Innehållsförteckning för May 2020 från Scootering

Last summer, when Stan took his Quattrini on a pan-European trip to Poland, it was a SIP crank that translated power into motion. With scooterists worldwide tinkering in sheds, waiting for the green light to start riding once more, it’s worth remembering the advantages these cranks bring to a rebuild. As Ralf Jodl, co-owner of SIP and a keen Lambretta rider, explained: “The crankshafts we have produced for all Lambretta LI/TV/SX/DL/GP models can be distinguished by two main features; the total length of the con rod and the flywheel-side crankshaft stub diameter d . The sturdier s 25mm diameter d stubs were only included with the DL/GP engine, every other model being fitted with a 21mm ssstub. “This makes the fitting of the thickerrr DL/GP crankshaft type an obvious choice…

Name of scooter & reason: Euphoria. (An overwhelming warm tingly feeling.) Scooter model: 1957 Lambretta LD. Date purchased & cost: 2019 – £1,150. Inspiration for project: My mind is somewhere just outside the box! Time to build & by who: By me and took just over a year. Any specialised parts or mods: Not one part is standard. All built by me, ‘Dark Arc’. Engine spec: Aprilia SXV 550 fuel injected V-twin dry sump with oil cooler (70bhp). Exhaust: One-off made by me in-house. Chassis Spec: Wheels: Suzuki Burgman. Suspension: Front: Biturbo Rear: Suzuki Burgman shock. Levers: Hand-made end levers. Cable: Hidden throttle. Seat: Steel-sprung made in-house and covered by Corky. Brakes: Suzuki Burgman. Top speed & cruising speed: Not sure! Ha, ha! Is the scooter reliable: Hope so. Paintwork…

Stu Smith Vespa and 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. Christian Giarrizzo From Italy to Australia, this man gets the miles in and has ridden some serious roads in his time. A dedicated journalist who meets the most interesting characters along the way. Paul Green Vespa and 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…

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 have passed my CBT and a friend has offered to sell me his Vespa 125. He says he has had it bored out to a 166 kit but this does not show on the registration document. Can I ride it? A. The strict and legally correct answer is no you can’t.…

Scootering magazine’s publisher Mortons Media Group has just launched its latest book catalogue – brimming with fantastic new titles to explore while you’re stuck at home. We might not be able to get out and about on our scoots right now but if you’re looking for a window back into happier times on two wheels, then look no further than Mortons Books, a division of MMG, for plenty of reading matter to while away the hours, including Scooter Boys – celebrating 30 years of Gareth Brown’s homage to the two-wheeled, two-stroke way of life. Mortons is also proud to announce that Gareth will be releasing a new book on May 22 entitled Mods & Rockers. It covers the genesis of both movements right from their conception to the cell splitting…

As Iwrite this we are just entering the third week of UK ‘lockdown’. Coronavirus and everything associated with it is something we were blissfully unaware of just a couple of months ago and has now turned all of our lives upside down. It’s certainly very weird adjusting to this new ‘normal’ and it’s a moving feast with almost every day bringing new changes and the whole thing is developing very fast. On the negative side… there are economic problems for many, death for many, and it feels like there is a very real possibility of society breaking down in various ways. The world as we knew it has certainly changed to a great degree. But, on the plus side, it’s already very obvious that the environment feels very different; we…

Name: Simon Aldred (Aubrey). Job: Welder / fabricator / owner of Dark Arc Engineering. Scooter club & town: Suffolk Smugglers SC Saxmundham. First interest in scooters: Through mates at school in the late-’80s. First scooter: Vespa 50 Special. Favourite scooter model: Don’t have one. Favourite style of custom scooter: Aggressive looking – no chrome. First ever rally: Great Yarmouth. How did you get there: Vespa 50 Special. Any funny stories: Yes, but nothing publishable! Favourite rally: Suffolk Smugglers’ Run to the Rum Rally. Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Fort William. What do you like about rallies: Scooters. Which breakdown company do you recommend: AA. Most useless part you’ve ever bought for a scooter: A Vespa or Lambretta engine! No; only kidding. If I find a part that comes…

Frank’s old dyno chart from the Scomadi Cup days shows the 180 engine’s tuning potential. This compares a standard Vespa GTS 300 with a Scomadi 200 that’s been fitted with a lighter roller set, advanced remap and free-flow muffler. This shows that for a parts cost of around £500 it’s possible to take the 200 past the GTS in terms of available power. Factor in the Scomadi’s better handling and that’s a recipe for fun. It’s also worth noting that this kit fits both new TT and used TL machines.…

Name of scooter & reason: Liquid. I thought it looked like flowing molten liquid? Scooter model: 1964 Lambretta. Inspiration for project: Wanted to create something a bit different from every other Lambretta chopper and because I’m not quite right. Time to build and by who: Eight months on and off once he started, by Richard the genius. The man is so clever, anything I wanted he would come up with a much better way of doing it. It was to have a Buell swingarm but he chucked it out as it was ugly. He fabricated the whole back end and reworked the frame. Nothing was too much trouble. He’s a10 out of 10 all day long. Thanks to my old mate Simmo for coming and doing the wiring for me.…

Name of scooter & reason: It is named after my racing nickname Cosmick and built as a replica of my race scooters. Scooter model: GP200. Date purchased & cost: Purchased this year as a pile of parts without an engine. Not revealing the price paid. Inspiration for project: A tribute to my race days. Time to build & by who: Around four months all built and prepared by me. Any specialised parts: Fitted with my original design hydraulic inboard disc brake. Engine spec: Kit: RB200. Crank: 60 x 115. Carb: 34mm Dellorto. Exhaust: Chiselspeed ADS 5. Clutch: 6 plate AF. Gearbox: GP200 18 x 47 currently. Porting work by: Me. Any other unique details we’ve missed: Special C (Citroen) Ferodo pads in the front brake. Top speed & cruising speed: Geared…

Name: Alan Thubron Job: 360 operator / supervisor. Scooter club & town: Independent rider. First interest in scooters: At a young age, around 17 when I got my first PX. First scooter: Vespa PX125. Favourite scooter model: Vespa PX. Favourite style of custom scooter: Vespa PX Street-racers. First ever rally: Margate ’93. How did you get there: A group of us went, I rode down on my PX. Any funny stories: None I can tell! Favourite rally: Mersea Island. Funniest experience involving scooters: Watching my brother fly past me on his PX, locking up and his legs flying about! Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Margate. What do you like about rallies: The groups you meet, socialising and just having a good laugh. What do you dislike about rallies:…

Weymouth Scooter Rally had been organised for the May Day bank holiday by the National Runs Committee (NRC). The Weymouth and Portland Borough Council along with the police had attempted to dissuade the NRC from coming but had no legal powers to prevent scooterists from entering the town. Originally the rally was supposed to be located at Westham coach park but the deputy mayor Mike Jewkes and Coun Charles Price, who both represented Westham wards, had other ideas. Armed with a signed petition they were determined to stop it going ahead. The petition was made up of people living in Alma Road which backs on to the coach park and supported by the Chipperfield family that ran the adjacent funfair. Presenting it to chief executive Robin Newman, Mr Chipperfield said:…

Although Chiggy can’t claim to have devised the R1 shock conversion, he was the man who took the concept and made it into a commercial success. Unveiled in 1998, Yamaha’s 998cc, 148bhp, 170mph, four-cylinder four-stroke was one of the decade’s greatest sportsbikes. So sound was the design that early examples are still more than capable of holding their own against the current crop of pocket rockets. Crucially for Lambretta owners its monoshock rear suspension had exactly the same ‘eye to eye’ length as the Innocenti originals. “I was tired of buying a new Escort shock each year,” explained Chiggy, “and the upgraded items on offer weren’t particularly good either. I’m ‘well padded’ so needed something that performed and was also durable. I first learned of the R1 conversion on a…

Name of scooter & reason: Princess. Scooter model: 1978 125cc Vespa Primavera. Inspiration for project: I paid £300 originally. The scooter was a barn find my friend put me on to. It was just going to be a quick tart-up so that, unlike my others, if it did get damaged or stolen I wouldn’t be as bothered but as usual I got carried away. Time to build: Just over 12 months. Engine spec: Kit: Standard top end. Carb: Dell’Orto standard but re-jetted. Exhaust: SIP. Clutch: Malossi. Porting work by: Dylan at work. What brand of oil do you run: Castrol @ 2%. Chassis Spec: Tyres: SIP Performer. Rims: SIP Tubeless. Suspension: Pinasco front and rear. Cable brand: BGM. Fuel Tap: BHG fast flow. Brakes: Malossi. Overall cost of work and…

JUNE 04-07 EuroLambretta, Libramont, Belgium. 05-07 Halfway House Rally, The Halfway House, Yeovil. 05-07 The Great Skinhead Reunion, Brighton. www.subcultz. com. 07 A Not Too Shabby Treasure Hunt, Start/finish: The Swan Motel, Gillingham, MR34 0LD. For more info see FB: TMS Scooter Club. 12-13 Warwickshire Scooter Alliance Summer Nights 4 Scooter Rally, Sheldon Bosely Hub, Pittway Avenue, Shipston-on-Stour, CV36 4DQ. Email: paulmarshall445@gmail.com. 12-14 Sleaford AllKnighters SC, Sleaford RFC, Sleaford, Lincs, NG34 8SP. 12-14 Whitley Bay Rally, Rockcliffe Rugby Club, NE2 8RW. 12-14 Moorland Mayhem Rally, Torquay, TQ1 0BL. 19-21 Buchan Coasters 10th Anniversary, Newburgh Golf Club, AB41 6BY. 19-21 Rally on the Common, The Traveller’s Friend, Crookham Common, Berks, RG19 8EA. 20 The Jam’d plus support The Nutty Boys If your , Thescooter Station,club Cannock is holding , WS11 1…

Last month’s performance tests of small vs large casing transfer ports saw the transfer duct entry area change from what is perceived by many as a ‘small antiquated design’ to a larger, more modern design yet yield no power increases at all. Not so antiquated then! Yet this was on what was a very high-performance motor, which most people would consider to be in need of such a modification. So this leaves many wondering as to why no gain was seen. I have a few theories and calculations to share on this, but I must first point out that they are limited to being my views of how I see the motor working, and hopefully this information (and the results themselves) will have you in agreement. The next man may…

After the gig, I was fortunate enough to complete a Scootering magazine exclusive back-stage interview with Ian Page. SC: The album Behind Closed Doors has been described as your vision for the band’s future; the idea being to make the album a showcase of both the band’s musical abilities and an expansion from your Mod-era influences. What would you say to that? Ian: That’s fair enough. It’s difficult to explain musically; in that yes, I did want to expand the band’s horizons; I wanted us to be playing songs that weren’t just to be played in a nightclub, songs that you could play at a festival or on a big stage; bigger, grandiose songs. I felt we were entitled to do it because The Who had demonstrated that they were…

Has the scooter won any show trophies? Antwerp international custom show – Best Vintage. IOW scooter rally – Best Vintage. Tenby national rally – Best Mod. Burton Brewers custom show – Best Vintage (two years running). Hayling Island National rally – Best Vespa. Gosport scooter rally – Best in Show. Goring Custom show – Best in Show. Southern Counties scooter all-dayer – Best Mod & Best in Show. Scooter model: 1959 Vespa GS 150 VS5 (Rare Belgian model MISA). Date purchased & cost: About three years ago, £4000. Bought from a guy in London who bought it from Belgium; it had been standing in a barn since the early ’70s. Inspiration for project: Ultimate Mod scooter, best design ever by Piaggio. Time to build & by who: Just over a…

He’s best known to the trade for Saigon Scooter Centre’s massive range of remade classic scooter parts but Pat Joynt’s long been an advocate for electronic vehicles. Anyone that’s visited Asia knows that the only thing bigger than the market for two-wheelers is the pollution they produce. The holy grail of transportation there, and indeed the rest of the world, is a clean, efficient and stylish city bike. It’s aproject that Pat’s been enthusiastically working on for more than a decade. In addition to his purpose-built and classically styled Buzz e-scooter, Pat’s been offering conversions for both Lambretta and Vespa frames for some years. These first-generation kits are effective in use but difficult to install. As is the case with most other conversions on the market, they also require modification…

MB Products has developed an innovative precision headset handlebar kit which is designed to improve the riding experience for Lambretta GP, SX, TV, Special late type models and Series 3 riders. Explaining the benefits, Mark from MB said: “If you’ve not ridden a Lambretta with these kits fitted you should certainly try it! The kit is a top quality precision product, which has been made using heavier brass, steel and stainless steel parts, and helps stop headset vibration. Rebuilt correctly the throttle will shut off instantly, the clutch is friction free and selecting the gears is a breeze. Also you could, if you tried, go from first to fifth without any problem!” The control rods included in the kit are MB Scooters’ in-house specialist control rods. “The control rods are…

There was a period when Lambretta sales in the UK were so huge it seemed that nothing could get in its way. It had been a relatively short road to success and within the first few years of forming, Lambretta Concessionaires had become a major part of the UK two-wheeled market. The driving force behind it was Peter Agg and his strong approach to business strategy was beginning to pay off. If he saw an opportunity he would take it by the horns until it was paying dividends. The Lambretta was a great product and in a way sold itself but no product, no matter how good it is, can be successful without the right sales team behind it. One of Peter Agg’s recruits was the young Maurice Knight, who…

Plenty of auto info... Dear Scootering, I don’t usually write to magazines but felt compelled to after reading Paul Slavin’s letter about a lack of coverage regarding auto scooters in the pages of your great magazine. There has been extensive coverage over the past few years regarding Scomadi and Royal Alloy scooters, even in one issue giving over several pages on the subject of changes to Scomadi’s management and their future projects, so sorry Paul, but you are mistaken and may need to look closer at the back issues. I’m sure you may think there’s not enough but it’s better than nothing as Scootering tries to cover every aspect of the scene. Stay safe everyone and KTF. Jim Jennings – Scomadi TL125/LambrettaJ50/Vespa PX The writer of our Star Letter this…

WIN a smart Scootering T-shirt with your photo For your chance to win a stylish Scootering magazine T-shirt, email us your HI-RES pics to: suys@scootering. com or post your pics to Show Us Your Scooters, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ, and the least crap snap wins! For full terms and conditions, visit: www.scootering.com/comptc DATA: Protection of your personal data is important to Mortons. Your data will be stored securely and only be used for the purpose of processing the competition and notifying the winners. Data will then be destroyed. Least crap snap THIS MONTH’S WINNER: Craig’s 2016 PX 125.…

Name: Rob Johnson. Job: Steel-fixing contractor. Scooter club: Minorities. First interest in scooters: My uncle and cousin had Lambrettas when I was a kid and I used to stand on the running boards as they took me for rides. Your first scooter: Aged 15, I bought an Italian GP200 for £100, rode it about, got nicked by the Old Bill as I tried to outrun them! Got seven endorsements and a seven quid fine and was made to sell my scooter by my old dad. Favourite scooter model: Lambretta GP. Favourite style of custom scooter: Anything with plenty of thought put into it. I like to think outside the box. First rally or event: Scarborough 1981. Got my Mod accessories nicked from my scooter that was parked outside a nice…

Name: Mike Hayman. Job: Retired after sales manager Suzuki GB. Scooter club & town: Recently A259 South Coasters Scooter Club, Polegate. First interest in scooters: My father had an LD125 that he rode to work which he gave to me for my 16th birthday. First scooter: Lambretta LD125. Favourite scooter model: SX200. Favourite style of custom scooter: Never really looked at custom scooters and certainly don’t have a favourite. First rally or event: Southend 1971. How did you get there: On my Lambretta TV200. Funniest experience with a scooter: In the days of open face helmets a fly hit me in the mouth which I immediately spat out into the eye of my friend who was following on his scooter. Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Mallory Park from…

Name of scooter & reason: The Dark Side of Oz – What else would you call it? Scooter model: Mk1 Italjet Dragster 125. Date purchased & cost: £1200 – June 2018. Inspiration for project: I was inspired to rebuild it after it blew up on the way to work, and I thought I may as well go all out on it! Time to build & by who: Paintwork took around six months by Dewey Franklin. Body and engine took around six months by Paul Raymond Bryan and me. Any specialised parts or mods: Aftermarket master cylinder, polished front steering SIS arm, cooling fan over-ride switch, uprated Biturbo shocks front and rear, polished engine casing, aftermarket carbon-fibre air-filter, anodised coloured Allen key nuts and aftermarket front and rear brake-line pipes. Engine…

No matter how meticulous, careful and thorough a project is planned, something may, and often does, go wrong with it. Gary Drury, owner and rider of this now pristine, pretty custom Primmy, is of the Mod persuasion, hence the change of word in the above paraphrase. He had a particular plan mapped out for this Vespa smallframe after he first obtained it. A chance conversation at a rare soul all-nighter proved to be the catalyst for a complete rethink. Next in line Gary rides with the Awfully Pleasant Scooter Association, a collective with broadly similar interests when it comes to scooters. Probably the main prerequisite to join is the ownership of a pre-1966 model classic scooter. Another part of the Awfully Pleasant requirements is, as well as owning a pre…

Name: Gary Drury. Job: Wood machinist joiner. Scooter club & town: Awfully Pleasant Scooter Association. First interest in scooters: When I was at school in the ’70s I used to see them riding down the road when I was going to school and thinking, ‘one day I’d love one of those.’ First scooter: Vespa GT 125. Favourite scooter model: My 1954 Vespa Faro Basso Vm2t. It’s just a pleasure to ride. Favourite style of custom scooter: Vintage and Mod. First-ever rally: Brighton. Favourite rally: Latchford with the Awfully Pleasant Scooter Association pre-1966 scooters only. All like-minded, a great bunch of lads. Least favourite rally: Buckingham Palace ride out, the most disorganised ride I’ve ever been on. Funniest experience involving scooters: Rode to Shrewsbury, fell asleep under the statue. When I…

’79 The Mod Revival, Time For Action ’79 The Ska Revival, Dance Craze Garry Bushell Red Planet Back in the latter part of the ’70s, the then young, South London based, working-class lad Garry Bushell was making a name for himself as a writer for Sounds magazine. Alongside two other weekly music publications, (New Musical Express and Melody Maker), Sounds was at the cutting edge, reporting on exciting new bands and sub-genres of music of the time. Garry Bushell was one of the, if not the, first music journalists to pick up on the Mod revival of ’79 and was a first-hand witness to both the Mod revival and the ’79 fusion of ska and punk explosion pioneered by the Coventry based Two-Tone (and related)…

The Dell’Orto PHBH range of carburettors is one of the most commonly fitted types on modern Lambretta engines. With far more advanced settings compared to the old SH series, they offer the choice of much more accurate jetting. Whether used on fairly standard or tuned engines, they cope much better with modern fuel thanks to their much larger float bowl. Also, because the needle jet can be altered, the flow rate is much easier to control – an important aspect when it comes to preventing the engine from seizing due to lack of fuel flow. Size matters There are four bore sizes in total, all of which can serve a specific use depending on what type of cylinder is being used. First is the 25mm, which is known as the…

Having arrived at The Flowerpot in Derby, Stu managed to sit down for a quick pint and a chat with Dave Cairns. “Tonight’s gig is a little bit special; firstly we’re debuting two songs, which we’ve never played live before. The official Behind Closed Doors tour starts later this year and we thought it would be a great opportunity to include these two tracks as a taster of what’s to come. Also we’re good friends with Alan and Lisa Woolley, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary delivering live music here at the Flowerpot, and we thought it would be a fitting tribute to them as well.” Having finished our drinks, Dave then headed off to complete the pre-gig sound checks with the rest of the band. In the meantime, the…

When it comes to creating the ultimate Mod scooter, owners have all manner of different ideas of how it should be achieved. Some will fit countless mirrors and lights to the front end. Mirrors and crash bars that almost double the weight of the machine. Perhaps bolt a whip aerial on the back or a fly screen on the front which advertises your name or where you come from. Not that there is any problem with this but sometimes the idea can get a bit too ‘busy’, to say the least. “After painstakingly searching and sourcing the right ones they were sent off toLondon Chrome to be professionally cleaned up and re-plated, the stand-out parts being wheel discs as well as side panel and horncast embellishments.” Maybe sometimes we forget…

Name: Carl Grisley. Job: Production team leader. Scooter club & town: Wipeout Scooter Club, South Wales. First interest in scooters: As a young Mod aged 13. Just through the Mod scene, growing up seeing THE film and older Mods with their scooters. First scooter: PK 125. Favourite scooter model: P range Mk1 (’80s workhorse!) Favourite style of custom scooter: Appreciate all custom scooters, the thought and engineering behind them. First rally or event: First national, Colwyn Bay ’84. First real event, South Wales scooter run to Tenby 1983 (freezing cold, slept in a toilet block). How did you get there: Scooter, always by scooter. Any stories: Too many to mention most of them! Morecambe, arrived late, pitched our tents where we could, woke up in the middle of the night…