Innehållsförteckning för September 2021 från Scootering

Name of scooter & reason: Venom. She’s got a bite when you open her up! Scooter model: Italian GP125. Date purchased & cost: 2014 from eBay. £2k in a box of bits. Inspiration for project: Street-racer looks with 80s-style paint. Time to build & by who: January to March 2020. (Completed the day before the first lockdown came into force). ENGINE SPEC Kit: Casa 225 (230). Crank: 60/110. Carb: 30mm Dell’Orto. Exhaust: AF expansion. Clutch: AF six-plate cassette. Gearbox: GP with AF five-speed gears. Dyno done by: Chiselspeed @ 28bhp – 23ft-lb. What brand of oil do you run: 4% Maxima Super-M (Fully synthetic). CHASSIS SPEC: Tyres: Conti twist. Rims: AF tubeless. Suspension: BGM all round. Grips: BMX (Halfords) anti-vibration, £7 a pair! Levers: Dog-leg. Cable brand: MB. Seat: Scoots…

Last week my son ‘nipped’ to the nearest shop on his scooter and as the temperature was nearing 30 degrees, he just had a T-shirt and shorts on – which is kind of understandable. But in that protective parent mode, had I known, I would have told him to put some proper riding clothes on and that it didn’t matter it was hot or that he was ‘only nipping’. But what followed has now given him a different understanding. He was just leaving the village and out of the corner of his eye he saw something coming at him from the front/side. As he looked and started to take evasive action, he realised it was a deer moving pretty fast and then all of a sudden – bang! Somehow, despite…

Name of scooter & reason: We know it as The ’Tique for obvious reasons, but his given name is Percy. I got a phone call from RPM Scooters one day and he said: “Are you working today because I think I’ve found a scooter you’re going to love.” At the time I owned a 1965 GL150 and a 1988 Mk 1 T5, but they knew I was looking for something else. I said I wasn’t working that day and the reason was because I’d been sat up all night watching the Perseid meteor shower and when I saw the scooter and fell in love with it… I called it Perseid, but later shortened it to Percy. Scooter model: 1965 Vespa 150cc Sportique. Date purchased & cost: Aug 12, 2014 -…

Bon voyage Hi Dan, Firstly, I just wanted to wish you all the very best for the future, under your stewardship Scootering magazine has improved vastly, and you’ll be sorely missed. I never knew you personally and that’s my loss but I once asked a question about a member’s scooter in the magazine and as quick as a flash not only had you responded to me but you had been in touch with the fella and got his email so I could contact him directly. Secondly, I wanted to thank you for your videos on The Scooter Factory. As a fellow Yorkshireman you ‘spoke my language’ – not only the way in which you addressed issues, but it was the issues as well which were pertinent, for example: “How fast…

Name of scooter & reason: Gucci Street. My eldest son loves Gucci (expensive taste!) I love street-racers and this gave me the inspiration to do a Gucci-style street racer. Scooter model: Li150. Date purchased & cost: Beginning of February 2021, bare frame £400 off eBay. Inspiration for project: 90s street racer, The Fix. Time to build & by who: Two months. Built, welded, fabricated and painted by myself, Shamps Customs. Any specialised parts or mods: Rearsets by K2 Customs, forks shortened by NTB Coatings and anti-dive kit.GP dropped headset, GP forks, BGM extra strong fork springs, BGM adjustable front dampers, SLUK front and rear mudguards, smoked LED rear light, Vega legshields, PM tuning belly-pan and quick-action throttle. ENGINE SPEC Kit: Avanti TT3 225 (240). Crank: 62mm stroke with welded pin.…

Name of scooter & reason: Phat Arse ’56... self-explanatory. Scooter model: VL2T. Date purchased & cost: Mid-2017, £800. Time to build & by who: One year by myself. Any specialised parts or mods: (what and by whom) Throttle up-gear to allow standard handlebar twist to open 30 mil fully, rear disc brake support to fit PX to wideframe engine adapter. Both by myself. ENGINE SPEC Kit: Malossi 210. Crank: Modified Mazzi. Carb: Dell’Orto VHSH 30 On. Inlet: MRB RD reed valve. Exhaust: Scorpion. Clutch: Banded COSA. Gearbox & sprockets: 24/65 primary, T5 fourth. Ignition timing: 18 BTDC Carb jetting specs: 150 main, 60 idle. Porting work by: Terry Shepherd. What brand of oil do you run: Rock Oil. CHASSIS SPEC: Tyres: Front 3.50x10, rear 100x90x10 S1. Rims: Front SIP 8…

Ever since I destroyed an Li150 casing by sending it to an industrial sandblaster, I’ve been nervous of any cleaning process that involves more than a can of gunk and a toothbrush. When I presented our project T5’s casings to the workshops of Ron Daley I was confident that the hours I’d spent degreasing with cotton buds would be appreciated, unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Having received a good telling-off from Martin Daley for asking him to rebuild a set of ‘filthy’ cases I was dispatched to KTS Refinishing in nearby Royston. The owner of KTS is Ian, who’s not just on top of his game, he’s also a BSB rider so understands the passion we feel for two wheels, even if they’re smaller than he’s used to. The gentle…

Last month we looked at the crankshaft options for the Vespa engine but so huge is the choice that they couldn’t all be fitted into just one edition. With so many options currently available it can get confusing at the best of times when it comes to making the right decision. Over-engineering is perfectly fine if you buy an expensive race crank and fit it in a standard engine, but don’t be tempted to do it the other way around. Buying a cheaper option that isn’t up to the job in a high-powered engine is not a good idea. Before you make your purchase, check the crank you are buying yin is the correct one for the engine that you are building or upgrading, and consider whether or not you…

Peter Keeble, Keebs to his mates, experienced one of those spontaneous moments while enjoying himself at a small show during June 2019, resulting in Keebs becoming the new owner of an old imported Vespa. “As well as scooters, another passion of mine is VW campers. There was a small show taking place in Thatcham, Rally On The Common, which also had a few live bands on. I booked a display pitch for myself and a few VW clubmates. We got there early, parked up, and started drinking straight away. I’d sold my previous scooter, a Vespa PX, a while before and had been regretting it since. I’d a desire at the back of my mind to get a ’67-’69 registered scooter, to match the year I was born or the…

“After passing his test the final leg-up in capacity was reached by way of a Polini 133 kit, combined with a Mazzucchelli crank, 24mm Dell’Orto carburettor and PM40 exhaust. The power he craved was finally there.” Frankenstein’s monster, the broad-shouldered and stumbling creature played by Boris Karloff in those old black and white movies, was created by Mary Shelley back in the 19th century; the character in her novel Frankenstein has inspired filmmakers ever since, and countless adaptions of her story. Now that character has been brought into the scooter world by way of this smallframe Vespa creation. Owner, Axel Braun, wanted to create a custom scooter that was different and free from all the usual bright paintwork and chrome bling, so basing his theme on the spine-tingling story was…

Poor place tto rest a Vespa Hi Mau, Please see attached photo of a poor old Vespa slowly being overtaken by a garden. I took this photo recently in a little village called Argalsti in Pelion, Greece. Peter Johnson Covid escapee [It’s always a shame to see scooters ending up like this – maybe someone will come along and rescue this one.] DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? Can Classic Scooterist help you find the answer? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a technical question and can be about any scooter-related subject. If we don’t know the answer ourselves, then we’ll throw your question over to our readers to see if they can help. Email scooterguru@scooteristscene. com with your questions, but don’t expect an instant answer – sometimes these things take time.…

Ferry costs are murky The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has begun talks with the Government after difficulties were encountered by those transporting British-registered ‘motorcycles’ by van into the European Union (EU). Although many riders dream of riding their scooter in Europe, time is often a constraint in making that a reality. For that reason, a network of specialist transport services have emerged, taking machines to a holiday destination where their owners fly out to meet them. It’s an arrangement often referred to as a ‘fly-ride holiday’. Customs need clarity Unfortunately, the Brexit Trade Agreement doesn’t specifically deal with ‘unaccompanied movements of road registered vehicles’, meaning that scooters transported by these means would be liable for tax and duty upon arrival in the EU. Another matter that needs clarification is the…

The exhibition explores the formation of the record label and examines its philosophy, political and social message, design and impact on the music charts of the day. It highlights the bands that were part of the label, focusing on The Specials, The Selecter and other ska-influenced bands such as Madness, The Beat and The Bodysnatchers. It also looks at 2 Tone’s continuing influence on music, fashion, politics and culture and includes interviews and quotes from original band members. The exhibition also features fashion items and memorabilia and culminates in an immersive 2 Tone experience celebrating the energy and legendary sound of the bands’ performances. Entry is completely free and due to the popularity of the exhibition the staff recommend arriving before 3pm to guarantee entry at the Herbert Art Gallery…

Name: Anthony Latcham. Job: Steel erector (supervisor). Scooter club & town: Two & Two Scooter Crew, Co. Durham. First interest in scooters: In 1978 when I was 16. I was walking back from the local disco and I saw some kids on scooters; they looked cool and I wanted one. First scooter: Li125 Series 2. Favourite style of custom scooter: 80s style. First ever rally: Scarborough in the early 80s. How did you get there: On my Li125. Favourite rally: Kelso. I love the ride up there, it’s a great atmosphere and everyone’s mainly in tents! Least favourite rally: Redcar 2016 or 2017. The wind was shocking, it just about blew everything down and everything had to be closed. Funniest experience involving scooters: About three years ago we were coming…

Name of scooter & reason: No name yet… so it’s just ‘Orange GP’! Scooter model: Italian GP200. Date purchased & cost: 2016 – £500 (frame only). Inspiration for project: To try and get in the 100mph Club! Time to build & by who: December 2020 to April 2021 by myself. ENGINE SPEC Kit: Casa 225. Crank: 62mm long stroke. Carb: 35mm Mikuni. Exhaust: AF expansion. Clutch: AF six-plate cassette. Gearbox: GP200. What brand of oil do you run: 4% Maxima Super-M (fully synthetic). CHASSIS SPEC: Tyres: S1 Michelin. Rims: Italian split. Suspension: Rear: Chiselspeed billet adjustable. Front: Tino Sacchi. Speedo: SIP. Cable brand: BGM. Seat: Scoots ‘n’ Soul (custom). Fuel tank & Tap: Diablo with fast-flow tap. Hubs: Rear: Scootopia. Front: Nissin. Brakes: Rear: drum. Front: Nissin hydraulic disc with…

There were two nightclubs in town, and we were regular visitors at both, mostly on Saturday nights. Normally we would ride into town, meet up in the Waggon before wandering over to Tiffany’s and, at the end of the evening, walk home. Occasionally though, someone would volunteer to drive because, although we were all scooterists, some of us were also car drivers. On this particular night I drove. I’d had a drink or two during the night and, at kicking-out time, returned to my car with four of my mates; they all left their scooters and I acted as club taxi. As you would expect, my mates could barely walk and wouldn’t have been able to say whether it was Tuesday night, or Wednesday breakfast time. On the drive home…

Name: Simeon Brown. Scooter club & town: Newbury, Berkshire. First interest in scooters: Early to mid-80s as a child/young teen. Used to see the older lads buzzing round town and liked the look, the sound and the smell of the two-stroke. Started secondary school in 1982 and was put in the same class as Ashley and the rest is history. The feeling has never waned. First scooter: Vespa 50 special. Bought when I was 15 for £105. Favourite style of custom scooter: Love a highly polished fat-arsed Vespa from the mid 60s, or 1960s full-bodied Series 3 subtle street racer. Not a fan of lights and mirrors (couple of well-positioned spot lamps possibly). First ever rally: First CCI Mod rally was Exmouth 1987. First NSRA rally was Margate 1989. How…

Name: Kevin Alexander. Scooter club & town: Eastbourne Coffin Dodgers. First interest in scooters: Riding a Lambretta Series 1 over the fields with my brother and his mates age 11. First scooter: Lambretta GP 125 skelly. Favourite scooter model: Series 2 Lambretta. Favourite style of custom scooter: Anything involving engineering. First ever rally: Isle of Wight 1984. How did you get there: On the GP125. Any funny stories: Escorted to rally site from ferry by two police bikes. They started at a nice pace but by the time we reached the rally fields were doing about 60mph where we all kept trying to overtake them! Favourite rally: Camber Sands... always had a friendly atmosphere and everything on one site. Least favourite rally: Morecambe... the walk up the hill to the…

Bim Skala Bim – Sonic Tonic (Specialized) Bim Skala Bim are almost the forgotten heroes of the American ska scene. Back when The Toasters were emerging on the East Coast and The Uptones on the West, and long before Operation Ivy burst on to the musical world, BSB were playing their take on the 2-Tone sound. A slower interpretation than other bands were using, and one more related to the Jamaican style than that of Britain, their style quickly got christened ‘Boston Bluebeat’ to differentiate it from the more frenetic sound played by many of the bands about at that time. This, their 13th album, continues the same hallmarked sound fans have come to know and love. More reggae than punk, although not afraid to step over that line,…

Name: Christian Wheeldon. Scooter club & town: Independent rider. First interested in scooters: In the mid-80s through my dad, Trevor who had Lambrettas in the 60s. First scooter: Lambretta Li150 S3 from MSC. Favourite scooter model: GT200. Favourite style of custom scooter: 1960s scooters with original accessories. Favourite rally: Untouchables Brighton August bank holiday in the 2000s when the weekend was a little more underground. Great people, memories, weather and choosing shoes to match outfits! Funniest experience involving scooters: Untouchables Brighton 2009. On a ride out to Beachy Head in a convoy with wife riding pillion. My scooter kept cutting out and we got left behind. I pulled over to investigate the problem, eventually realising the suppressor cap had become worn so every time we hit a bump or pothole…

Name: Peter Keeble. Scooter club & town: Tilehurst Scooter Club, Reading. First interest in scooters: School in the early 80s. First scooter: Vespa 50 Special back in 1984. Favourite style of custom scooter: To be honest I love patina. Also, some of the early paint jobs. I also appreciate scooters that folks put a lot of effort into. First ever rally: Skegness 1983. Favourite rally: I love the charity ones. I used to run Dubaid, a VW charity show, so I appreciate the work and effort that goes into these things. When people do it for a cause they tend to put more effort in. Take Rally On The Common, a small local rally well run, great bands, great banter and all the money given to worthy causes. I love…

Name: Axel Braun. Scooter club & town: Wild Hogs VC Wuerselen /Aachen. First scooter: In 1989, aged 15, I bought my first scooter, long before I got the driver’s licence for it. It was a 1978 V50 Special with a 102cc engine and Polini right-hand exhaust. Favourite style of custom scooter: My favourite style of custom scooter is the rat look. I like an underestimated style of impeccable working technology in combination with a neglected look. First ever rally: Must have been around 1989. I went to a Scooter Dive in Aachen with a couple of guys who became friends to this day. Name of scooter: Frankenstein. Scooter model: It’s a 1980 V50. Date purchased & cost: Bought an original V50 in 2018 for 1500€. Inspiration for project: I just…

Brussels’ Autoworld Museum marks Vespa’s 75th anniversary The Autoworld Museum in Brussels, home to one of the world’s largest and most prestigious collections on motoring history, recently celebrated Vespa’s 75th anniversary with visitors having the opportunity to admire 75 models of this iconic and much-loved two-wheeler. The exhibition was created to pay homage to the Vespa scooter marque, a symbol of Italian elegance. The exhibition showcased many rare models manufactured during certain periods in other European countries, including the MISA factory in Jette, Belgium, and in France, Germany, Britain and Spain. Vespa sidecar combinations and several Ape three-wheelers also featured. Nostalgic memories of St Helens SC Were you a member of St Helens SC back in the day? And more importantly, do you have any club-related pictures? We have a…

From the moment you walk through the doors and into Alan and Jane Smith’s house, it’s obvious that this couple are avid Lambretta enthusiasts; the signs are everywhere, from the memorabilia displayed on the walls to the scooters that adorn various rooms in their house – you can’t escape it! We’ve featured some of Alan’s scooters before in Classic Scooterist, but it’s his latest acquisition that has grabbed our attention this time around – a Lambretta TV200 (aka GT200) – which had previously been hidden away for many, many years. The scooter was originally registered with the Greater London Council on May 9, 1965, by dealer White & Mar tin, based in Southgate, London N14. The original logbook shows that it remained on their books until it was purchased by…

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 had an accident a year ago. My solicitor sent me to a medical expert who did a report saying I should recover from my back injury within four months. I am still having significant problems a year on. My solicitor is leaning on me to settle the case but I’m worried…

Name of scooter & reason: Torque of the Town. (It’s an original 80s custom). Scooter model: GP200. Date purchased & cost: First time in the early 80s. Second time 2009/2010. (£1800). Inspiration for project: The scooter already had a good foundation and I wanted to develop the paint and performance. Time to build & by who: Around six months by myself. ENGINE SPEC Kit: TS1 230. Crank: 60/110 AF. Carb: 35mm Mikuni. Exhaust: TSR Evo with CST end-can. Clutch: AF Road. Six-plate cassette. Gearbox: GP200. Porting work by: Chalky at Replay. Dyno power: 30bhp – 22ft-lb torque. What brand of oil do you run: 4% Maxima Super-M (fully synthetic). CHASSIS SPEC: Tyres: Mitas. Rims: SIP tubeless. Suspension: Rear: adjustable. Front: Atomic adjustable gas shocks. Speedo: Velocette. Cable brand: Chiselspeed (Nylon…

The Perseid meteor shower is visible during the pre-dawn hours in the Northern Hemisphere. During late July and early August, on a clear night it’s a wondrous natural display of shooting stars. Owner, Sim Brown, explains: “I’d made it known I was looking for a suitable older Vespa to add to the 1965 GL150 and Mk1 T5 that I owned at the time. I had a call from Doug, who now owns and runs Target Scooters, asking if I was available to look at a scooter which he thought I’d be interested in. As it turned out I was free, I’d taken the day off work having spent the previous night watching the Perseid meteor shower. I got there, saw the scooter, fell in love with it on the spot,…

Smallframe debate I would just like to point out a slight inaccuracy in the 90 racer article from the July edition. The VMA1T 125 Nuova does in fact have a short wheelbase the same as the SS90 and not the longer by 25mm or so of the VMA2T, as I have a VMA1 and VMA2. I’m also pretty certain the 90 racer uses a VMA1 frame and also has the smaller wheelbase the same as the 50 racer, but you never know with Piaggio anomalies and could just as well use a V90/100 frame. But what is fact, is the VMA1 is shorter than a VMA2. Cheers. Jonny Hi Jonny, Thanks for providing information about the differences of wheelbase dimensions between the VMA1 and VMA2 smallframe Vespas, of course the…

As with a lot of the people back then, our early introduction to scootering was via the film Quadrophenia and as with other parts of the country the West Midlands, specifically the Black Country, soon developed a thriving Mod and scooter social scene. The Midlands, much like the North, also had a large northern soul contingent and many of the older local scooter lads were into this too. In 1980 we had trekked up to Scarborough, and it has to be said… it was a bit of a poor weekend, with many of the lads sleeping in the van or out in the open (in a graveyard, believe it or not); when you’re young, needs must! We had heard of a rally, second hand, via another club, so the lads…

Christian Wheeldon is one of those lucky people who’s been brought up around scooters and the scene since he was born. “My amazing dad, Trevor, had scooters in the 60s, so I’ve always had a connection to them. As I grew up my interest developed and in the mid-80s I got my first scooter, a Lambretta Li150 Series 3 from MSC for £350.” Having been introduced to scooters through his dad it’s no surprise that Christian’s favourite style of scooters are 1960s classics with original accessories. But over the years, along with his dad, he’s owned numerous machines from full-bodied scooters to choppers! In 2000 Christian purchased his current Lambretta, an Li125 Special. “I bought it through a scootering sales advert from a fella in Whitby for £1100. It was…

Scooter Spec: Vespa GS. Scooter model: 1961 GS150 VS5. Inspiration for project: Around 10 years ago I came across a rare colour image of a GS in Ilford 1964. I loved the colours and accessories. Time to build & by who: Myself over a two-year period when I had the time and funds! ENGINE SPEC Kit: Standard. Exhaust: VMS Vintage Motor-Scooters, Derby. Gearbox: VMS Vintage Motor-Scooters, Derby. Tyres: Continental. Rims: Standard Piaggio (powder coated). Brakes: Standard. Describe engine performance and scooter handling: Runs and sounds sweet; very ‘revvie’ as with GS150s and quite quick. Top speed & cruising speed: Top: 60mph. Cruising: 45-50mph Paintwork by: A mate’s (late) father-in-law, Tony (about 5-6 years ago). Chrome by: Quality Chrome (all accessories and original brightwork). Tech tip or advice for anyone starting…

Name of scooter & reason: Heinz... it’s made up of so many different scooters and parts, definitely not one for the purists! Scooter model: MotoVespa GS 1967. Date purchased and cost: June 2019... too much money! Inspiration for project: I was talking to Doug, and he showed me something similar he had done. I liked the sound and how quick it moved so thought why not... I was only getting about 20-25mph when I bought it. Hardest part of the project: Finding someone reliable that knew what they were on about and trusting them to do the work. Tech tip or advice for anyone starting a project: Research, research, research, talk to the girls and guys in your local clubs. They will generally know someone local that is honourable. In…

Because of the way magazine deadlines work, it’s always a little strange having to reference something that hasn’t yet happened at the time of writing, but will likely have taken place by the time you read this editorial piece. This year’s IoW scooter rally is a case in point and it happens to be significant in many ways – not least because of the uncertainty of Covid, but also because it will be the first time this excellently run annual BSRA event will be taking place at a new venue (Sandown Airport). Because of that time difference between writing and publishing, it’s difficult for me to make any focused comments, so just to say I hope that you will have a good weekend (or have already had if you’re reading…