Innehållsförteckning för May 2022 från Scootering

There’s a small article in this month’s Kickstart that should give great hope to us all because sales of ‘L class vehicles’ (an industry term that covers motorcycles and scooters) are rising steadily. In the post-Covid world, packed public transport has lost its appeal and the only thing that’s certain about the future is that it’ll be more expensive. Families everywhere are looking at how to trim expenses and owning a second car suddenly looks like a luxury. Judging by the number of emails I’m getting from ‘normal people’ asking for advice, two wheels are seen as a real alternative and that’s where you come in. We all have our favourite scooters, the Vespa v Lambretta debate will never end and the auto v geared arguments show no signs of…

The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) has released the registration figures for the L-Category sector (Motorcycles, scooters and light three and four wheel motorised vehicles), showing an 81.7% increase in registrations. The most recent data covers the period ending February 2022 and shows 5212 machines being registered compared with 2868 in 2021. Although adventure bikes are once again building on the strong start to the year, with registrations ahead of 2021 by 138%, scooters are also performing well with 388 registrations in 2022, a 51.6% increase over the 256 scooters registered in the same period of 2021. Tony Campbell of MCIA said: “Against a lockdown of 2021, a year-on-year increase in registrations was expected. However, the sector is performing way beyond what we thought, and we do expect this trend…

For years I struggled along with one set of gloves; come rain, hail or sunshine they gave good service but in truth they were a massive compromise. I’ve previously mentioned how a set of heated gloves transformed my cold weather riding experience, and a set of summer gloves did the same for warmer weather. While opinions vary on the rights and wrongs of open faced helmets or wearing ‘safety shorts’, few experienced riders will be seen without a pair of gloves. In the event of a spill, hands are very vulnerable and even at low speeds tarmac just loves ripping that soft flesh from the heel of your palm. String back driving gloves may look cool, but they’ll do nothing to protect you from damage. Fortunately, as our selection illustrates,…

“…the 159cc Vespa Gran Sport is a mount for the scooter connoisseur. Like the girl in the sports car, she may need careful handling.” “One of those fabulous Italian gran turismo sports cars glides sleekly to the kerbside. A luscious blonde, who might have stepped straight from La Dolce Vita, smiles from behind the wheel… That little daydream, I think, is a fair parallel to the new Gran Sport Vespa. At first glance the cry is moto elegante! The handlebar layout, with not a wiring or control cable visible anywhere is surely the neatest in the business. Bulges of yesteryear have given way to a narrow, more streamlined chassis, with a completely redesigned engine-gearbox unit; and the opportunity has been taken to provide an extra 14cc of swept volume. Now…

Name of scooter & reason: Skyfall. It’s painted in Skyfall Silver. Scooter model: Vespa GS160 Mk2. Time to build & by who: Mr Martyn Drake of Anglia Scooters. About six months total. ENGINE SPEC Kit: Malossi Sport. Crank: SIP long stroke. Carb: SIP 26/26 G. Exhaust: SIP Road 3. Clutch: Pinasco Bull. Ignition: VAPE. Gearbox: Piaggio. CHASSIS SPEC: Tyres: CST whitewalls. Rims: SIP Tubeless. Suspension: SIP. Paintwork by: Dub Daddy Campers, Lowestoft. Thanks to: (Dealers, services, friends, etc.) Thanks to Martyn @ Anglia Scooters. Top guy and lucky to have him on my doorstep. Thanks to my wife for allowing me these little luxuries.…

The demise of scooters as a hobby has been forecast for at least 20 years, but Jay sees things differently. “The scooter scene is the best thing I’ve ever got myself involved in. From going for a Sunday run with a few mates or travelling down to the Isle of Wight, nothing can beat the feeling of being with a group of guys who all have the same interest and are out for a good time. I love the excitement the scooter scene brings, you never know what’s going to happen when riding an old two-stroke. “I think the scootering scene is looking promising for young riders like myself. I’ve started to see younger folk at events, which is good. I’ve often said ‘You’ll never understand it until you try…

Classic recovery Dear Stan, I have heard it reported that the AA sometimes will not turn out to a vehicle that is shown on their systems as having no MoT. With this in mind, and as a car mechanic is unlikely to fix a broken-down classic scooter at the roadside, what do your readers consider to be the best breakdown firm for ‘get you home’ breakdown cover? Robert Habens Hi Robert, That’s a very good question and one that few of us bother to ask until we’re arguing with the recovery service at the roadside. We contacted the press offices of all three major recovery companies and a selection of insurers, infer what you will about their customer service from the fact that only Lexham provided a response. Lexham’s sales…

Launched under Clement Atlee’s radical and reforming post-war Labour government, the National Health Service was drafted, blueprinted and presented by Health Secretary Nye Bevan. Officially starting life on July 5, 1948, it was an integral part of sweeping social changes arising from the ashes of the Second World War. During its history the NHS has adapted and changed to conditions in society but, arguably, its finest hour was during the Covid pandemic. Extraordinary efforts led to it being awarded the George Cross in 2021. Before commencing work on his next creation, a follow-up to his Freddie Kruger themed chopper, Andy Randall had been pursuing a few half-baked ideas as possible themes. The onset of the Covid pandemic, with the sheer unrelenting efforts of National Health Service workers, with double shifts,…

1. First of all, remove the horncast. 2. Once the horncast is removed, cut open the main wiring harness. Inside the rubber sheath you will need to find the grey wire. The grey wire gives power to the light switch. Normally the light switch runs on an AC power, but to fit the headlight correctly you will need to convert the power from AC to DC. 3. Once you find the grey wire cut the wire from the main harness, allowing enough of the grey wire to stretch over to the ignition switch. 4. The white wire from the ignition switch is a DC power source, which takes power from the battery to power the starter motor and horn. 5. Clip a scotch lock to the white ignition switch wire…

It’s Great Up North YSA Knaresborough to York pre-season rideout, Sunday, April 3, 2022 In the week before the rideout we’d had temperatures below zero, but a crisp spring day with a clear blue sky greeted the riders who made it to the event. I met a couple of pals early doors and we made our way to the start point at Knaresborough. Along the way my carb started to play up but with my scooter only just being set up that wasn’t too much of a surprise. An old-school roadside fix from one my pals along with a bit of feedback to ‘man up’ my riding style soon sorted the matter. When we arrived at Knaresborough there were already more than a hundred scooters in the car park and…

As we have reported on page 8, the BSSO family is currently recovering from the shock of Stef Manoli’s death at BSSO’s Round 2 meeting at Mallory Park on April 10. In that light, deciding how to cover the racing at Croft and Mallory has been a difficult decision. Having known Stef, I’m certain that he’d want us to carry this report on his and everyone else’s successes at Croft, which Paul had written up before the crash that claimed Stef’s life. But out of respect for everyone involved I’ve decided to postpone our coverage of the Round 2 meeting. Our thoughts are of course with Stef’s family and all those touched by the events at Mallory Park.…

After successfully downsizing and saving his business, Phil soon realised that he needed some kind of mechanical project to prevent him from going doolally during the lockdown-imposed isolation. THE MAN Phil, now 60, from Stafford, the principal town of the county of Staffordshire, began his scootering life back in the early 1980s as a member of the Stafford Scooter Club. His first scooter was a Vespa P200E which he passed his test on (the law at the time allowed provisional motorcycle licence holders to ride up to 250cc). Phil got into the scooter scene through his love for Northern Soul and the strong connection the town had with both the scooters and the music, bypassing the usual ‘Revival Mod’ induction and becoming a Scooter Boy more akin to what the…

✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@classicscooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408 The remains of the day It’s been almost a year since the passing of Bill Drake, one of the most informed individuals on the subject of the Vespa motor scooter in the UK. Unfortunately, he died intestate and for various reasons, it has taken this long for the scooter residues of his estate to come to auction; but now, that has finally happened. It must be said at this point that although Bill owned some very rare pieces of scooter history, in amongst all that, much of it has suffered from the ravages of time. CAVEAT EMPTOR The auction finally took place on March 22, 2022 with some interesting prices being achieved – although for…

Our saucy cover star says seaside like no other scooter could, while our Lexicon focuses on the LD150. Our rally coverage commences with reports from Whitby, Skegness, Tenby and the VMSC extravaganza. We’re also paying Richard Taylor of Granturismo a visit and Sarge discovers what Smeg, legendary frontman of King Kurt, has been up to. Get your grass skirt ready – whatever your interest we’ve got something for you in Scootering, the only magazine where you’ll find all aspects of the scooter scene in one place.…

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 arranged for me to see a GP who prepared a report. The report said I should have recovered within four months of the accident. I wasn’t and I am still struggling now. My solicitor wants me to make an offer to settle the…

It’s been a long time coming but the Heart and Stroke charity scooter is set to be raffled at Kelso this year. The list of companies involved in this project reads like a who’s who of modern scootering with contributions from Gary Seale, Cambridge Lambretta, Craig Hutchinson, K2 Customs, Oiltek, Casa Lambretta, Custom Lambretta Italy, Scooter Services Germany, Buzzsolomoto, Chiselspeed, Dave Mad Speed, Scoots and Soul, Ross Hasty, Scott Duran, Paul Hunter, AF Rayspeed and the team at Riding Dirty Customs. The project is the baby of Frank Fountain, himself a stroke survivor, and his desire to help the team that assisted with his recovery. The last few remaining tickets are priced at £10 which has to be the bargain of the century. More information can be obtained by contacting…

Best in Show: Nick Seymour Button Runner-up: Gina Guarnieri Scootering Magazine/Best Themed: Chris Shearman (Alice in Wonderland Darkside) Sponsor’s Choice: Charles Gough GCC: Nick Fallon Best Unrestored: Lee Wiltshire Best Custom: Chris Shearman Punter’s Choice: Lee Wiltshire Best Vintage: Gina Guarnieri Best Lambretta: Lee Wiltshire Best Vespa: Carl Grisley Best Restored: Stewart Rapp Non Categorised: Nick Seymour Button Dave Gold Memorial: Stewart Rapp Worthing Custom Show: Mark Kilshaw…

The excitement of getting your first scooter on the road was a feeling like no other. Having the freedom to travel without asking your parents for a lift was a major step towards independence but more importantly it meant being able to go to a scooter rally as part of the club. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter whether a scooter had a standard paint job or a superbly finished custom paint job, we all had one thing in common, the dreaded learner plate. There was no real way around having it unless you just didn’t bother, but that almost guaranteed trouble. In a time when the Old Bill was dishing out producers to scooter owners like confetti, discovery was inevitable, as was the subsequent fine. In an effort to minimise the…

If you’re riding on a CBT you’ve probably glanced, enviously, at the higher power end of the food chain. If the need for speed has you in its grasp you can’t just rock up at the test centre and pass over a brown envelope, no questions asked. No, sir. The powers that be have definitely curtailed that little avenue of pleasure. There are a couple of routes to access a scoot with a bigger bit of oomph. The first is simply kitting up to your chosen cc and riding it anyway. Of course that’s totally illegal, could ruin you and any insurance claim you may have to make or there’s option two. Or rather A2 and Direct Access. For both categories you must have a current CBT certificate and have…

We wouldn’t normally cover electric commuter scooters in Scootering but face facts, we live in abnormal times. I sincerely hope that by the time you read these words fuel prices are back to something like normality, but recent weeks have shown just how volatile fuel prices can be. Suddenly the second car doesn’t seem like such a great deal for commuting, but if we’re being honest with ourselves that TS1 race replica sitting in the garage isn’t going to cut the mustard either. They’re a long way from being long distance tourers but, for commuting, an electric scooter with their minimal running costs, ease of use and low emission zone exemptions have never made more sense. Whether you’re looking to cut costs or simply trying to persuade a relative about…

Please send your scooter pictures to: Show Us Your Scooters, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6LZ (include an SAE if you want your print returned) or email a HIGH RESOLUTION image to suys@scootering.com Least crap snap…

Name: Andrew Randall. Scooter club & town: Norwich. What was your first scooter and how did you first become interested in them: Vespa PK50 bought in 1988. What was your first or most memorable rally: Yarmouth 1988 was my first. Your favourite custom/featured scooter of all time: Favourite has to be the ‘other’ Captain Pugwash. What is your favourite style of custom scooter: I don’t have a favourite, as they’re all fantastic, I appreciate the work that has gone into all of them.…

The Lambretta front forks fitted to models from the Series 1 onwards were well designed by Innocenti, and perfectly adequate to deal with the stresses put upon them. More powerful engines mean that hydraulic disc brakes are routinely fitted and the extra forces exerted by them mean that forks require servicing on a more regular basis than their designers intended. Thankfully the makeup of the internal components is straightforward and the forks are easy to work on. How they work The centre fork stem connects to a U-shaped tube which houses the links on either side of the front wheel. Both sides have an internal spring that operates on the centre of the wheel link. The link pivots around a bolt fastened at the base of the forks with the…

In fairness this SX has been known to Giulio and Guido at Armando’s for some time. It’s only recently that they’ve persuaded the family who’ve owned it from new to part with the largely unmolested machine. Past Thanks to the family connection and a wealth of paperwork that accompanies it, Giulio is able to explain the machine’s history in some detail. “I was told about this SX over 10 years ago,” he began. “At that time its first, and only, owner was still alive and very much attached to it. He’d been born in Sicily but as was so common in post-war Italy, moved to Turin for work. This SX was first registered to him in Turin on November 11, 1967 and he kept it until his death a couple…

✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@classicscooterist.com ✉ mauspencer@classicscooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408 ☎ 01507 529408 Here by the sea and sand… On a warm summer evening in August 1968 riding my Vespa SS180 out in the front of 100 faces (well five actually), on the way to see Geno Washington in Brighton. Dressed in my Dunlop Green Flash trainers, Levi 501s and a Ben Sherman shirt (with the pleat ironed in) and of course, no helmet, I was the dog’s. As we stopped off en route to pick up more of our motley crew, I took a sharp right-hand bend too far to the right, but thankfully slowly in second gear, meeting a brand-new MGB…

In the early hours of Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Paul ‘Dixie’ King passed away peacefully in his sleep. Dixie was a well-known and loved scooterist who in 2019 had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was a loving family man who also loved his scootering family. Having received the diagnosis Dixie refused to give up on life; instead he saw it as an opportunity to help others, raise awareness and support brain tumour research. During his fight with the disease Dixie decided to write a book, My Pensive Moods, a collection of 57 poems about his family, his life, his thoughts and emotions, and of course scooters while he struggled with brain tumours. After Dixie’s passing, his wife Jules reached out to the scootering community and asked for people…

The new season’s upon us and the Scootering team’s going to be out and about at events both large and small. As an added incentive to say hello we’ve had some stickers printed. They may not be the prettiest we’ve produced but we think they’re the most practical. Designed to take the maths out of filling up your premix two-stroke, they’re sized to fit neatly near the filler cap of both Vespa and Lambretta scooters. We’ll also be dropping some off at selected dealers so there’s no excuse for missing out.…

The first Lambretta Luna/Lui/ Cometa line scooter I really took notice of was a custom bike that was on the rallies in 1981/82 called Bitter Fingers. I loved how different it was from every other custom scooter of the time. I first saw it at Scarborough and it blew me away. Bitter Fingers was finished in a dark metallic green with a mural on the legshields and was so different from any other custom scooter of the time. The Luis were also pretty scarce at rallies as their small capacities weren’t really compatible with rally going! Over the years I’d occasionally see one, but they never really properly caught on. Designed by Nuccio Bertone who was more used to designing cars, the machine was small and nimble and had (shock…

“….if you’ve a partner that needs a final, gentle, nudge towards the idea of taking a scooter trip in Italy, make them a present of at least one volume. If travelling with Matthew doesn’t convince them it’s a good idea, nothing will.” If Matthew Fort’s name seems familiar the chances are that at least one member of your family is a fan of the BBC cookery show The Great British Menu. Until recently Matthew was cast in the role of the jolly, avuncular judge with a love of puddings and a lack of tolerance for unnecessary fuss. In life he’s an accomplished writer, renowned food critic and is fanatical about all things Italian. In this trio of books Matthew journeys along the Italian mainland (Eating Up Italy), around Sicily (Sweet…

Name: Mathew Owen. Job: Company director. Scooter club & town: No club – Lowestoft. First interest in scooters: Revival era and Quadrophenia. Was only a young boy. Favourite style of custom scooter: Traditional early 60s Mod. Favourite rally: (& why) Brighton 2019 Quadrophenia Anniversary. First time in Brighton on my scooter, fantastic weather, great music events, great company, just a superb weekend all round. What do you like about rallies: I love the variety of people, scooters, fashions, music. It’s such a wonderfully varied scene. What would make the scene better: Some youth, but don’t see it coming, nothing to really attract them. Both the 60s and the revival scene were based around affordable adventure for teenagers. The scooter scene is now a far cry from that. What would make…

For Scootering readers who grew up in the 1980s, Vespa’s T5 defined an era. Love them or loathe them the Mk1’s angular lines were groundbreaking and its performance came as a surprise to many who believed that only 200ccs would do. Because it’s a machine that’s so engrained in Scooterboy culture it’s hard to accept how much time’s passed since the final Millennium models rolled off the production line. At the risk of violently ripping those rose-tinted spectacles off your face we’d like to introduce Jay Thompson. While it may come as no surprise that this young Scot wasn’t even a twinkle in his parents’ eyes when the T5 first went into production, it’s a sobering thought that as he nestled in his cot the youngest T5s were just being…

Refined Lambrettas Hello Stan. A thought occurred to me the other day and I’ll just pass it by you to see what you think. I remember there being an article in the scooter press, (back in the Seventies, I think) about a petrol refinery – Shell, probably – buying a large fleet of Lambrettas to enable the workforce to get around the huge site. I’ve forgotten all the details, but I wondered if this might just possibly be the origin of the Series 4 Lambretta? Could the Shell order have been fulfilled with ‘bitsa’ specials?? I think there were photos of the refinery scooters, which would help identify the model, if anyone has access to it. I wonder if anyone can shed any light on the refinery Lambrettas? I may…

Before we set off on our January club rideout, Richard said: “Who wants to go to Queenstown?” Well, I did, and so did Keith, Peter and Doug. Together we’re part of the Hobart Scooter Club, based in Tasmania’s state capital, a small but as dedicated a band of scooterists as you’ll find anywhere. By the time we’d had our lunch stop and eaten, we had dates for later in January and Richard had rung up and booked us all single rooms at the Empire Hotel in Queenstown, 260km away on Tasmania’s rugged West Coast. Summer is the best time of year to visit the West Coast. I’d never ridden there, and it had been on my riding bucket list for a while. The roads can be challenging with lots of…

Name of scooter (reason & inspiration): ‘A Kind of 70s’ is a play on words. I was born in 1977, the Sprint is built in 1975. So I’m a ‘kid’ of the 70s, and so is the Sprint. The design motto picks up on this, and Kind in German becomes ‘kind’ in English. In Germany we say: It’s ‘denglish’. The logo is graphically designed by a friend of mine. Scooter model: Sprint Veloce. Time to build & by who: We started in October 2020. First we exchanged ideas and then dismantled the Sprint in November. Oh my God, there was rust everywhere. The actual rebuilding began in January 2021. In the end it will have been a year. I did the complete disassembly and assembly myself including the engine, but…

There’s no doubt that the PX is a fantastic piece of kit but it’s not perfect. Whether commuting, touring or racing, its headlight has always been inadequate. Things did get slightly better when the factory upgraded to halogen, but LED technology arrived just too late for Piaggio to incorporate it in the final production run. Fortunately there are a number of conversions on the market and, if you know how, they’re incredibly easy to fit. In this article we look at fitting the Mota Nostra unit which is one of the most commonly encountered conversions on the market. Are they worth the trouble? Well, a standard halogen bulk will provide around 300-500 lumens. An LED unit registers more than 1000 lumens on low beam and around 1800 lumens on high…

As I sit here writing this editorial, the war in Ukraine (armed conflict or special military operation, depending upon your viewpoint) has reached the end of its first month. The death toll continues to rise daily with a lot of talk and rhetoric from all sides, but (at the time of going to press) very few visible signs of positive action towards peace. The normal folk of Ukraine, the innocent, the sick, the elderly and the children are enduring at the very least major upheaval and enforced disruption to their lives. For them it doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong, who started this and why. They just need this terrible needless war and the destruction and death to stop. I for one feel totally helpless, appalled and…

The owner (an old acquaintance) is one of those people who is very successful in finding two-wheeled bargains, but is clueless on the technical side of things and so, perhaps, might best leave vintage scooters alone on that simple basis. What he’d managed to talk someone out of this time and precisely why he’d found it necessary to ask for advice remained to be seen; so why was the old GS sitting on a trailer? The first query was explained away as the scooter was previously part of a collection of old cars and had been sold on as being out of place. Remarkably, and after a bit of totally unnecessary horse trading, the sale price went from a cheap/reasonable £1600 to a mere £1200 – a serious bargain. Not…