Scootering Magazine - August 218 - Issue 386

NK1 Vespa

chopper

pedigree

jaw-dropping cut from a different cloth

with a racing and a crew to match

Reghams Dominator classic northern

powerhouse

reborn

#386 August 2018

PLUS

Cerberus

Eclipse

Custom that delivers unforgettable looks and incredible engineering!

PLUS: Beginner Tech Tips: The spares

you need to carry

EUROLAMBRETTA PUT A LID ON IT! AND VWD REPORTS AVG FACTORY VISIT

STAN DOES THE NEED A NEW HELMET? DOUBLE AGAIN! WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Big 7 and Animal Antics rally reports ■ 1970s scooter racing: a snapshot in time ■ Moscow Vespa Club ■ ‘Subs Extra’ exclusive benefits for subscribers ■ Readers’ Rides ■ Scooter Trader ■ Events Guide and more …

WELCOME Editor: Dan Clare Email: dan@scootering.com Publisher: Dan Savage Designer: Charlotte Turnbull Picture desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Production editor: Dan Sharp General queries and back issues: Tel: 01507 529529 24hr answerphone Mon-Fri 8.30am-7pm, Sat 8.30am-12.30pm 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 48 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £49.20. Export rates are also available – see page 48 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 Emma Buxton-Rockley – ebuxton-rockley@mortons.co.uk Tel (01507) 529410 Divisional advertising manager: Zoe Thurling 01507 529412, zthurling@mortons.co.uk ADVERTISING DEADLINES The advertising deadline for the next issue of Scootering (September 2018) is Thursday, August 2, 2018 On sale in newsagents Thursday, August 23, 2018 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.

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Welcome to the August edition of Scootering

F

ame and fortune don’t visit everyone, but as the saying goes… every dog has its day!

It was interesting to edit articles which showed two distinct sides of the same scooter racing coin during the build up to the press day for this month’s magazine. On the one hand, Stu Owen waxes lyrical regarding the great success of legendary racer Richard Wilfang at his peak during the mid-70s scooter racing scene.

Whereas on the other hand, Russ Machin reflects in a rather more informal manner on his chance meeting and subsequent interview with lesser known 70s racer Laurence Moore.

Two names from the same era; both talked about and reflected upon during this edition and both great examples of success in their own right. Bridging the gap from 70s to present day, we also take a look at the prices of yesteryear – and make some comparisons of how scooters and scootering items measure up financially, then and now.

Was a TV200 really better value back then?

When was the best time to buy a TS1 kit, and HOW much am I paying for petrol?

Stu does the maths, so you don’t have to and it makes for an interesting read. Another connection from way back when to the present day that I want to make mention of is, of course, the beautiful feature scooters which we have to marvel at this month… particularly the NK1 Vespa and the Reghams Dominator. These both reinforce the notion that something from the past can be reborn as something just as good, if not better than the original. The final link from past to present is the celebration of 60 years in business for Ron Daley. Take a look at our special features on the man, his business, his scooters, and the legacy he is forging.

So hopefully you’ll find an inspiring balance of old and new in this month’s magazine… a nod to the heritage of some of the items which make up our scene, and acknowledgment of those people, ideas and products which keep it alive. There’s a ton of other stuff besides, but I’ll let you discover that for yourself. Anyway, that’s enough of my ramblings, it’s another belter this month… enjoy the issue.

Dan

SCOOTERING is published by: Mortons Scooter Media, a division of Mortons Media Group Ltd © 2018 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

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.

Nik Skeat

Vespa P-range obsessive, well-travelled rally rider since the 80s, and founder of the once notorious Scooterboy World online forum. He’s also a brilliant beer-brewing bearded Scootering feature writer.

Paul Green

Vespa & Lambretta scooter enthusiast, BSSO professional and general good egg. Our Paul has a long history of scootering both on the road and on the track, with the breakdown bills and crash scars to prove it.

Stuart Owen

Life member of the LCGB, 100mph LambrettaClub owner and scooter restoration expert to boot. Scooter rider, rally-goer, racer, restorer and author. Reaches the parts other scooter journalists just can’t reach.

Jordan Lewis Dave Oakley Hard-riding, rally going scooterist representing the Young Guns SC. He might be young in years, but this lad has already covered more miles than most and represents his club at the BSRA meetings.

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 letter from 03Welcome the Editor

A warm welcome to the August issue of Scootering.

halcyon days of 1970s 62The scooter racing A Vespa enthusiast and an ex Lambretta racer set aside brand allegiances for one common bond… the love of scooters.

06Kickstart

67The price is right (or is it?)

14Eclipse

72Reghams Dominator

The upfront section with all the latest news, views and product reviews!

Winning trophy after trophy, this scooter is something to behold, delivering unforgettable looks and engineering.

Reports: 21Rally EuroLambretta & VWD

The big two single marque clubs’ annual European rallies; and for the second year running Stan managed the double!

31

Rally Report: Big 7

Ev erything was cheaper back in the day, wasn’t it? Was it really though?

Sometimes, an original design is so good it can’t be bettered, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be brought up to date… the Reghams Dominator is reborn.

a lid on it!

78Put AVG factory visit

Thinking of buying a new helmet? Stan gets an insider’s view on what to look for when choosing a new lid.

With the dates of so many other events clashing, some thought that the Big 7 National Scooter Rally might suffer.

They were wrong.

83Club Do’s & Events

Report: Animal 35Rally Antics

88Scootering Words & Sounds

Armthorpe Animals SC’ s Rally delivered an ‘old skool’ alternative scooter rally with a modern twist!

38

Cerberus

Since it appeared on the custom scene, Dave Stewart’s fantastic custom chopper has attracted lots of interest and debate… for all the right reasons.

44Mailbox

Readers’ letters, laughs, feedback and fury – get it off your chest man!

46

Show Us Your Scoots

48

Subscriptions

The best of our readers rides this month as sent in by you.

G et your mag delivered straight to your door, save money, and gain access to all the benefits of the exclusive ‘Scootering Ex tra’ subs-club.

51Quantum Leap

Though scooter racing had dropped out of the limelight by the mid-19 70s, championships were still there to be won, and Richard Wilfang was in it to win it.

This is his story…

56NK1

The legendary NK1 – Vespa Racer.

This is a scooter with a true racing pedigree, developed and constructed from a special relationship.

4 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

78

Y our essential guide to the scene – What, Where & When!

The best of scootering words and music as reviewed by Nik & Sarge.

91VCB Club page

G ary Robertson tells us about the forthcoming Two C hannels Dash.

92BSSO Report – Lydden Hill Pa ul G reen brings us his actionpacked report from Lydden Hill scooter racing weekend.

Focus: 60 years on, 97Dealer and still going strong One in a handful of 19 5 0s dealers still active, Ron Daley gave us an insight into his family business.

King is Dead, Long 100The Live the King Scooterists everywhere mourned the end of PX200 production but thanks to Ron Daley it’s still possible to buy a new example of this iconic machine.

Never miss from only £20 an issue Subscribe today on page 48 Focus: 118Club Vespa Club Moscow

During his trip to Russia, Rik went to meet up with the thriving Vespa C lub of Moscow to check out their take on the scooter scene and Vespa ownership.

121Scooter Trader

All the sales and classifieds for you to peruse.

Tech Torque: Essential Dave’s Nostalgic 107 scooter maintenance 128 Custom Corner with Stu Owen Y ou never know when you might have a breakdown, so what parts and tools should you carry ‘ just in case?’ Stu reports...

Nostalgia master Dave Oakley, pulls out another stunning blast from the past – this month it’s The G reatest Love of All. It nearly didn’t make the cut though...

112Batman Returns

130Reader’s Ride

F orget Keaton, C looney and Bale. For Scootering readers, Lightfoot may be the greatest name yet to be associated with the C aped C rusader...

Our favourite road ridden scooter this month, it’s always something special. Take an oil company and remove one letter – it’s Hell!

118

97

72 WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 5

KICKSTART

IS SILENCE GOLDEN?

M

aking its debut at VWD was Retrospective’s prototype electric conversion. E lectric two-wheelers are a growth industry but Retrospective’s solution is believed to be unique in that it allows conversion of a classic scooter to electric power in a way that’s entirely reversible, the design brief being ‘ no welding, no cutting’.

Although it’s currently only available for small-frame Vespas, a P X conversion isn’t too far away. But the big question is what’s it like to ride? F irst impressions are that a lot of thought’s gone into making this look completely stock.

The hub motor’s hidden behind a dummy plastic crankcase and a mock expansion chamber means that when parked up it’s very difficult to tell this from a standard machine. The power cell is mounted beneath the seat and is removable so it can be charged indoors. Once you’re astride the machine everything looks standard, the gear selector is fixed, and the clutch lever’s redundant. U nlike ‘ new builds’, which are based on automatics, Retrospective’s conversion retains the standard floorboard mounted rear brake.

Startup is simplicity itself – turn the key, wait a second for the battery to check itself and then wind open the throttle. At first it’s an eerie experience, very similar to freewheeling downhill, as speed gathers

The quietest Stan’s been for a while.

rapidly. The prototype motor is a rough equivalent to 5 0cc but it feels much more like a 125 . U nlike petrol engines there’s no ‘ lag’ with an electric motor as power delivery is instant.

Torque abounds, in fact the design team are restricting the amount of torque as it’s quite possible to flip the ‘ 125 ’! I’m a big fan of two-strokes but there’s something mesmerising about being propelled along in complete silence. One downside to the

GTS ADDS A LITTLE WEIGHT… As the speed and power output of scooters continues to rise, little things like wheelbalance become increasingly important.

Last month Stan attended Pi aggio’s press day and although there were no new scooter announcements he did notice that the Sei G iorni on test handled particularly well.

A quick glance revealed that its wheels had been balanced and a few calls to dealers suggests that this has recently become standard factory practice. Wheel balancing has long been a neglected aspect of scooter performance, mainly because finding someone to balance small wheels has never been easy (W e featured a DIY solution in Ed ition 290).

However, the rise of maxi scooters means it’s being offered by an increasing number of specialist tyre fitters. J udging by the positive effect on the Sei G iorgi’s handling, next time a fresh set of rubber’s in order it may be worth seeking out their services.

6 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

The project’s safe in his hands; electrical engineer John Chubb.

conversion is its range, currently around 3 0 miles, but that can be increased by adding an extra battery pack. Theoretically Retrospective’s kit can be adapted to suit any scooter, enabling anything from 19 5 0s barn finds to G TSs to attain zero emission status. The potential for recycling existing machines is massive and if society’s serious about conserving resources surely re-use of existing frames has to be a good thing?

More info: www.retrospectivescooters.com

LAMBRETTA SPEED RECORD ATTEMPT PASSES ITS FIRST TEST The SRP Racetech streamliner attempted its first proper run out at E lvington airfield in Y orkshire on J une 19 . The team, led by P aul Baker and Stuart Day, were there to give the machine a shakedown test and check performance. This was the first time the streamliner had made a full one mile run, with the intention of checking all of the systems, so if any problems arose they could be ironed out before a serious attempt is made.

The weather on the day was fine with no heavy crosswinds which might seriously affect the handling.

The first run was rather timid in its approach at a moderate 61.3m ph but it must be remembered that the engine can’t be run in on the road, only out on the track. With everything looking fine the throttle was opened up slightly more for the second run which achieved 83.6m ph.

It soon became apparent that the engine was running way to rich as it wouldn' t pull in fourth gear or get into the power band.

U nfortunately, someone forgot ( no names mentioned) to pack the full set of jets to clean the carburetion up.

Nevertheless with what was available to hand it allowed the engine to rev out more on the third and final run of the day.

With a recorded speed of 107.5 mph, this was a real statement of the potential this machine has. Stuart Day said: “I t did this speed at 7600rpm in top gear so it has plenty more to go.” Though the gearing is being kept secret at the moment, it must be presumed that it will rev out past 10,000rpm so those of you who are technically minded can work out the potential top speed.

One of the most important tests was the handling and whether it would actually ride in a straight line. There were no reports of any problems or speed wobbles, which can happen when running with a full front fairing. Though there were one or

two small issues such as the jetting, overall the team were very happy with how everything performed.

As mentioned in the previous report preparing and testing a machine for a top speed record attempt is a very laborious and long one. Not only does it have to be designed and built but then tested before everything is right to make the attempt.

That’s why others in the past have failed but thankfully this team are taking the correct approach to achieve their goal.

F urther runs are planned for later in the year. We will keep you informed of progress and be there when the proper attempt takes place.

WIN! CORAZZO POSTALE GENTS JACKET WORTH £149 FROM VE (UK) THROUGH SCOOTERING EXTRA Simply log into your subscriber account here and enter the competition online. The jacket has removable CE Rated Armour in shoulders, elbows and back, Cordura® abrasion and water resistant shell, reflective 3 M Scotchlite™ trim for night time visibility, superior venting for warm days, zip out fleece vest liner and YK K® high-grade zippers throughout.

Login in to win: www.scootering.com/ extra

VESPA LARGE-FRAME PINASCO 250CC CRANKCASE FROM VE(UK) While no official specifications have yet been released, you can rest assured that P inasco has worked extensively on reinforcing critical areas of the casing, worked on the porting to offer the best possible performance, and made other refinements to give the highest quality of finish to the product.

This new engine casing will require a new cylinder kit and crankshaft, which are currently in development. Scootering will publish full details and specifications as soon as they are available.

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 7

KICKSTART MOT FAILURES ON STANDARD MACHINES It’s come to our attention that a number of standard Vespa Prim avera 125 automatic scooters are being refused an MOT thanks to a clause buried away in the recent changes to the regulations (item 4.4.3 to be precise) , which says that indicators have now to be a certain distance apart. The regulation change isn’t a major one, but the specified distance of 240mm between inside edges means that this model, with its separation of 180m m between lenses, is now going to fail as they are 60mm too close. And it’s not just the Prim avera that’s affected.

One MOT inspector we spoke to said that he’s spent the last couple of weeks refusing certificates on some unmodified models of sports bikes for this reason, much to the owners’ obvious disgust.

The tester also told us that the DVLA had told him to hand out a VT17 form to complain about the result, but that they would refuse the appeal regardless.

We have heard of at least one MOT station which is treating the change as only applying to machinery registered after the date that the new requirements came into force, although there is nothing in the tester’s handbook which suggests that this is a correct interpretation, as other similar changes are backdated.

Here’s what you may call the kicker though… it seems that this separation requirement has been embedded in C onstruction And U se regulations since at least 2011 – possibly going as far back as the late E ighties.

We’ve seen a copy of a letter dated December 8 , 2011,

headed ‘ Motorcycles C lass I & II Rear Number P lates’ from the E nforcement Division of the Bristol & G loucester Area Office of VOSA regarding a custom tail light which states, among other things, that “ ...There must be a minimum separation of 24 0mm between indicators on either side of the machine” . The inference of this is that VOSA is allowing vehicles to be passed for use on the U K roads which do not meet their own minimum requirements, as they have allowed vehicles such as the P rimavera to be sold, regardless of their contravention of VOSA’s own rules!

We asked the DVLA for clarification on the subject, and were passed on to the Vehicle Testing and Roadworthiness Team. An answer eventually arrived saying that they are “aw are of

the situation and will be taking steps to address the situation at the earliest opportunity”.

C all me cynical, but that doesn’t really seem like an answer. If we get any further updates on the situation, we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, just hope your testing station has a little bit of common sense and a blind eye when it comes to testing time!

Nik

NEW RANGE OF SIP CRANKSHAFTS 100% ‘MADE IN ITALY’ SIP tells us that each of these cranks is balanced to be compatible with the stroke, con rod length and model of scooter to which it is fitted and there are two versions available: ‘Premium’ models come with a high-end ‘ standard’ type con rod, meaning that the surface is left untreated, and has lubrication slots for both the big and small-end bearings respectively.

‘Performance’ models have an extremely high quality polished con rod included,which is tougher and more enduring. They have a gas-flowed profile and a revised big-end design, improving lubrication.

The SIP Lambretta crankshafts are available in both 5 8 mm and 60mm versions, with either 107mm or 116mm con rods. It is also possible to choose between a standard or polished type of con rod, for universal operation from high-end restoration projects all the way through to shaving lap times on the race track! More info: www.sip-scootershop.com

PINASCO SPARKEY CDI Description: We’re told that the new Pi nasco ‘ Sparkey’ C DI is made with the best available electronic components in the market, featuring an inner charge/ discharge circuit which increases the spark. Testing in the LP category with Scuderia Pi nasco at the 10-Hours Magny-Cour s 2017 and Spring Race 12-Hours 2018 in Small Frame Pr oto and Large Fr ame category, has shown increased performance while still preserving reliability.

Suitability: P inasco Fl ytech Ignition for Vespa Item and price: 263 50011 Vespa Small ( Y E LLOW) €65 + VAT 263 50012 Vespa Large ( BLACK ) €65+ VAT More info: www.pinasco.com

Never miss an issue sue 8 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

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KICKSTART

WILD ASS! Camping gets less appealing as I get older; the hangovers hurt more and now… my slope back seat is beginning to feel a tad uncomfortable! In search of comfort and with a reluctance to change my race seat to something more sensible we purchased an ‘Airhaw k’ some time back. However, Lydia being a regular pillion rider means that she gets first dibs on its use. So in need of another cushion I trawled the internet to see what other options there are in the world of motorcycle seat comfort.

This brings me to the Wild Ass product range. It’s essentially a very similar product to ‘Airhaw k’, but with varying options to suit different riders (s omething that was very intriguing). For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, these seat cushions use an inflatable insert that lifts the rider away from the seat.

Which in turn reduces uncomfortable pressure points on your rear end, while also reducing vibration.

The Wild Ass comes in three guises

There is the ‘ Wild Ass Lite’ which is essentially the same product as the more well known ‘ Airhawk’. However, the Lite comes in at a much more palatable price point. The pillion shaped ( ideal for slim scooter seats) one retails at £ 9 9.9 which in comparison to £120 for the ‘ Airhawk’ is much friendlier on the bank balance. Per sonally, I’d say this was ideal for those looking for more comfort but unsure about the benefits of an air cushion. Once you try one of these, you’ll wonder how you ever did it before!

In addition to this there is the ‘ Wild Ass Air G el’, a very technical product employing three layers of polyurethane and an additional gel layer.

This is for the more sporty rider. The gel layer allows for a ‘ close to the bike’ experience while having the option to improve comfort by falling back to the air cushion on longer distance rides. P ossibly one for the street racers and two stroke hooligans among the scene! These retail at a mid-range price of £ 174 .9 9 .

F inally, at the top of the pile there is the ‘ Wild Ass C lassic’.

This is made from medical grade neoprene with a real emphasis on comfort and robustness. The material choice has been selected for the ultimate in elasticity and natural feeling when in use.

Y ou can certainly tell the

difference when comparing this with the Airhawk. The material is impressively thick and the quality is high, it ( almost) makes a 3 00-mile ride on a Lambretta a pleasurable experience!

Another small plus is the straps have slightly more adjustment meaning a secure fit can be achieved on my narrow Scootopia slope back seat. U nfortunately, as we all know quality generally comes with a price tag and these retail at £ 19 9 .9 9 for the pillion variant.

Jordan

SCOOTOPIA LAUNCH NEW WEBSITE Fi nally after months of design and layout Scootopia have launched their new website and online shop. This replaces the existing one and is far easier to navigate and search. With new parts and products being launched by the company on a regular basis the in-house photo room allows items to be uploaded far more quickly than they used to be. This will benefit customers who will now have instant access to an item as soon it’s in stock.

There has also been a news section added which gives details on future products well in advance. On the events page will be dates and locations of where the team will be attending rallies or shows plus reports of how the Scootopia race team are doing. It’s been a lot of hard work getting it all done but a worthwhile investment for the future of the company. We wish Dean, Lee and all who work at Scootopia the greatest of success with their new venture.

Y ou can visit the new website at www.scootopia.com

PHILATELY IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT Between 1958 and 1976 the Isle of Man ‘ Scooter Week’ was, arguably, the greatest scootering event in the world. To celebrate the inaugural rally’s 60th anniversary, the Isle e of Man Pos t Office has issued a set of eight commemorative stamps. Available in a variety of formats that are priced from £8.60 upwards, the set depicts a range of scooterrs from across the decades. Also included is a short description of the island’s scootering history, notably how, in 1981, scooter clubs were banned from visiting the island due to fears of disorder. Those days are now long gone and today the bi-annual rally is seen as an important event for tourism on the island. It’s an attractive set that serves as a visible reminder that scooters and their riders have made the transition from public nuisance to national treasure! www.iompost.com

10 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Standing the test of time In the tough world of the scooter industry, it’s difficult for any business to survive. One company has though, and for several decades...

O

ften, when doing research on any Lambretta-related article, one name frequently crops up: that of AF Rayspeed. Since the 19 70s their name has been associated with a host of popular products, many of which have been ground-breaking. The ‘ S-Type’ brand has become iconic within the scooter scene, replicated a countless number of times, the people behind it mostly keeping out of the limelight. Any business takes years to gain a good reputation and staying at the top is even harder, so what is the secret to their success?

The driving force behind it all is Ray Kemp, a household name throughout the Lambretta world. The roots of the business go all the way back to the early 19 60s under the name of ‘ F rancis and Woodhead’, which went on to be the famous ‘Arthur Franc is Limited’. Having started working there in the late 1960s , Ray Kemp would take the company over in the mid-1970s as trade died off following the demise of Innocenti. Though Ray had established a good name, the business itself was struggling. However, it was his goal to see it succeed.

Firs t came the continuation of the ‘ S-Type’, originally instigated by Arthur Francis in 1963 with the TV200. Now basing it around the G rand Pr ix, Ray would cleverly market it not only as the ‘ S-Type’ but as the Ex tra and then the Super. The Super would be the Legendary 25 0cc Lambretta, a conversion that no one else at that time offered. Though it was a complicated engine to produce and could never be mass-marketed it showed a statement of intent. Many Lambretta owners would flock to the shop just to see one. The 250 ‘S-T ype’ was a great marketing tool which invited customers in.

Keeping the business going was Ray’s main priority and towards the end of the 1970s , a change of premises was required. Rather than stay in Watford

12 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

where the business was located, a move was made to North Y orkshire. To some that may have seemed strange as Ray was from down south. But the majority of his customers were from the north of the country so it seemed right to move there.

It was a brave and bold decision but one that would handsomely pay off. With business now growing stronger by the year and with the influx of new customers from the post-Q uadrophenia boom, the next chapter of AF Rayspeed began. This began with the introduction of the TS1 kit in the 1980s . There’s no need to go into that though, as the kit has become a legend in its own right. What it proved though was that Ray was prepared to take a gamble, albeit calculated. Nevertheless, it was a big investment back then and could have spelled trouble had it failed.

Since then the success has continued, with products like the Rapido and the RB kits, exhausts, cranks, gearboxes, clutches and everything else related to the Lambretta engine. It illustrates how Ray is never prepared to rest on his laurels or past successes, but instead constantly develops products that enhance Lambretta ownership, and mass producing these items so they are constantly available.

It’s attributes like these that have been responsible for the business being so successful over such a long period.

With the introduction of Ray’s son Ben into the business, it stays a family affair.

While no one can predict the future, with Ben’s dedication to the company, just like his father, things look pretty secure. There are little annoying things that frustrate customers like the problem of getting through on the phone, or lack of online purchasing… but nothing in the world is perfect so perhaps they can be forgiven for that. It must not be forgotten that the company has always supported other scooter businesses by offering good trade discounts. By working with others within the industry, it actually makes a business grow stronger.

This may seem to some like reading a bit of ‘ praising up my favourite scooter dealer’, but the truth is far from it. When a company within the dog eat dog world of the scooter industry has been going this long it deserves some kind of recognition.

AF Rayspeed has done this by being prepared to take a financial risk even in times when the future was uncertain; constantly evolving rather than resting on what has already been achieved.

The company has produced a wide array of products over the years, not relying upon just one to bring income in, a vital part of any business. Both Ray and Ben Kemp may be rather elusive and rarely spotted within scootering circles, but chances are that your Lambretta will have a product made and sold by them fitted to it. AF Rayspeed has stood the test of time and I’m sure will do so long into the future.

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 13

Music and lowrider looks were what inspired the creation of Bob Ball’s fantastic scooter, Eclipse.

We think he achieved his goal...

Two subjects blend

Bob had always wanted to build a lowrider scooter, which would be reminiscent of the American 1950s lowrider look and have a paint theme based on The Eclipse, the first legal all-night ‘rave’ club. You could be forgiven for wondering how the two subjects blend together but it’s simple: don’t over-think it because Bob has done it, and it works perfectly.

The way it should be seen

“I’d been thinking about how to go about delivering the looks and the feel of the scooter,” Bob explained. “I wanted it to be perfect and choosing the right model in the first place was critical.

The bodywork needed to lend itself to the lowrider look, and the scooter needed to have the space for the artwork.

The slim-style body shape wasn’t right for the project; it didn’t

14 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

give the right feel, but the more generous broad-style of the Series 2 was perfect.”

In January 2016 Bob got on with things and purchased an API Li150 Series 2, which would provide the blank canvass for him to work on.

Love no matter what

To get the lowrider looks it was obvious that Bob would need to lower everything, which would present a real challenge at every stage. Not satisfied with giving himself a fabrication mountain to climb; to get the 1950s lowrider feel absolutely perfect Bob decided he would add louvres to the bodywork, which enhance the look of the scooter and serve as a practical addition to cool the engine compartment.

An engineering masterpiece.

Creating the love and the atmosphere.

Developing the look

WhenB ob setab out theb odywork,al lt heb ody panelson t hes cooterr equiredv ariousad justments.

Theou triggersw ered roppedb y2 in, asw ere the legshieldsan dh orncasting. The frontm udguard wasgi ven anex tended‘ skirt’al l roundi tan d to create the‘ droppedl ook’at ther earof t hes cooter theb acken dof thes idepanelsw as alsoex tended.

Int he meantime,B obm adeh isow n jigt o jig outt he forks and shortenedt hef orks temb y 2int o maket hems iti n perfectal ignmentw ith thef ronten d.

Seeing the bigger picture

Theu nder-seatf rames ectionw as extended width-wiseb yon e inchat each side.T o compensatef or theex traf ramew idtht her ear footboardsn eededt ob e extended,an das a result theki ck-startern eededt o be‘ swannedou t’. In turn, thel oweringof theb odyworkm eantt hat thes tand had tob es hortenedb yt woi nches.

Thel ouvresw eret henp ainstakinglym ade by hand. Ah olew asd rilledat each en dof eac h louvre’s positionan dt hen,w iths elf-tapping screws,an MDF t emplate wasat tached to theb odyp anel. Aftert he template had beenat tached tot he bodywork each louvre wast heni ndividuallyt apped outi ntot he shapeof t het emplate.

“T heal ignmentof each l ouvre had tob ep erfect,an dt hes hape of each oneh adt om atcht heon es at eithers ide ofi t.T here wasn or oom for erroran dt herew eren os econdch ances; each oneh adt or ight firstt ime or the lookw ouldb et otallycom promised,” Bobex plained.

Thel ouvreds idepanelsw ere then weldedt ot heu nder-seatf rame section tocr eateas ingler ear frame/ body panel,w hichl iftson ah inge situatedb ehind ther earw heel.

Intelligent thinking

Thes upport att he rearof t hes eati s made fromaS eries3 f rontm udguard and blends intot heb odyworkp erfectly.T heu nder-seat fuelt anki s a one-offi tem fabricated by Bob.

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The attention to detail is outstanding; Bob has welded a vertical tube-way through the tank, which allows the choke and throttle cables to run through it to the carb without obstruction.

The under-seat tank also sits purposely slightly out of centre on the frame to allow room for the ‘up-and-ov er’ high-level exhaust, which was hand-crafted by Bob from what he believes to be a J anspeed item he picked up at a parts fair.

The exhaust runs perfectly through the engine compartment and when the frame is closed only the very end of it can be seen emerging downwards from behind the rear of the extended sidepanel.

Spray booth

To get things going with the paintwork, Bob built himself a spray booth and set about adding the colour. He chose to put cherry red on top of silver, and then metal-flake base, which was followed by nine coats of deep red candy and finished off with six coats of lacquer.

With the initial deep red base-coat completed the panels were handed over to Dewey Fr anklin for the artwork to be added. Dewey had initially suggested that the artwork should be completed in black and white, but Bob was adamant that he wanted coloured images. “I believed coloured images would support the rave scene better as they would show the DJ s in action, the lasers shooting around the dance floor and generally capture the atmosphere of the scene perfectly.”

On the top of the headset, the artwork shows two fingers reaching towards each other with a spark connecting them blended into the gem light. The ‘Eclips e’ graphic on the offside legshield is taken from an ‘Eclips e’ event flyer.

The front mudguard shows a mural of The Eclips e night club. The inner legshield fuel tank shows an image of DJ Sasha working the dance floor, which is filled with rave goers dancing to Alison Limerick’s Where Love Lives. The graphic, ‘Las t Rhythm’ appears above the mural on the back end of the scooter, which shows Saffron from ‘N -J oi’ commanding the dance-floor over a packed room.

16 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

His head’s ‘gone west’.

Rear end lifts effortlessly.

A pictorial guide through the full

story of the build 4 4A

2

1A

1

2A

3

3A

6

5

6A

5A

7

7A

8

8A

1: The scooter as purchased. 2: Lowering the sidepanels to create the low-rider look. 3: Other side not so easy. 4: Louvring the sidepanels. 5: Li mudguard behind the temporary seat. All had to be lined up by eye. 6: Initial bridge fitting. 7: Completed front mudguard extension. 8: Body panels ready. 9: Back on the bench.

10: Checking the finish. 11: One-off high level exhaust fits perfectly into its surroundings. 12: Engine coming together with powder coated finishings.

13: Beginning the build. 14: Testing and shaking down.

OWNER DETAILS

9

9A

11

13

11A

13A

10

10A

12

12A

14

Name: Bobby Ball Scooter club & town: Dougies Stamford Scooter C lub.

How and when did you first become interested in scooters: In 19 79 ish… seeing older lads on scooters and Q uadrophenia.

Your first scooter: Li 15 0 Series 1. I had it when I was 14 and bought it for £ 10, I did it up and sold it for £ 100!

Favourite scooter model: SX 200.

Favourite style of custom scooter: C reatively engineered ones.

First rally or event: Y armouth 19 8 1.

How did you get there: I persuaded the local Y MC A to organise a trip there… they said never again!

Any stories: ’8 3 Weston-super-Mare. It was a very hot day so we put all the coats etc. in the van and rode out of town in just our T-shirts. Of course we then lost the van and when the sun went down we’d never been so cold in our lives!

We tried to steal coats from a pub on the way home but couldn’t get any so we had to grin and bear every mile we rode. Our arms had never been so numb! The van driver wouldn’t show his face in town for a month afterwards.

Favourite rally: C leethorpes.

Funniest experience with a scooter: On one of my scooters, I started it up, revved it high, let the clutch out and went flying backwards, it started up the wrong way round!

Furthest you’ve ever ridden: Isle of Wight.

What do you like about rallies: C ustom shows and the night do’s if there is a variety of music.

14A

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T H E C R E AT I O N O F A DA M The artwork on the headset top has been developed from the fresco painting The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, which forms part of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, painted around 1508-1512. It illustrates the Biblical creation narrative from the Book of Genesis in which God gives life to Adam, the first man. The image of the neartouching hands of God and Adam has become an iconic symbol of humanity.

To finalise the paintwork, it was subjected to six more coats of lacquer and a delicate ‘ flattening down’ process, which involved 15 00 and 2000 grade wet and dry paper finished off with compound polish.

Detail

The front disc brake is on the opposite side to the usual position and is a modified G ilera Runner item, which Bob also picked up at a parts fair. Bob explained that the handling of the scooter is the best he’s even ridden, which is due to the low centre of gravity and heavy forks. The LED lights are off-the-shelf items, which have been perfectly frenched into the side panels. Bob painted the number plate onto the frame, which keeps the lines smooth, and the number plate light was positioned in such a way that it would sit perfectly with the flow of the back end of the frame.

Achievement of a lifetime

When you’ve been able to single-handedly produce a scooter of the calibre of the Ecl ipse; it shows a level of technical ability, knowledge, creativity, understanding and commitment to detail, which is at the top end of the scale. Bob has completed a masterpiece. At the VMSC Ex travaganza this year, Eclips e took the award for ‘ best custom first time shown’ and ‘bes t engineering’. The scooter is something for the eye to behold and it delivers looks and engineering in a way you’ll never forget.

Words: Stu Smith Photographs: G ary Ch apman

18 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Below left: One-off self-fabricated high-level exhaust tailored to fit its surroundings.

Below right: The Eclipse nightclub mural on the modified front mudguard.

SCOOTER DETAILS Name of scooter & reason: ‘ E clipse’, the first legal rave nightclub in the 9 0s.

What other themes did you consider before coming to this choice of theme for the scooter and why did you go with your chosen theme: P erception raves / Renaissance club in Mansfield. The E clipse was always a good night with good memories.

Scooter model: AP I Li15 0 Series 2.

Date purchased & cost: J anuary 2016 for £ 5 00.

Inspiration for project and theme: I always wanted to build a low rider, which would be reminiscent of the American 19 5 0s low riders.

Time to build & by who: Two years, by me.

Any specialised parts or frame mods. What and by whom: All fabrication, welding and machining done by me.

Engine spec: 225 Mugello.

Crank: AF Race 5 8 . Carb: 3 0mm Dellorto.

Exhaust: Might be J anspeed ( heavily modified) .

Clutch: F our-plate. Gearbox: Li15 0.

Porting work by: Myself. Dyno done by: C halky.

Describe engine performance and power delivery: E ngine pulls well up to mid-range, then flat for a bit and then takes off again.

Top speed & cruising speed: Top speed: 70mph.

Cruising speed: 60mph.

Is the scooter reliable: So far…

Paintwork & murals done by: P aintwork and graphics by me, artwork by Dewey.

Is there any powder coating: The frame is candy red.

What was the hardest part of the project: Making the back end pivot etc. J ust about everything fought me!

Do you have any advice or tech tips for anyone starting a project: G o for it; be adventurous, there are too many standard scooters out there for my liking.

Has the scooter won and show trophies: 2018 VMSC E xtravaganza, C oventry. Best custom first time shown. Best engineered.

Is there anyone you wish to thank: J ohn C orcoran – for the seat covering. Hee made one and it wasn’t what I had in mind so he started totally again at no extra charge! P rotec Shock – made it an inch shorter at no extra charge. Dewey F ranklin – worked on the murals.

Saturday’s ride out was well supported.

Getting ready for Friday’s ride out.

Paella anyone?

Tino Sacchi’s latest passion – a re-bodied Lambro.

Stunning TV175 drew much attention.

Doing the Double!

Once a year the big two single marque clubs hold their European rallies and for the second year running… Stan managed the double.

Eurolambretta, Soria, Spain,June 7-10

F

irst on the grid was Eurolambre tta. Organised by the Club Lambretta De Es pana, this was based on a campsite, which turned out to be a mixed blessing. With cabins snatched up by early birds months ago, most were left with the choice of lugging camping gear across Europe, or finding a suitable B& B. This meant that attendees, myself included, found themselves in accommodation miles from the event. For Brits used to spending time in the Cos tas, Soria was a revelation.

Ev en first rate accommodation was inexpensive and a meal that would empty a bank account at home cost no more than a pizza.

We’d approached from the industrial north, which wasn’t the prettiest of routes, but Soria had been well chosen as it offered some fantastic riding. This was fortunate, as other than the ride-outs and a superb custom show on Saturday, there was little to do on the campsite beyond having a beer or two. If that’s your thing, fine, but it felt more like a large U K club rally than an international event. One thing that was lacking was workshop facilities and credit’s due to the LC G B who worked tirelessly, not just for their own members but also to help those in distress from further afield.

This isn’t to say that the Spanish clubs were disorganised, far from it.

John and Mike had travelled from Norfolk, Mike riding his dad’s Series 1 that he learned to ride on over 50 years ago!

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Aberdeen Lambretta Club covered more than 3000 miles, encountering some extreme weather on the way.

Gala dinner was a family affair.

AAlan, Brendan, Ernie and Paul made thhhe round trip from Galway, Eire.

AApparently Jimmy moved to Spain.

Well executed cafe racer uses a Serveta moped tank.

F riday’s ride out passed through some beautiful scenery but, thanks to a police outrider who definitely hadn’t entered into the spirit of things, it was conducted at a very sedate pace. Saturday’s ride was much better paced, taking riders up a beautiful twisting mountain road. The day was summed up by Tino Sacchi, who said: “ It’s perfect, apart from the weather.”

I wasn’t the only one to have been caught out by the local climate. At 1100m, Soria has more in common with the Lake District than Benidorm and my waterproofs saw more use than I’d expected. There was also a roaring trade in jets for engines that needed leaning out due to the altitude!

I’ll admit to being one of those seduced by the food and drink off site, but I’m assured that both F riday and Saturday’s entertainment more than met expectations.

E ven the gala dinner kept speeches to a minimum and served food that, on the whole, was hot and hearty. Last year’s anniversary celebrations were always going to be a hard act to follow and the locals made great efforts to ensure everyone felt welcome. A nice touch was in E ibar, where visitors taking the opportunity to visit the old Serveta factory could pick up a free ‘ goody bag’ from Avia filling stations.

In many ways Eurol ambretta was the opposite of Vespa World Days, but ironically shared some of the same challenges.

22 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Custom show boasted a stunning backdrop.

Odd one out, but still made welcome.

Brussels were hunting down a crank.

Vespa Club Bruss Vespa traveller and whisky enthusiast Ben Birdsall was busy conducting ‘research’ into Irish malts.

Caaroline and Neil had completed a Vespa tour off Albania only days before setting off for Belfast.

Autos are now fully embedded in scooter culture...

Ride outs were memorable.

Vespa World Days, Belfast,June 14-17

T

here’s no doubt that the Vespa Club of Britain were under pressure this year. The last time VWDs came to the U K was in 2012, an event that’s widely accepted to be one of the least successful VWDs to date. Anyone with lingering doubts need not have worried though as the organisers had pulled out all the stops. Ev en though it was a two ferry journey for many Europ ean visitors, the official attendee figure was over 3000.

Interestingly only 150 chose to camp.

In recent years Belfast’s transformed itself from trouble spot to tourist destination and by locating itself close to the city centre, VWDs almost immediately lost control of its audience. Although Retrospective’s workshop was kept busy with running repairs and SIP were displaying their latest products, many of

the big names were absent, having been put off by the cost of transport. This left an opening for local traders to showcase their wares but overall the ‘ Vespa Village’ felt more like a fete than a scooter rally.

It’s hard not to feel sympathy with the organisers who’d put on a full programme of entertainment, only for some of the bands to find themselves entertaining an audience in single figures. They deserved better but who wants to drink G uinness in a plastic glass from a mobile bar when the real deal’s only a short walk away?

Opinion was united on one aspect as the ride-outs were superb. Saturday’s cavalcade to C arrickfergus C astle saw locals lining the streets and waving to the passing riders. Organisation along the route was flawless, with many rating it as one of their most memorable scootering experiences. Saturday’s gala dinner was

held in a vacant industrial unit but what it lacked in acoustics it more than made up for in atmosphere. Anyone who’s never experienced a VWD dinner should make the effort at least once. As Steve Mercer, a VWD ‘ virgin’ discovered, it’s one of scootering’s more eccentric occasions.

“I f someone had told me I’d be eating a formal dinner while listening to a F renchman play La Marseillaise on a trumpet, followed by an accordion playing Italian who lead a conga of scooterists from Strasbourg dressed as swans I’d never have believed them.”

You can please some of the people….

Organisers of the two big international rallies took very different approaches this year and both should feel proud of their achievements. U nfortunately due to the

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Gala dinner was, as always, a highlight.

distances involved they both suffered from a lack of trade support and there’s no doubt this affected the atmosphere at both venues. While hardy types like Billy Hardie travelled solo from Inverness to Aberjar, and VWDs had overlanders from Cyprus and Prague, for many time, distance and logistics meant that vans were common at both rallies. In Spain the venue was quite isolated and in theory this should have corralled people, but a lack of activity and dispersed accommodation meant that many stayed away from the site for long periods. Conversely in Belfast few made the most of the entertainment provided because the site was too close to the attractions of a major city.

David and the Go Full Throttle team were showing Celtic solidarity.

What does all that mean?

Probably that organising a rally is an unenviable task but a rally is about more than the destination, it’s about the adventure and people met along the way.

Next year both rallies move to Eastern Europe, and once again I hope to ‘do the double’. Why? Because as a spectacle the ‘Big Euros’ are unbeatable and If you want to be part of them the only way is to join one of the national owners’ clubs. Next year is one of the last opportunities for a while that the double will be fairly straightforward so why not give it a go?

Inevitably your ride will be out of place at one of them but trust me, you’ll be welcomed.

Words: Stan Photos: Stan, Caroline, Craig and Alan

24 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Also ‘doing the double’ was Seanie from Portarlington.

Benjamin was part of the advance guard for VWDs 2020 in Bali.

Good Thing!

After reading Mike Collum’s Scooter Boy Tale in the March edition, where he NEARLY was in the Fine Young Cannibals Video, Good Thing, I decided to put pen to paper.

I

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J ohn Bianchet

...to my surprise found my fellow Jokers SC mate Duncan Patey and two others I believe were from the A41 Eagles.

Also there was the man himself Jeremy Howlett and the infamous Wake custom Lambretta.

26 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

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Take in to the (T) Max… I just went for a look… but walked out with a new scooter, as you do. How would it compare to my other scooters?

U

pon arrival at the store, my eyes were drawn to an unusual beast in the corner. It was a very big motorbike/s cooter ‘ thing’ which was custom painted with U nion J acks all over it. I couldn’t actually decide whether I loved or hated the thing. A few days later though I went back and paid the man… so now I was the owner of a Y amaha TMAX 5 00cc ‘thin g’, painted in U nion J acks. During the first trip out on it I was getting used to the handling and took it round some swooping country roads to get to the A1 where I headed south.

I looked down and with no effort and not much noise, it was whirring easily along at, well, let’s just say motorway speed.

I was sitting in comfort with no need to hold my fingers over the clutch. The wind was comfortably deflected around me by the large screen, it was like riding an armchair on wheels! The T-MAX was a LOT different to my Lambretta and initially I really enjoyed having it. Peopl e looked at it because of the paint job, it was pretty visible in a crowd and certainly unique. It was great to go off on 100 mile+ round trips without having to take an extensive tool kit, no bottles of oil to carry, no vague smell of petrol from my leg. I could just go, and not have the nagging doubt that I might be calling the AA later that day from a layby! I even used it for work. In the summer I could go and see a customer with my briefcase in the cavernous storage area under the seat. Pa rk up and switch

my briefcase for jacket and helmet.

The customer never knew I’d just arrived from a 60 mile trip on two wheels.

However in the words of C larkson: “B ut, there was a problem…”

After six months or so the TMAX went from the front of the garage to the side and then to the back, and then under a dust cover. It was totally reliable, fast, smooth, comfortable, safe and reasonably economical. But, well… a bit boring. It had no soul, it was no fun, there was no excitement. It didn’t feel… alive, and nor did I when I rode it. That was the difference. Y es it was fab for long journeys and eating up miles. Brilliant for a cruise around Derbyshire. But it didn’t make me smile in the way the noisy smelly classic scooter did. When riding to work on my Lambretta it was never straight to work.

There was always a ‘ scenic route’ often involving that railway tunnel where it was The Law that you have to drop a gear and rev the shit out. And not forgetting that moment when you stop at the lights and the puffs of two-stroke smoke waft under

I looked down and with no effort and not much noise, it was whirring easily along at, well, let’s just say motorway speed. I was sitting in comfort with no need to hold my fingers over the clutch.

the helmet. Along the high street you catch your own reflection in plate glass windows and you catch that fella over there turning his head to see the scooter… you feel, alive!

The Y amaha didn’t have that feeling – you know the one – it was just, well, a mode of reliable transport. I even went to a gathering of big automatic scooters, hoping for that ‘ fraternal buzz’ you get at a rally. But it wasn’t the same. The people were different too, there was no buzz.

There was no one with bodywork off and spanners out and people helping fix whatever issue there was. It was all ‘ very civilised’ with some fellas producing a flask of tea and box of sandwiches from the space under the seat. So I think the TMAX ended up being used once in about six months. Now, rides out for pleasure are on a C harlie E dmonds tuned Rapido 225 and I have that scary feeling seeing how fast it goes by tracking on a G P S… vibrating like crazy and engine screaming!

Now that made the adrenalin flow and the heart beat like crazy ( 8 6mph by the way on the G P S) !

E ventually the Y amaha was sold on eBay. I actually got exactly what I paid for it when it went and the guy was very happy with his custom painted Y amaha. It was great for a while having that type of scooter AS WE LL as a Lambretta, but it could never be INSTE AD of! That vague smell of petrol following you around is quite addictive really.

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RESULTS The Allan Tester Best in Show: Vespa G S – 3 4 6 G KO Best Lambretta: ‘ Valiant’ – 3 9 2X U M Best Vespa: ‘ Rossi Replica’ – S8 23 RAG Best Auto: ‘ Orange / Silver’ C hopper – 128 U X U Best Chopper: Lambretta ‘ Headline News’ – E 5 16 C C H Best Ridden Classic Scooter: Y ellow LD – NSL 4 8 6 Best Street Racer: Lambretta Series 2 – ‘ Soul Surfer’ Best Mod Scooter: All or Nothing Scooter – P K14 P VX Best Rat: Military Lambretta with trailer – 8 5 1 AC E Furthest Travelled by Scooter (Male): Stefan Kilner ( G ermany 68 2 miles) Furthest Travelled by Scooter (Female): Karen Soulsby ( 29 1 miles) Best Attended / Turned Out Club: ‘ C ollective SC ’ ( 23 ) Big 7 Shiny Red Dyno: Lambretta RB25 0 ‘ Knott Boy’ ( 3 3 .68 bhp)

The BIG 7 National Rally

With the EuroLambretta and the Dutch Lions events both happening on the same weekend, and the Vespa World Days event happening the week after; some thought that the Big 7 National Scooter Rally might suffer. They were wrong...

Big numbers, big acts

The gates at The Hop F arm venue opened and a steady stream of early arrivals, pre-paid rally goers, and dealers and traders began to take their places in the field. The entertainment started up at 1pm in The Dray and by mid-afternoon the main campsite was three quarters full with the atmosphere beginning to build. F riends met up with each other and the buzz of scooters round the venue was exciting.

In the meantime, the area around The Dray began to attract a large number of rally goers who were enjoying a beer in the sun and the mood in general. In the background, the smell of barbecues cooking drifted

across the campsite, and while all this was going on, the Main Venue, Reggae Rumble and Back-to-Skool marquees were being organised for the weekend ahead. F riday evening’s entertainment in the Main Venue consisted of The C urb P ilots who played an impressive set of ska, Marquis Drive followed with a fantastic set of Britpop and Madchester tracks and the night closed with Basket C ase who got the crowd charged up with their set of new-wave and punk classics. Olas Boss took care of business in the Reggae Rumble marquee and a suitable selection of old skool tracks were delivered in the Back-to-Skool marquee.

Big day, big show, big music

Saturday morning arrived and it was time to have a look round the impressive lines of dealers and traders. There were numerous stands selling scooter parts, accessories, and both vintage and modern clothing. In the meantime, Shiny Red Tuning performed dyno testing to a large crowd. At 12.3 0pm the ride-out set off, which made a stunning spectacle as the hundreds of scooters lined up and then rode out through the main gate to complete the circuit. At 2pm the eagerly awaited custom show opened its doors in the main marquee and an enthusiastic set

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WE SPOKE TO… The Norwich Splinters, Great Yarmouth Sidewinders SCs and British bulldogs Bella and Rhino. “It’s our first Big 7 Rally; we have our ‘regular’ rallies that we generally go to throughout the year, but each year we like to choose one rally to get us out of our ‘comfort zone’ and we’re loving it!” Simon Worrell, the owner of Bella and Rhino explained. In the group was Simon’s daughter Maisie Joy Worrall who’d ridden in with Harry Elden on his PX200.

Julie and Maz of Scootz ‘n’ Soul Clothing. The ladies explained they’d always been into the scootering scene and had been pals for 34 years. Maz previously ran a scooter shop in Hawkhurst and Julie helped out with a clothing line they started running in the shop. “About three years ago we decided we wanted to bring the clothing and accessories we sell to the scooterists; rather than for them to come to us,” they explained.

On their stand Julie and Maz had a wide range of vintage and new clothing and accessories, and were offering a generous ‘three-for-two’ offer!

of onlookers and owners flooded in. With around 60 entrants in the custom show the scooters were lined three deep. All varieties of scooters were represented and the final number of scooters entered into the show exceeded the capacity of the marquee! The custom show results were announced and the awards were presented

by Barry Ludlow of the Big 7 to the proud owners. After the awards had been presented there was just enough time for a quick bite to eat and a beer before the evening’s entertainment started up. DJ s played in The Dray; Skabretta, Doojip and Vicious Rumours played in the live music Main Venue marquee, Olas Boss played in the Reggae Rumble marquee and again nonstop ‘old-s kool’ tracks were dished out in the ‘B ack-to-Skool’ marquee. At 10pm, back in The Dray there was the ‘B out of the Century ’ between Dave Por ter and The Darkside. Both acts played half-hour sets against each other, which created a lively and fun atmosphere. Dave knocked out a superb selection of classic Northern Soul tracks, while The Darkside delivered Manchester, ‘ Ibiza’ tunes and Britpop. All went down in good spirits and the feeling of an element of competition in the air added to the vibe. In the early hours the entertainment closed and everyone headed off to get some rest

32 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

before their return journeys home in the morning.

Big success

The level of entertainment and the blend of acts which the Big 7 team attract to the event each year is always outstanding.

The Big 7 weekend wasn’t affected by any of the challenges, which some thought might have had a compromising effect on attendance numbers. More than 700 tickets were sold in advance and another 2000 people paid at the gate! The diversity of the Big 7 Rally is refreshing, the enthusiastic staff are always friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere of the weekend is always welcoming and inclusive.

Words & Photographs: Stu Smith

Mike Isles, proud owner of a fantastic Mod accessorised Li125 with a 175 conversion. Mike explained that he’d started scootering when he was in his 20s and he was 70 next year. His scooter was originally painted Wedgewood and gold and it’d had a new paint job in 2018.

Mike had added the accessories to the scooter over the last 4-5 years and the most recent addition was the impressive red ‘King and Queen’ seat.

Shaun Poole, Andy Bell, Jono and the rest of the crew. Shaun had ridden in on his Steampunk styled Vespa Rally 200 chop.

The scooter had been fabricated by Shaun and kept getting more and more intriguing the more you looked at it! The frame had been racked and extended by 10in and the forks by 3in. The speedo was from a Triumph Dolomite, the headlight from a Citroen 2CV, and the rear light was from a 30s French bicycle!

CAMPSITE CUSTOM Owner: Pete Millard Club: Invicta SC Hometown: Gillingham Scooter : Vespa 90 ‘Lill Focker’ Engine: Parma 133 Is it reliable: Yes The quality of scooters in the field was outstanding and making the choice for the winner of this year’s ‘Campsite Custom’ wasn’t easy. After a lot of deliberations it was Pete Millard’s Vespa 90 which came out on top. At the age of 16 Pete got his first scooter, a Vespa 50 Special and at the age of 17 he upgraded to a P200E. Pete had always wanted to build a smallframe street-racer; so in 2012 he decided to put his practical knowledge up to the challenge and bought himself a Vespa 90 in bits.

He and a friend sprayed the scooter in Pete’s garage in a yellow and blue chequer paint-job, which was a rudimentary format of how the scooter appears today. For the engine, Pete chose a Parma 133 kit, with a full-circle crank. The gears were upgraded to a primary 27/69 with a small-frame Primavera 125 gearbox. The engine runs on a 30mil Dellorto carb with a reed-valve

Pete and ‘Lill Focker’.

induction and has a Franz exhaust, which lets it rev freely alongside the Parmatronic 12v ignition. A couple of years later, Pete decided he wanted to get a professional paint job and make further engineering upgrades. He commissioned Atoms to complete the work; who along with the paintwork added the front disc-brake conversion and louvred the frame to allow extra air-flow to the carb. Pete then added the cylinder head temperature gauge and the handlebar rev counter himself. The scooter cruises at 65mph, and has a top speed of around 80mph.

Franz exhaust.

Quality disc brake.

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Custom show line-up.

SHOW RESULTS Best Lambretta: ‘ Sign of the Snake’ Best Vespa: SG 23 0 street-racer Best Art and Design: ‘ Dream Warrior’ Best Chopper: ‘ C erberus’

Jess, winner of the tattoo competition.

Papped! Macca and Stuart.

A different feel.

Animal Antics 8

Scooter Rally, Doncaster An ‘old skool’ alternative scooter rally with a modern twist!

T

he Armthorpe Animals SC’ s, ‘Animal Antics 8’ Scooter Rally rocked the quiet and tranquil setting of the Hayfield Fis hing and Shooting Lodge, Doncaster. A single-track road leads to the venue and gives a sense of being disconnected from the outside world, which adds to the enjoyment of the rally…

Early start

Early on Saturday morning the previous night’s arrivals who’d organised camping with the landlord of the Hayfield were getting themselves freshened up and ready for the day ahead. Also, some of them took advantage of the full Engl ish breakfast buffet being served in the pub.

In the meantime, club members Mick Shore, Alex Matthews, J onny Adams and Marie Shore were making final preparations to get the venue ready for the

arrival of rally-goers. By mid-morning the buzz of scooters riding down the narrow road and emerging at the Hayfield was in full-flow. Some day-trippers chose to park their machines in the car park, while others chose to take up their positions in the campsite, which was conveniently located immediately next to the Hayfield, the main marquee and the hot food tent.

As more scooters arrived in the campsite I took the opportunity to chat with some of the rally-goers who were setting themselves up. Space was becoming a premium and I knew we were in for a great day. Having chatted in the campsite, I walked over to the car park where areas were now being taken up by scooters in lines two and three deep. The quality of the scooters both in the campsite and in the car park was tremendous. In the meantime, scooter tracks started playing from the P A system in the main marquee;

the atmosphere was building. By lunchtime a healthy line-up of scooters entered into the custom show had built up along the area near to the main marquee, which offered rally-goers an opportunity have a look round the entries and check out the detail.

By now, the picnic benches and seating areas in front of the main marquee were fully occupied with friends chatting, exchanging stories and having a beer. In the background, while this was going on the custom show judges began to make their way round the entries, deliberating between themselves.

Afternoon Antics

At 3 pm J onny Adams took to the P A system and performed the role of MC . J onny’s style with the crowd and his engagement with them got everyone going and added even more fun to the day. A short time later,

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W E S P O K E T O. . .

Tim, Hazel and Emily Bickley from ‘Throttle Happy SC’, Chesterfield, stayed overnight on Friday. Tim had ridden-in on his Vespa chop, ‘Sgt Slug’. He explained that when he got up on Saturday morning he’d done his psychobilly quiff and gone over to have breakfast in the Hayfield.

However, due to a slight amount of light drizzle in the air, Tim took his pink flamingo brolly with him, which was greeted with a few raised eyebrows when he walked into a breakfast room packed with anglers!

Club members Marie, Abigail and Jasmin.

Dave Stewart and his daughter, Rhian.

Early arrivals Bedlam SC. Dibba explained that only the hardcore element had made it; Noddy and Honky had shied away and Steve couldn’t make it as he was getting married. Shaking their heads, and with a playful tut they said: “Getting married in the scooter season? Get a grip!” Biddy added: “He needs to get his priorities in order!” The team later returned to Sheffield to form the ‘guard of honour’ for Steve and Amanda’s wedding.

Boots ‘n’ Scoots SC from Lincoln who were in the process of setting up their base-camp and also have members in Scarborough, Leicester, Doncaster and Rotherham: “It’s a proper back-to-basics ‘Old-Skool’ rally and the music’s great!”

“And they even allow Mods!”

Jimmy laughed. “Or tolerate them!” Darren joked.

having captured the crowd’s full attention J onny announced the custom show results and gave out the awards to the proud owners. When the custom show presentations had been completed it was time for the tattoo competition. This was won by local lass J ess, who beat off the competition including myself ( eliminated in the first round) with her stunning ‘ creepy clown’ tattoo completed by Art & Soul tattoo studio, Doncaster.

Trying not to dwell too much on my poor performance in the tattoo competition, I moved back round the campsite to share a beer or two with some of the rally-goers. In the meantime, the hot food tent was doing a roaring trade and keen custom show onlookers were engaging with the owners of the custom show entries. E veryone was in good spirits and we were all looking

36 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

forward to the evening’s entertainment, which was now being set up in the main marquee.

Live wire

At 6pm the first live band, The G uttersluts, took to the stage – rocking the main marquee with a set of punk and new wave classics. The two front-men got the crowd going and exchanged healthy banter with some of the individuals in the audience.

At 7.30p m The G uttersluts closed and made way for the headline band, Epi leptic Hillbillys. The E pileptic Hillbillys played a fantastic set of psychobilly tracks and took the atmosphere to the next level. The audience were bouncing and the area close to the stage developed into a ‘ wreckin’ pit’.

Brian Varey receives the award for Best Art and Design with ‘Dream Warrior’.

The Guttersluts.

Farewells

Saturday was bursting with fun and ‘antics ’, and Sunday morning saw a set of well satisfied rally-goers grab a bite to eat, get a coffee and set off back on their journeys home.

Through the course of the day there were around 250 people over the gate.

The campsite was packed full of rallygoers, tents and scooters, and if you couldn’t make it, the ‘A nimal Antics 9’ Scooter Rally will definitely be one to consider for next year!

Words & Photographs: Stu Smith

Party atmosphere.

Nik and Gemma Hart from Harrogate who’d ridden in on Nik’s ‘Jam tribute’ LML, which was bought for Nik by Gemma for his 40th birthday. The couple had camped the night before and were getting ready for the main day. They explained that they’d been to the rally last year and they’d loved every minute of it!

Epileptic Hillbillys.

W H E R E I T A L L S TA R T E D The Animal Antics Scooter Rally started in 2009, the year after Mick Shore formed the Armthorpe Animal SC with Dave Copeland and his wife, Marie. The rally was initially held for several years at Clampit Creek, Haxley, Doncaster. However, due to circumstances beyond their control Clampit Creek was closed down. The rally briefly moved for a year to Squires Café, Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire before taking up its current residence at the Hayfield Shooting and Fishing Lodge, Doncaster.

Patched Club The Armthorpe Animals SC are a ‘patched club’, which means that members go through a period of assessment until they are properly accepted as a full ‘patched member’. An individual is first classed

Patched clubs make their presence felt.

as a ‘hang around’ then they move on to being a ‘prospect’ and then, if they are successful with their period as a ‘prospect’ they become a ‘patched member’.

No problem with security Founding member Mick Shore is a mixed martial arts expert, who trained with Larry Hartsell, one of Bruce Lee’s original students.

Club member Jonny Adams is an ex-professional wrestler aka ‘Jonny Angel’ who’s previously wrested against ‘Giant Haystacks’, ‘British Bulldog’ and ‘Big Daddy’. Jonny is also an ex-bodyguard to Joe Calzaghe, Mike Tyson, Chris’ Eubank and Steve Collins, and club member Carl Briggs is an ex-Royal Marine and Rotherham’s strongest man!

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 37

s u r e b r Ce In Greek mythology, Cerberus is called the ‘Hound of Hades’. It’s a three-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. In addition to his extra heads, Cerberus has a serpent for a tail, and snakes protruding from parts of his body...

Point in mind

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Developing the dream

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A wider view

The first rally Dave ever went on was to Skegness in the 1980s , when he was only 10 years old! He went to the rally with an old mate and his mate’s mum and his dad. This trip provided him with an unparalleled insight into the world of scootering; what it was really like and not just as how people described it. “My first scooter was a P X 125 in blue; I travelled all over on it and managed to make many memories. I then fell in love with T5s and Lambrettas,” Dave explained.

Fas t forward a few years and let’s come onto the newest part of Dave’s scootering life; his fantastic looking candy blue chopper, C erberus. “I ’ve had a dream all my life to eventually own my very own chopper scooter and for it to look exactly how I wanted it to. Ev eryone asks how much it costs; but let’s be honest, how much do dreams cost?”

Dave commissioned Shaun Barley of Shaun Barley Cus toms to carry out the work. Shaun is no stranger to custom fabrications; he has an inspirational approach to his work and takes great pleasure in pushing the boundaries of engineering and rising to the challenges they offer.

Planning

Apart from seeing scooters in Louth and Dave Wilson’s custom Lambretta Vega, another inspiration for Cerberus was Dave Sims’ chopper, ‘T angerine Dream’. With this in mind, Dave sat down with Shaun and they drew up a plan of where they wanted to go with the development of Cerberus . “It had to be a plan, which would introduce a ‘ next level’ of looks in terms of chopper builds; that was one of the fundamental elements I wanted to achieve with Shaun and I knew he was up to the job,” Dave explained.

Having considered Dave’s brief, Shaun set about the work. “The lines had to be smooth and smoother than anything else anyone had seen before,” Dave said. “The basic principle of producing a great looking chopper is keeping the lines flowing without cables and wires hanging out all over the place; and make it interesting!”

40 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Looks

On the road C erberus has a distinctive ‘ E asy Rider’ look, which introduces an interesting and fresh lookk in terms of chopper scooter appearances. Taking a look at some of the engineering detail, the smooth looking one-off alloy twin handlebars sit effortlesslyy into the one-off alloy yoke. The forks are made from m over fitting C DS tubing leading down to the alloy inverted springs and rockers. Moving back up the forks and along the lines of the frame its gentle curves give an almost ‘ Alien’ science fiction look, which inspires intrigue.

The paintwork is candy blue, which again was completed by Shaun Barley. The colour of the scooter is stunning and sets it apart from the rest of the pack. The look is minimalistic and draws you to look deeper; once your attention is captured you’re treated to the experience of examining the engineering.

A masterpiece

The ‘ spine’ of the frame arches and cradles the one-off alloy fuel tank. In the meantime, the two under-sections of the frame work their way downwards to incorporate the one-off billet alloy foot controls and stand. As this is happening the upper spine element of the frame gently curves upwards to support the custom single seat and holds the ‘ J ockey-Shift’ gearstick. The upper and lower sections of the frame then meet up in perfect

8A

MAN & MACHINE Name: Rob Stewart or ‘ Dave’ Scooter club & town: Doghouse SC , Louth.

How and when did you first become interested in scooters: Louth has always been a place you’d see a scooter.

What was your first scooter: P X 125 . Brand spanking new!

What is your favourite scooter model: Lambretta G P & Vega.

What is your favourite style of custom scooter: I’m a bit like Bertie Bassett. I like all sorts!

First rally or event: ‘ Skeg Vegas’, 19 8 0.

How did you get there: In my friend’s parents’ car. We were 10 years old.

Any stories: Morecambe. We lost Robbie F ox.

G ary and I turned back 10 miles looking for him. In the process G ary ran out of petrol, only for us to find Robbie coming towards us in a van. It turned out he’d ran out of petrol, got a lift and never told us!

Favourite and worst rally/event: All rallies are what you and your mates make them.

I’ve never had a bad one.

Funniest experience with a scooter: Kelso.

Riding behind Les and a bird came out of the bushes straight into his helmet.

F eathers everywhere!

What do you like about rallies: Having a weekend away with mates. Simple!

Favourite custom scooter of all time: J ohn Wilson’s Vega, ‘ Tales of the U nexpected’.

Ohlins gas assisted Yamaha XJR1300 rear shocker. RB220 engine.

Name of scooter & reason: C erberus Inspiration for project and theme: Dave Sims’ chopper, ‘ Tangerine Dream’. I loved the frame and it was a different style of chopper.

Time to build & by who: F ourteen months

by Shaun Barley.

Any specialised parts or frame mods? What and by whom: Too many to mention. All hand-built by Shaun Barley with an RB220 engine slapped in.

Has the scooter won any show trophies: Best E ngineered – Whitby National Rally 2018 Best in Show – Whitby National Rally 2018 Best in Show – G ood Things 8 0s – Doncaster 2018 Best Oddity – Bangers and Mash 2018 Is there anyone you wish to thank: Shaun Barley for all his fantastic work, Dave Sims for the inspiration, ‘ Me J ulie’ for her continuous and undivided support throughout, C asey Stewart ( my son) . All the Doghouse RC for their help in getting me to the other side… in particular Nick Thwaits and Lee Thornton.

One-off hand-built exhaust pipe.

DOGHOUSE SC (LOUTH) The club is described as being made up of ‘dirty dogs’ and ‘bad ass bitches’...

Their motto is: ‘One pack, one kennel’ and obedience lessons are from ‘pack memberss’ only. A full member of Doghouse SC is of Doghouse RC status and is a full member of the Kennel. Doghouse SC’s Facebook page is for non-full members and is simply for all the other cats and rats to sniff around on…

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 41

A dream realised.

synchronisation to hold the TS1 engine. Beauty can be about symmetry and this is what Shaun has created; a thing of beauty and it’s the appearance of simplicity too, which has been intelligently developed to hide the underlying complexity of Cerberus ’ build to work in perfect harmony with each other.

Since Cerberus made its first appearance on the custom show scene at Whitby, it’s been picking up awards left, right and centre. Also, as a result of its ground-breaking appearance and thought-provoking looks, it’s attracted a lot of interest, which is exactly what Dave and Shaun wanted to achieve with its design. The diversity which Cer berus delivers is something special.

Thinking outside the boxes is a talent, it should be condoned and indeed welcomed, as it will only help to support and encourage even more radical and ‘off the grid’ innovative thinking from the rest of the scene going forward.

Opening doors

Cerberus ’ appearances on the custom show circuit to date are only the beginning, and Dave intends to continue to not only enter Cer berus into custom shows given up exclusively to scooters but also to show Cerberus in custom shows outside the scootering scene.

“I’m hoping that showing Cer berus in custom shows outside the scootering scene will open

42 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

gateways to others who, may never have previously thought to take a look at the scene, and encourage them to come and see what it’s all about.” Dave explained. “S urely; to any positive, open-minded and forward-thinking individual this can show others the depth of what the scootering scene has to offer, and the incredibly diverse nature of our fraternity?”

Appreciation

J ulie, Dave’s partner and his daughter, Rhian, are by Dave’s side at most of the shows and rallies that he attends. They form an endearing part of Dave’s team and are probably one of the most influential elements to Dave’s positive and inspirational mind-set. “T hey’re my team and they’ve been with me all the way through this project,” he explained.

“I ’m sure there will be many more memories and adventures to come; and I hope everyone enjoys C erberus as much as I do. The hardest part of it was waiting for it to be completed but I wouldn’t have changed anything about it. It’s exactly what my dreams have always looked like in my head, it was definitely worth it. We’ve done what we wanted to do to with our build; now it’s time for others to do what they want with their builds, and show us something different.”

Words: Stu Smith Photographs: G ary C hapman

MAILBOX

Letters& emails& correspondence& questions& personals& thank-yous& comments& more Feedback, Scootering Magazine, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6LZ or feedback@scootering.com

One owner for 58 years!

Hi Dan, I have owned my Series 2 since 19 60 – I bought it when it was six months old.

Thought maybe I could have a mention, especially as Stu mentioned in an article, that he thought a chap who had owned his for 5 4 years was the longest… I’ve had mine 5 8 years this year. I have attached a couple of pics, one in 19 66 and one now.

Mr Ray Dredge

This is my dad enjoying Scootering while on holiday in Playa Blanca Lanzarote.

Daniel Chapman

Stu Owen on John O’Groats

My sincere thanks to Stuart Owen for his wonderful overview article about the LCG B J ohn O’G roats ride 19 8 8 in edition 385 of Scootering. G iven the space he had, he managed to encapsulate everything about the event. I spent a lot of time minutely planning the route and stopovers etc. and it all worked perfectly to plan. Some time in the future I will dig out the souvenir New Jet Set magazine that we produced in A4 size in order to fit in all the pictures and the stories which would have you rolling round laughing.

Stuart rightly says that I led my club members through the gates at Land’s E nd and even to this day it was the most emotional and proud moment I’ve ever had while riding my Series 2.

Thanks Stuart, Kev Walsh – Ex General Secretary LCGB Thanks for the kind words Kev, I know Stu will appreciate them. There’s plenty of people out there waiting to tell us when we get something wrong, so it's nice when people write to tell us we've got it right!

Dan

Never miss an issue 44 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Gus Sutton RIP

Those of us old enough to remember the swinging Sixties, will fondly remember their local scooter dealer. One particular Vespa dealer was G us Sutton, i.e. A J Sutton, Vespa dealers.

G us 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 and one which Douglas Vespa was very proud of.

G us wasn’t a man to be ignored. If he told you something was wrong with your scooter, ' there was something wrong with your scooter’! G us didn’t suffer fools.

He spoke straight and was a good, honest dealer.

Sadly G us has passed away but his memory will last long with those who knew him. Deepest sympathy’s to his wife Ann, sons Steve and David, and the family.

Norrie Kerr

Just chilling by the sea in Cavtat, Croatia.

Daryl Hicks

from only

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WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 45

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T-shirt T shirt with w your yo photo

For your chance chanc to t win i a stylish li h Scootering magazine T-shirt, email us your HI-RES pics to: suys@scootering. com or post your pics to Show Us Your Scooters, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ, and the least crap snap wins!

Closing date: August 7, 2018.

For full terms and conditions, visit: www.scootering.com/comptc Kenny Bainbridge’s scooters, which he personally renovated.

Martin Kirkby’s PX125.

Lambretta GP200, sent in by Bill Carrington.

Well, it is a scooter and it was made in Italy. From Mark Horobin.

Tony Muxlow sent these before and after photos of his scoot. The images of his daughter were taken when she was aged four and added so that wherever he goes, she can go with him.

Karl Chandler’s 1969 Vespa GTR that he rides with the Hindley Stateside SC.

My daughter, Darcey, hoping she doesn’t have to stay on the trailer while driving home; my 1996 T5 Classic restored by my dad. Sent in by Martin Cooke.

Least crap snap

THIS MONTH’S WINNER: Taken on the

A81 outside Aberfoyle; sent in by Ian Johns

ton.

Nice ride to Norfolk and Suffolk.

Bressingham Steam Museum has loads of Dad’s Army stuff. Sent in by Geoff Adkins.

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BRONTE STEAM 49

Doing his best to go round the outside of Bill Metcalfe.

Though scooter racing dropped out of the limelight in the mid-70s, to those taking part it was still as popular and championships were there to be won. Richard Wilfang was in it to win it.

T

he scooter racing boom of the late 19 60s and early 19 70s was a heavily contested and well-promoted affair in its day.

With the Lambretta stopping production by mid-19 71 it was thought by many that the racing scene would slowly die off. Though scooter ownership was in general decline by this time a younger generation would now take it over. G one were the days when the Lambretta and Vespa appeared in mainstream press, slowly pushing the scene underground.

With it went scooter racing and though it wasn’t breaking news any more, this didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. Nothing could be further from the truth; with the grid as full as it ever had been the competition was just as fierce. With many riders now having had several years under their belts to hone their skills, becoming a champion was an even harder feat to accomplish.

Only the best would make it to the top and one person by the name of Richard Wilfang would do exactly that.

Saving for a TV

Having left school in 19 67 like most teenagers back then, Richard went straight into employment courtesy of an apprenticeship. The meagre £ 6 a week wages didn' t go that far but slowly there was enough to save up for a scooter. The older less desirable models were to be had for a bargain and soon there was enough money put by to purchase a TV 175 Series 11 Lambretta.

Though the Mod era was well and truly gone by this time, some owners would still follow the fashion certainly – when it came to the scooter. Richard was no exception, with a host of mirrors, lights, racks and super loud exhaust to weigh it all down with.

For the first few months, most of the time would be spent driving it around posing proudly like a peacock. Haunts such as the local youth club were the main destination. The local scooter shop was within five miles of Richard’s house and it was there he would often part with

his hard earned money to cram even more metal work on to the scooter. The shop went by the name of Roy’s of Hornchurch, which would go on to be an epicentre in the scooter racing scene.

On one such visit, there were a group of four or five Lambretta owners from The Vikings West E ssex Scooter C lub. Having chatted to them for a while Richard was duly invited to their Thursday night club meet. U pon his first visit, his scooter stood out more than it ever had done before.

Most members wore racing overalls and their scooters were entirely devoid of any chrome work. All had a hole cut in the left-hand side panel to help the huge carburettors fitted breath more easily.

It was a far cry from how Richard had perceived a Lambretta to be and what it could actually do.

The 19 60s was a period of rapid change and nothing lasted long before moving on.

He was quickly put under the spell of The Vikings’ influence and soon moved in a different direction.

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Richard, number 95, leading Malc Anderson at Castle Combe in 1971.

A change of fashions

The impact of meeting the club members was a quick and effective one. Without the slightest thought almost a year’s worth of amassed mirrors, lights and such was quickly removed and binned. A pair of knobbly tyres fitted and hey presto a grass track scooter was born. G rass track racing had been popular for a few years and, with no major upgraded required, it was easy to have a go at. It was a radical change of direction in such a short space of time but one Richard was eager to make.

During 1968 he would enter several grass track races picking up trophies along the way including winning the IoW sand race. Later that year at the BLOA LCG B Southend rally, he would become grass track champion over several races. This not only highlighted Richard’s hunger for racing but showed he possessed a natural talent for it. With the club seeing his potential, it was decided he should now move to circuit racing. This would require some preparation but as 1968 came to a close he decided to give it a go.

Proudly posing at home with both his Group 4 and Group 6 race machines.

scooters to the track, race them, then ride them home.” The idea of a van to transport the scooters was unheard of, which is a shame as that day in early March of that year was bitterly cold.

So cold in fact, that before racing could commence the clerk of the course demanded salt was thrown on to certain parts of the track to melt the frozen surface. With ice-cold temperatures and a freezing track, it would be enough to put any first timer off but not Richard Wilfang.

Not only did he finish his first ever race a respectable fifth out of 27 riders but in doing so also managed to lap one of his teammates in the process.

For now, he was content just going racing with his fellow club members, trying to learn the art of riding fast and developing his tuning skills as best he could. For a while it all worked well as the

teammates bounced ideas off each other and became a strong force. However, nothing lasts forever and as time went by he decided that a change was needed. By the early 19 70s, scooter racing was well established with a fully organised national championship. An abundance of both teams and riders had sprung up from all over the country with everyone being eager to win.

Moving on

Whether or not Richard felt the club he’d joined was holding him back is uncertain but before long he and fellow teammate Doug May broke away to form their own team, Q uantum P lus. Though they would amass a fair number of points towards the championship, a small two-man team could never win it. It was decided to join forces with a group called C onsortium and

Honing one’s skills

“They wanted me to go racing,” was how Richard put it, “and I knew it was the right thing to do.” A crash course in tuning was now required to try and make the old TV more competitive. The first job was to increase the capacity, an oversize piston giving 192cc, just below the 200cc class limit. A high compression head, Amal MK 1 carb and some porting would complete the top end. The tuning was finished off with baffles being removed from the exhaust, and so from the ashes of his fancy Mod machine a lean racing Lambretta was born.

His first race was at Mallory Par k on March 2, 1969.

Though no official championship would start until 1970, this was the year it would develop with several races organised to see if it could actually work. As Richard said: “W e would ride our

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Richard was often the most talked about rider when scooter racing was mentioned in the press.

In the wet at L ydden H ill pulling off at the start line in b etween T om P ead and R ay K emp.

together they walled be known as Q uantum + C onsortium. Now boosted to five members, it would still be small in numbers compared to a team the size of Bellerophon but what it did have was a group of dedicated and talented riders.

By now his tuning skills were starting to develop and an engineering background was certainly helping. U sing books and magazines articles as a reference as well as help from a friend who had good experience with two-stroke tuning the engines Richard built were becoming more powerful. More often than not they would be tried out in his road-going Lambretta to see if new modifications had worked.

It was also a great way of bedding in new pistons and rings before a race meeting to prevent seizing.

Changes were afoot courtesy of those who governed the race championship, making it even more competitive. Cl asses would be put into numbers as more and

G etting his knee down at the Isle of M an in 1 9 7 2 .

R ichard up front and out on his own b ecame a regular sight during 1 9 7 4 / 7 5 .

more organisation started to happen within the sport. A 200cc standard Lambretta it would now be classed as G roup 4. G roup 6 was the specials, which allowed far more scope for the engine as well as the frame. This is where Richard excelled, building his own special not only tuning it but doing all the engineering modifications. It gave him great satisfaction to go racing knowing that he had built and tuned the machine himself.

D edication finally paying off

It had now been five years since that debut on a cold frosty morning at Mallory Par k. With the 19 74 season in full swing, not only was Richard a leader at the front of the grid but the team was becoming very successful. So much so they took the team championship that year. F or such a small team it was a great achievement only to be bettered by winning it again in 1975.

For Richard though there were even

greater things to come. That year would see him win all but one of the G roup 6 races making him the overall champion.

It was an honour every scooter racer in the last 5 0 years has wished for and put him in that elite class of winners.

Becoming overall champion gives a racer the honour of the number 1 on their machine the following year, which he duly accepted. However, an agreement with his wife meant that if such great heights were ever achieved then it would be time to quit. Having managed to do five years of competitive scooter racing and come out of it relatively unscathed was a feat by itself. It must also be remembered that when you have got to the top the only way is down so perhaps it is the best time get out. Walking away from something you enjoy doing or are passionate about is never easy to do so the easiest way to stop temptation is to get rid. Being friends with Mick Hayman, an up-and-coming racer,

T rying his luck out in G roup 3 ( 1 5 0 cc) at C adwell P ark in 1 9 7 4 on the numb er 9 machine.

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Richard agreed to sell his special to him.

The deal was for him to prepare the machine at his workshop for Mick before each race. That way though he wasn' t racing any more there was still a way of being involved. After several races, Mick took over preparing it himself and the racing story for Richard was over, or was it?

Temptation

An invitation to race at the Fes tival of Speed at Lydden Hill in the summer of 1976 arrived. It was a popular event for both scooters and motorcycles and was widely followed by the press. The problem was the special was now sold but the lure of racing with the number 1 plate was just too much. Like any Lambretta owner, Richard had accumulated a whole host of spares, enough to build another machine.

By the time of the meeting, a G roup 6 special was built and ready to race.

Being one of his favourite tracks would definitely help and was part of the reason he won both races that day.

It was the only time he ever raced with the number 1 on the scooter and now having won with it, it was much easier to call time on a great racing career. Like so many, once the racing stopped he had very little interest in it afterwards. It wasn’t

Sitting on his newly built special for the 1976 Festival of Speed now featuring the number 1 plate.

Never miss an issue 54 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

until last year that by chance an invite to a F acebook group rekindled his interest. Not only was he happy to see that scooter racing was still thriving but amazed by just how fast they are now.

Having looked at some of the engine work he said: “T oday’s engines produce so much more power than we ever dreamed of.”

It’s easy to comment on different eras in any sport, asking whether those back then would manage in today’s climate. That can quite often be reversed – could today’s current crop deal with the equipment and conditions that were on offer back in the 70s? When it comes to racing you can only go on what was available to everyone at a specific period in time. F or Richard Wilfang in the mid-70s it was simple – he was the fastest, a champion and number 1. It was his time.

Words: Stu Owen

The 1975 scooter lap records chart featured Richard quite frequently. Reprinted by kind permission from Scooter and Scooterist magazine.

Considering it was built from bits lying around in the shed the work on this special just goes to show how talented an engineer Richard was.

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NK1 r e c a R a p s e V A raci

a special om fr ed op el ev d e re ng pedig

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Steve Chapman and Dave Delaney’s love affair with scooters developed from an early age, and they shared a passion for scooter racing, which developed through the bumps and scrapes of the 80s...

Way back when

When Steve was growing up he regularly went on family camping weekends to the seaside and sometimes the traffic would be swallowed up by a sea of young people on scooters. “I was slightly scared and very curious. When we were in Dorset in 1982, driving down some beautiful country lanes, three scooters passed us – all chrome and mirrors. However, it was the menacing message on one of the scooter’s flyscreens, ‘ Millions like us’ and the girls on the back that really did it for me.

It was an invisible, glamorous army of young people and that’s what I wanted in the next few years, a scooter to carry girls!” Steve explained. In 1983 Dave watched Q uadrophenia and was hooked.

And not long after a few trips to Nelson House and Oasis in Birmingham he was kitted out with a parka, J am shoes and boating blazer!

Racing pulse

With plenty of funny stories and interesting moments under their belts, Dave and Steve now work alongside each other on the BSSO scooter

racing committee. With the 2016 inaugural season success of the new P roduction C lass open to both Lambretta and Vespa Steve approached Dave wanting to build the first smallframe Vespa for the class, with Dave as the rider and engine builder.

At that time Stuart McKenzie on a P 200 was the only competing Vespa rider in a class dominated

by Lambrettas.

Inspiration

“Th e LC G B BSSO P roduction C lass was such a success. Vespas were allowed to enter but no-one had and I was curious to see how a smallframe would fare. It’s a 13 2cc versus their 200cc and is obviously down on power, but lighter with incredible handling. I hoped it might encourage some others to try and in that it’s been a great success, and we have four more headed to the track this season.”

Steve explained. In 2016 their good friend Norrie Kerr made his old grass track frame along with a set of P rimavera casings available to Steve. The frame was showing the scars of competition with a story from Norrie on each and every ding and dent

1: Mr Kerr handing the scooter over to Dave. 2: Norrie’s off-road frame. 3: Dave and Hodge. 4: Legshields off.

5: Legshields strengthened for racing. 6: Legshield work in progress. 7: Realigned.

8: Ready for the horncast.

9: Undercoat. 10: Seized bolts adjusters and stripped threads to mend. 11: Engine stripped. 12: Some of the small items for assembly.

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of its history; so the frame was sent over to their team paint sponsor, Hodge at Supersprint Restorations, for some Black Count ry magic.

Developing the dream

Wanting to keep Norrie’s racing spirit alive, master fabricator Hodge set to work on caressing the frame back to its former glory. When the legshields were removed it released all the stresses from its racing history but Hodge managed to realign it perfectly before fitting new ones. While all this was going on and after transplanting a new set of 90SS legshields along with dummy tank, mudguard and headset. Hodge was then left to ponder on a fitting paint scheme; and a few ‘ chuff’ breaks later the NK1 tribute was born, complete with its 80s survivor race paint theme!

Engine build

With the motor, rather than buying new casings Dave opted to save a P rimavera engine, from which the cylinder and crank had to be removed by angle grinder. “ It was a labour of love but saving something that was ready for the skip is most satisfying!” Dave explained. At the same time Dave had already set to work specifying all the required components for the rebuild along with building NK1’s race engine. Rules for the Pr oduction Cl ass only permit type-specific components, the idea being everyone has the same setup, the rider making the difference.

This provides some very close racing throughout the field: the Lambrettas get an RB20 kit, Frans peed pipe and 3 0mm carb with no tuning allowed. For the smallframe Vespa there’s a Malossi MHR 132cc cylinder kit, NF K signature exhaust, Malossi reed valve and a 3 0mm VHSH Dellorto carb. Suspension is open to the rider’s preference so Dave opted for the proven Malossi RS shockers along with fitment of a nicely crafted Cr imaz hub mounted disc brake as PK forks would have spoilt

58 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

the line and handling. “T he usual route for racing is to fit the P K forks and P X disc brake. However, I’ve tried P K forks before and they do increase the ride height and for me upset the original smallframe handling. The scooter’s now fitted with the latest Z irri disc brake, and the original hub and forks have been retained. It eats brake pads but has a terrific feel and its single piston is ample for its power.”

Dave explained. “I f only we had these back in the 9 0s!” he added with a smile.

The Ignition was later uprated from a P K HP 4 to Malossi Vespower and Steve bought a Scitsu rev counter for the scooter, which Hodge loved. When Steve took the bike to a dyno before C adwell P ark last year he left the rev counter with Hodge. When Hodge arrived he used another frame to fabricate an amazing bracket for it and even painted it to match the bike! Steve has to confess, the standout part for him is the inboard front disc from Z irri with master cylinder, which pops on with no modification to the SS headset.

Performance

P ower from the motor is circa 20bhp and with the NF K exhaust providing bags of torque the ‘ bolt-on’ set up is on par with the competing RB20 Lambrettas of the same class. “T he NF K signature exhaust provides terrific grunt through the gear changes and holds the top end revs perfectly. The Malossi RS suspension works well, keeping the scoot settled when fully cranked over,” Dave explained. “A s regards its top speed; that’s around 8 5 mph depending on gearing/ race circuit and cruising is just for the cool-down lap,” he added.

Is the scooter reliable? “F ingers crossed; yes, so far it has been. We did had some clutch niggles initially but they were easily rectified and the P K ignition and HP 4 flywheel gave a miss-fire at top revs. So for 2018 we have fitted the Malossi Vespower kit which now has it revving freely,” Dave explained.

RIDER & MACHINE Name: David Delaney How and when did you first become interested in scooters: In 19 8 3 I watched a Betamax copy of Q uadrophenia and was hooked.

What was your first scooter: 19 8 4 , a three-speed Vespa 9 0 for £ 5 0 ( thanks Dad) .

What is your favourite scooter model: Vespa 9 0SS. I have had several over the years and recently added my Holy G rail, Norrie Kerr’s multi-championship-winning K1.

What is your favourite style of custom scooter: F ull bodied street racer with engine and rider to back it up! Also anything different and out the norm’.

First rally or event: ‘ Weston-super-Mud’, 19 8 4 .

Slept in a bus shelter until a tramp told us to get off his bed! Later a couple came in eating fish and chips; when they left it was a race to the bin for the leftovers.

How did you get there: On the train with mates.

F irst rally on my scooter was C lacton ’8 5 .

Favourite and worst rally/event: Morecambe runs were always special, great boozers. P orthcawl ’8 6, wasn’t great for many reasons. E n route we had to stop to syphon fuel into milk bottles on a car sales forecourt to keep us running through the night ( before locking fuel caps and 24 -hour stations) .

Favourite Scootering magazine feature: Back in the day it was Norrie Kerr’s monthly article, ‘ How to make ’em bleedin’ quick’ with excerpts from his excellent book, Tuning Vespas the Norrie Kerr Way. Nowadays it’s the racing reviews and dyno product reviews.

Cool stuff: Lambretta: LTH clutch. Vespa: DRT inter-changeable primaries.

Useless stuff: The Beedspeed 10-spring clutch, at that time seemed an evolution, but you needed to be P opeye to operate it.

Name of scooter & reason: NK1 as a tribute to the scooter’s original and sole previous owner, Norrie Kerr.

Time to build & by who: I built the engine and running gear. Steve left it to me to specify all the components to suit my needs for racing.

Engine spec: Malossi MHR 13 2cc, complete with MHR reed valve cylinder induction Crank: Malossi MHR full circle, 5 1mm stroke/ 9 7mm con rod. Carb: Dellorto 3 0mm VHSH. Exhaust: Norrie Kerr signature.

Clutch: Newfren 24 -spring. Gearbox: Standard loose gears with DRT tree ( 21-tooth 4 th) .

Porting and engine build by: David Delaney.

Dyno done by: F irst run done at J ahspeed but since at C oastal Trippers Scooter Workshop.

Anyone you wish to thank: All the sponsors who have supported us, Steve C hapman, VE U K & C oastal Trippers Scooter Workshop. SRP Racetech along with all the team sponsors and our dear friend Ian F rankland – RIP . Special thanks goes to Steve C hapman for his generosity and entrustment for me to spec, build and race NK1. Mark Hodgetts for his craftsmanship. VE U K for sourcing most of the fiddly little parts.

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OWNER & MACHINE

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Getting going

Dave is no stranger to scooter racing as he competed with Norrie Kerr’s famed Team Vespa on a variety of 9 0SSs back in the 9 0s and Noughties. Dave was set to swap from his SRP -backed P roduction C lass Lambretta to NK1 mid-season, but this was unfortunately halted following a serious head injury while competing at the Anglesey C ircuit. Dave’s initial run time on NK1 was therefore limited until he was able to return fully towards the end of the 2017 season. U ndeterred, recent pre-season testing at Mallory P ark showed some encouraging signs, and both man and machine look set to deliver some exciting results in the 2018 race season ahead.

With all the work completed, it’s now time to put the plan into place and we wish Dave and Steve all the very best for the future in their joint venture.

F or 2018 the Vespa C lub of Britain in conjunction with VE U K are sponsoring the best placed Vespas within the P roduction C lass, and what a great time for Vespa racing!

Words: Stu Smith & Dave Delaney Main Photographs: Richie Lunt Build Photographs: Dave Delaney

60 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

17: Done. 18: Master cylinder assembly. 19: Hub-mounted disc brake. 20: First time out at Cadwell 2017.

Name: Steve C hapman How and when did you first become interested in scooters: F amily camping weekends to the seaside when I was growing up and we used to get swallowed up by scooters!

Your first scooter: Vespa 5 0 Special at 16.

Favourite scooter model: Supertune Lowline SX 200.

First rally: C lacton ’8 4 .

How did you get there: Vespa 5 0 Special.

Any stories: We went everywhere on our 5 0s including Hastings that year. I doubt we ever took more than £ 20 with us, no M25 and no map. It took us about twelve hours to get to Hastings – we just asked people for directions at every stop!

Favourite and worst rally: F ave was DJ ing at Mersea around 19 9 8 in the dance room. I asked for three turntables and a 6k Martin Audio Rig. J on Betts delivered; I don’t think many in the crowd had been much exposed to that style of music, we mixed up Salsoul, disco and P hilly soul remixes, they knew the words, if not the tunes and everyone seemed to love it.

Worst was being C S-gassed by ‘ casuals’ at C lacton ’8 5 probably. Though at the time you would have thought I’d been blessed, by the way I went on about it.

Funniest experience with a scooter: Riding through town with mates who’d just bought a silver series, with matching Watsonian Bambini sidecar. We only really used the back brake when we were young. C an’t do that with a sidecar attached – it turns 9 0º to the right, P hil and Robin went straight into the window of a very popular restaurant!

Scooter model: Was originally a replacement frame; Norrie bought it from Douglas and built it up into a scrambler.

Date purchased & cost: Late 2016 – Norrie let me have it for the price of a night in the hotel at C adwell P ark.

Time to build & by who: About five months, Hodge at Supersprint Restorations did the bodywork and all fabrication, Dave Delaney built the motor and running gear.

Specialised parts or frame mods: The frame has been taken down to the stem and rebuilt by Hodge. I bought a Scitsu rev counter for it, Hodge loved it.

Paintwork by: Hodge at Supersprint Restoration.

What was the hardest part of the project: F or me, waiting for the front disc to arrive from Italy.

Anyone you wish to thank: Norrie Kerr for the frame, the engine and the inspiration. Dave Delaney for the engine build, the patience, attention to detail and not crashing it yet. C hris G eyton: F or bringing us all together. Hodge, and all at Supersprint: F or the amazing work and all the great times. Vittorio at C asa Lambretta. VE U K: the support these guys have given to scooter racing has really raised the bar. Likewise new sponsors Scomadi and Vespa C lub G B. F inally, my wife J essie for her support and for turning a blind eye to all the invoices that have been rolling in.

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No need to bring your own bale,

they supply them.

A snapshot in time

The halcyon days of 1970s scooter racing When a Vespa enthusiast unexpectedly meets a former Lambretta racer, ‘brand allegiances’ are set aside for a common cause… the love of scooters.

W

ho knows what interesting characters you are going to bump into during an otherwise boring and mundane day at work? I certainly didn’t! I work in a small primary school near Macclesfield in Ches hire, and part of the curriculum involves year four and five pupils taking part in the Bikeability scheme, or ‘ cycling proficiency’ as I remember it ( I think I’ve still got my badge and certificate somewhere!). Anyway, during this particular lunchtime, the Bikeability instructors joined us in the staffroom for a brew, and this is where the real story starts…

On this particular day I was wearing a VCB T-shirt, as I do, which prompted the question… “H ave you got a Vespa then?”

Here we go, I thought, and politely replied that yes, I had, and then the inevitable happened… he told me he used to have a Lambretta back in the 1970s . Nothing unusual about that particular statement, loads of people seem to have stories of

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how they had a ‘ 3 5 0cc Lambretta that did 120mph’ in the olden days ( sigh… yes mate, course you did) . However, the conversation didn’t go that way, it instead took a far more interesting twist, it turned out the gentleman in question was called Laurence Moore and he used to race

Lambrettas in the 19 70s. He was a keen member of the LC G B and began his racing career with the Manchester Lyons before setting up his own race team with a mate called Mike Hatton. The team was called Lambros Racing and was made up of Laurence on his 15 0 Special and Mike on

Sack race anyone?

Racing memorabilia from back in the day, Laurence kept it all

these years. Fond memories.

Loads of people have stories of how they had a ‘350cc Lambretta that did 120mph’ in the olden days (sigh… yes mate, course you did).

a standard 150. They competed at several race meetings with Laurence coming second and third on a few occasions in the 150 Class behind the legendary Dave Webster – even beating him on one occasion! They did all their own work on the scooters and tried out lots of ways to get an extra bit of speed, simple things like drilling holes in components to make them lighter.

Of course it was all guesswork for him back then, he wasn’t an experienced tuner, so had to be creative. He told me how he experimented with the infamous Wal Phillips fuel injector which was great on the straight but ran out of fuel when leaning into a corner thus causing lean running, so it ended up in the bin, like a few other tuning products at the time!

Health and safety? Not back then.

WD-40 at the ready.

Wheels off, over the bale, wheels on... away you go.

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Either a long way in front, or a long way behind?

Looking cool.

We had a good chat about many scooter related topics and Laurence kindly offered to lend me his photo album, which contains some fantastic pictures of both race meetings and rallies in the early to mid-70s. I was honoured to view this snapshot in time. Alongside the photos are some old tickets and memorabilia from various race meetings. So I arranged to meet him at a local pub where we had another chat over a pint ( or two) and he entrusted me with the album.

As well as racing he attended a lot of rallies and he explained the logistics of a few of the competitions which took place, such as: a team of two race on a scooter across a field with hay bales placed in the middle. When they reached the bales, they remove the scooter’s wheels, lift it over the bales, replace the wheels and carry on until the end.

There was also a sack race which was performed while wearing crash helmets.

This involved jumping down the field in a sack with a crash helmet on and then getting on a scooter to ride back. My favourite event he told me of though, must be the one where a passenger gets onto a tray which is tied to a rope and gets pulled at high speed across a field by a Lambretta! There didn’t seem to be much

Laurence Moore might not be a big name in motorsport but he played a massive part in scooter racing in the 1970s, alongside such names as Terry and Ian Frankland and Dave Webster. thought for health and safety back then! Laurence Moore might not be a big name in motorsport but he played a massive part in scooter racing in the 19 70s, alongside such great names as Terry and Ian Fr ankland, and the legendary Dave Webster. His photo album is a fantastic snapshot in time and he has got some amazing stories.

Although Laurence gave up his scooter in 19 78 to concentrate on cycling, he remembers his racing days with fondness. He’s a really nice chap with some great stories to tell and I feel privileged to have met him; it’s not every day you get to meet a legend in your own lunchtime!

Words: Russ Machin – VC B

Tipping the scooter in, no knee down or slider though.

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A brisk day’s racing.

Looking a tad slippery.

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The price is right! (...or is it?)

Sometimes we wish the price of scooters and spares was exactly same as it was in the past, but were they actually any cheaper back then?

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ot many people can have failed to notice the unrestored TV200 that recently fetched the staggering sum of £14,700 at auction. It’s not uncommon these days to see other examples of both the TV200 and SX200 fetch prices upwards of £10,000 in what seems a vastly overinflated scooter market. Ev en the lesser models of both the Lambretta and Vespa seem to be following suit, being put up for sale with a price tag that would have been unbelievable just a few years ago. There is no doubt that the rarity of such examples plays an important part in this equation.

Supply and demand have always dictated the price of anything at auction, and at the moment… there are more buyers than sellers in the premium scooter market!

Having seen what was going on it became the topic of conversation in the office, and we wondered just exactly how

much prices have risen over the years.

Not just scooters themselves but also the accessories, spares and just about anything else connected with them.

Though some results were astounding in the amount they had increased some were not and in comparison to other items we found a few surprises along the way…

Scooters

As it was the TV200 that sparked the whole debate off in the first instance, what better place to start. When it was introduced in 19 63 a brand new TV200 cost £19 ( in old money) remembering that there used to be 24 0 pence to every pound. By 19 65 , towards the end of production, a TV200 was priced at £ 215 which was in line with inflation. So if you compare that with the price tag of the TV200 recently sold for £ 14 ,700 that’s an increase of £ 14 ,4 8 5 . In percentage terms that’s a staggering rise of around 673 7% .

Top & above: Original examples of both the TV 2 0 0 and the S X 2 0 0 shown here can easily fetch five-figure sums these days, considerably more when they first became available in the 1 9 6 0 s.

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Above left: The V espa G S , though good examples sell for thousands of pounds currently in comparison they were not that much cheaper in the 1 9 5 0 s when the figures are adj usted for infl ation. Above right: The V espa T5 was ground-breaking at the time of its launch. Like all V espa models over the last 7 0 years, it has always been fairly evenly priced. Right: Wh ile the current economic climate has low interest rates and infl ation it hasn’ t always been that way. In the mid-1 9 6 0 s infl ation was out of control in Britain, forcing the price of a new Lambretta up on a regular basis.

Next in the Lambretta line up is the SX200 which again fetches big sums these days. Taking an example that recently fetched £10,500 compared to the original asking price of £219 an increase of £10,281 or 4700% so nowhere near as much as the TV200 but still an eye-watering amount. However, there are other factors to remember.

According to official figures, the average wage back in 1965/66 was £19 per week compared to £530 per week present day, a rise of 2700% . The current economy is benefiting from low interest rates and low inflation compared to the past where not only were interest rates higher but there other factors such as devaluation of the pound in 1967 and crippling inflation.

So what does all this actually mean if you take £219 as the average cost of either the TV or SX20 0 back then compared to now? U sing the historic inflation calculator that amount would be £4227 present day so The SX200 has actually gone up by around 150% and the TV200 247% , if you look at it that way it now doesn’t sound so bad. There is another way of looking at it; during the later part of the 1990 s and the early 2000s, examples of both machines were fetching around £3000 so were cheap in comparison to when they came out, if using the historical inflation method of calculating the price.

Looking at the Vespa, that throws up an even more interesting set of figures depending on how you look at it. When

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the G S was the flagship model in 19 5 5 , brand new it cost £ 14 5 . By 19 67 some 12 years later the SS18 0 was £ 218 , a rise of £73 or 4 9 % . So if we go all the way back to 19 5 5 and use the historic inflation calculator then today the G S would be £ 3 8 00. If you look at the figure good examples are fetching these days, around the £ 5 5 00 area, then it is only a rise of 4% less than that between the G S and SS180 when they were on sale new.

Spares and accessories

Tyres have always been an essential part of the scooter – we couldn’t use one without them. Back in 19 70 the general cost of a normal 3 5 0: 10 tyre was £ 3 .5 0.

These days it’s around £ 3 0 pounds for anything decent. That’s a rise of 75 7% .

But using the inflation calculator, a £ 3 .5 0 tyre in 197 0 would be £ 5 5 today, so a tyre is actually far cheaper now than it was almost 50 years ago! What about fuel, another necessity the scooter requires to run? In 19 66 a gallon of petrol was around 26p compared to today where the average is £ 5 .20 a rise of 19 00% . That may sound quite frightening but inflation wise the 19 66 price of 26p gallon works out to £4.7 9 present day so it is not that much different at all.

Searching for accessories that were used back in the 19 60s and are still available today there were two that spring to mind. Fi rstly the big bore clubman exhaust that has sold in its thousands over the years. In 19 67, Arthur F rancis of

Watford, as it was known back then, sold them for £ 3 .12.6 which would equate now to £ 66.77. C ompare that to £ 8 1.60 which is what they are currently sold for

by AF Rayspeed. Though they are more expensive now it’s not by a great deal. In complete contrast though is the Amal MK 1 carburettor. New in 19 67 they were £ 8 .19 .6 which works out at £ 165 .3 0.

Y ou can currently buy the exact same specification one for £ 115 .5 7 – so much cheaper to buy in the present day.

Having looked at a lot of other products that were either identical or similar back then to what is available now, the figures all threw up different results. Whereas some were cheaper in the past than now like the big bore exhaust, others were more expensive in the old days like the Amal MK 1. It must be remembered that a company manufacturing scooter products in the 19 60s would produce thousands compared to now where the market is much smaller, that figure being just a few hundred. That would mean back then mass production made a product cheaper to produce. Also, it was a highly competitive market with possibly several dealers in just one town, making competition more intense – another factor driving the price of a product down.

The TS1 example

No one can doubt just how good the TS1200 cylinder kit was when it was first introduced just over 3 0 years ago now.

The 225 cc version first went on sale for

The Arthur Francis accessory price list from 1967. While there were a few bargains to be had, some items were far more expensive – relatively speaking – compared to what they are now.

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£265 and is now available for £43.50.

U sing the calculator that means an increase of 63% but adjusted for inflation the original cost would surprisingly work out at £740.

Why, you may ask. Well, the original batch of kits would have had big tooling costs factored into their price.

Also, manufacturing methods are much more developed and cost effective now than they were back in 1987, so the manufacturing cost if far lower. It’s still down to the company that sells them to pass these reductions on and it just goes to show how fair AF Rayspeed has been to its customers over the years by passing them on. The TS1 appears to be better value now than it ever has been!

Comparisons to other products

Compared to other items or commodities, prices have increased far less dramatically within the scooter industry than elsewhere.

A pack of 20 cigarettes for instance, which were around 12p in 1966 and a pint a beer at the same time 10p, have increased far more than anyone ever thought they would. E ven adjusted for inflation, both would only work out at around £1.80 in the present day. I don’t think we need to go any further and compare to what price they actually are now to realise how much they have gone up. Y ou could say that the pack of cigarettes has gone up by an unbelievable 8400% which makes the Lambretta TV200 look fairly affordable in comparison. J ust in case anyone is still worried that the price of the TV200 is extremely high you could compare it to a F errari 250 G TO which was available to buy new at the same but has risen in some instances by almost 300,000% .

So perhaps things are not as bad as they seem after all.

The TS 1 on sale now for more than 3 0 years. Believe it or not it’ s a much better deal on your wallet now than it was back in 1 9 8 7 . then – far from it – many were picking up a bargain; getting a scooter for a fraction of its original cost.

That scenario can be quickly flipped on its head though where someone has picked up a cheap scooter and sold it for a profit a few years later for a couple of hundred pounds. If, instead of selling, they had held on to it for a much longer duration then possibly thousands of pounds of profit could have been made.

I’m sure many of us have been in that position at one time or another and as the saying goes ‘ hindsight is a wonderful thing’. Regardless of how much vintage scooters fetch, the market will always

balance itself out, the same can be said of rare accessories. Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay and that may be a huge amount one year, but far less a couple of years later.

That’s the risk you take with anything second-hand and should always be considered when making an offer or bid.

So while today we are discussing the price of a TV200 at £ 14 ,700, next year it may be considerably lower. But on the other hand, it could be even higher. U ntil the time comes we' ll never know, anyone got a second-hand crystal ball they want to sell?

Words: Stu Owen

Just to annoy us a little bit

So we may moan from time to time that scooters and the products for them are very costly. If you look at the Vespa which has been available for a period of more than 70 years, the latest Vespa G TS is well in line with any other model that was new during a certain date in the past.

Looking at it that way then, everything seems that bit more logical and any price comparison of any make of scooter or related product from any specific period of time compared to now seems fair.

The problem lies in the second-hand market and though the high prices paid currently may seem excessive, sometimes it has worked the other way. There were periods in the 19 70s where the Lambretta, whatever model, was almost worthless. How many times have we heard of people buying one for just a few pounds? This even applies to older Vespa models, with the new ones at the time seemingly given away for less than a week’s wage. No one was moaning back

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Above left: S cootering magaz ine, on sale since 1 9 8 5 . W ith the corrected RP I figures it’ s relatively in line today with the price it came out at originally. G iven the fact that it has a stack more pages and is now full colour, it’ s still a real bargain! Above right: P etrol, fags and milk… which do you think has gone up the most?

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r o t a n i Dom

Whatever angle you look at this scooter from – it’s stunning.

Sometimes, an original design is so good that it can’t be bettered, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be brought up to date…

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here’s been countlessd ifferent paint schemest oad orns cootersov er the years.S omear es oi conican dw ell donet hatt heirl egacyl ives on. C ertain periodsi nt ime noton ly produced classic designsb utt heys tillr emaint hem ost populart oday.T heex plosion ofcu stoms cooters thatw ereb uiltaf ter thep ost-19 79 M od revival into theear ly1 9 8 0scan d efinitelys takeacl aim to that accolade.M anyw ered oneb yi ndividualsw ho had theirow n vision ofw hatt hey wanted tocr eate but somew erep roducedb yd ealers alongw itha specifict heme.I nY orkshire,t he most popular of coursew as the‘ ST ype’p roduced by AF Rayspeed butt hey didn’th avei tal lt heirow nw ay.

Y ork’sfi nest

There were many big scooter clubs based in ‘ the north’ and none was any bigger than Y ork SC . It reputedly boasted more than 100 active members, and many local business thrived off their custom.

One of these was Reghams, based in Y ork itself, which was an established meeting place for local scooterists. With the surge of scooter ownership at the time, Reghams produced its own dealer special.

Known simply as the Dominator, it would feature a tuned engine and lavishly styled paint scheme.

Thep aintwork fort heD ominatorw asor iginally doneb yM acaat DTC w ho by nowh adal ready establishedh imselfas on eof thel eadingp ainters on thecu stomci rcuit.T houghi t’s nots ure how manyof thesem achinesR eghamsact ually built, Macar ecalls paintingat l easts ix,f ouri ny ellow andt woi nb lue.P aintedb etween1 9 8 1an d 19 8 3 there’s scarceev idenceof an yot hers urviving examplest odayan dt hisi s probablyon e of the reasonsf ort hemh avings uch iconic status amongt he scooteringf raternity.

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P eter P ulleyn had started his scootering life just as the Reghams Dominator broke on to the scene. Having lived near the shop he was in awe of this stunning creation, though too young at the time to afford one. When an accident trashed his G rand P rix, however, he realised that now was the time to make his dream come true.

Toh iskn owledge,n oon eh adt ried to reproduceaD ominatorb efore.T hough Reghamsd oesn’tex ist any more...t hep ainter does!P etercon tactedM acaab outp ainting a Lambrettai nt he Dominators chemean d without hesitation hew asal lt ooh appyt oob lige.

Knowingt he exactl ayoutof h owt hep aint schemen eededt ol ookm eanth ecou ldv irtually mirrori maget he original.T hought heen gine would usecu rrentL ambrettat echnology,P eterw as keen tot ryan dkeep as n earas possiblean accurate reincarnationof h owi tw asd oneb ack then.

Peter’s only little personalisation within the whole project is his nickname on the tool box door.

Research

Though the Reghams Dominator is now regarded as a classic, it didn’t set the world on fire at the time it was produced. A few were sold, but it wasn’t widely publicised so not a great deal is known about it. Luckily for Pet er, he does have memories of them at the time and several examples were sold locally to owners who are still within the scene.

With the help of friend J ason Pot ter, who was instrumental in the engine building, he was able to track down a few images of original examples. This would help to a certain extent but by also using Maca there was enough knowledge between them to get it exactly right.

Peter opted for the yellow, red and black scheme which was the most popular at the time. The design, though classic 1980s , has a modern look to it and doesn’t look out of place almost 40 years on.

The yellow base background, allows the red stripes to stand out as they intertwine with each other.

Though it is quite a complicated design, it does work well. The side panels are a little more subtle and the sweeping lines flow much easier on the long flat surface of the G P profile. Maca has again delivered a classic, with an outstanding quality of workmanship.

Castaway

At the time the Dominator’s were produced only cast barrel tuning was available and the preferred choice of exhaust was the clubman. Though it’s still possible to do it this way, modern fuels don’t work quite so well – certainly with cooling – so it was

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decided to take up the option of an 225 RT kit instead, with a little porting. A G P 200 gearbox, bigger sprockets, a 28 mm Dellorto and BG M exhaust combine to give smooth performance. Who knows, if Reghams were building one today then perhaps that’s the route they would have gone down regarding what was actually inside the engine?

At the front, there is very little in the way of fancy upgraded brakes. The original Dominator was based on the Indian G P and so came fitted with a traditional drum brake. P eter has done the same but with the reverse pull system. Though not the best regarding stopping power if set up right the reverse pull drum brake works better than you think. E ven so, front dampers are still a necessity and a pair BG M ones cope more than admirably with the task of preventing the front end from dipping violently, a common trait of the reverse pull drum brake system.

As for the rest then it’s all very 19 8 0s from the standard 9 0mph speedometer to the G P coffin seat.

Another thing this Lambretta lacks is chrome. The original didn’t have it so possibly it would look out of place on a recreation was P eter’s thinking. There is a leg shield toolbox fitted for extra spares etc. and P eter’s nickname of P iggy is present. Though this is a modern addition not seen on the original it is not out of place and helps take up the void space that is always a problem area with Lambretta customisation. At the back is a flip-flop or Bradford backrest as they are known which is synonymous with the 19 8 0s scooter scene and looks the perfect accompaniment. A small rear mounted rack behind

The only speedometer you can fit when doing a retro rebuild.

Right: The reverse pull front drum brake not often seen these days but Peter wouldn’t have it any other way.

OWNER DETAILS Name: Pete Pulleyn (Piggy) Job: Postman.

Scooter club & town: Northern SC Leeds but live in York.

How and when did you first become interested in scooters: Just caught the back end of the mod/2-Tone era in the early 80s and always wanted a scooter.

First scooter: Vespa PK80.

Favourite scooter model: Series 2.

Favourite style of custom scooter: 80s style street racers.

First rally or event: Scarborough 1986.

How did you get there: Vespa.

Any stories: There was a lot of stealing going on, somebody nicked my mate’s headset top!

Favourite event: Love Cleethorpes.

Funniest experience with a scooter: Going to Morecambe ’87-ish, two-up on my Vespa and not being able to get up a hill! My mate had to get off and walk only to be greeted by a layby full of cheering scooterists! Some of whom I knew! Took some stick that weekend!

Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Great Yarmouth in late 80s.

What do you like about rallies: The fact that you see people you haven’t seen for years and it’s like you saw them yesterday.

What’s your favourite Scootering magazine feature: Show Us Your Scoots.

Your favourite custom scooter of all time: Always loved Sign of the Snake.

Though it’s not sure how many of these machines Reghams actually built Maca recalls painting at least six, four in yellow and two in blue.

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Attention to detail, even on the smallest parts, is pure perfection.

finishes the job off nicely and is essential for luggage when touring. That’s about all apart from a long range tank which these days is an essential part of the equipment on a modern Lambretta.

Doing it justice

What Peter has created is a beautiful 1980s looking Lambretta paying homage to a classic from that era. All too often it is easy to overlook what you are trying to achieve when building a replica from days gone by. Back then they used what was available to them, whether it was in the engine or on the chassis.

Now with advances in production just about every Lambretta part ever made has been bettered one way or another. This has meant it’s easy to go way over the top and lose track of exactly what you’re trying to achieve in the first place.

Y es, Peter has used modern parts in the engine and who can blame him? It’s alright doing an exact replica of what was originally done but if you are using it on a daily basis some sort of practicality needs to be built in.

By not being too radical with the engine or anything else for that matter perhaps what he has done is correct. If it was an original Dominator from the time and still on the road with what needed replacing then maybe this is how it would exactly be now. I’m pretty sure people reading about what Peter has done or those that see it out on the open road will be spurred on to do the same with their next build. As we all get further and further immersed in scooter nostalgia there will no doubt be many other recreations of classic designs from days gone by. F or now though, we can all admire this one as it sets the perfect example of how it should be done.

Words: Stu Owen Photographs: G ary Chapm an

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SCOOTER DETAILS Name of scooter and reason: Dominator. When we were teenagers growing up in late 70s/ early 8 0s, Reghams local Lambretta dealer came up with these bikes and I always wanted one.

When I smashed my G P up I thought nobody had ever reproduced one, so I got in touch with Maca who sprayed them originally and this is the result. Well chuffed!

Scooter model: G P 200.

Date purchased and cost: Bought in 2005 off Stu Thurston ( The E mporor) who’d done a lovely paint job on it for me. C ost about £ 3 5 00.

Inspiration for project: G oing back to my youth and the amount of time we use to spend in Reghams.

Time to build & by who: J ust over a year. Built by my mate J ase P otter and sprayed by Maca.

Any specialised parts or frame mod: Original seat, original 8 0s flipover back rest and Series 2 clutch lever.

Engine spec: Kit: RT225 . Crank: 5 8 x 110.

Carb: 28 mm Dellorto. Exhaust: BG M C lubman.

Clutch: U prated standard. Gearbox: G P 200 with 19 / 4 6 sprockets. Porting work by: P orting work done by J ase P otter. Dyno done by: Dyno done

by C hisel Speed.

Describe engine performance, power delivery and scooter handling: Very responsive and crisp.

A bit slower with a big lad like me on!

Are there any other unique details we have missed: Had to put piggy on the toolbox as I’ve always been known as that since I started rallying.

Top speed & cruising speed: 70mph top, and 60mph cruising.

Paintwork & murals done by: The brilliant Maca at DTC .

What was the hardest part of the project: Tracking down old photos of Dominators as there weren’t many done.

In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently: Nothing I would of done differently; it’s all gone fairly smoothly.

Is there anyone you wish to thank: J ase P otter for all the mechanics and research he’s done. Maca for the brilliant paintwork. Dan G uest for his help with the research and finally my fiancé e Vicky for putting up with me while we’ve been doing it.

Stuart Millington, brand manager and TT pit crew member.

Put a lid on it

Thinking of buying a new helmet? Stan gets an insider’s view on what to look for when choosing a new lid.

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he headquarters of Moto Direct, importers of brands such as AG V and Arai, is a rather anonymous-looking industrial unit near Mansfield.

Inside it’s a different story though. For Moto G P enthusiasts there’s a mind boggling collection of race bikes and automobilia. Collecto rs would marvel at the selection of helmets worn by motorsport’s most famous names.

Sadly I wasn’t there as a tourist; my task was to interview brand manager Stuart Millington. A keen biker, Stuart has a lifetime’s experience in the industry and for two weeks of the year escapes the office to act as pit crew for some of the world’s leading TT riders. I’d been promised a frank discussion but was still surprised by his opening remark: “I t’s not difficult to make a safe helmet fairly cheaply. The challenge is making one that people want to wear.” Sensing my confusion Stuart changed direction,

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This Ulster Grand Prix slide was so long that the shell partially wore through. The rider was unharmed!

1

2

3

1: All fibre helmet shells are ‘ laid’ by hand, an expensive but versatile process. 2: P olystyrene absorbs energy but deteriorates, one reason to change a helmet every four years. 3: F inished shell awaiting internals.

“May be we should start with what a helmet’s designed to do?”

It’s a simple statement but the answer’s more complex than I’d imagined. “A good helmet offers two types of protection,” Staurt explained, “activ e safety and passive safety. Active safety is how a helmet performs in a crash and is the area most regulations are concerned with.

Obviously this is important but it’s only part of the equation; most of the time it’s passive safety features that keep a rider safe.” This was a new concept to me and when I asked for clarification the list included things such as peripheral vision, which made perfect sense, but also things that I’d considered to be helmet ‘ extras,’ such as ventilation. “ P eople should think about what they’ll use a helmet for,” he explained. “ If it’s a short commute, ventilation isn’t a priority but for anyone planning a tour in the south of F rance it’s vital. Being uncomfortable reduces concentration and puts the rider at risk. P assive safety features make a helmet wearable but they also add cost, widening an open face helmet’s aperture by a few millimetres whilst retaining structural integrity is a huge engineering challenge.

Helmets are one area where people really get what they pay for.”

While talking about ventilation I complained that on one of my old helmets the vent caps broke off easily, only for Stuart to correct me: “T hat’s good design.

Most motorcycle accidents involve sliding along the road surface. Things like vents should break off to avoid grabbing the road, preventing something called ‘ rotation’. Think of it like shaking a snow globe. In an accident the forces involved can move the skull more quickly than the brain inside, rupturing its membrane and that’s never a good thing. A well designed helmet will minimise this by offering very little drag in the slide. There’s a fashion for helmets covered in leather and that really does grip. P ut it this way, I wouldn’t wear one.”

When asked what his ‘ must have’ recommendations would be, Stuart paused before answering: “I ’d look for a helmet with the widest field of vision. Our Sportmodular is one of very few helmets to offer 180º , the same as a human eye and that makes for a much safer ride. G ood ventilation’s important and after that a pinlock visor. E ssentially double glazing for your helmet, they aren’t a miracle cure but do reduce fogging. Drop down sun visors are also a fantastic idea, providing it locks in the up position.” He then

L AW R E N C E OF ARABIA Next time you wear a helmet think of T E Lawrence. In May 1935, the national hero suffered catastrophic brain injuries during a motorcycle accident. Among the medical experts summoned in an attempt to save his life was the neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns.

Convinced that Lawrence would have lived if he’d been wearing a helmet, Cairns began a study of fatal motorcycle accidents. His findings led to the adoption of protective headgear by military dispatch riders and ultimately their use by motorcyclists everywhere.

IF THE CAP FITS “One of the biggest mistakes people make is buying the wrong size helmet,” explained Stuart. “I’d strongly advise against buying a helmet online, certainly without trying one on somewhere first. The starting point is a head measurement (which should be taken around the temples) but this isn’t the whole story. Sizes and shapes of helmets vary between manufacturers and even within

their own range. There’s no such thing as an ‘Arai medium head’ and sometimes the helmet that looks fantastic in photos simply doesn’t suit an individual’s head shape.

When trying on a new helmet, forget how the old one fits. That’s probably been used for years and moulded itself perfectly. It’s not unusual for a new helmet to hurt. A good sign is that the helmet’s aperture sits

about a centimetre above the eyebrows and grips the forehead snugly. When tilted backwards and forwards the skin should move with it. Our dealers are trained to ensure a good fit and will encourage a customer to take their time. I’d suggest wearing it for at least 15 minutes; a good dealer will understand what’s going on.

If they don’t, go elsewhere.”

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S TAY S H A R P Established in 2007 as part of a Government drive to reduce road casualties, the SHARP initiative provides an independent and consistent measure of helmet safety.

To achieve a sharp rating each model of motorcycle helmet undergoes 30 linear and two oblique impact tests. A minimum of seven individual helmet samples, in a range of sizes, are subjected to impacts at three speeds and the result is presented in an easy to understand rating of one to five stars. Unfortunately this only measures active safety, so a ‘five star’ rating may have been obtained at the cost of rider comfort. The aim is to ensure no-one’s wearing a one star helmet rather than make sure everyone’s wearing a five star.

For most riders anything with three stars or above is probably worthy of consideration.

WHEN IS A HELMET NOT A HELMET? The first thing to check before buying any motorcycle helmet is that it’s legal. In the UK that means complying with either British Standard 6658 or, more commonly, EC22.05. This information’s contained on a certificate that’s usually sewn onto the chinstrap and shows in which country the helmet was tested, its certificate number and a code denoting what type of chin protection it provides.

The latter is particularly important as it’s quite common for the chin piece on flip front and motocross helmets to offer no chin protection at all. The decision on whether to wear an open or full face is Top & middle: P art of the historic collection, helmets worn by Agostini and Lauda. Above: The world’ s first fibreglass helmet was produced by AGV . laughed and added: “A washable lining should be high on the list. People wouldn’t wear the same socks every day but seem quite happy with a helmet that stinks!”

I’ve been riding for over 30 years and talking to Stuart made me realise that I still don’t know everything I should about buying a helmet. What I’m certain of is that no-one should be buying solely on whether a helmet looks good. There are plenty of resources to help make the correct decision but the best place to start is probably your local motorcycle clothing store.

There are few more important purchases a scooterist will ever make than a helmet.

As the old saying goes: ‘If you’ve a £30 head then wear a £30 helmet’.

Words & Photographs: Stan

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down to the individual – it’s personal choice – but it’s worth being aware of what exactly it is that you’re buying.

Without the EC/BS certificate, in the eyes of the law you’re not wearing a helmet.

While it’s highly unlikely that this’ll be checked on the roadside by your local constabulary, an insurance company will be very interested in what head protection was being worn at the time of an injury accident. It’s not unusual for American or even Indian spec helmets to be sold online and counterfeit examples are not unknown.

All good reasons for supporting your local ‘bricks and mortar’ dealer.

H OW T O R E A D YO U R H E L M E T E = European Standard 3 = Country granting homologation (approval), in this case Italy 05 = The version of regulations it complies with (05 is the most recent) 2848 = The homologation number P = Crossover helmet with chin protection (also seen are NP = Chin guard that offers no protection, J = Jet (open face type) no chin protection, and P/J Modular helmet with chin protection)

CLUB DO’s & EVENTS

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CLUB DO’s & EVENTS

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CLUB DO’s & EVENTS SHOWS, PARTIES, Rallies & RUNS.

If your scooter club is holding a do or event just drop us a line for some FREE advertising.

Unfortunately we can ONLY accept details by post or via the website due to workloads. Please keep wording to a minimum and be warned that listings may be edited due to space restrictions.

JULY

20-22 Summer Scrum 8, by Driffield Midnight Runners SC . F riday night-5 : 15 ’s playing and then Ska-Boom U K on the Saturday. Driffield RF C , Y O25 9 DW 20-22 Solent Cougars SC,ann ualr ally.

BTCSports Club,Eas tleigh,H ants.

SO162P A 21 All or Nothing SC Rally,B arkers ButtsR FC,PickfordG rangeLane, Cov entry,CV59AR .G atesopen1pm .

TicketO nly.w ww.aonsc.co.uk andF B “AllO rN othingSC” 21-22 BSSO scooter racing, Anglesey Race C ircuit, north Wales. On-site camping.

22 Scunthorpe Parts Fair,The P ods, AshbyR oad,Scunthorpe,N .L incs DN161AA.D etails-K evW alsh 0796626558Emaillcgb2@ blueyonder.co.uk 27-29 BSRA National 6,Ex mouth 27-29 Rocking the Heifer 2,R ock andH eifer,R ockLane,Thornt on, Bradford BD13 3R H. live bands Food/ DrinkCus toms howmoney rais ed towardslocalcharity .Camping£10 perpers on/Saturday day pas s£5, enquiresR oryromani@ hotmail.co.uk orcontactT ykes cooterclubonFB 27-29 The Right Direction 8 rally, atTheG ateH angsW ell,Sy ston, Leicestershire.T elMick07885 660579orD az07828543 06 29 Individuals SC, 5 th Anniversary charity day, at St Thomas C ross, Rugby, C V23 0DN. DJ s, live band, raffle, scoot comp, stalls etc. All monies to Rugby Autism and Hope 4 Y ou.

AUGUST

2-5 Euro Yeye Festival,G ijon, Spain.

Livebands ,internationalD J ’s, allnighters,s cooterruns ,ex pos, market.w ww.euroyeye.es 3-5 Ride To The Runway 3,B illingham A19SC.Fis hburnAirfield,B ishop Middleham,Co.D urhamD L179 DY .

3-5 ModaFest 3,R unT oTheA sylum, WhittinghamSports Club,Pre ston.

Livebands ,cus toms how,1pmr ide outetc..Early B irdfullw eekend wristbands£9.9.by Pay palf riends optionorders @ scootermoda.comor 01772284

3-5 Salford Knights SC,R allyon Regardless,M anorF arm,N ewton Lane,T attenhallCH 3 9 AY Trade Stalls,Cus tomShow ,B andsan d DJ .C ontactK eith077868 3 3 14 7or FB S alfordK nightsS C .

3-5 Run To The Stump,by R obbo’s backT oB asics.Pr incessR oyalS ports Arena,B oston,L incs.

3-5 Harlequins SC Summer Shindig 7,at S waffhamR ugbyCl ub,N orfolk PE377Q X .£ 10en try,SeeF Bor Cal lJ ames0 78 79 6 05 5 4 0or H ugh 078349576 4 Rotherham Market,f reee vent featuring“AB andC alledM alice”, seeFB p age“R otherhamM arkets”or 07771675581L ynn 5 Mods & Rockers,bi ke& s cooter show.TheM arketP lace,K ings Lynn, Norfolk,11am -3pm 10-12 Retford Slackers SC 30th Anniversary, Retford RU F C , DN22 7P W 10-12 Gt Yarmouth rally,hos tedb y TheSi dewindersSC( seead vert) 10-12 Oddballs rally,Abi ngdonR F C , Oxfordshire.K ingK urtpl ayingl ive.

Advt icketson ly,nopay ont hed ay 10-12 Messy In Moortown, Skipworth Arms, Moortown nr Market Rasen, Lincs, LN7 6HZ . Ticket only, on sale J anuary 3 rd, 2018 . £ 12 for early bird tickets.

12 Beat The Bikers,M atlockB ath.

Departs1 0amf romH urtAr ms, Ambergate,B elper.D E 5 62 E J 17-19 7 Up rally,by 7H ills SC .

BeightonM inersW elfareC lub.n r Sheffield,S201EA.I nfoJ amie 07946374134( seem ainad vert) 17-19 Watlerstock,i sb ack,b igger thanev erat S houlderof M utton, Hardstoftn rChes terfieldS 4 5 8 AF , 10am-4pm .S talls,cus toms how, musicf romT heM odest.N ight do, TheSuper skasp layl ive.7pm -late. £5.T icketsor t obookas tallr ing 07817411847 17-19 Dirty Devils Dirty Weekender Part 2,at T heR ose& C rown,S telling Minnisn rCant erbury,K ent C T4 6 AS 18 Great Northern Ska, festival.

Includes U B4 0, Bad Manners all under one roof in Manchester. £ 3 8 .5 0 www.greatnorthernskafestival.com

84 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

26 Brighton Got Soul Allnighter, The Komedia,G ardnerS t,B righton.

10pm-5 am/ £ 12 DJ ’s Sean C hapman,C hrisD ale& G uests www. newuntouchables.com 31 Aug-1 Sept Mersea Island, 25 th Anniversary.£ 20 adv from info@ mersea.info( seem ainad )

SEPTEMBER

18-19 BSSO scooter racing,P embrey RaceC ircuit,S outh Wales.O n-site camping.

19 Todrophenia,b yM ysteryT oursS C . ( Rochdale) . TodmordenC ricketC lub.

Lancs 19 Vintage and Classic Show, BrooklandsN urseries,S choles, HolmfirthH D9 1 U J WestY orks.

Scooters veryw elcome,al l proceeds toY orksA irA mbulance.£ 5 d onation toen ter,0 14 8 4 664 117 tor egister 24-27 BSRA National 7,I sleof W ight 24-26 IoW live bands,at T heB alcony, Rydes eafront. ( seem ainad vert)

24-26 Brighton Mod Weekender,D J ’s, LiveB ands, Scooter C omp& C ruise + Market.w ww.newuntouchables.com 24 The Jam drc, play The P ryzm, 19 23 Marine P arade, Brighton BN2 1TL. 25 Brighton Mod bands,S mallF akers & R eady SteadyW hop layT heP ryzm, Kingswest, WestS t. BN1 2RE .

25 Club 69,B ossS oundsat Royal P avillion Tavern,B righton.( see advert) 26 Brighton Mod Sunday,P P A rnold & G enoW ashington playC oncorde 2, MadeiraS t,B N21 E N. 26 Brighton Mod Sunday,S ecretA ffair andT heT ruth playT heO ldM arket, Brighton.

1 Mousetrap Psychedelic Allnighter, Orleans,2 5 9 S evenS isters Rd, F insbury P ark,L ondon N4 2DD ( 10pm-6am) P rimestG arage/ F reakbeat and P sych on the planet!

ResidentD J D rR obert + guests. www. newuntouchables.com 8 Oxford Roadrunners SC 40th Anniversary,at O xford RF C , OX 2 0NA.F ree admission.C amping available( see main advert) 14-15 Rhyl weekender, Robin Hood site, 14-16 Skabour,F olkestone. www. skabour.co.uk 15-16 BSSO scooter racing, Snetterton RaceC ircuit, Norfolk. Onsitecam ping.

16 Medway Aces SC,c elebrate 5 0 yearsof theL ambretta G P and the VespaR ally,al so6 0y ears of the LambrettaS eries 1.A ll the usual eventsi ncludedat Maidstone Market Hall( seem ainad ford etails) 21-23 Ribble Valley weekend, C litheroe,L ancs.

21-24 BSRA National 8, Woolacombe 28-30 Aviemore rally, Scotland P H22 1RL 29 Mousetrap R&B Allnighter, Orleans, 25 9 SevenS istersR d, F insbury P ark,L ondonN 4 2 DD( 10pm6am) N orthern Soul,S ka, Motown, R& Ban dB oogaloow ith resident DJ R ob Bailey& gu ests. www. newuntouchables.com 29-30 BSSO scooter racing, C adwell P arkR ace C ircuit, Lincolnshire. Onsitecam ping

OCTOBER

5-7 Clacton 11 by Underground Groove, Martello Beach, C lacton, C O15 2LF F eaturing E l Sid plus support. F or wristbands call Rob 078 4 0 69 5 24 5 and for caravans call Sue 0125 5 8 203 72.

Raising money for Saint Luke’s Hospice and Marie C urie.( see main advert) 7 Wicksteed Parts Fair, Northants.

Details- K ev Walsh0 79 66 265 5 8 8 E maill cgb2@ blueyonder.co.uk 12-14 Scootermaniacs SC, Annual do, Minehead,S omerset 14 Sheffield Parts Fair, Aston-cumAughtonL eisureC entre, Aughton Road,S wallownestS 26 4 TF . Details -K ev Walsh0 79 662 65 5 8 8

20 The Circles,andD J T iggaa t Benjamins,H alesowenB 633 HN. Tickets£7.50phoneT igga07 8 5 4 620386.

20 Crossfire Allnighter,London, 9pm-6am@ 229TheV enue,G t PortlandSt.£12.3rooms ofm usical perfection www.newuntouchables.com 26-28 BSRA National 9,B ridlington, Trade& Cu stomShow

NOVEMBER

10 The Ska45s Fundraiser,The StudleySports andSocialClub, Eldoradoclos e,Studley,W arks.B 80 7HP .T icketonly ,£6each,Cont act clubon01527857708

17-19 The Great Eastern,at G olden Sands,M ablethorpeby *v fm 22-26 Skamouth,V auxhallH oliday Par k,G reatY armouth,N orfolk0 14 9 3 857231w ww.vhpweekenders.co.uk/ skamouth-november18 .html 24 New Untouchables 21st Anniversary,Par tyat O rleans, 25 9 SevenSi stersR oad,LondonN 4 2DD.N U TsD J ’sands pecialgu ests from1 0pm-6am/ A dm£8w ww. newuntouchables.com 25 Walsall Parts Fair,B loxwich LeisureCent re,H ighSt reet, Bloxwich,W alsallW S32D A.D etails -K evW alsh0 79 662 65 5 8 8 E mail lcgb2@ blueyonder.co.uk

DECEMBER

FEBRUARY

JANUARY 2019

MARCH

1 Mousetrap Psychedelic Allnighter, Orleans, 25 9 Seven Sisters Rd, F insbury P ark, London N4 2DD ( 10pm-6am) .

P rimest G arage/ F reakbeat and P sych on the planet! Resident DJ Dr Robert + guests. www.newuntouchables.com 31 New Untouchables New Years Eve Party,9 pm-5 amat The Rocksteady, 5 74 KingslandR oad,L ondonE 8 4 AR.w ww.newuntouchables.com

27 Bradford Parts Fair,R ichard DunnS portsC entre,R ooley Avenue,B radford. BD6 1E Z Details- K ev Walsh0 79 662 65 5 8 8

3 Worcester Parts Fair, P erdiswell LeisureC entre, Bilford Rd. Worcester.

WR3 8 DX . Details - Kev Walsh 079 66 265 5 8 8 E maill cgb2@ blueyonder. co.uk 23 St.Helens SC 40th anniversary, do, Haresfinchs ocialcl ub. Doors open 19 .3 0,L iveb andT VOD. Tickets £ 5 C ontact Mike–0 79 8 9 0218 20 P hil –0 75 3 8 8 3 3 74 5

3 Wicksteed Parts Fair, - Kettering NorthantsN 15 6 NJ . Details - Kev Walsh0 79 662 65 5 8 8 . E mail lcgb2@ blueyonder.co.uk

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 85

CLUB DO’s & EVENTS @ The

Balcony Bars: Seafront, Ryde

24 25 26 AUG 2018 ! 500 CAPACITY VENUE ! LARGE DANCE FLOOR ! WELL PRICED BAR Doors: 8pm til 2.00am 1st Band: 8.45pm

FRI 24TH AUG BEST OF BRITISH

The JAM’D

Tickets: £12.50

The No. 1 Tribute to The Jam

+ The

HiWatts

The Who Set + Mod Classics DJ Al Supersonic With Ska, Mod & Soul

SAT 25TH AUG Doors: 8pm til 2.00am 1st Band: 8.45pm BEST OF 60’s SOUL Tickets: £14.00 with Lorraine Silver

ANGELO

STARR & The The TTeam eam

Blues & SSoul’s Bl l’ ‘Li ‘Live actt off th the YYear’’

+ The Crooked Raw R&B/Soulful Jazz DJ Miss Chelle

4th

with 60’s & Northern Soul

SUN 26TH AUG BEST OF MOD

Doors: 8pm til 1.30am 1st Band: 8.45pm Tickets: £12.50

The SMALL FAKERS Play ‘Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake’ LP

+

Men Of North Country Acid Jazz Records’ finest DJ Jon Shove With ‘End of Rally’ Classics

BUY TICKETS: 01983 530260

www.visualimpact.co.uk/events

FULL WEEKEND WRIST BAND ONLY £32.50 - on-line booking fee £2.50

Or: In person from local outlets -

Newport: Visual Impact (Clothing Store) Ryde: Bagel Wrap Coffee Shop: Union Street, Ryde Superbowl

*18s ONLY - ID NEEDED* 86 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

KINDLY SPONSORED BY

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 87

Scootering Words & Sounds Contained in music somehow more than just sound...

Reissue round-up With the current glut of scooter-friendly reissues hitting the market at the moment, we’ve compiled some of the better releases together in a single column to separate classic reissues from new releases.

Infamous punk label Captain Oi! has been busy over the last few months, pushing out a steady stream of box sets showcasing material from the early years of punk. Firs t up are stalwarts Pet er And The Test Tube Babies. This Ear ly Y ears compilation covers the band at arguably their best, with the legendary Pi ssed And Proud the obvious highlight of the set, although some of the lesser known material scattered across the other four discs is well worth revisiting.

The Toy Dolls have been subject to a five-disc compilation featuring their first four albums and a collection of rarities from their early years. Similarly, The Angelic U pstarts set contains their first five albums – including Teenage Warning and the classic 2,000,000 Voices – each with a few bonus tracks. 9 are featured with a four disc set comprising their first three albums and the almost obligatory collection of single mixes and flip sides, compilation only tracks, and the Biggest

Pr ize In Sport mini album and comes highly recommended. Rounding out their current releases is another box set, this time featuring the Angelic U pstarts’ earliest releases. E ach comes in a clamshell type box and features reproductions of the original sleeves.

Skinhead reggae has had something of a resurgence with the new version of the classic Dr Bird label. Bob & Marcia’s get a double release with Y oung, G ifted and Black being joined by P ied P iper in a reissue of their two Trojan LP releases, while Lee ‘ Scratch’ P erry and The

U psetters present another twin release with Return Of Django and E astwood Rides Again. Both are popular early examples of the eccentric producer and performer at his creative peak, with many tracks being dancefloor favourites to this day. There are a couple of extended single album releases too. Dave & Ansell C ollins’ brilliant Double Barrel gets an extra 13 tracks, while Harry J Allstars’ Liquidator gets a mere dozen, including the ( almost) instrumental version of Y oung, G ifted And Black.

Nik

Various Burning Britain (Cherry Red) Follow ing on from last year’s critically acclaimed box set Action Time Vision, C herry Red continue their documentation of the independent U K punk scene, this time focusing on the so-called ‘U K82’ era that covered the early part of the decade. This was when punk developed into the sound that has forever been associated with it in many people’s minds. F ast and furious, with riffs more important than classical tune structure, this was punk rock as we remember it. An era when established first wave bands such as The Damned, C ockney Rejects and The Adicts were joined by bolshy newcomers G BH, Anti-Nowhere League and C onflict, and which spawned the early Oi! scene, giving publicity to The Business, 4 Skins and P eter & The Test Tube Babies. Needless to say, all are represented on this mammoth 114 track, four-disc set, along with many bands that show how vibrant the British punk world was at this time. Although light on previously unreleased material, it’s a compilation that looks beyond the bigger songs by most of the acts, occasionally showing another side to a well-known band, one that perhaps falls more directly into the U K8 2 category than their better known, more mainstream work. P resented on four discs in a book form case, with notes about every band included, from U K Subs to Screaming Dead, it’s a great and in-depth look at a very important part of the British music world of the era that I suspect many of you reading this will remember with affection.

Nik

88 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Ian ‘Snowy’ Snowball and Centreforce Radio Specific State ’89 (New Haven Publishing) Prolificnov elistSnow yh adt hei deat openas tagep roduction,w hich he concluded around twoy earsago.Theinte ntionw asi tw ouldbenoor dinarys tages how; it would include a DJ layingdow nas oundtrackt ransportingt heau dienceback to the Acid House era of 19 8 9 . The experiencew ouldbeenhancedby l aserands trobel ights plusan abundance of dry ice.

Screensatthebackoft hes tagew ouldpr ojectf ootageof raves from that time period. A minimalnumberofact orsw ouldpunct uatet het ime-travellingt ale of hedonistic excesses. Its titlew ass implyR ave. Discovering thatas tagepr oduction, especially one such as he had in mind,w asfarfromas s traightforwardas i tm ights eem,S nowy reverted to what he is already renownedfortogetthis s toryacr oss.

Whichis w herehis lates tt omeS pecificSt ate’ 8 9 cam ef rom. It has two parts, the first fictional,albeitbas edonanddr awnf romm anyof h isow n first-hand experiences from that period.SetinLondoni tt racest he exploitsof t wof riends, P atch and Tatas t heyd iscover andimmers ethems elvesi nt heev er-growingunder ground raves cene.C haptersar ei na chronologicalmonthby m onthov erviewof t hats ceneas i tgr ewov er the year,t akingi nm any ofthebigges trav eev entsof 1 9 8 9 .T hed uoev enh eadt ot he North Westt os ample a northerntakeontherav es cenev iaav isitt oM anchester’s Hacienda clubat i tsp eak. Their mutuallov eofH ousem usicl eadst hemt os etu pap irater adios tation, very much inspired byreal-lifepirateradio C ertreforce.Par tt woi sf actual,i ncluding interviews with DJ s, producersandpromote rsf rom1 9 89 .T here’sev ena100 -tunep laylist fromP atch and Tat’s fictionalEclips epirater adio–ar etrospectivel ookat w hat was hotter than hot in 19 8 9 .

Sarge

Ian ‘Snowy’ Snowball and Pete McKenna The Last Black Angel (New Haven Publishing) Setp redominantly inN ewY ork,T heL ast Black Angeli s a novelt hats wingss eamlessly from1 9 65 t o197 7t imean dt ime again.B asedon theex ploits ofex L ondoner Suzian d hers treetwiseAm ericanf riendP atti,w ho firstm eet in1 9 65 as S uzi arrivesi nG reenwich VillageN ewY ork’s bohemian area.P attit akess omethingof as hinet oS uziw hichr esults infi rstlySuz ib eingt akenu nder P atti’s wing,s econdlyS uzib eingaccep ted by and subsequentlyj oiningaf emalegr oupof friendscol lectivelykn ownat t het ime asT he Chel seaG irls.N othing,of cou rse, tod ow itht heE nglish,W estL ondonf ootballt eamo r the Engl ishchai nof b outiquesof t hes amen ame.

Theirnam ecam e fromw heret heyof tenh ung outt ogether,t hes lightlys eedy,al beit hip andcool C helseaH oteli nN ew Y ork.C ollectivelyt heC helsea G irls had anothern ame bestowedont hem,b yon e oft he bandm embersof F allen Spears,T heB lackA ngels.

Scene-stersw ith groupie-esquet endenciesan dat astef oren joyingl ife tot he maximum wouldbear easonable overviewof T heC helseaG irls/ TheB lackA ngels.T hep artsof this books eti n1977r ecallt he NewY orkar t-punk scene oft hater a,i ncludingt he legendary livem usicv enueC BG B.J acket notesb yf ormers ticksmanof T heJ am,R ickB uckler, confirmt hatSno wyan dP ete accuratelycap turet he sense,s piritan dev ent hes mells ofN ewY ork’sund erground art-punks ceneci rca 19 77. Retrospective shortd ips back to 1965hel pp aintt he pictureof what’s goingd own,an dev enat t imes why,i nt he fastmoving,at t imess lightly grubbyfi ctional novel.I fcu ltfi ctions et during a specifict ime or periodappeal s,T heL ast Black Angeli s goingt o bean other absolute mustr ead.

Sarge

Le Emu Tavern A Country Supper With (Aktion Pact) Ev erys ooftenalo-fid o-it-yourselfnugget of pop,i nt her eals ense, not the C owell & C o misappropriation,aris es,b ringingw ithi tach eerfullyu pliftingau ra. Liverpool-based Le E mu Tavern,w itht heirbr andnew CD al bum,ACount rySuppe rW ithr emindu st hatm usicd oesn’t alwayshav etobetakent oos eriously,andt hatani ntegralp art,of tenf orgotten, ist hatm usic canands houldbefun,w ithacap italF .Anum berof t racksw ithint hed ozen onof fercom ew ith cleverlyw orkedly ricst hathav ehar d-hittingobs ervations wovent hroughout – albeit delivered in aps eudoalmos tcheerf ulm anner,i rrespectiveof s ubjectm atter.G oodD ogs NeverD ie,N ot Ev eryAs tronautComes H omean d MoneyM yM umH asn’t G ot being just three examples.

SteFleming,w ritera nds ingerof t hoseam ongot herson thisal bum, in another musical life, frontedcultD IYdis co-punkou tfitH olyR omanE mpire,d uringw hicht ime his clever approach toly ricsw onmany accol ades.L eEm uT avernh aves of arr eleasedat rioof singles, whileA Country SupperW ithis t heband’ ss econdl ongp layer,s trippedd own simplegood ol d pop musicw ithalo-fileani ng,t hatn odsv aguelyi nd eference towardsC arter U SM, Abdoujaparov and similar non-industry backed outfits.

Ify ouv isitLeEmuT avern’sB andcamps ite( addressbel ow) ,t herear e severalt rackst hatcan beacces sed forf ree, inas ort of try beforey oubuy offering.ACount rySupper W ithLeEm uT avernw on’tch angey ourl ife,b uti t’s highly likelyt op utah ugegr ino n your faceandperhaps hav eanupl iftingef fectony ourd ay.Pr operp opm usic that actuallycom esw ith social and political observations delivereds ubliminally withabackt ob asicss mile.M oredet ails from https: / / leemutavern.bandcamp.com/ Sarge

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CLUB DO’s & EVENTS

90 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Vespa Club of Britain official newsfeed

Welcome to this month’s VCB update.

For this issue I’ve enlisted the help of the South West regional rep Gary Robertson to tell us about the Two Channels dash, which takes place in September…

W

ere you one of the lucky 100 who rode the Two Channel s Dash last year? If you were you’ll know what a cracking day it was. G ood weather, beautiful south west scenery, some of the country’s best riding routes, simple good old-fashioned fun. Those that rode will remember the ride through the Somerset levels, G lastonbury and Y eovil with its cream tea stopping point. G etting your cog card stamped, you’re then onto the ride down towards Dorset’s West Bay and riding the jaw dropping J urassic coastline into Weymouth. If you didn’t do it then you’ll get another chance this year! This year though we’ve changed the location; we thought we would take the VC B to Cornw all – a club first.

This year the event is on September 8 and takes place in the two counties of Cornw all and Devon and the day starts at Bude on the Cornis h Atlantic Coas t and takes in 70 miles of twisty country roads to your first waypoint at Pl ymouth Hoe. After your coffee or tea, you’re on your way again to the finish point in Pai gnton which is situated on the stunning Devon Riviera, with the azure blue Engl ish Channel as a backdrop you will not be disappointed.

The Dash is a ride that leaves all the route planning to the rider; you can do it

as slowly or as quickly as you want, take in some of the beautiful villages, stop for lunch at a quaint Devon Inn, sail on the River Dart ferry at Dartmouth, take in some VCB Riders Regional C ompetition landmarks, so many choices. On the Saturday night at the finishing point there will be drinks and light music, a great way to wind down from the ride and swap tales of the day. The day is open to all riders of all makes of scooter, you don’t need to be a member of the VC B to take part.

The ticket price includes tea or coffee at Pl ymouth, a goody bag with a leg-shield banner, embroidered patch, cog stickers, lanyard/ waterproof card holder and entry

to the evening social. The ride is roughly 100 miles depending on route taken.

If this sounds like your idea of a good day then grab yourself a ticket for only £ 12 via P ayP al events@ vespaclub.uk ( friends and family – please state TWO C HANNE LS DASH) , or purchase direct from G raeme at C ornwall Scooter C entre, Martin Loram, Ian Lindsay or myself.

Gary Robertson F ootnote from Russ: Riding events like this are becoming very popular. If you want to join the VC B and take part in The Two C hannels Dash or similar events, email me Russ@ vespaclub.uk or Toni Machin at club-sec@ vespaclub.uk

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 91

BSSO 2018 Scooter

Championship

#4 Lydden Hill Incredibly, this race weekend at Lydden Hill marked the halfway point in the Championship season… the year, very much like the scooters, is blasting by!

Under starters orders.

T

his event was a little earlier in the season than in recent years but that didn’t make it any less popular with riders and spectators alike. The Lydden meeting always has a different feel to it and always generates a great vibe.

The meeting hosts the annual BSSO Memorial Race in memory of passed riders and is a race that all competitors RE ALLY want to win and provides some spectacular action. But before the memorial race was the regular business of the new for 2018 timed qualifying and the first of the weekend’s three championship races.

92 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

There were some different faces around – Scott Swarbrick making a rare outing but still managing to put his G ilera Runner on pole in the Super Scooter grid, pipping current leader Lee Bamber by 0.4 secs with a tremendous 73 mph average speed.

Stephen G raves made a welcome return to the scooter grid filling in for the injured G ary Peacock and he was soon getting to grips with riding a scooter as well as a motorcycle at the same meeting!

J ason Metivier made a return on a newly built Standard C lass scooter and J ames Lancaster was another one showing he just can’t stay away! But after the carnage of

the last meeting there was much delight to see a still tender J ustin P rice back on track. The hard-working Darren Scott and Team DSC had built a brand new race scooter for him with the help of lot of gifted parts and a lot of midnight oil. The finished bike was kept secret from J ustin until it came out of the van but it’s looking fabulous. In the Stock Scooter qualifying Messrs Bristow and G eyton renewed their rivalry to head the grid separated by only a 100th of a second! Lee Bamber was only 0.7 off their time on a P roduction C lass bike so the day was set for some very close racing once again. Looking on watching all

Radical machine in action.

Scootopia Race HQ.

this was a 1970s and 80s racing legend in the form of Mike Hayman. In a rare visit to scooter racing Mike renewed some acquaintances and had a good look around the current machines. Now in his 60s he’s likely to resist the encouragement to make a return but he was very admiring of the current riders and machines.

Stock Scooters

The old G roup 4 had some new riders to bolster the grid with a welcome return for veteran racer Dan Lewis and also J ason Metivier on a newly built machine, but Darren Conneely has now seemingly got the unique BG M RT barrelled race scooter dialled in and took three wins over the weekend to start to build some solid points and try and reel in Chr is G eyton in the Champions hip. U nfortunately Dave Bristol threw himself down the track and spent much of the weekend in hospital with a concussion, so played little part in proceedings. This left G eyton to end the weekend with two second places but in the final race of the weekend it was J ason Metivier snatching a second place.

At the half way point C hris G eyton has a commanding points lead in the championship.

Scomadi Cup

In a slightly depleted entry this time last year’s P roduction C lass runner up returned for his first ride on a Scomadi and soon showed his natural talent to take three dominant wins with some very quick lap times, but J ohn Woods was on good form and beat Za k Tingle into third place in all three races with little between them.

Tingle has the championship lead at the halfway point by only by a tiny three point difference. With G ary P eacock likely to be out for most of the year through injury, expect a close battle between those two; but can G raves make up the difference in the second half of the year? It’s certainly not impossible.

Production Class

As always super competitive but it was Lee Bamber who took a win in all three races over the weekend to score some solid points. Mikey Bonett took a high speed spill at the left hander to provide a spectacular crash into the gravel trap which we would love to show you but unfortunately don’t have the photographer’s permission. The Scootopia bike was patched up in time for the final race though leaving Mikey with two second

places to show for his weekend. Behind them a still-recovering J ustin P rice ignored pain as much as he could and improved in every race to end the weekend with a couple of third places riding the brand new Team DSC race scooter which was built very quickly to replace the one comprehensively destroyed at C adwell P ark! P eter Molkenthin was the one trying to trash his scooter this time though and following a race long battle with Bob West he managed to high-side flat out in third and severely battered himself and his scooter in the process.

In the C hampionship G raham Tatton leads at the halfway after some very consistent points scoring so far.

Super Scooters Auto

Lee Bamber was forced to raise his game even higher after being out-qualified by Scott Swarbrick, but he had his head down to take the first and last race but it was Swarbrick who was victorious in the second race. The two riders really pushed each other on and were the only riders to break into incredible 4 8 second laps which are at nearly 74 mph average speed.

Ground out.

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A W O R D F R O M M I K E ( C O S M I C K ) H AY M A N Many things have changed since my days of racing. To be honest there isn’t much that is the same. However one thing that is the same is the paddock atmosphere. I have fabulous memories of how friendly and helpful everyone was. We were all competing against each other out on track but in the paddock we always tried to help one another and to this end I feel the same exists today.

As for the bikes… well, there were no automatics, no tyre warmers, no grippy tyres, no external disc brakes, no special dampers, no aluminium cylinders, the list goes on. I am very impressed with the Production Class, it probably resembles the class that I competed in which was Group 4. We had to use Lambretta cast iron cylinders and were not allowed to increase the number of ports although tuning and porting was allowed. The Production Class

is exciting with nearly exactly the same engine build and restricted to standard six-pole stator plates without advance/ retard. The specials class is interesting as many choose to have relatively standard frames with legshields. But the engines are amazing and making serious horsepower. My bike made around 27hp which is around the same as the production engines but the specials are making nearly twice that figure and talking of wheelspin out of corners, just unheard of in my day. The automatics also blow me away with laptimes under 50 seconds. I was never a fan of autos but you have to admit they are incredibly fast.

Scooter Racing years were undoubtedly the best years of my life for friendship and competitiveness. I spoke to Ron Moss on Saturday and he echoed the same. We both went into motorcycle racing for a while but

Pic by Darren Scott

the paddock atmosphere was never the same and it lacked something that the scooter paddock had. My impression is that time has moved on, rules have been changed, tyres and suspension have improved, brakes are much better too but the nice thing is that scooter racing is still alive and kicking and long may it do so.

Auto action.

JB’s finest.

Behind them Warren Wilkinson scored three solid finishes but it was Bamber and Swarbrick who were in a class of their own. In the Cham pionship its Bamber starting to open up a lead of some 40 points now.

Super Scooters Geared

Stuart Day aboard the SRP special was on top form and he is always a force to be reckoned with around the tight Lydden Circuit. He took the first two races by around seven seconds across the line beating Doug Turner and Mikey Bonett but in the final race of the weekend Bonett managed to just overcome Day to take his only win of the weekend with the battle between them taking them both into 49 second laps. Doug Turner managed three solid finishes with a second and two third places. In the Champ ionship it’s developing into a two way battle between Day and Bonett with only 13 points separating them the second half of the season will be hard fought.

BSSO Memorial Race

Saturday afternoon saw great anticipation for a battle between Lee Bamber and Darren Con neely who was riding the C asa SSR265 Badger Beast. The Replay team still had the engine apart minutes before the call for the race and were feverishly working to get it finished and they only just got Con neely out with seconds to spare. Sure enough it was Bamber and Conneel y heading the field at the end of the first lap but then C onneely stopped on track for some 15 seconds to check what

Hard going in the kitty litter.

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Riding on the edge.

he felt was something wrong at the back end, but after finding all seemed okay he set about trying to catch up and put in blisteringly fats laps cutting through the field in his super smooth style but unfortunately ran out of laps to catch Bamber but he certainly made a fist of it to get up to second place but Bamber had run away really to retain the coveted Memorial Trophy.

Words: P aul G reen Photographs: Tim Simpson

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Three generations, one passion.

Michael, Ron and Martin.

60 YEARS ON AND STILL GOING STRONG

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ow in his 80s , Ron still keeps a sharp eye on the business that’s taken six decades to build. On most days he can be found in the shop and as a trained joiner he was ‘hands on’ during the showroom’s recent refurbishment. Today, Ron Daley’s is one of the country’s leading suppliers of Vespa, Scomadi, Royal Alloy and Peugeot scooters, a high street showroom and multi-brand franchises were the stuff of dreams when he began trading, though it was in confectionery not motorcycles that he honed his sales techniques.

Early days

“I ’ve never had a sweet tooth,” he began,”but always loved shooting. I’d spend my sweet ration on aniseed balls as they were easy to sell and with the profit I’d buy air rifle pellets. F rom maintaining air weapons I moved on to repairing motorcycles.” It’s not an uncommon progression but Ron’s story is all the more remarkable when you realised that all this happened before he was 12. By the age of 14, Ron was competing in trials events and quickly built a reputation as a fast and aggressive rider. In order to fund this, Ron built machines for other riders,

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Ron Daley is one of a handful of 1950s dealers who’s still active. In his diamond anniversary year, he gave Scootering an insight into the past, present and future of his family business.

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Ron Daley, an enthusiast firs

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All servicing and repairs are conducted

in-house.

registering them as ‘R DS’, Ron Daley Specials, the first of many to come.

Obsessed with motorcycles he had little time for the fairer sex but it was a match made in heaven when he was introduced to Marian, the daughter of another motorcycle enthusiast and one of the few woman in Barnsley to hold a full motorcycle licence. “W e were so poor that one of our wedding presents was a chair; it was the only furniture we had and we took turns to sit down,” laughed Ron. F or the first few years of marriage Ron would survive on four or five hours’ sleep.

After completing his shift at the colliery he’d turn his hand to motorcycles. “The first workshop was upstairs, that’s all we could afford,” explained Ron. “I used a block and tackle to winch bikes up through a hole in the floor.” He was also trading in used machines but could only provide finance on a ‘ recourse’ basis.

This meant that not only did he pay commission for arranging finance he was also responsible for repossession. “W e had a default rate of around 90% and some repossessions were very awkward, it’s a good job I could handle myself!”

On August 16, 195 8 , Ron went into business full time. These were hard years and the turning point came in the unlikely form of a two-speed moped, the Kerry Cap itano. This was built in Italy and marketed by the Kerry Motorcycle Com pany as its own product. “I t was a revelation,” said Ron. “N ot only was I paid commission for arranging finance but the bank dealt with defaulters.

It changed everything.”

Enter the Wasp

Shortly afterwards Ron began his relationship with Vespa. As Martin, Ron’s oldest son, explained this was at a time when Lambretta dominated the north’s ‘blue collar’ market. “I t’s well documented that Douglas was building models that were obsolete in Italy. Dad’s shop was

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A selection of the used, low-mileage PXs awaiting transformation.

close to Barnsley’s Lambretta dealer who always stocked the latest models. They were probably selling about 50 a month at that time and deliveries would be lined up outside their showroom. They’d stand outside and laugh while my dad unloaded the dated Vespas which Douglas had supplied. That was the worst thing they could have done. It just made him more determined to succeed.”

One thing that makes Ron Daley’s stand out is the dealership’s constant willingness to innovate. As Martin explained they were one of the first dealers to see the potential of J apanese motorcycles. “W e adopted Y amaha at a very early stage. There’s no doubt it was a gamble, British bikes were seen as all-conquering, but we soon realised that they were well built, reliable machines.

“H istory shows what happened to the British manufacturers. The quality of Vespa products also improved when we started to get machines from Italy, it was an exciting time.”

Showroom is a treasure trove of memorabilia.

Hard times

Nothing lasts forever but even the most pessimistic of dealers couldn’t predict the storm that was brewing in the early 8 0s. “T he miners’ strike hit us hard,” said Martin, “A lmost overnight Barnsley became poor. There was no need for cheap commuting transport, and if people had a job there was no cash for hobby motorcycling. At the same time profit margins were squeezed. On a Y amaha costing £ 5 000, we’d be lucky to make £ 25 . What seemed like the final straw came when control of the U K Vespa franchise went to Heron Suzuki.

They weren’t interested in working with a Y amaha dealership and we lost Vespa.”

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Over the years Ron held various franchises including MZ , KTM, Ducati and G ilera but to keep things afloat he turned towards four-wheels. “ We’d had experience with Reliant for several years,” said Martin. “ They were popular because they only needed a motorcycle licence. We thought that there was a market for affordable four wheeled transport and began to sell Lada.”

After several years of struggling, Ron approached P iaggio and pointed out, not inaccurately, that the local Suzuki dealer was paying lip service to the Vespa brand.

After a convincing pitch he secured the franchise and sales of the marque increased tenfold within a year.

A family affair

Three generations of the family are now working at the shop and Michael, Ron’s grandson, is part of the next generation looking to the future. “ We’re all very proud of what grandad built and are determined to keep growing the business,” he said. “ The internet’s an important part of what we do and we’re developing our use of social media to highlight the great products and services we offer. Something I’d really like to make people aware of is our spares holding. We probably have the country’s largest range of original P iaggio parts, particularly for the P X and can use our

buying power to offer these at prices equal to, or less than, the price of inferior copies.

When the P X ceased production we bought up as many as we could find and continue to secure the best examples that come to market. Although our selection of new P X s is now limited I’m confident we can offer our specials for quite some time to come.

“W e’ve always offered great sales and service for machines and are very pleased to have recently acquired Scooter Cr azy’s clothing stock and expertise.

This has made us a genuine ‘ one stop

shop’ for riders of all abilities”.

Ron Daley Motorcycles is a business founded on the concept of family and one that places customer service at the heart of everything it does. While looking to the future, the family hasn’t forgotten its roots.

When Barnsley’s air rifle store recently closed down, Ron bought its stock and added it to the range of products on offer.

All he needs now is a sweet shop and the circle’s complete!

Words: Stan Photographs: G ary C hapman

A N N I V E R S A RY D I A M O N D To mark the shop’s 60th anniversary the team have created an exceptionally limited dealer special. Based on a brand new PX125 chassis, the ‘RD60’ is available in a choice of two-tone schemes. Martin explained: “We wanted to build something that paid tribute to the early dealer specials and at the same time showcased the very best of our current product range.” The result gives more than a passing nod to the Grimstead specials while being equipped with enhanced suspension and braking plus a new build 200cc engine.

Although its final price is still to be confirmed the flagship red edition won’t be cheap, but the amount of work that’s gone into the build is staggering. The front end alone has almost £500 worth of accessories including a Pinasco radial calliper, Galfer disc and a shortened Bitubo suspension unit. The latter, combined with a lowered rear shock, gives the scooter a very different and aggressive profile. It also requires a shortened stand and the overall effect is very subtle indeed. It’s wrong to say that this is close to the factory’s original specifications as it far exceeds the quality of anything produced in Pontedera.

Red Edition is fully loaded.

Using Vespa’s own Anniversary Blue is a nice touch.

RD60s will be available as a very limited edition.

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The King is Dead g n i K e h t e v i L g Lon When PX200 production ceased, scooterists everywhere mourned its passing but thanks to Ron Daley it’s still possible to buy a new example of this iconic machine

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vividly remember buying my first brand new P X 200E . It was August 19 8 4 and its red paint shone in the sunshine outside Ron Harvey’s in Leeds. With some cash in hand, plus a loan from my dad for the balance, and a slip showing I’d recently acquired a full motorcycle licence, ordering it was one of the most exciting days of my life to date.

I’ve had many scooters since then but there was always something special about that brand new P X 200E , something that’s been impossible to recreate. U ntil now…

When’s a PX200E not a PX200E?

“ Let’s get one thing out of the way,” began Martin Daley, creator of these Ron Daley Specials, “ the frame came from P ontedera as a P X 125 and that’s what it’ll always be.

What we’ve done is mate a brand new

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frame with a new build engine that uses the best components we can lay our hands on. So far as I’m aware our 200s are the only option for riders wanting a factory fresh, fully warrantied P X 200E specification scooter in the world today.”

In many ways the origins of the frame are largely academic as purists will instantly note that the engine is based on a set of P inasco casings. In Martin’s opinion, not only are these the best currently available they’re also the only realistic option for this type of project. “ We’ve never stopped selling the P X 200,” he explained “ The number of our 200s out there is well into three figures and if you want one building there’s a waiting list.

“W hen factory production ceased there were plenty of P iaggio built replacement engines available from stock. As these started to dry up in the U K we widened

Martin Daley, creator of the new breed.

Stan was transported back to the 80s, sadly his waistline stayed in the present day.

Number 22 of the special series, but Ron Daley’s have never stopped supplying ‘new P2s’.

our search and bought them in from pretty much every market Vespa had ever supplied. Obviously that couldn’t last forever and when I priced up the cost of building a motor from scratch using all new components the cost was prohibitive.

I thought that was the end of it but then realised many of the components such as clutch, gearbox, electrics and crank were common to both 125 and 200cc motors.

By cross matching these components with those from specialist manufacturers it’s possible to build something at an affordable price.”

Any discussion about a Ron Daley Special, online or in the pub inevitably turns to the subject of cost and Martin is the first to agree that with a starting price of £59 these aren’t inexpensive machines. “When people look at one of our specials, of whatever capacity, I don’t think they realise the amount of work that goes into them. ‘Ex pensive stickers’ is a common criticism but not one of our specials features anything other than

airbrush work. In my opinion the paint on our high end specials is second to none.

As for the engine this is a full strip and rebuild; every component is examined and anything even remotely suspect will be replaced. This includes items fitted by Pi aggio which, putting it politely, perhaps weren’t always of the best quality.”

Control freak

A good example of this is the clutch, something on which Martin has become something of an expert. “T here’s nothing inherently wrong with the P X ’s clutch design,” he explained, “i t’s just been poorly executed. Things start to go wrong at the headset. Later models were fitted with a barrel nipple that was too small and didn’t sit in the lever correctly, plus the factory cables are fractionally thicker than they need to be, so they bind against the outer. Simply replacing the inner with a pear nipple inner improves clutch responsiveness. The clutch basket isn’t well machined; later bell housings have

reinforcing ‘ ribs’ cast into them and when a slightly oversize clutch is activated there simply isn’t enough room for it to work.

“T his is why many P X clutches operate like an on/ off switch. I’ve played with this for hours, moving clutches between scooters. A clutch that works badly on one engine will work fine in another. It’s a natural consequence of mass producing components that require tight tolerances.

We’re not constrained by that thinking, every engine is built to the highest of standards.” To solve the clutch problem Martin uses SIP or P inasco baskets: “T heir standards of engineering are superb, we very rarely have any problems on first assembly.” Another aspect of preparation that goes unseen is getting the P inasco casings ready for assembly.

“A s supplied, the casings are completely bare, pressing in all the bearings and engine mounts is a time consuming job, but one that needs to be done carefully.

One mistake could ruin the casings or create a bearing that runs out of true.”

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What price perfection?

So who buys them? In reply Martin uses a phrase that I’d never heard before. “I think our success is based on the fact that from day one we’ve always catered for the ‘indigenous scooterist’,” he says, “B y that I mean the predominant U K enthusiast.

Commuters are really important to us as a business but it’s the enthusiasts who return time and time again. In the 1950s it was the club scooterist, gymkhanas concours d’elegance and lots of selfmaintenance. For the past few decades it’s been the ‘s cooterboy’ ( and scooter girl). They’ve spent lots of money keeping an old scooter on the road against all the odds and taken pride in that.

“They remain very important to us, particularly on the parts side but in recent years a new type of scooterist has emerged. They tend to be older, had a good career, and with kids off their hands have found themselves with some disposable income. That customer wants the best. It’s not unique to the Vespa world, it’s happening with all the way across the motoring sector. They demand good value, excellent service and above all reliability. When it goes wrong they expect it to be fixed quickly; I’m happy to say that of all the 200 engines I’ve built we only had one failure, a blown main bearing. That scooter was back on the road a few days after it arrived in the shop. Our specials aren’t aimed at the scooterist who likes to rebuild their machine every few years, they’re designed for the new breed of scooterist.

The good news is that as they demand better reliability and better service it means every dealer has to raise their game and that’s to the benefit of scooterists everywhere.”

Time traveller

What can I say about the test ride? On one level it’s a P X and most of us know what one feels like to ride but on another it’s a trip back in time. There’s an unmistakable ‘ new smell’ to a Vespa and it’s only a matter of a few yards before I recall what it felt like back in 19 8 4 . The controls are exact, its switchgear feels tight and the brakes, well, they actually work. This is their ‘ entry level’ machine, brand new engine and improved suspension but otherwise as P iaggio intended. Options abound, from paint to performance mods, Martin will build a machine to a customer’s exact specification… but could I be one of them?

On a purely practical basis, yes. My P 2 has been troublesome for some time, it needs an engine rebuild, the electrics are

playing up, and its last respray wasn’t the best. Add up what that would cost me in time and money to put right, factor in a warranty, and suddenly it’s all very tempting. But common sense doesn’t apply to my P 2. We’ve had too many adventures together for me to give up on her now, so I’ll keep throwing money away for the foreseeable future. That’s not to say I don’t see the attraction of a Daley P 2, I really do. It brings that ‘ new P 2’ experience to another generation. It’s been 3 4 years since I last felt that particular thrill and it’s a priceless experience.

Words: Stan Photographs: G ary C hapman

‘T’ TIME? Not content with resurrecting one iconic Vespa, Martin’s working on a new build T5. Again this uses a set of new Pinasco casings and can be built to a customer’s specifications. Anyone with a genuine hankering to be riding one of these reborn classics next season should book their slot on Martin’s workbench at the first opportunity. They can only be delivered at the speed he builds them and as he’s not prepared to compromise on quality that means only a very limited number will become available.

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A R MOTORCYCLES LTD Unit 2 Harrod Close, Horn Hill Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0PX 01502 584169 www.armotorcyclesltd.co.uk

LIBERTY MOTORCYCLES 4 Barrow Close, Whitehills Business Park Blackpool FY4 5PS 01253 767959 www.libertymotorcycles.co.uk

CARNABY SCOOTERS Units 4 & 5, 65-67 Bath Road Thatcham, West Berkshire RG18 3BD 01635 864111 www.carnabyscooters.com

MANLEY’S MOTORCYCLES 4-6 Ford Road Clacton on Sea , Essex CO15 3DS 01255 421528 www.manleysmotorcycles.com

CORBY KAWASAKI CENTRE Courier Road, Phoenix Parkway, Corby NN17 5BA 01536 401010 www.royalalloyscooters4you.co.uk

MARSHALLS OF ESTON 206 High Street, Eston Middlesborough, North Yorkshire TS6 9JF 01642 455501 www.marshallsofeston.co.uk

CORNWALL SCOOTER CENTRE 1A Lucknow Road, Walker Lines Industrial Estate, Bodmin, Cornwall PL31 1EZ 01208 72966 www. cornwallscooter.motogb.co.uk DW MOTORCYCLES Roscoe Street, Scarborough YO12 7BY 01723 366083 www.dwmotorcycles.co.uk FARGO SCOOTERS 4 Fargo Village, Gosford Industrial Estate, Far Gosford St, Coventry CV1 5ED 02476 019466 www.fargoscooters.co.uk G P MOTORCYCLES Unit 3-4 Site One, Ruston Road Alma Park Industrial Estate Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 9SW 01476 569880 www.gp-motorcycles.com HARTGATE OF MITCHAM 20-28 Upper Green East Mitcham, Surrey CR4 2PB 02086 485395 www.hartgate.co.uk ITAL SCOOTERS 62 Swindon Road Cheltenham, Glouestershire GL50 4AY 01242 255200 www.italscooters.co.uk KEGRA SCOOTER CENTRE 91-93 Prince Avenue Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS2 6RL 01702 331686 www.kegra.com

MOTECH LTD 62-64 Medomsley Road Consett, County Durham DH8 5HP 01207 591912 www.mo-tech-bikes.co.uk P & D MOTORCYCLES LTD 184 Leeds Road Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF1 2QA 01924 372907 www.panddmotorcycles.co.uk QB MOTORCYCLES 88-91 High Street , Quarry Bank Brierley Hill, United Kingdom DY5 2AD 01384 637168 www.qbmotorcycles.co.uk RETROSPECTIVE SCOOTERS Unit 1 Lockwood Way Walthamstow, London E17 5RB 02088 885424 www.retrospectivescooters.com RON DALEY SCOOTERS 46 - 52 Doncaster Road Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 1TL 01226 203377 www.rondaleyscooters.co.uk SCOOTLIFE 157 Duckworth Street Darwen, Lancashire BB3 1AT 01254 447946 www.scootlife.com WILDCAT SCOOTERS 43C Albany Street Newport NP20 5NG 01633 549545 www.wildcatscooters.com

Royal Alloy GT 125i AC All journeys start somewhere and for Royal Alloy it is the GT 125i AC. SPECIFICATION ENGINE:

125cc, Single Cylinder, 4-stroke, air-cooled SEAT HEIGHT: 770mm WEIGHT: 130kg COLOURS: Black, Graphite, Orange, Red, White & Blue, White & Green, White & Black, White & Red RRP FROM £2499 +OTR CONTACT: www.royalalloy.com At just 130KG the plastic bodied GT is aimed at the mainstream customer who appreciates a classic looking machine with modern Reliability and Quality.

A punchy 9.5 BHP 2valve SOHC engine beats at the heart of the base model giving more than enough power for the majority of users, a generous 1390mm of wheel base combined with 110/70/12 & 120/70/12 profile tyres amply dampened front and rear by 4 shock absorbers, gives a sturdy, responsive feel that belies the value for money price tag.

The GT model is also available in 200cc

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THE 7TH CYPRUS RALLY LARNACA

It was the scooter rally, which was organised by the Vespa & Lambretta Club of Larnaca. The rally was very successful, with nearly 400 Vespas and Lambrettas from all across Cy prus taking part, including members of the Nicosia Club, Limassol Club, F amagusts Cl ub, Larnaca Club and Paphos Cl ub. Also in attendance were the 3 P ears Scooter Cl ub from Worcester plus clubs from G reece, G ermany, Italy and Belgium.

The event was opened by the vice mayor of Larnaca, followed by the ambassador of Italy and the main C yprus agent of Vespa, Mr Kyriacou. We congratulate the organiser, Vespa C lub Larnaca, its committee and the chairman Stephanos for all their efforts and hard work for the last few months and look forward to meeting again next year.

Stephanos Papadopoulos, Chairman of Vespa Club Larnaca.

Austin Hill Country Classic 4

Scooterists are more spread out in the U SA, so it can be challenging to hold a rally, much less attend one that doesn’t mean hauling across state lines to participate (T exas alone is three times the size of the U K). So it seemed apt that perhaps the only classic ( metal bodied, geared) scooter rally in Texas would be in the state capital, Austin. Pr oceedings began and coincided with the grand reopening of Bat City Scooters’ relocation.

Owner, chief mechanic and tea boy Nic Barton runs Bat City Scooters and works mainly on classic Vespas and Lambrettas, serving the Austin area. Spinning tunes on Friday were Topper, C arlos and Stephanie

and with the new premises being fairly remote, the party kept going until 4 am.

Saturday saw a 3 5 -mile ride out, various events including scooter gymkhana, cylinder toss and slow race with most participants blaming ruts in the field rather than the increasing alcohol consumption for spilling their rides!

Pr izes for different categories and even a raffle scooter ( P X 125 with DR kit) were testament that the rally may be small but it had big ideas. Thanks to Kimberly and other members of the Austin Metro Vintage Scooter C lub for pulling it together on a shoestring budget!

Phil Jeffrey

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LAMBRETTA SPARES

WHAT, AND WHAT NOT, TO CARRY It’s very frustrating when you break down on a L ambretta and don’t have any spares with you to fix the problem. But what should you carry?

H ere we outline S tu’s recommendations…

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t’s happened to virtually every Lambretta owner: a breakdown.

However, some of them are only trivial and easy to fix on the side of the road. How often, though, has this been prevented from happening because the necessary spares and tools were unavailable? Ev en the smallest of things like a split fuel pipe, for instance, can stop you from continuing on your travels. The question is, what exactly should you carry on board at all times and what is unnecessary? It’s a difficult balance to get exactly right but the simplest solution is to split up what you carry depending on what your Lambretta is used being for.

What type of journey?

What a Lambretta is used for can be split into several categories: general road use, longer distance use for rallies and ride outs, and long distance touring such as abroad.

Obviously, if you’re on a short trip of just a few miles then if the clutch fails you will limp back home rather than change it on the side of the road.

Whereas if the same problem occurred on a long distance rally then, of course, it would be essential to get it fixed to continue. There are other things to remember too, like just how good your mechanical skills actually are. It is pointless carrying spares if you don’t know how to fix the problem in the first place. Not everyone is an expert in this department but if you own a Lambretta then having some sort of basic mechanical knowledge is a must.

The original type of tool roll that came with the Lambretta. Not much use on today’s modern Lambretta – make sure your tools are up to scratch

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Above left: Wh en carrying spare cables, remember to have the correct adj uster for each one – like the throttle cable pictured. Middle: S pare HT cable is advisable as sometimes it can rub on a side panel and short out, especially if it’ s raining and it can get wet. Right: If a front brake cable snaps at the adj uster end q uite often the adj uster can be lost on the road so both that and a new cable will be needed.

Thereality is there ar ecer tains pares thats houldbecarriedat al lt imes,s o thesefallintothecategor yof gener alr oad use.R ememberw hilecar ryingt hes pares ises sential,s otooaret het oolsy oun eed tofix theproblem.Th erecan’ tbeany thing morefrus tratingthan h avingt hes pares withy oubutbecaus ey ouf orgotas imple tooly oucan’tcarry out t her epair.W ith thisinmind,itis bes tt ol ayt hes pareou t andthetools thatarer equiredt odot he job–thentheres houldn’tb ean i ssue.

General road use spares

Complete set of cables: Thiss hould includecabletrunnions f ort hegear pi vot ontheclutcharm,als oanadj ustableon e forthethrottlecable. A s paref rontb rake adjusterands plitendni pplef ort he clutchandbrakecab lear eal soes sential.

Light bulbs: Onlythef rontan dr earar e neededandas parefus ei fy ouar eu sing abattery s ystem.

Spark plug: Always bestt ocar rya coupleas w ellas as parep lugcap andlengthofH Tlead .

Fuel pipe:Makes urey ouh aveal ong enoughpieceandus en itriler ubberpi pe asitw on’tneedacli pt os eali tt ot he banjoend.

Rear hub locking kit: Includeb oth thel ockingw asheran dgr ubs crew.

Spare wheel:T hisi s always a difficult oneas i tss izem eans it’s difficultt ocar ry.

Theot herop tion ist o carry a sparei nner tube.A lthoughy ouw illh avet o fiti tan d findagar aget op umpi tu p,at least you willbeab let oget h ome.

Nuts, bolts, studs, and washers: C arry an assortment of all the sizes that are used including circlips. The easiest way to do this is by looking over your Lambretta and noting all the fixings you have on it.

Carburettor rubber: Whatevers izey ou have,i ti sal waysagood i dea tocar rya sparej usti n casei t splits.

Other stuff: Always carry somethingt o holdt hingst ogether inan em ergency,l ike largecabl et iesor wire–j usts oi tcan get you home. A spare length of wire ish elpful incas eof anel ectricalr epair and some electricalt apet oi nsulate itw ith.

Tools: The tools requiredt od o repairs usingt he sparesl istedar ef airlyb asic.A setof s crewdrivers,A llenkey s,as sorted pliers,s panners ors ocket setan dw heel standar eal l that isn eeded.J ust make sure you have checked you have everything requiredb ut alls houldeas ilyp acku pi n as mallt oolb ag.

Thep arts listedh erew ill ensure a breakdown closet o homecan b e resolved quite easily.M akes ure you package them neatly.W ithcab les,f ori nstance, keep thems towedi nar esealable freezer bag.

Y ou shouldb eab let oget them all to easily fiti ntoas tandardL ambretta toolbox alongw ith thet oolsr equired and your two-strokeoi l.

Longer distance riding – rallies

Thisi s wherei t startst o getm ore complicatedw ithw haty ous hould be carrying.T herear et wos choolsof thought on this,on e being‘ Iw antt oget t here and back atal lcos ts’an dt he other being ‘ I’m int he AA soi f there isap roblem I can’t fixI ’llj ust ring them tor ecoverm e’. If you haver ecovery and don’tw ant tod o any roadsider epairst hent herei sl ittle point incar rying sparesor tools int hefi rst place.I fy oud ow antt o gett here and back thei ssuear ises ofj usth ow much yous houldcar ryan dw herey oud raw thel ineof w hat isaccep table.

Y ou must remember that the majority of breakdowns which will stop you from continuing your journey will be enginerelated. While it may seem fine carrying

Above left: It has been known, certainly on high revving engines, for a drain plug to vibrate loose and fall out – so it’ s best to carry one j ust in case. Middle: W ith much stronger clutches now available, a higher load is put on the clutch arm. A poorly fitting or weak circlip may allow it to pop off, stopping your j ourney in an instant.

Right: Carrying gaskets is advisable, certainly on a long j ourney, but keep them in a plastic bag to protect them.

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A good quality multi-tool is a worthwhile investment as it can do the job of several tools but folds away very neatly, saving both space and weight.

spare engine components this also means you will have to carry many more tools – some big and heavy – to carry out the job. It can soon become a big logistical exercise as to where to put it all and you will quickly outgrow the space in a normal Lambretta toolbox.

The answer is to carry all of this in a separate bag. Separate from the standard roadside repair spares already mentioned.

What’s the point of trawling through and unpacking all the engine spares just to get to a cable, for instance? Hopefully, none of this will need touching but if there is an instance where it is needed it is quick and accessible and not in the way of everything else.

It must be presumed that if you are going long distance riding to rallies you will be carrying a rack. It will be easy to carry these spares on there quick to load and unload at all times. So what is seen as acceptable to carry and repair on the side of the road?

Clutch: If a clutch starts to fail then you should have enough warning to get somewhere to fix it. It will have overheated so it’s best to change both the friction plates and steels at the same time. Also, the springs will have lost some tension so you might as well change the whole thing.

Y ou will also need a side case gasket and a bottle of gearbox oil. Though you can lay the scooter over so not having to drain the oil, chances are it will have been infected by the burning clutch so it should be changed.

Cylinder: The only thing you really want to be changing here is the head gasket if it fails. This is easy to do but the reason why it failed in the first place should be checked before changing it.

Exhaust: It’s quite easy for a Lambretta exhaust to come loose on a long journey.

Mounting studs coming loose can be repaired easily and always carry spares for the particular exhaust you are using. The most common place for an exhaust to

Above left: Carrying a spare CDI is always advisable and only takes a few minutes to change. Right: Exhaust studs, nuts, washers, and gasket should always be among the spares on board.

come lose it at the cylinder. Always carry spare studs, nuts, and washers to change and most importantly a gasket as this will burn away quickly once the downpipe is loose. If you have a stub mounted exhaust, carry a spare stub. Q uite often if you are two up it is easy to ground the exhaust on a pothole for instance. U sually, it is the stub that takes the brunt of the impact, snapping it on the main weld. Replacing it is easy enough to do and will ensure you can continue your journey.

Fuel System: Apart from fuel pipe the only other thing to carry is a spare tap.

Occasionally they can fall apart and though you will lose all your fuel if it does happen, at least the tap can be changed and refuelled one way or another.

Y ou can carry carburettor spares, again, depending on what make and size you have fitted. J ets are the most important if some reason one gets blocked and you are unable to clear it.

Electrical: The only things to keep the engine running are the stator and C DI or coil depending on your system. C hanging the C DI is a quick job and one should be carried. If a stator has failed that will take much longer to fit but it can be done.

There is no point carrying a flywheel because the weight of it is so great and if it’s failed, chances are the crank will be damaged so it’s terminal anyway.

Rear hub: Apart from a lock washer kit, carry a spare hub nut and cone that is the correct fit for your make of hub. If a lock washer has failed and started to come loose then the cone will have started to wear so will also need replacing. C arry spare hub studs, certainly on a highly tuned engine, as they to can come loose and will quickly fail.

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Other stuff: A full gasket set should be carried as you never know what might need taking apart. A spare clutch and brake arms as well as a spare clutch lever.

Again, look around your Lambretta to see what might fail on a long journey.

Longer distance riding – touring abroad

This is where things can start to get really complicated. It must be presumed that if you are touring abroad that you will have some sort of recovery membership, no one wants to leave a Lambretta worth thousands of pounds in another country.

There is no point listing all the gear you could carry in the event of a breakdown as it could be almost everything, certainly when it comes to the engine. That decision is now up to you and how much you are prepared to do. For instance, why carry a spare crank if you don’t want all the hassle of fitting it should it fail?

There are certain things you can do though to make the logistical side of it much easier. If you are going touring abroad in a group, share what you carry between you – certainly when it comes to tools. As an example, only carry one clutch compressor instead of several. A complete set of tools to do virtually any repair can be split up and easily be spread between a group of people. Though each person’s engine may be individual, other things such as a spare rear hub will be the same.

Split the general spares up just like the tools and you will have a lot more to hand.

Above left: One original tool that is worthwhile is the spark plug spanner. W ith its angled cutaway, it is far easier to gain access by the frame tube with this than with its modern-day counterpart. Middle: The Lambretta wheel stand tool is simplistic but very effective. M ake sure you always have one in your toolbox. Right: A clutch compressor is a rather bulky tool. If touring abroad with a group, only carry one between you.

Though you may only have one hub, for instance, chances more than one will fail are slim. Also, remember if you are attending a rally there are always dealers there so you can replace something that has been used on the journey.

Most important of all is spread the weight load of what you are carrying evenly across your Lambretta. When touring abroad you are loaded up with more weight with the clothes you are carrying and the large quantity of two-stroke oil, even though that will get lighter as you use it. C arrying a lot of spares and tools will pile on the weight and these will need to be dispersed as evenly as possible. C arrying everything at the back will put a lot more load on the rear wheel and wear the tyre out quickly.

Also if there is to much weight directly over it then possibly heat can build up, causing a blowout. There will be an unnecessary strain on the rear hub which won’t help the situation either.

There is one thing that should be carried on all long-distance journeys regardless of the repair that needs doing and that is hand wipes. Y ou are not going to get the job done without getting your hands covered in oil and dirt. There is nothing worse than not been able to clean your hands and having to put your gloves back on. Remember, you can be in the middle of nowhere with no washing facilities available. By carrying a pack of hand wipes, no matter how dirty your hands get you can clean them on the spot and continue your journey in comfort.

It’s not as bad as it sounds!

A good tip on what spares to carry, especially fixings, is to look around your Lambretta as a guide rather than trying to remember them.

Never miss an issue 110 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

Reading this article some people might start thinking, should I own a Lambretta if it is that unreliable? Well, you can do many thousands of miles on one virtually maintenance free but we must all remember though that these machines are fifty or more years old now and we quite often make them do far more than they were ever designed for. A cable can snap at any time but doesn’t mean that a Lambretta is not reliable. Any vehicle that age will need some sort of repair from time to time but most only do a few miles a year to the odd show. When it comes to the Lambretta, things are entirely different. Q uite often journeys are done over hundreds or thousands of miles in one go. The law of averages means something can happen simply because they are getting far more use. C arrying spares is part of Lambretta ownership – it always has been and always will be.

Words & Photographs: Stu Owen

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Batman Returns

Forget West, Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney and Bale. For Scootering readers Lightfoot may be the greatest name yet to be associated with the Caped Crusader….

C

hances aret hatan yonew ho’s attended anyV espaC lubof B ritainr ally over the pastf ewy ears has metJ aneL ightfoot.

Best knownf or‘ Bella’, herr at-look Motovespa,J anean dh erh usband Timar e enthusiastics upportersof thecl ub and passionate aboutal lt hingsV espa.“I j ustl ove the curvesof an oldV espa,”s aidJ ane“an dt he Rally ism y ultimates cooterof allt ime.”

Two lady owners

Although thecu stoms cene’s changingi t’s still a predominantlym aled omainan dB atman has the rare distinctionof b eings hown by two female owners.F irstb uilt in1 9 9 0,t heor iginal concept wasd eveloped by SonjaJ ameson. Withs triking muralsex ecuted by IanK ing,B atman enjoyed somes uccessan du nder Sonja’s ownership was no strangert o thew inner’s podium. “T he first time Is aw thes cooterw as atS antaP odi n1 9 9 0,” explained J ane. “I d idn’tr ealisei tw asaT S125 at thet ime. In owkn owt hati th ast he samef rame as a Rallyb ut noi gnitioni nt he headset.T here weren’tt oom any customR allysw ithm urals at the timean dI r eallyl ikedt hel ookof it,af teral l who doesn’tl ike Batman?”

In2 005 S onjad ecidedi tw as timet o pass Batmanon t o a newh ome and advertisedi t on the internet.B ygood f ortune J ane wasi n thefi nancial positiont o realiset he dream offi nallyow ning a Rallyan dt ogetherw ithT im wentt os eei fB atman wouldfi tt heb ill.“B eing perfectly honestw e weren’tex pectingt oom uch,” saidJ ane.“I t had beenar oundf oraw hilean dw et houghtt he paintwork wasp robablyp ast it’s best,s omething reinforcedb yt hep hotos oneB ayb eing around 14 yearsol dan ds cannedf rom Scootering!O ur best hopew ast hati th adn’ts ufferedt oob adlyf rom the floorr ots ocom monw ithB ritish-registered Rally 200s.”M ucht o thecou ple’s surprise,n oton ly was them etalwork sound butt he paintworkw as also in exceptionallygood condition.“W es truck a deal and Batmanh eadedh omew ithu s.U nfortunately the chromew orkh adn’ts urvivedt oow ell and while that

was being attended to by Quality Chrome, Tim replaced the cables and did a full engine rebuild.

I entered it in the Kits and Brits Custom Show that same year and it picked up a trophy. That was a very proud moment for both of us.”

Ridden not hidden

Whether talking about Batman or her beloved Bella, Jane has a consistent view on whether custom scooters should be ridden: “All custom scooters have a limited time in the limelight, I think it’s important to show them off at every opportunity.”

For Jane this meant riding Batman to rallies both in the UK and Europe. Inevitably the paint began to suffer and black nail polish was used to hide a multitude of sins! During a trip to Belgium in 2014, Jane took a tumble causing considerable damage to the front mudguard. With the original artist now unavailable she turned to the legendary John Spurgeon. Not only has he recaptured the look and feel of Ian King’s original murals, but in reworking the base coat John has emphasised the more recent, darker, iterations of the Batman

A ‘Batcowl’ will soon be added.

Not only is Batman a scarce survivor of the 1990s, but its succession of female owners probably makes it unique on the custom circuit.

The dynamic duo – Jane and Tim.

Rally front end may be spongy but it looks superb when chromed.

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WOMAN & MACHINE

franchise and it’s a million miles from the camp, cartoon-like TV series of the 1960s .

The original TS engine long since gave way to a standard P2 unit, an engine in which J ane has absolute faith. While it may not feature smoke dispensers, slasher hubs, missile racks or ejector seats this particular Batmobile does have a far more useful feature – autolube. One of Tim’s specialties is squeezing an autolube tank into a premix frame and Batman proves that the transplant’s possible in a Rally type frame. Other finishing touches include Batman badges on the horn-cast and seat while an SIP speedo not only measures speed accurately but can also be seen in the dark! Still to add are a BG M front damper and there are also plans for a few more bespoke ‘ Bat’ themed accessories such as fuel tap and choke.

It may be almost 30 years since this scooter’s first custom show but there’s no doubt that it has made a triumphant return this season. Not only is Batman a scarce survivor of the 1990s , but its succession of female owners probably makes it unique on the custom circuit. Looks like it’s time to move over Robin, Batman’s finally found his girl, and she’s firmly in control.

Words: Stan Photographs: G ary Chapm an

Name: J ane Lightfoot Scooter Club: Smugglers Scooter C lub – Saltburn and VC B. How and when did you first become interested in scooters: Way back when I was 13 and into the Mod scene. We use to hang out about town and the older lads and lasses would come and see us.

What was your first scooter: Vespa Douglas V100 at the tender age of 15 .

What is your favourite style of custom scooter: I love anything from a rust rod to a fully muralled scooter.

First rally or event: F irst event was Scarborough unofficial rally in 19 8 4 and first National was Morecambe 19 8 5 .

Any stories: My favourite story is about how I met my husband. As a 15 -year-old Mod I saw Tim laid on a piece of grass at the side of road chatting with some of his mates. They had only stopped because Tim, a very cool-looking 17-year-old, had fallen off his brand new P X 125 . He says it was the worse day of his life but I think it was the best, well for him anyway!

Favourite and worst rally/event: I love any rally abroad. It’s a totally different experience to going to a rally in the U K. Miles make smiles especially on sun-kissed roads. I’ve been to a fair few rubbish rallies but still enjoyed myself.

It’s what you make of it that matters.

What’s the furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Tim and I went on a four week holiday in E urope with Vespa World Days in C roatia as our destination. Afterwards we went on to Italy before finally coming home. We travelled through 10 countries in total and did 4 3 67 miles.

If you had to recommend one scooter part or item of riding kit what would it be: Legshield mirror. I have one on another scooter but not on Batman.

I still look for it every 10 minutes though!

Scooter model: 19 77 Vespa 125 TS ( Turismo Sport) Date purchased & cost: 2005 – can’t remember exactly but about £ 15 00 a probably about another £ 15 00 for chrome and parts.

Engine: P X 200F L. Exhaust: P inasco.

Top speed & cruising speed: Top speed 65 mph cruising about 5 5 mph.

Is the scooter reliable: Of course – she’s got a standard P 2 lump.

Paintwork & murals done by: Original paint

by Ian King with more recent work by J ohn Spurgeon.

Chrome: Q uality C hrome.

Is there anyone you wish to thank: Tim, for all his hard work just to make me happy.

Moscow Vespa Club RUSSIA

Stung by a wasp, the great bear awakens…

Scooter ing in M oscow

During my trip to Russia, I went to meet up with the Vespa Clu b of Moscow.

Scooters weren’t really popular in the Soviet era and it’s only now they are developing a scootering ‘ culture’. Still, considering their scooter scene is in its relative infancy, this club is thriving!

The head of the club ( No.1) is Alexander Sidorov; he established it in 2004 having tried to kick start the scene in Moscow by buying 10 vintage Vespas to sell on in the city. Alexander’s pedigree began back in 199 when he bought his first Vespa PX80 for $600 ( £ 4 5 0) . Y es, PX80 – that’s not a typo – they were available in Holland too, as far as I’m aware. Alexander bought it off a bloke who had brought it in to Russia and decided he didn’t want it because it wasn’t an automatic. Cons equently Alexander bought

118 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

it without the full documentation, which is a very hairy thing to do in Russia, trust me on that one. He’d borrowed the money to buy it and for four years he was the only soul in Moscow to be toddling about on a PX. After four years he decided that being the only one scooter-boy in Moscow wasn’t the best idea and that he’d start a club.

So he borrowed some more money, visited G ermany and bought 10 scooters.

All told it cost him $ 20,000 to bring all 10 back, with all the customs and what have you. He only managed to sell five initially, and it took him years to pay back the other $ 10,000 – sales got better when the club started riding out and more interest in scootering was shown, which all helped. Then a few scooter dealers set up in Russia… Italian, Vespa, some J apanese and the like, though Alexander isn’t too keen at all on the latter.

V C M

official start

Alexander counts 2005 as the official start of the Vespa C lub of Moscow. It began with the 10 scooters and them all meeting up and having ride outs. In 13 years it has grown and now there are around 100 members of the club. At one time it was over 100, but then some dropped out, some with bikes, some with family commitments, the usual story we are all too familiar with. The current and really active members are about 3 0 strong, these can be relied upon to turn up to nearly every meeting, show or event.

The majority of the club are ‘ modern’ Vespa, but there are some classics, E T3 , P X and even the odd Lamby knocking about. Alexander told me a story that underlined the scarcity of originally registered Lambrettas. A friend found a Lambretta in Moscow and it turned out

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that this one had been the first Lambretta in the Soviet U nion; it was for an exhibition in the 195 0s… I think it was an LD. It was still in exhibition condition. He bought it for $2000 ( £ 15 00) and it was almost perfect. The guy who sold it told us about the possibility of three or four more Lambrettas – documented on the exhibition papers, so we’re trying to track them down through the phone numbers on the old papers. Alexander explained about his club: “W e don’t describe rallies as rallies, we call them runs – the main one being Victory Day (Ma y 9, celebrating the victory over the Nazi regime) . We do a few in the summer, but that varies from year to year and just who is left to organise it.

The season is four months tops, the weather in Russia is great in the summer, but very brief… every year the most active members of the club go to Vespa World Rallies on their scooters.

“I got into the scooters through the music of British subcultures, the Mods, skins and psychobilly bands, Mod revival bands and Russian bands that do Mod nights in Moscow now. Some of the members are into the scooters and that’s it, others like the whole scene and its heritage. It’s mainly Vespa in our club, there’s about three Lambrettas, some LMLs and some Chet aks, all types of scooter are welcome… within reason.

Near Moscow there is a museum for old Russian scooters, Tula, El ectron, Vyatka.”

Impressive

What impresses me most about the Russian clubs is their commitment and the distances that they are willing to do.

Imagine this: we think that schlepping down to the Isle of Wight is a grind at times, but it’s double that distance just between the two major cities of St P etersburg and Moscow.

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Then there’s Moscow itself: G reater London ( all the areas) is 606 square miles, Moscow… 175 8 square miles. Blimey. One lad travels in on his Vespa 4 0km each way every week to be in his ‘ local’ club. The scene itself is generally younger in Moscow, which is no bad thing and they have a great blend of ardent ‘ traditionalists’ who are heavily into the Mod thing. Moscow itself has a vibrant Mod scene, headed up by a guy nicknamed ‘ Mobkid’, naturally there are skins, ’Billies and the general mix we get over here, and like over here, they are obsessed with their scoots. I’m going back again to report more in-depth into the scene of the club and of the ‘ retro scooters club’ that exists there too. I shall report, Bond-like, back to ‘ M’ ( or should that be ‘ D’ for Dan?) .

Y ours with an incredibly decent vodka Martini, Agent R. Words & Photographs: Rik, Lana, and the Vespa C lub of Moscow

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German scooter, 1956, barn find, very rough but all complete, rare scooter, 4 speed, 200cc, £300 ono Tel. 07774 455081. Bradford

125cc, twin cylinder, liquid cooled, two stroke scooter, X reg, MoT, 1058 miles, £2500 Tel. 07403 142395.

Series 2, lovely condition, rebuilt a couple of years ago & done few miles since, paint has a couple of blemishes so not mint, £3795 Tel. 07376 800984.

RT240 Reedvalve with BGM Clubman tuned by Darrell Taylor, LI150 x 17 gearing with spare 5 speed box and Avanti Clubman, £5000 Tel. 07966 684136.

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LAMBRETTA 125

LAMBRETTA 125 SPECIAL

Series 1, genuine Italian 150cc, declared first registered 1959 & no MoT necessary, 25mm Dellorto standard carb, £4500 Email. cjiruk@gmail.com

Series 2 150cc, 1961 import, fully restored & owned since 1999, vgc, MoT October 2018, authenticated by Lambretta Club GB, £4000 Tel. 07515 722466.

Special 1966, Italian import originally from Armandos, lots of new parts inc 22mm carb, Scootopia Clubman, BGM stator, Ducati CDI, £4450 Tel. 07930 325785.

1967, Italian 175, Rad Speed, Stage 4 upgrade, immaculate paint work, bespoke dash board with rev counter, vgc, £5250 Tel. 07720 399871.

LAMBRETTA LI 150

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LAMBRETTA LI125 SERIES 3

Series 3, Slimstyle, Gran Sport, full nut & bolt restoration, vgc, hardly used last 15 years, spare wheel, £4000 Tel. 07973 211318.

1962, 125cc but now been modified to take GP body parts and 175cc engine, tax and MoT exempt with paper work, £5500 Tel. 07546 394982.

1959, Series 2, imported in 1999, two owners since then, new main bearings & oil seals at service last year, 12V conversion, £4500 Tel. 07956 849902.

1964, fully restored, 12V conversion, 186, lots of new parts, tax and MoT exempt, £5000 Tel. 01757 288118.

LAMBRETTA SX175

LAMBRETTA TV175

LML STAR

LML STAR 125 4T

175 kit fitted, with Dellorto 28mm carb, both engine & frame numbers match V5, paint & panels in excellent condition, £4700 Tel. 07963 005074.

Series 3, original, an excellent restoration project, comes with NOVA reference number, dating certificate, engine turns over, £3600 Tel. 01628 486749.

Auto 125cc, vgc, badged as a Vespa, MoT till April 2019, aftermarket exhaust, battery flat but kick starts ok, £1150 Tel. 07450 935448.

4speed, vgc, one owner, only done 106kms, full s/h, kept in garage, flyscreen, rear rack, Whitewall tyres, £2000 Tel. 01757 288118.

LML STAR DELUXE

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SCOMADI TL170

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badged as Vespa, great runner & starts first time, crash bar on front mudguard, Mitas Whitewall tyres, Italian made flyscreen, £1300 Tel. 01952 594144.

50cc engine, genuine 15 miles on the clock, lovely cream/pale blue, no MoT hence price, £895 Tel. 07926 547185.

fitted with Readspeed 170 top end, up gear kit & oil cooler, 1952 miles, first MoT due November 2018, £2750 Tel. 07917 181394.

2002, lots of extras, including Sip speedo, Sip tubeless rims, new Malossi big box exhaust, electric start, £2650 Tel. 07445 819943.

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VESPA 150

VESPA 50 SPECIAL

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very nice condition, no dents, 15,661 miles, many new parts fitted, £2200 no offers Tel. 07914 649064.

Super VBC complete rebuild in 2011, recent new tyres brakes cables front shock everything works, rides well, MoT, £1750 Tel. 07540 186136.

rare Italian, 1981 with original log book, restoration project or spares, £850 Email. globalgrafter@gmail.com

new seat, new stand, new BK light, MoT and new rebuild bearings seals, good running very fast bike, 52,958 miles, £2400 Tel. 07484 656684.

122 | SCOOTERING |AUGUST 2018

www.scootertrader.com VESPA ET3

VESPA GL150

VESPA GS160

VESPA GT125

Primavera, 29,009 miles, 1978, small frame, reliable starter, £2200 Tel. 07792 582208.

Italian made 1964, tax & MoT exempt, Dating certificate authorised by the veteran Vespa Club of Britain, 2000 miles, £3050 Tel. 07841 346988.

1964, MK2 £9500 Tel. 07842 940189.

Kent

12 months MoT, slight damage to side panel (in picture) but this was before I got the bike in 2016, 14,409km, £1100 Tel. 07932 688012.

VESPA GTR

VESPA GTS300IE

VESPA GTV 250IE

VESPA LX

1972, all Italian, mileage 804 miles, fully restored in 2005, 12 volt electrics, Sito plus exhaust, £3250 Tel. 07983 205126.

one owner, Vespa screen, very low miles, three years old, MoT May 2019, £2500 ono Tel. 01206 272943. Colchester

beautiful hand-stitched Tuscan leather seats, only done 2056 miles since new, £2250 Email. alanmatthews2011@gmail. com

50cc engine, silver, 17,000km on the clock, no MoT hence the price, £495 Tel. 07926 547185.

VESPA P200E

VESPA PX150

VESPA PX200

VESPA SS180

1981, Spanish import in 2014, V5 present, Malossi 210 with new fitted piston that will need running in, £1300 Tel. 07791 185011.

2005, disc brake model, 13,214 miles, Sip tubeless rims & tyres, stainless JL exhaust, side stand, Sundance grips, £1600 ono Tel. 07504 815415.

2001, (Italian) imported from Spain by Buzzsolomoto, good condition for age, with usual aged related scratches, MoT Feb 2019, £2650 Tel. 07592 848367.

recent gearbox overhaul, barrel has been ported by Harry Barlow of Pro Porting, PX exhaust box fitted, £5500 Tel. 07887 911565.

VESPA T5

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VESPA PX150

VESPA PX200E

Classic 1993, totally standard and unmolested T5, SIP road 2 exhaust, £1500 Tel. 07526 061159.

T5 body PX200 engine, imported from Spain 2017, a few minor marks but on the whole amazing condition for a age, MoT, V5, £1800 Tel. 07907 085174.

scooter is under two years old first reg November 2016, 369 on the clock not even run in yet, it comes as standard, £3100 Tel. 01594 528358.

1993, with drop handlebars, racing seat, new Vespa clutch unit, front & back suspension, £2300 ono Email.

Adrianfpresland@gmail.com

Automatics

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

Wanted

ONE ROBERTS 6” clear light; two Roberts 4.5” clear lights; two 3.5” clear lights; two 4” clear lights; two 4” yellow lens lights; two 4.5” yellow lights; 4 bullet lights, red lens; two long stalks; four short stalks; six mirrors; 15” badge bar; one AA badge; one St Christopher badge; 20 brackets/clips, all excellent condition, £125 the lot Tel. 07802 207501.

Hampshire.

TWO UNUSED AMERICAN M65 Parkas with liner, hood, medium size, 1970s dated, £65 each Tel. 01379 423683.

Norfolk.

LML STAR DELUXE 125 crash bars on front mudguard, Mitas Whitewall tyres, Italian made fly screen, single back rest with cushion, Scoot RS exhaust, Vespa & Union Jack mudflaps, £1300. Tel. 01952 594144.

Lambretta 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. 07538 047943.

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.

Lambretta Parts LAMBRETTA up forks and disc brake all new I thermals lovely condition, £800.

Tel. 07500 845657.

Vespa VESPA GTS125 Super Sport, very good condition, excellent runner, six months MoT £2000. Tel. 07878 166118.

VESPA GTS300 white, USB charger, backbox rest, crash bars on side panels and mudguard, Vespa mat, front rack, Vespa screen, Vespa alarm and standard immobiliser, ASR and ABS brakes, electric start, rides lovely & kept spotlessly clean, ridden-carefully £3750. Tel. 07530 717006.

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.

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 & willing to travel anywhere in UK Tel. 07711 166655.

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

Miscellaneous PERSONAL PLATE: ‘X1 MOD’ currently held on a retention certificate. Executor sale. Offers £1900 considered Tel. 07947 627319 (daytime hours preferred).

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.

Scooter insurance

0800 781 9287 Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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SPECIALIST SERVICES CARBURETTORS

CHROMING

PARTS & SPARES

CUSTOM LAMBRETTA PARTS

NUMBER PLATES

PAINT & GRAPHICS

PAINT & GRAPHICS

REGISTRATIONS

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RETRO AUTOMATICS

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Dave’s Nostalgic Custom Corner

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CC DN

AT E S T L O

Certain criteria are required for a scooter to sit in Dave’s Nostalgic Custom Corner and this one needed a ‘special pass’ to get in… you’ll see why.

T

hinking about the greatest sports people of all time, several goliaths come immediately to mind in certain sports – Nicklaus, Borg, Babe Ruth, Jordan (basketball not boobs!), Phelps, Senna, Rossi, Pele, etc. the list just goes on and on. However, there is only one person who is universally accepted as ‘the greatest’ – Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, or as most of us simply know him…

Ali. Now this scooter is very unlike most of the scooters I have previously featured, in that this custom (due to severe fatigue) has had to have a new frame and a complete respray since its 80s debut.

Yes, I know what you are thinking, however… it still boasts the original panels, mudguard and headset; but more importantly, it still ‘makes the cut’ because it has remained with original builder and owner Tim Lovell for over 30 years. Like its owner, this scooter has proved to be a real ‘journeyman’ of the custom scooter scene, I give you: The Greatest Love of All. Now… let’s get readyyyyy, to rumble! Ding-Ding.

Dave O

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Owner’s name: Tim Lovell Hometown: Wakefield.

Scooter club: Dirty Mills SC. Scooter name: The Greatest Love of All. Year originally built: 1989.

Paint & murals: John Spurgeon Aerographics.

Engine: Pinasco matched T5 casings, Pinasco kit, long-stroke crank giving 178cc. All tuning work by Chiselspeed Scooters.

Chrome/engraving: Quality Chrome Hull/ACE Engraving Colchester.

Condition/age of base model when you got it: Bought the scooter new in 1987, the frame had to be replaced in 2012.

What have you had done to it or plan to do since owning: I built the original, and when I replaced the frame it had a full respray, it also had additional murals added in 2013. Engine-wise it has gone from the original Malossi 172 reed-valve, to what you now see listed above.

Do you still do rallies: Yes, definitely. I still try to put in four or five nationals a year, as well as the odd European rally. I also do quite a few ‘local’ events on top, and in recent years most VCB meets too.

What other scooters do you own: A Mk1 P2.

Funny scooter memory: We were riding to Wales in 1984, I was two-up on my P2 and our mate was on his Vespa 100 wearing the obligatory bright yellow waterproofs and open face skid lid. Like most of the 80s it was absolutely chucking it down and the conditions were terrible, but despite his lack of ccs he kept over-taking! His look of sheer determination every time he passed was absolutely priceless!

Favourite event ever: Morecambe ’85, we were young, foolish and happy! Had a great time, and no trouble.

Favourite custom scooter ever: Revenge, timeless!

Favourite dealer: Chiselspeed.

However, there is only one person who is universally accepted as ‘the greatest’ – Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, or as most of us simply know him… Ali.

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Handlebars and ancillaries are all from Bo’s fertile mind.

Ingenious use of kitchen fittings!

Hell on Wheels At Belfast, ‘Hell’ attracted many admiring glances. In fact one group of Austrians were so taken with it that they’re probably hacking lumps off their PXs right now!

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he owner and creator of this distinctive Vespa cut down, Richard ‘ Bo’ G elling laughs: “I wanted it ready for Vespa World Days but the last few weeks have been a nightmare!” Like so many scooters we’ve featured in ‘ Reader’s Rides’, Hell is Bo’s own work and he’s quick to point out its imperfections, but even on close examination it looked good to me.

Starting with a battered EFL frame, Bo set about cutting, welding and generally fettling it until he was happy with the silhouette. The tank, which came from a Honda Benly, tips forward, giving access to the spare wheel, while the Triumph seat tips backwards revealing a storage compartment. Anyone who’s smoothed off a set of EFL leg-shields knows that it’s not an easy task and dealing with the resultant maze of wiring is just one example of the self-inflicted pain on this build.

“The forks came from a G ilera Runner but there was insufficient space for them to turn,” explained Bo. “I considered all sorts of solutions, including sculpting the leg-shields but finally achieved enough clearance by welding a P X standard

130 | SCOOTERING | AUGUST 2018

bottom bearing cup partway up the stem.

This retains the steering stops, allows enough movement and its geometry gives a very pleasant ride indeed.” The paint is self-applied although Kirsty, Bo’s partner, helped with the finer details. “I gnore the bore and stroke information,” sighs Bo. “I t should have a P inasco 177 lump but a bearing failed last week. I had to replace it with a P 2 unit, the pleasure of sorting it out is waiting for me when I get home!”

It’s not uncommon for cut down builders to use motorcycle parts and the Streetfighter fairing gives Hell a lean, aggressive look. However, as Bo explained, anyone wanting to replicate the speedo and light housings needs to turn in a different direction. “T hey’re kitchen spotlights,” he laughs. “T he light units have Land Rover Defender lenses and LED s inside them.”

Hell’s first outing was always planned to be VWDs but in typical scooterist fashion Bo cut things fine: “I t was MOT’d about four hours before we caught the ferry!”

J udging by Hell’s reception it was well worth the effort and sales of hacksaw blades are set to rise in Austria!

Words & Photographs: Stan

Simple in appearance but difficult to achieve.

MAN & MACHINE Owner: Richard ‘ Bo’ G elling Home town: Rochdale.

Club: Rochdale Mystery Tours.

Scooter name: ‘ Hell’ Type: Vespa P X .

Engine: P inasco 177 or standard P X 200, depending on which one’s working!

Paint and build: By owner.

Specialised parts: C hassis mods, forks, handlebars, tank, seat and lights all by owner.

Thanks to: Kirsty for letting Hell into our living room!