Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Scootering

The two decades when scooters were at their height of popularity in the UK were the ’60s and ’80s. During both decades, and in a bid to attract trade, a number of entrepreneurial dealerships offered an enhanced, extra-special take on the stock machines offered elsewhere. Generally speaking, this consisted of a bespoke, two-colour paint design. Other optional additions were aimed at the more affluent customer. Inevitably, achoice of aftermarket bolt-on goodies were made available to suit customer requirements. Popular extras included dual seats, rear and/or front carriers, flyscreens, and even spotlights mounted on leg shields. Some Dealer Specials additionally offered some mild engine tuning. These consisted of not much more than an aftermarket exhaust with a different carburettor to the standard one fitted, and perhaps a 12volt conversion to the…

The validity of foreign driving licences in Vietnam seems to be a moveable feast. The latest news is that Vietnamese authorities have agreed that up to 28 March 2019 holders of UK issued International Driver’s Permits or UK domestic driving licences will be allowed to drive cars or ride motorbikes in Vietnam. After that date both a UK domestic driver’s licence and a UK issued International Driver’s Permit will be required. For anyone who fancies a unique souvenir, it’s also possible to get a British Driving Licence converted locally. This needs a three-month visa, a certified translation of the original driving licence and a visit to the local vehicle licensing office. The staff there are tremendously helpful, but I wish you well if you’re not accompanied by a Vietnamese speaker.…

Name: Paul Fraser Scooter club & town: No club, but was in Norwich Broadsmen ‘81-‘83 and Fine City scooter club ‘85 onwards, Norwich First interest in scooters: 1981 Your first scooter: Vespa px125e new 1981 Favourite style of custom scooter: PM Tuning Rothmans Vespa. I appreciate the work, and time tears money in any custom scooter that has been well thought out and built well. I love the old Armandos Vespas and AF Rayspeed stuff, too First rally: Scarborough Easter 1982 How did you get there: Scooter Favourite and worst rally/event: Never liked Morecombe, but loved IOW and Exmouth in the ‘80s. As for modern events, like most of them, it’s what you make it Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Dunbar, Scotland, to Exmouth a few times. Been…

Anglia Scooters has been operating for some years now, relocating to the current premises around four years ago. Under Martyn ‘Drakey’ Drake's curatorship, the business evolved from his previous business, Anglia Fibreglass, albeit in a roundabout way, via Drakey collaborating with the late Steve Porter, aka Sausage, who ran a scooter business at the time. As well as a well-known character on the scooter scene, and especially in the East Anglia region, Sausage was responsible for four instructional scooter DVDs over the years. One covered how to carry out repairs on Lambrettas and Vespas, whilst the other was dedicated to general maintenance on both marques. Steve Porter's son Michael has built a scooter, with the theme being a tribute to his late dad’s memory. Drakey went from running a fibreglass…

Name: Dean Child (Dino) Job: Full-time scooter mechanic with a background in engineering. Scooter club & town: King’s Horbury When did you first become interested in scooters: When I was about fifteen years old and my older friends had them. What was your first scooter: TV 175 smashed it up for the fields (I know) P200e on the road. What is your favorite scooter model: I like them all, so no particular style. What is your favourite style of custom scooter: I just like the thoughts and imagination that goes into some machines. Favourite and worst rally/ event: A rally is what it is! ALAN shouted loudly all night. What is the funniest experience with a scooter: Just rebuilt my GTR and setting off backwards, hitting ‘the crown jewels’ on…

Name: Dave ‘Gibbo’ Gibbons Scooter club & town: Shedster - Nationwide First become interested in scooters: About 14 years old. I lived in Essex along the A13 and used to see all the scooters going to Southend Your first scooter: ‘Primmy 125’ Favourite scooter model: Smallframe. Now got a 50 Special with a Quattrini 144 that I can throw about Favourite style of custom scooter: Street-Racer, head down… full throttle and no looking back First rally: Morecombe (I think). Seventeen-year-old scooter boy with a can of Tennant’s Extra. Seems like a life time ago How did you get there: Lammy GP150 called ‘True Dilemma’. It was always breaking down, so a fitting name What is the funniest experience with a scooter: Coming out of Leigh Com Mod nights with my…

OK, that’s instalment one of the technical bit explored, so let’s look at a few MOT myths that have popped up over the years, and hopefully explain or put them to rest. Daytime MOT certificate Well, to start with, such a beast doesn’t really exist. On the other hand, it’s possible to put a scooter successfully through the test without any lights, other than a brake light. If you go down this route, then you’ll be issued with a certificate, but with a manual advisory that no lights were fitted. This is where the problems start. If you then fit lights, you need to retest. If you get stopped by the Police when you should have lights on (night,or heavy fog or rain, for example), then you will find yourself…

VAT invoice and Dating Cert You’ll remember from Part 1 that I bought my scooter from Sam at Lambretta Finder (don’t let the name fool you, he also deals in Vespa). Some people are dubious about buying from overseas, but I have an established relationship with Sam, and knew he was a man of his word, so I had no qualms. At any given time he usually has over 50 scooters in stock, which are all displayed with images, descriptions and prices on his website, www.lambrettafinder.com. More importantly for me, Sam delivers to the UK multiple times a year, and the price you see on his site is all-inclusive of UK delivery, and includes a VAT invoice, which is very important. After the scooter was delivered to me, I immediately…

Name: Andrew Randell Job: Floorlayer Scooter club & town: Not in a club/Norwich When did you first become interested in scooters: First became interested in 1988 seeing all the scooters in Norwich First scooter: PK 50 blue with extended twisted forks First rally or event: My first rally was Great Yarmouth 1988 How did you get there: On my PK 50… eventually, lol! Favourite and worst rally/event: Favourite rally was this year’s at Mersea Island What’s the furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Furthest travelled was probably Skegness What do you like about rallies/events: The riding to the rallies, wondering if you are going to get there or not, and seeing your mates Name of scooter & reason: I wanted to do an ‘80’s cutdown and liked the film…

Setting aside the Sei Giorni, which is awaiting a decision on whether it will be fitted with traction control, Piaggio are bringing four models tothe UK market. All will share the same body and engine, the differences being in the trim. The base model is £4,899, but will only be available in limited numbers as the emphasis will be on sales of the £4,999 Super. The Super’s detail touches make it £100 well spent, but I’d be checking accessory prices before spending £5,699 on the Touring specification. Fans of all things matte will have to wait until May for the £5,199 Notte to arrive, and that only leaves the Supertech. Full details of this model are still to be released, but it will feature the same TFT display as the…

Having spent the first couple of years of my scootering career running around on an old Li 150, the inevitable upgrade was bound to happen sooner or later. It did, with the acquisition of an SX200 for a meagre £80. It wasn’t roadworthy, but having gained some knowledge of work on these Italian marvels, it soon would be. What a difference compared to the now obsolete 150 that had been discarded to the back of the shed. More speed, more acceleration, and at last a half-decent front disc brake that attempted to stop the thing when instructed. “Just looking at the SX 200 it visually oozed power, from the chrome VW tailpipe on the exhaust to the huge bellmouth on the Dellorto carb.” Unfortunately, the initial excitement of the superior…

Name: Pete Mitchell Home: Australia Main Ride: Lambretta Series 2 Specification: SR175, 22mm Dellorto, Tameni crank, GP200 gearbox, 5 plate clutch, Saigon Scooter Centre remade Ken Cobbins Cloverleaf exhaust. Major repairs: Engine Transplant (Imola 186) Opinion: “I’ve had motorcycles for years, but have used a twist ’n’ go whilst living in Saigon. I’ve owned a Vespa VBB for some time, but this is my first Lambretta. I like the Series 2’s presence, and the Ken Cobbins exhaust has a beautiful tone to it, though I’m told it’s not too pleasant to be behind for any length of time! Obviously I’m disappointed with reliability on the trip. There’s been some brutal riding and I think that’s taken its toll on the old girl. As both engines were being run in it’s…

I was recently surfing the web and stumbled on the New York Times site (as you do!). I was pleasantly surprised to come across the fact that there is a global set of surveys, of all things automotive, carried out by the research organisation JD Power. In the ‘All Vehicles Re-sale Values’ section, the thing that surprised me most was that the number one ranked manufacturer for re-sale values was Vespa. Yes, our beloved Italian marque is ranked top for holding values. The more I thought about it, the less surprising it became, because what Vespa have done with their ranges is actually very clever. I’ve written about it before, but Vespa have managed to keep a certain coolness to their designs, whilst evolving and moving with the times. This…

Name of scooter & reason: Teenage kicks. As most of my youth was spent riding a P2 everywhere around the UK, and I love the song by The Undertones Scooter model: MK1 p200e 1978 Date purchased & cost: Paid £1100 in 2011 Inspiration for project: 1980s Armandos and the ‘80s scene Built by: Myself, with help from some good mates Engine spec: Engine built by: Alan Terry at Diablo Moto. Barrel and piston: Pinasco 225 Case: Mk 1 p200e. Flywheel: Pinasco Exhaust: Pinasco Clutch: Old school p2 with 4 plates and heavy-duty springs. Modified basket Gearbox: P2 with t5 4th. Carb: 26 mm Pinasco fast flow with vrx vortex and large air box top Porting: Slight on the inlet Crank: 60 mil Pinasco race crank Describe engine performance, power delivery…

Custom fabrications Before the scooter was stripped down, re-engineered and rebuilt, it started life as a humble Vespa PX125, and with it taken apart, Toxic’s fabricator, John Fellows, quickly got to work lowering the frame. Also, as part of the build objectives, he removed the standard petrol tank under the seat and converted it into a toolbox. “Let’s face it, once we’d decided how far we were going to cut the legshields down there wasn’t going to be any room on the scooter for a toolbox behind the legshields,” Dino smiled. The removal of the standard petrol tank made way for a customised trials bike petrol tank to be positioned between the rear of the legshields and the main body of the scooter, “so it wouldn’t interfere with the lines…

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. FEBRUARY 23 Burton Brewers Custom Show, National Brewery Centre, Burton, DE 1NG.11am-3.30pm. 07427 931529 23 Olympics SC, annual pre-season do. £7. The Arena, Hagley Rd. Stourbridge. DY8 1QH 23 St.Helens SC 40th anniversary do, Haresfinch social club. Doors open 19.30, Live band TVOD. Tickets £5 Contact Mike – 07989 021820 Phil – 07538 833745 MARCH 1-4 Modrapheniacs SC, Sandford Rally, Dorset 2 Portobello Mod Alldayer, Kings Manor Hotel, 100 Milton Road East, Edinburgh EH15 2NP. Afternoon session Midday-5pm…

Richard Searling is revered by most who went to the legendary Station Road venue as the most consistently innovative and inspirational of all the DJs there. His book, Setting The Record Straight, comes with not one, but two subtitles, namely Music and Memories from Wigan Casino 1973-1981, and The Soundtrack to my Life as a DJ at Wigan Casino. It is an eight-year or so snapshot, with the main subject matter covering 160 records he first introduced to the scene, many of which are popular oldies nearly 40 years after they were released, and complete with label scans, snippets about the artist and Richard’s anecdotes. Many of these iconic tracks when first played were not revealed, as in the  artist and/or title having been changed. This two-fold practice was taken…

Name: Melvin Garside Job: HGV Driver Scooter club & town: Yorkshire Templar S.C. (Sharlston, near Wakefield) - Burton Salmon (Home) How did you first become interested in scooters: Five years ago my daughter had a scooter and was into the rally scene First scooter: Vespa PX Favourite scooter model: Lambretta GP Favourite style of custom scooter: Chopper Favourite and worst rally: Favourite – Cheeky Northern Monkeys. Worst – Whitby What is your funniest experience with a scooter: My daughter finding me in the British Legion in Kelso after drinking one-and-a-half litres of vodka! What’s the furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Kelso What do you like about rallies: The camaraderie What do you dislike about rallies: Rain! Your favourite custom scooter of all time: Lambretta GP, ‘Sign of the…

Keepers of historic vehicles and claiming an exemption from the MOT test should make a declaration when re-newing their vehicle tax. For those wanting more information on historic vehicle classifications, or on whether you need to MOT or tax your scooter, should visit www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles . There are easy-to-read guides on all the above. The following are a few highlights. Tax You do not need to pay vehicle tax if your vehicle was built before January 1, 1978. MOT You do not need to get an MOT if the vehicle was built or first registered more than 40 years ago and no ‘substantial changes’ have been made to the vehicle in the last 30 years. ‘SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES’ A ‘Substantial change’ is if the technical characteristics of the main…

It’s fair to say that Willy isn’t a typical scooterist. Not yet 40, his life has included periods spent as a professional skateboarder, competitive racing cyclist and actor. Despite this varied portfolio, the love of his life is the humble Vespa scooter. Now in business as ‘El Taller De Vespa de Willy’, he’s already producing world-class custom scooters from his shop in San José, Costa Rica. Local Colour “It all started with my father's wrecked and abandoned Vespa,” explained Willy. “Ihad no transport and he told me that if I could make it work I could ride it. I had no money to pay a garage so decided to strip it myself. My father went crazy when he saw the Vespa in pieces and told me that I was going…

Lambretta LAMBRETTA MB BGM 230 engine, 5speed, MB BGM 225 kit, BGM 60mm, 110mm crankshaft, Casatronic ignition, 2kg flywheel, cost over £5000 to build in parts alone, £3500. Tel. 07908 206938. LAMBRETTA GP200 Innocenti, electronic, super rare, approx only 550 made, standard machine with matching numbers, correct seat, coil, owned scooter past 25 years, lives in my house so great condition, £16,000. Tel. 07538 265349. LAMBRETTA LI150 blue/white, excellent condition, 1960, £4000. Lambretta LD1958, 150cc, maroon/ white condition, £5000. Two big spot lights, £100. Seven spark plugs, £10. Seven carburettors, £15 each Tel. 07768 705408. Kent. LAMBRETTA LI150 purple golden Special, reg 125, wrapped in paisley pattern in gold monza kit, BGM dampers on front Casa mats, Tino Satchi kit start, decent condition, first reg 1999, nice scooter, £4000. Tel.…

Name: Nigel Hetherington (Cain) Scooter club & town: GT Yarmouth Wasps SC First interested in scooters: Early ’80s First scooter: Vespa 90 Favourite style of custom scooter: No favourite style, but some of my fave scooters are Sonic Dream, Splinter, Coke street racer, Spirit Walker, and SX200 42 (Stuart Owens) First rally or event: GT Yarmouth Name of scooter: Eddy Grimstead Imperial Scooter model: TV 200 Date purchased/cost: About 1993 for £300 Inspiration for project: I saw a Grimstead advert in an old Scooter and Lightweight magazine, and decided that was what I wanted Time to build/by who: The restoration took about a year on and off. The second time took three months. I always build my own Any specialised parts: Headset top, dashboard, oil tank, seat rail/carrier, rev counter…

Dear scootering, After reading Dan's article in the December issue of Scootering, I thought I would add my little bit about Brid and the issues of non-attendance to the night do. I have been going to Brid rally for longer than I care to remember, it being my favourite, and have noticed that the BSRA have a habit of sticking tribute bands on. A lot of them have not been great. When they have put on a known band, the place has been packed, but then having a good band is only half the problem. I personally don’t rate the beer in the Spa. Compared to town, it’s also overpriced. My point is this. People vote with their feet. They won't pay on the door to see a second-rate tribute…

Bettie Mae Page was an American model who gained a significant profile in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. Often referred to as the ‘Queen of Pin-ups’, her jet-black hair, blue eyes and trademark fringe have influenced artists for generations. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Page lived in California in her early adult years before moving to New York City to pursue work as an actress. There, she began to find work as a pin-up model, posing for dozens of photographers throughout the 1950s. Page was ‘Miss January 1955’, one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine.…

Stepping off I asked Dave how he got into scooters. “I was about fourteen years old. I lived in Essex along the A13 which, at the time, was the main route to the famous Southend Rally. Back in the day, all the Hornchurch/East London boys used to stop at the Tarpot pub in Benfleet. When I was doing my paper round I saw all the scoots and thought, ‘I wanna bit of this’. Next stop for me was the Ilford Palais Mod all-dayers, and Leigh Com Mod nights on a Friday night in Leigh-on-Sea, which were great fun.” Where it all began Initially, Dave was going to do a Bobby Moore-themed street-racer, but due to certain limitations he went off the idea. Dave explained that the inspiration for ‘Nasty’ came…

Number plate Missing or insecure, illegible or bears the incorrect registration, then don’t bother turning up. If your number plate doesn’t meet the minimum requirements listed, then technically this is a fail, but there is a get-out. Although the MOT manual gives the minimum requirements for the size and font of a number plate, it doesn’t actually specify the dimensions of the plate itself. Unless you’re unlucky enough to run a scooter with a plate that has a couple of Ws in it, the odds are that a six-and-a-half inch square plate will pass. Above all, the tester will be making a judgement on whether it is legible or no. However, there is a clause which says that imported vehicles may use a smaller plate if necessary. Ithink it’s pretty…

Owner: Paula Rae Town: Cambridge Club: Female Scooterists - “We’ve 492 owner-riders and counting!” Favourite story: The day after the Rally left the workshop I rode to Mersea and won best Vespa Restoration. Scooter: Vespa Rally 200 (1973) Engine: Standard Exhaust: SIP Road 2 Paint: Tim Houghton, Totally Unstable SC Powder Coat: Steve Cam, Breckland Buccaneers SC Seat: Didiere Memand, a saddler from Normandy Thanks to: Viv McCann, Tim, Steve and all my scootering friends that made this dream come true…

The Bigger Picture Don Hughes, Days Like Tomorrow Books ISBN 9780956572769 Third and last volume in his Friday On My Mind trilogy (obviously), following on neatly, as well as consecutively and chronologically from its predecessors, namely Friday On My Mind and Pushin' And Shovin'. Tying up several loose ends from the preceding two books, which have come to light since they were published, The Bigger Picture is centred on the London suburb of Hounslow, as opposed to Twickenham and Richmond. An entire chapter is devoted to Eel Pie Island, where the young Rolling Stones had a residency in 1963, alongside The Artwoods. Downliners Sect were also amongst others that played there regularly. The Bigger Picture is a snapshot of 1960s life in London suburbs, viewed with a Mod perspective…

Although it’s been quiet over Christmas and New Year, things have been happening behind the scenes. We now have a list of signing on events. The first one is at Burton Brewers Custom Show on the 24th of this month. A list of the others is shown on the attached flyer. The Riders Regional Competition starts again on March 1. Full details of this are available in the club magazine Vespa News. Ticket sales for our flagship event, British Vespa Days, in Llangollen, surpassed all expectations, having sold out with eight months to go. Further afield, Vespa Word Days is in Hungary this year and despite the distance, around 150 VCB members are planning on attending. Most people, whether in the club or not, will probably have seen the famous…

ENGINE Type: Single cylinder 4-stroke Piaggio HPE Engine capacity: 278 cc Bore x Stroke: 75 mm x 63 mm Max Power: 17.5 kW (23.5 HP) at 8250 rpm Max Torque: 26 Nm at 5250 rpm Fuel system: Electronic injection Ignition: Electronic, with variable advance Cooling: Liquid Lubrication: Wet sump Transmission: CVT with torque server Clutch: Automatic centrifugal dry clutch VEHICLE Load Bearing Structure: Sheet metal body with welded reinforcements Front suspension: Single arm fork with coil spring and hydraulic control Rear suspension: Double hydraulic shock absorber with four-position spring pre-load adjustment Front brake: Hydraulically operated 220 mm stainless steel disc Rear brake: Hydraulically operated 220 mm stainless steel disc Braking system: Two-channel ABS system Front tyre: Tubeless 120/70 - 12” Rear tyre: Tubeless 130/70 - 12" DIMENSIONS Length/Width: 1950/755 mm…

“Isabel was a dream scooter that had been in my head for many years,” said Willy. “She is the pride of my shop because she was the first tuned Vespa in my country and also because I had to go through many obstacles to make the project possible. At that time, I really didn't have much money in my pocket and the parts I needed to make her a reality were very expensive. One of the hardest moments was when I bought a Polini racing kit and I broke it during the engine testing. I couldn't believe that had really happened. “My bible is ‘Tuning Vespas the Norrie Kerr Way’ and I re-read it to find out what I’d done wrong. Next, I decided to use a Malossi 210 kit…

Having produced a plethora of tech-based supplements over the past year or so, I wanted to break things up a bit and offer something of an alternative nature. Don’t worry, there are many more tech supplements still to come, so just consider this as something of an interlude. Each month our writers and contributors cover many miles across the globe, and bring us the most fantastic stories of their trips. A few of those particularly stand out in my mind, for various reasons, and although I couldn’t accommodate them all in a 32-page supplement, I did want to at least deliver a flavour from some of them. Hopefully, with a new season ahead of us, this Top Touring Tales supplement will inspire many of you to get out on the…