Innehållsförteckning för June 2022 från Scootering

Many Scootering readers will be aware of the media frenzy surrounding proposals to create new criminal offences relating to tampering with vehicles. After a petition opposing the anti-tamper proposals received more than 112,000 signatures, a debate was held in Westminster Hall on Monday, April 25. The response to the debate from Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) Trudy Harrison repeated the government line that there was no intention to prevent legitimate motorsport activities, nor prevent restoration, repairs or legitimate improvements to vehicles such as classic cars or motorbikes. “We don’t intend our proposals to negatively impact businesses involved in these activities either,” Ms Harrison stated. “What we intended to do with this is prevent tampering that can have serious health and environmental consequences.” The consultation received 7891 responses and the full…

Personally I rarely watch TV. I have no interest in viewing hours of mindless soaps or watching fame-seeking idiots on reality TV shows. But my phone app recently revealed just how many hours a week I spend on YouTube. Back in my formative years I remember being excited to see Channel 4 launched and the mind-blowing choice offered by four TV channels. Now, thanks to advances in technology and sites such as YouTube, there are literally millions of channels we can watch. Studying the data held on my app it came as no surprise that my watch history consisted mainly of channels devoted to scooters, cycling and coffee. I found myself thinking about why I spend so much time watching scooters and came to the conclusion that it’s only very…

It’s said that ‘If you can remember the 1960s, you really weren’t there’ and in truth the majority of Scootering readers were little more than babes in arms for most of the decade. Setting that fact aside it’s a decade that still fascinates a huge number of people. As a consequence, finding fresh material to document the era has become increasingly difficult. In this volume Stu demonstrates his uncanny ability to root out unseen images and provide detail on others that are better known. As this is published by Mortons, the parent company that owns Scootering, I was aware that it was in production and feared that it would simply be a rehash of the more popular images from Mortons archive. Not that there’s anything wrong with the archive, but…

Whatever may spark your interest, a trackday is the first step on the ladder. This month we are going through what it’s like to take part in your first trackday, and some tips to make the experience as enjoyable and safe as possible. First up, what is a trackday? In the most basic terms, you take your beloved bike/ scooter to a race track and thrash the nuts off it while grinning from ear to ear, safe in the knowledge there will be no speed cameras and no risk of losing your licence. Before the day The six Ps are in full effect here as ‘Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance’. Prepare your bike to the highest standard possible – the last thing you want is a mechanical failure, either…

It’s not unusual for the Scootering office to get a phone call from an excited car salesman informing us that they’ve just acquired a “lovely old Vespa” and asking if we’d be interested in featuring it. It’s not long before the salesman’s hopes of a little free advertising are dashed by the reality that they’ve bought a cheap Far Eastern restoration and far from being an earner, their showroom’s acquired a liability. When Jeff Lipman of First4Service rang us about a Lambretta they’d just restored I expected the conversation to go down the usual route. However, it quickly became obvious that his LD150 was a very different beast to what I’d expected. Based in Beaconsfield, First4Service is a small, independent garage run by petrolheads. While Jeff and mechanic John James…

Real speed? Hi Stan Love the magazine, especially the tech tips and ‘how to’ guides. So what is real speed? Is it the guy in the car park with his 225cc telling you he got 85mph the other day or the P200 that your mate clocked at 78mph? Or are we just dreaming about such speeds? Vespa and Lambretta speedos are totally unreliable and even with digital the pick-up is still off the wheel, so depending on set-up, tyre size and wear, these are still not particularly accurate. Add power to weight, with an 18st bloke on a modded scooter or a skinny on a street racer, it’s impossible to tell or judge. So could Scootering help by getting a trackday somewhere with some measuring equipment and put us all…

Although Geoff has a long-term relationship with these two Vespas, his riding career began on a Lambretta – a decision forced by Geoff’s father who wouldn’t allow him to ride a ‘proper’ motorbike until he had passed his test. Of course, as soon as he did, the Lambretta was sold and replaced by a motorbike. The motorbike gave good service but in 1963 Geoff’s ambitions turned towards four wheels and the motorbike was traded in as part exchange on a used car. There was however one flaw in this cunning plan: Geoff hadn’t yet passed his driving test. A cheap and cheerful ‘temporary’ mode of transport was required and this 1959, Douglas Vespa 125 was bought to fill the gap. Temporary measures The Vespa was in a sorry state, with…

Name of scooter (reason & inspiration): Beside the Seaside. Going to the east coast as a kid with my parents and looking around the curiosity shops and all the Bamforth naughty postcards. Scooter model: Started life as a ltalian GP125. Time to build & by who: Built by the brilliant Gary White (Darlington) who was mint to deal with. His attention to detail was mega and nothing was too much trouble (we were on the same wavelength). ENGINE SPEC (Please list all changes from the standard spec of the engine) Kit: Casa SST265. Frame spec: Paintwork & murals by: Carl Taylor (Eclat Detailing) did the main colour and lacquer, all the murals are by Colin Fitzgerald of The Garage Artwerks. Seat by: Asked Andrew Corcoran to build me a Snetterton…

In my quest to improve the all-round capability of my GTS, and learning a bit more about it as I go along, changing the rear shocks was high on my list of priorities. At only 10,000km the factory-fitted units were feeling a bit tired and any ripples in the road surface left it bouncing at the back for some time after. Having already changed the front shock for a YSS upgrade, I thought that a pair of the rear from the same manufacturer would probably be the best way to go. Like anyone, I did a bit of research on the internet, and it seems the way most people on YouTube do it is to disconnect the lower mounts and then hoist the rear of the scooter up to allow…

Happy times That’s me on the left, circa 1970. Great memories from times with great friends. John Danby Rhyl, 1968 The second home for Stoke Mods was Rhyl. Pictured above, left to right, are Len Hamilton, Malcolm Malpass and Micky Archer with the late Kevin Adnams as pillion. All of us were riding Li150 S3 Lambrettas. Good times. Len Hamilton Lens of Leeds A looking back in time picture from when Lens had a shop on Kirkstall Road. Leeds. Great days. Steve Turner Scooterist antics So you’re in Rhyl in 1987. It’s a Sunday morning and you’re getting ready to go home when someone finds a bit of rope and decides to tie you to a lamppost outside a church on a Sunday morning slightly before congregation time – oh…

Mick Lumb is one such creative enthusiast; he always makes me smile with his humour and we have so much in common looking for ways around fixing problems on our Lambrettas (most people I presume, would just go out and purchase the next ‘Carlos Fandango’ part to fit on their rides). Some years back, I did a feature on Mick’s Series 1 Lambretta which featured on the front cover of Classic Scooterist. The scooter was all his own work; a very classic 50s/60s racer look in green with clever use of spare parts he’d collected for the construction of his personal take on the scooters of that era. Mick works in the Channel Islands for months at a time and when he returns home he has plenty of time on…

I had an old Vespa 125 when I saw a lad in Clacton with a very stylish GS; mid-1963 I think? Got chatting, asked where he got it? “Eddy Grimstead mate – only place to go.” When I got home I looked him up in Scooter and Three Wheeler magazine. I must have phoned them, because when I went to the shop I knew I had to have my dad with me to sign the HP agreement. At the Burdett Road shop, Eddy was amazed that I’d come from somewhere 75 miles away and immediately nicknamed me ‘Ipswich’ (although he spelled it ‘Ipswitch’ on the HP form). The HP agreement was set up so I could go to an office near my workplace in Ipswich to pay the instalments. I…

We’ve a superhero on the cover with Batman’s incredible wasp-mobile from Germany, our Lexicon looks at the fascinating Vespa SS90, we’ve rally reports galore and for music lovers Rik brings us an exclusive interview with Roddy Radiation, arguably the most influential member of The Specials. It’s an interview I found fascinating, and I’m not even a big fan of the band! Nowhere else will you find all that’s best in the world of scooters in one place – and if you want to make sure of your copy there’s a fantastic subscription offer on page 50.…

Scooterists and chrome go together like apple pie and cream but it’s often a tense relationship. Acres of chrome look great at the custom show or at a club meet but the time spent cleaning before and after that rideout can often be a chore and that’s assuming you’ve managed to get parts plated in the first place. Dealing with panels that are 50 or 60 years old is far from straightforward when plating’s involved. If the surface isn’t perfect every blemish will be magnified and many platers can’t physically accommodate larger components such as frames. Fortunately there’s an answer and the man bringing it to the UK is Darren Rapley of Chromefast in Rayleigh, Essex. With more than 30 years’ experience in the world of automotive refinishing and a…

Maybe it’s because I’ve ridden there more times in snow than in sunshine but I’ll declare from the outset that Whitby is my least favourite event in the Nationals calendar. I’ve no idea why as it’s probably the prettiest of the east coast resorts and there’s no doubt that the locals have done a fantastic job of turning the town from fishing port to festival venue. Part of that transformation was building a dedicated convention hall and it’s at Whitby Pavilion that the National bases itself. As Stu and I were staffing the Scootering stall I cursed our luck as we drove the van over on Friday in glorious sunshine. It was a day made for riding and plenty of clubs were taking advantage of the scenery, with roadside cafes…

Refined Lambrettas Hi Stan In response to Gordon Eve’s letter in Issue 431 the answer is that the scooters were not Series 4 machines and were in fact GP125 scooters – 22 of them. The machines were part of a contract that Southampton Lambretta dealer Alec Bennett Ltd had secured with Esso to supply scooters for use at the Fawley Refinery. The GPs were all reported as being turquoise in colour and by 1969 there were a total of 150 Lambretta scooters on the site. In respect of the Series 4 Li125 none of these (as far as we know) ever reached our shores in the 1960s. We have copies of Innocenti homologation paperwork which details the Series 4 Li125 showing that the factory was clearly keen to launch a…

Is it really four decades since the Eighties? A time when quiffs were impossibly high, grass skirts abounded and primal psychobilly beats provided the soundtrack for slamdancing melees at scooter rallies across the nation? While they can’t claim exclusive rights to promoting the popularity of flat top haircuts and grass skirts, there’s no doubt that King Kurt were one of the most influential, and memorable, bands of that era. Their music and stage presence found a sizable following among the scooter scene, with their admirers including an all-girl scooter club, Alcoholic Rats SC, whose members sported an exclusive T-shirt designed by King Kurt’s sax player Maggot. This year, 2022, marks the 40th anniversary of the release of their debut single, Zulu Beat. As part of the celebrations to mark that…

Name: Nick Hull. Scooter club & town: York, York Wasps. What was your first (or most memorable) rally/ event: York Scooter rally at Cliffords Tower in 1979 as a 14-year-old in awe of all the scooters at the rally. If you had to recommend one scooter part or item of riding kit what would it be: The Casa front disc – just hoping it’ll stop the SST 265!! Your favourite custom/featured scooter of all time: The scooter that got me interested in scooters again was ‘War Bird’, painted by Col Fitzgerald at The Garage Artwerks. I saw it for sale on eBay, googled Col and spoke to him about my ideas before I bought a scooter. What is your favourite scooter model: GP and Spanish Winter model. What is your…

Although Richard made his name with the GT186 kit, it’s the GT240 and 250 conversions that cemented his reputation for building bombproof touring engines. In contrast to the outsourced Simonini used on the 266 demonstrator this is an entirely ‘home-grown’ design that’s cast in iron. These are long stroke/big bore versions of the GT200 kit, the extra 10 ccs of the 250 coming from a 64mm crank, a 1mm head gasket and a shortened piston. Dependent upon the type of exhaust fitted the 250 typically produces bhp figures in the mid to high 20s but at a comparatively ‘lazy’ rpm. From start-up this sounds much more like a traditional kit than the Evo. It’s very pleasant to ride in traffic with no real vices. Even though Richard had warned me…

The clutch’s job is to disengage power from the engine drive to the transmission. It’s a component that endures a huge amount of stress and is regarded as a ‘consumable’. The standard factory clutch in a Lambretta copes perfectly well, but it is a ‘consumable’ component that, over time, will require servicing or overhauling. With the correct tools, it’s a job that any owner can carry out but there’s more to it than simply changing the friction plates. When should you do it? A clutch can operate without any maintenance for thousands of miles. The usual sign that things are starting to go wrong is that it starts to slip when the engine is under acceleration or starts to drag when holding the engine in first gear before pulling away.…

Vietnam Vespa Day As Stan knows from his epic trip to Vietnam there’s a healthy scooter scene out here and on Saturday, April 24 we held our first ever Vietnam Vespa Days. The action took place at the Phú Tho Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and saw a healthy selection of modern and restored Vespas, together with the odd Lambretta thrown in for good measure! If anyone wants to experience something completely different, please drop us a line at Saigon Scooter Centre; we run a number of tours taking in the best that Vietnam has to offer and you’ll always be guaranteed a great welcome at our newly opened Scootacafe. Pat and Linh Whitby kebab Here I am at Whitby scooter rally, though not many of us went…

✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@classicscooterist..com ☎ 01507 529408 Scooterotica dyno centre reopens! Co-founder of Scooterotica online forum and scooter garage, Dan Clare, is now back at the helm of his busy North Yorkshire scooter garage once more. Since February 2016, Dan had closed the doors of his engine building and dyno tuning business in Ripon to take up the mantle of editor at Scootering magazine. In more recent times, Dan passed the baton for that dream job on to his trusty colleague, Stan, and has now returned to his roots at the garage. Dan tells us: “It’s great to be back, hands-on, doing what I love best… building scooter engines, tuning cylinders, and setting up scooters on the dyno.” The garage also offers a…

Graham has kindly given us a signed copy of his book. To stand a chance of winning it, correctly answer this question: IN WHAT YEAR DID GRAHAM PURCHASE HIS FIRST SCOOTER? The first correct answer emailed to mauspencer@classicscooterist.com on or after May 26, 2022 will be deemed the winner. Competition closes 23.06.22. There are no cash alternatives available. Terms and conditions apply. To view the privacy policy of MMG Ltd (publisher of Classic Scooterist) please visit www.mortons.co.uk/privacy…

If you attended the VMSC Extravaganza at Ryton-on-Dunsmore (see Scootering report on pages 38-40), you couldn’t have helped but notice one particular club stand that enthused everything Mod from both the past and present. As the Collibosher SC banner states “It’s a Mod thing” – and for club members it’s always been that way. The club was first formed back in the 1980s and a special mention must be made to some of those original members who are still around today with Disco Dez, Howard Gibson and Carl Penn being worthy of getting a special mention for their involvement at the time. Fast forward in time to 2022 and the future of the club is now in the hands of original club member, Darren Carey, ably assisted by his partner,…

In this, the latest in his series of monographs featuring various Lambretta models, Stuart Owen examines the holy trinity of 200cc Lambrettas. Stu is well-known to Scootering readers and his Lambretta History series of books have so far documented Innocenti scooter models from the Series 1 through to the Grand Prix. His latest book The Evolution of the Lambretta 200 is the first book ever to compare the three flagship Innocenti-made models side by side. Unquestionably all three of Innocenti’s 200cc scooters are among the most sought-after models made by the Milan factory during the 60s and very early 70s. Yet until now, there hasn’t been a single definitive volume that examines the trio in detail. When Innocenti launched the Series 3 TV175, the company believed it had produced the…

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 just bought a scooter with just an offside mirror. My mate says I have to have two mirrors on it or it will fail its MoT. Do I need to put one on? A. The rather surprising answer (to me anyway) is that your mate is wrong. You aren’t actually…

One thing you could guarantee about Norman was his unshakeable belief that he knew everything about scooters, whereas the rest of us were in agreement he knew naff all about them. Even when it was as clear as daylight that he was making a mistake, no one dare mention anything. If they did then whatever implement he had in his hand would be launched at your head at lightning speed. So famous were his calamities that once news spread that he was stripping a scooter down on the drive it was a race to get around there as fast as possible so we could watch the drama unfold. Due to his work commitments, Norman only got the chance to tinker with scooters on a Sunday but what the hell, it…

Best Vintage in Show: Lee Maxey – Lambretta GT200. Best Custom in Show: Gary Wickham – Lambretta ‘Breaking Rocks in the Hot Sun’ (GP240). Lambretta Series I, II & Slimstyle: Lee Maxey – Lambretta GT200. Lambretta Other Models and Luna Range: Brian Clough – LD Riviera. Vespa 1946-1970: Mike Barbieri – GS150. Vespa 1970 Onwards: Richard Vickary – Vespa 125 Super. Made in Britain Excl Douglas: Alan Mills – DKR Manx. Rest of World Excl Above Classes: Rob Miller – Ducati Cruiser. Vintage First Time Shown: Lee Maxey – Lambretta GT200. Best Vintage Paint: Alan Mills – DKR Manx. Unrestored: Simon Neale – Lambretta LD. Best Road Legal: John Churchill – Durkopp Diana. Custom Lambretta: Gary Wickham – ‘Breaking Rocks in the Hot Sun’ (GP240). Custom Vespa: Darren Simmonds –…

It’s a hard life but someone has to do it, otherwise how would we know what to say about the current Piaggio range? On the face of it there’s little to report on; three years of Covid-induced stagnation hasn’t helped any manufacturer to thrust product development forward. However this isn’t just about selling the GTS, it’s an opportunity to try things outside the norm. Although I resisted the opportunity to take out a Moto Guzzi tourer or hurt myself on an insane Aprilia road racer there were still some surprises to be had. Here’s my take on the current Piaggio scooter range. Vespa Elettrica In brief With around 150 examples of this electric powered moped finding their way on to British roads since its launch in 2018 it’s fair to…

The last time I spoke to Richard, the first Granturismo casings were being machined ready for sale and he was working on a monster 266 conversion based on the Simonini Evo barrel. This is a well proven Nikasil aluminium unit that’s most commonly mounted to paragliders, and is used to running for long periods. It has a 73.8mm bore and when matched to one of Granturismo’s casings it uses 64mm stroke and typically generates around 35bhp, depending on the type of exhaust fitted. The most distinctive part of the kit is the carb location, the cut-out being around halfway down the right-hand panel. The test ride was conducted on Richard’s development scooter and frankly I’ve never seen so many gauges on a Lambretta – ever. Having kicked the motor into…

1. Best in Show: Lambretta hybrid – Evolution 2. Best Custom Vespa: P200e – Clockwork Orange 3. Best Vespa: The General 4. Best Custom Lambretta: Discworld 5. Best Lambretta: GP200 RS Type 6. Best Engineering: Lambretta hybrid – Evolution 7. Best Cutdown: Vespa – Silent Scream 8. Best Street Racer: Lambretta Li Series 2 Custom Lambretta Garage 9. Best Automatic/Hybrid: Lambretta hybrid – GPTS 10. Best Chopper: Vespa GTS300 11. Best Mod Style: Vespa Johno 12. Best Restoration: Lambretta Series 2 Rallymaster 13. Best Paintwork/Mural: Lambretta GP200/RB252 – Killer Clowns 14. Punters’ Choice/Phill Robinson memorial trophy: Lambretta GP200/RB252 – Killer Clowns…

Forever associated with Al Capone, Chicago – also known as The Windy City – is the hub of Midwest America and a city of great contrasts. Situated on the shores of the massive freshwater Lake Michigan, you’ll recognise its skyline which you’ll have seen in countless movies, but it also has miles of sandy beaches and enormous parks. In the UK we tend to associate the US with muscle cars, pick-up trucks, huge gas-guzzling motorhomes, Harley-Davidsons and the like, but hold on a tick. There’s always been a scooter scene over there, admittedly, quite different from ours, but a scene nonetheless and one of the chaps that’s been involved with it for a good while is Ken Kolanowski, an ex-United States Air Force jet engineer, who is now the general…

If you haven’t heard, my journey home from Whitby National Scooter Rally was eventful after I ended up being hospitalised by a motorist turning across my path, catapulting me on to his roof, then driving on until challenged by a member of the public – at which point, he braked and shot me off the roof and down the road like a torpedo. The good news (if you can call it that) is that after spending a Saturday night under observation in a Lincolnshire hospital A&E department having various X-rays and a CT scan, the doctors gave me a pair of crutches and kicked me out, amazed that I’d survived the crash without major injuries. The bad news is that the Vespa I was riding was a total write-off, although…

At the time of writing this, Whitby has just been and gone in the blink of an eye and the much-awaited long and sunny Easter weekend was over far too quickly. I’d met up with editor Mau at the Saturday parts fair and as usual we had the north/south banter before we said our goodbyes. What a shock it was then to find out later that he’d been involved in a serious accident while riding home to Lincolnshire. The ‘Sword of Damocles’ that hangs over any scooter rider’s head had finally swung down and caught him. Thankfully though (praise be to Allah, Buddha, God, Paul Weller or Tony Benn; whoever your god may be), Mau is still here, a little broken, bashed and bruised, but thankfully still here. Bless his…

Along with the stunning good looks of the Rally, these new machines were to greatly benefit from the new rotary valve engines, with a 200cc version being offered for the very first time. Add to this the new electronic ignition and the company had hit the jackpot, from a design perspective anyway. 50TH CELEBRATION YEAR As previously documented in earlier issues of the magazine, the Rally 200 turned 50 this year, so what a perfect opportunity to unveil your long-term build project to the scootering world. Paul Byrne, now 48 and from Laois in the Republic of Ireland, first got into the classic Lambretta and Vespa scene some 20-plus years ago now after falling in love with the machines he’d seen riding about. He just thought the sound, smell and…

✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@classicscooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408 Striking a chord Hi Mau, Catching up on past issues – I’m up to December 2021 – and there’s a pictorial report from Rob James showing pictures from Morecambe in 1983 with a request for further information should any pictures ‘strike a chord’. The first picture (top left on the first page) is of two young lads, Eddie and Jez. Both of them come from Coalville and we had, and still have, a thriving scooter scene at the time. In 1983, we all travelled to Morecambe together, including, if memory serves me right, several ‘nifty fifties’, backed up by a van for the inevitable breakdowns. Jez was about 19 at the time, the same as me,…

The day of the event turned out to be glorious and around 200 bikers and scooterists came along and took part. Riders gathered at the Eye of York before the event which took a journey through North Yorkshire to Castle Howard, Hovingham, then on to the final destination at the Mended Drum in Huby. The run was started by the Lord Mayor of York and the civic party who were assisted by the club resident, Normandy veteran Ken Cooke, aged 96. The event raised more than £1000 for the Magnolia Centre at York Hospital and the ride was in memory of Anne Platt and Michaela Dobson, two great supporters of the club who sadly died of cancer during the pandemic. A minute’s silence was held in their memory and for…