Innehållsförteckning för January 2017 från Scootering

Fortunately Featherstone Spartans and Yorkshire Beer Pigs SCs are in on Santa’s secret. On Saturday, December 2, they made sure that over 50 scooters were on hand to help Santa with an early delivery of presents to the Regional Children’s Burns Unit based at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield. Organiser and chief elf Sam Garside explained that this was the second year running that local scooter clubs have joined together to support the vital work of the unit. “We’ve been fund-raising since September and in addition to the presents delivered today we’ve also donated three sofas for the rest area in the unit, enough craft materials to support activities for 12 months and helped to fund their Christmas party too.” She added: “None of this would be possible without the superb…

Aaron ‘Mitch’ Mitchell is no stranger to the pages of Scootering, as at the last count this will be the third of his projects to feature in the magazine. Although it’s been around for a few years I only became aware of this machine while we were photographing his latest Lambretta project ‘The Troubles’. It’s not just Nammers “I should have walked away from this scooter so many times,” said Mitch. “It was offered to me as a tatty but usable 150 Super at a reasonable price. Most of my builds have been Lambrettas and I thought it would make a refreshing change. Little did I know that the most useful thing I could have taken with me when I first went to look at it was an X-ray machine!”…

Formed four years ago in the shadow of the old Innocenti factory, Custom Lambretta is the vision of Alberto and Claudio. “I grew up in Segrate,” explains Alberto “This was the home of Lambretta and even though the factory had closed, its memory was everywhere. I fell in love with this dead scooter at a very early age.” The two men came together around four years ago when Claudio advertised a Lambretta for sale. “I met Claudio and saw the quality of his workmanship, I thought it would be wonderful to work with him and fortunately for me he agreed.” When asked about their relationship Alberto uses an unexpected cultural reference: “It’s like Wheeler Dealers. I’m Mike Brewer, finding the projects and making the design. Claudio is Ed China who…

It seems that scooterists have only recently discovered what our biker cousins have known for years, Scotland has some of the best roads in the UK. Kelso’s earned its popularity, but is barely across the border. The LCGB’s 2016 run to Mull produced rave reviews and the North Coast 500 is ranked as one of the world’s greatest road trips. We thought that the Highland Scooter Weekend would be a good opportunity to experience Scotland for ourselves. For the past few years several Scottish Clubs have organised an end of season bash in the Western Isles. This year the event moved to Aviemore and attracted scooterists from across Scotland. For those who haven’t visited Aviemore, it’s the perfect location for a rally, being a resort town catering for winter skiers.…

Whisky Burn is the record of Ben’s journey, being part travelogue, part distillery guide and part art work. Like a good Scotch it’s not something to rush but rather savour and return to time and time again. We spoke to Ben, firstly to establish his scootering credentials and secondly to get advice for anyone planning a similar trip. I’m packing my hangover cures and toothbrush as you read this… SC: How does an Englishman find himself riding a Swiss Vespa 50 on a whisky tour of Scotland? BB: My wife is Swiss and I moved there in 2005. Growing up in an Anglo-Irish family, I didn’t know as much about Scotch whisky compared to Irish and the idea of a trip by Vespa came to mind. I thought that on…

Although the weather was awful to say the least, the Haven Golden Sands Resort was soon welcoming a steady stream of scooterists ready for action. By 3pm the front office was busily handing out cabin keys and the venue was already blasting out hot scootering tunes! This continued throughout the afternoon and by early evening everything was set-up for a top night. Boasting no fewer than three internal do’s, the venue was a hive of activity. A ‘fully vinyl’ Soul Ballroom, Phil Bush’s (with the help of Blue’s Kitch) Jamaican Pressure road-show and a large ‘Mixture’ main room with the VFM DJ team meant you were spoilt for choice. Add to that two live bands: a powerpop ‘All-star’ band called Speakeasy and skanksters Mighty Shrimp. The next morning, although…

I rode with the Vespa Club del Mediterraneo for two exhilarating autumn weeks in the lush countryside and hilltop villages of northwestern Italy. Ihad hesitated to go as I’d been to Italy before. What changed my mind was the encouragement of several of my club mates from the San Francisco Scooter Girls who had been on earlier tours. The club was founded in 2009 by two Seattle-based scooterists, Al Fragola and his wife Ardy Waldon Fragola, who moved to the Greek island of Paros. It was there they started getting requests from the Modern Vespa forum asking if they would organise scooter tours. The club is not a business or tour agency; the members decide the next location, providing scooters are available. A professional travel agent books the itinerary for…

SC: Hello Roger, Isuppose I should start by congratulating you on getting back into the charts with your new album, it’s been a long time coming! RR: Thank you, it’s nice to be back! Would you believe it’s been over 30 years since Special Beat Service? It’s taken 14 years of touring with this version of The Beat, and slowly growing our fan base to get here. We’ve got regular fans now, people who turn up to a lot of our gigs, I know some have seen us over 40 times; we must be doing something right! People have been asking for a new album for years now, and we’ve acquired a lot of new fans as well as reconnecting with the old, so I suppose it was about time,…

After moving and expanding into larger premises, Night Owl Scooters and neighbours Northants Scooter Products decided to hold an open day at short notice. A crisp and early start saw all hands on deck erecting gazebos with Northampton Unlikeables SC providing the sounds and both shops providing an array of food, soft drinks, tea and coffee all free of charge, with some great prizes on offer from the raffle. A great turnout unfolded with scooterists arriving from all over the county and as far away as Tamworth. More than 80 scooters and over 130 people mingled outside the shops listening to some great tunes being spun by the DJs and taking advantage of the free fare on offer, some fantastic donations were being made benefiting a very worthy cause in…

CRAZY MONKEY NAUTILUS THROTTLE CABLE TRANSMISSION BOX Sometimes a quick action throttle roller isn’t wanted or possible, but the standard rollers cannot open the carburettor completely or not fast enough. To fill this gap, Crazy Monkey Development has produced a cable transmission box featuring a transmission ratio of more than 1:1.3. Over 30% additional cable ratio gives you the freedom to use bigger sized carburettors without modifying your original handlebars. To support easy opening and closing of your carburettor, a spring (Vespa PX Throttle twist grip return spring) can be installed inside the Nautilus. More info at: Crazy Monkey Development – sales@ thecrazymonkey.rocks  and www.facebook.com/ crazymonkeydevelopment PX CARB UPGRADE Vespa PX owners looking to upgrade their carburettor with a performance item should take a look at the…

Brendan ‘Maca’ McNally, is one of the great names of modern British scootering yet he’s someone who manages to keep a low profile (we published a full interview with him in our May 2010 edition – back issues are available!). Based in Yorkshire, Maca has never lost touch with his roots, even when he took a break from scooters and the machines featured here are the result of those close ties. But before moving on to the machines themselves, what’s Maca himself been up to? “I’m enjoying life!” says Maca. “One of the reasons I left scooters behind for a while was that I stopped enjoying them. I had a good career in digital media but that also stopped being fun. I’m older now, more mature and seem able to…

Established in 1914, the scale of EICMA is simply staggering. Over its six day opening period 500,000 public visitors join almost 7000 journalists and dealers from 116 countries to see all that’s new in motorcycle technology. With 1500 exhibitors from 44 countries spread across six huge exhibition halls there’s lots to see, but we concentrated on what’s of interest to Scootering readers. VESPA Euro 4 and Limited Editions As a rule it takes a motorcycle manufacturer around five years to recoup their investment on a new model so it’s unsurprising that, with the exception of its electric concept scooter, the Vespa stand consisted entirely of revised models. The main changes this year were those required to meet Euro 4 legislation, principally the ‘i-get’ engines, ‘start and stop’ system and revised…

“Changing the name to North and Central and having a traditional pub, the club quickly gained members” 0161 IN THE AREA Cheetham Hill, Strangeways prison, Boddingtons brewery, gangsters and fake designer clothing – these are not the usual things for people to be proud of, but we Mancs are a strange breed! The Reds, the Blues, bumblebees and ship canals… a working class city which is well known for its night life, its music scene and most importantly to me, its scooter clubs. It’s pleasing to note that Manchester North and Central is a new club, proof that the scooter scene is not only thriving with the ‘old school’ but also growing and renewing. Going by its original name back then, North Manchester Scooter Club was formed by Graham May…

My trip to Aviemore was looming, the PX200 was terminal, and Dan had an LML 125 in for test and review. I could see where this was heading. Try as we might to save the P2 in time, it was not to be. The good news though, explained Dan from the comfort of his armchair, was that a 900+ mile trip up to Scotland would really put the LML through its paces. He was right! Day 1: Tuesday Miles covered: 62 Here’s where I need to mention something important – having committed to riding a 125 auto to the Scottish Highlands, I’ve never actually ridden an auto, other than a brief holiday flirtation 30 years ago! I’m not opposed to them, I’ve just never felt the need. I’m surprised how…

Scooter racing in the UK is organised by the British Scooter Sport Organisation and is the world’s fastest scooter series, running on the biggest circuits. The BSSO provide a wide range of two and four-stroke classes that form the British Scooter Championship. You will find that the racers competing in the BSSO series are very welcoming and encouraging and will always do their utmost to help newcomers get out on track with them… to join in the fun and mayhem of scooter racing! So I would definitely advise anyone thinking of racing to go along to a meeting and say hello to the riders. You can ask them to show you their race set ups and fire away with any questions. But just make sure you choose the right time…

Keeping your pride and joy safe and secure is an important matter. VE has a new range of handlebar to frame locks offering a hi-vis, high-security method of securing your scooter. Mounted under the seat hinge assembly, the lock is stored around the front of the seat when not in use, and when you need to secure the scooter simply unlock the device and attach it to the end of your handlebars. To further enhance the usability of the lock, VE also stocks a Sick Lock upgrade which allows you to secure the scooter to a lamp post or similar. This also increases the security, and provides hi-vis to ward off potential thieves. VE handlebar to frame locks are available for the following models of scooter: Vespa: Classic PX, ET,…

“When I came back to scooters I wanted to do something different,” Maca explained to Scootering . “The Rosa Bianca scheme was very successful, and I still enjoy painting them. Unfortunately it’s also fairly easy to copy – I think they can still be ordered direct from India! My idea was to create a new scheme that could be replicated in various colour combinations but wasn’t easy to reproduce. New Breeds were the end result.” From a distance the New Breed scheme looks fairly simple, it’s only on closer examination that their complexity becomes apparent. “In the main I use Spin Drift on the New Breeds. Depending on the light conditions, or the angle from which it’s viewed, its square cut flake produces a colour changing effect.…

Artful scooter Spotted this on display at an art gallery in Amsterdam in May this year – there was no price tag on it but they let me take some photos. It is made from polished metal discs, welded together we were told. Ross Munday Not enough Vespa? Dear Dan, This week I read on Facebook a thread about Scootering magazine having more Lambrettas in than Vespas. I agree with these comments and wanted to know why this is the case? Phil T, Hampshire Hi Phil, A very interesting question and the answer is simply as follows: More Lambretta owners put their machines forward to be feature scooters than Vespa owners do. As for article content, we have run many great features this year and have many more in store.…

About the owner Gary Richmond has only recently experienced long distance riding, despite a long involvement with scooters. His initial interest came via his older brother. “My brother had an Li 150 when we were in our teens; once he passed his car test and bought a Triumph Herald I sort of inherited the Li,” he says. “Though it was always owned by him, I used it for getting about. I remember waking up one morning in the 70s looking out the window and the Li wasn’t where it had been parked up. “It had been nicked! I rang my brother to let him know and his reply was ‘it looks like you’ll be getting the bus to work then’. Like many others, Quadrophenia was a big influence on me.…

Back in the game Paul Wolf (Wolfie) once met, never forgotten – not for sinister reasons, but because of his insatiable lust for fun, banter and mickey taking as I found out quickly. You can’t help yourself but laugh and join in with him. Being a plasterer and ex-boxer, you’d presume Wolfie would be a capable lad who could turn his hand skills to anything. Well you’d be wrong, and without exception, his spanner twirling skills and mechanical grasp to say the least are laughable… he readily admits that and laughs about it. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he wants or who he wants to do it. Wolfie has owned quite a few scooters over the years, and a couple should be mentioned: the original orange and…

It was an unbelievable day, as all the different scooter clubs and associations met up at Drayton Manor Park for the mass ride to Alrewas. Refreshments and limited edition patches were available at Drayton Manor before the ride out set off. There was a great display of flags and poppies on several scooters, mixed in with an array of custom machines. Tamworth B77 SC marshalled the ride and the guys did a fantastic job of making sure that all riders got from A to B safely. It took several minutes for all participants to leave the grounds of Drayton Manor and the sight along the country lanes around Staffordshire looked fantastic, with scooters lining the route for many miles. On arrival at the NMA, everyone was given free licence to…