AR

Candy Chris Pope

SPECTACUL paint jobs: & The
Chords UK
SPECIAL 10-PAGE all you need
ISLE OF WIGH to know interview
T
ALLY REPORT
FEATURE

#364 October 2016

INSIDE

ADORED
Magnificent
Stone Roses
custom Lambretta

NEW VESPA
TUNING
TV175
CRIME SCENE
& UPGRADES LAMBRETTA
MEGA-FEATURE! EXCLUSIVE
Blackpool Lambretta Owners Club ■ Stu Owen al
PLUS

maintenance ■ Rally report: Mersea Island ■ Weston on

Trent ■ York SC Breighton Ferry ■ Sidewinders ■ BSSO
race reports ■ Events Guide ■ Scooter Trader and more…
 WELCOME
Editor: Dan Clare
Welcome to the October
Email: dan@scootering.com
Publisher: Steve Rose
Designer: Charlotte Turnbull
Picture desk: Paul Fincham and
edition of Scootering
Jonathan Schofield Finally it’s started, albeit only three pages, prospect of spending my days fitting new
Production editor: Dan Sharp
General queries and back issues: but it’s started… the new Vespa tuning and tuning items, measuring before and after
Tel: 01507 529529 24hr answerphone upgrade section! It’s been on the cards for figures, road testing and reporting couldn’t be
Email: help@classicmagazines.co.uk months now but there’s been so much going more appealing. I’m sure the information we
www.classicmagazines.co.uk
Archivist: Jane Skayman on we’ve not had time to collect the necessary convey will help you guys out there decide
Tel: 01507 529423 scooters, components and data until now. what bit n’ pieces you might like to fit or
Email: jskayman@mortons.co.uk It’s been noted that the magazine has been upgrade on your own machines too.
Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see
page 68 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc ‘Lambretta heavy’ for the past few editions, It won’t just be tuning items either; we will
post and packing) – UK £49.20. Export rates which is not something we planned, it’s just cover as much stuff as we can, from racks
are also available – see page 68 for more happened to work out that way with the and luggage, to speedos and sat-navs – this
details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for
the purposes of Value Added Tax. volume of stuff coming in. month’s introduction starts on page 114 if
Customer services number: 01507 529529 So although we’ve wanted to get more you want to get stuck straight in.
Telephone lines are open: Vespa items in sooner, it’s a bit like turning a Vespa upgrades aside, the month has been
Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm
Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm big ship around – these things take time. But as hectic as ever, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the
Distribution: Comag, Tavistock Road, the good news is, it’s started, and it’s 10-page IOW special, and the abundance
West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE
Tel: 01895 433600
something I’m passionate about. I’m a tuning of other rally reports we’ve put together for
Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons, enthusiast through and through, so the you; nine different events are covered in this
Wolverhampton issue alone. We have six lovely feature scooters
Subscription manager: Paul Deacon
pdeacon@mortons.co.uk
lined up, my favourite being the cover scooter
Circulation manager: Steven O’Hara ADORED – not only because I’m a Stone
sohara@mortons.co.uk Roses fan, but also because of the fabulous
Marketing manager: Charlotte Park
cpark@mortons.co.uk airbrushing from Garage Artwerks and the club
Publishing director: Dan Savage setting for the photoshoot. It all makes for a
Commercial director: Nigel Hole great feature. The usual suspects have got
Associate director: Malcolm Wheeler
some interesting columns this month too,
SCOOTERING (USPS:020-245) is published although Bodger seems to be unusually
monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO unhappy this month. I’m sure you’ll see what I
Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ
USA subscriptions are $60 per year from mean. Anyway, it all adds up to another belter.
Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N Enjoy the issue.
#441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage Dan
is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
SCOOTERING, c/o Motorsport Publications
LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921.
715-572-4595. chris@classicbikebooks.com
SCOOTERING is published by:
Mortons Scooter Media, a division of
Mortons Media Group Ltd © 2016 All rights
reserved. No part of this magazine may be
reproduced in any way without the written
permission of the publisher. ISSN 0268 7194
TRADE ADVERTISING
Gary Thomas – gthomas@mortons.co.uk
Tel (01507) 529417
Emma Buxton-Rockley –
ebuxton-rockley@mortons.co.uk
Tel (01507) 529410
Divisional ad manager: Martin Freeman
T H I S M O N T H ’ S S C O O T E R I N G M AG A Z I N E WA S
01507 529538, mfreeman@mortons.co.uk B RO U G H T T O YO U W I T H T H E H E L P O F. . .
ADVERTISING DEADLINES
The advertising deadline for the
next issue of Scootering (November 2016) Nik Skeat Sarge Dave Oakley
is Thursday, October 6, 2016 Brilliant Key player in the Resident nostalgia
On sale in newsagents
Thursday, October 27, 2016 beer-brewing Scootering master, bringing
bearded feature editorial team the old school
Free ads, personals, club do’s & events
These are all to be booked via the website at writer. since the 80s. scooters back.
www.scootering.com or via post to:
Scootering Magazine, PO Box 99,
Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ
Stan the man Jordan Lewis Paul Green
The next free ads deadline is Rally going, roving Yoof kulture, BSSO race
Thursday, October 6, 2016
reporter and representing the enthusiast and
newshound. Young Guns. general good egg.

Stuart Owen Kris Green Darrell Taylor

Member of the
Professional
Publishers' 100mph Lambretta Mental scooter Lambretta tuning
Association
Club... nuff said. mechanic, engineer, guru and very
Having trouble finding a fabricator, painter nice chap.
copy of this magazine?
Why not Just Ask your local newsagent
and builder.
to reserve you a copy each month?
 CONTENTS
03Letter from the editor
A warm welcome to
October Scootering.

06 Kickstart
108Tech Torque
Stu Owen looks at cable
routing and set-ups in this month’s
Essential Maintenance. 42
The front section with latest news,
views and product reviews! 114Tech Torque
Dan starts the new and
ongoing Vespa tuning and upgrades

14Adored – custom scooter

Beautiful Stone Roses custom
Lambretta.
section – this month kicks off with
PX125 exhaust upgrades.

22 Rally report
BSRA – Isle of Wight – 10 page
118Tech Torque
Bang for Buck tuning: Part 6 of
the SIL200 tuning developments – this
special feature. month long-stroking the Lambretta.

33Letters
Feedback and full throttle
responses from the readers.
121Scooter sprinting
enters a new era
Darrell Taylor on sprinting shenanigans.

34Rally report
Weston on Trent – Stan’s wet
WOT rally report.
125BSSO 2016 #7
Thrills and spills at Croft – plus
Petrol & Pistons report.

47Dealer spotlight
This month we look at the
‘Ultimate’ dealer – CamLam.
131Scooter Trader
Your sales and classifieds
section – including Specialist Services &
at a glance.

52Crime Lord – custom scooter 144An interview with Chris

In or out of the ring, this beast
is a knockout. Pope
Nik speaks to Chris Pope, former guitarist

58Painting by numbers
Part 6 of our paintjob guide – like
and song writer with The Chords.

taking candy from a baby!

146 Into The Sunset
Another amusing scooter story

66Show us your scooters

The best of the rest from readers’
stunning rides.
from the past.

70Club Focus
Blackpool Lambretta Owners Club.

73The bag snatcher and

the brunette
Christian Giarrizzo delves into the murky
past of a TV175 getaway vehicle.

78Club Do’s & Events

Your essential guide to the scene
– What, Where & When!

95Scootering Words & Sounds

The best of words and music as
reviewed by Nik & Sarge.

98Brighton Mod Weekender

Sarge reports on one
special weekend. 121
from only
Never miss an issue £20
Subscribe today on page 68

4 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

102 144

22
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 5
 KICKSTART
LAMBRETTA RACING AT:
SAN REMO XXVII
T
he San Remo
XXVII held on
September 3-4
was a great
opportunity for
everyone to get their classic
race machines out and actually
ride them on the road as
competitively, if desired, and
as fast as they wanted! In Italy
the law is strict on bikes and
scooters when it comes to
modifications, racing, and
noise so some of these
machines rarely see the
light of day.
For the visitor it was an
opportunity to get up close and
personal with some historic
dream machines of yesteryear
and their riders. The event in
the past has drawn some real
historic names such as
Agostini, and this year was
6 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
no exception with Freddie
Spencer and Michael Redman
in attendance.
This year also brought out
some historic race winners such
as TT winning Manx Nortons,
MV Agustas, Ducatis, and even
a few classic Yamahas and
Hondas! The oldest bike raced
was a 1924 Terrot, however
the majority were from the
1950s and 60s.
Not to be outdone, four
serious Italian Lambretta
owners brought their original
1950s Model D racers. From
left to right in the line-up were
Gerardo Villani, Luigi
Montrucchio, Luigi (Gigi) Bisio,
and Sandro Di Girolamo. Now
these beautiful old machines
are not slugs! For example
despite only being 125cc they
can reach 120kph – about
72mph! Modifications include
10in wheels, Dellorto SS30
carbs, aluminium barrels,
performance exhausts, race
cylinder heads and 12 litre
aluminium petrol tanks. They
can pull about 9000rpm.
One of the scooters, number
11, was owned from new by
Luigi (Gigi) Bisio’s father who
was the Lambretta dealer in
Alexandria which is just north
of Genoa. Gigi was kind
enough to show some fab
original pictures from ‘back in
the day’ of his father racing!
These guys were so full of
passion and love for their
bikes, but we’re also really
keen to share the joy. Proper
gentlemen!
Okay so no races were won
by the scooters as they were
up against a large field of all
motorbikes, but they certainly
raised a few eyebrows and
brought smiles to all. Thanks
to the Italian Lambretta team
for their warm hospitality!
Molto Grazie!
 TOM ASHE REMEMBERED Imminent rally,
ride and race dates
Scooterists from as far After relocating to Tom will be sorely October 1
afield as the West Midlands Weymouth with the love of missed, by his family, the Ride to the Wall
travelled to Weymouth on his life Dawn and their son world of scootering and the www.ridetothewall.org.uk
July 15, to pay their Thomas, it wasn’t long sport of Thai boxing. In the October 1
respects at the funeral of before Tom became a words of a friend: “Tom PSL Open Day with Harry Barlow
Tom Ashe, highly regarded popular figure in South West was, and still is, one of the and Davy’s Scooters
member of the Dorset scootering circles. Whether most inspirational people Kirby, L33 7UY
Lowriders. Tom passed away by GP, GTS or his favourite I’ve ever met.” Dyno, trophies, BBQ, music,
on June 25, after a period Spanish GS, distance was no Various events have been raffle, 12-5pm. Ride in from The
of illness which he faced object when it came to held to raise funds for Game Bird, Eccleston on A580 at
with typical humour and attending a rally- so long as charity including a Skipton 11.30am
inner strength. Originally a drinking game followed! to Exmouth cycle ride which www.pslresto.co.uk
from the West Midlands, Tom’s other passion was has raised over £2000 to October 2
Tom was a Mod at heart but Thai boxing and as a date. Anyone wishing to Wicksteed Parts Fair
loved all aspects of gifted trainer he had the donate in his memory may Kettering, Northants NN15 6NJ
scootering, being Number ability to make even the do so to The Brain Tumour Kev Walsh: 07966 265588
One of the Birmingham least talented student feel Charity via their JustGiving Email: lcgb2@blueyonder.co.uk
E-Types in the 1980s. positive about themselves. or MyDonate pages. October 6-8
Scootermanics SC Annual Do
Queens Hall and Old Ship Aground
HYDRA FRONT DISC www.facebook.com/
ScooterManiacs
Newly arrived in the UK is the latest offering Retailing at around £560 complete, it October 28-30
from Tino Sacchi: his long awaited Lambretta offers a competitively priced, high quality, Bridlington, National Scooter
‘Hydra’ hydraulic disc brake conversion. modern and ready to fit unit that’s certain to Rally #9
Having been in development for the last 18 prove popular with Lambretta owners.
months this Italian cast inboard disc unit is (Photo courtesy of Armando’s – Sheffield).
a visual copy of the original Italian item, but
updated for modern use. News in brief
Featuring a remote hydraulic cylinder Dyrons going strong
housed in a weatherproof cover to be after 45 years…
mounted on the frame tube, it requires no In our August edition we mentioned
modification to the headset, retains standard that Chiselspeed moved into the old
cable routing and is also fitted with a switch Dyrons/Ron Harvey East Street shop
that activates the brake light when front after it closed. Dyrons are of course
braking is applied. Supplied complete with still trading in Leeds at 412 York
spindle, seals, bearings and plastic windows Road. They remain a very active
it will suit any Lambretta forks that are fitted Piaggio dealer and this year
with disc brake type links. celebrate 45 years trading!
www.dyronsmotorcycles.co.uk
T H E G R E AT R AC E T R AC K I N T H E S K Y
Euro Lambretta 2017 – fears
The BSSO and Scooter Racing community are over venue are allayed by
mourning the sad loss of BSSO ex-champion Lambretta Club Italy
James Campen. James passed away recently Recent news of problems at the
aged just 48. He was well known for his Adria Raceway caused concern
super stylish riding style. He has been racing and confusion on the web, as to
scooters for many years and with the whether this would affect the Euro
Performance Tuning team became a BSSO Lambretta event that is scheduled
Group 4 champion in 2012. He had recently to be hosted there in 2017.
been racing a Scomadi in the 2016 season Thankfully, Lambretta Club Italy
and his unique style was always brilliant to has stepped in to make a formal
watch. In addition to circuit racing James press release on the matter and has
also occasionally competed in sprinting announced that the event at that
aboard the Cambridge Lambretta sprinter venue will proceed as planned, the
taking it well over 100mph. Euro remains unaffected and that
James was always competitive whether Lambretta Club members can
riding on the track or the roads but not at the proceed with bookings.
expense of keeping a smile on his face and F&M S.r.l. who operate Adria
was always ready to talk entertainingly and Raceway also announced: “We can
have a laugh with his fellow competitors and inform you that the race track is in
friends. James will be sorely missed within full swing and all scheduled events
both the racing and road communities. are confirmed.”

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 7
 KICKSTART
Product spotlightt
NEW AF MAMMOTH HEAD
These new mammoth
Lambretta heads from AF
Rayspeed are a direct
replacement for the standard
sized cylinder heads but offer
a significantly larger heat sink.
The improved cooling results in
a lower running temperature.
This has offered an
increased safety margin to help
engines better resist seizure in
adverse conditions. AFR noted
on servicing engines fitted with
these heads that top ends are
cleaner and in better condition
than their counterparts. They
attribute this to the two-stroke
oil benefiting from the slightly
lower running temperature.
The head will initially be
available to suit 200cc (66mm),
225cc (70mm) and 250cc
(72mm). A small block variant
for the RB20 will follow soon.
The main design features
of the New AF Mammoth Head
in comparison to a standard
head are:
1: Significant increase in
the surface area for heat
transfer. More and larger fins
with fins on the underside of
the head as well.
2: Holes between the fins
around the circumference of
the head to improve air flow.
3: Around 67% increase in
the mass (880g to 1470g)
over a standard 200 head,
making the head more
thermally stable.
4: Temperature sensor
mounting point cast in to
the head, to suit SIP/KOSO
type sensors.
5: Cut away section to allow
a standard clubman to fit
with the bigger head.
6: Combustion chamber
designs optimized to 7000rpm
with compression ratios of
10:1 with a 1.2mm squish
clearance. Alternates are
available through machining.
These heads are obviously
not a necessity as engines
without these heads have
been, and continue to be
reliable. However they do
improve the cooling in an engine from a seizure and
comparison to the standard will improve the performance of
head which leads to a typical the two-stroke oil.
20ºC to 40ºC drop in running
temperature, and an improved AF Rayspeed
resistance to sudden changes Tel: 01944 710693
of temperature. This may save Email: af@rayspeed.demon.co.uk

FAST FLOW TAPS FOR NEW QUALITY LAMBRETTA

HEADLIGHT AND BULB HOLDER
LAMBRETTA & VESPA
Performance scooters require a
performance fuel system to
maximise the benefits from any
modifications. These high
quality petrol taps are
manufactured in Italy
and offer an
increased flow of
fuel from the tank
to the carburettor The new Italian-made
as required. front headlight unit for
Lambretta SX, TV, GT
Lambretta and Special models
The Lambretta fast flow fuel taps are available in several here is the CEV type.
different variants which include bottom exit and rear exit They have silvered
versions, both with or without low level indicators. reflectors with heat-resistant
LE13013 – Bottom exit fast flow fuel tap backings, exactly as per
LE13048 – Bottom exit fast flow fuel tap with low-level indicator original Innocenti parts, right
LE13052 – Rear exit fast flow fuel tap down to the IGM number, together with Innocenti and CEV
LE13052-W – Rear exit fast flow fuel tap with low-level indicator branding. These retail at just £33.99 each.
Also pictured are the CEV type front headlight bulb holders
Vespa which are suitable for Lambretta S3 models, as well as GP DL
The Vespa version of the fuel tap is also of the fast flow variety, and Serveta scooters. These high quality items feature the colour
and is an essential item for every non-standard Vespa that is coded wiring guides, all for £12.99.
used for touring, motorway riding, and racing. Prices quoted are plus P&P and for more information on
VE13092 – Vespa fast flow fuel tap these and other Casa Lambretta parts, call JB Tuning on
01702 545952, visit their website at www.jbtuning.co.uk
You can now order online at www.ve-supermarket.co.uk or their new online shop at www.jbtuningshop.co.uk

from only
Never miss an issue £20
Subscribe today on page 68

8 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 KICKSTART
Accessory spotlight
ON TESTTOMTOM – VIO CAN’T GET
CONTROLLED BY YOUR SMARTPHONE. TUCANO
DESIGNED FOR SCOOTERS,

URBANO
Sat-nav specialist TomTom has released a rather nifty new item:
a sat-nav designed specifically for scooters which is controlled by
your existing smartphone. Keep your smartphone in your pocket
OUT OF YOUR HEAD?
and once your phone is connected, the VIO will switch from the Italian brand Tucano Urbano has launched its new El’mettin
phone to its in-built GPS to save phone battery and give more scooter helmet with a very competitive price point. The El’mettin
precise GPS data. Caller ID allows you to see who’s calling on the is constructed from polycarbonate and features a compact shell
VIO screen and use an intercom/headset to take and make calls. in four available colours. The new helmet from the leading
The ‘navigate to contact’ feature allows you to simply tap the scooter clothing brand is ideal to complement every well-dressed
contact and follow the route to them. scooterist, thanks to its simple yet stylish design. It can be used
with or without its long visor (for a more classic look), and with or
Other features include: without its internal retractable sun visor, depending on style
Turn by turn audio navigation choice. Included are covers to fit when visor is not being used,
Lifetime speed camera info and the visor itself.
Lifetime TomTom traffic info The Tucano Urbano El’mettin comes in a four different colours
USB charge, five-hour battery life (matt biking red, matt anthracite grey, shiny turquoise green and
Glove-friendly touchscreen shiny icy white) and is available in sizes from XS to XL. The new
Fully waterproof product stands out for its unparalleled price-performance
Choice of maps UK and Europe relationship, as it retails at £99.99.
Available in a range of colours For further info visit: www.tucanourbano.com/gb

Price: £149.99
Visit: www.tomtom.com

TSI URBAN RIDERS – NEW SIZES AVAILABLE

The ever popular TS-01 boot from Urban Riders now comes in previously unavailable sizes. Due to popular
demand, sizes 5, 6 and 7 have been added, so the full size range is now 5 to 12 UK (38 to 46 EUR).
So even the largest or smallest of feet can benefit from these fantastic boots.

Another new item is the TS-02 which is a black soled version of the boot, and
benefits from the same increase in available sizes.
Price: £74.99
Visit: www.tsishoes.com

10 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 LAMBRETTA
MYTHS AND
LEGENDS
Was the TV 175 series one a success or failure?
Stu Owen digs into his archives to investigate...

I
n March of 1958 the Lambretta
The TV 175 series one was a
TV 175 series one went on sale in
stunningly beautiful creation
Britain for the first time; one of
by Innocenti. But was it too
three new scooters introduced by
unique for its own good?
Innocenti to replace the aging LD
range. Lambretta sales in Britain at that
time were continuing a strong upward
trend selling in their tens of thousands.
Any new model launched would be
gratefully accepted by the scooter buying
public who were in total admiration of
what the Lambretta had to offer.
The other two models making their
debut, the Li 125 and Li 150, though
appealing didn’t have the specification the
TV 175 had. It had the biggest engine
capacity to date, a top speed of 64mph,
front dampers to improve handling and a
host of other extras. Though its cost of
£189 was slightly on the high side this
didn’t matter too much. It was not just
the top of the range Lambretta available,
it was the top of the range scooter
available in a fiercely competitive market.
Lambretta Concessionaires, keen to
exploit its superiority, embarked on a big Whether or not it was a coincidence, earlier had been advised to order huge
press advertising campaign. The public almost a year to day since the launch stocks of spares. In just 12 months it
loved it and were in no way not put off by of the TV 175 series one its replacement had gone from being the most revered
the hefty price tag as sales were strong the TV 175 series two was introduced. Lambretta to the most hated by the
from the outset. Dealers were more than Though this showed Innocenti was still majority of dealers who had got their
happy to see machines leaving the door as developing the Lambretta range, its fingers financially burnt.
quickly as they came in. With strong sales, tooling was redesigned to make all parts Innocenti never gave a reason why
the aftermarket spares and accessories compatible with other models. It made they dumped the TV 175 series one deign
side soon became lucrative and dealers sense from both an economic and so quickly. Inevitably it must have come
were urged to stock large quantities of versatility point of view. Only one at a cost to them but was probably written
spares to keep up with the demand, even production line was needed with one set off in the pursuit of developing their
more so on the servicing side. With both of tooling to produce all models, while product. For the dealers in Britain it
Lambretta Concessionaires and dealers stocking spares also became less was a different story though. Many of
more than happy, what could possibly go complicated and cost effective. them were stuck with large quantities of
wrong? The TV 175 series one was This set alarm bells ringing among the spares that were deemed worthless. Many
becoming a huge success. dealers immediately wanting to know why vented their frustrations at Lambretta
It was unique not only in what it offered things had changed. With the TV 175 Concessionaires who promised in the
but also in its build. Though styled along series one being discontinued and its future such a scenario would never
the same lines as the Li 125 and Li 150 successor reverting back to the Li design, arise again. It didn’t. From that point
any similarities ended there. The tooling what were they to do with the stock of onwards whichever series of Lambretta
for the whole machine was different, not spares? Lambretta Concessionaires were machines was introduced the majority
just the engine but also the chassis and keen to quickly calm the situation down. of components would be compatible
body work. At first this didn’t seem a They advised dealers that there were a between each model. This policy
problem even though one or two dealers great many machines out there requiring continued until Lambretta production
did bring this point up with Lambretta parts to keep them on the road. This was ceased in 1971.
Concessionaires from time to time. of little consolation to those who months Stu Owen

12 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

A d o re d
It’s been a couple of years
since Selby’s Simon
Pickering showed his début
custom scooter, Carbon
Footprint, in the pages of
this magazine. Since then,
the Vespa has picked up a
few prizes and has served
him well. But, as is often
the case, one custom
scooter isn’t enough, and
it wasn’t long before the
seeds of a second machine
started to poke their
nascent tendrils through
the fertile soil of the custom
building part of his mind.

Beautiful Thing
Simon knew that this time it had to be a Lambretta,
and what the colour scheme was to be. The name
and detail was to come later; the original idea was
just that of a tidy road scooter with a simple but
striking two colour paint job. It wasn’t until a title
for the scooter dropped into his mind one day that
the machine moved into full on custom mode. He’d
already decided on the striking indigo and gold
colour scheme, and had originally intended to paint
it himself, as with his first scooter, but an addition
to the family put paid to this idea and so the base
paint was farmed out to Kenny Bradford to apply.
It was about this time that the idea to go full on
in the custom stakes started to slide in, with the
title of a track by one of his favourite bands, The
Stone Roses, Fools Gold niggling away at his
subconscious. As you can tell from the photos, this
was pushed gently to one side in favour of the
slightly less subtle sobriquet which adorns it now.

Love Spreads
After asking around for suggestions as to who he
should entrust with the murals, and getting a few
quotes, Col Fitzgerald of Garage Artwerks was
commissioned. To say that Simon was chuffed with
the results is an understatement. I could barely get
his to stop singing the praises of one of the
country’s most talented artists when we spoke, an
opinion I have to admit to sharing. The photo
realistic images are amazing, and at a surprisingly
low price when compared to some other, perhaps
less pin sharp, artists.

I Am The Resurrection
The more observant of you will have noticed that
the scooter is running Special bodywork instead of
the standard Li3 tinware. There are a couple of
reasons for this. To Simon’s eye, the Special panels
 Stone Roses lemon slice logo.

Another uncommon touch is the

engraving. I can’t remember ever
seeing powder coating engraved before,
but that’s what’s been done

are a better design than the standard ones and,

more importantly, they’re fibreglass, meaning that
they fit better than steel ones do and are quite a bit
lighter. If you’re going to start throwing money at
the engine, there’s no point in having any excess
weight to drag you back, is there? That said, the
lump itself isn’t hugely tuned, being built for riding
rather than racing. The Imola kit has been pretty
much just bolted straight on to the casings,
although the addition of a MEC long stroke crank
helps push the capacity out to where it’s knocking
on the door of 200cc, meaning that there is a
considerable amount of grunt being fed through the
five plate Readspeed cassette type clutch. Air, fuel
and oil mixtures are sucked in via an old school
Dellorto PHBH 30mm carb with its one-off
bellmouth, and then allowed to exit by means of a
TSR Evo, to which has been added a Gianelli tail
can. At the time of writing, the scooter has had
periods sat in the naughty corner due to a strange
issue with the gear cables repeatedly popping out
of the selector wheel in the easily overlooked
slightly dropped bars, meaning that it’d not had
chance to be tested to the fullest of thrashings, but
a comfortable 70+mph on the SIP Speedo is
expected. I’m just not sure that ‘comfortable’ is
a word I’d use to describe any journey on that
seat though!

I Wanna Be Adored
Being something of a tribute to the band, it would
have been remiss to neglect the Stone Roses’
famous ‘lemon slice’ logo, and so it crops up on the
flywheel cover and, somewhat unusually, in place of
a back-rack with both pieces being made by Keith
Newman. I have to say that as an unusual touch,
this works nicely to these eyes, it’s good to see a bit
of an alternative to the usual ‘Okay, how can I make
this carrier fit the theme?’ thinking. I’m just not
sure where he’s going to carry his oil and spare fuel
though... Other one off bits include the rear sets

16 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016


Rear discs can be overkill on
scooters, but always look trick.
Thumb-choke seems to be standard
issue on performance motors these days.
Carbon detailing.
OWNER DETAILS
Owner’s name: Simon Pickering
Job: Operations team leader at a power station.
Scooter club & town: Selby Independents
and LCGB.
How and when did you first become interested in
scooters: I was passing a rally at the Olympia in
Selby about 10 years ago and got pulled in by
custom scooters. I was into building custom
cars back then so I could relate to it.
First scooter: A battered PX125 that I had to
sell on a few months later to go towards my
house deposit.
Favourite scooter model: Vespa T5
Favourite style of custom scooter: I prefer
something that little bit different. Something
that covers all bases but isn’t OTT.
First rally or event: Bridlington, again, probably
10 years or so ago, sadly I’d just had to sell
the PX, so went in the car. It’s not the same
as riding up, is it?
Favourite and worst rally/event: Brid is my
favourite, although I went to a little one in Hull
last year that was strange. It even had an Ann
Summers stall…
Funniest experience with a scooter: The first
wheelie on my T5 in the middle of about 20
scooters raised a few eyebrows. Totally
unintentional, my hand slipped off the
clutch and the wheel went way higher
than I was comfortable with.
What’s the furthest you’ve ever ridden on a
scooter: I’ve done about 150-200 miles in a
day, but I want to start doing some more
distances in future.
What do you like about rallies/events: Catching
up with people.
What do you dislike about rallies/events: Crap
food at inflated prices.
Favourite Scootering magazine feature: The tech
bits are always good
Favourite custom/featured scooter of all time:
Still got to be Spanish Bombs – it’s a lovely
machine.
If you had to recommend one scooter part or item
of riding kit what would it be: SIP rims and
speedos. Saved me a few times.
Most useless part you’ve ever bought for one of
your scooters: A cheap remade headlight unit.
Total dross that was never going to fit.
Cover to cover.
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 17

from another of those names which crop up with
unsurprising regularity, Ade Newnham, and again
Simon is impressed by the design and quality of
them, describing them as being surprisingly
gradual, but scary as hell if you stamp on it, as the
countryside seems to shoot back past you as you
stop almost instantly.
There are a few other unusual bits throughout the
machine which are worth noting – Simon’s
obsession with carbon fibre continues on to the
flywheel and head cowls and, to add to the weight
saving, titanium bolts have been used throughout
the build where possible. Another uncommon touch
is the engraving. I can’t remember ever seeing
powder coating engraved before, but that’s what’s
been done on the chain case side, rear light and air
scoop, and it’s a striking and eye-catching effect.
It’s one of those details where you wonder why it
hasn’t occurred to anyone to do before.
Fools Gold
Unlike Carbon Footprint, Simon doesn’t see this as
a finished project. He was muttering something
about gold plate, and perhaps a couple more details
to go with it, but as far as I can see, there isn’t
much more that needs doing.
Perhaps knowing when to stop actually is The
Hardest Thing In The World.
Words: Nik (who has spent too much time listening
to the ’Roses this last week!)
Photography: Gary Chapman
18 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
Top: Adored? I think so.
Above left and right: More
outstanding airbrushing from
Colin at The Garage Artwerks.
SCOOTER DETAILS
Name of scooter: Adored – based on my
favourite band the Stone Roses.
Scooter model: 1963 Lambretta Li125 series 3.
Date purchased and cost: May 2015 for £1300.
Bought as a skelly off Chris Matthews.
Inspiration for project: I intended for it to be a
sensible runner with a modern twist.
Time to build and by who: 11 months (my newborn n
son slowed it down!). Built by me at home.
Any frame modifications: Decided to go for
fibreglass SX panel work. Lighter, won’t rust and
surprisingly fitted better than the original tin stufff.
Are there are any specialised parts: The rearsets
are pretty special – an Adrian Newnham work of o
art. The custom lemon slices were made by
Keith Newman.
Engine kit: Imola. Crank: Long stroke black mecc
crank. Carb: Dellorto PHBH30. Exhaust: TSR
Evo with Gianelli can. Clutch: Reedspeed 5
plate. Gearbox: Italian li150.
Are there any other unique details we have
missed: Where possible all bolts have been
swapped for titanium ones.
Top & cruising speed: To be confirmed, but
hoping to be able to sit at a good 70 all day.
Is the scooter reliable: Fresh build – time will
tell, but I’ve had a couple of niggly issues and
teething problems. Nothing major though.
Paintwork & murals/who did them/any stories: I
had planned on painting it myself, but the birth h
of my son, Milo, but paid to that idea. Originally
it was just going to be the base colours which
were brilliantly applied by Kenny Bradford but
then decided to go ‘the whole hog’ and got
Colin Fitzgerald on the job for the air brushing.
I love the John Squire art work and I think
Colin’s captured it perfectly.
Is there any engraving: A little bit on the chain
case, air scoop and rear light done by Jason Lock.
Is there any powder coating? If yes who did it: All
powder coating done by LSN in Castleford.
Overall cost: Probably about £6000 all in,
including buying it.
What was the hardest part of the project: Being
a DIY lover, and having painted my T5 so
successfully, letting the work go out due to
not having as much spare time these days,
but it was worth it in the end.
Do you have any advice or tech tips for anyone
starting a project: Take your time, don’t rush,
and if you can’t afford decent components
straight away, it’s always worth saving for them.
Is there anything still to add to the scoot: Toying
with some gold plating.
In hindsight, is there anything you would
have done differently: Ship the paint work out
straight away rather than wasting a load of
time in my garage.
Your favourite dealer: I’ve always liked SIP.
Is there anyone you wish to thank: Colin
Fitzgerald for the artwork, Jason Lock for the
engraving, Kenny Bradford for the basecoat,
Alex Isherwood for getting the paint looking
spanking, Adrian Newnham, Keith Newman,
Trever Emerton for the countless advice, Rob
Sidebottom for telling me to “just get on with
it” and everyone else that’s given advice.
 Rattling around
the garage
This month Bodger gets himself very worked
up and angry about the thought of scooter
rallies full of cars. Read his ill-tempered rant at
your own peril…

T
here’s a phrase which has Bodger wasn’t happy with the queue
recently crept into circulation to get into this month’s National...
in the scootering world, and
it’s annoying the hell out of
me. It’s not a big one, and at
first glance it seems innocent enough, but
when you stop and think about it, it
strikes at the heart of what many of us
still understand our little world to be. The
phrase? “It’s all about the scene”. There
I’ve said it. Now I feel soiled.
To many people that’s just a phrase, like
‘keep the faith’ or ‘once a Mod, always a
Mod’, but when you stop and think about
it, it’s actually quite insulting to a lot of
us. It suggests that the actual scooter
itself isn’t a necessary part of attending
a scooter rally, it’s more important to
get there by whatever means possible?
Now, before you all start reaching for
pen and paper (use email, it’s quicker!)
I appreciate that not everyone can ride to
a rally, some for perfectly acceptable
reasons. We’ve mainly left our teens in
the distant past, and some of us might
not be physically capable of riding the
miles needed. I get that. No argument,
park your car next to me anytime. would the penny finally drop that this host a ‘scooterist rally’ – or ‘scootourist’ as
The other popular excuse is that they whole ‘get there by any means’ concept a friend of mine christened them – where
need to bring the family with them. Now, has messed it up for everyone? Somehow I it doesn’t matter how you get there, as
this is where I start to struggle and I must doubt it. As long as they could pull their long as you’re seen to be there. Everyone
admit that I’ve never really been patch covered jacket off the parcel shelf, can then park their motors in a car park,
convinced by this. If the other half is so put on their hat and boots and wander and hold competitions such as ‘Who has
much into scooters, then surely they around like they own the place, they won’t the most expensive transport’, ‘Who has
should be riding too, and I’ve never care. And there’s nothing anyone can do the CD with the most predictable tracks’,
accepted the scooter rally scene to be about this. Or is there? the ‘Most original excuse’ and ‘Naffest
a place for children and never will. Well…. I hate to admit it, but for once I scooter-related rear window sticker’ before
Given what me and my pals get up to don’t have any ideas for a solution other sitting around reminiscing about the bad
at rallies, I’d not expose either of my than trying to attend rallies that actively old days when people had the temerity to
kids to the alcoholic misbehaviour of discourage other forms of transport. Sadly go to rallies on actual scooters.
my club, amid a constant barrage of those are few and far between, and even To wrap up, I’ll leave you with this
obscenities and chain smoking. It’s fun then I’ve heard of scooters being pulled out observation – always remember that no
for us, but not a great example for of vans a few miles from strictly scooter good rally story ever started with the
them… not that I’m suggesting events, which, although within the letter of words “Well, there we were, travelling
everyone behaves like us. the event, misses the spirit of the event by to the rally in the car and…” Even if I
All that aside, the concept of ‘It’s all a country mile. get there, having stopped for petrol
about the scene’ is inherently flawed. All I know is that I’ll keep riding for as half a dozen times and mended three
Without scooters, there would be no long as I can, it’s not ‘all about the scene’ breakdowns, I’ll still have had more of
scene… the scooters ARE the scene. If at all, it’s actually ‘all about the scooters’. an adventure than you can dream of.
everyone turned up in a car or camper The clue is in the title of the event… Till next time.
van, would it still be a scooter rally, or Perhaps it’s time for some brave soul to Bodger

20 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 Isle of Wight 2016
Special in-depth rally report
It’s the largest event on the scootering calendar, yet no other rally
polarises opinion like the Isle of Wight International.
Scootering sent Stan to see what a first time visitor makes of it all.
The first time visitor
Yes, it’s true. Despite 35 years of riding I’ve never made it to
the IOW. Unbelievable? Not really, despite an attendance of
around 5000 to 6000 each year many of those are repeat
visitors, that’s a fraction of Scootering magazine’s circulation,
so it follows that the majority of readers probably haven’t
made the pilgrimage either – yet everyone has an opinion.
These can be summed up as either ‘unmissable’ or
‘unbearable’. I couldn’t find anyone with a neutral view, so it
was with an open mind, together with a mix of curiosity and
excitement, that I set off for my first IOW rally.
With more and more scooters appearing the further south I
travelled, I arrived at Southampton to catch the ferry and it was
at that point that the scale of what was about to unfold hit me
for the first time. I’d made excellent progress and managed to
arrive two hours early only to present my flexi-ticket and be
told: “Sorry, no room until your slot.” At just before 2pm on
Thursday, the ferries were full, with the smell and sounds of
22 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
two-stroke engines everywhere – this was clearly going to be
something big.
From humble, and troubled beginnings in the 1980s, the
IOW rally now bills itself as The World’s Largest Scooter Rally.
A couple of the Vespa World Days could possibly put up counter
claims but Consistently The World’s Largest Non-Single Marque
Scooter Rally isn’t quite so catchy. Unless you’ve visited the
rally it’s impossible to grasp how large a gathering it is – you
physically and logistically can’t take everything in on one visit.
Looking back on the experience it reminded me of the first time
I visited London as a tourist – there were certain things that
had to be done but on the way home it was obvious that I’d
only scratched the surface.
Strangely, both fans and critics of the rally base their
opinions on exactly the same point, the IOW has outgrown
being a National BSRA event. People and scooters that
wouldn’t ordinarily attend a National are there in droves and
there are also plenty of scooters arriving in vans.
 If you take scootering, and yourself, seriously there’s plenty
to dislike, but to view the IOW as simply another National is,
in my opinion, missing the point entirely. This a great National
with an enjoyable carnival atmosphere attached to it.
If you can accept that then there’s a whole lot of fun to be
had over the weekend.
Although the rally seems to have spread itself across
the whole island there are two centres of activity – the National
itself at Smallbrook Stadium and the town of Ryde, each
offering different experiences. The problem for the National
is that the IOW rally is now such a part of scootering folklore
that outside promoters see it as an opportunity ripe for the
picking. This has created a wide range of events that often
don’t sit well with National regulars who’ve stayed away in
recent years. VFM have taken a back-to-basics approach and
to their credit Smallbrook feels like a larger version of any
other National rally.
So having completed my first IOW, where do I sit on the
‘unmissable or unbearable’ scale? I’d say it’s unforgettable.
Everyone who has a passion for scooters running through their
veins should make the trip at least once. The fact is that if you
love scooters there’s something on the IOW for everyone –
whether you ride a rat cutdown to every rally possible or van
your pampered scooter to the IOW for a once yearly outing.
Open your mind, relax, enjoy yourself and give it all a chance.
Just remember the heart of all this activity is a National Rally
and that deserves our support.
(Thanks to the VFM Team, Reece Measor and Dave Fagan for their
help with covering this year’s event).
 Smallbrook
The BSRA National rally itself is based at the Smallbrook
Stadium, a little over two miles outside of Ryde itself. For those
who’ve never been, this is a combined speedway track and
sports centre. Events are spread across the site and camping is
on the sports fields. The traders’ fair and dance tents are
pitched in the centre of the speedway track, with the exhibition
hall hosting live music as well as the custom show. Camping is
on the sports fields with the large pavilion providing free
showers and a bar.
Arrivals may have been surprised to see a photographer
lurking in the bushes near the entranceway. This was absolutely
nothing to worry about but actually Photography UK, one of the
traders on site. Few of us manage to get a decent photograph of
ourselves in motion so this was a nice touch.
By any standards this is a large site for a National and the
facilities are excellent with the club house breakfast being a
strong candidate for bargain of the weekend. It provided proof,
if ever it was needed, that keeping it simple pays off. There was
almost no waiting at busy times and at £5 it set up all but the
largest of appetites for the day. Following close behind was
something I’d never seen at a rally before, a mobile shower
block. Although some complained, I thought it was worth £2 to
use a cubicle that was nicer than many B&Bs I’ve stayed in over
the years. Maybe it’s just a sign of my advancing years but I
hope it makes an appearance at other Nationals. For those
wanting to venture into Ryde, a regular coach service ran to
and from Smallbrook into the early hours.
Entertainment on the site came from DJs at both Northern
and Dance tents, with live music in the main hall on Friday and
Saturday nights. If I’ve one criticism of the Smallbrook site, it’s
that, although the exhibition hall was perfect for the custom
show, the acoustics were poor for the live bands. Friday evening
was opened by Tom Hingley, former frontman of the Inspiral
24 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
Carpets. I was looking forward to hearing Tom but found him to
be something of a disappointment. I certainly didn’t expect to
see someone of his experience apparently reading lyrics from a
smartphone. In complete contrast were Orange Street. I’d
missed their set at Exmouth but heard great reviews, all of
which they lived up to. A great mixture of ska, well executed
and musically spot-on. A combination that quite rightly filled
the dance floor. Having performed an acoustic set on Saturday
afternoon The Riffs were back on stage later that night. An
experienced band with a great catalogue The Riffs went down
well as did The Dream Factory, recently re-formed and executing
a very polished set to close off the live music. Unfortunately
many had chosen Ryde over Smallbrook, particularly on
Saturday evening, with audience numbers being undeservedly
low for the bands – another symptom of the acute competition
for custom on the Island.
Despite plenty of online criticism in the weeks before the rally
it was clear the overwhelming majority thought this was a good
National, particularly those who hadn’t been for some time. In
fact there were few suggestions as to what VFM could have done
to make it any better. The decision to move away from the Ice
Rink was controversial but it’s enabled VFM to concentrate on
running a scooter rally rather than a music venue, which the Ice
Rink had become – with ever increasing demands for big names
on the guest list. VFM have previously gone on record as saying:
“Scooterists have taken the rally back.” Numbers seem to show
that this return to basics approach has found some success with
campers being up by almost 300 this year to 1400 – the
overwhelming majority being scooters and tents rather
than motorhomes.
The final word should probably go to Evo Evans of the VFM
team: “I’d say to people who gave up on the rally when
entertainment was based at the Ice Rink, that they should give
it another go. I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Ryde
Ryde is the island’s largest town and a typical Victorian seaside
resort. Although there are events across the island it’s here that
most scooter-related activity takes place. If you’ve ever visited a
Disney theme park you’ll have walked along Main Street USA;
it doesn’t matter whether or not you believe that this is what
small town America used to be like, it’s still great fun. That
pretty much sums up Ryde over the Bank Holiday weekend. It’s
almost impossible to find a shop or bar that hasn’t embraced
the rally in some way. Usually this involves bullseye targets,
Union Jacks, scooter-adorned window displays and varying
interpretations of what constitute ‘scootering sounds’. A classic
case of ‘can’t do right for doing wrong’. We complain when
communities are hostile but find fault when they try their best.
Paradoxically, the variety of choice on offer may actually be
self-defeating. Although rally stalwarts such as the King Lud
seemed to be doing well, I’m told that the High Street was
quieter than in previous years. After all there are only so many
visitors and more choice means they become spread more
thinly. A real case of being spoilt for choice but with gig tickets
in the region of £10-15 and beer leaping in price for the
weekend to over £4 a pint it had the potential to be an
expensive weekend. Talk on the ferry home was of a Hipshaker
event with little atmosphere but earning universal praise was
the Fliks and Dexy’s Bootleg Runners double bill at the Balcony
Bars but these were only a sample of the bands, DJs and other
entertainment on offer.
At the centre of daytime scooter activity is a small area of the
sea front known as The Green. Here all parking restrictions were
lifted (or tactfully ignored) producing a feast of scooters to gorge
upon. If I’d done nothing else all weekend this was a spectacle
to be enjoyed and relished, particularly on Saturday when the
weather was perfect for just hanging around eating ice cream
and talking nonsense with friends old and new about old Italian
machinery. A group who had travelled across Europe for the
weekend were having a fantastic time but were surprised when I
told them there was a rally at Smallbrook. They knew that lots of
scooters came to the island at this time of year but that was all.
Yes, there were certain stereotypes from across the scootering
spectrum in evidence, but this was carnival time and the mood
was very relaxed. A big change from years gone by were the
number of families and tourists casually walking among the
scooters, making small talk and taking photographs. Make no
mistake this is a big tourist attraction for non scooterists. As
one resident told me: “This is good for the island. I love coming
to Ryde for the scooters, it reminds me of being a kid in the
70s when it was always this busy, sadly that’s no longer the
case. A lot of businesses survive all year because of this boost.”
The rideout
If there’s one event that physically and metaphorically links the
two IOW scooter worlds it’s the rideout and nothing, I don’t care
where you've been before, prepares you for that spectacle.
Departure point is from the Ice Rink on the sea front and I
arrived a good hour before the start time only to find the seafront
road fenced off and tourists lining the route. Finding a decent
vantage point to take photographs was all but impossible and
this was before the main body of scooters had arrived. By the
1pm start time all car parks were filled to bursting, so much so
that fairly predictably the grand start soon bogged down into a
clutch-destroying test of slow riding. The amount of scooters in
one place was something to behold, every aspect of scootering
being represented and there can have been very few scooters on
the island that didn’t take part. Old hands were easy to spot as
they waited for the main exodus to clear and the ride to settle
into a more enjoyable pace before joining in.
Being determined to cover start and finish I made the
completely wrong decision to take some back roads and greet
the procession as it arrived at Smallbrook, not taking part in the
ride itself. It’s a mistake I won’t make again as reports said that
the route was stunning and well planned. “It seemed like every
picture postcard view of the island had been strung together,”
was the description that stuck with me. The end point was at
Smallbrook with masses of scooters parking at right angles on
both inner and outer sides around its entire length.
What’s your number?
How many scooters and scooterists were there this year? Truth
is that no one really knows. I’d seen the ‘5000 scooters on the
island’ signs in Scootering before and assumed this was some
sort of running total, it’s actually a generic road safety message.
Red Funnel say that they transported 1104 ‘motorcycles’ to the
island over the weekend, WightLink didn’t reply to our email
but it’s safe to assume a similar number was moved by them.
This doesn’t take into account those who’d made an extended
stay (next year I’d certainly add on a day or so to take in the
island) and there’s no way of knowing how many scooters
travelled over by van. As mentioned elsewhere 1400 campers
stayed at Smallbrook, with around 5000 day trippers to the
stadium, although some of these may have been repeat visitors.
Hampshire Police had a very low key role throughout the
weekend and didn’t produce a figure for their purposes.
Interestingly they did add that there were no arrests directly
connected to the rally. How times change!
There was general consensus that numbers hadn’t returned
to their peak of a few years ago when around 7500 were in
attendance but it seems that the ball park of 5000 seems
reasonable and that’s quite some party!
 S C O O T E R I N G – C A R PA R K C U S T O M W I N N E R
‘She’s got soul, she’s worth her weight in gold’
With thousands of scooters on the
Island it should be an impossible
task to pick just one as this month’s
Car Park Custom winner, but as
soon as I knew ‘Bella’ was on the
island the decision was easy. This
isn’t just my pick for the IOW, it’s
my favourite scooter anywhere.
Although Bella rides high on the
current trend of patination, it’s not
just her looks that make her a
winner, she sums up everything that
scootering should be about.
Jane and her husband Tim are
familiar faces at rallies across the
UK and Europe, particularly Vespa
Club events. Many people claim to
be ‘dyed in the wool’ scooterists but
few can match their devotion to the
cause. When children came along
it was a sidecar that provided
family transport – not four wheels.
They are both fans of the Rally 200
and Tim owns a very neat silver
example ‘Little Bitch’ which has the
rare distinction of being de-seamed
by a previous owner and then
re-seamed for Tim!
Based on a 1965 Motovespa
150S, a Spanish cross over model
that brings together the curves of a
GS with an SS style headset, Bella
wasn’t intended to be finished in
this scheme. “I own a custom Rally
200, ‘Batman’, which is a lovely
scooter but using it every day is
hard work. Just keeping on top of
the chrome is a nightmare,”
explained Jane. “The idea was to
have something basic that I could
use every day without too much
effort. When we bought Bella she
was covered in emulsion. Tim tried
to strip that off and leave the
original paint finish but it wasn’t
possible so we decided to go for a
bare metal scheme.”
The entire scooter was stripped using
drill mounted wire brushes then, after a
period of patination, the paint inside
the leg shields and lacquer was applied
by Tim. It was all done in their back
garden using rattle cans, with smaller
parts being hung off the washing line.
Their son, Kyle, was enlisted to paint
the flamenco dancer and Jane applied
the sign-writing, taking inspiration from
a favourite J J Barnes track. The seat
was donated by a friend and was
initially intended to be temporary,
having started life fitted to a Spanish
Post Office PX before being
reupholstered by Jane. “It’s the most
comfortable seat I’ve ever had so it’s
staying put,” she says.
Bella was completed only days
before the couple headed off for Vespa
World Days in Croatia last year,
although her first rally was actually Alp
Days which the couple took in en route.
In little over a year Bella has visited 12
countries and attended events all
across the UK, with more adventures
already planned. The phrase ‘countless
miles’ is entirely accurate as although
the standard P200 engine built by Tim
has been reliable, the speedo hasn’t
and is proving problematic to fix.
One irony of the build is that Tim
thought his Rally 200 may at last get a
look in now that it didn’t have to
compete with Batman, but unfortunately
for Tim that’s not the case. “The amount
of attention she gets is incredible,”
says Jane. On the IOW camp site
passers-by routinely stopped to chat
about Bella and numerous photographs
were taken while parked.
Jane and Bella are deserving
recipients of a year’s subscription to
Scootering. They prove that a stunning
scooter can be built on a budget and
give a whole lot of pleasure. Surely
that’s the very essence of scootering.
 WE SPOKE TO… Combining work with pleasure were Paul and Geno Melici, of PM Tuning
together with Kate Mercer and Sophie Walker. “We’ve come down to get a
feel for how the Scomadis are fitting in to the rally scene. It’s important for
us to get out and speak to owners about their real life experiences – so far
so good!” explained Paul.

Barnsley scooterists were out in force on Friday. Ian and Dianne of Barnsley
Vikings SC were on their eighth visit, as Dianne explained: “We love it here,
the riding is lovely and the islanders really embrace the rally, it has an
atmosphere like nowhere else. Also carrying the TheTyke’s banner was Alan
Moxon-Waddell with his full on Mod Lambretta: “I enjoy just parking up on
The Esplanade and watching the world go by. The LI seems to fit the mood
down here and I get a real kick when people want to take photographs, if
they want to sit on it, that’s fine too.”

From Bad Bentheim in Germany were Thib, Tom, Marion, Markus, Nia and
Stefan (Anya hadn’t yet surfaced for breakfast). Although this was their sixth
visit to the rally, this year they’d added a twist to the five-day journey by all
travelling in sidecar combinations.

Mandy, Jay and Lianne of Leamington Low Numbers had brought examples of
both Series 2 and 3 TV175s to the Esplanade, both very subtly customised
and making the most of these classics.

Making the not so arduous trip from

Southhampton were Anne and Steve
in their Italian Vespa VBA. “We’ve
been coming for about 12 years now
and are really fortunate that this is
our local rally, sadly we never have
too many stories to tell about our
arduous three-mile journey!”

Krystyna and Pete had brought their

British registered from new TV175
from Sutton Coldfield. “It was 98%
restored when I bought it,” said
Pete, “but very hard to tell as it
was all in boxes!”
You wait all year for a scooterist from Eastern Germany and along come 15 at once. Making the trip from Dresden on a mixture of Petty, Trolls and Berlins they
were overwhelmed by the experience: “In our area 200 scooters in one place is a lot. This is incredible.”

By far the youngest rider at the rally

was 11-year-old Alice Heath, seen
here with mum Karen, dad Eden and
sister Bethany. Based on a generic
electric scooter, Alice’s machine
was given a full makeover by her
dad, producing a convincing mini
Lambretta that she’s been riding for
the past three years!

Representing the VFM team who worked, literally, day and night to keep the
rally running smoothly are Steve Stuckle of Gloucestershire and Jason Ude
from Barrie, South Wales.
 B S R A I S L E O F W I G H T I N T E R N AT I O N A L
S C O O T E R R A L LY 2 0 1 6 : C U S T O M S H O W
Eloise: Vespa Chop.

68 UYS: Rallymaster.

Y412 FVW PX125.

Black Bogey. Bass Racer.

Nexx Carbon GP. For Valour.

UTK 496L Rally 180.

A
ll National Rally trophies are created equal, some
are however more equal than others and the IOW
is one of the rallies that always attracts a strong
field. The current trend of classic customs being
reborn continued here with Dazzle taking six
trophies, including Best of Show. Of the other scooters present
it’s hard to single out any individual entry over another but there
was a beautiful selection of Model D Lambrettas ranging from
original patina through candy green to racer. Although the metal
roof made for a baking atmosphere at times, the hall was packed
for most of the day with visitors drinking in the machines on
display. Anyone who entered, let alone won a trophy, can hold
their heads high.

30 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016 Lambretta Chopper Owners Club.

Another Man’s Cause. Start Me Up.

CUSTOM SHOW
RESULTS
Class: Winner
First Time Entrant: Eloise: Vespa Chop
Mod/Accessories: Y412 FVW PX125
Vintage Lambretta Pre 1965: TAS 347 Model D150
Custom Lambretta: Dazzle
Restored Lambretta: 68 UYS: Rallymaster
Classic Non Vespa/Lambretta: Black Bogey Twisted Attraction.
Lamzuki.
Best Ridden Scooter: Bass Racer
Street Racer: Nexx Carbon GP
Mural: Dazzle
Vinyl/Graphics: Bedrock
Best Auto: HF59 EKZ GTS
Engraving: Dazzle
Club Display : Lambretta Chopper Owners Club
Champion of Champions: Start Me Up
Individual Display: PEG 519G
Vintage Vespa Pre 1972: 667 ADF GS150
Custom Vespa: For Valour Trick Lammy Twin.
Cry No More.
Restored Vespa: UTK 496L Rally 180
Best Chop: Cry No More 667 ADF GS150.
Best Oddity: Lamzuki
Best Cutdown: HHW 401G GP TS230
Best Paintwork: Twisted Attraction
Best Hybrid: Trick Lammy Twin
Best Engineering: Lamzuki
Best Plating: Dazzle
Exhibitor’s Choice: Dazzle
Punter’s Choice: Another Man’s Cause
PEG 519G. Best of Show: Dazzle

Bedrock. HF59 EKZ GTS. Dazzle.

32 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
MAILBOX
Letters&emails&correspondence&questions&personals&thank-yous&comments&more
Feedback, Scootering Magazine, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6LZ or feedback@scootering.com
Centre spread
Hi Dan,
I picked up a copy of the magazine
recently. I am in Queensland, Australia,
and the physical copy seems to only be
available at one particular newsagent
outlet and it’s usually a couple of months
behind. Anyway I was interested in the
Welcome article regarding print and online
versions. Both have a place in my view.
One of the points was what sort of content
would encourage readers to pick up a print
version. My suggestion would be to bring
back the poster. The edition with the
orange Rally 180 lowrider was a great
example. I am not big into the themed
scooters and when I saw this bike and the
other featured powder blue ride in the
same edition I was disappointed that the
main photos were split down the middle
by the magazine fold. I thought, here is an
opportunity, why not have a double sided
poster or two posters of those two
impressive rides? I certainly would put
them on my garage wall above my GTS
300 Super Sport. I realise a fold out
poster may be cost prohibitive but even if
it were just being able to detach the
folded out centre-page might be an option.
Thoughts?
Lucas Hurley – TC Scooter Cult
Hi Lucas,
Thanks for the letter. Yes, I certainly did
love those old school centre spreads which
I used to decorate my garage wall with
also. The magazine I got mine from was a
little more ‘racy’ than Scootering, I’m sure
you understand. Anyway, Scootering
magazine switched from being saddle
stitched (stapled) to being ‘perfect bound’
a few years ago, and unfortunately this
binding process doesn’t lend itself to
centre spreads. I have however been
looking into the ‘fold out’ options, as well
as a yearly wall planner on thicker stock
at a larger size than before, so that
readers get something of better value.
So ‘watch this space’ as they say, we
hope to have some posters, calendars
and wall planners coming soon.
Dan
Never miss
an issue
Happy holidays
Dear Scootering,
Please find some piccies attached of our
recent holiday to Kos (Greek island full of
Vespas – but no Lambrettas). We met
some scootering enthusiasts who liked
your magazine! The pictures are of me
and Esme on a ‘borrowed’ Vespa. We’re
from Stockport and I normally ride Edna
(GP 125) and Humphrey (PX125) –
names chosen by Esme.
Gavin Carlo
Hi Gavin,
Looks and sounds like you guys had a real
blast on your holidays. Feel free to send
some pics of Edna and Humphrey in to
Show Us Your Scooters.
Dan
RIP
Stephen Deavs, sadly passed away on
August 23, 2016, A massive loss to our
scooter family, he will be forever missed
by us all. Ride high Steve. See you on the
other side KOKO. Love Kaz, Dave and all
the Redditch lot xx
AJS vs Scomadi
Sir, over recent years your fine magazine
has included many features and articles
relating to the Scomadi scooter, but you
appear to have ignored what has become
the biggest selling retro-styled auto
scooter in the UK, the AJS Modena. Why?
After all both are Chinese built, plastic
bodied 125cc, twist and go scooters.
Okay, I admit that the Scomadi is more
refined with a rear disc brake set up
adjustable dampers etc. But does that
justify it being 125% more expensive?
Come on Scootering, why not do an
unbiased head-to-head shootout, as you
have with other marques in the past.
I currently own two Modenas and a
PX200 and have covered over 6000
trouble free miles over the last three years
on my oldest Modena including a return
ride from Stoke to Southampton, just short
of 400 miles, so I can certainly attest to
their reliability.
Paul Nicholls, North Staffs Jesters SC,
Stone (Staffs) Scooter Club
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the letter, and what a great
point you raise. It is worth noting that the
Scomadi scooter is to date, as far as most
people are concerned, the only modern
scooter which actually looks anything like
a classic Lambretta, despite previous
incarnations bearing the Lambretta badge.
This, along with it being a very new
machine, probably accounts for the large
amount of coverage it has received. But
don’t despair, once this edition is off to
press, I shall be on the phone to see if
the UK dealer wants to lend us a scooter
for such an event and I’d be happy to
get them head-to-head.
Dan
from only Subscribe
today
£20 on page 68
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 33
 Wet or WOT?
Weston on Trent Rally
September 9-11, 2016
Some local rallies manage to attract a cult following with attendance
close to that of many Nationals while still retaining their grass
roots appeal. One of the best known of these is Weston on Trent
‘WOT’, but despite the best efforts of the organisers the
weather always plays a part in how a rally unfolds.

T
he directions I’d been given to the rally’s unlikely
but perfect venue, the Ukrainian Youth Camp,
were: “Just when you think you’re in the middle of
nowhere keep going, you’re almost there”.
Situated far enough away from anyone who may
get annoyed by noisy two-stroke and alcohol-fuelled fun but
close enough for a trip to the shops, the camp site has
permanent washrooms and large enough halls to host
entertainment. Organised by Nottinghamshire-based
Gatecrashers and Skegby Scooter Clubs, this back to basics
rally seems to grow in popularity. Although Saturday numbers
were down due to the weather the rally still attracted 1100.
With two halls providing variety, Friday afternoon opened with
Rallyoake in the Small Hall before Nev Shooter took over with a
Northern Soul selection that lasted into the early hours. In the
main hall, Heavy Sol had made the short journey from Leicester
to provide their ever popular mixture of 60s, new wave and
indie covers before handing over to Okasis, Friday’s headline
act. Not content with being soundalikes, this Oasis tribute band
put on a good performance, with the ‘Gallagher brothers’
displaying plenty of attitude.
Although the previous week had been nice and dry the
heavens opened on Friday night, with several tents turning into
paddling pools. A constant topic of conversation at most rallies

34 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 is the number of camper vans in attendance. Away from the
scooters-only camping area, WOT may have resembled a VW
camper van gathering, but given the weather even avid campers
were eyeing their dry occupants enviously.
On the up side, this downpour added to the usual topic of jet
sizes – giving everyone the opportunity to either brag or
complain about the quality of their tents. Luckily, the number
of permanent buildings at the camp meant that not only was
shelter available but also the music could be enjoyed out of the
elements. On the topic of weather, a special mention must go
to Maria Davilla of Gravesend Sentinels who shamed many
autophobes by braving the elements to win furthest travelled
– 243 miles on an AJS Modena. Well done Maria!
Although WOT favourites tug-of-war and human table football
were cancelled for safety reasons, it takes more than rain to
dampen scooterist spirits. Saturday found the usual pastimes
of hanging around, eating bacon sarnies and talking nonsense
taking place among a surprisingly large traders fair. One of the
site’s great advantages is that there’s no restriction on ‘bring
your own’ alcohol, making a trip to the supermarket a very
36 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
affordable way to spend the afternoon. Musically, Saturday
kicked off with more rallyoke before Nev’s well-chosen northern
soul sets continued to pack the floor (there must have been
some very sore middle aged knees at several workplaces on
Monday morning). Hung Like Hanratty opened Saturday
evening with a lively punk set, at one point recruiting a very
young new band member from the audience. Headlining on
Saturday were Cambridge Ska band Big 10, providing a set
that proved popular even with non ska lovers. As is always the
case Sunday morning dawned clear and warm, just in time to
head back to reality.
Widely regarded as one of the best club rallies in the
calendar, WOT illustrates perfectly how diverse a scene we
currently benefit from. Held within two weeks of the largest
(and arguably most commercial) scooter rally in the world, WOT
proves without a doubt that with determination, hard work, a
good venue and some well-chosen bands, club rallies can more
than hold their own – even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Words: Stan
Photographs: Stan & Gary
 CUSTOM SHOW
RESULTS
Thankfully the rain had turned to heavy
drizzle in time for the custom show, the
quality and variety of machines on display
demonstrating just how popular this rally
has become.

Best in Show: Scum

Custom Lambretta: Hoonigan
Custom Vespa: Small frame KDH 345N
Classic Lambretta: Series 2 622UYO
Classic Vespa: Rally KCK 74F
Best Oddity: Honda Cub AFP 54Y
Scooter with Accessories: Vespa X852 VNW
Engineered: Lambreta VBD 204R
Chop/Cutdown: Lambretta 188 UYK
Best Auto: Series 2 Abbie’s Hideaway

S
ometimes it’s hard not to get
caught up in day-to-day life.
There’s always something to
think about, something to do,
things to worry about – whether
its work, money, garden, house or family
and kids. There’s always something to
buy, always something demanding your
attention, your cash and your time.
And then there’s your scooter. It may
(at times) come further down the list of
things demanding your attention than you
would like, because many of the things
ahead of it are important and essential
in life. Scooters are not necessarily
essential (no protest letters please) but
they are very easy to get sucked into: one
little job becomes two or three little jobs,
one new part can become a new engine,
the quick wipe over becomes a full on
polish, and so on. Like women and
family in your life, the scooter can be
very demanding of your attention.
It’s very easy to place too much
emphasis on the specification, gadgets
and tuning parts, paintwork and shiny
accessories. Should you have fitted the
17 tooth or 18 tooth sprocket, should
you increase the tyre pressure now you
have fitted those sporty tyres and
tubeless rims, should you try that different of taking the long way home on a scooter
oil? Maybe you should get a dyno test
done? It’s an endless list.
All of these things can sometimes get in pleasure of a ride out in the country,
the way of the true and essential pleasure
of actually riding your scooter. If you’re
constantly thinking about the jetting, the
gearing, the spec, the odd noise here and
there… then are you missing the pleasure
of living in the moment and the enjoyment easily missed when ‘real life’ gets in the
Enjoying riding your scooter is easily
missed when ‘real life’ gets in the way – but
don’t compound that by spending too much
time polishing or tinkering and adjusting
– just get out and ride the thing.
It’s all about
the scooter
Sometimes its too easy to get caught up in
the tinkering and modification of your scooter,
and to forget the actual pleasure of riding it.
Paul Green reflects.
Russ looked sheepish when he realised he’d
spent too much Maybe you should just go to the petrol
time focusing on his new mirrors and Ugg
boots, and not
enoug h time riding his scooter.
ride and missing out on the great views
from the top of the hill? Or even just the
whether it’s on your own or meeting
friends for a coffee or drink at the pub,
talking nonsense about scooters or life
and taking in the scenery.
Enjoying actually riding your scooter is
way – but don’t compound that by
w
spending too much time polishing or
tinkering and adjusting – just get out
and ride the thing. The pleasures of
rriding could just be that ride out into
tthe country, down those quiet
ccountry roads, not going fast, not
taking chances, just riding and
eenjoying the two-stroke sound and
smell. Or it could be the ride into
toown or the city and filtering easily
through the traffic enjoying a smug
grin as you do so, imagining the
frustrations of those sitting in the tin
boxes in the traffic queues.
It’s also too easy to get sucked into
dooing the same predictable things
that the others do. Another weekend
rally drinking beer and waking with a
haangover and a motorway cruise back.
A weekend adding more accessories to
meet a style or fashion set down by
others. Another weekend stripping the
engine yet again to tinker and fit some
new tuning part or expensive gadget.
ne
station and get some fuel, some oil and
go for a ride. Somewhere. Anywhere.
Just because you can. Why not do
it now?
I’ve spent years tuning scooters,
racing them, making them faster and
faster, harder to ride, noisier and less
comfortable and making them spit fuel on
my clothes. But a couple of years ago a
totally standard scooter came into my
garage and for a few weeks I ran around
on it. It was so slow. But it was also so
smooth, so quiet and so easy to ride. The
neighbours loved it as I left quietly. But I
didn’t ride it enough. I didn’t take it out
to the picnic area, or ride it to the country
pub for a shandy. I think I missed out
really. I missed out on the simplest
pleasure, the purest pleasure of actually
just riding the scooter.
Because really… it’s all about
the scooters.
Paul Green
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 39

O
ur group of riders originally
consisted of six club
members, but by the time of
departure it was only five.
Myself, Lydia, Scottish Liam,
Ben and Jake. Having shelled out a small
fortune on the ferry from Hull, we’d
decided pretty early on to take in a fair
few sites and places of interest while over
on the continent. Our itinerary would
mean we would take in three countries,
and see Scooter Center Köln, Second
World War battlefields and an obscure
Flemish clock tower…
The night before our North Sea crossing,
Liam, Lydia and I were planning to
converge on Ben’s house in the rural
outskirts of Doncaster. As we set off from
Preston, the weather was truly abysmal
and the thought of crossing the M62 was
not appealing. To make matters worse, I
hit problems before even leaving
Lancashire… my normally grunty Lammy
was spluttering and could hardly pull past
60mph. I went through some mental
diagnostics, narrowing it down to either
two problems: a failed stator plate, or a
loose exhaust manifold. I was close with
the latter as my inspections at the next
service station identified a seriously
cracked exhaust. Not really having the
cash to throw at a new pipe, I rang Ben
hoping he may know someone who could
weld… thankfully he did – his dad!
An hour or so later we rocked up at
Ben’s and stripped the exhaust off for the
surgery to begin. In the end it needed that
much weld that it resembled a piece of
weld in the shape of an exhaust, rather
The exhaust needed that much weld,
that it resembled a piece of weld in the shape
of an exhaust, rather than an exhaust that
had been welded!
Trigger Happy
A voice from the Young Guns SC
YGSC European Tour! For most of our party it
was their first scooter trip abroad; personally I’d
attended several Euro rallies already, although
‘grown ups’ did the planning on those… so this
trip was relatively unknown territory.
than an exhaust that had been welded!
Scottish Liam arrived safely, with just
some minor concerns about his plug
colour (which was rather light). Credit is
due to Ben’s parents as they put on a
rather nice pasta meal for us all, which
was just what we needed after the sodden
weather earlier that day. After which we
retired to one of the (many lovely)
reception rooms in the house and cracked
open the vodka. The atmosphere was
chilled, or it was until the ghost stories
came out. Normally, I wouldn’t find things
like that too creepy, but this was a 300
year old farm house with plenty of
‘character’. I won’t say too much, but
Liam looked like Casper and was hoping to
share a room with someone else…
Fast forward to the next day: we ride to
Hull, meet up with Jake, have a meal in
Spoons, board the ferry, have a few beers
and crash the quiz. What we were all really
looking forward to was getting going on the
other side, with the night on the ferry
merely a means to an end. I don’t think any
of us could have anticipated how
unbearably hot it was going to be when we
landed; it was sweltering! Anyway, I led the
charge with my gaffer-taped directions and
hoped for the best. It’s surprisingly difficult
to navigate abroad. It’s the simple things
that make the differences: slip roads, road
signs, road markings and place names are
all different enough to make things
confusing. This first leg of the trip was the
highest mileage of them all, 170 to SCK
and then another 20 to the campsite.
The heat made the ride almost
unbearable; however SCK was like an
oasis in the desert! As soon as we arrived
Philipp sorted us out with water and cold
drinks, just what we needed after sweating
our body weight into our riding gear!
Philipp gave us the grand tour and it’s
hard to put into words how impressive the
place was.
Scooters, scooters everywhere, in the
office, in the corridors, in the warehouse...
basically anywhere you could think of
there were scooters! It was also
particularly nice that owners Oliver and
Ulf took time to share the story of Scooter
Center and pose for photos.
Once the grand tour was completed,
Liam took his PX into the workshop to sort
out his weak looking plug. Here SCK went
above and beyond what you would expect
from any shop, they helped him strip and
rebuild his carb, provided the tools and
parts for nothing and taught us youngsters
some nifty tricks!
I could honestly talk about SCK for
hours it was so impressive, but space is
running rather low, so I’ll save that for
next time! Anyway the campsite I’d found
was great, right on the Rhine... which was
ideal in the temperature. Let’s just say we
couldn’t resist a dip!
Jordan
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 41
 Sha d o w s A n d
Re fl e c t i o n s
REVISITED

42 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

Older readers may be
experiencing a touch of
deja vu while viewing
Shadows And Reflections.
Rightly so, as the iconic
Series 2 Lambretta was first
featured in Scootering
magazine over 12 years ago,
back in edition 218. Since
then the scooter has been
continually tweaked and
developed, along with a
knight’s steed, we thought
it was worth a second look.

I’ll Keep On Holding On

Named after a track recorded by 60s mod band The
Action, Shadows And Reflections was eventually the
perfect companion to Spirit of ’63. The latter,
conceived and built by Disco Des at Gran Sport, set
a new standard for Mod-inspired 60s style street
scooters. Shadows And Reflections, was originally
built in 2002, however, due to a few minor issues
wouldn’t run quite right, so Disco Des was enlisted.
There wasn’t a huge amount of difference in the first
and second incarnations of Shadows And
Reflections. A few tweaks to the running gear, as
well as the paintwork being reworked and voilà,
Shadows And Reflections became elevated to the
status of an iconic scooter, arguably on a par with, or
even redefining yet again the levels of quality set by
Spirit of ’63. Believe it or not, the original owner
started the project that became Shadows And
Reflections with a seat! Not just any seat of course,
a then-rare, now impossibly rare Corbelo, the
ultimate 60s aftermarket saddle. To complement
and accompany that particular goody an array of
hard to find genuine accessories such as Ulma, Ray
Dot, Vigano, Catalux and Super Fabio items were
methodically sourced. Combining the extras with
the blue over chrome paintwork, Shadows And
Reflections was one of the top scooters of 2004.

Something Has Hit Me

It certainly had a major impact on Phil Humphrie
back then: “It was in Scootering in 2004 and
looked good in there, at the Isle of Wight rally that
year actually seeing Shadows And Reflections it was
like – wow! Spirit of ’63, built at Gran Sport took
the classic 60s Mod scooter look to a new level,
then Shadows And Reflections took it even further.
The whole scooter sums up the 60s, the colours,
the light blue metallic overlay, the right amount of
accessories, it epitomised the style of scooter that

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 43
 ONCE A KNIGHT’S STEED
Over recent years, via a good mutual friend,
Matt, Phil has sourced and sold several
Lambrettas to none other than Sir Bradley
Wiggins: “Although I've not met him (Sir
Bradley), I’ve sold him a TV Series 2 and
a Series 3 TV175 Lambretta at different
times.” As a show of appreciation for his
prowess and glorious achievements, Tour
de France win and Olympic Gold medal in
2012, one of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ sponsors,
Fred Perry, commissioned (who else?) Gran
Sport to carry out the work for a classic
Lambretta SX 200 to be customised. A tidy
looking machine it was too, and that’s
without considering what achievements the
scooter was created to mark. With its off
white and (Olympic) gold livery, along with
the Fred Perry laurel wreath and other
logos, Fred Perry Olympic Gold certainly
looks superb. Instead of chrome badging,
all the badging on that scooter, in keeping
with its name, was gold coloured.
Scootering (November 2013) had an
exclusive interview with Sir Bradley when
he was presented with the scooter at the
Fred Perry flagship outlet in Covent Garden.
Three years ago, Sir Bradley revealed he
had a collection of 10 scooters.
Phil recalls remarking to mutual friend
Matt that if, for whatever reason, Sir Bradley
was looking to sell Fred Perry Olympic Gold
that he’d be interested. It transpired that
indeed selling the scooter was under
consideration. Like with Shadows And
Reflections, a deal was done, the result being
Phil taking ownership of what was previously
a knight of the realm’s steed. “Built by Gran
Sport, the quality of the scooter is guaranteed
and it’s a lovely looking scooter in its own
right. The bonus is that in the ‘previous
owner’ section on the log book, it states
both Fred Perry UK and (Sir) Bradley Wiggins.
Now that is something really special.”
Sarge

would have been around in the summer of 1964.

Some people, when going for a Mod style scooter
can end up overdoing it by chucking too many
extras on their scooter, at the time, in 2004,
Shadows And Reflection looked absolutely perfect.
I remember at the time thinking how much I’d
like to own that scooter, or one very much like it,
never for one moment even hoping that my desire
then would eventually become a reality.”

Baby You’ve Got It

Moving forward in time from 2004 some nine years
to 2013, Shadows And Reflections came up for
sale. Phil got wind of the impending sale, got in
quick, sealed the deal and became the new owner. I remember at the time thinking
While it was still more or less the same scooter that
had a profound effect on him, he felt he needed to
how much I’d like to own that scooter,
change a few minor details and add a few more rare or one very much like it, never for one
accessories to stamp his ownership on Shadows
And Reflections. It was very much a balancing act
moment even hoping that my desire then
to do that without drastically altering the scooter’s would eventually become a reality
appearance. Comparing a front-on image from the
Scootering feature from 2004 with how Shadows
And Reflections is today, the differences, albeit
Smart underneath too.
subtle, are noticeably different.
Yet they are still not too over the top, nor has Phil
strayed far away from the 2004 incarnation. A few
more pairs of lights, along with some clamshell and
half-moon extras, situated in absolutely the right
places enhance the aesthetics perfectly. Given the
amount of genuine rare accessories adorning the
scooter, at today’s astronomical prices, they on
their own could pay for a small island somewhere.
Along with a pristine 60s style custom Series 2 in
top condition mechanically, who knows what the
asking price would be in the unlikely event of Phil
deciding to move it on.
Shadows And Reflections is unquestionably one
of the best scooters of the early Noughties, and
with a few tweaks bestowed upon her, remains a
truly outstanding scooter over 12 years later.
Words: Sarge
Photography: Gary Chapman

44 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 SCOOTER DETAILS
Owner’s name: Phil Humphrie
Club member: LCGB
First scooter: Vespa 50 Special
Favourite scooter model: Lambretta TV200 &
SX200.
Favourite style of custom scooter: Mod, no doub .
First rally or event: Brighton 1982.
Any stories from that event: That first rally
was life changing – never slept a wink,
up all night and couldn’t wait for the
next one.
Favourite and worst rally: Isle of Wight.
Your favourite custom/featured scooter of
all time: Spirit of ’63.

Name of scooter: Shadows And Reflections

Scooter model: TV175
Date purchased: March 2013
Top speed & cruising speed: Very slow!
Is the scooter reliable: Yes, very. See? Chrome
Blinded by the light. does get you home!

Clean and tidy...

just needs riding now.
The Cam Lam team: Trevor, Peter, Jorg and Ian.

ULTIMATE
CAMBRIDGE LAMBRETTA
Cambridge Lambretta Workshop or ‘Cam Lam’ as it’s TRADE
better known, has a well-earned reputation for quality
restorations and tuning. Scootering paid them a visit
to see exactly what’s behind this well-known name.

From humble beginnings to Cam Lam’s success. Earlier this year

PO T
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“It all started in a caravan outside a

council flat in Cambridge,” explains owner
Trevor Peat. “With ‘Crazy’ Chris O’Connor
I’d been attending rallies for a few years
but in 1989 no-one down south was really
that interested in scooters, it was mainly a
northern thing. If you wanted to repair or
rebuild a machine you had to do it
yourself. After a few years I’d got a small
business running and in 1995 I decided
to try and make a go of it.
“In honesty I was in a very small market
and it was more of a paying hobby. Over
the years Jason Heard, Ben Frost and Ian
Todd have all helped me to build up the
business. I’m grateful to them all and
particularly my lovely wife Susey who
keeps the office side of things in order.”
Although Trevor is a man who exudes
enthusiasm for his work (when telling
stories he repeatedly uses the phrase ‘that
was fun’) he’s quite modest with regards
the company bought its own unit in St
Ives, just outside Cambridge. Although TLI G H
Trevor describes it as a work in progress
it would be the envy of many scooter
shops around the world. From the tiled
floor workshop through to an extensive
spares holding and a well-stocked
showroom there’s no doubt this is an
operation that takes itself seriously.
Going online
Having established itself Cam Lam could
have easily settled into a steady routine
with a ready market for its restorations,
examples of which can be found as far
afield as the United States and Australia,
but Trevor’s not that kind of person. “We’d
been running as a professional business
for a couple of years when a good friend
told me that if we didn’t sell spares we
weren’t really in the game. They were right Man behind the name, Trevor Peat.
and I’m proud to say that we were one of

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 E

I H

Above left: Part of Cambridge Lambretta’s philosophy is investing in the future. At 20 years of age Jorg Iggulden may be one of the youngest qualified scooter
mechanics in the country. Coming from a family of scooterists, Jorg joined the team at 16 and has completed NVQ training enabling him to work on everything from
basic servicing work to full rebuilds of Targa Twin engines. Above right: Bespoke pressure testing equipment used on every rebuild in the company’s workshop.

the very first to offer a 24/7 mail order
spares online service.
The spares side of Cam Lam illustrates
Trevor’s approach to business. Most would
recruit a scooterist and take it from there
but Cambridge Lambretta approached it
from the opposite direction. “Our spares
department is a big part of what we do
and that’s due to the guys I have working
in there,” says Trevor.
“Peter Bowden was the first to join us,
he’d got a background in the motor trade
and he was later joined by Ian Brighty,
who’d worked at Lucas parts for over 20
years. They both know their way around a
scooter but more importantly they
understand how to manage stock. The two
sides of the business complement one
another as by using the parts we supply I
understand what the quality’s like and the
workshop can always advise on any
technical queries.”
If anyone hasn’t looked at their website
for a while it’s certainly worth exploring.
It’s so much more than a mail order
catalogue, containing a wealth of
information and sources of reference.
Bringing in the big guns
However well managed, all businesses
depend on an element of luck. Trevor
explains that the business owes a great
deal to the involvement of two people,
both influential but one much better
known than the other. “Things were going
well but all I could offer was stage 4

Trevor with the Cambridge Lambretta sprinter, usually ridden by Jimmy Winters and based
on a 250 Super Monza.

48 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

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tuning and it wasn’t really my area of

expertise. Our first break was at Euro
Lambretta in around 1999. There I met
Tino Sacchi, we got on and I became an
agent for his products. We’ve become well
known for supplying his range of
performance equipment – Imola, Mugello,
Monza, Super Monza and of course the
Targa Twin. We’ve got a lot of experience
with these now and although it’s possible
to fit them straight out of the box, I’m
proud to say that we know how to get the
best out of them.” Cam Lam is of course
the main distributor for the new Targa
Twin 275 engine and Targaline products.
The second major development came as
the result of Trevor’s interest in scooter
sprinting. “Sprinting is good fun but it
also acts as a proving ground for us – if
something can survive that then it’s good
for road use. We were having a good laugh
but not really achieving the bhp needed.
I had heard Charlie Edmonds’ name being
spoken about and thought he was some
old guy working in his shed. When I met
him I found a young, focused racer who
not only understood tuning but who was
able to explain it in terms that I could
understand. We’ve established a very
productive relationship with Charlie’s
Performance Tuning business and there’s
no doubt he moved us on to the next level.
He made riding Lambrettas and coming
to work fun again.”
Charlie’s involvement has converted
Trevor to the need for power jets, which he
believes are vital to maintaining a tuned
engine, particularly when combined with
their varitronic ignition system, which had
been developed by Charlie for Cam Lam.
 TRADE

PO

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TLI G H

“People will quite happily pay for
performance kits but seem to be reluctant
to spend money on ignition or fuel
management,” says Trevor. “Developments
in fuel technology aren’t always
compatible with old two-stroke engines,
meaning that it’s more important than
ever to monitor fuel burn. It’s often more
cost effective to invest in these areas
than to keep on rebuilding.”
Trevor also thanks Charlie for
introducing a practice he believes sets
Cam Lam apart from the competition.
“Every engine that we rebuild, standard or
tuned, leaves our workshops having been
pressure tested. Unless the crankcase and
cylinder are air tight, any assumptions
made about jetting, exhaust and
performance are flawed. A leak proof
engine operates consistently and can be
fine-tuned with greater accuracy. We
believe in this so strongly that we’ve
manufactured specific tools for use on
both large and small blocks that enable us
to do this accurately.”
The Ultimate touch
As Cambridge Lambretta has grown it’s
developed its own branding. “Anything
that we or Charlie Edmonds have
specifically developed or applied our
expertise to we brand as ‘Ultimate’ and I
think there’s a lot of scope for us to
develop that concept” explains Trevor.
“At the moment there’s a lot of investment
in high end performance but the majority
of customers come to us with the same
basic request – ‘it needs to cruise around
60-65 all day with power on hand to
overtake, look standard and be affordable’.
That’s where most Lambretta engines
live and it’s an area we’re seriously
working on to improve. I’m not going to
say too much at the moment but I’m
quite excited about the future.”
One thing that came through strongly
during our visit was that Cambridge
Lambretta is staffed by people who are
professional, enjoy their work and have
real passion for scootering. Despite the
name Cambridge Lambretta, they also
work with Vespas and offer routine
servicing. With an MoT station next door,
they cater to scooterists’ everyday needs
as well as supplying more exotic products.
Have we seen the Ultimate incarnation
of the Cambridge Lambretta brand? Most
certainly not. Keep an eye on Cam Lam;
interesting things are on the horizon.
Words & Photographs: Stan

POWER JETS FOR DUMMIES

The first thing to understand about power
jets is that they’re badly named as when
fitted they can actually reduce bhp very
slightly, yet anyone with a tuned engine
should consider fitting one. Why? Because
they’d be better known as safety jets and
add an extra dimension to keeping a tuned
engine running well.
One thing that occupies more discussion
on forums and in pubs across the country is
jet-sizes as however well a carb may be set
up its jetting is inevitably a compromise.
This is why most modern vehicles are fitted
with computer controlled fuel injection
systems that are capable of instantly
adjusting the fuel/air mixture as required.
Anyone who’s been around scooters for a
while, particularly in pre dyno days, has at
least been present when a piston has holed.
Many have suffered it themselves and know
the cost of putting things right. In almost all
cases the piston failed because of an overly
lean mixture. This may well be down to
incorrect jetting but even the best prepared
engine is at risk when the throttle is closed
suddenly. For the short time it takes for
engine braking to set in, the mixture is far
too lean and particularly in tuned engines
running at high rpm, it’s very possible for
the burn temperature to reach a critical
point with terminal results for the piston.
A power jet is a self-contained fuel feed
that responds to a vacuum which is created
when the throttle has been closed but the
engine is demanding more fuel. Without
increasing rpm, it creates a richer mixture,
cooling the burn temperature until the
vacuum settles and the mixture returns to
normal – leaving the piston surviving to This power jet is one of Trevor’s.
fight another day.

50 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

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THE
KRAYS
CRIME LORD LAMBRETTA
“I come here for a f***ing shootout, a proper shootout with some
proper men, like Colonel Custer, like Geronimo” – Mad, bad, and
dangerous to know… that pretty much sums up the Kray twins
and this Crime Lord scooter brings that description to life.
 The Krays spent a lot of time in the boxing ring as lads. Thankfully this scooter
spends more time on the road and only gets in the ring for photo shoots.

My loyalty to my brother is how I measure myself

The gangsters
Twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray were born in
Hoxton, London, on October 24, 1933. Their career
and pastimes are now legendary after being made
into films and numerous books. They were known
for being boxers, night club owners, celebrities,
gangsters, racketeers and murderers to name but a
few. They were arrested on May 8, 1968, and after
a lengthy trial they were convicted and sent to
prison in 1969 to start their respective life
sentences. There’s not much about the twins the
public doesn’t already know, and that probably
makes the subject matter for this scooter all the
more recognisable. Ronnie died on March 17,
1995, and Reggie followed on October 1, 2000,
but the legend and people’s fascination with the
twins lives on.

The scooters
The Kray twins have influenced quite a few
custom scooters over the years and this most recent
one belongs to John Benson from Leyland in
Lancashire. But that’s not how the situation started
out. A chap by the name of Scott Sheedy originally
commissioned the scooter to be built, employing the
services of Troy at Serious Scootering in Preston.
Scott originally purchased a donor Lambretta GP200
from Troy for the project, and at this point he already
had the basic idea/concept for the machine fairly
well planned out in his head. But Scott needed some Menacing.
extra input for the details though, and so embarked

54 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

on a large amount of brainstorming and idea
development with (now owner) John Benson.
At the time John was working at Serious
Scootering, and so with his input a fuller and
broader vision for the custom scooter was agreed
upon. To start, the scooter was stripped back to
bare metal, the usual dry build and panel beating/
fettling took place, before it was then brought back
to life by the skilful application of a BMW metallic
ruby black basecoat, which was laid down by Troy.
After that, the awesome artwork was airbrushed on Above left: Detailed engraving. Above right: Trick knuckle dusters for petrol and choke.
by Alan Smallwood, and detailed engraving was
entrusted to the master: Don Blocksidge. Chroming
was completed by Midas Touch to their usual high
standard, and one-off custom parts and accessories
were provided by Keith Newman at K2 custom
classics. The engine unit is a straightforward,
tried and tested, TS1 unit. The popular JL3
and Dellorto carb combination was used, along
with an Italian Li150 gearbox and up-geared
chain/sprockets.
That kind of spec is standard issue for so many
mile-munching Lambrettas: nothing fancy, just
proven combinations on a fair budget. The project
was started by Troy in October 2015 and completed
by March 2016. Since then… despite all the hard
work and the scooter’s great looks, it has not become
a ‘trophy scooter’ which just sits at home. John gets
out and thrashes it mercilessly at every opportunity.
The scooter definitely has that ‘lived in’ look, or as
so many like to say: ridden not hidden.

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 SCOOTER DETAILS
Name: John Benson
Age: 35.
Job: DJ.
First got into scooters: 2006.
First scooter: Vespa PX 125.
First rally: Leeds invasion.
Favourite model: MK1 T5 Vespa.
Thanks to: Troy at Serious Scootering and
Scott Sheedy.

Name: Crime Lord

Model: Lambretta GP 200.
Year: 1970.
Paint: Alan Smallwood.
Engine: AF Rayspeed TS1225, JL3 exhaust
pipe, Li150 gearbox, Delortto 34mm
carburettor.
Time to build: Six months.

Not long after

completion Scott found
himself in the unfortunate
position that many
scooters owners do from
time-to-time, and he had
to let the scooter go.

Above left: Bespoke spare wheel holder. Above right: Billet front hub.
The departure – to a home
from home
Not long after completion Scott found himself in
the unfortunate position that many scooters owners
do from time-to-time, and he had to let the scooter
go. So he asked Troy to put it up for sale in his
shop, and this is where it inevitably came to the
attention of John Benson. With John having had
such a large input into the design and craft of this
awesome custom, he felt a very personal connection
to the scooter and without too much hesitation
bought it for himself. It can often feel a bit like
owning someone else’s shoes when a custom
scooter is purchased, but the personal connection
freed John of any such worries and made the
transaction a no-brainer. Being a relatively fresh
build a scooter hasn’t been seen out much so far
but John plans to take Crime Lord on its maiden
voyage to Bridlington later this year.
Words: Kris Green
Photographs: George Ellis

56 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 CTICA
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CANDY
PAINTING BY NUMBERS:
PART 6
Our ‘painting by numbers’ series is here to guide readers through
the process of painting a scooter. Parts 1-5 (see back issue editions
May-September) have covered prep, primer, paint and pearls and flake.
This month we move on to candy…

What is candy paint?

Typically it is a dye suspended in a clear
carrier which is known as intercoat clear,
it is basically everything that is in paint
without the pigment (colour). This goes for
both solvent based (the most popular) and
water based which is relatively new.
There are pseudo candies out there
which are pigment based using extremely
fine ground pigments but be careful as
they can bury the underlying effect if
you’re too heavy-handed so make sure you
purchase the right one for the job.
Candies are fantastic at blending as you
can see the photo of the red fading
through orange to the yellow while still
seeing the metal flake through it. You can
use the primary colour principles to get
some fantastic colours and combinations
of colours.
Because candies are dye based it means
that you can see through them, making
them ideal to colour the effect or design
that is underneath. In this article we put
the candy directly over the metal flake,
but it could have just as easily been over
a marble effect, ice effect or even a black
and white mural.

Candy is typically supplied

in two forms
Base Coat which is ready mixed, just add
thinner and you’re good to go, and
concentrated which you add to either a
clear binder (intercoat clear) or directly
to your clear coat. Be careful – if you’re
mixing your own the typical maximum
percentage of concentrate to your carrier
is 10%. Any more can cause bleeding
into your other coats.

58 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

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1 3 4

1: Masking tape and pinstripe tape is applied, the sections of pinstripe tape to be removed can then be taken off, in order to create the ‘perfect’ pinstripe.
2: Final clean before application. 3: The first shade of Candy is ready. 4: Application of five even but light coats build up the yellow over the silver flake.
5: The second shade of candy, to provide the yellow-orange-red fade is prepared. 6: Light coats are applied from the right hand side. 7: The gun is tilted slightly
n the later coats to help with the mid-orange fade.

Caution
Candy, because it is a dye, will fade and
different colours can fade at different
speeds so please bear this in mind when
storing your scooter.
Consider
There are certain aspects of candy paints
which you need to consider. The final
shade of colour you end up with is purely
dependent upon how many coats you
apply – the more coats the darker it will
get. So please do a test panel and record
everything – the gun, the air pressure, the
speed, the distance, the ‘pass overlap’.
Application
Last month we went through the basics of
taking a prepped set of side panels and
applying a black base coat, before using
the dry flake application method to get a
good coverage of silver flake and clear
coat. Those same panels, having had
sufficient clear coats to bury the flake,
have now been flatted off with wet and
dry, thoroughly cleaned and then masked
up in anticipation of applying candy to
each one. Del from Custom Paint Shop
masked each panel differently, in order to
show two different types of application,
the first with a red to yellow fade, and the
second with a straight green coverage.
This also threw up an opportunity to
demonstrate the use of pre-cut pinstripe
tape, which makes the masking stage so
much easier. Once masked up, the panel
was given a final clean, to ensure no
debris was present, before application
commenced. Kindly, Darlington base paint
sprayer Graeme Wigley took us through
what seemed to be an amazingly simple
procedure for application.
Red to yellow fade
With the spray booth doors closed,
extractor fans on, the panels pre-masked
and having just been given a final wipe
down, all that remained was for Graeme
to run the candy paint through a strainer,
to ensure 100% that the paint was
completely clean and ready for his gravity
fed gun. Once the yellow paint was in the
gun, Graeme applied five very light but
even dust coats, in order to build up the
colour. The coats were so light, that they
didn’t seem to cover the pinstripe tape at
all, but sat beautifully with the flake coats
beneath. Each dust coat of candy
providing a darker and more thorough
coverage, and with Graeme using (at a
safe distance) a heat gun between coats,
just wafting it in the direction of the
panel, in order to help each coat dry.
Once sufficient yellow coverage was

5 6 7

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8 9 10

8: This panel is having a single shade of green over silver flake. 9: With both panels done, it’s time to remove the masking. 10: This multi-section pinstripe tape
demonstrates the clean lines. 11: Panels then received the final clear coat and were brought bursting into life.

complete, Graeme got the gun ready with
a pot of red candy and then visually
defined a line on the panel where he
wanted the fade to take place. He then
applied the first few dust coats of red with
the gun angled straight down, therefore
the visual separation between red and
yellow was starker. Once he was happy
with the dividing point, he angled the gun
so that as he built up the coverage of red,
it also blew a mist down the panel, thus
creating a mid-section with an orange tint,
as the red and yellow merged.
Green with envy
Once the red to yellow fade was complete,
that panel was set aside and the green
candy paint was prepped for the gun.
This panel was a straightforward building
up of even dust coats, with the usual 75%
overlap on each pass, until even coverage
was achieved. Every coat took the candy
a stage darker, until after five coats of
perfectly even coverage it was just as
Graeme wanted.
building up over the tape, which can then
be a nightmare to remove. All but one of
the lines came out nice and clean. On the
one area where the line had a little ‘paint
drag’, Graeme simply cleaned up the loose
candy with a scalpel blade and all looked
well. All that remained then, was for the
clear coat, of which Graeme applied four
or five coats. This by far is my favourite
bit. Watching a panel which has been
flatted get re-coated with lacquer is
astonishing. The wet application just
brings the whole panel, the flatted flake,
and the freshly applied candy bursting
11
into life. The end result, especially given
that this was a simple ‘quick tutorial’
panel and not a show panel for a
customer, was brilliant. Graeme finished
the clear coating with several more layers,
before leaving to dry. Once cured, the
panel will get the final, flat and polish and
will be used as a display item.
Words: Del & Dan
Photographs: Dan
Thanks to Del @ Custom Paintshop and
Graeme Wigley @ Smarter Car Cosmetics
for their help with this article.

De-mask and clear coat

After allowing the candy to dry, the simple
yet painstaking procedure of de-masking
and de-taping the panels took place.
Graeme was very careful to bring the tape
off very slowly and carefully, so as to keep
the lines nice and clean. Graeme pointed
out that the lighter dust coats had
achieved good coverage and colour, but
prevented problematic ‘thick areas’

60 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 o advertise
on our next
paint feature
call Gary or
Emma on
01507 524004

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 Stil l A l i v e f r o m ’ 6 5
The Gr a n d To u r e r

62 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 Already the owner of two
very well known scooters,
Phil wanted to build
something he could call his
own. Starting with a pallet
of rusty bits, this beautiful
Lambretta is the end result.

from
n 1963 Innocenti bowed to pressure

I Peter Agg, then director of the UK’s

naire, and
Lambretta importer and Concessio
rs to build a large r capa city vers ion of
othe
ta TV1 75c c mod el for
their flagship Lambret
ry UK mark et. It had the sam e body
the power hung
t from a small
styling as its predecessor, and apar
Lam bret ta script on the
chrome badge below the
s, and a revis ed plas tic badge in the
front legshield
seat (bot h displaying
rear alloy grill below the dual
good ‘ano rak’ to
The original pallet of rusty bits. TV200) it would take a pret ty
the diffe renc e at any reas onab le distance.
decipher
upgr aded pow er unit;
The main change was the
the main bone of cont entio n for
this had been
cent i not build ing a bigg er capa city/higher
Inno
felt the extra
performance machine before. They
ld lead to an unac cept able increase
capacity wou
to prem atur e failure
in vibration which could lead
stres s fract ures in the steel
of engine parts and
part s – not that this wou ld both er today’s
body
than simply
‘speed freak’ scooterboy! Rather
the mou ntin g face for a new cylinder
re-engineering
engine block,
they chose to cast a completely new
arou nd the barr el stud area.
with increased metal
diffe rent in profi le to the prec eding
Slightly
used on the GT and
150/175 models, it was only
mod els – the later engi nes
very early SX 200
the smaller
sharing the same profile shape as
the large r gasket face of
capacity blocks but with
els. Taki ng a gam ble with the barrels
the 200 mod
Inno centi
port timing and high ratio gearbox,
relax ed high perf orma nce
hoped to build a more
re into the scoo ter rath er than a rev
touring natu
tly what the
hungry race machine which is exac
were so eage r for. Quoted power
tuners of the day
5hp at
figures for the GT were a useful 10.7
more than the 175TV
5700rpm, two ‘horses’
and with 400 more rpm .
roughly
Throughout the production run of
196 3 and 196 5 there were
15,000 GTs between
gly few alter ation s, mos t of whic h were
surprisin
n line cont inuit y rather
contemporary with productio
el spec ific. The Li style pane ls gave
than being mod
rang e of serie s
way to those fitted to the Special
the S2 wire d style cabl e
IIIs, forks changed from
pres sed stee l item , the elon gate d return
tidy to the
trimmed back and
below the rear number plate was
their chro me ring between the
late models even lost
headset and horn cast .
e to the
So after that history lesson we com
ratio n you see here . Own ed by Phil
beautiful resto
ies, it was acqu ired in Apri l 201 5 as a pallet
Jeffr
end rebuilds,
of parts for £4500! Phil loves high
he alrea dy own s seve ral ‘classics’
so much so
And Reflections
including the S2 TV175 Shadows
y once belonging
and the ‘Golden’ SX200 Fred Perr
sir! Both of these
to a certain gold medal Olympian

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 63
 SCOOTER DETAILS A great result.

Owner’s name: Phil Humphries

Job: Motor dealer.
Scooter club & town: El Duo SC & LCGB.
First rally or event: Brighton ’82 on the train,
we slept (read stayed awake) on Brighton beach h
that night aged 16.
Favourite and worst rally/event: Favourite rally –
IOW, worst rally – Torquay 1983.
Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter:
Weymouth.
What do you like about rallies/events: Meeting up p
with like-minded scooter enthusiasts.
Favourite Scootering magazine feature: Custom
classics, Spirit of ’63 – always wanted that
scooter ever since I saw it.
Your favourite custom/featured scooter of all time:
Shadows And Reflections.

Name of scooter: Still Alive from ’65.

Scooter model: TV 200
Engine: Pro Design RT230
Top speed & cruising speed: Top 80+ and
cruising 60.
Is the scooter reliable: So far.
Paintwork: Classic Perfections Barnham – top job.
Chrome: All polishing and chroming done by
London Chroming.
Is there anyone you wish to thank: Thank you to
Sean Jefferies for knowing everything, to my
agent Daren the Mod Taylor, Disco Dez for his
patience, Clint, Roger and finally my wife for
letting me have my toys.

Worth the effort for days like these.

were already ‘built’ when he got them though and
he always wanted to design his own restoration
from the ground up. So with the basic pallet of
rusty parts he hatched an idea to build a clean
period looking machine using the best parts and
professionals he could find.
Now although he wanted to keep the look very
60s and in line with the Grand Tourer ideal, he
decided to bring the engine right up to date. First
the bodywork was despatched to Clint at Classic
Perfections in Barnham, West Sussex; to get the
look he wanted. They decided on an Old English
white base with tasteful black/gold detailing and
period features – I must say it is very nice and
understated! The engine then went to Pro Design
in Littlehampton for Roger to carry out his magic!
A race/road ported BGM RT 230 kit was used with
60mm crank Jap con rod, 30mm Dellorto carb,
BGM inlet manifold, BGM exhaust, AF six-plate
clutch and TV200 gearing. Probably a little over the
top but the GT/TV was always a bit of a wolf in
sheep’s clothing! He had already used Disco Dez at
Gran Sport for previous work on his machines so
decided he was the man to bring his dream
together. It took around a year and near on £10k to
finish. Since completion it has been fully set up by
Roger on his dyno and gives a very useable 18bhp.
Phil is very happy with the final package and it has
already picked up not only Best Lambretta but also
Best in Show at its first outing last month!
Word & Photographs: Dave O.

64 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

Show
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

us your
Scoots

Paul Genery sent this pic in of his scoot

which is back on the roads after a 35 year
sleep. It was registered in the Midlands in
1966, has done 15,000 miles and only had
one owner until last year. The 50-year-old
paint is beautiful, a true survivor.
Trev sent this in of himself and Mrs Porter
leaving the Chapel, Barmby on the Marsh,
East Yorkshire, in Eibar TV175 style on
May 28, 2016. He assures us that helmets
were put on across the road!
Paul Buglass sent this photo in
from the bank holiday Monday
ride out from Newcastle to Lake
Ullswater with his mate Paul.

This is Mark Mitchell’s scooter called

Mabel and has been his small time
project since October 2015. The LML 2T
was completed by his son’s boss James
Kerr and Lincs Lambretta’s Russ Matson
who fitted the final piece, a Malossi 166
kit doubling the bhp to 12.8, with a top
speed of 76mph. Neo Graphix were the
main supplier of any decals.
She was called Mabel after the death of
Bob Stimson. He died suddenly from a
heart attack while driving back home
to fetch Mark some parts he had painted
for Mark’s scoot. Mabel was his term
for another mate, Mr Graham Hutchings
and every week Bob would ask, ‘Is
Mabel coming?’ So Mark named his Thomas Lawlor’s LML 125 scooter.
scoot after him.

Dick Swann sent these photos in of the first scooter (left) he had, while attending
Steve and Stana’s PX200s on their ride to
college at South Shields Marine Tech College 1964. The colour photo shows his current
the Needles, Isle of Wight in 2015.
one, a 2012 PX150. He’s a fair weather rider but he still enjoys it at the age of 71.
Pete Bennett sent these photos in of their recent trip to Naples, Sorrento and Amalfi. He says: “We are a group of mates who have met through
Armando’s Scooters Shop and are from London and Sheffield. While there we managed to get in touch with the Old Lambretta Club Campania. We
all ride Lambrettas and we were invited for a barbecue at Massimo’s place by one of the club officials; good food, good wine and good company.
Despite the language barrier we all had a great night. The whole week was a great time riding around the Amalfi coast Naples and Sorrento.”

Trevor from
Bromsgrove sent this
in. He says: “Having
had Lambrettas since
1967, this is my first
SX and after a round
trip of 450 miles to get
it, it’s a dream come
true at last. The photo
shows me with my
1969 SX 150.”

Rob, Paul and Nick’s Vespa

PX125s from Vespa Club of
Selby, sent in by Nick Butler.

Jim Burns, of the Aberdeen Classic Scooter Collective sent these in of his PX125 with a P210
Malossi engine and a Cosa banded clutch. It has had a bare metal respray with Alfa Romeo pearl,
new shockers, seat, chrome bits and the engine bits, clutch/brake lever have been engraved.

Scoots in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 2016 for

BBC filming. Sent in by Alan Moxon-Waddell.
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 Blackpool
Lambretta Owners Club
EST 2002
“We’re going down Blackpool alright, we’re going down Blackpool for a
pint, we’re going down Blackpool alright, to see the lights…” Blackers.
Love it or loathe it, it’s always crammed full of people having a good
time at the seaside. The tower, the pleasure beach and the pier… all full
with smiley-happy-tipsy-drunk people having fun.

70 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

A
mong Blackpool’s other
attractions are the Starlets,
the chaps and chapettes of
the Blackpool Lambretta
Owners Club. BLOC was
originally started in 2002 by Martin Dean
and Mark Taylor, although Mark Taylor was
tragically killed in a road traffic accident
back in 2010. Recruiting a lot of the
old-guard of Blackpool scooterists helped
them to quickly become one of the largest
Lambretta clubs in the country and from
the initial three or four members the club
has steadily grown to 40+ regular riders,
rally goers and club attendees. With former
members of the Modernisers and Okeh
scooter clubs returning to the scene after
the common sabbatical of having families
etc. this really bolstered the club numbers
some more, with a few members having
continually been riding within the scene for
nearly 40+ years. The aims of the club are
to positively promote scootering and club
activities within the community, foster
relations with other clubs across the UK
and internationally. The club is open to any
Lambretta, and actually also to Vespa and
any other classic scooter owners. The club
regularly attends LCGB events at home and
abroad, BSRA rallies, and also has its own
annual event.
It’s really nice to see so many ‘old school
faces’ from back in the day, mixed with so
much fresh blood, which all helps allow the
Blackpool Lambretta Owners Club to thrive
and hopefully continue long into the future.
But even the good is tinged with a little
sadness, another one of those old school
faces recently passed away in 2015: Paul
Bibby. A character much loved and sadly
missed. Blackpool Lambretta Owners Club,
the calm in the storm, the light in the dark,
and proof that Blackpool is not all
candyfloss, squashed chips, vomit and sex
for half a kebab.
W rds: Kris Green
otographs: Jamie Rowland

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 71
The bag-snatcher
g snatcher
 F
or late July it is a strangely cold
day in Modena, Emilia-
Romagna, Italy. It’s one of
those days when the sky is
dark grey and the rivers are
painted across the land in cool black.
I am in this city to learn Giovanni’s secret.
This former motorcycle police officer
contacted me by phone to tell me, in
confidence, that the truth must finally to be
told. A Romanesque-style city, Modena is
home to some of the world’s most important
and beautiful historic books, such as the
hand-decorated 15th century Borso d’Este
bible. At the city’s library of ancient
manuscripts, the Biblioteca Estense, this
and other works are studied in silence by
academics and researchers wearing white
cotton gloves – in stark contrast to the flip
side of Modena: its passion for screaming
race motors!
At the end of the Second World War,
mechanical industries came to overshadow
the city’s traditional artisans and their
quaint regional crafts, heralding a new era
focused on steel manufacture and industry.
During this period the companies now most
74 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
strongly associated with the Modena region
– such as Ferrari and Maserati –
established themselves and unleashed the
fervour of the crowd and citizens who, it
seemed, had been waiting all along to be
sucked into a roaring vortex of rumbling,
snarling engines bred only for speed and
power. During an interview, Enzo Ferrari
said to RAI (Radio Televisione Italiana)
journalist Guido Piovene: “Race cars are
people. Every car has a soul and to build
them is just like getting high on cocaine.”
In this era another legendary son of
Modena, Vittorio Stanguellini, became
known as the ‘modifier’. He would take
standard, everyday Fiats and turn them in
nasty, brutal racing cars. Stanguellini
tuned-up, among others, a Moto Guzzi
motorcycle engine and the created ‘Colibri’
(hummingbird) – a 248cc aluminium
single-seater streamliner.
Modena and the colourful characters of
her illustrious past provide the backdrop for
Giovanni’s experience. He rode motorcycles
for the police from the 1950s to the 1980s
and now he is grandfather to Elisa, who
shares his love of two-wheeled machinery.
I meet him while he is smoking a cigar just after
the lunch. I am so curious after all his enigmatic
statements over the phone that I immediately
start to break the ice, firing questions at him.
But being a good ex-cop he stops me straight
away and makes sure, before he begins to
elaborate, that I will write down word for word
what he is going to share with me.
Growing up amid the wealth and prosperity of
late-1950s Italy was living the dream. Giovanni
was a young police officer on his Moto Guzzi
Falcone 500cc – on the lookout for trouble.
He told me: “My task consisted of first-response
and traffic control. We handled any suspicious
activity from pickpockets to major car accidents.
Often we saw some young hot-heads racing above
the speed limit or risking themselves by driving
dangerously, so when it happened we (usually
working in pairs) switched on the siren and
chased the bad guys.”
Giovanni pauses while fixing his shirt-collar, just
like he would have if he’d still been on duty.
“Modena is not Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Pursuits weren’t how they look in the movies – most
operations were over in about 10 minutes at most.
We would call other forces in from the opposite
direction of the road. The Falcone was pretty fast
in a straight line. Normally it was a piece of cake.”
It was the period of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita film and
although there was general prosperity, the thieves
were growing up fast. “It was all good and our shifts
went relatively smoothly,” says Giovanni, “all good,
this is, until that one day…”
Official police report:
April 4, 1964, 9.45am
“The criminal, on a blue Lambretta devoid of regular
traffic/licence plate, extorted and robbed two purses
and one gold jewellery item from the victim, here
identified as ‘A C’.”
Giovanni fixes his shirt-collar again and clears
his throat, saying: “This activity alerted us to the
presence of a gang who, over the following weeks,
were responsible for a substantial amount of
wrongdoing. So we started to keep our eyes open
during patrols, watching for any evidence of
suspicious movements. We found later on that the
blue Lambretta was stolen from a rich family out
in the countryside near Modena.”
I am invited into Giovanni’s studio, inside the
house. A wooden staircase brings us to the first
floor and a door on the right leads to a square
room where heavy volumes rest on big bookcases.
On the floor, a Persian carpet makes the guest’s
W.SCOOTERING.COM | 75

started the Falcone 500cc
engine with a very strong ki k
and I took off in pursuit.
footsteps very soft. It is just like the famous
221b flat in Baker Street, London. I can’t help
myself; I smile as my mind conjures up an image
of Mrs Hudson stepping in with a tray of black
tea and biscuits.
“We tried to find that bloody Lambretta in every
possible nook and cranny of the city, even in the
provinces nearby. Nothing!” Giovanni pauses and
brings me abruptly back to reality. “Then on July
27, more than two months after that first incident,
I saw a bag-snatching with my own eyes, just 100m
away from me. I was in front of the railway station
in Via Pico della Mirandola when I saw a light blue
Lambretta pop out of a secondary road. That bloody
wretch was so fast on the corner that his knee was
almost touching the pavement. Three seconds later
two purses were gone already.
“One of the ladies was even dragged for a few
metres, wounding her arm very badly. My colleague
was too far away, ticketing someone for a stop
penalty. I didn’t have time to waste. I started the
Falcone 500cc engine with a very strong kick and I
took off in pursuit. My Moto Guzzi had been off for
more than an hour though and the engine was cold.
We were on traffic control duty, and it was a quiet
day, so when I gave it full gas it crackled a bit,
choked itself and stalled! I started it again with a
ferocious kick but losing all those metres to the
fleeing Lambretta was bad. By now it was over
600m away and far ahead of me. I triggered the
76 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
I didn’t have time to waste.
Guzzi’s horses that had the universal-joint-
transmission and every gear-shift at maximum
power was just like a mule-kick in the back.
“I was confident though that my bigger
displacement and the siren would help a lot. What
could a Lambretta do against the police Guzzi? Via
Manfredo Fanti, Via Nonantola, all straight and with
sirens at full volume – yet I couldn’t catch that
bloody light blue small spot ahead. The criminal
was damn fast at changing direction as he
squeezed between the cars. He entered Viale
Albereto, a strip which was strangely empty and we
were one against the other on an open road. I
couldn’t believe to my eyes: 80, 90, 130, 150+
kph! Impossible. Between Villavara and Navicello I
lost eye contact because after a slight turn he
pushed his machine down a cut-through. Gone.”
Giovanni stops speaking and gazes out of the
window for a moment before continuing.
“Back at the central police station I wrote up a
full report on the stolen Lambretta. After some
deeper research, it came to light that there weren’t
many scooters like that around. It was a 175 III
series, equipped with disc front brake, clearly very
well-tuned to stand up against a police Moto Guzzi!
On the other hand, I was able to now add more
detail about the thief who passed pretty close to
me just before the snatch went off: 1.80m tall,
moustache, long brown hair and slightly neck-
bulged.” The ex-cop reaches up and takes down a
78 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
CLUB DO’s & EVENTS
SHOWS, PARTIES, Rallies & RUNS.
If your scooter club is holding a do or event just drop us a line for some FREE advertising.
Unfortunately we can ONLY accept details by post or via the website due to workloads. Please keep
wording to a minimum and be warned that listings may be edited due to space restrictions.
SEPTEMBER
23 Zoo Zoo, The Blues Kitchen,
111-113 Camden High St, London
NW1 7JN. 9pm-3am (free before
10/£5 after). Big Boss Man &
support live. DJ Dr Robert + Guest
23-25 Ribble Valley Mod
Weekender, Clitheroe, Lancashire.
Live music including Skaface, The
Len Price 3, The Electric Stars,
Dogtooth and many more. Trade
stalls, custom show and ride in
from Gisburn. Camping available.
01200 421599 www.rvmw.
moonfruit.co.uk or FB Ribble Valley
Mod Weekender
23-26 Woolacombe National,
Scooter Rally #8
24 Mousetrap R&B Allnighter,
Orleans 259 Seven Sisters Rd,
Finsbury Park, London N4 2DD
(10pm-6am), Northern Soul, Ska,
Motown, R&B and Boogaloo with
resident DJ’s Chris Dale, Rob
Bailey, Callum Simpson & special
guests Mik Parry & Gav Arno
28 Togs n Tassels, Free night of
Northern soul, R n B, Trojan &
ska all played by resident DJ Terry
Peters. From 8pm @The AshTree
TW15 2HW
30 Who’s Who, live plus support
from The Redstarts at The Bongo
Club, 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1
1JX. Doors 7pm. Tickets £13 from
Tickets Scotland and Ripping. (see
main advert)
30-3 Oct Australian National,
scooter rally 2016 - Bunbury, West
Coast, Australia www.ancsr2016.
net
OCTOBER
1-2 VCB Clacton Members Rally, See
VCB main advert for membership
details. Essex
1 Who’s Who, live plus support
from The Seventh Sons, O2 ABC2,
300 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2
3JA. Doors 7pm. Tickets from
Tickets Scotland
1 PSL Open Day, with Harry
Barlow and Davy’s Scooters. Dyno,
trophies, BBQ, music, raffle etc,
12-5pm. Kirby L33 7UY Ride in
from The Game Bird, Eccleston
on A580 at 11.30 www.pslresto.
co.uk
1 Inbetweeners SC, night of soul,
motown and scooter sounds, 8
- late, Burslem Golf Club, High
Lane, Burslem, ST6 7JT. £2
admission. Info www.facebook.
com/groups/inbetweenersSC or
contact Ed Jones 07909 531135
1 Black Country Skinhead, meet and
greet with evening of Boss Reggae
and Rocksteady, Station Hotel,
Dudley, W. Midlands, DY14RA. DJs
Bully & Tipper, 12.00 - 18.00 open
to all 19.30 - 00.30 tickets only,
£5.00 each. Tel: 07463 475447.
FB: Big Bean Promotions.
2 Wicksteed Park Parts Fair,
Kettering, Northants NN15
6NJ. Details - Kev Walsh 07966
265588 Email lcgb2@blueyonder.
co.uk
2 Scooter & Mod ‘End of Summer
Special’, Ace Cafe London, Ace
Corner, North Circular Road,
Stonebridge, London, NW10 7UD
www.ace-café-london.com 9am-
5pm, with six piece Ska band.
7-9 Scootermaniacs SC, annual
do. Queens Hall, Minehead. (new
venue). Saturday daytime at Old
Ship Aground incl. custom show
and ride out. Back to Queens Hall
for the evening.
8-9 The Brighton Ska Train, Scooter
‘n’ Ska special. The Volks, Brighton
beach, midday to midnight for free.
Featuring The Brighton Ska Train
Soundsystem. Collection for ‘Rogers
Wildlife Rescue’. Free scooter
parking with prizes and photoshoot
on the dancefloor for the best ska
themed scooter attending.
8 East London, Scooterist Nite DJs
playing all your fav sounds plus
playing live Scam 69. Cheap bar.
£5 OTD. 8pm-2am. Hornchurch
Social Club, 168 Station Lane,
RM12 6LS. Info Facebook or
07903 278575
8 Tailor Made, Mod Club, The
Barony, John St, Glasgow G1 1JH,
10pm till 3am - Admission £5
Resident DJ’s Mikey Collins and
Paul Molloy are joined on the decks
by Simon Fane (Madame Jo Jo’s,
London).
13 NUTsMAG, The Blues
Kitchen,111-113 Camden High St,
London NW1 7JN. 8pm-1am FREE
Live bands + DJ Dr Robert & The
Baron. www.newuntouchables.com
22 The GT’s and DJ Tigga, at Bar
eleven, 11 New Rd, Stourbridge,
DY8 1PH. Early bird tickets £5.
Phone 01384 376516
22 Crossfire Allnighter, London,
9pm-6am @ 229 The Venue,
Gt Portland St. £12. 3 rooms
of musical perfection. www.
newuntouchables.com (see main
advert)
26 Togs n Tassels, Free night of
Northern soul, R n B, Trojan &
ska all played by resident DJ Terry
Peters. From 8pm @The AshTree
TW15 2HW
28-30 Bridlington National, Scooter
Rally #9
28 Shoreditch Got Soul, Blues
Kitchen, 134 Curtain Rd, London
EC2A 3AR. 9pm-2.30am (free
before 9/£6 after). Live Soul
Revues, DJ Dr Robert + Guest.
www.newuntouchables.com
29 The Sound A.K.A, plus DJ Tigga.
Spring Meadow Club, Old Hill B64
6LB. Tickets £5. Info: Tigga on
07854 620386 or Soul Brother DJ
Tigga on FB
NOVEMBER
5 Zoo Zoo, Blues Kitchen
(Shoreditch) 134 Curtain Rd,
London EC2A 3AR. 9pm-3am
(free before 9pm/£10 after) Live
bands. DJ Dr Robert + Guest www.
newuntouchables.com
5 Boss Reggae, Ska & Rocksteady,
The Arena, Hagley Road,
Stourbridge, West Midlands,DY8
1QH. Entrance at rear of building
off Church St & Redhill. 20.00 -
02.00. DJs:Mick Andrew Reynolds.
Martin Long (Portsmouth) Kevin
Boddy (Double Barrel). Tickets
£5.00 adv or £7.50 otd. Tel:
07463 475447. FB: Big Bean
Promotions.
5 Get Hip!, presents The Mourning
After + the Get Hip! DJ’s at The
Music Lounge, 21D Yarm Lane,
Stockton-On-Tees, TS18 3DR.
8pm - 2am, £3 on the door. Info at
www.gethip.co.uk
11-13 VFM Mablethorpe, Great
Eastern rally (see main advert)
11 The Sound AKA, and DJ Tigga
charity night for poppy appeal at
Spring Meadow Club, Old Hill,
B64 6LB. Tickets £7. Phone Tigga
07854 620386
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 79
11 Brixton Got Soul, Blues Kitchen,
40 Acre Lane, Brixton, London
SW2 5SP. 9pm-2am (free before
9/£6 after) Live Soul Revues,
DJ Dr Robert + Guest www.
newuntouchables.com
12 Tailor Made Mod Club, The
Barony, John St, Glasgow G1 1JH.
10pm till 3am - Admission £5
Resident DJ’s Mikey Collins and
Paul Molloy are joined on the decks
by Claire Hyslop (Burnt Toast,
Black Coffee).
12 Small Fakers, live plus support
from The 45’s, O2 ABC2, 300
Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3JA
Doors 7pm. Tickets from Tickets
Scotland (see main advert)
15 Nouvelle Vague Live, 02 Forum,
Kentish Town, London www.
eventim.co.uk Ticket hotline 0844
249 1000 & 0203 239 2732.
18-20 SWSC Warmwell, Winter
weekender near the Dorset coast
19 AONSC, Scooterist Charity Night
with 2 fantastic bands General
Chaos & Special Brew, DJ support
from Sam Evans. Standard Triumph
Club, Coventry. Tickets on sale now
£10 each. www.aonsc.co.uk
19 New Untouchables 19th
Anniversary Party, The Phoenix, 37
Cavendish Square, London W1G
0PP. NUTs DJ’s and special guests
from 9pm-4am/ Adm £8. www.
newuntouchables.com
25 Britannia Night, at Britannia
Rowing Club, Nottingham NG2
5FA. £5 a Ticket. Featuring The
one and only Ska Britannia Band &
DJ Nev Shooter. Hosted by Ilkeston
Britannia SC. Info and tickets
0115 981 1251 info@the-brit.org
25 Zoo Zoo, The Blues Kitchen,
111-113 Camden High St, London
NW1 7JN. 9pm-3am (free before
10/£5 after) Big Boss Man &
support live DJ Dr Robert + Guest
CLUB DO’s & EVENTS
26 Tynesiders Annual Doo,
featuring The Dualers plus DJing
by Shaun and Milky from This Is
England. Park Hotel, Tynemouth.
7pm-late. Tickets £10 contact
John 07908 143309 or Dave
07974 951568.
30 Togs n Tassels, Free night
of Northern soul, R n B, Trojan
& ska all played by resident DJ
Terry Peters. From 8pm @The
AshTree TW15 2HW
DECEMBER
3 Mousetrap Psych Allnighter,
Orleans 259 Seven Sisters Rd,
Finsbury Park, London N4 2DD
(10pm-6am) Primest Garage/
Freakbeat and Psych on the
planet! Resident DJ Dr Robert +
guests www.newuntouchables.
com
3 Louth Scooterists, Christmas
do. Upstairs at The King’s Head,
Louth, Lincs. with 01482Tones
playing downstairs. Free entry.
4 Peanut Duck Custom show,
Woughton Leisure Centre, Milton
Keynes
8 NUTsMAG, The Blues
Kitchen, 111-113 Camden
High St, London NW1 7JN.
8pm-1am FREE Live bands +
DJ Dr Robert & The Baron www.
newuntouchables.com
80 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
10 Mousetrap R&B Allnighter,
Orleans 259 Seven Sisters Rd,
Finsbury Park, London N4 2DD
(10pm-6am) Northern Soul, Ska,
Motown, R&B and Boogaloo with
resident DJ’s Chris Dale, Rob
Bailey & Callum Simpson &
guests
10 Inbetweeners SC, Xmas party,
Night of soul, motown and scooter
sounds, £2 admission Burslem
Golf Club, High Lane, Burslem,
ST6 7JT. Info www.facebook.com/
groups/inbetweenersSC or contact
Ed Jones 07909 531135
10 The Circles, play Spring Meadow
Club, Spring Meadow, Old Hill, West
Midlands B64 6LB. £12 per ticket.
Special Guest RTÈ Radios Jacqui
Carroll from Ready Steady Go! and DJ
Tigga.
17 Scootermaniacs SC, Christmas do
at WsM RFC
17 East London Scooterist, Nite.
DJs playing Reggae, 60s, northern
soul, ska etc. Plus playing live The
Scene. Cheap bar. £5 otd. 8pm-2am.
Hornchurch Social Club. 168 Station
Lane RM12 6LS. Info Facebook or
07903 278575
30 Shoreditch Got Soul, Blues Kitchen,
134 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3AR
9pm-2.30am (free before 9/£6 after)
Live Soul RevuesDJ Dr Robert +
Guest. www.newuntouchables.com
30 New Year, classic vinyl from Terry
Peters. Northern soul, R n B, Trojan &
ska. 8pm, The Ash Tree TW15 2HW
31 Nutty New Years Eve, 9pm-6am,
The Venue, 229 Great Portland
St, London W1W 5PN www.
newuntouchables.com
31 Friday Street, New Year’s Eve Mod
Party. Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street,
Glasgow G1 1LG 10pm till 3am,
Residents Mikey & Paul joined on
the decks by Jamie Kidd (Double
Sight) Tickets available from www.
tickets-scotland.com Info - friday-
street@hotmail.co.uk
JANUARY
9-10 Scooter World & The World Of
Scooter Sport, Newark Showground,
Notts, NG24 2NY
28 Soul in the snow 2, Spring Meadow
Club, Old Hill, B64 6LB. Hitsville
Chalky, Chevy, Dave Henderson and
Tigga, £3 on the door
29 Bradford Parts Fair, Richard
Dunn Sports Centre, Rooley Avenue,
Bradford, BD6 1EZ Info Kev
Walsh: 07966 265588 or lcgb2@
blueyonder.co.uk
FEBRUARY
5 Worcester Parts Fair, Perdiswell
Leisure Centre, Bilford Rd, Worcs WR3
8DX . Kev Walsh 07966 265588
Email lcgb2@blueyonder.co.uk
18 AONSC Anniversary Do, 2
top bands, Heavy Sol & The
Modfathers to celebrate our
AONSC 32nd Anniversary, DJ
Glyn Preece. Standard Triumph
Club, Coventry.
www.aonsc.co.uk
18 Boss Reggae, Ska &
Rocksteady, The Arena, Hagley
Road, Stourbridge, West
Midlands, DY8 1QH. Entrance
at rear of building off Church
St & Redhill. 20.00 - 02.00.
DJs: Mick Andrew Reynolds.
Tigga. Special Guest Skaman Ade
(Riddims & Ska). Tickets £3.50
adv (via Ticketsellers) or £5 otd.
Tel: 07463 475447. FB: Big
Bean Promotions.
19 Mansfield Parts Fair,
Mansfield Town FC, One Call
Stadium, Quarry Lane, Mansfield
NG18 5DA, Details - Kev Walsh
07966 265588 Email lcgb2@
blueyonder.co.uk
23-27 High Rollers, Las Vegas,
USA
MARCH
5 Wicksteed Parts Fair, Kettering
Northants NN15 6NJ. Details -
Kev Walsh 07966 265588 Email
lcgb2@blueyonder.co.uk
17-19 VFM* Pre-season, rally,
Southport
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 81
CLUB DO’s & EVENTS
24-26 Clacton 2017, at Highfield
Grange. This years headliners are
The 79ers featuring Kip Herring
of The Chords. Bands Friday and
Saturday with DJ’s in two rooms
playing your fav tunes, Stalls,
Charity Raffle. Call Rob on
07840 695245 for wristbands
and Sue 01255 689800
Caravans.
APRIL
1 AONSC Pre VMSC Show, Do, 4 top
DJ’s playing, more details to follow.
Standard Triumph Club, Coventry.
www.aonsc.co.uk
82 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
1 Ginger’s Egg Run, 30th Anniversary.
Leigh Miners club WN7 4EF
2 VMSC Extravaganza, Custom and
Classic scooter show. Connexion
Sports Hall, Ryton-on-Dunmore nr
Coventry. CV8 3FL
15 Boss Reggae, Ska & Rocksteady,
The Arena, Hagley Road,
Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8
1QH. Entrance at rear of building
off Church St & Redhill. 20.00
- 02.00. DJs: Beth Kane. Paddy
Muldowney ( Pressure Drop) Tickets
£5.00 adv or £7.50 otd. Tel:
07463 475447. FB: Big Bean
Promotions.
21-23 Bangers & Mash, MFN Club,
Eastwood, Notts., UK, NG16 3JE.
£15 adv/£20 otd. www.facebook.
com/events/754407144695873 or
Dean 07901 578123
23 Vespaholics SC St Georges
Day, ride out, The Forester Public
House, Burrow Road, Hainault,
Greater London, UK, IG7 4NH
MAY
6 Doncaster Hunters SC 47th
Anniversary, rally, Parklands Sports
& Social Club, Wheatley Hall Road,
Doncaster
13-14 Gravesend Sentinels
SC, Parts Fair weekend. Old
Gravesendians RFC, Bronte View,
DA12 1PX. Custom show and
vintage fair Saturday with evening
do. Parts fair on Sunday.
JUNE
2-4 EuroLambretta, Adria, Italy
17-18 Newark On Trent SC,
Rally, North Muskham Village
Hall, Nelson Lane, Newark, UK,
NG23 6HL www.facebook.com/
events/1731664477116846/
22-25 Vespa World Days, 2017,
Celle, North Germany
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 83
 Great Yarmouth
Sidewinders 40th
Anniversary Rally
Sheer hard work, meticulous planning, and dedicated organisation
(among other factors) are required to promote a scooter rally. Even with
all those boxes ticked there’s no guarantee of success, thankfully this year
Great Yarmouth proved to be a fantastic event…
G
reat Yarmouth Sidewinders SC has been running
a rally for the past three years. Prior to this year’s
rally, 2016 marking the club’s 40th anniversary,
for a variety of reasons, (weather conditions in
the main), numbers were lower than hoped for
at the last two. So this year was, literally, make or break as far
as this regional was concerned. Great Yarmouth Racecourse is
an ideal rally location and if memory serves at least once during
the 80s, when LCGB was involved with running National rallies,
the racecourse was utilised. Now, 30 plus years later, the
racecourse is still an excellent host venue.
Several of the bars are located on various levels in the two
grandstands and this ensured there was a variety of music on
offer. With the addition of the outdoor stage, and five of the
seven live acts performing al-fresco over the two days, late
84 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
afternoon, and early evening, things shaped up nicely. Almost
every taste in music was catered for from the live acts and DJs.
On a personal note, I first encountered some of Great Yarmouth
Sidewinders one Saturday at Arthur Francis’ shop in Watford,
back in 1980, prior to Ray Kemp relocating to Yorkshire. Over the
early years of the then fledgling National rallies, I’d invariably run
into some of them. This being the Sidewinders’ 40th anniversary
rally, for me personally this event was not to be missed.
My cross country route to Great Yarmouth has vastly changed
since the 80s, in the main for the better, with dual carriageways
and bypasses avoiding many of the towns and cities that in the
past required riding through. Arriving at the Racecourse mid-
afternoon on the Friday, the site was already buzzing with scooters
and scooterists, with a steady amount arriving constantly
throughout the late afternoon and evening. Near perfect weather
over the weekend ensured there were new arrivals on site right
through till 8pm on the Saturday night. Family friendly,
Sidewinders rally reminded me a lot in the overall format of
Camber Sands rally (RIP), albeit without chalets. Early risers had
the option of on-site showers in a two hour window, caterers
provided a decent range of food, with a donut outlet and ice-
cream van for the youngsters, and young at heart. An abundance
of trade stalls offering all manner of spares, new and second hand
parts, clothes and all sorts. The custom show on Saturday
attracted a healthy amount of scooters, though as with all rally
shows, there were as many high quality machines not entered,
parked up on site. Several caught my eye, especially a cream and
deep red Grimstead Imperial dealer special, though the scooter
and owner (from Lowestoft) were only there Saturday afternoon.
Midday was the start time for the rideout, which attracted an
estimated good few hundred scooters, which went from the rally
site in Great Yarmouth itself. Some of the rideout participants
parking up on the sea front spent the afternoon in town. Trophy
presentations took place late afternoon between bands on the
outside stage, main rally sponsors Fuchs Silkolene oil ensured
all award winners got a bottle of two-stroke as well, during which
Sidewinders SC members posed group photos. The 70s fancy
dress theme for the Saturday night attracted quite a few
participants, including Mini Mods SC from Northampton who got
right in the spirit en masse. While there were many amusing
moments over the duration, the most outstanding was the two
young girls who slept in a Mini, waking up to find themselves in
the middle of a car boot fair!
All in all an excellent regional event. Sidewinders SC, on the
strength of their 40th anniversary rally, certainly put the Great
into Yarmouth!
Sarge
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 Mersea Island 2016
Mersea Island has always been a popular destination for European
scooter clubs and solo riders. I spotted plates and ‘cut-offs’ from
Holland, France, Germany, Austria, etc. These visitors always seem up
for the games, the dyno and partying throughout the night!
P
ersonally, I’ve been attending this rally every year
since 1993, and being as it’s only just about a 60
mile round trip you would have thought my Friday
morning jaunt would have been a pretty simple
excursion! Wrong. Everything was going fine until,
just after passing through Colchester, my Auto-bretta started
coughing and spluttering and finally ground to a halt. It felt
very much like either fuel or carb rubber splitting – both easy
fixes so I was not too distressed, and even waved a few helpful
scooterists on as they gave me the thumbs up. However, after
removing the panel I found I had completely cracked the inlet
manifold. Terminal! It is here I should thank Goldie and Tony C
for coming to my aid and eventually getting me to the site.
Anyhow after a cheery greet from the gate staff (and a bit of a
p*** take on my situation) we exchanged a ‘Bobby Moore’ for a
wristband, events programme and patch; and then were directed
to the camping areas. With numerous previous events CDVLC
have perfected this set-up with separate areas and approaches
for both scooters and cars. Even though it was still pretty early
(3pm) the campsite was already a hive of activity and throughout
the afternoon scooters poured on from all over the UK and the
Continent. Being a purpose-built campsite the facilities are
excellent with several shower blocks, static and Portaloo toilets
and even a school canteen style mess block. This weekend also
sees several mobile food sources move in with everything from
the usual burger van to fish and chips and even a curry/chilli
kitchen! MI has always had a great reputation when it comes to
entertainment, whether you like live acts, CD or vinyl DJs or
even a ‘silent’ disco – all are available. With two festival sized
marquees erected next to the bar and an alfresco barn this is a
perfect setting for some live action. Over the weekend there were
no fewer than eight live bands/acts playing a real mixture of
tunes. Friday saw The Grain, The Kool Katz and The Talks, while
Saturday featured Modern Apes, The Gallerys, The Rhythm
Rockets, Small Talk and finally Johnny Boy.
On Saturday there was also a custom show, dyno and of
course the legendary ‘games’ a real test of man/woman and
machine. Weather-wise it kept really nice for all of Friday and
right up until 5.30pm on the Saturday but by then people were
in the do’s and bars so it didn’t really matter! Next year is the
silver jubilee of this rally; where has that quarter of a century
gone? Thanks again for all the hard work put in by the CDVLC,
security staff and youth camp employees for a great weekend.
Dave O.
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 SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE
The custom show at Mersea Island has always been one of
the main features of the rally, and this year was no different.
Although the competitors have to assemble and set-up in
the two large adjoining marquees by 9am (a bit early for
some!), there was still a great mixture of machines from
restorations and rusterations to full blown customs. This
year for me it was very interesting to see the major trophies
fought out between two separate ‘eras’ of glitz. Outstanding
80s machine Dazzle was brought back to life with ‘Dazzle
3’. A couple of personal favourites of mine, Edmund ‘Purest
Green’ and a revamped Illusion 2 both stood out, and who
could discount today’s ‘daddy’ Start Me Up, owned by
apparently scootering’s nicest bloke! Results are below:

Cutdown/Oddity/Chopper: Illusion 2
Street Racer: LI S1 VEZ 8928
Vintage: Bella 465 UXS
Original Vespa: Rally 200 MGU 57P
Original Lambretta: LD150 YAR 52
Restored Vespa: GS MK1 815 UYK
Restored Lambretta: LI S1 OHV 433
Engineered: Lambretta Trike 947 FYY
Brightwork: Dazzle 3
Paint: Start Me Up
Auto: Sonic
Custom Vespa: Faithful Friend
Custom Lambretta: Dazzle 3
Of Show: Dazzle 3

A WO R D F RO M L O G I S T I C A L N I G H T M A R E S S C
Mersea Island Scooter Rally is
without a doubt our most loved rally
of the season. We’ve been going for
years, and once again it was one to
remember. This year’s 440 mile
round trip unusually saw zero
breakdowns which was a great result.
On Friday night we watched a band
called The Talks who nailed it;
playing mostly ska music and then
out of the blue they rocked out
Voodoo People by The Prodigy
which made the place go wild.
That of course set us up nicely for the
Darkside Tent (silent disco) which was
hailed the place to be on the island,
and it was!
Saturday, we spent the morning
looking around some quirky scoots in
the custom show, a browse round the
stalls, watch the dyno and then onto
the games. The games were, as
always, the highlight of the rally. We
had Loggies Jig and Charlie surprise us
all coming out dressed as little old
ladies, and watching them do Beer and
Bananas was extremely amusing. This
year we took part in every game and
came home with two beautiful trophies,
winning the Where’s Me Beer and
Wheel Me Over games. Braintree
Breakfast Scooter Club demolished us
at tug-of-war and The Destitutes beat
our two little old ladies in Beer and
Bananas. However, win or lose it was
all fun; club morale was high, we
cheered each other on, got drunk, belly
laughed, most of us threw up, got
covered in egg and made plenty of new
friends. On Saturday night it was all
back to the Darkside Tent for another
messy one. Silent wasn’t quite the
word to describe the tent with
everyone singing loudly along. Two
different stations played everything
we wanted to hear. It was an
immense weekend and thanks to
Colchester DVLC for having us back
and looking after us or rather,
destroying us. We’ll see you all again
next year once we’ve recovered.
Jamie – LNSC
 C A R PA R K C U S T O M

F U N, G A M E S & DY N O
As the complete rally is held on site at the East Mersea Youth Camp, Mersea
Island and its host club Colchester DVLC has to keep the ‘guests’ amused not
only throughout the night but also the day. This has meant that over of the
years it has gained quite a reputation for both daytime bands, a dyno and of
course the notorious fun/games. The latter hosted by Tony ‘The Mouth’
There was no lack of stunning machines around the field on the site to take
Wright is always a way to get the crowd going, as is watching scooter
this rally’s ‘Car Park Custom’ title and a year’s magazine subscription.
engines pushed to breaking point!
However for myself and those of a certain age, nothing stands out more than
a decent drop of metal-flake and chrome, especially when the early morning
sun hits it. So here is Jon Hitch’s well ridden flaked Lambretta, much to the
RESULTS:
amusement of his mates who said his silhouette resembled a certain ska
Fun & Games:
icon while I took the snaps – Lip Up Fatty!
Tug-of-war: Kids & Braintree Breakfast SC
Egg-throwing: Braintree Breakfast SC
Owner: Jon Hitch
Ice T: Chris Wilkinson
Scooter club & hometown: Newmarket Paralytics SC, now living in
Wheel me over: Logistical Nightmares SC
Lakenheath.
Beer and Banana: Destitutes SC
Scooter: Lambretta GP Indian, I had it for just over eight years.
Sponge Bob: Braintree Breakfast SC
Engine: 230 TS1, JL exhaust, 35mm Mikuni.
Where’s me beer: Logistical Nightmares SC
Paint: Gold and blue metalflake done by original owner Mark Pearson,
Hartlepool.
Dyno:
When did you start scootering: 1984/85.
Lambretta: Kev Broome: 84mph
Favourite event: Too hard to choose, sorry!
Vespa: A. Gaff: 84mph
Favourite custom: I’m not particularly into customs, more street racer/
Auto: Jake Cox: 90mph
dealer specials.
What do you particularly like about Mersea Island: It’s just a great event,
however I prefer it with slightly lower numbers like this year as there
seems to be more actual scooterists and you can get to the bar.
Your journey here: Just over 55 miles through the Suffolk/Essex
countryside. Rode down with two other Lambrettas and met up with other
members of the club here.
 VCB Lakeland 100 – It never rains, it just pours…
W
ell we left Wakefield at
10.30am sharp in the pouring
rain for the 80 mile jaunt to
Kendal. We stopped off in Settle for a spot
of dinner and to wring out our clothes
around 12.30pm. Back into the rain and
onto the scoots for 1.30pm and arrived
wet to the pants at the Kendal Rugby Club
around 3pm. Things didn’t improve. Due
to the weather, some had already gone
down the B&B route so there was plenty of
space, tents up in the rain and then to the
bar for a chat and a beer. A quick walk
into Kendal for a few more early evening
and then rather surprisingly the sunshine
made a welcome appearance! It was brief
though, so back to the rugby club for a
few more jars before bed.
It’d be fair to say it rained a lot during the
night and was still at it in the morning. Bit
of breakfast and a cuppa before the ‘shall
we shan’t we’ debate regarding the 100 mile
ride ahead. It was decided that as it was
only drizzling now, we’d head off on the first
leg of the ride and have lunch before
another afternoon in Kendal. Anyway, 10
minutes into the ride and the almighty
downpour came. Wet to our pants again, we
decided to press on. A closed road, a quick
spill on a roundabout and a petrol pipe
change later (Ray carried a spare) and we
were still at it and getting wetter. As we
approached Honister pass it was raining
heavier than I have ever experienced before;
it was of biblical proportions. The hill-climb
and the hairpins were at best very scary and
had to be approached with extreme care.
At the top of the pass was a youth hostel
and a café, so a brew and a pie was a
welcome break from the weather but over
far too soon. By this time severe weather
warnings were in place and safety was now
firmly in our minds. We had no choice but to
press on through the road-rivers and debris
which the floods had brought.
Eventually I picked up a sign for
Keswick and managed to get us back to a
major road (still road-rivers only wider and
with no sheep on them). We covered 45
miles back to Kendal where we were met
by our flooded tents, soaked clothing and
drenched sleeping bags. The rain never
even paused for a second! This was the
final straw and left us with no option
but to pack up and go. Frustrated and
deflated, we loaded up and went for a final
warm drink before saying our goodbyes.
Three hours in the pouring rain would have
been a pleasure but much more was to
come! After five miles or so and on the
busy A591 the trusty GTS gave up the
ghost; waterlogged I guess. Anyway to cut
a long story short my fav aunty Carole
Nash said she’d send a very nice man with
a recovery truck to pick up me and Ange.
That was at 6pm and after several games
of eye spy and a few star jumps and still
in the pouring rain I thought I’d give a
follow-up call just to check the progress.
Luckily at 11.30pm a pal and his wife
(Graham & Haze) were passing on their
way home from Lancaster and kindly went
miles out of their way to get us a warm
drink and a whopper burger and let us sit
in their car to get warm if not dry.
Eventually at midnight the very nice man
and his recovery vehicle turned up and we
were on our way again.
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 It was a real shame the weather didn’t
play ball as Kendal and the Lakes are a
fantastic part of the UK. It did spoil the
occasion but not the weekend, as time
away with your pals is priceless. Between
the rain a brill time was had by all, the
banter and support was priceless, and
we’ll be back to do it all again and more
next year… rain or no rain! Cheers.
Paddy ‘Pat’ Gough
Dirty Mills SC and Wakefield Cog 99
Photographs: Jon Northey
CANNOCK NOMADS SCOOTER CLUB – ALL DAY EVENT – JULY 2016
C
annock Nomads Scooter Club was
only formed in February 2016 and
since then has successfully held
various events to raise money for the local
charity Help a Squaddie Find a Home in
Rugeley. July 16 was the most ambitious
to date and probably the most
successful too!
The day started with the obligatory ride
out. Scooter clubs from all over the
Midlands had come in support, and more
than 90 scooters travelled through the
beautiful Cannock Chase to arrive at the
Mid Cheshire Charity Scooter Rally
N
either Brexit nor the inclement
weather affected the numbers
attending the fourth Mid Cheshire
Charity Scooter Rally at Blakemere Village
in Cheshire. In fact, fans of the headline
act on Saturday night, Diane Shaw, swelled
the numbers significantly. Supported by
the Lazzy Band, Johnny Boy and Lovely
Blue Skies she had the showground
buzzing. Also performing at the rally were
The Start, the Deadbeat Descendants and
Amplify Music Project.
There have been excellent reviews on the
rally Facebook site and the organisers, the
92 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
venue held at Cannock RUFC. The day
continued with the three Bs: bands,
burgers and beer! Thanks to the fantastic
Britannia Beat who opened and then
played a further set. Bouncy castles, ice
cream, paintball and jousting kept the
kids entertained while stalls, music,
scooters and meeting friends old and new,
kept the rest of the crowd happy. Cannock
Radio’s brilliant Geoff Anderson continued
the music by playing some quality
northern soul well into the evening. The
finale was nationally acclaimed local band
Rotary Club of Northwich Vale Royal felt
very proud when one guest said: “This is
now the flagship event of the scooter rally
calendar.” The Michelin Challenge Cup
awarded to the winners of the tug-of-war
proved again to be very popular and very
noisy. The victors this year were The Ace of
Spades Club from St Helens, Merseyside.
The classic and custom show entrants
were oblivious of the early morning rain and
this year included a very rare Raleigh Roma
in original condition. The Rock Oil Special
Lambretta made a final appearance in the
roll-a-dice competition but despite the
Marquis Drive who went down a storm.
A special thanks to all the scooter clubs
who helped make this day a success,
the people who bought tickets, Geoff
and the bands for playing great music,
Nomads wives/partners for all their
help and time and to Cannock RUFC
and bar staff for letting us host this.
Watch this space... next year, a
weekend camping bash.
PS the rally patch for the event is still
available at £2.50 if you didn’t manage to
get one – find us on Facebook.
‘odds’ improving with the number of sixes
required reduced from seven to six, no one
was lucky enough to win it. The beer festival
once again won universal approval and
despite copious amounts alcohol being
consumed the weekend passed trouble free.
A fantastic event, but the future of the
MCCSR was put in doubt as the owners of
Blakemere Village announced that a
planning application had been submitted
to build houses on the site. We will keep
everyone informed as things progress via
the website www.MCCSR.co.uk.
Tim Henshall
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94 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
 Scootering
Words & Sounds
Contained in music somehow more than just sound...

Craig Brackenridge Rave On Scooterboy (Old Dog)

Set in 1988, the fictional hero of Craig ‘Bracko’ Brackenridge’s latest offering, scooterboy Terry
Dean stumbles across, almost by accident, a new underground scene right at its inception.
Terry, like many scooterists in the real world at that time, is intrigued, drawn to and seduced by
rave music and its surrounding culture. Along with workmate Steve, who for once was one step
ahead of Terry, they embark on an initially profitable venture together, cashing in by getting in
on the ground floor of the unstoppable rise of rave. Of course it’s at odds with what the majority
of his club-mates in Enfield Beast SC are into. Loyalties, relationships and friendships are
tested up to and beyond breaking point. All the prerequisite elements of sex, drugs and
fighting, along with members of sub culture interacting authentically, plus a large helping of
music and scooters combine superbly. Throw in a few conflicts of interest involving the leading
characters, and voilà, another excellent cult fiction novel penned by Bracko. The main plot, and
a multitude of subplots are delivered in a manner that many who were involved in both the
scooter scene and rise of rave music will both empathise and identify with. Looks like Old Dog
books have a winner on their hands with Rave On Scooterboy.
Sarge

Various Artists 61 Classics from The Cramps’ Crazy Collection (Righteous)

Eclectic, varied, wild and obscure. Four adjectives which only just start to cover the
range of material showcased in the second collection of material from the archive of
Lux Interior and Poison Ivy of The Cramps. From rockabilly and proto-psychobilly, via
R&B and doo-wop, taking in comedy records and the truly indescribable en route, this
is a wide ranging selection of material, albeit one with a common thread – that of a
dark humour and slightly twisted view of life. There are some absolutely cracking
tracks hidden away on here – The Storey Sisters and Gene Summers are, for me, worth
the entry fee alone, and they are only two of many great tracks to be found here. It’s
not all good material in the traditional sense – Homer Denison Jr’s Chickie Run and
Paralysed from The Legendary Stardust Cowboy (once deservedly voted the worst
record in the world) show two extremes of bad – but somehow even they become
listenable in the company of such a bizarre compilation. And that’s the key to this
album. It’s not a mainstream release meant to please the masses, it’s most definitely
one for the adventurous listener and collector, and one that I see me digging out on
a regular basis.
Nik

Dave Rimmer The Rare Soul Bible Volume 2 (Soulful Kinda Music)

It’s only taken Dave Rimmer a mere 14 years to produce the second volume to his
inaugural rare soul bible! Author Dave is an internationally renowned DJ and collector, and
he ran the soul-zine Soulful Kinda Music, which is now operating as a website. The
‘Volume 2’ tag is a huge clue that this book follows on from Volume 1, being similarly
packed with rare soul label listings, it also throws a spotlight on many rare soul artist acts
and individuals. There are black and white images of the aforementioned as well. Packed
with information and helpfully cross-referencing every known release by certain soul stars.
It features superb and essential information for collectors, connoisseurs and even those
with a taste for rare soul 45s. On top of that, there are interesting, slightly tongue in cheek
as well as ethically correct features with subjects such as So You Want To Run An
Allnighter?, Don’t Become A DJ!, and Northern Soul? It’s A UK Thing Isn’t It? Thoroughly
researched, packed with essential information, it’s a must for anyone with a liking for rare
soul music. Of course it is a companion to Rare Soul Bible Volume 1, which was long out
of print. However, Volume 1 has been reprinted, (reissued?), so if you missed out first time
round the chance is there to grab both Volumes 1 and 2 of the Rare Soul Bible. For all
mail order details contact Dave via Dave@soulfulkindamusic.net
Sarge

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 Kilburn And The High Roads Handsome – Expanded Edition (Cherry Red Records)
Long before breaking through with The Blockheads, Ian Dury was the
frontman of the legendary Kilburn And The High Roads, one of the leading
acts in the then popular ‘pub rock’ scene. Although a complete failure if
judged by record sales, the band were a massive influence on acts which
followed, from The Sex Pistols (Johnny Lydon taking both the aggressive
stage persona and razor blade earring from Mr Dury) to Madness (whose
tales of London and slightly ‘wonky’ early sound can both be traced back
to the High Roads) and more.
Despite only recording one album (although it was recorded and
released twice under different titles and for competing labels!) and a pair
of singles, none of which bothered the chart compilers, their legacy is
one that can’t be ignored.
The first, and ‘official’ version of the album is the one that’s the basis of
this expanded edition. Disc one is essentially a reissue of this release (on
Dawn/Pye Records) but expanded to include both singles and a handful of
previously unreleased studio recordings. Imagine a raucous night in a
London pub and you’re halfway there...
Disc two is the interesting one though. Recorded ‘in session’ for
Capital Radio in 1974, it captures much more of their live sound, a
ramshackle and chaotic act, with gleeful pre-punk mock amateurism
shining through a good time rock and roll sound – the very definition
of pub rock, and a poignant epitaph to the musical genius that was
the late Ian Dury.
Nik

Various 20 Shades Of Psycho (Sleeping Dog)

This collection of cult fiction short stories is literally a cult fiction take on the good old fashioned
compilation album. There are other elements from the world of music included in the makeup of this
one too. Street Sounds newspaper, which provides much needed coverage for a variety of alternative,
non-mainstream, but nonetheless significant music from different sub genres, has given many of its
regular writers the mandate to provide a short story. Contributors include Gary Bushell, Craig ‘Bracko’
Brackenridge, Rhoda Dakar, John King, Tim Wells, Paolo Sedazzari, Snowy and Pete McKenna, who
all are known to a lesser or greater degree on the scooter scene. Like a compilation album, some of
the content is excellent, some good, some a surprise and one or two don’t quite cut it. It’s a lucky dip
with the subject matter of the stories. If your attention span is similar to that of a goldfish, but you do
enjoy a bit of a read, this collection of short stories would be ideal. As a taster for the type of work
some of the contributors provide in their full length novels, again it is a good read. Even if only some
of the short stories appeal, it showcases the writers’ styles. You get stories involving Mods, skinheads,
suedeheads, soulies, punks, psychobillies and even (Victorian era) steam punks. Plus a couple of
short thrillers too.
Sarge

Various artists Trembling Earth (F&J Records)

Scotland has long had a strong ska tradition, with many bands emerging
from the northern nation in the years since the 2-Tone era. Trembling
Earth brings the best of the (more-or-less) current crop together in a
stomping collection of 33 tracks from 16 bands, giving a double album that
rarely hits a misbeat. From well-known acts such as The Amphetameanies,
Bombskare and Capone and the Bullets, through up and coming bands
Esperanza and Big Fat Panda to relative unknowns The Cherry Reds and
the wonderfully named Victorian Trout Conspiracy, a wide variety of takes
on the offbeat are present. The highlights generally come from the name
acts, although Teddy Cut A Dash from Urang Matang and Sea Bass Kids’
Ginger Stare are both worth a special mention here as examples of how
you don’t have to be a name band to put out good music. As expected
with Scottish ska, there’s a huge dollop of good humour and tale telling
through the songs, all built around a variety of ska styles from the 2-Tone
of the ’Meanies through a more modern sound from Root System, to
indie/ska hybrid Bis, to the gloriously obscenity-loaded Joe Viterbo,
whose I F***** Telt You could only have been recorded by a Scot. For
me, this is one of the best ‘themed’ compilations I’ve heard in a long,
long time – perhaps since the days of the Do the Dog compilations – and
is pretty much an essential purchase to my mind.
Nik

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 Brighton Mod Weekender
August Bank Holiday
As gatherings go, the second largest in the UK involving
scooters is arguably the Brighton Mod Weekender…
and what a belter it turned out to be!
T
he IOW is without doubt the UK’s largest scooter
gathering and ironically the organisers of Brighton
Mod Weekender (New Untouchables) were
responsible for resurrecting and revitalising the
Isle of Wight rally, following a few years’ hiatus
after the notorious 1986 national rally and all its implications.
As the Isle of Wight began to grow once again in popularity,
New Untouchables headed to the south coast Mod Mecca of
Brighton. Initially attracting a few hundred, over a relatively
short time frame, the Brighton August Bank Holiday weekender
attracted larger and larger numbers.
In recent times, New Untouchables evening and all-night
events have gone from one host venue to three host venues.
All of these are invariably full, and in some cases sold out in
advance, leaving huge amounts of bank holiday weekend visitors
98 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
with money burning a hole and with nothing much else to do.
Entrepreneurial types have moved in, offering live music
shows, alternative DJ nights and the like, cashing in on the
weekender revellers. Plus, Brighton isn’t short of popular
hostelries, regular mod weekender punters have their own
‘local’ of preference such as The Dorset and The Heart and
Hand to name just a couple.
It’s the daytime though, where peacocking mod style goes into
overdrive. Volks Bar on Madeira Drive, organised by New
Untouchables, has been, and continues to be the focal point.
Sunday traditionally is the daytime session where anyone and
everyone descends on the seafront, scooters parked up three,
even four deep on both sides of the road. Sunday also hosts the
scooter competition followed by the rideout too. With the iconic
Victorian cast iron arches having fallen into serious disrepair, so
much so they are now fenced off to the public. Which has
pushed car parking spaces further out onto the roadway, making
the mass rideout of scooters from outside Volks border on
dangerous. The Sunday scooter count of machines parked on
Madeira Drive was well over the 2150 mark this year.
As for the rideout, maybe Brighton council could, and given
the influx of Mod money into the local economy, perhaps should
do a bit more to ensure the rideout gets off to a decent start!
With an even narrower than previous years’ gauntlet of tourists,
as well as Mod weekender attendees lining the rideout route, it’s
a tight squeeze for more than single file scooters to set off.
Adding to the chaos are four wheeled vehicles entering Madeira
Drive from the Marina end and impatient drivers deciding the
exact moment of the rideout, is the time they need to cross the
flow of scooters. Hence this year’s rideout, instead of being a
spectacular visual happening was again disrupted by unthinking
impatient idiots. The overall number of people in Brighton for
the Mod weekender seemed to be equal to if not slightly more
than 2015. The modern art gallery have now taken several units
on the same row as Volks for a cafe bar. They also put on a mini
music festival on the next tier up on the Sunday afternoon,
which was targeted directly at those in town for the Mod
weekender. For the thousands and thousands in Brighton for the
bank holiday weekend, it was another top event all round.
Sarge
 Breighton Ferry – York SC – September 2016
B
oats, beers and bullied Vespas...
these are three phrases which spring
to mind when I think of the
shenanigans at York SC rally at the
Breighton Ferry. I think most in attendance
would agree that the whole weekend was a
little unhinged and slightly crazy, but this
just made it more memorable.
I’m trying to avoid the hole I rode over
on Saturday morning and got wet blah
blah. However, the truth is I did ride over
on Saturday morning and I did get wet!
Anyway, as I erected my tent to the sound
of Jim’ll Fix It, I was already wondering
what kind of rally I’d come to. Not only
because I’d been warned off camping in
the first spot I’d selected, due to
someone’s overuse of a loud PA system
ridiculously early in the morning, to the
point people were moving their tents!
The rally was operating a ‘strict scooter
only’ policy, and it was great to see a
campsite rammed with scooters and only
scooters. The turnout was fantastic which
to me justifies a demand for more of this
kind of event on the scooter scene. The
venue was right on a river and was
obviously a popular boating spot. Leeds
Central SC managed to exploit this and
had sailed their own private party boat
down the river! I was offered a chance to
captain the boat, but politely declined due
to the fear of the tabloid newspaper
headlines if there was some form of
horrific accident!
Darrell Taylor had brought along his
dyno and it was keeping the masses
entertained for hours. There were some
seriously impressive scooters giving it
some welly, from bike engined monsters to
crazily tuned scooters! And this brings me
to the bullied Vespa. Rob Skipsey and co
was trying their best to destroy an old
Vespa they’d brought along. I personally
felt sorry for the poor thing. They were
spraying it different colours, lobbing
glasses at the flywheel, doing burnouts,
pouring whisky into the carb... you name it,
and they did it to the battered old thing!
The evening do wasn’t much calmer
either! The punk cover band that were
performing really set the tone and got
people jumping around. There’s nothing
better than being right next to a band in
a small pub with a good crowd! I was a
lightweight and called it a night at
11.30am, but Lydia stayed out much
longer. By all accounts there was an
insane amount of alcohol consumed which
led to some rather dodgy dancing, to a
point where it had moved onto the tables!
It was nice to see a venue that was happy
to stay open late, as it can often be the
case that far too many rallies wind down
before they really get going (not that it
mattered to me, I was out for the count!).
It’s safe to say I’ll be back next year and
I’ll have my party hat on next time!
Jordan – YGSC
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PJ Oakley SX200
Mk III Lambretta
Love at first sight was exactly what Vince Roberts experienced the first
time he saw a PJ Oakley Mark III SX200 dealer special in the late 60s.
He did have a 1963 Li150 at the time, but when one of the older lads
in Barrow turned up on an Oakley Mark III, Vince was smitten.
The memory has never left him…

I
t wasn’t just any Oakley Mark III he wanted,
it was the very one that he first saw; to Vince
it truly was a thing of beauty. During the 60s
there were a handful of outlets that went a
little bit further than most by offering their
customers an enhanced version of a standard
scooter. The Grimstead Hurricane, Rafferty
Newman Wildcat, Ron Moss Supertune and Arthur
Francis S-Type are well known and renowned.
Not as well-known as the aforementioned, yet
equally as significant as all of them, was the dealer
special offered by Leicester dealer PJ Oakley.
These are arguably the rarest of all the 60s dealer
specials to find, now nearly 50 years on from their
first introduction. Based at 227a Melton Road,
Oakley offered the basic version of his SX200 Mark
III, which retailed at £249. The following extras
constituted a standard Oakley Mark III: restyled
two-tone paintwork to the customer’s specification,
engine tuned to stage 1, high compression cylinder
head, 12v conversion with 9 amp charge rate and
switchable 6v magneto, Lucas 55W 12v quartz
iodine spot-lamp, headlamp flasher and warning
lamp on the headset, legshield glove-box, electronic
rev counter, reverse pull front disc brake, ball end
levers, front damper gaiters, side panel locks and

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 Avon cling tyres. Reliability was something that the
modified Oakley Mark III was renowned for,
something that PJ Oakley himself was justifiably
proud of. In addition to the standard Mark III
specifications there were several additional extras
the more affluent customers could choose. This list
included a Nanucci dual racing seat, a choice of
Amal carburettor 1.25in (32mm) or a Wal Phillips
injector, an Ancillotti exhaust, suspension bush
modifications, 120mph speedometer, alternative
gear ratios and engine heat dissipation. The latter
being a black coating to the engine casing,
reference to which was Scooter World’s headline
for its feature on the Oakley Mark III test day at
Silverstone circuit.
Vince recalls: “When that Oakley Mark III first
turned up in town, it was like a scooter equivalent
of a rare Ferrari arriving with all the scooter lads.
It was the first dealer special in our town. I tried a
few times to buy that Oakley off the owner, he
always declined my offers. Then I was tipped off by
a friend that it had gone to the tip! As soon as I
heard, I went down there and managed to rescue as
many trick bits as I could. That set me on the road
to tracking down a genuine Oakley Mark III, which I
found in a shed in Leicester.
Some of the Oakley parts were no longer on the
scooter, and the shed was not damp-proof; the rear
end was pretty much rusted away. Off it went to
Chiselspeed to have a new frame loop and fork
tube, and all trued up on the frame jig they have
there. A local paint sprayer, using old photographs,

104 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016


recreated the distinctive PJ Oakley design. Using
the Oakley parts, as Vince calls them, trick bits,
rescued from his local tip, marrying them up with
his now resurrected Oakley SX; in effect building
one complete Oakley dealer special out of the two.
When it came to rebuilding the engine though,
Vince had a tough call to make. First off it was
completely checked over, all the necessary items
such as bearings, studs and where required
essential running items were replaced. Next it was
a choice of option A: utilise the currently available
items such as a tuned Mugello top end, an up to
date ignition system, upgraded crankshaft and ’rod,
a six-plate clutch and five-speed box, plus other
new items to suit the demands of today’s roads,
or… option B: retain the original Oakley stage one
tuned barrel and head complete with Amal Mk 1
concentric carb, standard SX crankshaft and
clutch, and keep the original Oakley 12v
conversion. As with all of his scooters Vince
builds them to be used and mildly abused, so
he went (albeit reluctantly) with option A. He has
of course kept to one side the original Oakley
tuned top end, with Amal manifold and carb,
along with the Oakley 12v conversion set up
and Lucas rectifier.
During his quest of bringing back to life a
genuine Oakley Mark III, Vince’s extensive research
and detective work resulted in him tracking down
Paul Chambers, Oakley’s own mechanic and test
rider. “Paul Chambers did take some finding to
start with. Once I had been in touch with him to
SCOOTER DETAILS
Owner’s name: Vince Roberts
Job: Nuclear submarine build team leader
(retired).
Scooter club & town: Ready, Steady, Go – Barro
in Furness & LCGB.
When did you first become interested in scooters:
Late 60s.
What was your first scooter: 1963 Li150 which
cost £8 in 1969.
Favourite scooter model: SX200.
Favourite style of custom scooter: 60s dealer
special and 80s style customs.
First rally or event: Ambleside 1971.
How did you get there: On a trusty Li150, which
then broke down, so I got a lift off a biker on a
Triumph Bonneville!
Favourite and worst rally/event: Favourite – early
80s Scarborough, and these days LCGB C2C
and 4-Nations. Worst was Morecambe in the
mid-80s when my tent got set on fire. I packed
it in for a short while after that…
Funniest experience with a scooter: As a
teenager when I chased a lass into the ladies’
public loo on my scooter and got it stuck in
the entrance!
Furthest you’ve ever ridden on a scooter: Probabl
the Euro Lambretta to Ireland.
What do you like about rallies/events: With so
many characters on the scene, it’s always great
to see familiar faces, meet new people, and
catch up with old friends.
What’s your favourite Scootering magazine
feature: Into the Sunset, most of us can relate
to the stories. I also like the technical features
and any stories from the 1950s/60s.
If you had to recommend one scooter part or item
of riding kit what would it be: Nurofen.
Scooter model: Original Leicester PJ Oakley
Mk III 1969 SX200.
Date purchased and how much did it cost: 2010
and cost me £3000 for a heap of bits.
Engine kit: 230 Mugello V4 with LTH reed and
Touring Tune. Crank: Indian webs and RD400
rod. Carb: Mikuni TMX 30mm. Exhaust: BGM
Clubman V2. Clutch: AF Rayspeed Cassette.
Gearbox: Cyclone 5-speed. Porting work & Dyno
by: Martin Cook @ Chiselspeed.
Are there any other details worth noting: 12v DC
lighting with Wassel – kept the original 12v
conversion with Luca rectifier, also have origin l
tuned barrel & Mk1 Amal carb kit.
Top speed & cruising speed: 70mph and 50mph h.
Is the scooter reliable: Yes.
Overall cost: £7000.
Is there anything still to add to the scoot: Still
looking for original headlight flasher unit.
Is there anyone you wish to thank: Chiselspeed,
Trev at Midas Touch, my wife Trish for letting
me get on with it, Paul Chambers (ex-PJ Oakle
employee/racer) and the RSG SC.
W.SCOOTERING.COM | 105
 start with I communicated with him a few times.
When I’d finished my Oakley I took it up to see
him. He was very impressed, telling me I’d done a
really good job. He said he’d be interested in
getting another SX himself. When I told him the
sort of money they go for, he winced, and that put
paid to that idea!
Recently Vince, along with fellow Ready Steady
Go SC members, rode over to the Isle of Man.
While over on the island he encountered a group of
scooterists from Team S Equipe, with their early S
type Lammies. One of their number, Lee Geary from
Leicester, was chatting to Vince who told him about
his genuine Oakley Mk III. Lee ran the 100 yards
or so to where Vince’s scooter was parked up to
have a closer look, and was suitably impressed with
Vince’s handiwork. So far one Oakley trick part has
eluded Vince – an original flasher unit for the
headlight. If there’s one out there, I’m certain Vince
will track it down too. After all, lavishing hard
earned cash on a present is something most will do
for a loved one. Vince’s love affair with his Oakley
dealer special is a love that will last.
Sarge

P J OA K L E Y M K I I I S X 2 0 0 1 9 6 7 D E A L E R S P E C I A L
– T E S T DAY W I T H S C O O T E R W O R L D
PJ Oakley hired Silverstone race circuit to
test his Oakley Mark III SX200 on August 3,
1967. PJ took with him, as well as an
Oakley Mk III Lambretta, a plethora of
different spares as well as a then expensive
£100 worth of accurate timing equipment.
Also accompanying Oakley to Silverstone
was Paul Chambers, who worked at the
Leicester outlet as chief mechanic. He was
also both test rider and works rider,
competing on his own Oakley Mark III at
race circuits, sprint meetings and rallies.
At a number of scooter sport events the
fastest times of the day in Standard class
were set by Paul Chambers on his Oakley
Mark III. Enhancing the reputation of the
Oakley dealer special for power,
performance and reliability. The latter
was a big factor at the time as many
competitors would ride to competition
events, take part and then ride home
again afterwards.
Scooter World’s journalist was surprised
to find in attendance Walter Hartley
Phillips, who 40 years previously was a top
International speedway rider. Phillips was
also an engineer, and the inventor of the
Wal Phillips injector. Walter Phillips was
not at Silverstone as a mere spectator; he
actually took the Oakley Mark III for a few
runs. Obviously with the scooter running
one of his own one inch fuel injectors,
fitted with a 0.43 jet. After his rides
Phillips was impressed. He was quoted
as saying: “Not bad, we made 70 with the
wind, it seems clean all the way up, no
hanging at all.”
Paul Chambers then took over the test
riding, changing the injector for an inch
and a quarter Amal concentric carburettor,
which, give or take a fraction of a
millimetre translates to 32mm. He ran
the Oakley Mk III first without and then with
side panels fitted. PJ Oakley himself
commented: “We feel we have a winner
in this machine. It looks well and handles
well. It has powerful acceleration, enough
to give a standing quarter mile in standard
trim of 19.05 seconds, with additional
equipment we’ve got that down to 18
seconds flat, and your terminal velocity
will be of the order of 70mph. The machine
in that condition will have an overall
top speed of between 75 and 80mph.”
Test rider Paul Chambers confirmed “we
reached 75mph after Maggots corner”
which was very impressive for a Lambretta
in 1967. Testing came to an earlier than
anticipated conclusion due to continual
hard cornering wearing a hole in the
silencer, causing it to blow. On the test
day, the Oakley Mark III was run on a
pet-oil mix of standard pump petrol and
a 24:1 mix of Filtrate oil. Filtrate was the
oil brand recommended by PJ Oakley.
For everyday use a mix of 32:1 was the
oil ratio mix recommended for the
Oakley dealer special.
Scooter World were very positive about
the Oakley Mark III saying “this indeed was
a fabulously equipped scooter, it WAS
different and it LOOKED different, including
the colour scheme” and going on to say “a
dealer who hires Silverstone circuit for a
day, takes along a truck of equipment, a
prepared machine and timing gear costing
nearly £100 can fairly be said to be taking
the job seriously.
“When the single scooter is run over
distances of one tenth mile and one quarter
mile, clocked time after time, meticulously
checked against various equipment
changes... and at the end of a hard day’s
running the scooter is still in fine fettle, has
not crashed, run a bearing or burst the
engine... then you can say one scooter
dealer is justified in talking about tuning
scooters and preparing them for the sporting
rider.” Quotes are taken from Scooter World
September 1967 feature titled ‘The engine is
painted black on this Mk III Lambretta
SX200’. PJ Oakley cut and pasted a number
of quotes from the Scooter World feature into
a two pager for the 60s scooter press,
advertising his Oakley Mark III SX200.
Sarge

106 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

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ESSENTIAL LAMBRETTA
MAINTENANCE
This month: Cable bust or in need of replacement? Gears not selecting
properly? Cables are the most seemingly innocuous item on a scooter,
but when badly fitted or maintained can be the cause of many problems.
Time to take a look at setting them up properly, once and for all.

1: The clutch cable on the right exits the gear change and takes a gentle curve in the head set over to the other side of the frame. 2: A clear view of how all the cables
route down the fork stem. 3: While the clutch and throttle cables follow a natural line down the frame tube the gear cables cross over under the forks as can be seen
here. 4: Once passed through under the legshields the clutch and gear cables loop over the rear brake housing into their protective shrouding.

108 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016


2 3
T
he job of the Lambretta cable
system is to link the hand/foot
controls to the relative
mechanical items which drive
and stop the machine, and
with only six cables required to do so, the
simplistic design works well… if looked
after! Quite often this is not the case, and
as the cables are constantly in use it’s
usually out on the road where one gives
up and lets you down. However, with
routine and regular maintenance they will
give the rider thousands of trouble free
miles. From time to time it may be that
cable replacement is required and this can
sometimes give owners problems if they
are unsure of how to route cables or set
them up properly.
In this article we will look at the four
cables required to drive a Lambretta.
The clutch, throttle and gear cables.
The easiest way to get started is to
separate them and fit in the following
sequence: both gear cables followed by
the clutch and finally the throttle. Trying
to fit them all in one go can lead to
confusion and frustration as you struggle
to route them properly.
Gear cables
Before starting to fit the gear cables or
clutch for that matter, make sure the
adjuster block is in good condition. If the
adjusters have become rusty or dirty clean
them fully and grease the threads. At this
point wind the adjusters fully back so you
have full adjustment on them. Sit both
outer cables in to their respective housing
in the head set clamp. With the inner
cables fully lubricated slot each one in to
the pulley holes. If the holes on the pulley
or the split pin fixing are worn, replace the
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pulley as this will give excessive play
between the gears. Feed the outers down
the left hand side of the fork stem and
cross them over the main frame tube to
the right hand side just below the bottom
fork bearing. From there they sit just
above the legshield and stand supports,
looping over the rear brake housing on the
frame. They then pass around the side of
the head cowl feeding though a 10cm
long protective shroud where they finally
feed into the adjuster block.
Now to make sure you have the cables
the right way round. Looking down at the
pulley in the headset, the cable that sits
in the top hole feeds in to the inner
adjuster on the block. The cable that sits
in the bottom hole on the pulley feeds in
to the outer adjuster on the block. Feed
the inners through the cable trunnions on
each side of the pivot on top of the casing
but don’t tighten up. Make sure the small
disc that sits underneath the grub screw
in the trunnion is present. If not it can
start to cut in to the cable when the grub
screw is tightened, causing it to snap over
a short period of use. A good tip is to
make sure all the linkage is free from wear
as now would be a good time to change it.
This includes both pieces of the pivot and
the tie bar which is the most common for
wear. Also make sure the trunnions are
free from grooving on their outer surface
especially the one connected to the tie
bar. Replace if necessary. If replacing a
trunnion, make sure the Allen key size in
the top is the same diameter; this goes for
the clutch as well. Some use a 3mm Allen
key and some a 3.5mm. It can be a
nightmare if you are out on the road and
discover you have the wrong fitting Allen
key because you have mixed up the sizes.
4
Making sure that the outer ends of each
cable are fully seated in their respective
housings, it is time to tighten them up.
With the engine in neutral, get someone to
hold the gear changer in neutral on the
headset. You can do this yourself but it is
easier if someone else is holding it to stop
it moving as you pull the inner cable taut.
Start by tightening the inner trunnion on
the pivot and once that’s done check to
see it selects first gear. Next, tighten the
outer trunnion. As it’s pulled tight, the
gear changer should remain in the neutral
position on the handlebars. If so, you have
correctly fitted your gear cables. As a
check you can push your Lambretta along
with the spark plug removed to make sure
you can get all the gears in their
correct positions.
Clutch cable
The clutch cable sits in its housing inside
the handlebar gear change loops across
the headset and down the right hand side
of the fork stem. From then on it follows
the same path as the gear cables also
through the protective shroud before
getting to the adjuster block.
If there is excessive pin wear either on
the changer or the lever itself this can be
remedied by buying an oversize lever pin
and re-drilling the hole. Take care if doing
this and make sure you have the correct
diameter drill. Where the outer cable sits
inside the gear change, always check
inside for debris. This can be old pieces
of the plastic outer from the cable or its
steel end. If there are any obstructions
it is possible to cause the new cable to
be fitted without it being seated properly
in the housing and going slack when the
cable is operated.
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 I

5: Exiting the shrouding, the cables take a natural line to the adjuster block. 6: Always make sure the cables
go underneath the engine mount, not over it. 7: Try to make the curve around the head cowl as shallow as
possible if your carburettor exits on the right hand side to prevent the cables from fouling it. 8: Finish the
inner cable ends off by either soldering them or, more easily, fitting with an aluminium cap to prevent fraying.
9: Though rubber cable covers give that genuine factory look, they can get in the way. If fitting a cable on the
side of the road they are another obstacle to get around.

With the outer cable in position, slide
the inner cable all the way through so it
exits the adjuster on top of the engine
casing. Make sure the cable is fully
greased and more so where the clutch
lever sits in the gear change. At this point
fit the lever pin and tighten it up. Before
fitting the trunnion you will want to make
sure both ends of the outer are fully
located in their respective housings. By
holding the end of the inner in a set of
mole grips and pulling the cable taut,
depress the clutch lever. If one of the ends
of the outer cable is not sitting fully home
this will push it fully into place. Don’t
worry if the end of the inner cable has
been crushed a bit as this will be cut off
to its correct length after fitting.
Before positioning the trunnion, turn the
adjuster on the block out by about 4mm.
This will allow you to slacken the cable off
slightly just in case it is a bit too taut when
fully tightened. With the inner cable tight,
push the clutch arm on the casing forward
till it stops. Take a marker pen and mark
the cable where the trunnion will sit in the
recess of the clutch arm. Now tighten up
the trunnion where marked enough so it
won’t slip on the cable. To now sit this in
the recess the arm needs to be
compressed. There are a few aftermarket
tools for this procedure but if you don’t
have one it is possible to move the clutch
arm forward by using a big set of pliers or
mole grips. Though this isn’t the
conventional way of doing it, it does work.
If using this method though, place a piece
of cloth between the jaws of the pliers and
the clutch arm to make sure it isn’t
marked. Once compressed, you can slot
the trunnion in to position on the arm
with ease.
When you are happy that it is in the
correct position, fully tighten the trunnion
and check to see where the biting point of
the clutch is. By selecting first gear then
pushing forward you will be able to find
the point where the clutch disengages the
engine. If it needs adjusting either way
this can now be done on the adjuster
block. Remember you don’t want the cable
to be taut like a piano wire or likewise so
slack that the clutch will drag. You will To stop fraying afterwards, you can solder
find that after a few miles the new inner the ends of the cable but it is easier to
cables will stretch slightly and may need a place an aluminium cable cap on the end
slight adjustment. This also goes for the and crimp it over. These are readily
gear cables and hence the need for the available to purchase from any mountain
adjuster block. bike shop and simple to use. Sometimes a
method of tying the ends up in a loop is
Clutch and gear cable used. This can often look messy and get in
finishing – points to note the way when doing maintenance. They
Now that all three cables are correctly can also come undone and possibly rub
fitted, finish off by cutting the end of the and cut in to the outer wall of the tyre.
inners to the desired length. This wants Another point to note is that the routing
to be around 3cm where they exit the of all threes cables out of the shrouding
Trunnion. Cut any excess length off with comes around the head cowl at a slight
good quality cable cutters. Anything blunt curve to give them the most natural line to
will cause the ends to fray as they tear. the adjuster block. At no point should they

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 I

10: If the gear linkages and adjuster block are worn, cabling is the perfect time to replace them. 11: When the
carburettor sits on the traditional side then the throttle cable crosses over the middle of the frame tube to exit
on the correct side. 12: If the throttle cable doesn’t sit correctly in its housing then chances are it will pop out
in the head set. This is the same for any cable.

shallower may require the outers to have
a slightly shorter length. This is done
by cutting a centimetre off the ends and
needs to be done during the initial routing
of the cables.
One final note is the use of cable
shrouds where the inners exit the adjuster
block as fitted in the factory. From a purist
point of view they look good but can
become a problem as they compress
especially on the inner trunnion of the
gear pivot. If having to change a snapped
cable on the side of the road it is also
another obstacle to contend with as you
have to feed the new cable though it.
Fitting them is a personnel choice but as
long as the exposed inner cables are
greased there is no actual need for them
to be fitted.
Throttle cable
The throttle cable can be a real problem
as there are so many possible lengths it
can be. If you buy a cable kit it will have
a standard Lambretta throttle cable.
Chances are if you have a standard engine

go over the engine as is sometimes seen.

As the engine flexes with the rear shock
absorber this would cause the cables to
pull taught as they pivot over the engine
mount. This can cause the clutch to slip
as it would pull the clutch arm in by itself
or put unnecessary strain on the gear
linkage, causing the engine to jump out of
gear. If you have an engine where the
carburettor exits on the right hand side,
for example a TS1, then it’s best to make
the curve around the head cowl as shallow
as possible. This will prevent them
rubbing on the carburettor which could
cause it to be pushed off or worse split
the mounting rubber. To get the curve

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the cable will be a near enough fit. The 13

problem is though so many owners have
cylinder kits with different carburettor
types and positions there is no defined
length. With the trend these days to fit a
long range tank it may also be the case
that throttle cable routing needs to come
in at a different angle.
The easiest way to get the correct length
inner and outer is to make your own
custom cable and it’s easier than you
might think. Either from the internet or
any good mountain bike shop, purchase
2.5m of outer cable and two steel ends.
For the inner cable use a mountain bike
gear cable, the end should fit nicely in to
the throttle slide. As a note here if you are
routing round a long range tank, and the
outer may be longer, it may be better to
purchase a tandem gear cable inner as
the standard mountain bike one may be
slightly short. The tandem cable will
be too long but is simple to cut to the
correct length afterwards.
When routing the throttle cable outer,
start from the head set first where it then
follows straight down the right hand side
of the fork stem. It will then meet up with
the clutch and gear cables and follow the
same route over the front leg shield
support. If the carburettor is on the 13: No matter what type of carburettor you are using and whatever side of the frame it is exiting, make sure
traditional side it is at this point that the there is a nice gentle loop where it goes in to the top of the body. Not only does this make the throttle easier to
cable crosses over the top of the frame use, it will help in making sure it returns naturally on its own.
tube to exit above main stand strut and
up to the carburettor. If the carburettor
is on the right hand side then the cable
will continue on the same path as the adjuster and feed the inner cable through carburettor to get the desired length rather
clutch and gear cables and before going the pulley grove and trunnion. Make sure than have it too short in the first place.
up to the carburettor. the throttle is in the fully closed position Periodically lubricate the cable at the
Where the cable goes up to the and pull the inner cable taut. Now tighten pulley end either with a small amount of
carburettor try to make sure it has a nice the trunnion and you will have the correct grease or a spray lubricant. If the throttle
curved loop. If the loop is too short or length throttle cable. Note that when cable is going to snap then this is usually
sharp this can stop the cable running pulling the inner taught don’t overdo it as where it happens. Likewise if you see any
smoothly and stop it from returning on its the throttle will start to open. As a check, fraying of the cable in this area replace it
own. Once happy with the routing of the if you turn the headset to the left hand immediately as it could let you down at any
cable, cut it down to its correct length and lock look at the throttle slide. If it is too point. From a safety point of view, if the
fit the steel ends. Now feed the inner in to tight you will see it open on its own even if inner is frayed badly then it can catch on
the outer from the slide in the carburettor the throttle remains in the closed position. the outer cable which may cause the throttle
up to the headset. On the throttle pulley It is always best to fine tune the length of to stay open – which can be dangerous.
use a small brass trunnion with a screw the cable with the adjuster on top of the Words & Photographs: Stu Owen

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WELCOME TO THE SCOOTERING MAGAZINE
VESPA TUNING & UPGRADE
MEGA-FEATURE!
Mega-feature? What’s so mega about a mere three pages, I hear you cry!
Well, consider this the introduction to an ongoing feature, a dedicated
new section which will, over time, accrue a mass of information for
Vepsa owners of all shapes and sizes. The sheer volume of Vespa-related
items we intend to fit, test and report on is, well… mega!
What will we cover
and why?
Although over the later months the feature
will expand onto the smallframe Vespa, the
GTS300 and suchlike, to kick-start the
feature off in the early editions, we will first
be fitting shiny bits to the tried, tested and
trusted PX125 and PX200. The PX Vespa
has been the rally hack of choice for
thousands of scooterists over many years,
decades even. There are so many of them
out on the road, that we wanted to do
justice by them and run a comprehensive
series of features, showing pretty much
every aspect of tuning and upgrades which
is reasonably possible. So what will be
covered? Well, this list is by no means the
complete picture, but certainly gives you a
glimpse into the diversity and depth of the
task ahead. A few of the best (not in any
particular order):
Bog standard PX125 in factory trim.
Standard 125cc engine cylinder tuning.
What can a home enthusiast hope to
achieve with a few basic tweaks to a
standard 125 ‘learner legal’ engine. Cylinder kits. If I just bolt one on and comparisons. With that data being
Comparisons. How does a 125 two-stroke don’t ‘blend the transfer’ – will it still collected, we can be sure to make
geared compare against a 125 four-stroke work and how much power will I gain? accurate comparisons and observations as
auto? And what power improvements does Wheel rims, tyre choices, brakes and to how each step of the tuning and
each change, tweak and upgrade bring to suspension. If I have extra power, what upgrade programme effects the next. Of
the machine? Dyno graphs galore. consideration should I give to safety, course some of the upgrades, certainly
Exhaust tests. Aftermarket box pipes handling and stopping power? in regard to luggage, suspension, tyres,
through to expansion chambers, what Racks, luggage, sat-navs and touring brakes etc. cannot be judged in these
difference do they make? equipment. Now that I’m ‘all revved up terms and will be somewhat more
Carbs. Are big carbs required, and if so… with no place to go’ what extras might subjective, but the relevant tests will be
what are the pros and cons? make for an easier touring experience? carried out where possible.
Cranks. The source of inlet timing on a
Vespa, how do changes to inlet duration, Starting point Extras
stroke and rod length affect the engine? The initial testing point benchmarks the At the time of running the first
Gearing and clutch. If I have more power scooter in completely standard trim, benchmark/baseline test on the PX125,
and more revs, what does this mean for highlighting power in bhp and lb-ft torque, we had an LML four-stroke auto to hand,
my clutch and gearing? plus also a GPS reading for top speed and thought that this might be a good

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1 2 3

1: Basic 125 lump, prime for fettling. 2: On this side the breather pipe needs unscrewing and the 13mm stub-bolt slackening. 3: On this side the 17mm bolt runs
through the frame. Deflate the rear tyre to assist with removal.

opportunity to run the two scooters
head-to-head both on the dyno and on the
road, simply for comparison purposes to
see how these different animals compare
and perform.
Another simple test was to do a
somewhat ‘Heath Robinson’ test on the
acceleration of a standard machine, and
to see how that improves as we upgrade
the engine. It’s easy to show a dyno with
x-bhp, but when people ask ‘will I go
faster?’ they need to know how ‘real word’
top speeds and acceleration will change
where it matters, on the road. So a simple
‘how many seconds does it take to hit
50mph’ test was carried out.
Baseline figures
The PX125 was first up this month. It’s a
completely standard machine, only a year
old and with just 3500 miles on the clock.
This is the last of the Italian geared
two-strokes and therefore fitted with the
cat-exhaust so I wasn’t expecting too
much from it. I strapped the scooter to the
dyno and after several runs was getting a
consistent figure of 6.3bhp @ 6000rpm.
Worth noting is how asthmatic the engine
sounds in standard trim, there is a definite
wheeze as it struggles to breathe through
the air filter and catalyst exhaust unit.
Then there’s the sheer lack of confidence
when pulling out of a side-road, and onto
a busy main road, then waiting for the
scooter to build up to speed. I had already
GPS’d the PX125 and can give guideline
‘top’ speeds of 45mph up an incline,
50mph on a flat, and 52mph down an
incline (note: the speedo read 65mph
when the GPS was reading 52mph – don’t
trust your speedo).
I timed the acceleration of the scooter
over half a dozen different roads/junctions,
each time pulling away from a standard
start and giving it as much ‘beans’ as
possible, to see how long it takes to get
the PX125 up to 50mph GPS speed, and
the average time was coming in at around
29 seconds. This is a cause of great
concern as you check your mirrors to
gauge how fast the truck behind is closing
in and desperately try to pick up speed.
By comparison
The LML 125 four-stroke is a popular
little scooter, and one we happened to
have to hand as the PX125 was being
put through its paces on the dyno, so
given that four-stroke autos of all
shapes and sizes are becoming more
interesting for the average scooter
owner/rider, we thought a nice little
extra to this text would be to compare
the two. As you can see from the dyno
graph, both scooters kick out roughly the
same bhp but up to 35mph the auto is
spanking the geared scooter for power
and acceleration. The net result is that
up a hill and on a flat they do hit almost
identical top speeds, but in terms of
acceleration the auto gets there a lot
quicker and feels like it has more low
down punch. For that reason, the
auto really does feel safer pulling out of
junctions, plus… the auto seems to have
a little more over-rev which allows it to
just creep up to a top speed of 57mph
down hills, whereas the PX125 was
maxing at 52mph downhill.

4 5

4: Side-by-side: the emissions-friendly and functional exhaust on the left, SIP performance item on the right. 5: LML Star available for a quick comparison.

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SIP Road2: first upgrade A simple exhaust change has provided Next month
Given that later on in this feature we will 1.5bhp and 1000rpm more in each of the There is a very cheap and very simple
be porting standard cylinders, fitting gears. The scooter will over-rev on tuning procedure for the PX125 cylinder
big-bore kits, swapping cranks, clutches, downward inclines to 57mph, an and head which can be used to gain
carbs, gearing and so many other items… improvement of 5mph. more power, in situations where tuning
this first step seems like such a small one. It’s a small gain, but it’s an easy gain. kits might not otherwise be affordable.
However, it is the most common step any At £120, if your old exhaust is shot and Next month we will look at that
home tuner takes, and probably the needs replacing then the SIP Road 2.0 procedure, before then fitting more
simplest: the exhaust change! We have a makes sense. It’s easy to fit, any home tuning items to see what gains can
number of exhausts lined up, and know mechanic can do this no problem and the be made. Stay tuned.
from previous experience that most will scooter will accelerate to 50mph about Words & Photographs: Dan Clare
come into their own once we start tuning nine seconds faster, as well as gain a
the cylinder or fitting kits and cranks, but couple of mph on downhill sections where ■ Thanks to SIP Scootershop for their
we wanted to show what happens with an over-rev comes into play. support on this article.
exhaust-only test first.
The latest PX125 has a horrible 9
cat-exhaust fitted, which is full of
honeycomb sectioned baffles. This thing 8
really does stifle the scooter, just to get it
through emissions tests. It has to go, and 7
this has to be the first step, because
unless its MOT time, nobody wants this
6
exhaust fitted to BGM177 or Malossi 166
kit! A 13mm nut at the stub end, and a 5
17mm bolt through the frame bracket is
all it takes to whip it off. In order to get 4
the bolt out, I did have to deflate the rear
tyre and wiggle the bolt. The SIP Road 2
3
unit was the first item to adorn our Virgin
Vespa, let’s call this the ‘gentle breaking
in’ of tuning before we go hammer and 2
tongs further in. The SIP exhaust is a
piece of cake to fit, and comes with some 1
nice extra springs to make sure the
exhaust doesn’t vibrate loose at any point 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
when out riding. As far as re-jetting goes,
the rumour mills on Facebook and other The green graph shows the LML getting up to peak power of 6.6bhp by 20mph and going on to hit a
pages usually consists of advice such as theoretical 65mph. In reality, wind resistance and other ‘real world’ losses won’t allow this, however it
‘go up a couple of sizes on the main jet’. does show that the LML beats the PX hands-down right up to about 40mph. The red graph shows the PX
However no matter what we tried, we bouncing through gears 1-4 and finally meeting the LML at around the 50mph mark, where they both
couldn’t get the scooter to handle a bigger seem evenly matched on the dyno and the road at top speed, the LML just gets there quicker.
main. The simple fact was, when we
switched from cat exhaust to SIP exhaust, 9
the main jet and top end remained rich,
mid-range was borderline okay, but the 8
bottom end at a quarter throttle was
astonishingly weak. I used a 120 air- 7
corrector and a 50-100 pilot to bring this
area up to strength and thus prevent any 6
nasty heat seizures at quarter throttle.
5
Re-test
From a standard Piaggio cat-exhaust to 4
the SIP Road 2 we gained 1.5bhp at peak
power (6000rpm) and nearly 1000rpm of
3
over-rev. As a scooter increases in speed,
it needs more power to push through the
increasing wind resistance and 7.8bhp 2
still isn’t enough to be making big gains in
top speed. So back out on the road, with 1
GPS ticking away, what have we gained in
real world terms? Well we have reduced
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000
the 0-50mph time from an average of 29
seconds to an average of 20 seconds! This Standard PX125 shown in red at 6.3bhp and then no further revs or power. Conversely, the SIP Road 2.0
is great news when pulling out of junctions pipe provides extra power right across the rev range, with an extra 1.5bhp at peak, and more over-rev at
and accelerating away on busy roads. the top end. This makes for faster acceleration mainly, but with a small increase in top speed also.

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SIL200 – BANG FOR BUCK

TUNING: PART 6
The last episode of our Bang for Buck article saw the motor finalised for
long term use and in particular a change of piston and a long stroke
crank added, up from standard 58/107mm rod to 60/110mm, with
confirmation of results. But it is important to know that more than just a
cubic capacity change is happening here…

Upgrades stretched and become loose and would rod, or the con rod machining down to sit
To try and keep the engine reliable at this continue to need adjustment so was near to flush with the crank webs. This has
new found power level, a decision was swapped for an IWIS 81 link item, and a to be done with the crank split; ask about
made early on to swap out items that on 19 tooth sprocket, giving the gearing this when buying a crank if you don’t want
occasion experience has shown to fail. increase which is advisable on the SIL GP to get involved with doing too much work
With the motor removed and on the bench 200 gearbox, providing a more relaxed on the cases.
a full strip, inspection and rebuild was cruising top speed. The SIL front sprocket The crank bearings and seals were
done. The gearbox end of the motor had bolt that has the separate washer often replaced with high quality items along
proven fine with good gear selection, the ‘dishes in’ so was swapped for a remade with a new oil seal plate and fixings to
gear arm was shimmed well and the one-piece item. replace the SIL alloy item which distorts
gearbox shimming was good also. The The original pressed steel chain guides when overtightened. The original steel oil
wheel had no excess movement, indicating were also replaced with a pull-down seal plates are best and have been remade
the rear hub end bearing was good. The tensioner. The crankshaft at 60 stroke by many suppliers but a warning here:
gear cluster bush was removed though and with 110 rod requires either the case they are not all to the same dimensions,
the alloy shaving of swarf, which occurs on machining in places or sometimes all the so upon assembly great care is required;
fitting at the factory, was also removed. way round to clear the back of the con check the centre hole sits an equal
The case was dressed off at the bottom
to ensure its replacement didn’t repeat the
process, a new bush was fitted with a new
needle roller, end-plate studs and dowels
were removed and Loctited in and set to
the correct height flush with the nuts to
stop the chain catching. The wishbone
was checked and deburred and its bolt
head checked for good clearance on the
case before refitting with a drop of Loctite.
The layshaft was removed to check the
O-ring was fitted and okay and a deburr
and clean-up of the edges of both the
layshaft and sliding gear selector was
carried out. The gears selected nicely with
a positive action which was precise yet
light, so this was left alone on the
standard selector spring. An upgrade to a
stiffer spring is done at this stage if it
shows any risk of jumping out of gear. The
end plate was refitted with new nuts and
spring washers, also with a drop of Loctite.
The clutch received a deburr of its
components and was swapped out for a
five-plate item which has proven to be
good up to 25bhp when used with the
right springs. The chain had already

118 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016


distance left/right from the bearing and try
one of each of the four positions it can be
fitted to as one is often better than the
rest. The next issue is the oil seal plate
gasket which, upon fitting the oil seal
plate, must compress the gasket.
This can be checked before by
measuring the rebate depth down to
the bearing face then measuring the oil
seal plate spigot and doing a quick
calculation. You can find the dimension
to be for example 0.4mm depth, so a
0.5mm gasket will be compressed okay
but sometimes it’s around 0.8mm,
meaning a 1mm gasket is required.
Alternatively, do a dummy build of the
plate with a small blob of plasticine or
similar to check the gasket is definitely
being nipped or check for the gasket
leaving the bearing maker’s name
embossed into it if you fit the bearing
that way up beforehand.
The plate was assembled and the
gasket gave a guaranteed petrol resistant
sealant around all surfaces where there’s
a gap. After seeing many leak-down tests
fail in this area, it’s worth the extra effort
now rather than rebuild it again later.
The mag housing was rebuilt with new
bearings and seals and the mag gasket
replaced with one of an appropriate
thickness to give an even clearance on
the crank webs to casing.
One last item that’s really important –
we found on our SIL test motor that the
short crankcase studs which secure the
mag housing were made of cheese so all
three were replaced. With the motor built
up, the top end was fitted again and more
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calculations were needed as the crank and
rod length change throws up lots of things
to reconsider that are not always obvious.
The top end’s previous set-up on the
58/107 crank was as follows: exhaust
duration 188º, transfer duration 126º,
inlet duration 149º and blowdown 31º.
If you built the motor on the 60/110
and adjusted the base gaskets and
packers until the same squish clearance
was achieved as before, it would be as
follows: exhaust duration 193º, transfer
duration 134º, inlet duration 145.5º and
blowdown 29.24º. So a straight swap and
build to this spec would not be a fair
comparison of crank stroking.
Correction
On a 60 stroke, the piston travels an
extra 1mm up and extra 1mm down than
the 58. If you adjust the cylinder height
so that the piston sits 1mm higher than
it was previously, then it almost corrects
the ex-duration to near what it was
before, as it’s near the top of the crank’s
swing. But the transfer duration doesn’t
follow as close, because they sit lower
down the bore and fall onto the larger
swing of the crank’s stroke, so have a
greater change comparatively. The inlet
being nearer the bottom of the stroke
again remains close to what it was on
the 58 build.
So with the barrel height adjusted and
piston sat 1mm higher than previous we
get as close to previous figures as
possible: exhaust duration 189º, transfer
duration 129.5º, inlet duration 149.19º
and blowdown 29.75º.
So what other changes
occur as a result of
stroking?
The previous 58 set-up was 198.43cc and
the new 60 set up makes it 205.27cc so
we now have a larger cubic capacity. This,
along with the mild exhaust port duration
change, now alters the compression ratio
despite running the same squish
clearance. On a 58 stroke it was 10.5-1
uncorrected tdc. and 6.07-1 corrected
on a 60 stroke it becomes 10.87-1
uncorrected and 6.23-1 corrected.
With the 60 stroke and 110 rod we also
add around 3mm of base packer so this
increases the total crankcase volume by
around 12cc, the length of the transfer
duct is extended by 3mm, and the entry
into the transfer feeds from the base of
the crankcase will have a larger opening
for the charge which resides below the
piston crown to travel through.
The longer con rod length sits the
piston crown higher in relation to the
case so more volume is created below
it also. Combined with a different angle
it pushes the piston up the bore, changing
the thrust applied to the piston faces. So
with all these variables it’s difficult to
attribute which one has provided any
difference in performance, be it for
better or worse.
To complete the build a replacement
piston was to be used (another change)
made by Wossner for AF Rayspeed at
66mm. They produced them for use in
Rapido kits with the same crown profile
but upon installing I found a surprise that
these extra wide transfers on the SIL
barrel meant that the bottom ring peg
position was not able to be used, so
decided to run it on a single ring until a
replacement could be sourced (note: AF
Rayspeed now has a new batch of 66
pistons with revised peg positions for use
on kits that may be tuned with wide
transfer ports).
So fully built and leak down tested,
back in the chassis it was now time for
its last dyno test. As you can see from
the graphs, power and torque has gone
up slightly and moved the power curve
over to the left. This demonstrates an
earlier low-down power delivery, but
cropping a little at the end of the run
again as was seen on the last
compression increase.
The result is typical of what I
see on the many occasions a change
to longer stroke is applied along with
the other variables that go hand in
hand with this modification. The net
effect is a small increase in power,
delivered earlier.
That’s all for this month.
Words & Images: Darrell Taylor
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Scooter sprinting
Scooter sprinting has dropped off the radar a little in recent years.
The major event of the year, that the scene would build itself up for,
was the Scooter Shootout which was held at the famous Elvington
Airfield drag strip near York. Unfortunately it got dropped from the
calendar, to the disappointment of many, after it was last held in
September 2014. And it ended in a way that scooter sport as a
whole should take note not to repeat.

T
he scene had become overly
diluted. Starting out with a
simple set of rules and
classes, it then doubled the
available classes and then for
the last event doubled again, including
sub-classes for those carrying road legal
documents .The available class rules,
structure and information became difficult
to locate and you could easily find an old
set of rules, mistakenly download them
and build a very expensive machine
incorrectly. The rules weren’t always
coherent or compatible with other scooter
sport or even the regular sprint events
leading up to the shootout. Even more
frustratingly, assistance was offered early
on to help with scrutineering/rule-writing
and checking of machines for class
compliance, but those parties for one
reason or other couldn’t fulfil the role on
a regular basis, thus leaving the organisers
to pick up the pieces.
Without the relevant knowledge of
scooter specifications and the time to
check them on a very busy race weekend
it was often taken on trust that each
competitor would ensure their machine So what’s been happening (e.g. 14.1), and if you have sprinted
was compliant for the class they were in sprinting since…? before you will know a guideline time. If
entering. This was to bring this great event Well traditional scooter sprinting rules no time information is known, you pick a
to an end as various machines entered did were dropped and became open bracket conservative (higher) time bracket, and if
not comply, with some competitors racing where a set time of 13.1, 14.1, you go quicker you will then find yourself
entering cut down scooters into full 15.1, 16.1 etc. classes was set up as promoted to the next (lower) bracket, this
bodywork classes, and entering race class used by the motorcycle classes which, scenario is known as a breakout. Here lies
scooters into road legal classes. with such a vast variety of available a slight problem with the mindset of a
It created bad feeling throughout machines, is too difficult to categorize. sprinter or racer.
the paddock and the very British nature For the scooter sprinters this means that There is potentially less desire to go
of not complaining (or doing so and Lambrettas now race each other regardless faster or develop the machine further –
being perceived as a bad loser) meant of capacity or chassis style, road legal or many have found themselves on the very
the organisers got it in the neck in race, against Vespas or any other geared edge of a class time bracket for example a
private after the event, which then scooter, but also along with any other 15.1 class man doing regular 15.15 15.2
frustrated the competitors when the modern automatic scooter too, in whatever passes, may find themselves rolling off
organisers failed to police their form. So essentially, instead of the and slowing down to stay in class and not
complaints, to a point where it machine type defining your class, it’s your breakout, in order to collect championship
unfortunately became more trouble machine’s performance potential that puts points. It essentially encourages people to
than it was worth to continue on with you into a relevant time bracket. You turn up to event after event with the
the event. Sad times. choose your bracket when you enter intention of going no faster than they have

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 121
 gone before. A cruel twist recently saw two 1 2
Lambretta sprinters ‘break out’ in the
final. The chap who took the win in terms
of crossing over the finish line first and
setting the fastest time of the two actually
lost! It seems very alien and uninspiring
so a few of the guys just turn up with the
intention of going as fast as they can
without worrying about trophy hunting in
what’s sometimes only a class of one or
two at times.
There’s a few who self-impose
gentlemen’s agreement rules where the
goal is to be the fastest full-bodied road
legal Lambretta, for example. For the
2016 AGM, an invite was made to the
competitors to structure a change of
format or rules as a proposal if a change
was required but chose to see out another 3 4
year or just lacked time and inclination to
formulate a new class structure, meaning
2016 sees no Scooter Shootout on the
calendar. So what happened to all those
sprint scooters that were previously built?
There must have been 60-70 of them
which used to turn up and it really was
building momentum. Scooter sprinting
could and should have a stronger future.
With the right input/class structure/
conformity checks in place, I’m sure it
could grow sufficiently to bring back the
annual Scooter Shootout event.
the same opportunity exists for all. The a road legal class scooter to be running
How could a new scooter sprint scene whittles down to, on. Previously this was impossible to
format look? and easily recognises, two types of police due to the prohibitive expense of
Well, an acronym that sticks in my mind is scooter: full bodied and not full bodied. fuel testing.
KISS. It stands for ‘Keep It Simple There are also old class rules agreed An easy fix is the presence of a five litre
Stupid’ and as a rule writer for an old race upon, with engine capacities up to can of forecourt unleaded fuel, and a can
series we liked to believe if a rule could 210cc, and then 210-260cc. of race-legal Avgas to hand, for officials to
not be practically policed then leave it There are obvious differences between randomly issue/enforce a rider to use per
open, e.g. a rule might require standard classic geared scooters and modern auto meeting. This could easily resolve any
cylinder head volume, but it would be scooters and some like to see full road issues where it’s thought race fuel is
impossible to check – stripping down and legal machines. The road legal element illegally used. Then there are different
buretting 20 heads for conformity at the becomes complex as some are cut down manufacturers – Vespa/Lambretta and
side of a race track on a busy race but still road legal – offering obvious many others – plus the potential to pull in
weekend just isn’t going to happen. aerodynamic and weight saving advantage machines from other forms of scooter
So you’d end up with 18 legal bikes and over full bodied road legal machines, so sport, particularly BSSO circuit racing
a few cheating with 18 disgruntled rules should be applied in the interests of scooters, so it would make sense to have a
competitors. If it’s open then everyone is fairness. Although race fuels are allowed coherent set of rules which leaves space
equal regardless of who is doing what and in sprinting it’s not what you would expect for these machines.
Then come the special builds with
hybrid motors/motorbike engines etc.
5 6 These should be catered for and have
been placed under the name ‘oddity
class’ in the past which is any machine
that doesn’t fall into any of the other
classes and is used as a sin bin for
machines to be thrown in that are
attempting to break the rules. What is
of most importance is equality, and that
rules are applied fairly. Failure to do this
is discrimination.
Scootering aims to bring news of as
many aspects of scooter sport to its pages
as possible so expect to see results and
sprinting info more regularly.
Darrell Taylor

122 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016

 SCOOTER ¼ MILE SPRINT MEETING – EAST KIRKBY – August 2016
7 8
1: Eric Cope letting things get a bit loose. 2: ‘Fast’ Gav Watson. 3: Russ Shea. 4: Neil Pettit.
5: ‘Smokin’ Richard Baker. 6: Lloyd Walker. 7: James Scott. 8: Darryl Ward. 9: Paul Sendall.
T
he old RAF airfield in
Lincolnshire was the venue for
round 8 of the Straightliners
quarter mile sprint
championship. It had a good
turnout of 11 scooters, nearly all
Lambrettas with the exception of a lone
automatic Gilera. The weather was good
for the sprinters but with almost still
conditions offered no real benefits
throughout the day from any tailwinds.
All the scooters were of good pedigree
occupying time brackets of 12.1-15.1
It was a regular meeting times-wise for
most, but Eric Cope on his full steel
bodied road legal Lambretta, who is
running a heavily modified Super Monza
power plant, hoped to take points in the
13.1 class but instead managed a
personal best ever time of 13.09 on this
machine, which meant he broke out of his
class by doing so – moving him into 12.1
class. He also nearly ended his day in
tears, just managing not to flip his scooter
with an almost vertical wheelie off the
start line on one of his runs.
It was great to see Richard Baker back
out on his ‘Frightened Chicken’ machine
and set the fastest 13.1 class time on his
methanol powered Sprinter. James Scott
at his first meeting running on Mitchell
Betts’ Gilera Runner 172 auto, quickly got
to grips with it and got quicker throughout
the day, but not quite good enough to beat
Gav Watson in the final who was riding a
Lambretta RB252 sprinter that he is
getting very good at now handling. He also
runs a full bodied road legal Lambretta
TS1 225 providing regular competition to
both Neil Pettit and Russ Shea in the
14.1 class.
Neil Pettit set the day’s fastest 14.1
class time at 14.21 on his RB200 full
steel bodied road legal Lambretta but lost
out in the final race off to Russ Shea who
took his full bodied Lambretta TS1 to
another 14.1 class win.
Locals and East Kirkby regulars Lloyd
Walker and Paul Sendall both had good
results, Lloyd took his new full bodied
scoot to 14.54 at 91 but doesn’t enter the
bracket class instead entering as a ‘run
what you brung’ competitor, Paul runs a
well-developed fully cut-down sprinter,
using a Lambretta Rapido at about 205cc,
thus providing a good power to weight
ratio with his small size taking him to a
14.02 second 94mph run.
Long time sprinter Darryl Ward was out
on his methanol powered sprinter, Rapido
Lambretta at about 238cc with his good
friend Paul Priestley on his RB-Lambretta
equipped sprinter.
There’s a real mixed bag of engine and
machine types available to see at these
meetings and the guys are happy to discuss
and assist anyone who shows an interest in
the paddock area where you can browse
around the various machines including all
the motorbikes there you’ll find some lovely
classic two-strokes that these guys love to
line up alongside to try and beat the bikers
and regularly do. It’s well worth a trip out to
an event or drag your sprinter out of
retirement and join them, I know there’s
lots out there sitting idle…
R E S U LT S
In order of fastest first, the various
competitors achieved the following best
times of the day:
Eric Cope: 13.09 seconds 97mph
full body street Lambretta
Richard Baker: 13.52 seconds 96mph
cut down sprinter Lambretta
Gavin Watson: 13.62 seconds 96mph
cut down sprinter Lambretta
James Scott: 13.85 seconds 87mph
cut down sprinter Gilera auto
Paul Sendall: 14.02 seconds 94mph
cut down sprinter Lambretta
Darryl Ward: 14.17 seconds 92mph
cut down sprinter Lambretta
Neil Pettit: 14.21 seconds 90mph
full body street Lambretta
Russ Shea: 14.33 seconds 88mph
full body street Lambretta
Lloyd Walker: 14.54 seconds 91mph
full body street Lambretta
Gavin Watson: 14.72 seconds 88mph
full body street Lambretta
Paul Priestley: 15.69 seconds 82mph
cut down sprinter Lambretta
Straightliners has one more sprint
meeting left this season if you fancy
popping along: October 15 @ Santa Pod
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 123
 BSSO Round #7
Croft
August 21
In the middle of the year the BSSO were faced with the cancellation of
the planned Cadwell event by the organising club, but after much work
behind the scenes a car event, Petrol & Pistons, rescued the race
weekend. For the first time since the Donington Park event five years
ago scooters joined cars for a very different event to the normal
weekend format of motorcycle racing.

S
o the BSSO riders found
themselves in the race paddock
of a car event with lots of
different things going on. There
were to be six races over the
Sunday – three each for geared and
automatic scooters, and a very different
crowd of spectators to try and impress.
As soon as practice started, the scooters
proved attention grabbing for an audience
that had come to see some very fast cars
time trialling around the Croft circuit.
There was much pointing and shaking of
heads as the BSSO boys scraped knees
and exhausts around the fast Croft bends.
Italian Luca Zani was absent, being
unable to make the trip from Italy, but
Paulo Birtele was on the Casa Lambretta
for the day. On the pace right from the
start in the geared scooter practice was
Luca Fuschini and Replay rider Darren
Conneely both immediately two seconds
faster than anyone else. Tom Russell on
the JB Tuning Lambretta was looking
strong too. The auto scooters were next
up and Lee Bamber and Justin Price were
turning heads going even faster than the
geared scooters and were both 3.5
seconds quicker than anyone else.
So with much anticipation the first
geared race was on the grid, but after a
nasty crash was red flagged. Craig
Robinson was the rider down,
unfortunately totalling his newly-built
street class machine, bending the forks
and frame in the crash. As the riders lined
up on the grid with the Group 6 riders at
the front, Luca Fuschini immediately
pulled into the garage with engine

Tom Russell out in front, followed closely by

Darren Conneely, Doug Turner & Paulo Birtele.

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 125
 1 2
1: Mike Bonett leads. 2: Auto winner Lee Bamber. 3: Race winner Tom Russell. 4: Group 6a Justin Price battling
Lee Bamber. 5: Local rider Daz Westgarth. 6: Watch where you’re going! 7: James Lancaster and Garry Biddle.
8: First race for Josh Foreman. 9: LCGB production boys chasing the pack.
problems leaving Mike Bonett to get the
holeshot with his usual super-fast start.
Being chased hard by his JB Tuning team
mate Tom Russell, who was past him and
into the lead by the second lap, with
Italian Paulo Birtele soon getting to grips
with the Lambretta being a change to his
usual small frame Vespa and chasing them
down. Bonett slowed with an engine issue
on the third lap letting Birtele through
to second.
In Group 4, Steve Conneely was again
dominant and mixing it with the more
powerful Group 6 machines but it was not
to last and he was out on lap 3 with lost
power. In the LCGB Production class,
Barrie Braithwaite pulled out an unusual
lead in the ultra-competitive class from
James Lancaster in second and Zak Tingle
in third place returning for the first time
after breaking his wrist early in the season.
Tim Simpson was having a good race,
getting in front of local rider Stephen
Hamilton. In a superb fifth place was
brand new rider Josh Foreman who was
racing a Lambretta for the very first time at
this event. At the chequered flag it was a
very popular win for Tom Russell as his
season gets better and better. Birtele
second and Bonett taking third from
Stewart Mackenzie on his Vespa who had a
superb race passing Darren Conneely on
the last lap. In Group 4, it was SRP’s Chris
Geyton picking up the honours
after Steve Conneely was forced out.
Unfortunately there was a list of non-
finishers led by Damon Tunnicliffe who has
had little luck this year, Darren Westgarth
was out after a trip into the gravel, and
Steve Wright and Dave Bristowe both had
issues to force them out.
Next up was the first automatic race
with the Group 6a riders at the front. Lee
Bamber looked untouchable, building a
big lead of almost 10 seconds from Justin
126 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
Price, with DKS rider Scott Chapman
settling into a solid third place. Behind
them Gary Peacock, Steve Wright and
Ryan Clipstone were all having a really
close race, swapping positions. In Group
10 Stephen Graves built a lead from
Dave Delaney. Then on the last bend of
the last lap there was drama with race
leader Bamber suffering a drive issue
with around 300 yards to go. Justin Price
went past, then Chapman, then Peacock…
Lee was left running with his broken
scooter to get to the line eventually
making it over in sixth place overall.
After a break to see some car racing it
was time for the second set of races. In
the geared scooters, Mike Bonett had
stripped his engine after race one and
found a cracked piston to be the cause of
his slowing engine. So with new parts
fitted he was back on the grid along with
Italian Fuschini who took an early lead
before being forced out again with
mechanical issues, leaving fellow Italian
Birtele to take the lead and start to build
a gap from Mike Bonett. After his first
race glory unfortunately Russell was also
out on lap 4 with a burnt out clutch.
In Group 4, Steve Conneely had solved
his first race issue and was riding
brilliantly to build another dominant lead
6 7
and right at the sharp end mixing it with
the Group 6 bikes and building a 24
second gap to Dave Bristowe who had
also solved his earlier issues and had
a race long battle with Chris Geyton.
Darren Westgarth put his first race crash
behind him and had a solid race to finish
fourth in Group 4
In Group 6 the usual contenders at the
front are being chased by a set of riders
who are having some great races of their
own. Veteran racer Doug Turner has an
extremely fast scooter which regularly
appears around the top of the speed trap
list, and multiple champion Stuart Day is
always in there fighting for places. Mark
Cook goes from strength to strength with
a new more powerful Replay engine for
this year and his lap times are dropping
each time out.
LCGB Production class saw locals Barrie
Braithwaite and Stephen Hamilton taking
first and second, pushing each other on to
pull away from third place James
Lancaster. Josh Foreman took another fifth
place at his first race weekend, proving he
will definitely be one to watch for the
future. He finished half way up the
new class.
The second auto race saw a terrific
opening couple of laps from Scott

Chapman who managed to just stay in
front of Justin Price before a reed valve
bolt came adrift and went through his
engine, destroying much of it in the
process! Gary Peacock has been
developing his scooter during the year and
that work was really showing in this race
as he set about reeling in Price and closed
a gap of almost 10 seconds down to under
three seconds by the last lap, but just
behind them was Steve Wright who was
having probably his best race of the year
aboard the PSN Gilera to take a well-
earned third place just ahead of Ryan
Clipstone. In Group 10, Dave Delaney
had an engine failure leaving Stephen
Graves free to chase down the bigger cc
autos which he did very well. Damon
Tunnicliffe had a rare outing on a Group
6a auto but unfortunately his luck was
out and he didn't finish which sadly is
the story of his season so far.
After a slight delay the third race of the
day for the geared scooters was on track.
In Group 6, Luca Fuschini was back on
the grid after work on his engine and took
an early lead from Mike Bonett and Darren
Conneely but they were being chased hard
by Tom Russell and the Group 4 scooter of
Steve Conneely. After edging out a three
second lead and setting fastest lap
8 9
3 4
Fuschini’s luck ran out again and he
suffered another DNF – gifting the lead to
Mike Bonett but Paulo Birtele was on his
way through the field and by the last lap
he’d taken the lead to keep the Casa
honour. Bonett and Russell took the
podium places to make it a Casa/JB
podium. Across the line Steve Conneely
was right in among the Group 6 scooters
with a fourth place overall in front of
Stuart Day and Doug Turner. Bringing up
the Group 4 class, Chris Geyton and Daz
Westgarth had a race-long battle with
Geyton edging it over the line to take
second in class.
In the LCGB class it was again birthday
boy Barrie Braithwaite taking a very hard
fought win from Stephen Hamilton as they
again pushed each other onto a larger than
usual gap in the class from third place
James Lancaster. The LCGB Production
class provided some great racing behind
its leading trio as new riders continue to
find their feet in the new class and again
Josh Foreman was impressive with another
fifth place behind Zak Tingle. Last scooter
race of the day saw the autos back on
track but unfortunately without Scott
Chapman who was unable to repair his
smashed engine in the time available, but
Lee Bamber had managed to fix his issue
from race one which turned out to be
broken primary drive. Off the line it was
Justin Price again in the lead but Bamber
snapped at his heels edging past on the
third lap before managing to build a 2.6
second lead by the flag. Warren Wilkinson
had great straight line speed; he couldn’t
reel in the leading two but managed to
edge in front of Gary Peacock and Steve
Wright. Finally, Damon Tunnicliffe found
some luck and finished a race on the
Jahspeed auto to bring a smile to his face.
In Group 10, Dave Delaney was unable to
repair his engine after race 2 so Stephen
Graves was left to take a clean sweep in
the class for the weekend. With just one
meeting to go it’s set to be a firecracker
at Cadwell Park for the final and deciding
round with all classes still up for grabs.
Expect some fierce racing ahead.
For up-to-date standings visit
www.scooterracing.org.uk
Words: Paul Green
Photographs: Neil Kirby
W.SCOOTERING.COM | 127
 A very different
day out!
T
he BSSO races generally share
track time with motorcycle
clubs, but after the
cancellation of a meeting due
to be held at Cadwell Park
Andy Barnes stepped forward to offer
some time at his organisation’s upcoming
meeting. Andy runs the popular Petrol &
Pistons/Time Attack series which is a time
trial format for fast cars coupled with car
custom show and trade stalls which is
very popular with street racer and cruising
cars. Andy is a long time scooterist and
actually competed this year in the BSSO
series for the first time until breaking
bones at his second meeting.
The BSSO committee and Andy worked
hard to put together some track time at
the Croft event in a limited time. This is
actually the third time in the last 10 years
that scooters have raced at a car event but
surely could be part of the future of
bringing scooter racing to new audiences
and providing top class racing
entertainment. In addition to the circuit
racing there was also a custom scooter
show and the event attracted a good
attendance of road going scooters to join
the thousands of spectators the
event attracts.
Andy said: “Having the BSSO at our event
was a very welcome addition for both the
show and for the track racing content.
128 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
The mix of scooters and cars worked really
well and the crowds loved watching the
BSSO races, filling the banks and
grandstands when they were on.”
Most of those in the audience had
probably never seen or even heard of scooter
racing before so it was great to bring in a
new fresh audience. Certainly I’d say that
from the people I spoke to the scooters were
amazing, exciting and crazy in equal
measure. There were certainly some very
positive comments from the tracksuit and
baseball hat wearing cruise car crowd… but
the words ‘nutters’ and ‘awesome’ did seem
to well describe what they were seeing.
The BSSO riders and organisation were
certainly appreciative of the help and the
pressure that the Petrol & Piston crew put
themselves under to deliver such a top
class and well organised event for the
scooters to be part of.
There was plenty for everyone to see at
the event, and as corny as it sounds there
was something for all the family. In
addition to the very fast cars on track,
there were trade shows, club stands and
a stunt show to keep people entertained.
So whether it was track tuned Fiat 500s,
American cars, pick-ups, street racers or a
classic Ford Escort Mexico, everything was
there and it was a thoroughly good day out
for everyone.
Words & Photographs: Paul Green
130 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
SCOOTER TRADER
BAJAJ CHETAK 125
no MoT but will fly through, small hole in
the exhaust, starts irst time, good runner,
all electrics work, 80,102 miles, 1997,
£800 Tel. 07871 924511.
KYMCO CK1
125cc, modern styling, learner-legal
commuter bike, new ultra efficient
4-stroke air cooled OHC 125cc engine,
£1000 Tel. 07788 235102.
LAMBRETTA
1961, Series 2, 125 reg but with 186
Mugello kit, MoT, totally stripped & rebuilt
to an excellent standard, low mileage,
£3500 Tel. 01619 176991.
LAMBRETTA GP150
Vijai Super, restored two years ago,
chrome extras, very quick, 200cc reg as
125cc, new tyres, MoT, £2950 Tel. 07766
010015.
LAMBRETTA GP200
import as new, has done 50 miles from
new & been in garage for the last two
years, vgc, ready to go, £3500 Tel. 07977
554704.
LAMBRETTA LI125
Italian, Mugello 186, varitronic, 700 miles,
Tel. 07593 985271.
132 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
BENELLI MOTORELLA
GL 50cc, late 1970s, needs a little
restoration but in pretty good condition,
Northern Ireland bike from new, £400 Tel.
07900 211644.
LAMBRETTA
Series 3, 1962 completely stripped and
rebuilt using s/steel ittings, itted with
190 block, GP crank, £5000 Tel. 07736
529159.
LAMBRETTA
1956, D model, 150cc, restored, not
used for many years, very nice condition,
£4750 Tel. 01424 848766. East Sussex
LAMBRETTA GP185
1969, restored Lambretta GP150 with
185 Imola kit, 28mm Dellorto, JL exhaust,
vgc, genuine Italian bike, £3500 Tel.
07792 348150.
LAMBRETTA LD150
twin saddle, in good condition, renovated
six years ago, not run for two years,
£2800 Tel. 07895 997141.
LAMBRETTA LI150
Series 2 with a Mugello 186 kit itted,
28mm Dellorto, PHBH carburettor, reg
as 125cc, tax & MoT exempt due to age,
£3250 Tel. 07940 361842.
HONDA GYRO
Canopy rare three wheel Honda scooter
with just 239 miles, was kept in garage,
very well looked after, £3599 Tel. 07596
439940.
LAMBRETTA
German Series 2 TV175 SS, complete
original condition, nearly nothing missing,
very rare scooter, £5000 Tel. 004917
659632217. Germany
LAMBRETTA CHOP
1955, reg 125 but has 175, loads chrome
and trick parts, been garaged, runs, rides
good, just need electrics sorted nothing
major, £2500 Tel. 07947 492454.
LAMBRETTA GP200
SIL, no MoT, standard 200cc, 42mm
Clubman silencer, 24mm OKO power
jet carburettor, sparewheel holder inside
legshield, £1800 Tel. 01206 323713.
LAMBRETTA LI125
1964, MoT, 13,800 miles, £2575 Tel.
07932 614527.
LAMBRETTA LI150
1965, all original Innocenti, very mint
condition, starts irst kick, frame number
matches paperwork, 425 miles, £3500
Tel. 07921 807522.
KYMCO 400I
from Rome Italy, 7000km, new, £4500
Tel. 07492 943671.
LAMBRETTA
Cento 100, 1964, complete but needs
total refurbishment, £300 Tel. 07899
996811.
LAMBRETTA GP125
1971, with rapido 250 engine, all
matching bits front hydraulic disc brake,
long range tank, MoT, £4200 ono Tel.
Paul 07718 801641.
LAMBRETTA GP200
registered as 125, genuine Innocenti
frame, 1972, 200cc, £3500 Tel. 07801
898583.
LAMBRETTA LI125
1965, Italian, stunning eye catching, 200
miles, £4000 Tel. 07717 677802.
Scooter insurance
0800 781 9287
Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd
is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority.
 LAMBRETTA LI150
1966, Silver Special Pacemaker, UK reg
as a 150, V5, historic vehicle, 10 months
MoT, £4300 Tel. 07950 858332.
LAMBRETTA S 200
Special, 200cc, very rare model, 1966,
very good condition, £8000 Tel. 07896
901446.
LAMBRETTA TV175
Series 3, all Italian, good condition, new
exhaust, chrome wheels, not restored,
but resprayed, imported 2003, £4750 Tel.
01206 272943.
LML 125
with 166 Malossi, has panels wrapped,
new tyres, MoT, two owners, few scuffs
but nothing too bad, £2350 Tel. 07966
275993.
MOTOBI B75
Italian motor scooter for restoration this
bike was irst reg in UK, in November
1967, £425 Tel. 07950 103887.
VESPA
PX disc, 210 Malossi kit fitted, all
matched to the engine case JL exhaust,
MoT, £2395 Tel. 07725 875196.
LAMBRETTA LI150
full restoration, new white/ruby red/
grey, 200 miles, 1962, £4250 Tel. 01622
725099.
LAMBRETTA TV175
completely refurbished British scooter,
RB250 engine, with Sureflex cassette
clutch, expansion box, 35mm Dellorto
carb, £7000 Tel. 07836 705526.
LAMBRETTA TV175
Series 2, 12 volt fitted, completely
renovated five years ago, great icon
scooter, loads of chrome Tel. 07812
736067.
LML 125
2009, 2T badged as Vespa, manual 2
stroke, 125 with Malossi 166 kit itted and
performance exhaust, 3020 miles, £1150
Tel. 07905 361593.
MOTOBI IMOLA
moped, great condition, reaches 40mph,
3000 miles, £700 Tel. 07500 129774.
VESPA
Primavera ET3 125cc, in mint condition
with only 3500km from new, bought
brand new in 1999 imported by myself,
£4999 Tel. 07825 018609. Lincs
LAMBRETTA LUI
50cc, drive at 16 or on a car licence,
comes with Italian logbook and Nova for
registering, £1000 Tel. 07843 264034.
LAMBRETTA TV175
full restoration, Series 2, 1960 model, 28
miles only, £7500 Tel. 07832 121104.
LAMBRETTA TV175
1964, TV175 with ScootRS conversion to
200cc, many extras, 2000 miles, £5500
Tel. 07966 245332.
LML STAR 125
4T 2012, low mileage, brown leather seat,
chrome front & rear luggage racks, 1761
miles, MoT, £1650 Tel. 07710 811904.
PIAGGIO XEVO
125cc maxi scooter, great CBT
commuter, new tyres, new clutch,
Malossi variator & air ilter Tel. 07843
313364.
VESPA
Si Clark painted, one owner, trophy
winner, far too much to list, 13,000km
£3000 Tel. 07957 395551.
LAMBRETTA SX150
200 engine, reg as 125, fast bike, 30ml
carb, twin fuel tanks, disc brake, MoT
Dec, good runner, £2950 ono Tel. 07864
091298.
LAMBRETTA TV175
S3, original Italian, vgc, bought in 2004
from Nigel Cox’s Scooter Museum, 4000
miles, £7499 Tel. 01603 505258.
LML 125
210cc engine, Vespa look alike, fully
modded style, 10,050 miles, 2009, £3250
Tel. 07500 701163.
LML STAR 200
black and gold flake, only seven months
old, comes with extras, £1800 ovno Tel.
07921 470862.
SYM JOYRIDE
Evo 200, 61 reg, 11,200 km, 6720 miles,
fsh, summer use only, still almost like
new, £1595 Tel. 07884 271812.
Scooter insurance
0800 781 9287
Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd
is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority.
W.SCOOTERING.COM | 133
SCOOTER TRADER
VESPA
Douglas T5, Mk1 T5 in mint condition,
irst to see will buy, £1900 ono for quick
sale Tel. 07833 951943.
VESPA 150
Super, 1977, low mileage, MoT, very
good runner, quick sale, £2250 ono Tel.
07966 526705.
VESPA LXV125
Piaggio, navy, 2008, good condition, a
few minor scrapes and dents, 5509 miles
£1000 Tel. 07815 050503.
VESPA PX125
Disc 2001, 5000 miles, MoT June 2017,
£1200 Tel. 07846 917540.
VESPA P 200
2001, 22,000 miles, engine split 2015,
MoT July 2017, electric start not working,
needs a battery, £1550 Tel. 07561
305762.
VESPA VBB150
1965, imported from India last year, fully
restored with a brand new 150 engine,
£1900 Tel. 07732 700914.
134 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
VESPA
Douglas PK100, painted some seven
years ago, been in the garage since,it
comes with a new MoT, V5, genuine
11,493kms, £1500 Tel. 07786 374543.
VESPA GTS
Touring 300cc, six months old, 18
months warranty still available, 80 miles
on the clock Tel. 01553 771416.
VESPA P200
very low mileage for the year (1998),
tidy & straight scooter with old MoT
paperwork to prove mileage, £1785 Tel.
07443 511797.
VESPA PX125
12 months MoT, 4900 miles, runs perfect,
1st will see will buy, £1550 Tel. 07508
108149.
VESPA P 200E
Arcobaleno, 1984, great condition, rare
not a lot of these in UK rust free, 25,200
miles, £1750 Tel. 07775 746229.
XEVO400
superb condition, metallic Piaggio dark
blue, 100% reliable, 30,000 miles, 400cc,
2012, £1750 Tel. 07758 597215.
VESPA 125
1972, GTR Harry Barlow tuned 166
Malossi, £3995 Tel. 07758 121345.
VESPA GTS125
great Italian styling, really good runner,
chrome rack, suitable for a learner, 10
months MoT, 6258 miles, 10,072km,
£1900 Tel. Bob 07976 478554.
VESPA P200
with Malossi 210 kit itted, engine mods
include Reed valve, ported and matched
casings, 30 mil Dellorto carb, £3500 Tel.
01588 674231.
VESPA PX125
MK1, 1983 ) plate, Italian import, had a
full strip down, rust proofed & painted in
Ford cooper bronze (solid frame), £1900
Tel. 07725 533135.
VESPA P 200E
Piaggio, 1999, MoT until July 2017, low
mileage of 18,958, £2800 Tel. 01775
840534.
YAMAHA
X Max 250, 2009, blue, excellent
condition, MoT from May 2016, £1200
Tel. 01823 663058.
VESPA 125S
owned from new, garaged and covered,
showroom condition, 11 months MoT,
Tel. 07970 903894.
VESPA GTS300IE
2013, lovely bike, low mileage 3383km
only, 2013 model with top box, £3000
Tel. 07999 111536.
VESPA P200E
1978, T reg, standard, solid frame with no
rust, been repainted at some point, some
bits & pieces to put it back to original,
£1850 ovno Tel. 07969 001325.
VESPA PX125
project and not had the time to inish, it
has been partly built, £900 Tel. 07769
327256.
VESPA SUPER 150
restored and imported from Italy in 2007,
very little use since but runs really well,
£3000 Tel. 07957 494493.
Scooter insurance
0800 781 9287
Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd
is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority.

Automatics
HONDA FJS600 Silverwing 2007, had
a replacement low mileage engine/trans
itted two months ago also had new drive
belt at the same time front a rear brake
pads also, rear shocks & exhaust system
replaced new battery MoT till July 2017,
runs superb, itted alarm & top box has
some minor marks, all in all a cracking
scooter, it’s very quick off the mark it
needs nothing doing to it just tax, insure
& go, £1600. Tel. 07989 473455.
HONDA PCX’S Super 125, age forces
reluctant sale, 64 reg, 2k miles, useful
extras, always garaged, only seen 19
miles rain, try and ind better, pristine
condition, £1999 cash. Tel. 07852
650477. Yorks.
HONDA S WING full service history,
15,000 miles on the clock, selling as I just
got a new bike just had new tyres and belt
drive and brakes done, £2000. Tel. 07943
004724.
PIAGGIO TYPHOON 124cc, the only
owner, bought brand new, it only has
7803 miles on the clock, full service
history, in really good condition & only
has very minor wear and tear marks,
good little run around, collection only or
I can deliver within a 10 mile radius, also
comes with a full tank of petrol £1300
offers accepted Tel. 07957 698009.
YAMAHA VITY 125cc scooter, two lady
owners, only 380 miles, bought it with 300
miles on clock last year but only added 80
miles to it as only brave enough to ride it
locally, 2013, will have years MoT at end
of this month, £1450. Tel. 01252 656351.
Lambretta
JET 200 PROJECT Servetta Jet 200, W
reg, good straight bike, project in pieces
approx 90% there, had new leg shields,
side panels complete, to be sold with all
my Lambretta spares, engine casings etc,
serious offers only. Tel. 07792 348150.
LAMBRETTA 150 SPECIAL make an
easy project for someone with a bit of time
to invest, it’s a Eibar 150 Special 1969
(Spanish), have the dating certiicate etc,
it’s the straightest rust free frame I have
ever seen, now in primer ready for the
colour of your choice, all the other tinware
is in primer apart from the legshields that
need a bit more tinkering, the engine is
partially stripped for inspection and looks
to be in good order, parts missing are side
panels, headlight, rear light lens, speedo
and the original seat needs recovering or
replacement, scooter comes with a pair
of tubeless rims itted with Schwalbe
Whitewall tyres, it will make a really nice
scooter for someone, £1300. Tel. 07743
697651.
LAMBRETTA AUTO CHOPPER 1974,
tax exempt, itted with typhoon engine
with 172 Malossi, but needs piston and
barrel replated, registered as 125, good
project, £1250. Tel. 07808 271044.
LAMBRETTA GP200 Indian complete,
took this apart as a project had the frame
and all panels blasted and powder coated
black, the engine has only 372 miles from
new and I have a load of parts for a full
rebuild including Race crank, stage four
barrel, Hi load bearings, expansion pipe,
wheels tyres, hydraulic disc etc too much
to list, really want to sell this as a job lot,
any reasonable offer considered, £2000.
Tel. 07545 597117.
LAMBRETTA JET 200 1975, loads of
history, original bike SX200 front inboard
disc original engine matching numbers
with the frame, special panels loads of
potential, £3000. Tel. 07477 934634.
LAMBRETTA LN 125cc, 2013, 07765
miles, yellow & white, £1200. Tel. 07446
149616.
LAMBRETTA TV175 Series 3, rebuilt in
1998 by Jim Dennis (JD Scooters), 1965,
Scooter with age related plate, lovely
example of a classic scooter, kept in
storage since late 2011, prior to that only
ever driven around London and scooter
runs and the odd show, £5400. Tel.
07770 725546.
RESTORATION PROJECT LI150
Special, 1963, solid, straight Lambretta
Li150 Special, not dismantled engine
seized, imported from Italy approx
10 years ago, many parts to ease the
restoration process, including: repro
sidepanels, panel handles, long panel
‘Lambretta’ badges, panel flashes,
complete panelwork rubber kit, complete
cable kit, headlamp rims x 2, handlebar
levers x 2, stainless fuel tank, tank gasket
& rubbers, 42mm Clubman silencer, 12V
stator & flywheel, regulator & HT CDI, 12V
simpliied wiring loom, horncast badge,
misc, stainless ixing nuts & bolts, 175cc
conversion piston & cylinder, manifold
(carb), 17 tooth front sprocket & chains,
£1800. Tel. 01206 323713.
SERVETTA JET 200 W reg, good
straight bike, project in pieces approx
90% there, had new leg shields, side
panels complete, to be sold with all my
Lambretta spares, engine casings etc,
serious offers only, £1000. Tel. 07792
348150.
Lambretta Parts
GP HANDLEBARS AND RIM brand
new, Italian type, £95; brand new reg and
lever, in black, £25; GP150 gearbox and
cluster, Italian, £30; inside leg shield tool
box, p/x type, great it, £30; GP125, 150
links, Italian, lovely condition, £25; 22mm
ram air and hose case, new, boxed,
£15; 28mm space carb, Lambretta or
Vespa, boxed, £20. Tel. 079070 37933.
Rotherham, South Yorks.
NK RALLY EXHAUST Series 2, custom
made by AF Rayspeed only done 400km,
inished in satin black, odd dint and scar
but otherwise in excellent condition,
barrel itment is standard not TS1 or RB,
no end can, cost £235 new, all brackets
inc, bargain £150. Tel. 07702 368137.
LAMBRETTA PARTS: Lambretta, split
wheel rim in chrome, good condition,
never used on the road, gleams nicely,
£20. Snetterton style, Lambretta seat
in black, good condition, £20. Sil, GP
Lambretta, headset top (only), used but
legit, £5. P range/T5 classic headlight
grill, (including bolts) £8. Used Oxford
scooter cover, for all makes of Lambretta
and Vespa (minus aerials and mirrors of
course) some oil marks along elasticated
bottom, will throw in another cover with
small tear for free, so you can place under
the other cover for extra protection, £8.
Tel. 01386 561901.
LAMBRETTA PARTS: Vega and J range
parts new and used Tel. 07523 983193.
Staffs.
Vespa
VESPA 1974, Super 150cc, MoT,
completely rebuilt in 2012, all bearings,
seals, cables, clutch, exhaust, tyres,
brakes, wiring loom, ignition system
replaced, recent new dual seat, to replace
my old single one, Vespa club original
date certiicate, rides very nicely, couple
of scratches, £1950. Tel. 07540 186136.
VESPA reg as 125 with 200 engine, 07
plate, under 7000km, tubeless rims front
rack back rest side bars, MoT June 2017,
Tel. 01865 423416.
VESPA ET2 Twist and Go, registered in
2000, silver in colour, a few age related
scratches but overall good condition
& reliable, £750. Tel. 07771 976178.
Portsmouth.
VESPA GS160 Mk2, 1964, just inished,
stunning, 43,000 miles, £5600. Tel. 07570
111261.
VESPA PK125XL Spanish, runs all there
needs a few small items for MoT, asking
£1000 or a straight swap for Lambretta
project, why? Tel. 07473 981010.
VESPA 125 1959, all original 8” wheels,
three speed gearbox, British reg, engine
/chassis numbers match, all paper work
correct dating cert, Piaggio cert of origin,
MoT exemption cert, good little runner no
dents, a few scratches, a bit of surface
rust nothing major, still has original
manufacturers stickers, £2250. Tel.
07976 779368.
VESPA PX125 2011, white, excellent
condition, with Vespa windshield, chrome
front and rear racks, white walled tyres,
spare wheel, MoT 11 months remaining,
full service history, £1750. Tel. 07825
774510.
VESPA PX125 has a good solid engine
had a new Cosa clutch itted, had a
new stater plate and wiring, body work
is in good condition but for a few bits
mainly the mudguard and the toolbox
door, never let me down it was my daily
transport until I passed my driving test,
has Sundance grips, Florida rails and
brushed stainless steel floor plates, cash
on pick only £975. Tel. 07890 242907.
VESPA PX125 Mk1, X reg for restoration,
no side panels, engine needs freeing up,
it was given to me years ago never put it
on the road, don’t have registration docs,
so a call to DVLA is needed, it used to
run well, all the major bits are in place on
the bike, will consider offers Tel. 07900
354055.
VESPA PX200 K reg, years MoT, lots of
extras, lights horns and loads of chrome,
£2500. Tel. 07776 066558.
VESPA PX200E 51 reg (late 2001), to the
best of my knowledge genuine 25,500km,
only used by me for commuting, seat is in
very good order, nice backrest with grab
handles and space for a spare, MoT,
£1850. Tel. 07798 661726.
VESPA RALLY 200 Femsa, very nice
bright red rally British registered 1974,
Femsatronic original with white trim, runs
well, no MoT, £5000. Tel. 07889272440.
Derbyshire.
VESPA T5 1999 classic, all original apart
from stainless kickstart lever & Sterling
Sports pipe this includes original paint
comes with tubeless rims & tyres & also
spare wheel, 10 months MoT, fast &
reliable, 12,500 miles on clock standard
T5 engine, £1495. Tel. 07444 02373.
VESPA T5 classic project, 125cc, 1997,
4835 miles, fresh paint and has a Polini
152 kit that needs a set of piston rings,
£1000. Tel. 07982 650727. Scotland.
VESPA T5 1995, excellent condition,
mods scooter, front and rear racks, lights,
hardly used with lots of extras Tel. 01480
395238. Cambs.
VESPA T5 good clean scooter, nice
condition, front rear racks, MoT, fast
reliable, £2000 ono Tel. 01234 364928;
mobile 07521 376726. Beds.
VESPA SPORTIQUE 1963, blue genuine
Douglas scooter, 150cc, four gears, good
condition, dual & single seats, MoT March
2017, 13,229 miles, £2600. Tel. 01291
690989. South Wales.
Vespa Parts
PAIR OF SIP TUBELESS RIMS for
Vespa 2.50 x 10, one brand new, one
with two very small tyre lever marks from
removing a tyre, never been on the road,
£90. Tel. 07579 964260.
T5 CARB ASSEMBLY complete unit, inc
carb, box & top ilter, pump and jetted
as std or for 177/210 £60. Tel. 01253
394439.
PIAGGIO FLY 125 MOTOR 2007, said to
have done 12,000 miles itted with a new
genuine Vespa 200cc kit, this is the two
valve air cooled Leader engine as itted
to Vespa, Piaggio and Aprilia scooters.
The motor has been flushed, cleaned
and blown through with an airline, many
new parts have been itted as well as the
top end kit, it has been repainted and s/s
allen bolts used where possible, £150.
Tel. 01670 851392.
PX200E ENGINE Autolube has been
sat for a couple of years, turns over ine,
£500. Yankee seat needs recovering
foam is ine, £30. Forks inc wheel with
disk set up, £140. Autolube fuel tank, £20.
Bottom headset with hydraulic set up and
Sundance grips, £60, prefer all to go as
one lot but come and have a look. Tel.
07907 987193
VESPA 90SS LEGSHIELD TRIM new
Piaggio part will not post, £20. 90SS ori
nos S/Sprint rear frame badge Tel. 07804
014996. Rotherham.
VESPA SS180 FRAME and engine with
everything to restore it, British scooter the
engine has been rebuild, floor has had a
new one there is a little bit of work to be
done any questions please call, £3500.
Tel. Darren 07961 911330.
VESPA PX genuine Vespa short screen,
brand new, £50. Tel. 07928 636139.
VESPA SMALL FRAME two stud
Taffspeed short inlet manifold to suit
28mm/30mm Del carb new, requires side
panel to be cut, £38 Tel. 07804 014996.
Rotherham.
Wanted
LOOKING FOR VESPA/LAMBRETTA
with sidecar for retirement present, ideal
registered as 125 with MoT, any age
considered, healthy budget to spend
on the right Combo. Tel. Andy 07710
473096.
VESPA 150 SUPER FRAME wanted +
tank if possible, prefer solid and straight
condition Tel. 07790 922080. S Yorkshire.
WANTED LAMBRETTA Series 2 frame,
Italian or Spanish, prefer solid & straight
condition Tel. Jess 07791 794838.
Miscellaneous
CLASSIC SCOOTERS Author Mike
Webster, hardback, 80 unmarked pages,
great colour photos, covers 34 makes/
models, nice condition, £3.50 Tel. 07989
951895.
MATCHING HELMETS full-face, black,
sizes L and XL, £6 each; red armoured
jacket, only worn twice, size Medium,
£10; home callers only. Tel. 07471
739455. West Yorks.
PAR A X Large, excellent condition
like new, never worn, £50. Tel. 01623
842764; 07842 566670. Notts.
SCOOTER COVER £3; disc lock, £5;
strong loop lock, £8; priced for quick
sale. Callers only. Tel. Don 07471 739455.
Leeds, West Yorks.
TWO ORIGINAL American khaki
anoraks/parkas used in the 1950s
with linings, average condition for age,
medium sizes, offers considered. Tel.
07740 467441. Surrey.
Scooter insurance
0800 781 9287
Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd
is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority.
W.SCOOTERING.COM | 135
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W.SCOOTERING.COM | 139
 For the past few years Chris Pope, former guitarist and songwriter with
Mod revival heroes The Chords, has been touring with a new line up
under the moniker Chords UK, playing classic tracks from the early days
alongside new compositions. With a new album finally about to be
released, it seemed the ideal time to catch up with him for a few words.

Hi Chris, thanks for finding time to
speak to us. Can we start by finding
out a bit about the new album, and
where the band sees itself heading?
The inspiration for the album was two-fold
I suppose. While touring the new band
line up, I got sent a bootleg copy of the
last Marquee gig the original band played
(in 1980), and it’s immediately obvious
that even over the 14 short months that
we lasted, our musical style had changed
quite dramatically. The sharp, punky edge
that we started with had been replaced
with a more mature sound. There were a
lot of songs on there which were intended
for the second album (which sadly
remained unrecorded) and it seemed a
good idea to try to get some out. We’ve
included a couple on here (Burning All
Around and Home Sweet Home) and I’m
happy with how they’ve turned out.
I wanted to reflect where I see the band
having gone if they’d carried on, perhaps
with more Sixties styles coming through.
Listening to the new album, I’d agree
that there is a lot of that in there. Is
that where you draw your
influences from?
My dad was into music when I was young,
I was listening to people like The Beatles,
The Stones when I was about four, but it
was The Who that got me going. When
punk started in the mid-Seventies I was
seeing people like The Clash and Pistols,
so that shaped me too. Going to a lot of
gigs when I was 14-15, you sort of soak up
a lot of what you’re hearing. I think it was
an amalgamation of people like that which
shaped The Chords’ early sound. It’s a bit
like making a cake, you put the ingredients
that you know into it, and hopefully you get
a successful recipe at the end of it! As you
go through life, you pick up other things;
the longer you’re around, the more you
absorb. That’s still the music I go back to,
but I also like a lot of the guitar bands that
have followed. It doesn’t really matter
where or when it comes from though, if it’s
good music then it’s good music. You don’t
need to hang a label on it to appreciate it.

144 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016


It’s certainly a different sound to your
last project, Pope.
That was largely down to it really just
being me and Brett (Ascott – The Chords’
original drummer) working in a studio.
That was largely synthetic amps and the
like, whereas now we’re using real ones.
We were really more influenced by what
was happening at the time too, the back
of the Britpop thing etc.
On this one though, I’ve got the three
guys who’ve been playing the material live
for three or four years in the studio with
me, playing a lot more in a Sixties style
than we captured with the Pope material,
giving more of a ‘band’ feel. I think it
makes a difference to our sound with
having Kenny on drums, he has a different
sound to Brett, he was more of a powerful
drummer, while Kenny has more of a
groove going on.
So is it finished now?
(Laughs) No… well… it depends! We’ll
see if people ‘get it’. We recorded about
15 or 16 tracks, so there are still a
handful that may see a release early next
year as an EP or something. Just keep it
rolling on, you know… why not? We’ve a
few gigs lined up, including the Isle of
Wight scooter rally and the album launch
at the 100 Club, and five or six dates
around the country, playing here and there
up until Christmas. Not really a tour as
such, just where people have asked us to
perform, which I always feel is nice in
itself. The plan is to get the album out
there and heard, and then hopefully do a
short tour up and down the country in
February or March next year to back it up,
then maybe a live album after that.
Thanks for your time Chris, and I hope the
album goes well.
Nik
i . .
My dad was into music when I
was young, I was listening to people
like The Beatles, The Stones when I
was about four, but it was The Who
that got me going. When punk started
in the mid-Seventies I was seeing
people like The Clash and Pistols, so
that shaped me too.
CHRIS POPE & CHORDS UK –
TA K E O N L I F E ( E P O P )
Back in the days of the original Mod sudden and overnight success, it’s much
revival, The Chords were one of a handful better than that.
of bands that got lumbered by some with It’s not a rework of the original band,
the tag ‘punks in parkas’. How true this was although strong elements of what they were
is up for debate, but they certainly had that regularly surface. It’s a vision of what they
anger which drove that previous could have become had the fates dealt
subculture. When you fire up this release, them a better hand.
it’s immediately obvious that Chris Pope Let’s hope this one trumps all.
has lost none of that power and drive in the Nik
intervening 35 years, but has learned to
temper it with a large dose of Sixties UK
Mod sensibilities along with elements of
Seventies Glam. Taking large doses of The
Stones, The Who and their contemporaries,
the music has become less frantic, giving
space for guitar and drums to play off each
other, all the time holding up the powerful
vocals of Chris himself.
As you’d expect from Mr Pope, the lyrics
more than stand up to inspection, with
tales of British life taking an uncomfortably
honest look at our world today.
No, it isn’t the passion and frustration of
a 17-year-old trying to come to terms with
W.SCOOTERING.COM | 145
 INTO THE SUNSET
It’s 1981, I’m 16, the
very proud owner of
a pre-loved (second-
hand) Vespa 50
Special and it’s time
for my first rally, I
was as giddy as can
be. The chosen
venue? Keswick.
T
hose with a good knowledge of
scootering history can already
see this story’s punchline, but
before we get to that gem, it’s
fair to say my adventures
started long before the actual rally began.
Although the local scooter club had
warmly welcomed me, they weren’t
altogether too keen on riding the entire
journey to Keswick with me at only
30mph. So a cunning plan was hatched
– I’d set off first, we’d meet in Settle and
camp somewhere before heading off again
together the next morning.
I’d always hated maths but could now
see the point of those strange puzzles:
“Stan rides a scooter at a speed of 30mph
and his friends ride scooters at a speed of
60mph. What time should Stan set off...?”
You get the picture. I set off with a change
of clothing and an industrial bin liner
pilfered from work to sleep in. I had an
RAF greatcoat and the tent was being
carried by the others, I felt my rally kit
was quite comprehensive, what could
possibly go wrong?
I buzzed slowly on my little journey
to Settle and having bought some crisps
and pop (I’m 16 remember) I sat down to
wait. Unfortunately my O-level maths had
failed to take into account important
factors with which I’d later become
very familiar, such as: no one sets off
on time, someone always breaks down,
and no group can pass a filling station
without needing to refuel, visit the toilet
or smoke a fag.
Time came and went, as did a pie, a
couple of Mars bars and more pop.
Darkness fell and the pubs kicked out. I
was feeling slightly ill from all the junk
food and it was clear that the plan hadn’t
worked. My club was nowhere to be seen.
With my scooter now attracting unwanted
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146 | SCOOTERING | OCTOBER 2016
Rumours reached us that pubs were
closing early but we enjoyed good company,
eventually staggering back to the rally site.
It was a scene from Mad Max: riot shields,
petrol bombs and a burning theatre
attention from local drunks, I decided to
set off into the darkness without any
real plan.
Several miles down the road my spirits
lifted, during one of my shopping trips the
lads from the club must have obviously
ridden by, because in a field I saw
headlights, tents and a fire… brilliant!
Turning off the road I was surprised to find
my headlight illuminating someone who
clearly spent more money on tattoos than
at the hairdressers. For the benefit of
younger readers, in 1981 the legislation
that united bikers was still a bureaucrat’s
fantasy. There was real animosity and
biker gangs had (deservedly) fearsome
reputations (think Sons of Anarchy
without shampoo, showers or TV glamour);
inadvertently I’d only gone and ridden into
a bloody bikers’ campsite!
“Hello young Mr Mod, what brings you
to our soirée on your small capacity
moped,” or words to that effect greeted
me. Being a well brought up lad with
nowhere to run I just told the truth.
Shaking his fat bearded head, he told me
to park up and gestured to a tent saying,
“Get your head down in there lad.”
Frightened of what would happen, either
by refusing or accepting, I nervously
settled down, being joined later by other
bikers, making for a very cramped and
somewhat stinky tent. In the morning I
emerged dazed, yet unscathed and with a
bemused wave I set off for Keswick.
What followed at the rally is part of
scootering folklore. I can honestly say that
we met up, walked into town and ended
up drinking in a little hotel. Rumours
reached us that pubs were closing early
but we enjoyed good company, eventually
staggering back to the rally site. It was a
scene from Mad Max: riot shields, petrol
bombs and a burning theatre. We sat
dumbfounded until eventually allowed
back to our scooters. I still don’t
understand the vandalism – our tent was
wrecked and my scooter lay on its side.
Drink driving law was suspended and we
were told to “Get out of town.” I spent a
very cold and wet night in a lay-by,
sleeping in my industrial bin liner, arriving
home the next day to find the rally had
made national news. It wasn’t the warmest
greeting I’ve ever received!
In retrospect, as a gangly 6ft 2in
teenager, I now realise that I looked more
like a circus act on my small frame than the
‘Ace Face’ I then aspired to be. Nevertheless
I learned more about riding in those first
crazy 12 months than I did over the next
decade. Predictably my 50 Special lived fast
and died young. By my 17th birthday it had
been tuned, blown up, crashed, sprayed and
‘repaired’ so many times that it was broken
for spares after being taken in part
exchange, never reaching its first MoT. Rest
in peace old friend, like so many of your kin,
gone but not forgotten.
Stan