Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2022 i Scootering

Despite every pub DJ in a rally town advertising that they’ll be playing ‘scooterist sounds’, it’s a phrase that means nothing to me. Thinking about it, that’s probably why our music section has troubled me for so long. While pulling together this month’s issue, at various times I’ve listened to The Sex Pistols and the soundtrack to West Side Story, there’s been an appearance by The Prodigy and more than a splash of the soulful Salford songstress Louise Turner. I suspect I’m not alone in having such diverse musical tastes and the truth is that scooterists’ interest in music varies just as our tastes in scooters. I’ll admit that it’s been some time since I made the effort to dig out a Jam album, but I was lucky enough to…

Ey up mates, how’s things? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you all, before this bloody virus took over the world. Luckily Mrs Bodger’s looked after me and confined me to the shed until it all blew over. She’s a good ’un, is Mrs B. Endless cups of tea and biscuits slid under the door, and a four pack of Doglegs Old Rough Bitter every Saturday. What more can a man ask for, eh? Well, a blanket might have been nice last winter, but you can’t have everything, can you? But what to do with myself while in there, that was the thing. I sorted all my nuts and bolts by order of rustiness, went through the pile of things that may come in useful one day and eventually…

“…. thanks to Williams’ extensive research and the network of Indian contacts to which he pays tribute, even after two decades its contents have still to be bettered.” In the late 1990s David Williams and his wife Emma moved to Mangalore in south-west India. There, David, already a Lambretta enthusiast, found himself surrounded by scooters. He quickly became immersed in the local scooter scene and eventually began exporting parts to the UK. As time wore on, his network of contacts grew and when the couple returned to the UK they used their knowledge to establish Fanatic Scooters in Bristol, importing around 70 scooters per year. Although Indian scooters had been imported to the UK since the late 1970s, they were still viewed with suspicion by many scooterists. Although David was…

Originally this was planned as a straightforward Q&A type chat with Rick. However, the best laid plans and all that. We ended up in a pub and things meandered. Especially as we were accompanied by: Den Davis (Jam archivist/About The Young Idea Exhibitions) Sam Molnar (school friend of Paul Weller) Jeff Shadbolt (Purple Hearts/ PH2 bassist) and Tim V (Sham 69/Rick’s manager). As you can see, I wasn’t really needed, well, apart from trying (and failing) to keep the chat on track. We started the day off with a photoshoot at the Jam monument in Woking centre ‘The Three Twigs’ as Den Davis describes it. ‘Spruce’ Foxton, ‘Stick’ Buckler and ‘Pole’ Weller. Jeff Shadbolt kindly pitched up with Alex Skingle’s lovely Dunton Original scooter in order to add a bit…

Least crap snap THIS MONTH’S WINNER: As he appears to have no clothes we thought John Supcik deser ved a T-shirt. “My wife seems to think I’m obsessed with scooters. Not sure why she would think this.”…

With 40 years’ experience of operating from the same location, Phil and Paul are in a rare position to comment on how they feel the two-wheeled market has changed over those years. With Paul busy attending to a customer it was Phil who answered that question. “I’ve think we’ve all changed,” he began. “The early days were about keeping our heads above water. We sold used parts because that’s what the market wanted. People didn’t have the money to put their bike into a workshop. As time’s gone by the commuting side, although still important, has given way to recreational riding. About 20 years ago that was all about superbikes and the ability to travel at 200mph. That was fine but in truth it never made my heart race. I…

It’s very hard to pigeonhole Keith Newman. By training he’s an engineer but at heart he’s an artist and like all good artists he has a loyal following. While some are more than happy to own one of the many gems in his catalogue, others will commission individual pieces. Few however go to the lengths of Will Aitken, who is possibly the number one connoisseur of Keith’s work. A veteran of 1980s scootering, Will has enjoyed a successful career in the licensing trade, the spoils of which enable him to indulge in his lifelong passion for scooters. Having dipped his toes in the water with an LML, Will’s ambitions rapidly escalated and resulted in commissioning Keith to build the chopper he’d always dreamed of. This emerged as K2 Blue (Scootering…

If you’ve followed my two previous pieces on servicing a GTS gearbox, then you may remember a comment at the start that I’d never done it before and actually had no idea what I was doing. Hardly the stuff to inspire confidence in the writer but it was a genuine observation that, despite knowing how to use spanners, I had no idea how an auto went together. Having serviced the engine, I was still none the wiser as to how it worked, even though I could now take one apart and put it back together correctly, and with no spare bits! Time to investigate then. How complicated could it be? As it turns out, not very complicated at all. Basic principles In its most basic form, the system consists of…

Name of scooter & reason: Thrills, Spills & Toxic. Scooter model: LML Star 4T manual. Inspiration for project: A desire for speed, power and performance. Time to build & by who: Cosmetically, a few weeks during winter 2019. Mechanically it’s an ongoing and never-ending endeavour for the love of speed. Any specialised parts or mods: (What & by whom) SIP rear disc set-up, MMW billet brake pedal set-up, Fornales air-shocks, MMW reed block and manifold with V-Force 3 reeds. ENGINE SPEC Kit: Pinasco 177 with long stroke crank and 5mm base packer with a machined Malossi MHR head making it around 195cc. Crank: Worb 5 full circle. (Cut by Martin at Chiselspeed). Carb: Mikuni TMX 30mm Power-Jet fed by an MMW reed block with V Force 4 Reed valve. Exhaust:…

Camber, Sands memories These pictures show me and my future wife, Jeanette, back when we went camping at Camber Sands during 1968. My GS160 had Sky Blue bubbles and front mudguard. Michael Phipps Scoot,ering in Carlisle Here’s a couple of pictures taken in the city of Carlisle. I’m unsure of the year and I can’t tell you much more about them I’m afraid. Mark Sowerby 1967 to 2019 These pictures were taken 52 years apart in the same place, on the same scooter. Dave (the lad on the back of the scooter) now lives in America. The later pictures were taken during a reunion of old friends that were around in Scarborough between 1967 and 1975; 153 turned up for that reunion and we managed to raise more than £1000…

THE MACHINE Scooter model: Lambretta Lui 50CL with Vega upgrades, which includes headset, SIP speedo, rear light, rack, etc. Engine/body modifications: 140cc Chiselspeed conversion; Chiselspeed Vega sport exhaust; Dell’Orto PHBH 26mm carb; reed kit; variotronic, front damper upgrade. Power output: 10.89bhp. Paintwork: Blue and gold paint scheme based on the Subaru rally car customisation. Overview: I was looking for something different a few years ago, but didn’t want another Series 3 Lambretta. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Lambretta Vega, so I started looking around for one; I actually saw a Cometa first about four years ago and travelled to Essex to buy it, coming home with it in the back of the car! I bought it with the view to having some engine upgrades carried out by…

A handful of scooter racers took their steeds along to the event to show the public it’s not just big V8s and jet cars that can go fast down the drag strip. Sadly (more than likely due to the time of year) it was just a static show, but it was still a good chance for racers old and new to meet up and discuss future plans. Part of the reason for the scooter display at the show was to help to promote a new race series held under the Straightliners banner called the ‘No Mercy Scooter Shootout’ – a winner-takes-all, no rules (other than safety), open-to-everyone shootout with a potential cash prize at each round, battled out over the one-eighth and quarter mile. In drag racing terms, the new…

NEW VENUE FOR 3 KEYS MODERNIST WEEKENDER A brand-new venue is on the cards for the 3 Keys Modernist Weekender. Taking place between June 2-4, 2022, this year’s event will be held at The Courthouse, 30 Roman Bank, Skegness, with the fun starting on the Thursday afternoon because of the Jubilee Bank Holiday changes. Due to the change in venue, tickets are strictly limited to 350, so book early to avoid disappointment as it’s going to be a groovy time baby! Tickets and info: Joe Tucker via email (THREEKEYSSKEGNESS@outlook.com) or mobile (07796 795573). BRIGHTON MOD WEEKEND GETS THE GO-AHEAD The New Untouchables have announced that the Brighton Mod Weekend can go ahead as normal with the Covid restrictions now lifted. Main weekend venue, The Komedia, has a brand-new maple wooden…

BUCKS SPARTANS MK SC Based in Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, Spartans MK SC is a well-supported club. Info: Ray Reader mobile 07969 263840 or 01908 395961 or Lyn Tofts 07831 383377 (for clothing and general info). Facebook: SPARTANS MKSC TIN SOLDIERS SC Meet every Saturday from 9.45am at Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party (Wetherspoons), MK2 2ED. Monthly meet at same venue, but first Thurs each month from 7.30pm. Info via Facebook: Tin Soldiers Scooter Club. DORSET POOLE INNERCIRCLE SC We are a mixed club of Lambrettas and Vespas. We meet at the New Inn, Poole on the first Wednesday of the month with a rideout every month. Info via Poole Innercircle Scooter Club on Facebook. ESSEX WRITTLE INTERNATIONAL SCOOTER COLLECTIVE All scooters welcome. Info via Facebook ‘Writtle International Scooter Collective’. FLINTSHIRE…

I’m more than a little fussy about my riding gloves. Trying them on in a shop and actually riding in them are two completely different things and I’ve often relegated a pair to the back of the cupboard after a single outing. When I received the RST Storm 2 gloves and tried them on, they fitted perfectly, albeit a little tighter than I would normally choose. To pan them in before going out for a ride I did the ironing in them, much to Stan’s amusement when he messaged me in the middle of it! The gloves are made from leather and have the same SinAqua waterproof membrane as the rest of RST’s range. They also have smart touch index fingers which means you don’t have to take your gloves…

The first batch of Tasso’s Royal Alloy Racers have recently headed for their new home in Wales. Based on Royal Alloy donor frames in addition to the distinctive Lui legshields, the specials feature a modified frame with lowered ride height, a slimmer floor section, race mudguard, drop handlebars with a bespoke headlight and digital speedo mount, a cut-down rear end with a specially designed rear light/number plate and rear indicator hanger. Not simply a good-looking cutdown, the specials have also been subjected to a performance upgrade which includes having been treated to a full Tasso Works 180 cylinder kit, larger fuel injector, a fully reworked drive train and a Tasso Works race exhaust. Output of the motor is quoted as 15.5bhp at the rear wheel which is well over double…

We live in the age of soundbites. Never have we had access to so much information yet never has that information been so shallow. It’s a concept that suits manufacturers well. A one-off payment to a social media influencer who supplies a couple of filtered images endorsing the product makes more sense than expensive long-term tests. Especially tests conducted by people who know what they’re talking about. Which is why we were keen to take the SIP team up on their offer to supply a selection of their own tyre range, pre-fitted to their own tubeless rims. They weren’t in a rush for the result, they wanted it done properly and they wanted the opinion of real scooterists. It's now a year since four members of the Cheshire Cats took…

Lost Loves Hi Stan, Trying to track down my old Armandos Vespa that was featured way back when in Scootering. It was called The Soul Searcher and has the registration V159 MAK. I have checked the DVLA online checker and the tax ran out in January 2015 and it’s MOT was due in July 2017. Is there any chance you could put something in the magazine so that the current owner could get in contact with me (via the magazine) as I’m keen to get it back. Thanks in advance Pete Davies Thanks Pete, I hope we can help track it down. Again, this is a good example of a request that falls into my inbox every month. As social media sites are also filled with scooterists trying to track…

Name: Wild In The Streets. Model: 1960 Lambretta Li Series 2. Built by: Keith Newman, K2 Customs. Owner: Will Aitken. Inspiration: Skelly styling with a hint of 1970s skateboarding and 70s-80s custom cars. Paint: Stuart Martin, SWM Paintwork, Cambridgeshire. Seat: Andy Nixon. Specialist parts: Too many to list! Footboards are cut-down skateboards imported from the US, tailpipe was from Mexico, rear light from Australia, the list goes on… Engine: Mugello 200 on Li125 casing, MEC crank, Anthony Tambs 12v DC kit, 30mm Dell’Orto with bell mouth, AF VW pipe.…

Having been a scooterist all his life Chris understands what it’s like to be skint. He also knows what hard work is and in just over a decade he’s turned Brogue Trader from a single shop in Cardiff to a small chain with eight shops across England and Wales, not to mention a strong online presence. By day he specialises in providing top quality footwear for the discerning gentleman but in his spare time Chris is still a scooterist at heart. As a youth he could never afford to build the scooter of his dreams but now he can. In the ‘Brogue Pair’ he’s created two similar machines but they’ve been built in very different ways. “Needless to say, my mate Bryn has given me plenty of piss-taking about my…

“I’ve got 180bhp superbikes that are less scary than this little Vespa.” Make and model: Vespa T5 Mk1. Time to build & by who: Four months by myself. Any specialised parts or mods: (What & by whom) Myself and my best pal Bryn converted the T5 lower headset to take a master cylinder for the hydraulic front brake. ENGINE SPEC Kit: Pinasco casings Quattrini 244, long stroke crank taking it to 260cc. Crank: 64mm Kingwelle, balanced with tungsten inlays. Carb: 38 Keihin PWK. Exhaust: Pipe design Cobra II. Clutch: BGM Superstrong CR clutch 24 tooth. Gearbox: DRT straight cut, primary drive 63.…

When the Lambretta Series 1 was introduced, Innocenti unveiled a new suspension system that worked so well it remained almost unaltered until production finished with the Grand Prix. However, many factors contribute to a well-balanced system and as more powerful engines and braking efficiency have been developed the original suspension is no longer up to the job. For the customer the choice of uprated shock absorbers and dampers is vast and at times it can be hard to work out which one to purchase. Also confusing the issue is the fact that a majority of these aftermarket items come with a wide choice of settings. It doesn’t matter if you fit the best shock absorber available, if the set-up is incorrect it won’t give you the best performance. A quick…

The Framebreather had been bought from Peter by a mate of mine, Mark Richardson, and I went along to collect it as I was going to do the restoration work on it. Peter had originally imported it along with a Lambro three-wheeler that he then went on to lovingly restore once it was back in the UK; and it now looks like it had just been pushed off the Innocenti production line, spotless and in concourse condition. However, because of the time Peter spent doing the restoration on his Lambro, the Framebreather had been neglected, so in the end he made the decision to move it on. Plenty has been written about restoring Lambrettas and Vespa vintage scooters; some are totally reborn with new paint, all the appropriate running gear…

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 pulling out from my nearside. I was knocked out and by the time I came round, the driver had disappeared. I can’t really remember much about the vehicle and I certainly didn’t get chance to take the registration number. Can I still claim…

In this release Demon Music and Eddie Piller create a feast for fans of Sixties Mod sounds. Neatly following on from last year’s superbly presented and packaged (Eddie Piller presents) The Mod Revival box set, is this companion collection box set, this time featuring British Mod sounds of the Sixties. Distilling the very best British Mod sounds into a mere 100 tracks (or even into the ‘hits’, on the 34-track double LP set) would always be a challenge but, needless to say, Eddie Piller was the right man for the job. Blending well-known names with others whose contribution amounts to little more than a footnote to the 60s Mod scene the full version of this box set is the only way to own many of those rare 60s recordings. There’s…

When it came to building or working on our scooters there was always one thing in the way and that was money. The high unemployment rates of the early 1980s found many school leavers ‘accepting’ a place on the Government’s Youth Training Scheme. Though its fixed wage of £28 a week was welcome, it was nowhere near enough to keep a scooter on the road. To do that required weeks of saving or extreme ingenuity. On such a meagre income there was no chance our scooters would see the inside of a professional’s workshop; the only option was to do the majority of the work yourself. The Lambretta ‘Home Workshop Manual’ became a holy object and the instructions found inside were treated like ancient scriptures that had to be followed…

As scootering becomes increasingly popular, we have many joining who are new to it and a whole chunk of the clan returning to it. For various reasons many riders never did their ‘full’ bike test, though they’ve gone on to acquire a full car licence. Way back when, you could pootle about to your heart’s content on a 125cc with L plates attached with a full car licence. Many did and were quite content with that, but things change and some have found it a bit of a shock to the system on their return. Here are the most common questions I get asked. Q) Who needs to take training? Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) is a course you usually have to take before you ride a moped or motorcycle on…

Best in Show: Midnight Oil – Custom Lambretta Best Vespa: Damned Runner-Up: Lost Legends Best Lambretta: Pure Acid Runner-Up: Custom Lambretta Garage Best Standard Vespa: Little Boy Soldier Runner-Up: Stone Roses Revival Best Standard Lambretta: GP200 Casa Performance Runner-Up: Lambretta Model A Best Vespa Street Racer: Quattrini 252 Vespa 152L2 Runner-Up: 90 Wasp Best Lambretta Street Racer: San Miguel Runner-Up: SS225 Best Paint: Lambretta Dyrospeed Runner-Up: Femme Fatale Best Bright Work: Midnight Oil Runner-Up: Tribute Best Engineering: Lambretta Chopper – Bitza Runner-Up: Lambretta GP Aluminium Best Auto: Italjet Dragster – Darkside of Oz Best Non Vespa/Lambretta: Zundap Bella 201 Runner-Up: DKR Capella Best Display: Copper Chopper Runner-Up: Winter Wonder Best Club Display: Seven Siders SC Runner-Up: Ilkeston Britannia SC…

This month Stan takes a couple of the most common letters submitted to Scootering each month and asks for your feedback.You can drop him a line at stan@scootering.com or, even better, give your feedback on the magazine our current reader survey. You could even win a rather lovely pair of gloves. For more information visit www.scootering.com or follow the QR code ★ STAR LETTER ★ Eclectic and electric Dear Stan My first scooter memories were waiting for dad so that I could ride down the drive on the foot board of an Ld150 then and riding in the sidecar with my brother, mom on the pillion. Next came my own scooter. Like most rural parents mom knew we would need transport to work and a car was out of the question. If…

It was back in our March 2020 edition that we reported on our visit to the headquarters of K2 Customs. There, in his humble but perfectly formed workshop, Keith introduced us to the things that make this maestro of the modern custom scooter scene tick. Scattered around his workbench, among relics of projects that passed through his hands and those about to burst on to the show scene, were parts destined for his own builds. Parts gathered through his worldwide network of contacts; parts destined for a project such as this fantastic skateboard-inspired skelly we now place before you to feast upon. Burly As Keith explained, the roots of the project go back more than 40 years. “I first got into customs around 1980. I wanted to pay tribute to…

On April 2, 1982, hostile Argentine forces landed on the British Dependent Territories of the Falkland Islands. It was the beginning of a conflict that would last for 74 days, claim a total of 907 lives and ultimately result in a British victory. The history of the conflict is long and complex but at heart revolved around a long-standing claim by Argentina that the islands are their territory. The British position is that the islands have been a Crown Colony since 1841 and any change to status would only be at the request of the islanders themselves. Ultimately the residents have ‘Freedom of Choice.’ Raffle prize to wall art Much has been written about ‘Freedom of Choice’, the Falklands War tribute scooter which was raffled at the 1986 Isle of…

Name: Cam Dell. Job: Turbocharger builder. Scooter club & town: Ratters SC, Altofts. Favourite scooter model: Vespa Rally 200, followed by the Lambretta GP. Favourite style of custom scooter: Street racer, which comes from my love of sports bikes and bike racing. First ever rally: Scarborough 2019. Favourite rally: (& why) Scarborough, because I’m a Leeds lad and it’s on the glorious Yorkshire coast, what other reason would I need? Least favourite rally: (& why) I’ve yet to find one, I just love scootering and being a part of it. What do you like about rallies: I love the coming together of like-minded folk and having a laugh and a few jars. It’s a collective of people just having a good time doing what we love. What would make our…

From his first interest in scooters, as a fresh-faced 14-year-old, Chris has hankered after owning a ‘fancy-pants’ GP Lambretta street racer. However it was a test ride during a visit to Rimini Scooter Centre that made up Chris’s mind as to what he’d be commissioning and who was going to build it. “I always wanted a bright coloured race-themed scooter,” he began. “As a young scooter boy, I looked on with envy at the likes of the Nike racer. I loved that entire look, the sleek lines of a GP with flowing paint, race numbers and a big exhaust can sticking out the back end. Finally being in the position to treat myself I decided to really push the boat out on my vanity project. Chequebook scootering at its best!”…

Alongside the Spanish Series 2 Lambretta, Chris’s favourite model of scooter is the Vespa T5. While a race-themed GP was his ultimate scooter of desire, most of his Scooterboy years were spent astride various T5s. So many in fact that he became known as ‘the lad from Taffspeed.’ Moving to more recent times, fortunes and finances having changed for the better, Chris was able to indulge himself on not one but two fronts. While his dream GP street racer was in the latter stages of construction, being more than a capable mechanic himself, he obtained a Vespa MK1 T5 with the intention of building a street racer that would match and complement his GP. In contrast to the epic timespan and chequebook scootering approach involved in creating The Brogue Mobile…

“…as more powerful engines and braking efficiency have been developed the original suspension is no longer up to the job.” For the benefit of this article, I’ll assume that we’re setting up a road-going machine; a Lambretta used on the racetrack will require a very different approach. The rear unit is made up of two main items – the spring and the damper – and both of these need to work in harmony. The spring works by compressing, for example as you go over a pothole, while the damper governs this compression. This part of the suspension process is called ‘compression damping’. Without the damper a scooter would simply bounce all over the place. If you’ve ever used an original factory unit where the hydraulic pressure of the damper has…

A scooter magazine is not normally the right place to comment about the subject of war, but the situation in Ukraine, by the very nature of its nastiness, has to be the exception to the rule – especially when it brings it close to home that there are fellow scooterists and scooter clubs within the country. The Vespa Club of Ukraine is a case in point. While many scooterists would have hidden away their scooters, VC Ukraine members Pavel, Aleksander and Evhen have pitched in to help with the provision of humanitarian aid to their fellow Ukrainians in the centre of Kyiv – and I can only admire their bravery for doing so. Of course, the circumstances in Ukraine will have changed (probably very dramatically) since I wrote this comment…

Not wanting to go over old ground, the full story on the owner, for anyone who is interested, can be read in his first article. Within the original article and the details on the owner, it does state that Julian says that he has no emotional attachment to any of the machines that he owns and that he’s slowly, but surely, working his way through the back catalogue of classic Vespa and Lambretta scooters. This is something that I personally don’t understand; if you search for something you really, really want and invest a lot of time, trouble and money to eventually get it, to just then move it on is a totally bizarre concept to me. But to be fair, it isn’t just Julian and I’ve known several different…

Dateline November 2021: There’s a big announcement on Facebook and the countdown is on for the reveal of a new Coventry scooter club. A video with a flashing logo and fireworks clearly announces that the CV Collective Scooter Club has arrived. A few weeks later and there’s more visual media with the announcement of the CV Collective launch party taking place in March 2022. The venue for the launch party was the iconic Knights, which is located under the Coventry Music Museum within the 2-Tone Village. DJ Mikey kicked off events, with the main entertainment for the evening being local band On Standby who were ready to go on stage about 7pm. Nikki, Kate and Sean were busy on the door with Rich also welcoming people to the venue and…