160 as a perfect period piece has been gradually subverted by the need to overcome poorly designed original parts, even worse reproduction parts, and general availability issues. So, the rectifier got replaced with a transistor (£2.50 – a great bargain!); the wretched Bakelite coil with a PX one; and the battery clamp with the better Rally type. The latest engine rebuild incorporated ditching the battery start altogether. Other people go further and retain the original engine (the crankcase sides anyway). Electronic ignition kits are now stablished and reliable, and 200cc or 210cc conversions are quite common. The ‘easy option’ PX transplant has been around a while and has its own history. For a considerable time it was the case that the PX engine would drop into ‘centre seamed’ Vespas that shared engine mounting points with the newer machines – but older types (GS150, 92L2 and earlier) gathered dust in garages. Since there were few PX scrappers to donate mechanical parts, and new Piaggio engines were not especially cheap, this was a bit academic. Around the turn of this century, changes to Italian law had an unforeseen effect on UK scootering. Allegedly for ecological reasons, owners of ‘old’ vehicles (which now included large numbers of P range Vespas) were given a financial incentive to scrap them. This only covered frames, so perfectly serviceable P range (inc T5) engines arrived en mass on our shores. They found an expanded market, since someone had worked out how to fit these
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engines to earlier Vespas without compromising the frame. Rebuilding an old engine had to overcome a parts deficiency and a national knowledge and work skills deficiency . On the other hand, the world and his dog could find his way around a P200 engine. There was only ever going to be one outcome . Plenty of GS150, GS160, SS180, Sprints, Sportiques (and the odd 92L2); but more with P Range engines fitted. In the Lambretta world, necessity took a different path. With no Innocenti to churn out modern spec, engines, it was down to individuals to develop a Lambretta engine suitable for today’s condition. This has been carried out with some aplomb – better cranks, developed barrels and Japanese pistons. Lambretta construction enables a certain amount of development to be carried on the body via stainless steel fittings and suchlike. All this brings about a better scooter, but the more you travel down this road, the further you distance yourself from Innocenti and the Sixties. It’s the same dilemma with a Vespa. How should the purist view this? The fact that these scooters are surviving can be seen as justification for using modern components. If the owners relied on original engines, then we’d never see most of them. This dials into an enduring dilemma for vehicle preservation whose organisations normally exist ‘to encourage the preservation and use of’ individual vehicles. It’s occurred to no one that ‘preservation’ and ‘use’ are mutually exclusive. Riding your old scooter wears it out a little, rather than preserving it. This issue permeates other clubs and none more so than in historic racing. There’s plenty of ‘historic’ racing cars around that have had every component (including chassis) replaced. If this seems an extreme example, consider this: the 1964 run that kick-started the Veteran Vespa Club
resulted in at least two competing machines being scrapped, effectively reducing the number of Rod Models in existence. I bet this doesn’t form part of next year’s celebrations. In addition to issues of reliability and performance, using modern mechanics while keeping the originals stored at home is the best compromise in this ongoing debate. I regret not having trod this path myself (these sentiments do not apply to scooters ‘restored’ in parts of Asia. That’s a subject all of its own. In standard form, any scooter is a liability on non-urban roads. Performance kits will fit P range motors, and some earlier engines can be successfully uprated too; any Lambretta engine can be upgraded as well. I was against the idea of tinkering with anything till I bought a P200E that had a Malossi 210 kit fitted. Initial irritation at the slightly increased fuel consumption and a lack of smoothness in traffic was dissipated somewhat after a 60 mile round trip on semi-rural roads. I don’t care what the top speed is, but riding at 45-55mph was a breeze. On my GS I’d constantly be looking over my shoulder at cars trying to overtake. The journey was much less stressful – and therefore, safer. This an evolving dilemma, because the goalposts are constantly shifting. Each generation taking for granted an everincreasing array of features for a minimum. If someone wants a Mk.2 Jag restored today, they may want an engine with an ECU, air conditioning and IRS, and someone will be prepared to give them what they want. The bottom line is this: Fifties and Sixties style is always likely to appeal to future generations. The mechanical and electrical aggravation associated with it is not. How are our attitudes going to evolve to take this into account? AL www.classicscooterist.com