Innehållsförteckning för June 2021 från Scootering

This classically styled wet-waxed waist length cotton jacket uses traditional materials and manufacturing techniques, and beneath the old-world look is a hidden layer of modern technology. The Holwell is produced by British Millerain, a company which harks back to a day when goods were transported by wind-powered ships. Their sails were made from cotton which was waxed to protect against the ravages of the sea; the material consequently found its way into the clothing which sailors wore to protect themselves from the same weather. With the history lesson completed, and respectful of the material’s heritage, Oxford’s designers have employed traditional tailoring methods to develop a jacket which delivers comfort and practicality. The jacket has a breathable membrane, which gives added protection against the weather. Its chest pockets are pleated and…

The new MB Scooters drive sprocket assembly kit offers three different thickness oil thrower washers (standard 0.5mm, 1mm as fitted to some Spanish engines and 1.5mm). Mark of MB advised: “We offer these as drive bearing positioning can vary; as does the crown wheel drive chain height. Always check the chain adjustment on a rebuild and swap around whatever oil thrower shim washer is needed.” During the development of the kit MB Scooters has remade the drive sprocket sleeve, sliding dog and tapered the drive cap. “This is so that when it’s being tightened up it finds the castellated gaps and easily slides down the sprocket sleeve; also in addition to this there’s our super strong drive bolt which is the strongest on the market.” MB Scooters also offers a…

On April 25 it was announced that Craig Standeven had sadly passed away. Craig, a long-time scooterist, was a serving member of the Lambretta Club Great Britain committee and was the current BSM controller for the club. He was also a long-time member of the Doncaster Hunters scooter club and played a major part in the running of the club. A likable and well-known personality within the scootering scene, he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts go out to his family and all those in the LCGB and DHSC who knew him. RIP Craig Standeven.…

I was looking through some old magazines a couple of weeks ago and there were names that are long gone but still fondly remembered. In my early days of playing scooters, I remember phoning up Rafferty Newman and getting details to send a cheque in the post. I even remember sending a letter to them as well explaining a problem with Zener diodes blowing… ah yes, the heady days of Indian Lambretta electrical systems! It’s easy to forget just how simple it now is, to look up a website on your phone while you’re sat (outside) a cafe and to order a selection of scooter parts and accessories on your phone, let Google Pay sort things out with your credit card and voilà, maybe even tomorrow those parts arrive at…

Name of scooter & reason: LD 2.0. As chosen by Simone Cattaneo, Claudio’s son and designer. Scooter model: Lambretta Series 1 frame-breather. (1958 LCGB dated.) Inspiration for project: I saw Gary Sangster’s scooter. Time to build & by who: Custom Lambretta, Italy. Six months (approx). Engine spec Kit: Li150 S1 engine with a 200 Casa kit. Crank: Tameni. Carb: Dell’Orto PHBH 30mil. Exhaust: Jim Lomas (JL) KPR3 curly. Clutch: Surflex. Gearbox: Standard Li150 S1. What brand of oil do you run: Rock oil 3%. Chassis spec: Tyres: CST whitewalls. Suspension: TV S2 front shockers/BGM rear shocker. Speedo: Daytona Velona digital. Seat: Leather, by Python Road, Rovato, Italy. Fuel tank & tap: One-off by Custom Lambretta, Italy. Ignition: Ducati 12v Casa Lambretta. Paintwork: Ferrari Champagne, by Gritti body shop, Palazzolo sull’Oglio,…

Beginners’ maintenance… Can I share the following ‘advice’ for new scooterists or those that have never attempted any basic maintenance before? I’m no mechanic but at 66, I’ll have a go with simple maintenance (tinkering). I’ve owned my 1966 Li125 Special for almost six years. Since picking it up from Armandos, who did the full restoration, it has been 100% reliable, however the inevitable (outer) cable wear started to affect gear change. I bought two new inner and outer cables and set about thinking the job through. Off came the headset, horncast, front mudguard and bridge piece… and the fiddling began. It took about one hour to strip down and an hour and a half to install the new inner and outer cables and rebuild; as I said, I’m no…

We will report on full specifications in another piece but one major difference between the two kits is that Brad has matched his crankcase ports to the barrel ports. This isn’t hard to do, instructions come with the Polini kit, but it does require splitting the casings. The dyno day offered both the chance to set up the engines and run them side by side. The result? Although Brad’s motor needed a significantly larger main jet, 135 to be precise, the porting work added just over 2bhp to my ‘bolt-on’ approach. Unsurprisingly, the graph was very similar to the bolt-on approach, there’s just ‘more’. With Brad’s scoot producing a final reading of 18.83bhp, the score is Gucci 1, Bolt On 0.…

Name: Mark Kendall. Scooter club & town: Banbury SC. First interest in scooters: That film and the 80s. First scooter: Vespa 90. First ever rally: Disc ’86. How did you get there: Two-up on a PX 125 all the way from Wolverhampton in the rain. Any funny stories: Just my constant battle with eBay and online sellers – I never learn and the garage full of useless bits proves this. Favourite rally: Weston, just 100 miles and the town and people are smashing. What do you like about rallies: The scene, the people and the fun times. What do you dislike about rallies: Big hangovers and locals trying to cash in and rip you off, Cleethorpes comes to mind. Favourite Scootering magazine feature: Blasts from the past and tech tips.…

Kit Name: Polini 135cc RRP: £299 Supplier: Ve-Uk Bore: 57mm Stroke: 51mm Capacity: 135cc Compatibility: V90, V90 Racer, 90SS, V100, V100 Sport, PK100S, PK100XL, PK125S, PK125ETS, 125 Primavera 1966-1978, 125 Primavera ET3 1978. This is Polini’s new alloy cylinder kit, which has a new head design and uses rotary induction. The cylinder uses the standard stroke and connecting rod length (51mm, 97mm) and as a result can be used with any conventional racing crankshaft. Polini has long been recognised as one of the major tuning houses in Italy for classic or automatic scooters. Very few other brands have proved to be as consistent and reliable as Polini in manufacturing cylinders for the classic range of Vespas over the years. The one-piece exhaust port offers the best conditions for high performance…

If there’s one date in history that deserves a mention from a scooterist perspective, it has to be April 23, 1946. It’s significant because that’s the date that Piaggio filed a patent for a ‘covered motorcycle’ and the Vespa scooter brand was born. Fast forward to April 2021 and that equates to a production run of 19 million scooters – and that’s only so far; who can guess what the final production figure will actually end up at? In automotive terms, that’s a phenomenal production figure – and one that will be envied by many a car manufacturer, let alone any other scooter-producing company. The Vespa scooter has been much loved around the world since its inception 75 years ago. And if you multiply that 19 million production figure by…

With plenty of time on his hands during lockdown, Jock Dewars set about creating a solution to what has often bugged him when attending rallies – the problem of what luggage he could take with him. His solution – an extending ‘trombone’ style rear rack. In Jock’s opinion, although a standard Lambretta sprint rack looks nice, being quite small, it doesn’t allow for a tremendous amount of storage; it also leans down in line with the frame on his GP – so he decided to build himself a bespoke carrier which would solve all his problems. The rack can be locked open or closed in five different positions by the use of a clevis pin. As far as we are aware, no one actually manufactures a rack like this, so…

Baz Matthews is from Baddesley Ensor, an old ex-miners’ village in North Warwickshire. Baz, like so many (myself included), is a product of the tail-end of the Mod Revival years and owes his scootering passion to those 1980s beginnings. Baz got his first scooter – a PK50S – back in 1984 and along with his mates, also Vespa riders, enjoyed the Nuneaton Mod scene to the maximum. As soon as he turned 17, the lure of increased speed and power kicked in and he purchased a Vespa P200E, which for some reason had been mistakenly recorded as a 125cc on the registration document – what are the chances of that, eh? CHANGING OF THE GUARD As the decade moved on and the Mod label was dropped by many in favour…

Name: Alan Everall. Favourite scooter style: Most custom scooters – but not mad/keen on engraving. Scooters owned: 2015 Vespa GTS300 Touring bought new. I did buy another new one in December 2019, but it only did a few miles before the engine blew up; so I returned it and got a refund. Favourite scooter model: Lambretta TV175 Series 3. Favourite scooter dealer: Chiselspeed. How would you like to change the scooter scene: Suits me as it is. Our scooter club, Leeds Crusaders, is great as it has older members and tends to be laid back. Project advice: Dry build first; don’t be rushed; get as many of your parts up front. Don’t buy internet crap – spend a bit more for quality.…

Scootering in the 1970s was more of a necessity than a hobby, as your scooter was most likely to be your main (if not only) mode of transport for getting to work. The pleasure part came at the weekends when we would go on rideouts to various places like Blackpool. Clubs were forming fast during this period, at first the clubs were just referred to by their location – ‘Preston SC’ etc. – then later became known by both a location and a club name (e.g. Preston WildCats SC, Lytham Vagabonds SC etc.); it was great. We would all chip in and pay subs towards a club van to go on rallies with, which, while it was meant for breakdowns etc., often became where people slept as well. No nice…

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’m self-employed. Can I claim my lost income during the time I was unable to work after my accident? A. The short answer is yes, you can. Couple of pointers though. First of all, in the real world, some self-employed people’s accounts may give a certain set of figures whereas they actually…

If you were offered the ability to repair your own scooter or motorcycle after an accident and be PAID the cost of parts and be PAID for your own labour, how would you feel? A reduced cost for two or more of these, would that help? What if you never had to pay admin charges, would that be a surprise? You have spares stashed away in your workshop or garage, yet your household policy excludes these, but your scooter policy could include them, how would you feel? You break down in the UK or Europe, and your insurer was the first in the UK to include this, what do you think? You can have agreed value cover on your classics, with free valuations, is this useful? With a total loss…

Name: Paul Morrell-Knapton. Scooter club & town: South Bradford Scooter Club. First interest in scooters: 15 or 16 years old. First scooter: GP150. Favourite scooter model: Series 1. Favourite style of custom scooter: Classic looks with clean lines and style. First ever rally: 1976 – Scarborough. Any funny stories: I once got pulled over by a police officer on a Sunday afternoon. When he was looking round the scooter I asked him why he had stopped me. He told me he was a fellow scooterist and just wanted to have a look round it! Favourite rally: Difficult choice! Think I have to say Bridlington. (Comfortable accommodation and no camping.) Least favourite rally: Cheeky Monkeys. It always rains! But the good ‘craic’ makes up for it. Furthest you’ve ever ridden on…

Name of scooter & reason: ‘What’s the matter with you?’ from the song by Oasis, ‘Stand by Me’. I went through a very, very dark time in my life and if it wasn’t for the people named on the scooter I would be dead, so I dedicated it to them. Scooter model: Lambretta Li150 Special. Date purchased & cost: Spring 2020 by a friend, Gary Hawes, who bought it for me when it was in a pile of bits. Inspiration for project: Helen Speak, Colin Ellison, Laura Cuerden and Emma Crook. Time to build & by who: Three months by Helen and me, but to be fair she left it to me after a week or so! Engine spec Kit: GT 186. Carb: 30mm Dell’Orto. Exhaust: JL3. Clutch: Five-plate. Gearbox:…

Ask the average scooterist to choose anything based on name alone and I can almost guarantee the popular choice will be ‘the biggest number’. It’s reasonable logic but with SIP’s range of exhausts it pays to think a little harder. While we had access to the dyno I also took the opportunity to run a SIP 2, an exhaust that’s become the ‘gold standard’ of performance box pipes. It is not designed for this kit, but the results were more than respectable. It required no change in jetting to the SIP 3 (119 main) but still produced 15.57bhp, 1.14bhp less than the SIP 3. As part of this experiment, I was also interested to see how the SIP 3 would perform on a standard engine. To answer that question, we…

Aachen is a city located on the west side of Germany, close to the Belgian and Dutch border, home to custom scooter wizard… Michael Zinnen. This is his home town and from where he operates his business, Z-Design. In 2019, having spotted some pictures of a custom Vespa going by the name of Highlander Resurrection, it stirred an interest within him to investigate them further. The scooter was featured in this magazine some 25 years earlier and now it was in a poor state, Michael had plans to bring it back to life. It wasn’t just about redoing the chrome or getting the paint touched up, but a total ‘ground up’ revamp with some very creative customising added in. With so little usually reported about scooter customising outside of the…

Name: Steve Clarke. Job: Retail sales (local electrical appliance store). Scooter club & town: Guernsey Scooter Club. First interest in scooters: I was a (young) Mod in the mid-80s, spent a lot of time with my brother and his mates. First scooter: Vespa P200. Favourite scooter model: Vespa Faro Basso. Favourite style of custom scooter: Street Sleeper. First ever rally: IoW mid-90s. How did you get there: My old Jet 200. Any funny stories: Broke down on way to the harbour, pushed it about a mile loaded up with mine and a mate’s gear on one of the hottest days in August. Luckily, we knew a guy on the ferry was into scooters, so he helped me fix it, while all the others were in the bar. Funniest experience involving…

Ska A Go Go Vol 3 – Various (Do The Dog) For more than 30 years, the Do The Dog fanzine has been the ‘go to’ source for all things ska from around the world. Developing out of a band fanzine and becoming a record label that published recordings by some of the best cult bands on the scene over the years, it has become the authoritative voice on news from that little music world. In doing so, it has garnered the respect of many bands from around the globe as they have gained priceless publicity via its pages. Time has come to pay some of that back, with dozens of bands offering tracks to a series of compilations to support the ongoing work that it does. This, the…

The shocking and sad news of the death of Matthew ‘Tik’ Tester on April 22 has left a huge void in the scootering world. A devoted family man to his wife and children, there are no words that can describe how much he will be missed. A dedicated and long-time scooter owner and rider, Tik was well respected within the scene. He was a likable and well-known personality, always willing to help anyone with his generous attitude. As the news spread within scootering circles, a GoFundMe page was set up and is being co-ordinated by Tik’s sister-in-law, Fay, along with friend Frank Donaldson and the team at Lambretta Street Racers, who have also been selling commemorative T-shirts to further fund the support for Tik’s family. Frank explained: “Nothing compared to…

Stype Lambrettas Hi Mau, Here are three photographs of S type Lambrettas: Craig Ellis Weston – earlyy 80s Here’s a picture of me in Weston-super-Mare during the early 80s.... Carl Goff The Dinky Crowd The Dinky Crowd setting off for a treasure hunt around 1966/7. Dave Richardson, Keith Jefferson, Frank Mumberson, Rod Harvey, Jonty and others. Susan Richardson An up-and-coming Mod My brother-in-law, Ian, astride my Grimstead SS180. Pic taken in 1968. Don Hughes SHARE YOUR NOSTALGIC PICTURES WITH OUR READERS If you have any pictures from the past, why not share them with our readers. Call Mau on 01507 529408, or email him at mauspencer@classicscooterist.com Classic Scooterist,POBox 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ mauspencer@classicscooterist.com 01507 529408…

I bought ‘The Footsee’ – a Vespa Rally 200 – in 1980 from Bishops Motorcycles in Bath; I had a full motorcycle licence and wanted something faster and bigger than the Vespa 150 Super I owned at the time. I nicknamed it ‘Edna’ because of its ‘EDN’ number plate – but for some reason, everyone referred to it as The Footsee (I’m not really sure why – it’s not even my fave Northern Soul track; but in the end, that name stuck. So there I was with a full frame Rally 200 (complete with the bars and accessories I’d had on my 150 Super) at the IoW 1981 (pic 1) with Pete Allen. Also in 1981, I had the same chrome work but touches of gold had been added (pic…

From posters to complete scooters, Lambretta display unit models opened up to reveal all their working parts. This must have been such a detailed task to do and it just shows the appeal and popularity of the Lambretta brand back then and to warrant Innocenti the luxury of spending so much time on the shop floor designing and producing a display that could simply be used for the promotion of the latest Lambretta versions of the time. One example of this is the Motore Lambretta 125D cutaway item shown here, which is mounted on its own chromed display stand. Owned by Mark Richardson – an avid collector of all things Lambretta – all the parts are fully working; if you were to see it in the flesh, you could just…

In mid-April, Carnaby Scooters passed an incredible milestone with the dealership’s 500th sale of a Royal Alloy. The proud customer, Chris, is now the owner of one of Carnaby’s ‘James Bradley’ special charity editions, in this case a GP125. As Carnaby’s owner Richard Cooney explained, the James Bradley Series is named after his son who died unexpectedly aged 18 at the end of 2019. “James received excellent care from The Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital Trust which is a specialist NHS hospital, one of few with ECMO machines on site. ECMO is effectively a mechanical heart which allows the body to rest as an aid to recovery. Before James collapsed we had never heard of this miraculous machine but ECMO was used and publicised during the pandemic. Visitors to our…

He’s no stranger to long distance scooter rides but this year Markus André Mayer has something very special planned. Having already ridden around the world in 80 days by Vespa, Markus now has his eyes set on breaking the record for the longest ever 50cc scooter ride. Using a 1971 V50N that’s currently being prepared by Scooter Centre Koln, he aims to travel 25,000km through 40 countries and on the way tackle three Guinness World Records. If that wasn’t challenging enough, he’ll also complete the trip wearing a suit and tie throughout. Subject to Covid restrictions that may be in place, the trip will last for around 14 months, with the first leg being completed in Germany. The main purpose of the trip is to raise money for child cancer…

The improvements and developments introduced on the new I30 start with HJC’s next-generation face shield. The new Pinlock ready shield offers a wide distortion-free view and now has a reinforced frame around the lower edges to reduce wind turbulence. It also offers 99% UV protection and is anti-fog prepared. The face shield also uses the tool-less, quick release base plate system for an easy-to-use installation and removal. As well as these upgrades, HJC has also updated the internal sunshield with an increased coverage area over and above the previous model’s capability. The three top vent intake system provides maximum airflow into the helmet, while the rear exhaust spoiler creates a vacuum effect, flushing out the heat. Also, the Multi-Cool top liner and cheek pad interior gives additional cooling features with…

Name of scooter & reason: Calamity Jane, from the 1953 musical. Scooter model: Silver Special 150 Li. Any specialised parts or mods: Anti-dive disc brake, long-range tank, hand-stitched bag, patch and key ring, tooling all made by Paul Hunter (lovely work) tough on the hands. Engine build: We have both gone through sleepless nights, blood, sweat and tears. This has been a mammoth task. Parts don’t always go in like they should do. At one point I stuck a screwdriver in Midge’s thumb, yes, he drew blood, we were putting the ball bearings in the layshaft, he never shouted at me, must be love! ENGINE SPEC Kit: Rapido 225 race kit. Crank: AF race 58mm. Carb: 30mm Dell’Orto. Exhaust: JL. Clutch: Five-plate Surflex with extra strong spring. What brand of…

Through the course of Tony Parkinson’s life, he’s had his fair share of scrapes and found himself in some tricky situations… “I’ll be honest, I can’t really blame anyone else other o than myself for some of the choices I’ve made; and on one occasion things got so s bad I actually attempted to take my own life.” Tony already owns several themed scooters s , and having reflected on his past he decided that he wanted to acknowledge the support s he’d had from some special people who’d helped him get through his dark times and chose to dedicate this scooter to them. Thailand With this in mind, in spring 2020 Tony started to look round for a scooter and indirectly his long-term friend, Gary Hawes, became involved. “Gary’s…

There are now four exhausts in SIP’s ‘Box’ exhaust range, each with a specific application… ■ SIP Road 2* A good, all-round exhaust with a broad spread of power that can be used with most engines, designed to give quick throttle response throughout the rev range. ■ SIP Road 3* Designed to be used with mildly tuned engines. ■ SIP Viper Box by Nordspeed Designed to be used on more advanced tuning projects, a very practical option for high-performance engines. ■ SIP Road XL Similar to the Viper Box, but most of the power is delivered slightly higher in the rev range. * Also available for small-block Vespa V enggines.…

Scooter model: 1983 Vespa PL170 – Andhra Pradesh Scooters Limited (APSL) was a scooter manufacturer founded in 1974 and operated until 1986 in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was owned by the government of Andhra Pradesh. In the early 1980s APSL entered into a collaboration agreement with Piaggio, Italy, to manufacture a smaller range of Vespa scooters of 100cc, 80cc and mopeds. The European model Vespa 100 was chosen, rebranded as Vespa PL170, launched in 1983, and was in production until 1986. Date purchased & cost: September for £1900. Inspiration for project: Wanted to get a smallframe for years. Engine spec Kit: Polini Evo 133. Carb: 25 mm Dell’Orto. Crank: Mazz crank. Carb: 25mm Dell’Orto with Polini crank case manifold. Exhaust: Franspeed Tourer. Clutch: Standard. Gearbox: Standard. Ignition:…

When we decided to celebrate Vespa’s 75th birthday by breathing life back into an unmolested, but somewhat neglected, Mk1 Vespa T5, all the signs were that it would be a quick and easy rebuild. Unfortunately, things haven’t turned out that way. My plans to save every inch of original paint were frustrated and while I waited for the frame to come back from the paint shop, I turned my attention to the forks. Lord of the Rings? Although around 36,000 Mk1s were produced, they have the feel of a hand-built special. Having tackled just about every nut, bolt and washer on our project scooter, I’m surprised at just how many minor variations there are from a standard PX. Among the more unusual of these features is the arrangement for securing…

Name of scooter & reason: Rocky, my late father’s nickname. Scooter model: PX200. Date purchased & cost: 1999, £1800. Inspiration for project: Always wanted a Faro Basso, but couldn’t afford one, so did a tribute. TECH SPEC Kit: None, it’s fast enough for Guernsey. Crank: Standard. Carb: Standard. Exhaust: SIP road. Tyres: Michelin 583. Rims: SIP split. Cable brand: SIP Teflon. Is the scooter reliable: Like any Vespa. Paintwork by: Clarkie’s Customs. In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently: Do not remove side panel brackets. Tech tip or advice for anyone starting a project: Think before cutting.…

Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, Game of Thrones had a large cast, several plots and followed several story arcs. One such arc followed the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, with a web of alliances and conflicts among the noble dynasties either vying to claim the throne or fighting for independence from it. Another focused on the last descendant of the realm’s deposed ruling dynasty, who had been exiled and was plotting a return to the throne, while another story arc followed the Night’s Watch, a brotherhood defending the realm against the fierce peoples and legendary creatures of the north. Owner Alan Blurton, who engaged the services of artwork supremo Gatch to paint his scoot with chilling and thrilling scenes from Game of Thrones, said: “I…

Pro Race Class sponsored by AME Auto Ltd 1st 6 Hornet racing 2nd 160 A Team DSC 3rd 74 SRP Real Taffspeed Race Class sponsored by Scooter Nova Magazine 1st 155 The Dukes of Essex 2nd 15 Team Vespa 3rd 71 SLUK Road Class sponsored by Scooterlab.UK SLUK 1st 4 London Lambretta Club 2nd 3 Dove Valley Scooter Club 3rd 21 AAORT Club Class sponsored by the Lambretta Club of Great Britain 1st 56 Foster 56 2nd 57 Coastal Trippers 3rd 54 Odd Mod Squad Trophy for first BSSO production spec engine home, sponsored by the Lambretta Club of Great Britain 160 A Team DSC Best presented Lambretta sponsored by Lee Hollick Photography 3 Dove Valley Best presented Vespa sponsored by Lee Hollick Photography 84 Team Escargot BSEC Committee team prize…

A common issue with Vespa GTS models is that the pillion footpegs aren’t the most accessible. Too low down and further forward than they would ideally be, the panels often get in the way of the legs of those of a lesser stature. Luckily, an easy answer is available. Footpeg extenders are quite stylish and move the footpegs back and out to a position easily accessible by anyone over about four and a half feet tall. An hour of a job at most, they take almost no technical knowledge other than ‘righty tighty, lefty loosy’ and a pair of long Allen keys (some models use Torx fasteners, but those are easily available these days). Taking photos and making notes as I went along, I found that the whole job took…

Innocenti DL/GP200 and electronic register to be reinstated Scooterist Michael Green would like to reinstate the DL/GP register started by Preston Hall a number of years ago. He has spoken with Pete Davies at British Lambretta Archive and he is happy for the register to sit on the BLA website which is safe, secure and accessible to everyone. HOW IT WORKS To register, you need to send Michael details of your scooter via email; he will then transfer your details on to the register and then your email will be deleted. Once there are a certain number of entries, the register will then be updated and sent to Pete for it to be placed on the BLA website. The register can be updated as new entries are made. Michael has…

(Northern Soul) Credited to Wigan's Chosen Few, Footsee was a hit single reaching No.9 on the UK Singles Chart. It is notable as being one of the first commercially successful remixes of a previously released recording that was originally a 1968 single by the obscure Canadian band, The Chosen Few. The record's B-side was a brief instrumental version, which was speeded-up in the recording studio to the right dance tempo and was overdubbed with car horns and crowd noises. Released in late 1974, the remixed and overdubbed record reached the UK chart in January 1975. Its B-side became a true Northern Soul favourite – Seven Days Too Long by Chuck Wood. When Footsee featured on BBC TV’s Top of the Pops, dancers from Wigan Casino gave a demonstration of the…

Alan first got into scooters back in the 1960s and has remained an avid enthusiast, even into his retirement. He still rides today and is a member of both the Leeds Crusaders SC and the LCGB. “I bought an LD in 1968,” says Alan, “and it all went downhill from there.” His first experience of a scooter rally was a trip to Bridlington, riding two-up on a Lambretta Li125 Series 2: “We slept in a hedge on the Brid-Scarborough Road.” He added: “I love the camaraderie of rallies, the show scooters, the music venues – not forgetting the beer and food! My favourite event is the Isle of Wight.” One particular scooter-related memory sticks in Alan’s head: “We were camping in Whitby and had some £50 note serviettes. I put…

Vapour blasting is a metal cleaning process similar to the more common sand blasting, but it uses a mixture of water and blasting media; as such, it is a lot less of an abrasive process. This makes it ideal for softer metals as used in most scooter engine designs, carburettors and aluminium panels, such as headsets and hubs. By using a combination of glass bead media and regular grit media, a semi-polished finish can be achieved on the soft metals which can then be painted, fully polished or left as is, for a better than new appearance. JB VAPOUR BLASTING A new company, JB Vapour Blasting has recently set up in Lincoln, close to the A1/A46, specialising in the process. Familiar with all types of scooters they are the perfect…