Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Scootering

This information is provided by Stephen Hattersley, of WildWood Legal, a firm of solicitors specialising in claims for injured scooterists. Stephen, a qualified solicitor for 25 years, has been riding scooters for more than 30 years, and has acted for injured riders across the UK. He knows the tricks and pitfalls that insurers use and pulls no punches in his dealings with them. He rides to work every day and understands the challenges you face out there. Q. I was knocked off my scooter by a car driver and injured as a result. The police tell me that the car driver was uninsured. Can I still make a claim? A. Sorry to hear that and hope you are okay. The good news is that yes, you can, as the Motor…

Name of scooter: Repsol 380. Scooter model: GP200. Date purchased & cost: Stood for four years before starting project, £400. Time to build & by whom: 60 weeks by me. Engine spec: Suzuki GT 380 Triple two-stroke 6-speed box. Porting work by: Me. Describe engine performance, power delivery and scooter handling: Handling and braking superb. 32hp (23.4kW) @ 7500rpm. From welding to wiring and from painting to plumbing, it all takes time and patience but it’s well worth it. Top speed and cruising speed: The original engine was capable of 103mph top and 75mph cruising speed. Is the scooter reliable: Oh, yes. Paintwork by: Me. What was the hardest part of the project: Everything, motivation and time. Advice or tech tips for anyone starting a project: Double your budget –…

Name of scooter and reason: Masterplan. The scoot was all planned in my head. Plus it’s one of my favourite songs... Scooter model: PX200. Date purchased and cost: 2001, £2200. Inspiration for project and theme: Always wanted a street-racer. Time to build and by who: About 5-6 weeks start to finish and the majority of the build was completed by myself and Fordy and Mick Hill. Engine spec Kit: Malossi 210 Crank: Pinasco 57mm race crank Carb: 26mm BGM fast-flow and BGM fast-flow tap Exhaust: SIP Performance Clutch: SIP 16 springs Gearbox: Standard P200 with T5 4th Porting work by: Readspeed in 2003 Dyno done by: Initially by Readspeed. But then the good old plug chop by Fordy. The lad’s got a great ear and unbelievably big fat fingers!! Describe…

Most scooter shops evolve over time. The name may change and staff might move from one dealer to another but the ‘family tree’ is usually clearly recognisable. Finding a completely new business, in fresh premises, is an unusual event. Discovering that the owner has a long involvement with scooters and has managed to recruit a well-established mechanic makes the occurrence even more intriguing. “There’s astrong scooter culture around this area of North Wales and Cheshire,” began Paul Bland, one of the people behind DMC. “Surprisingly this hasn’t been supported by the trade as the nearest support for riders is in Manchester or Morecambe. We aim to fill that gap with good, honest service.” Over the years there have been many attempts by scooterists to turn their hobby into a business.…

Name: Kelvin Bonarski. Job: Engineering consultant. First interest in scooters: 1966. First scooter: My first scooter was a Vespa 150cc VS, although I really wanted a Lambretta SX200 but couldn’t afford one, so I opened the ports, skimmed the head and fitted a larger carb… Favourite scooter model: Lambretta SX200 – 1966. First rally or event: I usually go to Box Hill whenever there’s arally and just join in. How did you get there: Yambretta RD 350. Funniest experience with a scooter: Riding to Hayling Island at 11pm, slightly drunk and slept on the beach as it all sounded a good idea at the time… but it was really the worst night’s sleep I’ve ever had! What do you like about rallies: I like the camaraderie. Most useless part you’ve…

One name that’s recently appeared on dealers’ shelves is ‘Evergreen.’ As Tim explained this is an emerging brand from Tino’s stable. “People associate Tino with performance product such as the Monza range of kits and of course the Targa Twin engine. These have spawned various accessories ranging from shock absorbers to engine furniture but that’s only part of Tino’s range. For years Tino has remade hard-to-obtain products such as disc brake fork links and the Evergreen range is the brand under which they’ll be sold. I have to stress that Tino’s never been content to slavishly follow factory drawings, he’s always looking to make things stronger, lighter or easier to use. In addition to time and money Tino invests a huge amount of emotion into his products and it’s frustrating…

Changing bases every night isn’t for everyone but it’s an inevitable part of touring and something I enjoy. During our trip the Tourist Board had arranged for us to sample everything from spotlessly clean portable building-type lodges at the Rusty Mackerel Pub in Carrick, to Country House opulence in Rathmullan. Each had its own charms but the stand-out locations were the TownHouse in Ballyliffin and Great National in Ballina. The TownHouse is a recently refurbished hotel with a lively bar and superb breakfast. Judging by the hen party that arrived just as we left it’s also a popular spot for groups. The Great National would make the ideal base for exploring the countryside around County Mayo. Although it’s on the outskirts of town, the Great National has a superb restaurant…

The Launchers – The Leader (Island Farm) The Launchers’ debut draws together a wide selection of sounds. Listen carefully and among the obvious reggae, 2-Tone and American ska influences, there are tastes of Motown, of Latin and jazz, of much more than you would find in a run-of-the-mill release. It’s actually quite hard to believe that this truly is their opening salvo, so assured is the sound, although this is largely due to crystal clear production from Island Farm, who pretty obviously understood where the group were coming from. They’re not afraid to show their influences, they can be heard right across the album, but they combine them into their own sound, one that sits nicely on these ears. From the opening track, Weapon Of Choice, and its flavour…

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. 2020 JANUARY 18 Simon Cuerden BLESMA, charity allnighter. Swinton Palais M27 6AH. £10 adv. 24 The House of Bamboo, at Facebar, Ambrose Place, Reading RG1, 7pm-12:30am the festivities will include a DJ, The Deep Six and The Highwasters. £12 look us up on FB or www.houseofbamboo.club 26 Bradford KW Parts Fair, Richard Dunn Sports Centre, Rooley Avenue, Bradford BD6 1EZ.Lammygirl1982@outlook.com FEBRUARY 6-9 Scooterist Meltdown, The all-inclusive rally at Wunderland, Kalkar, Germany. www.scooterist-meltdown.de 15 AON SC 35th Anniversary Do,…

With the engine now back in the frame, the final stage of the preservation can commence. At the moment everything may look rather odd because though everything is clean there will be some marks on some of the paintwork. This may be where something has rubbed over the years or where a floor runner has stained the paint for instance. Don’t worry about it too much because when it’s all back together you will hardly notice it. Also remember, because of the age of your Lambretta, it’s bound to have some marks on it. If it was too perfect then it would look odd. Tank and airbox Start off by refitting the toolbox, petrol tank and airbox in that order. This should be fairly straightforward without any issues. Take care…

James explained that he wasn’t sure what attracted him to scooters. “It could have been the music or the iconic shape of the rounded Vespa, but from the moment I became involved in the scooter scene, I’ve loved every minute of it!” Keen to go on his first scooter rally, James made the trip in his girlfriend’s car. “It was great, we covered most of the lower South Island during that trip and after that I was forever hooked. But because I went in a car it led to me getting the nickname of ‘Wannabe Scooterist’! Having had the taste of his first rally, and having being given the nickname of ‘Wannabe Scooterist’, James decided it was time for him to get his own scooter and in 2005 he purchased…

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, founder of the notorious Scooterboy World 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 LCGB ‘life member’, 100mph Lambretta Club owner and scooter restoration expert to boot. Scooter rider, rally-goer, restorer and author. Reaches the parts other scooter journalists just can’t reach. Christian Giarrizzo…

Owners of 2019 model Vespa GTS/ GTV 300s and early HPE 300s are currently being contacted by Piaggio. Product monitoring has revealed that brake lines on some of these machines may have been incorrectly galvanised, potentially allowing hydrogen into the brake fluid. This can reduce braking efficiency and the machines are being recalled as a precaution. Piaggio dealers will check affected machines, replace parts as necessary and perform a complete brake system flush, free of charge. The recall began in mid-November 2019 and all owners of affected machines should have been notified by late January 2020. If in doubt owners are advised to contact their local dealer quoting recall number PP2ZZQ1904_GTS.…

Marks of Distinction is a specialist engraving service run by Mark McCloy, who has more than 35 years of experience in the trade and has previously completed work for several scooter clubs and veterans’ military charities. Using specialist skills and techniques, such as hand engraving, computerised engraving and laser engraving, Mark offers a fully personalised engraving service, which can be added to almost any item of your choice from good quality images. In addition to this, Mark also offers a range of standard personalised items, which include hip-flasks, pocket watches, lighters and giftware. To receive an introductory Scootering magazine discount offer, contact Mark on: 07986 779211 or email: marksofdistinction66@yahoo.co.uk and quote ref: Scooter2020.…

It’s anew decade, welcome to the future and all that. But wait, I remember a few years ago that the Gilera Runner had the same effect. I got to quite like them after seeing them around. They were reasonably quick when tuned and sounded nice as two-strokes, and after I’d seen them around for a while, with the riders somehow looking 7ft tall, I got more and more used to seeing them. A couple appeared at the BSSO racetracks and I custom painted one as well as rode a couple both on the road and on the track. The Gilera Runner of Jon Davies was a beast when I rode it at Cadwell after my Lambretta GP4 broke. It took some getting used to but each lap was quicker and…

Name: Tim Wilson. Job: Director of TJ Wilson Transport Ltd. Scooter club & town: Leicestershire Alliance Scooter Club (LASC). First interest in scooters: Forever. First scooter: Vespa 90. Favourite scooter model: GP200. Favourite style of custom scooter: My style, obviously! First rally or event: Isle of Wight. Favourite and worst rally: All rallies are great. Never been to a bad rally, they just get better and better. Funniest experience with a scooter: Falling off after showing off trying to donut. Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Isle of Wight from Leicester. What do you like about rallies: Music, people, diversity – great times. Most useless part you’ve ever bought for a scooter: A gallon of diesel!…

Name: Craig Shenton Scooter club and town: Telford Tigers SC. First interest in scooters: Seeing them being ridden around where I lived as a kid and my older brother having one. First scooter: T5 Classic. Favourite scooter model: Vespa 200. Favourite style of custom scooter: Street racer. But anything that’s had time and effort put into it and not just money thrown at it. First rally or event: 1985 Madeley Court Custom Show, Telford. Any stories: I once left a disposable camera in a pub at the I.o.W with the Salford Knights and Wrexham SC and when I came back all the pics were used up. When I got home I asked my mom to take it to the local chemist to get it developed (my mom’s neighbour worked there…

A central plank of Paul’s family motorsport business has been the restoration of classic motorcycles and that expertise is being applied to DMC. “Although we use the services of off-site painters we try to keep as much in house as possible. We’ve a vapour blasting booth on site and our MoT bay will be operational shortly.” The team has recently been commissioned to restore a Lambretta LD that’s been in the same family since 1959: “That’s quite a responsibility.” A good example of the team’s work is a Vespa T5 that’s been rebuilt from the frame up using new old stock (NOS) parts. “Only the casings and forks have been refurbished,” said Paul. “The rest of the parts were assembled over a number of years, including a NOS frame. It’s…

RST CLASSIC IOM TT 3/4 III WAX JACKET What they say “To celebrate the heritage of the Isle of Man TT, this wax jacket has been designed to be CE Certified while retaining a vintage and classic motorbike look.” What Stan says It may lack the cachet of big brand wax jackets but RST’s foray into the world of classically styled tunic jackets is built for riding, not posing. Fitted with CE armour as standard and with a shaped cut to the sleeves, this is a supremely comfortable jacket both in and out of the saddle. The matt finished cotton has good water repellent qualities and the Manx tartan lining is surprisingly warm; I’ve only needed a base layer in the very coldest weather. In a sentence The most comfortable…

When planning a trip along the WAW, my tip is to use an app that estimates time, not just distance. We’d planned to travel 150 miles a day but road conditions meant that we were often taking more than an hour to travel 15 miles. This is stunning countryside but the roads aren’t fast and constantly shifting gears will see fuel consumption rise. Although filling stations can be found at regular intervals, an emergency litre can of petrol will cure fuel anxiety and it goes without saying that a supply of two-stroke oil will need to be carried.…

Name: Gary 'Dino' Dalzell Scooter club & town: Overlanders/Ulster Lambretta Club. First interest in scooters: Age of 16. Had to wait a bit to drive my P150X, as didn't want a 50 Special. First scooter: Vespa P15OX. Favourite scooter model: Lambretta SX200. Favourite style of customer scooter: Race reps/Customs. First rally or event: First mainland rally Doncaster Disc 86, but went to loads of local runs, etc. beforehand. How did you get there: PX125. Funniest experience with a scooter: My mate running out of petrol and we got a rope and towed him. Back in the 80s. What do you like about rallies: Meeting old friends and meeting new. What do you dislike about rallies: The drive home with a hangover, unless I take it easy the night before. Favourite…

Name of scooter: ‘The Leopard’ as my stepson, who’s nine, calls it. Scooter model: Lambretta Series 3 TV 175. Date purchased and cost: 2014 – £1200. Inspiration for project: Iain Wilkins (aka Arfa Francis) on Facebook and his album page, The In Crowd. Time to build: Built by myself, took just over 15 months. Are there are any specialised parts: Ulma, Scootopia, Feridax, Vigano, Raydyot, Lucas, Nanucci, Metoplast, Catalux and Rimini Lambretta accessories. Engine spec: Kit: 185 Mugello. Carb: 25mm Dell’Orto. Exhaust: Custom twin tailpipe. Top speed and cruising speed: Top: About 65mph and cruising: 50mph. Is the scooter reliable: So far, yes. Paintwork & murals/who did them: Matt at Ipaint. Is there any chrome: All chrome done by Niphos in Crewe and London Chroming. What was the hardest part…

Name: James McIntyre. Scooter club & town: Canscoot (Canterbury Scooter Club) Christchurch, New Zealand. First interest in scooters: Not sure what attracted me to scooters first. It was either the music or the iconic shape of the rounded Vespa. Favourite scooter model: 1964 Vespa GS160. Favourite style of custom scooter: I do like the custom motorbike fuel tanks on Vespas if they’re done tastefully! Funniest experience with a scooter: During a rally I sneaked three bottles of gin into the pub and poured them into jugs with just an inch of mixer, Ialmost killed two of us that night! What’s the furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: The length of Vietnam a few years ago, which still remains a highlight. What do you like about rallies: Funnily enough I…

Scooter model: Vespa GS150 VS5. Date purchased & cost: First bought in 1996 for £2000, second time bought in 2017 for £6000. Inspiration for project and theme: Quadrophenia first time round. Then second time round I wanted to do it completely different. Time to build & by who: First built in 1996 by Ray Clow, a scooterist I knew from when I lived in London. The second restoration was in 2019 by Leon Bugbee. Paintwork & murals done by: Leon Bugbee. Is there any chrome: Yes; completed 22 years ago by London Chroming. Overall cost: Complete cost in 1997 to buy the scooter and customise it was £3000. Second time round including the re-buy, custom repaint and wrap, engine rebuild,12v Pinasco conversion, new wheels and tyres, and some new accessories;…

Name: Eddy Stacey. Job: Roofer. Scooter club & town: Canvey Island Scooterist Club. First interest in scooters: In the 60s when my older brother was a Mod. First scooter: Lambretta TV 200. Favourite scooter model: Vespa GS 150. Favourite style of custom scooter: Vintage. First rally or event: 90s Essex rally. How did you get there: By scooter. Favourite rally: Mersey Island, Great Yarmouth and The Big 7 are my favourites. Funniest experience with a scooter: Back in 1998 about 50 scooters took off from Rayleigh in Essex to ride to Chelsea and on the way I got a puncture. I told them to carry on and I’d catch them up; I got to Chelsea never to see another scooter, so rode back to Canvey Island! What’s the furthest you’ve…

This year it’s the 70th anniversary of motor scooters in Germany. The whole vintage scooter scene will celebrate this one-time event from May 29 to June 1, 2020 in Sigmaringen, Germany… Altroller 2020. What started out as an idea a few years ago has developed first into a great meeting and subsequently into an affair of the heart for all vintage scooter enthusiasts. It will be an event born from and supported by the vintage scooter scene. More than 20 supporting clubs and three premium sponsors have helped shape and are supporting the event. The variety of scooters shown in Sigmaringen will be remarkable, from city runabouts to diversified lower and upper middle-sized classes and even grand tourismo models. This unique event will have its focus on scooter models first…

When a custom scooter is being built, it usually works around a standard set of rules. Frame and component modification, paint, engine, etc. Though there may be some form of engineering required, usually it’s just working around what’s already there. By adding something alien to the format then it requires a completely different way of thinking. So what would that component be, perhaps an engine? That has been done before, the prime example being a Yamaha YVPS engine fitted into a Lambretta, a conversion done several times and with great results. What if it were something completely different though, say, aSuzuki GT 380 triple… Motorbike mad “Rather than have one pipe per cylinder Suzuki, in their quest to make things more impressive, decided to make the exhaust for the middle…

In the early days of scooter ownership everyone started from the same place when it came to mechanics. We were all of a similar age so there was no one older with years of knowledge and experience who knew better. For those of us that owned a Lambretta, the steep learning curve wasn’t helped by the lack of resources of where to learn from. There was the odd shop here and there with some old dinosaur mechanic left over from the 1960s. Most of them were too miserable, having spent their life doing the same thing, to show you how to do anything. Even if they did, it was only a brief description, but they were more than happy to take money from naive kids when possible. “Without hesitation the…

Scooter model: 1966 Spanish Jet Series 3 LI150. Date purchased & cost: 2017 – £235 for the frame only frame no. -150LI-303625- Inspiration for project: Reading an old article on the original Rosser build back in 1991 and thinking I can do better than that! Time to build & by who: 1½ years, and built completely by myself. Any specialised parts: Every part was specially made by me including engineering the wheel hub attachments and anti-dive system. Motor & chassis: Engine: 1992 Yamaha 350cc YPVS – LC. Bore & stroke: 64mm x 54mm. Power: 59bhp @ 9000rpm. Torque: 36.2ft-lb @ 9000rpm. Carbs: 26mm power jet Mikuni. Transmission: 6-speed wet clutch. Chassis: Steel frame, twin-loop, bolted to modified Lambretta hoop and front-end chassis. Brake discs: Piaggio discs 1. Brake calipers: Yamaha…

Few mortals have the time, or money, to ride the WAW in one trip and unless home is on the doorstep of a ferry port there’s a lot of travelling before even reaching the WAW. For that reason I’m going to make a suggestion that surprises me and will no doubt raise a few eyebrows. Take a van. Ireland is a beautiful country, full of stunning scenery and cultural riches but it’s also bigger than the map suggests. Unless clocking up miles is the aim, the slog across country from the ferry port is just that. The shortest possible distance is 70 miles from Belfast to Muff, enter through Dublin and that distance doubles. Before smelling a drop of the Atlantic Ocean I’d ridden almost 300 miles and that was…

Name of scooter & reason: No real name, but ‘Italian stallion’ springs to mind, though that name has been used before on a custom back in the day. Scooter model: 1967 SX200 Date purchased & cost: £580 as a box of bits around 25 years ago Inspiration for project: Wanted something sort of different to what’s over here in Northern Ireland… rather than the usual restorations! There’s too many white or white with coloured panels etc. s3 Lambrettas. I considered an S-Type first, but again so many about, but there are not as many Supertune scooters about, in my opinion. Time to build & by whom: Two years by myself. It sat in my mum’s garage for ages after it got sprayed, then a year to get the parts together…

Name of scooter & reason: Gangsters, because it’s a serious bit of kit. Scooter model: Lambretta 1963 Chrome ring special. Inspiration for project: Wanted something no one else has or has had. Time to build & by who: Gary Hancox, frame modifications and engine installation; Daz Smith from Northampton, Yamaha expert, engine build. He’s built more than 75 of these engines, and he’s cheap as chips. Engine spec: Motor: Yamaha RD 350YPVS KI. Exhaust: Micron. Clutch: Racing spec clutch. Gearbox: Standard Yamaha 6 speed. Carb: 2x26mm POD filters. Dyno: 55bhp (and that’s rich/over jetted. Describe engine performance, power delivery and scooter handling: Compared to anything else I’ve ridden, no comparison. It has blistering performance and handles great. Paintwork by: Craig at Scooter Paint Shop Leicester (cost £4k). Overall cost: £15k-plus.…

Name: Dean Fradley. Job: Professional musician. Scooter club & town: Just ride with mates. First interest in scooters: From about the age of nine when the Mods of 79/80 were knocking about. First scooter: Lambretta Series 3 LI 125 Special Favourite scooter model: Lambretta TV/GT 200. Favourite style of custom scooter: Original accessories 1960s Mod. Funniest experience with a scooter: Every time I ride with my mates Brent, Steve and Nath. Favourite custom of all time: Darryl Bunkers’ Series 2 LI Pirates.…

Name of scooter & reason: Stretch. Because it’s been stretched! Scooter model: 1964 Vespa Douglas VNB. Date purchased & cost: 2005. Inspiration for the project and theme: A comfortable ride position! Engine spec: Oil-fed LML 150. Exhaust: SIP Road 2 with trumpet outlets. Paintwork & murals done by: Paint by Glen Radcliffe. What was the hardest part of the project: Definitely the cables – all 3.5m tandem from bike shops, turning the gear twist from 3 to 4 speed and fashioning a throttle linkage. Is there anyone you wish to thank: Allan Beuzenberg for gently pushing me across the finish line!…