PETROL 01

ISSUE.01 S! GRATIE! FRE

G7CCH9F A5;5N=B9

URBAN WEAPON: DERBI GP1 250 TESTED

FAST & FURIOUS AUTO SHOW PUERTO RICO

THE NEW GILERA RUNNER: GROUP TEST

FREAK: CUSTOM ITALJET DRAGSTER

Editor/Art Director: PAUL ROBINSON Email: paul@petrolmag.net Contributors: JOE BROWN, PHIL CONQUEST, MARK DEVALL, JOE ELLIOTT, IAN GRAINGER, DARREN GRANT, PHIL LITTLECHILD, ALAIN SAUQUET, IAN SIM Photography: JOE BROWN, LAF PHOTOGRAPHY, MIKAEL OLOFSSON, BECKY RANDALL, PAUL ROBINSON, FREDRIK RUNQVIST, ALAIN SAUQUET, IAN SIM, SMALL RED GORILLA PHOTOGRAPHY Cover image: JAVIER LEON CONTACT US: PETROL PO BOX 93, OSSETT, WEST YORKSHIRE, WF5 0XY. ENGLAND Tel/Fax: +44(0)1924 271919 Email: info@petrolmag.net

Copyright © Petrol Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher.

PETROL welcomes editorial contributions and photographs.

CONTENTS

ISSUE.01

03 CONTENTS / INTRO TEST RIDE 06 GILERA RUNNER 50 SP / 50 PJ / VX 125 / VXR 200 22 DERBI GP1 250 CUSTOM 08 LAMSTER 13 FREAK SPORT 21 INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED 24 GLORY STOMPER 26 THUNDERSPRINT TRAVEL 28 FAST & FURIOUS PUERTO RICO PRODUCT 30 LOWDOWN TUNING 34 MAX PED POWER / Q&A

PETROL ISSUE.01 published: 6 / 6 / 6

INTRODUCTION It’s a bit of a jumble out there… I mean, the range of scooters available nowadays is as mixed as the people that ride them. Attitudes towards scooters have changed considerably over the years, the days when bikers and scooterists were at war with each other has long gone. And the power and performance of some of today’s tuned machines has made people see scooters in a whole new light. For many though, it’s not all about how fast you can make your steed go. The pursuit for more horsepower (often at the expense of reliability) means little to the commuter scoot rider whose main concern is reliability and fuel economy. Then there’s the traditional scooter rider, a growing number of former geared scooter riders have seen the light with autos and turned to the ‘Darkside’. And then there are the riders of big cc maxi-scooters and the sports scooter rider and their lust for speed. So it’s clear to see that there’s not one defined scooter scene as such just a diverse whole. A healthy mix really.

So what’s PETROL all about then? Where does it fit in to all this? Well, we know we can’t cover everything and I’m pretty sure that most of you wouldn’t expect us to, it’d be nigh on impossible for us to cover the whole spectrum of scootering in one magazine. So PETROL is dedicated purely to automatic scooters, and we’ll be doing our best to provide content aimed at the enthusiast and at the other end of the spectrum, the newcomer. And provided we’ve got the support, we’ll be doing what we can to ensure that the magazine stays FREE for the foreseeable future. So without further ado, sit back, relax and enjoy this debut issue of PETROL... The eagle has landed.

www.petrolmag.net Paul Robinson. Editor

PETROL is currently a FREE monthly scooter magazine distributed worldwide via mail order companies and within the UK scooter dealer network.

To advertise in PETROL call 01924 271919 or email: advertising@petrolmag.net

[03]

£1200

£1299

£1300

‘52’ reg, MOT not due until March 2007, Scorpion exhaust, 10,000 kilometers, green paintjob, lots of custom bits and well looked after.

Gilera Runner VXR 200

£1000

Standard engine with Scorpion pipe and West paintjob. First registered on 3/3/2000 (W reg). Clock shows 10,986 miles. MOT’d until Feb 2007.

Taxed until Feb 2007. One owner from new. Not full service history, but has six service tickets.

Gilera Runner FXR 180

£1400

‘05’ reg Runner PureJet (fuel injected), 15,000 kilometers, always ran on API TC++ rated oils as recommended, no MOT required until 2008, Evo body kit in yellow, BCD quad headlamps.

Gilera Runner 50 PureJet

Tel. 0116 262 3554 Email: russ@revandgo.com Website: www.revandgo.com

‘X’ reg but only 6,500 genuine miles by one careful lady owner, rear disc model, 12 months MOT, really clean and tidy.

‘02’ reg Runner SP fitted with 1,000 mile old PureJet engine, wiring loom and clocks. Evo bodywork in painted black, powder coated NRG wheels, Stage6 big brake conversion, new Sava Sporty tyres. 12 months MOT.

52-56 Fosse Road North, Leicester.

Gilera Runner FX 125

Gilera Runner 50 PureJet

Secondhand Runner deals at REV & GO Scootering, Leicester

★Dyno Tuning ★AGV Helmets In Stock ★Service & Repair Centre ★Clothing & Accessories ★Scooters Wanted For Cash ★FInance Available From £10 A Week (subject to conditions) ★Package Deals NEW & USED SCOOTERS AVAILABLE

MINI MOTOS / QUADS Call for Best Prices

500cc MASTER DEALER

prices are net w/ out VAT

THUMPSTAR now available for only £899

Seat Super Corsa

FOURNALES shocks

from

£ 111

142 WICKHAM ROAD, SHIRLEY, CROYDON, SURREY CR0 8BE www.twowheelsahead.com Email: jefftwa@hotmail.com

performance & style

TEL/FAX: 020 8656 2727 OPEN 9am - 5:30pm

Dealer inquiries welcome!

PetrolMag 2006_6.indd 1

0049 8191 96999 69 0049 8191 96999 20 0049 8191 96999 55 FAXLINE 0049 8191 96999 70 SIP Scootershop GmbH Graf Zeppelin Str. 9 D-86899 Landsberg www.sip-scootershop.com

19.05.2006 12:03:10 Uhr

TEST RIDE

.EEP 2N 5UNNING The new Gilera Runner is in a different league says Ian Grainger, but will it still be a classic in years to come?

L

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL ROBINSON

IKE MANY DIE HARD, STUCK IN THE mud scooterists I was won over by the innovative two stroke Gilera Runner back in the nineties, a machine that not only changed the fortunes of the famous Italian marque but also a machine that went a long way towards transforming the scooter scene as we knew it.

None of us like change and until we’re forced to adopt something new we are usually quite happy with the old one. The Gilera Runner is a perfect example and unless you’ve seen and ridden the latest models then you might be quite happy to stick with what you know and love.

We recently spent a day testing three of the latest Runners back to back and the first thing that struck us was their obvious similarities. Simply looking at the scooters side by side there are hardly any clues as to their capacity, the 50 and 125cc machines are exactly the same height with the VXR 200 being slightly taller at 855mm. Each machine shares the same aerodynamic styling which was designed with the aid of a wind tunnel and is reminiscent of its larger relative, the Gilera Nexus. The Runner range shares the same new and powerful halogen headlights and easy to read dashboard layout with a large offset rev counter, handy warning lights and a neat LCD panel which supplies all the information you’ll need including; speed, time, distance, trip, temp and fuel gauge.

From a buyer’s point of view your age, license

[06]

restrictions and available cash probably play a large part in your scooter buying decisions, although if you live in one of our heavily congested cities a fifty may be all you need to nip around town without paying a fortune for the privilege.

The Runner 50 comes with a choice of liquid cooled engines; the SP 50 is normally aspirated, whilst for a paltry £150 more the PureJet uses a bang up-to-date fuel injected motor which is said to reduce emissions by a whopping 80% and use less fuel and two stroke oil, so it should help to save a few quid over its lifetime. Both engines will soon see you hitting the enforced 30mph speed limit (in restricted form) and a top speed of around 50mph can be expected once derestricted.

Compared to previous Runners these are in a different league and tick the right boxes on all counts, from their modern styling to their much improved handling and coded immobilisers. The SP 50 and PureJet are fitted with an adjustable rear mono shock and upside down Sebac front forks which felt spot on. The forks are nicely finished with polished alloy stanchions and look lovely, although it’ll be interesting to see how the alloy survives after a harsh winter… I noticed a few signs of corrosion on the almost new bikes we tested, the fasteners on the panels and inside the fuel filler cap being the worst affected areas - nothing major but irritating to an owner nonetheless.

It’s inevitable that a scooter is going to be dropped or knocked over at some stage, so to give you an idea of the cost for repairing it here’s a!

RUNNEROLOGY Since its official launch in 1997, the Runner has set a benchmark for sports / performance scooters. Over the years, there have been numerous incarnations:

1997-1998 50 1998-2002 50 DD 1998-2000, 2004-05 50 SP 50 SP

2005-present 50 SP 2003-2005 50 PJ 2005-present 50 PJ 1998-2002 FX 125 1999-2002 125 SP 2001-2005 VX 125 2005-present VX 125 1998-2002 FXR 180 1999-2002 180 SP 2001-2002 VXR 180 2002-2005 VXR 200 2006-onwards VXR 200

GILERA RUNNER SP 50 / PUREJET 50 / VX 125 / VXR 200 quick breakdown: A front side panel will set you back around £80, the rear complete side panel is around £160 and the associated badges, mirror, brake lever etc another £50. So you’d be looking in the region of £300 quid to get your new scoot sorted after a low speed crash, providing you don’t deck the exhaust!

Jumping off the 50 and onto the matching red VX 125cc seemed very natural as you’d expect from a machine which has an almost identical layout. A few noticeable changes on the larger capacity models are the twin rear shocks, beefier forks and a slightly larger rear disk with more powerful brakes. As with all the latest Runner models it sits firmly on its new 14� front alloy (13� rear) which certainly aids stability and improves road holding over previous models. The VX 125 is shod in Sava rubber whilst the 50’s and the VXR 200 benefit from a set of sticky Pirelli Evo tyres. The 125 feels like the natural stepping stone after the fifty and it’s no slow coach either. The scooter pulls away effortlessly and will keep up with the flow of traffic easily, it’s a perfect and stylish commuter.

If you’re the kind of scooter owner who’s likely to use your machine for all kinds of journey from nipping around town to a weekend away at the seaside, then the VXR 200 is the Daddy. The four valve, 21hp, liquid cooled Leader engine is ideal for most journeys and I’d happily cover a couple of hundred miles in a day on this scoot. Once the engine has

‘From nipping around town to a weekend away at the seaside, the VXR 200 is the Daddy.’ a few miles under its belt expect to see a top speed of around 80mph, which will make motorway journeys less tiring and give you the power to overtake when necessary.

The VXR 200 we tested looked stunning in its stealth-like carbon black paintwork, other colour options are grey stone and the obvious Gilera ‘fire’ red. â–

SP 50

PUREJET 50

VERDICT All in all the Gilera Runner is a top scooter, its sporty style and quality feel will make it appeal to riders of all ages and with a model to suit everybody it should still be a classic machine which will be sought after in years to come.

VX 125

VXR 200

; 63& &5 ;

$:-*/%&3 4530,& *"((*0 * -*26*% $00-&% 8*5) $"5"-:5*$ $0/7&35&3 63& &5 "4 "#07& #65 8*5) 63& &5 &-&$530/*$ %*3&$5 */+&$5*0/ $$

650."5*$ 0*- '6&- .*9&3 -&$53*$ 45"35 8*5) "650 $)0,& ,*$, 45"35

"650."5*$

.. %*4$ 58*/ 1*450/ $"--*1&3

.. %*4$ 4*/(-& 1*450/ $"--*1&3

;

;

$:-*/%&3 4530,& *"((*0 -*26*% $00-&% 7"-7& 8*5) $"5"-:5*$ $0/7&35&3 "/% 4&$0/%"3: "*3 4:45&.

$:-*/%&3 4530,& *"((*0 -*26*% $00-&% 7"-7& 8*5) $"5"-:5*$ $0/7&35&3 "/% 4&$0/%"3: "*3 4:45&.

$$

$$

!&5 46.1

!&5 46.1

-&$53*$ 45"35 8*5) "650 $)0,&

-&$53*$ 45"35 8*5) "650 $)0,&

"650."5*$

"650."5*$

.. %*4$ 58*/ 1*450/ $"--*1&3

.. %*4$ 58*/ 1*450/ $"--*1&3

.. %*4$ 4*/(-& 1*450/ $"--*1&3

.. %*4$ 4*/(-& 1*450/ $"--*1&3

*3&--*

<

"7"

<

*3&--*

<

*3&--*

<

"7"

<

*3&--*

<

14*%& %08/ &#"$ '03,4 :%3"6-*$ 4*/(-& 4)0$, "#403#&3

:%3"6-*$ '03,

:%3"6-*$ '03,

:%3"6-*$ 58*/ 4)0$, "#403#&34 "%+645"#-&

:%3"6-*$ 58*/ 4)0$, "#403#&34 "%+645"#-&

,(

,(

,(

-*53&4 6/-&"%&%

-*53&4

-*53&4

[07]

CUSTOM

[08]

A sublime mix of old skool Lambretta and new wave Italjet Dragster, a custom scooter which some might say is the best of both worlds.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL ROBINSON

D

avid Briggs, the builder of this machine, acquired his first scooter at sixteen and was sprinting Lambrettas with Frank Osgerby back in 1976. Responsibilities as a family man put an end to his drag racing career in the early 80s and it wasn’t until the year 2000 that he began restoring scooters.

Times have changed since the mid-seventies when Dave was achieving mid-15s for the quarter mile. It’s possible that you’re looking at a 14 second machine here too. ‘Cos sitting tucked away behind the traditional exterior sits a 26hp PSN-tuned Piaggio Leader engine attached to the remains of an Italjet Dragster.

A trip to Grimsby to meet Dave and take a closer look at his creation confirmed two things: Grimsby is indeed grim and secondly, and more importantly in this case, auto Lambrettas could quite well be the way forward for modern retro scootering. Frank Sanderson’s work at Scooter Innovations in Preston has already shown that there’s a demand for Lambrettas with auto functionality, hence his popular Series 4 conversions and ongoing development of the Series 5 Lambretta. This is the second complete auto conversion that Dave has done and its new owner (who also happens to be a Grimsby resident), is former skinhead Mark Bainborrow (as seen

in the pics). Since purchasing the machine from Dave, Mark has personalised, adapted and changed elements of the bike to suit his own taste, everything from the paint scheme, decals to tweaks to the motor.

If anything though, it all seems to be a bit of an underground sub-culture, these auto conversions, mostly confined to hobbyists and those with a dab hand in mechanics. The purists may well label them ‘oddities’ (the scooters not the owners, then again.. maybe both!) but there is a clear practical reason for fitting auto engines to a traditional scooter chassis and that’s reliability. Having said that, nothing’s ever perfect first time round and ‘teething problems’ are somewhat inevitable. One of the main problems that occur with a lot of these conversions, is the well known vibrations through the frame issue. Dave’s managed to sidestep the vibration white finger scenario in one fell swoop by retaining the original engine mounts used on the Dragster with Piaggio’s Leader 125/180 engine. So what he’s done is he’s grafted, quite literally, an entire Dragster trellis frame (minus the front end) and welded it to a Lambretta headstock and forks. The end result is a chassis that offers a smooth ride with no vibrations and according to Mark, the new owner, “it corners like it’s on rails”.!

[09]

As Dave wanted the scooter to look like a GP street racer he’s utilised the GP drops from Scoots RS GP legshields which have been cut at the base. The part of the Dragster trellis frame where the front shock absorber normally resides has been boxed in and a nifty a toolbox compartment has been added. At the front is a standard GP front mudguard, and the front Lambretta forks have been widened to accommodate a Gilera front wheel. Frank Sanderson’s coil over shocks and links and anti-dive unit have been incorporated and complete the job nicely in the handling department.

Beneath the side panels sits a one-off fuel tank and mounted behind it is the battery. The original Dragster header tank has been utilised and this sits behind the original Lambretta toolbox door. The original Dragster radiator has also been retained and has been fitted underneath the scooter enclosed in a one-off belly pan air scoop designed and built by David. Access to the spark plug is a little bit tight due to the frame, but Dave’s aware of this and currently working on a solution on forthcoming auto conversions of his.

Going back to the engine, PSN Scooters in Batley, were commissioned to do all the tuning work. So, unsurprisingly, the scooter can really motor. The spec comprises of a PM59 exhaust, PM billet cylinder head and skull cap, Malossi barrel, Malossi crank, Malossi read valve, 28mm KOSO carb, foam air filter, Taffspeed rear shock absorber, rear wavy brake disk, Polini carb manifold and so on. Current horsepower stands at a respectable 26.6hp on the dyno with a top speed of 90mph, the scoot will happily cruise a full throttle at around the 80mph mark.

This particular auto conversion is a one off, and Dave’s plans for future conversions include converting a standard Lambretta frame to take an auto engine utilising the original cradle and silent block. Having taken a peek in Dave’s workshop, we could show you work in progress shots but then he’d probably kill us if we did!

If you’re interested in a bespoke Lambretta conversion like Lamster, then give Dave a bell on (01472) 371253 or 07786 650101. He can offer Lambretta frame conversions to take an auto engine along with Beedspeed’s four gallon fuel tank. He can also offer full builds, wiring looms and all associated parts for Lambretta autos… Auto Lambrettas, they’re the future, I’ve tasted it. ■

[10]

www.piaggio-center.co.uk

✂ 10% OFF NEW MACHINES AT THOMPSON’S SCOOTERS UPON PRODUCTION OF THIS COUPON. Valid until 30 July 2006.

Thompson’s Scooters, 260-4 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts. AL1 4UN tel: (01727) 850808 email: info@piaggio-center.co.uk “The UK’s Favourite Scooter Dealer”

CUSTOM

STORY BY PHIL CONQUEST PHOTOGRAPHY BY BECKY RANDALL MODELLING BY VANESSA UPTON

Some time ago, in another magazine, I reported on a lary looking 34hp custom Dragster belonging to journalist and photographer Paul Robinson.

At the time of going to press Paul was already working on his second project and had, in fact, unveiled some ‘in progress’ pictures on his popular website Italjet Dragster.com a few months beforehand. Now complete, the time has come for Dragster no.2 to make its magazine debut.

[13]

CUSTOM

F

In the engine dept, the standard 2T Piaggio irstly let me draw your attention to Warp 125 lump has been upgraded with the Malossi Records. This label is home to some of the 172 kit and gear up kit plus a Dell’Orto 25mm most pioneering electronic music artists around, graced by the presence of such genre carb. The standard air filter box has been defying artists as Squarepusher, Brothomstates, purposely retained. Other aftermarket parts Plaid, Autechre and most infamously Richard were supplied by the usual suspects; LexusD. James a.k.a. the Aphex Twin. Paul loves his style clear rear lens (Scooter Attack), checker ‘challenging’ bleep and drill music as much as plate footboards (Stoffi’s), pillion bum-stop he loves the challenging Dragster. The two (PSN), etc. You’ll notice one particular hard complementing each other quite nicely it buck to trends – the exhaust. No PM, NK Sprint was inevitable that Paul should put the two or Scorpion here, the FREAK retains the stock cutting edges together. The result is FREAK, pipe which has been chromed and is arguably like the product of inter-family relations on a as aesthetically pleasing as the popular (and farm in Mississippi, (except Paul’s baby is much louder) alternatives. better looking). The striking urban camo style paintwork is inspired by Warp act Autechre, or more precisely, their sleeve artwork done by The Designers Republic.

A couple of years back another Warp act, LFO, released a single called ‘FREAK’, a limited edition of which came with a stencil set which Paul implemented on his musically derived Drag’… more of which later. As the photos testify, the resulting paint scheme is a real head turner. Which is appropriate as the spray job was done by popular paint man Alan Turner, who will now, due to his work, forever be referred to simply as ‘Head’. That said, it may not always be for the right reason. As eye catching as the paintjob may be there’s not much scope for middle ground.

[14]

Getting back to those LFO stencils… The set was given away as part of a competition – who would use the stencils in the most unique way? The Dragster won netting Paul some exclusive goodies and fifteen minutes of infamy for FREAK with its mug-shot displayed on the Warp website.

FREAK will eventually be sold and the people at Warp have been kind enough to offer to advertise it on the site when the time comes.

There was something else I needed to ask regarding the customising.

To match the urban camo style appearance is possibly an urban myth. That FREAK is equipped with an especially built fireproof seat and that some of the original panels have been replaced with armour plating, work carried out in the utmost secrecy at either PSN or PM Tuning. It certainly looks like some kind of compact futuristic war-horse so is it true? And what about the rumours of bizarre gadgets fitted to FREAK, such as a ‘magic’ registration plate and a mysteriously hidden strobe-like light? I raised the issue, it seemed unbelievable yet certain elements at the same time seemed plausible. And if it was all bogus where had all this originated from?

It has almost become some kind of mobile X-File. Various lines of enquiry turned up no results, some people denying even knowledge of the myth…

And so it continues. The LFO track from which FREAK derived its moniker begins with an electronic voice informing the listener that ‘This is going to make you freak’. This is followed by drums and a pulsing bass rhythm before the return on top of the warning about your imminent psychological disturbance. This is eventually joined by some jaunty sounding bleeps. As the track progresses the rhythm becomes increasingly intense, urgent and fractured, with laser-like zapping and drums stuck in a roll, almost tripping over itself for a sustained period. This episode eventually subsides to a calmer more relaxed state, with extra bleeping but the robotically voiced warning then returns with a slightly more sinister tone to it. With the halting of the bleeping and warning only the bass remains, and it has a certain quality to it, like an out of breath animal regaining its composure after a kill, readying to go again, with the warning of another freak-out on the way. ■ • For Dragsters: www.italjetdragster.com • For music: www.warprecords.com • For more pics from this photo shoot: www.petrolmag.net

[15]

‘FREAK’ CUSTOM ITALJET DRAGSTER BY PAUL ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BECKY RANDALL MODELLING BY VANESSA UPTON

www.petrolmag.net

‘LAMSTER’ HYBRID SCOOTER BY DAVID BRIGGS PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL ROBINSON

DERBI GP1 250 PHOTO BY PAUL ROBINSON

www.petrolmag.net

shores than IKEA and ABBA. So much so, that Stockholm is now the base for

cliff hangers were added to their list. Then they were ready to hit the comps…

is about as interesting to watch as Emmerdale, so stylish 12 o’clock variations like ape and

perfect balance with a tweak of a one-hander... and ride away smooth. But a straight wheelie

to learn more complex stunts. Sure they could hit that sweet spot in the wheelie every time;

them competition titles. After deciding to fit both bikes with homemade 12 bars, it was time

stunt spots to try and out do each other and to hone the style and skills that would later earn

stunt bikes bearing the scars of many tarmac kisses. After school they hit their favourite

They’d practiced long and hard and had the cuts and bruises to prove it, their battered

Pang and their double man stunt crew was TXS – Team Xtreme Stunters.

known in stunting circles, yet they’d been beat by two kids. Their names were Jo-que and

R, who came second overall in the scooter stunt class. All the other participants were well

180ft attempt. The same kid was friends with another unknown young rider on an Aerox

virtually unknown on a battered Beta Ark won the rolling stoppie contest with a record

challenge was rocked last year when, from out of nowhere, a street kid aged 15 who was

compete for a cash prize and the much fought for title of ‘Sweden’s Number One’. The stunt

Sweden’s annual Nordic Stunt Challenge – a place for skilled stunters to throw down and

S

mentions the topic of scooter stunting. But it seems there’s far more to the Nordic

WEDEN’S NOT THE FIRST PLACE ON EVERYONE’S LIST WHEN SOMEONE

Only this time, instructions aren’t included. ■

USA finally have some decent competition. Seems like the Swedish guys are doing things their way…

and gave us Absolut vodka hasn’t ended its list of greats just yet. It looks like the guys across the big lake in the

Cardigans, Ace of Base, Roxette and Björn Borg. The country that invented the propeller, the zip (the trouser kind),

It seems the tradition of one wheel experimentation is alive and well in Sweden – the country that gave us The

his bike in the ‘06 season.

for the shows. Pang tends to keep his sponsors close to his chest although he let slip that Beta are also providing

of scooter related sponsors, including Scootech tuners, Bikestop and Beta themselves providing Joq-ue’s bikes

footballers or Formula One drivers have in the UK. Between them, the two guys have racked up an impressive list

wheelies, and hopefully gain more sponsors…” Ahhh, sponsorship, that luxurious word that no-one except top

better them. Jo-que says - “I aim to take the number one slot this year with combo tricks and no-handed circle

and ‘Longest Rolling Stoppie In A Contest Ever’ are hitting the comps again this year to defend their titles and even

The two stunters who’ve come from nowhere to take titles like ‘Sweden’s Number Two Scooter Stunt Rider’

SPORT

=BGHFI7H=CBG BCH =B7@I898 STORY BY PHIL LITTLECHILD PHOTOGRAPHY BY FREDRIK RUNQVIST & MIKAEL OLOFSSON

[21]

TEST RIDE

63#"/ 8&"10/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL ROBINSON

PETROL road tester Ian Grainger says he waited longer to swing his leg over the new Derbi GP1 250 than he did to lose his virginity, so was it worth the wait? Read on...

A

FIRST RIDE CAN OFTEN BE DISAPPOINTING but would this dusky Spanish senorita leave a longer lasting impression on me than Julie Hodges did behind the bike sheds all those years ago?

Well if you’re looking for a scooter to take you and a passenger comfortably around Europe then it’s probably best if you don’t read on any further, because this probably isn’t the machine for you. On the other hand if you want a scooter that not only looks drop dead gorgeous but will also excite you every time you nail the throttle then this could be your lucky day.

There’s no mistaking that the GP1 250 is sharper than your average Stanley knife and if looks could kill, this machine would be deadly. There aren’t many scooters that could match this one for its outright aggressive stance, even stood still it looks like it’s going to be fast and believe me it is. Mount the beast and providing you like to ride ‘enthusiastically,’ shall we say, you’ll instantly be at home on the GP1. The 250cc Piaggio four stroke single cylinder engine which powers this scoot really works well in the Derbi’s reinforced twin beam aluminium chassis. Faultless performance from the motor will soon see the digital display hitting 70mph (expect to see mid 80’s though flat out), and the needle on the rev counter sweeps through the dial faster than you can say ‘Paella’. Keeping up with town centre traffic at 30mph is effortless and when the urge takes you there’s plenty of power left on tap to just twist the wrist a fraction and overtake safely, doubling your speed in seconds.

This engine produces a claimed 22hp and it’s quite a torquey power delivery which makes the scoot feel pretty lively and very responsive to even the tiniest throttle input.

[22]

With some scooters it takes a while to get used to the way they handle, but with the GP1 250 it just felt instantly right to me, drop this scoot into a corner and it obeys willingly and will lean as far as you dare and probably much further if you’re feeling brave, because ground clearance and grip aren’t an issue. The engine is mounted conventionally via a swinging arm and superb mono shock, unlike the chain driven GP1 50 which has a centrally positioned engine designed to even out the weight distribution. The 250 has a longer wheelbase and carries 60% of its weight over the rear but it still feels as stable and planted as any scooter I’ve ever ridden. The 14” wheels with 140 section rear tyre help to overcome most of the problems we usually encounter on our pothole infested roads and for anybody who remembers riding scooters with 10” wheels this will be in a different league altogether.

It’s no good having a fast scoot that can’t stop but luckily the Derbi has been treated to a pair of twin disks and trendy radial callipers up front. The brakes hiss reassuringly with a light dab of the lever and they will stop the scoot effectively, but without being strong enough to permanently detach your retinas. The rear disk initially lacked a bit of bite on our test bike but with a few miles and some gentle bedding in it soon started to work more effectively.

Keeping with the modern components, this scoot is fitted with an excellent pair of 38mm upside down Marzocchi forks which not only look the part but they work well too. As a machine for blasting around rural back roads and upsetting sports bike riders, the GP1 is easily up to the job, the Power Rangers may get away on the straights but you’ll be snapping at their heels like a Jack Russell through the twisties, so Sunday blasts will be good fun.4

DERBI GP1 250

As riding positions go this scoot isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in the comfortable category, it feels a bit awkward to be honest and a pillion wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be going too far on the back either, but remember this is a sports scooter and has been designed with fun in mind and compared to an R6 rider youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll still be able to walk and hold a pint at the end of your journey. Legroom is pretty much non existent; the bodywork encloses most of the floor space so the only way to stretch your legs is to park up and admire the machine from a distance. Apart from a couple of minor grumbles, like the exposed helmet bay which could have been disguised a bit to blend into the bodywork and the tacky looking covers for the cubby holes which sit either side of the central tunnel the Derbi is pretty much spot on. Quality touches like the exquisite foot pegs and hangers, LED back lights, smoked headlight covers and the dual colour backlighting for the rev counter all help to make this scooter a little bit different to many of the modern crop of look-alike machines. â&#x2013;

VERDICT The modern scooter scene has been crying out for a proper sports scooter since the demise of Italjet and the enforced death of the performance two stroke, could the Derbi GP1 250 fill that void? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to think so, its styling, performance and scope for customising make it the strongest contender up to yet and at ÂŁ2999 (ÂŁ2499 for the 125) youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting quite a lot of scooter for your money. Add a nice sounding race pipe, polish the alloy frame, give it a race replica paintjobâ&#x20AC;Ś Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m tempted to buy one myself.

1 0$"& * +,*'# "

"' - + *

")-"

$ ,*" +, *, /",! -,' !'#

-,'% ,"

/"& %% . &,"$ , "+ + " $ $$"( *+

%% "+ . &,"$ , "+

'&," /"+, 2

'&," /"+, 2

%% "&. *, !0 * -$" '*# %% ,* . $ "& $ $$ +!' # +'* * $",* + $ # $- "$. *

[23]

SPORT

&+.18 23.,/$1

Straight from the horse’s mouth: Frankie Dettori look-alike Joe Elliott talks about the arts of straight line speed.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL ROBINSON

A

T THE END OF LAST SEASON I TWICE tried to make an 11 second run but each time it was rained off and the scooter was left in the van, this left me with a best time of 12.04 for the quarter mile in 2005. Here we are in 2006 and I’d visited Santa Pod three times during January and February with my old faithful Dragster (Eliminator) and managed to improve my top speed from 95 to 96mph.

Following several conversations with Paul Melici at PM Tuning we discussed running the PM sprinter again and the date of 26th February was set. In great anticipation I checked the weather forecast all week – cold, wet and snow – it didn’t look good. But being the optimist I told Paul that the weather would be ideal. The day arrived and although it was cold, it was dry with a back wind down the straight, it was perfect for scooter drag racing plus there weren’t that many of the Fast & Furious Nova boys there. I was already signed-on and leathered up when Paul arrived, and as the scoot was wheeled out of the van I signed a disclaimer for Paul’s insurance so that I couldn’t sue him if I was killed...

Paperwork out of the way we fired up the beast and ran it up to temperature, and waited in line knowing that the first run was a tester just to get the feel of the bike again. Previous experience has told me that too much twist of the wrist at the Christmas tree either just flips you over or smokes the rear tyre out. A time of 12.40 at 102mph was a good start without trying and ended up the slowest run of the day. By noon, a time of 12.033 at 105.88mph was achieved but we weren’t getting the champagne out just yet – we were looking for just four hundredths of a second. We continued our attempts and I had six timing slips that were below 12.10 and by 3pm it started to snow. Was this the end of our day?

Suddenly it stopped snowing, the track drier was out and at the same time the wind died down. After an hour a few of us die-hards were back out on the track. With no queues I was able to go round and round consistently achieving under 12.1 seconds only refuelling as quick as the F1 pit stop. It was now getting dark, but the last run proved to be the best – ET 12.019 with the best speed being 104.88mph. To miss out on the elusive under 12.0 run was disappointing but I was proud as the PM Sprinter never missed a beat or lost any power during the whole eight hours of sheer abuse. The only things that really suffered were the burnt out rear tyre and my 34 year old body. This was a great day to remember – one of the best days of my career in drag racing. It’s just a question of time when the 11 second run will come… ■

JOE’S CURRENT 1/4 MILE RECORD: 12.019@104.88mph [24]

OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE

T-SHIRTS

PETROL ORIGINAL TEE £12 M / L / XL / XXL PETROL BABE TEE £12 XS / S / M / L ORIGINAL TEE

BACK

es N.B. All pricage. st po exclude BABE TEE

4.5”

STICKERS QUALITY VINYL WATERPROOF PETROL STICKERS

PETROL RED LOGO £2 PETROL BLACK LOGO £2

TO ORDER, CALL US ON:

01226 295661 MONDAY - FRIDAY 10-5:30pm SATURDAY 10-2pm

OR ORDER ON-LINE AT:

www.adrenalin-pedstop.com

SPORT

The Northwich Thundersprint STORY BY IAN GRAINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAF PHOTOGRAPHY & SMALL RED GORILLA PHOTOGRAPHY

The idea of racing around a local car park on a Sunday afternoon will probably appeal to many of our younger readers, because that’s what they seem to do on their scooters anyway, but this wasn’t no ordinary Sunday…

T

HE ANNUAL THUNDERSPRINT, NOW IN ITS ninth year, is growing all the time. What started out as a twisty sprint for vintage bikes has grown into a massive two wheeled event encompassing all areas of biking.

This year the event attracted an estimated 130,000 people and some legendary bike racing stars from the past and present to the Cheshire town. I was lucky enough to be given a race entry for this invitation only event, but unfortunately the race scooter I usually borrow wasn’t available - and I ended up reluctantly using my own road going and newly re-sprayed 172cc Italjet Dragster. ... It’s 5.30 on a damp Sunday morning and I’m in my leathers and on the scoot for the 30 mile ride to Northwich. By the time I reached the fenced off paddock today’s star guest, Leon Haslam was already there waiting patiently for his 1000cc Ducati Sport Classic to arrive, whilst other racing legends, like Jim Redman and Sammy Miller, were lining up to have their own bikes scrutineered. The Dragster in its Rossi replica colours attracted quite a bit of attention, especially from Leon who used to race a Piaggio Zip a few years ago.

Morning practice soon came around and I made my way down to the ‘race track,’ which is essentially a fenced off car park with hay bales covering the harsh looking trees and pay & display machines – I kid you not, this is proper old school racing where the spectators are literally feet away from the action and the potholes, sunken grates and kerbs look like they’d hurt should you be unfortunate enough to hit one.

My first practice lap nearly ended in disaster as I locked the back wheel whilst braking for the right hander, but I regained control and finished the lap unscathed. Amongst the other riders in my class were a few other bike journos, a BMF representative, ‘Dr Rod’ from Men & Motors and young Mr Haslam. The others were riding bikes as diverse as an R1 to a Suzuki Katana and apart from my scooter the lowest capacity was a 600cc R6! Luckily power isn’t everything on a short track like this one and after morning practice I was ahead of Leon Haslam, so was feeling quite chuffed.

Before long it was time for the afternoons racing to begin and unfortunately the weather changed for the worse and it began to drizzle slightly - not good for a run on cold tyres in front of thousands of spectators! The ‘Master Class’ went first with Jim Redman, Sammy Miller and Thundersprint organiser, Frank Melling putting in good times on their three timed runs. Our class was next to go and it started with Leon showboating for the crowds, pulling wheelies and sliding the back of his Ducati. Peter Whitelegg wasn’t mucking about though and he put in a quick time on his 998 Cagiva Raptor, which gave him an early lead.

Before I knew it I was on the start line and waiting for the lights to turn green, the thousands of spectators around the track waited expectantly to see what the lonely scooter and its nervous rider were made of…

[26]

The lights changed and I accelerated fast along the straight, hitting 70mph before braking hard for the right hander - power back on for the short straight and into a sweeping double apex right, accelerate again for the final straight, brake hard for the slow left and across the finish line to cheers from the crowd.

Adrenalin is still flowing through my body as I line up to wait for my next run. The rain started to get a bit heavier as I waited and two riders crashed on the greasy tarmac… My second run went well though and I was told it was my quickest so far.

Leon meant business on his final lap and put in a quick time on the unfamiliar bike. My last lap was an all or nothing, head down and go for it - sod the consequences blast. I put the two fallen riders out of my mind and went for it. Despite the damp conditions I set my fastest lap with a 26.23 run, amazingly it left me in third position in our class of ten riders, just .69s behind Leon Haslam. Peter Whitelegg won our class with an impressive time of 22.65, despite crashing on his final lap.

With all the excitement over I spent the afternoon chatting to people about scooters and I lost count of the amount of photographs that were taken of my Dragster. I watched some of the other racers in action and wandered around the town where you could buy anything from a hamburger to an R1 or seek out a bit of excitement on the fairground, but I’d had enough thrill rides for one day, so after receiving my trophy from Jim Redman it was time to ride home in the rain - passing other bikers along the way who must have been thinking ‘I’m sure I’ve seen that scooter somewhere before’. ■

• Next years Thundersprint is on May 5-6th, the day is

completely free for spectators and there’s plenty of action both on and off the track. For more info check out: www.thundersprint.com

TRAVEL

AUTO SHOW

P

UERTO RICO... THE RESIDENTS OF this American overseas territory love their special cars and bikes.

They have access to all the aftermarket auto parts in the US coupled with the exotic lifestyle of a paradise island in the Caribbean. While most journalists tend to do the same thing at the same places, I try to be different, and the difference is no one could have seriously thought that a real tuning scene was possible there, in Puerto Rico. So Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m happy to be able to present to you some of the exotic creations from the Walker Coliseo in Carolina, near San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico.

â&#x2020;&#x2019;

[28]

Puerto Rico

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAIN SAUQUET

Local tuning car magazine ‘Super Compacto’, associated with JKV productions, Cristal X and Reggaeton FM, held this most important meeting in March with no more than 20,000 dollars in awards and prizes. There were so many contests: Hot wheels, low riders, burnouts, dynojet, and bikini contests with dozens of hot girls, and for the first time, Playboy Mansion playgirls. In addition to this, twelve famous rappers were on stage, including stars of the island like Zion Y Lenox, Alex Y Fido, Angel Doze, Raken Y Ken-Y or Carlitos Way. Twelve young boxing amateurs fought in an outdoor ring. Xbox and Playstation contests were also organised – there were so many things to see or listen to.

Seven hundred cars were exhibited in the coliseum parking lot, and as the local winter is under 30° celcius most of the vehicles were kept under tents to protect them from the sun. No less than 50,000 visitors, real fans, came to the fest during two days. I was surprised to see how many customised scoots there were at the show and in the streets too. In fact, the scooter tuners share exactly the same mentality as the car tuners.

Everyday you can see nice scoots on the streets with debonair chicanos riders, helmets just positioned on the head. But the noise is the important thing for them,

many of them have a total music system onboard, with radio-cd, amplifi ers and multiple speakers. Some have more, with a DVD screen just behind the handlebar.

Young chicanos like to stay out late at night in the streets to impress the chiquitas, and the scoots like them, are very fashionable. As for motorcycles in Puerto Rico, the rides are mostly Suzuki Hayabusa with stretched chromed swingarms, chromed wheels, lowered suspension and heavy, fl ashy paintwork.

The other activity that’s important for these islanders is the music. Yes, this island is a great place for music and dance. The lifestyle of the tuners in Puerto Rico is set against a backdrop of original and cool music – Reggaeton, a mix of reggae and rap music. The girls like it too, and when they hear a few tunes, they instantly start to move their bodies, with the Reggaeton smile, for minutes or hours of pleasure, also to enjoy and discover this new vision of tuning, exotic and exclusive. ■

[29]

PRODUCT

VORSPRUNG DURCH TECHNIK

FROM STAGE6 IN in Germany comes a superb selection of products for 50cc scooters. Among them is this stateof-the-art fully adjustable clutch with spring preload and a cover plate held in place by countersunk screws which fasten everything together (much better than halfhearted versions with circlips). Characteristics of the clutch may be varied by adding or removing funky little weights which reside in the pads themselves. There’s so much vorsprung durch technik in this clutch that it was granted a patent. Respective versions will fit Piaggio, Minarelli and Peugeot engines. RRP £51 STAGE6 CYLINDERS ARE nicasil plated

alloy things with a rather smart port layout. The Minarelli sports version (single exhaust port, 70cc) was good enough to come second in a 24 hour race, only beaten by a measly 25 seconds by a 172cc Malossi Runner. The racing version (bridged exhaust port) is apparently even more powerful. Versions for Booster, Minarelli vertical and Piaggio engines are available (LC or AC). RRP £80 to £129

STAGE6 AIR FILTER is a double layer thing which improves both air flow as well as filtering. It comes with a choice of spacers so it ca can be fitte tted n beto o literally edat ylita any r carb. lla RRPr £21 fi nyb. c RRP

LIGHT FANTASTIC

FROM OBERON ENGINEERING comes this trick waterproof CNC machined cylindrical tax disc holder incorporating twin 12 volt blue LEDs. Made from billet aluminium and available colour anodised, these tax disc holders use stainless steel fasteners and rubber o-rings to create a waterproof and corrosion resistant seal. £39 [web] www.oem-uk.com

CHROME-TASTIC

ADD A BIT of bling to your Vespa LX or GT 250 with the following chrome plastic products available via VE (UK):

VESPA LX (VE60105) Chrome handlebar front (VE60106) Chrome horncover (VE60107) Chrome front mudguard (VE60108) Chrome set (h/b front + horncover + STAGE6 S AGE6 PWK T CARB ARB at £67 (RRP) is based PWK on Keihin C design, but comes de o sign, with mea power we jet in ar choice seje wof sizes. buto c t in af size ith a mudguard) c po s. ho GT250 The TM24 fla at slide carb taslide is TM2 based r onbMikuni is ba TM design, 4 c fl VESPA o (VE60109) se Chrome handlebar dfront works very wo e r well e rapparently ks v lleyawy a andntl is again priced ppa e ndatisaavery ed a r y r (VE60110) ta ga v in pr Chrome horncover (VE60111) Chrome front mudguard reasonable re ae £67. Since so a carb is only naas good as the bl (VE60112) Chrome set (h/b front + horncover + jetting Stage6 je a tting also ge Stoffer e sets ofr ten e 6jets seatn aje abargain ga lsots o ints a mudguard) o ft ff t a ba

price pr e of £10 o ic

f

[web] www.stage6.de

[web] www.ve-uk.com/postcode [email] sales@ve-uk.com

DASHING DASH DASHBOARDS CAN BE quite boring to look at. I’ve looked at some scooter dashboards and nearly slipped into a coma – they’re that dull! Well KOSO have come to the rescue with a replacement dash for the old style Runner 125/180. For £140 (RRP) this dash gives you the big sportsbike feel after a simple fitting job plus the addition of an extra wire for the rev counter input.

When switched on you’re greeted by a test sweep of the electro-mechanical needles and the blue illumination

behind it. The speedo has been moved to the left and the rev counter in the centre is HUGE. There are settable warning lights for revs, speed and temperature. The unreliable standard temp gauge has been replaced with an electronic version giving you a precise readout. The fuel gauge suffers the same problem like most Runners of reading full all the way to half tank, then plunging down as soon as the fuel is guzzled, although this is due to the sensor in the tank rather than the dashboard itself. The only thing missing is the battery warning light which I assume is due to the screen being an indication of whether your vehicle is charging or not. The facia can be a bit difficult to read at times and the odometer is in kilometres and not miles. Note: The inner section of the speedo shows mph.

All in all, the KOSO dash is easy to fit, but do take care plugging it in as the printed circuit board on the back can destroy the wiring loom plug pins if you’re heavy handed (like me). I’ve been using this dash for over a month and it hasn’t let me down yet. Would I go back to a standard dash? HELL NO. JOE BROWN [email] sales@pmtuning.co.uk [web] www.pmtuning.co.uk

[30]

nM

LOST? GET A SATNAV...

01

02

03

04

> GOODMANS GNAV10 £299 [web] www.goodmans.co.uk

OUT OF THE box, this unit really looks the part and has a fine sharp display. It has clear spoken directions, has the ability to switch from 2D and 3D and has the standard GPS touch screen system. So, is the GNAV10 all good man? Well, no. When you come to an acute bend and theoretically still on the same road, the software tells you to turn left or right, confusing. The test unit could have been faulty with the intermittent software crashes, but overall, it’s a great looking bit of kit. PHIL LITTLECHILD

Looks the part. Sharp visual display Poor battery life. Software crashes

> NAVMAN iCN 520 £299 [web] www.navman.com

MALOSSIFY IT

HERE’S JUST A small selection of products from the vast range of performance parts available from Malossi. According to VE (UK Malossi importers) the following are popular: 01 MULTIVAR VARIATOR (part no. VM511397) for Leader 125cc air- and liquid-cooled engines.

02 CLUTCH ASSEMBLY (part no. VM527880) for 50cc Piaggio, Gilera, Peugeot and Honda engines.

03 19mm CARB KIT (part no. VX161027) fits the following Peugeot models: Speedfight 2, Buxy, Trekker, Metal X, Vivacity, Luxor and Elystar.

04 TORQUE DRIVER (part no. YM611763) for the following 250cc machines: Yamaha Majesty 250, Aprilia Leonardo 250, Benelli Velvet 250, and the Malaguti Madison 250. [email] sales@malossiuk.com [web] www.malossiuk.com

THE iCN 520 IS sleak, lightweight and easy to use. The 3D map is legible and voice directions are clear and precise. You can download points of interest and all speed camera sites of which you get an audible warning on approach. Although this unit isn’t designed for bikes, I used the Navman on my Runner with a clear, zip sandwich bag over it in the rain, and helmet speakers plugged in to hear directions. Fitting it was simple, I made an L-shaped bracket and fitted the mount to that instead of using the suction cup. The four-way pad is a little sensitive, but you do have a 3.5inch touchscreen with a stylus stored in the back. I’d recommend this unit to anybody – you’ll be lost without it. MARK DEVALL

Slimline design. Portable. Clear and reliable Isn’t water-resistant. No live traffic updates

> TOMTOM RIDER £399 [web] www.tomtom.com

TOMTOM’S ARE EASIER to get to grips with than most other SatNav systems out there. And what distinguishes this TomTom from others is that it’s waterproof, and has a shielded touchscreen that’s easily operated with the thickest winter gloves. The display is clear and crisp and the view can be switched between 2D and 3D versions of the road ahead. The audio is clear when used with the helmet headset, and you can customise the voices to suit. I expected more for the cash, priced around the £250 mark then the TomTom Rider would be more attractive to first time buyers. But for customisation and features, nothing out there touches a TomTom. PHIL LITTLECHILD

Fits bikes and scooters. Wireless Bluetooth headset Not the cheapest SatNav unit on the market

FOUR WHEELS GOOD?

FROM MOTORCYCLE TOUR Conversion, Inc. USA comes the Voyager conversion kit for maxi-scooters designed to give the rider the stability of four wheels. With a patented quick installation and removal feature, the Voyager kit is apparently easy to fit and easy to remove in a matter of minutes. The kit will currently fit the following scooters: Honda Silverwing 600 (2001+), Honda Reflex 250 (2001+), Honda Helix 250 (1992-2000), Suzuki Burgman 650 (2003+). Only two of the above machines require a modification; on the Honda Reflex we’re told that “part of the plastic needs to be notched for the mounting hardware to be attached”, and on the Honda Silverwing the sub-frame needs to be replaced with a subframe from Voyager. Standard kit costs a mere $4095. [email] voyagers@uti.com [web] www.mtcvoyager.com

www.petrolmag.net CONTACT US: PETROL, PO BOX 93, OSSETT, WEST YORKSHIRE. WF5 0XY. ENGLAND Tel/Fax: +44(0)1924 271919 Email: info@petrolmag.net

[31]

CHISELSPEED SERVING SCOOTERISTS FOR THE LAST 23 YEARS AND HOPEFULLY FOR THE NEXT 23 AS WELL!!!!!

LML

Team

CHISELSPEED

Dynojet Centre

SR, in fact, ANY AUTO, SET UP ON OUR ROLLING ROAD

70cc kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £64.95 172 LC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £208.95 172 AC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £194.95 LEADER AC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £192.95 LEADER LC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £199.95 Athena Alloy cylinders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £83.90

ASSORTED TUNING PARTS Team Chiselspeed 1st in class at Elvington 6 hour enduro, speed AND reliability, for your auto tuning needs ring us first

Unit 6, Enterprise Industrial Est., Aberford Road, Barwick in Elmet, Leeds LS15 4EF PHONES OPEN FROM: 10.00am - 6.00pm TUESDAY to FRIDAY and 10.00am - 4.00pm SATURDAY CLOSED ON SUNDAYS & MONDAYS PLEASE NOTE ALL OUR PRICES INCLUDE V.A.T. @ 17.5%

Kundo Rapid chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £104.95 Kundo Rapid chrome Fight 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £158.95 Kundo Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £45.95 Gianelli Smile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £72.95 Gianelli Sprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £94.84 Gianelli Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £54.46 Gianelli Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £103.88 Gianelli Freeway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £115 Gianelli extra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £88.95 Gianelli Extra chrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £104.95 Gianelli Reverse (hand made) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £115.95 GPR exhausts 4T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £256.95 NHBC carbon exhaust for runner 4T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £264.95 PM tuning stainless for Runner 4T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £280 Malossi Race Replica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £156.95 Leo Vinci ZX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £104.95 Leo Vinci "S" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £104.95 Leo Vinci runner 180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £176.95 JL Runner/Dragster/SR/Typhoon 125-172 (stainless) . . . . . . . . . . . . £230

CYLINDER KITS

DYNOJET AVAILABLE...

Bookings Bookings Now Now HAVE YOUR RUNNER, Being Being Taken DRAGSTER, SPEEDFIGHT, Taken

PERFORMANCE EXHAUSTS

Tel: 0113 281 1052

CARRIAGE CHARGES FOR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY: upto 1kg - £7.05, 1kg to 5kg - £9.40, 5kg to 15kg - £11.75

www.chiselspeed.co.uk

CPI POWER FROM...

PSN SCOOTERS CUSTOM MADE GIANNELLI PERFORMANCE EXHAUST* FOR CPI GTR 50: £140 * ROLLERS INCLUDED

Malossi carb kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £54.95 Malossi Gear-up kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .from £49.95 Malossi Clutch kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £32.95 Malossi Fork assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £345 Malossi variators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £46.95 Malossi kevlar belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £20.95 Oversize and Uprated discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .from £54.95 Top Racing gear kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £24.95 Top Racing cranks for most 50/70cc machines . . . . . . . . . . . from £69.95

GENERAL PARTS

Standard discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £20.95 disc pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £6.95 drive belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £9.95 Crank bearing and seal kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .from £18.95

BILLET ALLOY DRAGSTER SHOCKS . £350 PAIR or £199 EACH

carriage free

DYNOJET DYNO FACILITY FOR OPTIMUM SET-UP *PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OUR PRICES ARE INCLUSIVE OF VAT

DOBIN SCOOTER SPARES

FOR MOBILE REPAIRS, REBUILDS & TUNING Automatics, Vespa / Lambretta & small motorcycles

07890 848619 (Please call after 6pm) (Based in mid-Hertfordshire)

8Quick Trim

8 Scooter / motorcycle seat customising 8 Re-covers and repair work 8 Quality workmanship

Call now for a free quote:

07986 194875 To advertise in

call us on

CALL 01924 445449 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.psn-scooters.co.uk EMAIL: andy@psnscooters.freeserve.co.uk TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOME

>> COMING SOON: PGO G-Max 50/125 exhausts >> PSN Scooters, 492 Bradford Road, Batley, West Yorkshire. WF17 5JY

01924 271919

UK SCOOTER DRAG RACING IN 2006: ROUND 1 ROUND 2 ROUND 3 ROUND 4 ROUND 5 ROUND 6 ROUND 7 ROUND 8 ROUND 9 ROUND 10 ROUND 11 ROUND 12

ELVINGTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE, MARCH 26 EAST KIRKBY, LINCOLNSHIRE, APRIL 15-17 ELVINGTON, APRIL 23 SANTA POD, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, MAY 7 EAST KIRKBY, MAY 28 ELVINGTON, JUNE 18 EAST KIRKBY, JUNE 25 JURBY, ISLE OF MAN, JULY 22-23 EAST KIRKBY, AUGUST 6 ELVINGTON, AUGUST 13 SANTA POD, SEPTEMBER 16-17 ELVINGTON, OCTOBER 8

X-Race caters for all scooters both geared and automatic custom built sprinter or road going scooter. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to pre-book, just turn up with your scooter, pay the entry fee and race. The only ticket youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get will have your speed on it and no points from the police.

FOR MORE DETAILS PHONE

01484 718164

OR VISIT WWW.X-RACE-UK.INFO

93515_scooter_ad_108x150 5/18/06 10:06 AM Page 1 PHIL BRADLEY JobsOn YCS5138-2430 I drive:9351

! # "& % ( % ( % $

$ # &# ! $&# #$ % * & &# ( $% "& % &$ ( ( & #

+ ' # # $ + % + ) ! * % !% $ #

Swinton Bikes is a division of Swinton Group Ltd, registered in England number 756681 which is connected for the purposes of the Insurance Companies Regulations 1981 to MMA Insurance plc. Registered office: Swinton House, 6 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester, M1 5SW. Calls may be recorded. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

((( $( % &

TUNING

50cc TUNING

A5L ±D98 DCK9F THE MBK STUNT or Yamaha Slider (same scooter, different brand names) is well known as a ‘hooligan’ wheelie tool as standard, so what better machine to unleash and turn into one nasty street machine? Over the next few months we’ll be looking at what you can do to release a few more horses from the coral on your scooter, and we’ll look at the pitfalls of tuning and dispel a few myths along the way.

If you know nothing at all about tuning this maybe for you, maybe you’re not technically minded but would like to give your ‘ped a little muscle? We’ll take a look at the bits you’ll need fitting and if you can’t fit them yourself we’ll point you to some top outfits who can sort you out.

Over the coming months you’ll be able to collect all the info in a step-by-step guide to scooter tuning and give your ‘ped some street cred... You’ll look at the humble fifty in a whole new light.

MBK STUNT

Seen better days...

Our chosen subject is a 2002 MBK Stunt, stolen and trashed by some thieving scum, £25 for a rolling frame with engine courtesy of eBay. Bodywork again from eBay, total cost for basic scruffy scoot – under £100. Okay it’ll get you from A to B but we thought we’d like to do it quicker and with a little style. IAN SIM

COMING UP...

In the next issue of PETROL we’ll be taking the standard engine apart, we’ll identify the components and have a look at some of the common problems that occur within the engine. And if the new bits have arrived in time we’ll have a butchers at those too. So, guys and gals, get your spanners out the shed and your overalls washed.

[34]

Q& A

Q. WHAT CAN I DO TO BOOST MY

FOUR STROKE SCOOTER ENGINE?

A. THE REAL QUESTION you should ask is, “is it really worth it?” Well in a word – yes. It’s fun playing with engines and getting your hands dirty, if you’re that way inclined. But for those of you who aren’t, you can still get alot of pleasure via the efforts of your local mechanic or a reputable scooter dealer.

The first thing you should consider purchasing is a cylinder kit. These usually come in the form of a replacement cylinder and matching piston and will make your scooter reach its top speed quicker. In order to utilise the newfound power of a cylinder kit, you need a gear-up kit. These usually need a special bit of equipment called a hydraulic press to take the old drive gear off the drive shaft, and push the new gear back onto the drive shaft. So fitting a gear-up kit is not something that most people can do at home in their garden shed. But the result of changing the gear ratio will give you more top-end power that simply wasn’t available with the old gearing. Instead of topping out at say, 70mph, your scooter will now do 85-90mph+ so you will start to feel the benefits.

As all this newfound power transmits through your drive belt, the next sensible thing to do is to upgrade the standard drive belt for a stronger aftermarket Kevlar belt. For efficient running of the engine you can also consider swapping the CDI (digital ignition) for an aftermarket remapped CDI. Next on our shopping list is a new exhaust system, not only because they look good but because they allow your engine to breath alot better. The power gains to be had from certain four stroke exhaust systems can be quite incredible, so it’s best to find out as much as possible on this subject. Another good thing to fit at this point would be a new aftermarket air filter, and there are plenty to choose from...

What’s often overlooked or dismissed, is the torque driver. This little beauty will stop your scooter from jumping up a gear too quickly, this would effectively mean your scooter slows down before speeding up again. Fitting a torque driver will eliminate this characteristic and acceleration from a standing start will be much improved.

Next up is the variator (front drive pulley). The variator is made up of an outer pulley, inner variator, shaft, back plate and last but not least, rollers. The rollers slide up and down the ramps inside the variator, and by altering the weight of the rollers you can alter the way your scooter sets off, its top speed plus all sorts of combinations in between. For instance, if you put really light rollers in the variator, your engine would rev up alot more before your variator pulley grabs the drive belt – the result would be lightning fast starts. If the rollers were too heavy, your scooter would set off really sluggish but eventually reach top speed.

Next we have the power cam, or camshaft and valve springs.

The job of the camshaft is to open and close the exhaust and inlet valves in the cylinder head. What the power cam does is make it possible for the exhaust valves and inlet valves to be kept open for longer, so the engine can get more fuel in and let more exhaust gasses out. The stronger valve springs are there to compensate for the different valve timing.

There’s an awful lot you can do to boost a four stroke… But on a cautionary note, its all very well upgrading the engine and making it worthy of a race track, but please remember to upgrade the brakes and suspension as well, or you might get a nasty shock one day. DARREN GRANT