Travellin Gal
All change!
Mile
We meet the new team at
munching
Vespa
Scomadi UK
Dairy Milk Lambretta Not a Fruit & Nut case… …
#398 August 2019
PLUS
So l e Racer Adidas – Taylor Tuning DTC…Spezial!
Ancillotti Targa Tech Update!
VBB RUSTERATION SPECIAL TO RAT… OR NOT TO RAT? HOW LAMBRETTAS WERE MADE: 1964 ARCHIVE ARTICLE UNEARTHED Northern Soul DJ legend Russ Winstanley interview ■ Kelso ■ Animal Antics ■ Big7 Rally Reports ■ Tech Torque ■ Scooter Boy Tales ■ Readers’ Rides ■ Show Us Your Scooters ■ Readers’ Letters ■ Scooter Trader ■ Events Guide and more...
Editor: Dan Clare Email: dan@scootering.com Publisher: Tim Hartley Publishing director: Dan Savage Design: Chris Abrams, Luke Medler Picture desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Production editor: Mike Cowton General queries and back issues: Tel: 01507 529529 24hr answerphone Lines open Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk Archivist: Jane Skayman 01507 529423 Email: jskayman@mortons.co.uk Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 36 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £49.20. Export rates are also available – see page 36 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steven O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Commercial director: Nigel Hole TRADE ADVERTISING Gary Thomas – gthomas@mortons.co.uk Tel (01507) 529417 Stuart Yule – SYule@mortons.co.uk Tel (01507) 529468 Divisional advertising manager: Zoe Thurling 01507 529412, zthurling@mortons.co.uk Group advertising manager: Sue Keily ADVERTISING DEADLINES The advertising deadline for the next issue of Scootering (September 2019) is Thursday, August 1, 2019 On sale in newsagents Thursday, August 22, 2019 SCOOTERING (USPS:020-245) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ USA subscriptions are $60 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to SCOOTERING, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595. chris@ classicbikebooks.com SCOOTERING is published by: Mortons Scooter Media, a division of Mortons Media Group Ltd © 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the publisher. ISSN 0268 7194 Distribution: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU. Tel: 0203 787 9001. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton
The Professional Publishers Association Member
Welcome to the August edition of Scootering
I
’ve always been a keen boxing fan, and this quote is attributed to the greatest, Muhammad Ali… “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” The truth, however, is that it was just some blurb put together by ‘creative ad professionals’ Aimee Lehto and Boyd Coyne, who plastered it over a picture of Ali… thus it's often wrongly attributed to him. Still, it’s a great quote! At a time when Ali was at his peak, he was a sponsored athlete of Adidas (can you see where I’m going with this now?). The brand’s creator (Adi Dassler) had set out to create the world’s best sports shoe, and though Nike might disagree, I think he did just that. Like many other objects and brands which 80s’ sub-culture took under its wing, Adidas holds a special place in the hearts of many scooterists… me especially. Specifically the ‘Originals’ range. I do think it’s all become a bit commercialised, and over-hyped now, but (sadly) what hasn’t these days? So when I saw a street racer Lambretta, with a Taylor Tuned engine, and an Adidas Spezial paintjob by DTC… I damn near wet myself. Picking the cover scooter is often a very tricky
task, and although Stef’s Vespa (see p58-62) was a VERY strong contender, for purely selfish reasons it had to be Sole Racer. Sorry Stef. Elsewhere in the mag, Stan has given us an insight into the changes at Scomadi UK, a welcome update for all Scomadi owners, I’m sure. We have cracking reports from Kelso, Big 7 and Animal Antics, plus another four ‘readers’ rally reports’, too. The Kickstart section is bustling with industry news and products, and Christian found a stonker of a VBB rusteration story to report on. But my favourite editorial piece this month comes via Mr Colin Reeves, a former journalist for ‘Power & Pedal’ magazine… in this case, specifically, the 1964 edition! From this we have been able to re-print his former article, which he wrote after a visit to the Innocenti factory. It’s a lovely nostalgia piece, and one I’m sure you’ll enjoy as much as I did. Anyway, that’s enough of my ramblings, it’s another belter this month… enjoy the issue. Dan
S C O O T E R I N G WA S B R O U G H T T O Y O U W I T H T H E H E L P O F. . .
Stu Smith
Vespa & Lambretta owner, scooter obsessive, amateur home mechanic, rally goer, Mod sympathiser, music lover and general all-round good egg. He writes your rally reports, be nice to him.
Christian Giarrizzo
Paul Green
Vespa & Lambretta From Italy to Australia, scooter enthusiast, this man get the miles BSSO professional and in and has ridden some general good egg. Our Paul has a long history serious roads in his of scootering both on time. A dedicated the road and on the journalist who meets track, with the the most interesting breakdown bills and characters crash scars to prove it. along the way.
Stuart Owen
LCGB ‘life member’, 100mph LambrettaClub owner and scooter restoration expert to boot. Scooter rider, rally-goer, restorer and author. Reaches the parts other scooter journalists just can’t reach.
Dave Oakley
Riding and building scooters since 1983, Dave has been a contributor to Scootering since the 90s. His builds include chops, cutdowns, street-racers, autos and the most infamous custom of the 80s!
Big Stan
80s scooterboy turned long-distance rider. Be it local, national or international, he’ll ride anywhere in his quest to bring you the tastiest scooters, best roads, trade interviews and hidden gems.
Sarge
With over four decades of riding, rally-going and competing on both Lambretta and Vespa scooters under his belt, this former Freddie Mercury lookalike is still going strong. He’s a top DJ too, don’tcha know.
CONTENTS Welcome letter 03from the Editor
A warm welcome to the August edition of Scootering.
06Kickstart
The upfront section with all the latest news, views and product reviews!
16Feature Scooter: Sole Racer One man’s passion for Lambretta scooters and Adidas trainers is skilfully and passionately combined to a very high standard, resulting in this stunning scooter… Sole Racer.
22Rally Report: Kelso
This was the third national scooter rally of the season and included an epic 300-mile round trip with plenty of ups and downs, great music, a top-quality custom show, plenty of flowing alcohol and a wedding!
Rally Report: Animal 26Antics
Armthorpe Animals S.C.’s annual rally and their usual enjoyable mayhem were topped up this year by a ‘Summer of Love’ theme with a Punk/Psychobilly twist…
Report: Big7 - A South East Summer Sizzler! 30Rally The Big7 team couldn’t have wished for their rally goers to have been greeted by a better weekend of beautiful weather, fantastic entertainment and superb scooters…
35Mailbox
Readers’ letters, laughs, feedback and fury – get it off your chest, man!
36Subscriptions
Get your mag delivered to the door, earlier than newsstands, and save money… cool. Plus – gain access to all the benefits of the ‘Scootering Extra’ subs club.
38
Show us your scoots!
The best of our readers’ rides as sent in by you.
58Reader’s Ride: Travellin’ Gal Not every scooter’s destined for a life of commuting and this little Sprint Veloce has seen more life than the average touring motorcycle.
65Kevin’s Chronicles
Part 8 of our homage to scooter legend Kev Walsh. Thrashing up the avenue on a friend’s old moped was the perfect indtroduction to the world of scooter ownership and beyond!
72Club Do’s & Events
Your essential guide to the scene – What, Where & When!
78Scootering Words & Sounds The best of scootering words and music as reviewed by Nik and Sarge
88Planet Lambretta: Two-stoked Planet Lambretta just may be the ninth planet in our solar system, thankfully… getting there is much easier than most of the others.
Tech Torque: Lambretta 94gear selector overhaul On the Lambretta gear selector system, there are several areas where wear can occur, sometimes making it difficult to operate. Stu looks at how we can fix these issues…
98BSSO Lydden Hill
The annual visit to Lydden Hill is always eagerly awaited by both riders and spectators alike. Paul Green brings us the latest racing news and action.
Scooter: Dairy 102Feature Milk – Free the joy!
Sam Wileman is a lady scooterist who has a love of chocolate. Her Lambretta GP sat in the living room for 19 years until this year when she decided to get it out on the road once and for all…
To rat, or not rat, 107VBB: that is the question
Italian Stallion Christian meets an old soul on the road, and finds they share a passion for scooters...
44Dealer Profile: SIP Scooters 117Scooter Trader The world’s largest supplier of scooter parts is celebrating its 25th anniversary but, as Stan discovered, SIP is still a business run by enthusiasts.
48
Scomadi Update - All Change
There’s a new team at Scomadi UK. Stan discovered what that means for owners and dealers alike.
4 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2019
88
section.
The sales and classifieds
Lambrettas are 124How made
A rare insight into how Innocenti produced the Lambretta. Not now of course, but back in 1964.
Never miss from only £20 an issue Subscribe today on page 36
124
69
58 WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 5
KICKSTART
SIP PERFORMANCE LAMBRETTA IGNITION BY VAPE
SIP have managed to gain the assistance of a major European producer, VAPE, to manufacture these high-end ignition systems. The materials, production and construction of the SIP Performance ignition systems are of the highest quality. Due to the eight coils included on the stator plate, enough power is created at even tick-over revs to fully illuminate the lighting. Both AC and DC versions are available and we recommend the DC type if you wish to power digital components such as the SIP Speedometer, or you require a high battery loading charge. By using the DC version with SIP Speedometer you require a Rev Signal Filter from KOSO, or you can also connect the brown cable from the SIP
Speedometer to the white CDI cable of the SIP/VAPE CDI with an extra cable. The CDI module is available as a 'Road' version with a static ignition point, similar to the original item, or a 'Sport' version that includes a variable ignition point, which advances at low revs. This increases the available torque – especially at the lower end – and the ignition point is then gradually retarded as the RPM rises into the power band. The pick-up on the stator plate is split into two and arranged on top of another instead of next to each other as with the original design. This eliminates the possibility of false positioning during the initial set up, due to the sloppy manufacturing tolerances included on many engine casings, crankshafts, stator plates and flywheels. The exact ignition point is clearly marked with a precise line on both the flywheel and stator plate, which allows ignition adjustment without stroboscopic lamp. All you need to do is find out the top dead centre (TDC). One of the other advances achieved is the production of the inner flywheel unit as a single component, avoiding a riveted boss-mounted cone and uneven rotation. This greatly reduces engine vibration, while also noticeably extending the working life of the flywheel-side crankshaft bearing. The fan itself is CNC machined
from solid aluminium and delivers an identical volume of cooling air to the cylinder as the original throughout the whole rev range. SIP claim the amount delivered by most aftermarket ignition systems is easily surpassed with their design, but without preventing higher motor speeds. The flywheel intended for the DL/GPs weighs 1650gr and for the LI/LIS/SX/TV 1690gr, making them both considerably lighter than their original counterparts. This primarily improves throttle response, but leaves the motor easily manageable in urban traffic and while carrying a pillion.
TECH SPEC Twelve-finned aluminium CNC flywheel, eight coils, 12V, AC, 110 watt, static or variable ignition. Can also power additional electrical components such as a fuel pump, lambda sensor heating, USB power port. etc. Precisely balanced flywheel due to its one-piece construction. Plug & Play installation without a strobe lamp due to precise ignition point markings. Perfectly arranged rotational mass, improved throttle response. For more info: www.sip-scootershop.com
SIMON CUERDON - A UNIQUE SOUL
The world is a much poorer place after the sudden passing of Simon Cuerdon on June 30. The leading light of the Armed Forces Scooter Club for several decades, Simon was a massive presence in both scootering and Northern Soul communities. His impish sense of humour had been forged in the British Army and was easily misunderstood by outsiders, but the truth is that the only thing Simon couldn’t tolerate was intolerance itself. He was one of the few people on earth who genuinely judged someone on their character rather than characteristics. Once embraced into his circle of friendship the bond was strong and he would be there through both good and bad times, often understanding that someone needed help before they’d realised it themselves. Always armed with a quip or one-liner, Simon was eager to play the clown, but close friends knew a different side to him. The unguarded Simon was kind, thoughtful, impeccably mannered and incredibly intelligent. His Facebook posts had a cult following and his writing can still hold its own against such greats as Python or Milligan. By his own admission Simon was a poor mechanic, but nevertheless over the years several of his scooters featured in Scootering magazine. He was also a connoisseur of Northern Soul music, but despite having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject had little time for those who, in his opinion, took the lifestyle too seriously. His death, so quick and unexpected, reminds us all that life is fragile and we should live it to the full. Our thoughts and
6 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2019
sympathies are not only with his wife Carol, son Zak and sister Bev, but also with his extended families in the AFSC and on the Northern Soul circuit. They should all take comfort in knowing that he was a man who could fit more adventure, love and laughter into one weekend than many could in a lifetime. If we were all a little more like Simon, the world be a much better place to live in.
LEGAL Q&A This information is provided by Stephen Hattersley of WildWood Legal, a firm of solicitors specialising in claims for injured scooterists. Stephen, a qualified solicitor for 25 years, has been riding scooters for over 30 years, and has acted for injured riders across the UK. He knows the tricks and pitfalls that insurers use and pulls no punches in his dealings with them. He rides to work every day and understands the challenges you face out there. Q: What’s the law in relation to stopping after an accident? Do you still have to stop if nobody is injured? Do you need to report it to the Police if you have stopped? A: This is a sore point for us. Our lovely WildWood Legal scooter was knocked over outside our office a couple of weeks ago by someone who just drove off. Fortunately, a passer-by got his numberplate! The law states that if you’re driving a vehicle involved in an accident and there is an injury to someone or damage to another vehicle, certain animals or property, you must stop and give your details (and the vehicle owner’s details, if different) to anyone who reasonably
asks for them. If it’s not possible to stop (and there was a good reason for this), you must then report the accident in person to a police station/officer within 24 hours. If someone has been injured, you must provide your insurance certificate at the scene. If you don’t have this with you, you must report the accident to the Police even if you have stopped at the scene. If in doubt, stop, and if you can’t, then report it. Failure typically results in five-six penalty points. If you need advice on a scooter-related legal question, email stephen@wildwoodlegal.co.uk The best Q&A will be published in Scootering magazine in confidence.
ITALIAN MANUFACTURED SEATS TO FIT VESPA SCOOTERS Founded over 60 years ago, Nisa have a long heritage, crafting beautiful handmade seats for classic scooters in Italy, using the finest raw materials to produce a product that lasts for many years. The attention to detail put in to every seat shows. Metal-based seat frames are finished in a durable powder coating, and hand-pressed rivets/tabs where required (model dependent). Each and every seat is a hand-finished artisan product using PU foam padding for the perfect fit and upmost comfort. Nisa have also purchased the exclusive rights to produce the original Giuliari Yankee seat following the original
design specifications, and a full range is now available from VE (UK). More info: www.ve-uk.com
FOOTBALL’S COMING HOME…
North or south, Vespa or Lambretta, now’s your chance to show your love of football and raise money for a good cause. In completely separate initiatives two scooterists have decided to visit all English Football League grounds by scooter, each trying to raise money for their chosen charity. In the northern corner riding a Mugello 185 kitted Series 3 LI is Mick Wattam. Mick’s already made the 3,000-mile trip and has so far raised £1,300 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Riding his GTS 300 for the south is Steve Gray. Steve’s chosen charity is The Bucks Buoys, who are rowing the Atlantic unaided in aid of McMillan Cancer Support. Steve’s ongoing efforts have a twist in that donations can ‘support’ a specific team, pushing them
up or down his own ‘league’, demonstrating once and for all which team has the most generous supporters. More information on the rides and how to donate can be found on their respective Facebook pages: Mick – Tour de 92 and Steve – 92 Clubs For 4 Rowers.
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 7
KICKSTART UNDER PRESSURE
With 130 years of experience Michelin know a thing or two about tyres, so the fact that they’ve launched a motorcycle Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) suggests there’s a need.
Whats the problem?
Anyone who’s had a blowout will confirm that it’s no fun. According to the AA, in 2015 almost a third of accidents in the UK in which vehicle defects were a contributory factor were due to under inflated, defective or illegal tyres. With only a few square centimetres of rubber holding us to the road, tyres are one of a scooter’s most important components, yet also one of the most neglected.
What’s the product?
Although they’re standard equipment on many new cars and high-end touring motorcycles, most two-
wheelers aren’t fitted with a TPMS. Marketed as ‘fit2go’, Michelin’s solution is a portable, retro-fit system that provides real-time updates on tyre pressures and temperatures. The kit comprises two monitors, which replace the standard dust caps, a USB charger unit and a compact display unit. Once fitted, a WiFi connection keeps the monitors in contact with the display. Pressure readings periodically rotate between front and rear tyres and any sudden changes in pressure or temperature trigger a warning.
the top of the toolbox with ease. Unfortunately for Lambrettas it’s not so straightforward. Although the monitors fit my GP, they don’t seem to be compatible with all fork set ups and finding the recommended ‘flat and magnetic’ surface to mount the display is a challenge. Without doubt this is the product’s Achilles heel. Neither the magnet nor adhesive pad are strong enough to hold the unit on their own and there are surprisingly few places on a Lambretta or Vespa GTS that would mount the unit in view.
What’s it like to use?
Does it work?
It’s claimed that the kit can be fitted in minutes and for most motorcycles that may be true. Indeed, on a Vespa PX its simplicity itself. The monitors screw on in seconds and the display unit’s combined magnet/adhesive base grips
CST QUATTRINI MANIFOLD As Quattrini’s 210 kit seems to gain popularity with every passing month, it’s no surprise that accessories are starting to appear. Fresh to the market from Chiselspeed is a manifold specifically developed for the
kit. The manifold is priced at £49.95 inc vat, whilst bespoke rubbers to suit a variety of carburettors range between £25 to £27.50 inc vat. More info: www.chiselspeed. co.uk
WHODUNNIT?
We received a fabulous set of photos in the post a short while back, but much to our dismay we received no additional info inside to tell us who had sent them, nor any details relating to the pics themselves! The selection is a real nostalgia trip, and we’d love to do something with them, but need more info. So if it was you please let us know. Email: dan@ scootering.com
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Having used the product on his recent ride to Austria, Stan’s been impressed. The fluctuation in tyre pressures over a day’s riding is surprising, often 3 or 4psi. It’s clear to read and ensures the daily tyre pressure check isn’t
neglected. Unfortunately, it does need a better mount. Stan lashed up a mirror mount using an old sat-nav holder, which worked fine. Hopefully the manufacturer will act on this feedback.
Verdict
For long-distance tourers it’s a really useful piece of safety equipment. Unfortunately, the product’s mounting fails to impress. RRP: £79.95 More info: www.fit2gotpms.com
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