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    71 views132 pages

    Scootering Dec Issue 438

    Uploaded by

    looyrocks

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 132
    Mae § Enno eet) eects eos Lee eee Paki Vo Heit Meer ke Ue creer mec UCPC UAC RoI crake en OSTA ne Rs ty aver eos geen Ment pe Teme EIB Omi Cu TR ke eae reenact) San oc UCI EIA Clarets eae r re eae CCE UCR ee cae Tal oe RIDING ASSIC ye aie TYRES bgm PRO ~ NEW 3.00-10 and 3.50-8!!! td ° all SIP Performance ignitions: httpsi//sip.shop/ignition Pater eee nate | ene Lf Peo] es itera INSPIRED BY LEGENDS: seu aT BS ai1 AILS 1 the recent LA, Wyacen Hil race LE) meeting | was j b chatting toa : long-standing friend. He was saying wiat 2 great paddock it was, full of people from all types of backgrounds, fom all around the country, from all walks of life; and we all share that one thing in common that bonds us together, scooters. We get together every few weeks and look at scooters, compare scooters, talk shit about scooters, take pictures of scooters. We can have very different viewpoints, diferent politics, diferent lifestyles but every few weeks, wether it be a ally, 2 rideout ora race meeting, we come together For sure, every so often there is fiction, and in the competitive world of scooter racing it often rises tothe surface. Yet the core values of decency and the love of scooters mean that rivals will still giva each other help and parts to get on track despite differences, and in my book that’s just how it should be. That bond extends beyond the race ‘meeting into our whole lives; it never leaves us, and neither does the desire to have fun with the people we share that bond with That fun can be dancing wildly at rallies, drinking beer around the barbecue, or the fancy dress nights at a scooter race (yes really). These are the times when those bonds are reinforced and everyone's just hhaving fun with good matas from all around the country. It doesn’t matter whether they It’s about the human race The world may seem mad - but on the road and tace track there's still time for fun and kindness are on a Vespa or a Lambretta, whether they are Yorkshire or Lancashire, narth cr south, Labour of Tory, factory worker or business owner, So long as there's a love of scocters none of that matter. Earlier this year the racing fraternity lost one ofits family in a tragic accident. Throughout the year 462 Stefan's ‘memory has been honoured and friendships with his family grow stronger. We are al therefor each other. Whether it be in good times of bad, sober or tipsy the ability to talk and laugh around scooters is universal Shortly ater this discussion | was talking to another friend in the paddock and in the current climate it's difficult to avoid the shenanigans going on in Westminster. Of course a debate about the politica situation ensued. We may have voted differently through our lives but we share the same values in our hearts about how we treat people, our »® It doesn’t matter whether they are ona Vespa or a Lambretta, whether they are Yorkshire or Lancashire, north or south, Labour or Tory, factory worker or business owner. So long as there’s a love of scooters none of that matters. Imusic and scooters and we are certainly not going to fal out arguing about the scale of fkewittery curently boing demonstrated by the political classes. 'A few weaks ago | was out driving and ‘came across a Lambretta and rider ina layby with its panels of. was in a bt of a rush but, obviously, | stopped and reversed up to see if he was ckay and needed anything? You'd do just the same I'm sure! A it happened he was fine and there was, no issue but with @ beaming smile he thanked me and a 10-minute conversation ‘ensued before we both went on out merry way. Earlir this week | mata lady Hatley. Davidson rider and of course there was ‘some banter but again we stil share a bond; two wheels, an engine and an annoyance at car drivers. At Lydden Hill | fended up in a very long conversation with a Ducati racer who was watching scooter racing for the firs time. Its fair to say he \was amazed and surprised as he asked loads of questions. Later in the day I saw him walking through the scooter paddock talking to riders and yes, smiling. When there is so much division and polarised opinions in this world, isnt it great to be able to share some Stupidity and a beer with your scooter mates? ‘Whatever else happens in this crazy world ‘we still have our scactering mates, and, ro matter what our differences may be, they'll be mates for life wows COOTERING.COM | 13, recently followed a debate about ich is the best custom seeoter of all time, and as you can imagine, it drew a great deal of interest, It's a subject that seemingly has no boundaries, with a choice so large that it's impossible to remember them al, let alone pick a winner. I's also a lst that Continues to grow year on year, so even if we could agree on a winner today, it would almost certainly need updating ext season, This kind of debate has been around for years with the ‘top 10 this’ and ‘best ever that’, but custom scooters are something totally different. Take, for example, the world’s greatest football player, their job is to kick a piece of leather around, and while some may have been more silful at it than others, they were all doing the same thing. Judging one against another is therefore relatively (2) straightforward, Homever there's no definad set of rules wien it cores to customising a scooter, so the options are far wider and open to ‘much broader interpretation The complicated process of narrowing down the best creations isn't helped by the fact that there are so many different formats a custom scooter can be based on. Is t full-bodied, and if so, what style is the paint, and does it have chrome or engraving? The list is endless. If itis based on a street racer theme, how powerful is the engine, and what trick parts are present? These are the mere tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities that can be used What if i's a cutdown ara full-blown chop, as this opens up the options even further? Scooters that are restored to standard, or accessarised to give 2 retro feel that many want to create, are also part of the equation. Regardiess of the style, it seems a lot depends on the overall look that's been created, Possibly a painter has produced a 66 The best ever custom scooter is? Custom scooters as we know them have been around since the 1970s, but which one can be classed as the best? ‘Two winers of the best custom scooter accolade; but each one fashioned in unique and special way. masterpiece with bright, vibrant colours ‘and murals that are sa fine in detail that they almost make the scooter come alive, Perhaps there isa great deal of engraving, all done to a standard that’s been achieved on a scooter before, but does that make it the best custom scooter? What about engineering, where someone hhas radically changed the scooters look ‘beyond all recognition and made it into something totaly different? Though 2 ccutdown may have a lack of paint, does it make it less worthy of the accolade than a scooter with an abundance of It? Something thats rarely considered is whose idea it was in the frst place or how ‘many people were involved. All customs start with one person who has an idea of wit they want to create, but the theme expands from there. The painter may see a better way of telling the story in the artwork than was first planned, or part of the fabrication may be a struggle until someone comes along and solves it. Small ‘components on the engine and the ‘mechanical side may be created by someone who takes it to anather level. In the end, the scooter is an amalgamation of ideas from various people wo combine their skills to make the idea work. By proportion of the work carried out the ‘owner may not have that much input, but does it really matter if the initial vision No custom scooter is created by just one person; there is always someone else involved, however small the contribution is. 9 9 becomes a reality? So what if others did mast of the work? It was working as a tear that made it happen. No custom scooter is created by just one person there is always someone else involved, however small the contribution is. The problem of defining which one is best always comes down to person's individual choice, and that will be influenced by what theme they like the mast. If they are into full-bodied machines, they won't vote for a cutdown and vice versa, so opinion is always biased, Then there isthe preferred manufacturer and model. Some like the Vespa and some the Lambretta, but rately both, and if they ike the Lambretta, they may prefer a custom GP to an SX. fs you can imagine, the debate | followed had tremendous interest and a fareat response, Hundreds of names were put forward as the best of alltime, and the different styles were all present. Yes, some of the big named custom scooters got more mention than others, which is to be expected, but people's opinion was hugely divided, | look at it this way: over the last 50 years, there have been many fantastic scooter creations, and it's impossible to point out one as being the best ever, Some machines made a more significant impact than others, and many of those influenced new styles, but to Single one out is impossible, Perhaps we should recognise that the ‘question: "Which js the best custom scooter ever?” can never be fully answered and agree on one thing: we find ourselves ina position where the choice of custom scooters isthe best ever. |WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 15 ‘Available in this Auction: eee eta) coos —_—° ec The Vintage Scooter National Motorcycle WT) 7th December 2022 Qver 50 rare and vintage scooters available to bid on and buy Bidding will be available at the venue - online - by telephone and commission Ce RUSE ee Recast Ret All enquiries please call our scooter specialist Paul Diamond on W. Vintage 07768 313001 or send an email to Scooters info@vintagescooters.co.uk intagescooterscouk nee eee een le a WT he week before a rally was lalvays an exciting time, tinkering and fetling anay to make sure you had the best chance of achieving a weekend away on the piss. It didn't matter which resort had been chosen, you went rogardless, but some journeys were more tedious than others. For our club Great Yarmouth was the least popular, with a dull and seemingly endless road to get there This put many club members off and while the diehards continued to fettle away, many others suddenly found they were unable to get time off work or that ther scooter wouldn't be ready due to some mysterious long-term repaie. In other words, they didn't want to make the journey, so were coming Lp with lame excuses that no one believed inthe fist place, The final count didn't make good reading. There was Joe, who was fine, and ime. However the only others set to make the journey were the Breakdown Brothers, So unreliable were the trio's scaoters that just getting out of town was regarded as a suceass story. Adding to our sense of impending doom was that due to the costs involved, our club only sent a backup van when more than 10 members were travelling, Knowing that we'd be without backup Joe and | met with the brothers, ‘making sure that they'd done their best to be prepared and that at the very least their ‘machines were running. Tt was the usual Friday night start and if everything went to plan we calculated the trip would take four hours. Being realists wwe factored in what was likely to go wrong with the brothers and extended that to eight hours. If it sounds like the brothers weren't really committed to thelr scooters | promise that wasn't the case, they simply didn’t have a clue what they were doing. As all three of them rode Lambrettas that was even more worrying. 66 The Breakdown Brothers No matter how reliable your own scooter was, a tally could be made or broken by the machines tidden by your fellow club mates. Their combined mechanical knowledge extended to opening atin of beans and with various club members having had their fingers burned in the past, we had ‘agreed that trying to give them a hand \when working on their Italian steeds was strictly forbidden Instead we negotiated a deal, an ‘agreement that they'd get their machines in complete working order so we could at least make a credible attempt at reaching ‘ur destination, Joe and | made plans to be upfront; that way, if one of them broke ‘down, we could pretend not to have noticed and cary on. It was either that or lag behind in the certain knowledge that we'd get dragged into the inevitable breakdown roadshow in the dark of the night. It was quite a shock to get tothe pub ‘and find the brothers already there before Us, Had the tide finally tuned? The ‘answer was definitely no, as one of them had snapped their kickstart. This meant his scooter would raquire bumping to get it going, but at least it wouldn't stop proceedings. Quite remarkably, we covered the first 50-odd miles without the slightest hint of anything going wrong, and the brothers were well on the way to setting a new distance recor. There are two types of Lambretta breakdown, the frst is catastrophic when something fails without warning and the second witen everything slowly unfolds in front of your eyes. One thing the brothers never did was travel with their side panels fitted, there seerned litle point when repairs were needed so often, For some reason, we eventually agreed to drive behind the brothers as a token backup. Because of this, we were able to watch the first breakdown as if in slow motion. | can't remember whether it was Joe or me that first noticed it, but one ofthe trio's petrol tanks was moving from side to side The engine still had a float bowl full, so it kept running for a short time, just long enough for the liberated flammable liquid to ignite on the hot exhaust. 9 9 when comering. At fist it was only a slight ‘movement but as time passed by the ‘movement began to get more violent, This was strange, | don't think either of us knew what to da, No one expects to see ‘something like that and the effect was hypnotic, like a horror film that you can’t bear to watch but don’t want to tu away trom either. What we didn’t know was that it had been removed during the week to drain all the crap out of it. While that was {good thinking, it hadn't been secured back ino position. Although the tank bolts were in place, they hacn’t been tightened and ‘thanks to the vibration, which every Lambretta owner's familar with, the bolts had come undone and the tank was free to ‘g0 wherever it wanted. Al that was stopping the tank from making a dash for freedom was the tap and cap that were combining to block its escape. Unfortunately, the movement was straining the fuel pipe, which eventually ‘gave up and split in half, spraying fuel ‘everywhere. The engine still had a float bow! full, so it kept running for a short time, just long enough forthe liberated ‘larnmable liquid to ignite on the hot ‘exhaust. The brother was now well aware he was riding a fiery bomb and duly ‘dumped the Lambretta on to the grass verge. There it thankfully extinguished itself without harming the rider. Here came a stroke af bad luck. The second brother had quite rightly slammed his brakes on as the fireball lit up in front ‘of him, but this spelled disaster for the third brother. His rusty brake cable ‘snapped and while it was okay for Fred Flintstone to slow down by using his fet it wouldn't work for a Lambretta travelling ‘at speed and he ran into the back of his brother. Thankfully all three brothers were ‘okay, but a survey ofthe three machines wasn't so positive. One was burned, one ha the rear frame loop pushed into the wheel and the other had a bent set of forks. It was a sad ending as it locked like they were about to set a new endurance record, but the chain reaction of events meant that the Breakdown Brothers’ reputation was intact. |www.SCOOTERING.COM | 17 0808 1001 324 bikesure.co.uk 48 | SCOOTERING | DECEMBER 2022 Cambridge Lambretta Agents for Casa Lambretta, Gran Turismo, Lambretta.it, Avanti, SIP, Scootopia GT110 for all GT150 for D/LD Vega/Lui & J range 125 & 150 Full powered reed kit Full poweredinced hic £510 £580 DEMONSTRATORS AVAILABLE. TEL: 01223 516662 3 CAXTON ROAD, ST IVES, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, PE27 31S www.lambretta.co.uk Allstyles — Fie’ scooters www.allstyles-scooters.com B 02392 655565 Email: info@allstyles-scooters.com ambretla vespa 9-10 Artillery Row Ackworth Road Hilsea, Portsmouth PO3 5NS Golden era The 1980s was a time of ill-advised haircuts and questionable fashions, but it was also the decade that saw the rise of the Scooterboy. Inthis book, Stu Owen captures the spirit of that influential era. gular readers wll have realised this is the thi, and final, part ofa trilogy written by our own Stu Owen, Previous volumes, predictably titled Scootering inthe 1960s and Scootering inthe 1970s, have proven very popular and tis title follows the same format. That is to say that if you're looking for ‘a comprehensive history of the Scooterboy, this isn't the volume for you. (Instead you'll need copy of Gareth Brown's Evolution ofthe Species book) What Stu's assembled is a visual feast page after page of grainy images taken at seaside towns, race circuits and in back gardens lie waiting fr your enjoyment. The qualty of images is worth mentioning, Lnlike the 1960s and 70s, when people sed ‘proper’ cameras; the 80s was an era of clsposable Instamatics. Ifthe Second World War is seen as a war fought in black and white, then the 80s was a slightly out-of-focus era played cut in strange colour tones, That the majority of images selected by Stu confarm to this pattern doesn't detract from the book: i anything they make it more authentic swith previous volumes there are various pieces of ‘memorabilia scattered among the pages, most of which will raise a smile or two among those who were there, Honever, this isn't a volume writen exclusively for scooterists of the 1980s; 2a flick through its pages wil reveal many scooters that are still around, and aetvely ridden, today If you did't see them atthe tim, then now's your ‘chance to catch up on how they've evolved. If you're bores ‘over Christmas there's also a chance to play a scoaterist's version of Where’s Wally. While some images are captioned Identifying the slimiine versions ‘of people who stil play an ‘active part in scootering, there ate plenty of others lurking in the background waiting to be discovered. More sambrely there are of course some photos of those no longer with us. Whether or not you were partof iat te time, the 1980s was the eran which the modern scooter scene was bora and nurtured. It would have been tempting for tu to have concentrated on the big personalities and events that shaped the decade, but he's also crated a tribute to those who partied hard and bul scooters in their back gardens or their dao’s shed. (Once more i's @ volume | keep returning to time and time again, It may not change your understanding af the ‘decade but, 10 matter how old you are i'l make you yea for simpler times. ‘Words and images: Stan ISBN: 9 781911 639978 ‘As youl see on page 50, we've avery special sus ‘offer that combines al thvee of Stu's books with a year's subscription from 24, Head ‘over to that page or Best Enjoyed with: A warm tin of Holsten Pils and some pickled onion Monster Munch, preferably on a street comer (or maybe thats just reliving my own experience of the 1980s). WWW. SCOOTERING.com | 19 RALLY DOWN UNDER What could possibly compare with the sunshine of Queensland in Australia? Carl Burroughs thinks that compared with his lovingly restored Rally, everything else pales in comparison La ¥ fascination with scoatas began at the tender age of eit when my dad bought a 125ce Douglas Vespa from the local rag! bone man, Over the years I've cwned an eclectic array of scooters, including Heinkel SA, Lammy chopper, a Vespa Ciao moped and even a Villers Paratrooper. Although | appreciate all the Ss, VBBs, TVS nd SXs people have, the two models. \ adore, and fee are the pinnacle of scooter design, are the GP200 and the Rally 200, id it hard to understand how the Bertone signed GP looks as fresh today as whan it was Jaunched in 1969, but my love of the Rally may be ‘more deep rocted in memories of a msspent youth and the romance ofthe 1970s, When I first got into. the Mod scene, the P200E had only been aut fora couple of years, so the Vespa of choice for many was still the Rally. Indeed, the ist scooter | bought when {turned 17 and was finally able to move on from my Vespa 50 Special was an orange and gold Rally 200 called, predictably, The Italian Job. | acquired this sovater from ‘Frac, aka Keith Reed, who was the No 1 of Arch Town Seactar Club, Beveray the scooter — I cub forupstarts not mature enough to join the real Beverley Scooter Club! | coulsn’t balive the powor after riding my 60 Special at full thro fra year. Neither could | believe how many cruciforms Ii go through and how ill-equipped I was to do the repairs ‘self. Eventually the Rally was replaced with a PX200, a reliable machine but it wasn't the same and my hankering fr another Rally 200 began almost immediately, When it came to finding a Rally 200 in Australia, I'd have been better off hunting for hen’s teeth » 99 This hankering festered away for decades, following ‘me across the globe when | moved to Australi For Years I managed with only a poster ofa Rally 200 Name: Carl Burroughs. had gone away for the weekend, s0 on my wal. you've seen the one, i's captioned: ‘No | sneaked out with my mate Tomo I don't want a Harley’. Unfortunately when it came Scooter elub: Sunshine Coast who had a blue Vespa 50 Special. to finding a Rally 200 in Australia, Id have been Scooter Ciub, Queensland, Australia. We were both 15 and terifed the better off hunting for hens teeth, so when a tatty but cops would stop us, but we got away complete 1975 white Rally 200 came up forsale in Whatwas your fist scooter and now with it and hadagreattimefrom Melbourne, I had to buy i; sight unseen and at any did you fist become interested in then on, | was hooked. cost. When it finally arived at my home in Sydney, ‘them: Although | had access toa everything appeared tobe there, and | congratulated Douglas Vespa 125 from the age Whats your favourite scooter model: myself on buying a good, solid scoot. However, looks of eight, my fst scooter was ated Lambretta GP200 and Vespa can be deceiving, Vespa 50 Special which | bought Rally 200. Before | got chance to grapple withthe project | at 15. was already a Mod and was ‘moved to Queensiand and joined the Sunshine Coast counting the days until could ride . What s your favourite style of ‘Scooter Club where | met Danry Rogers, the proprietor custom scooter: | stilove 80s-style ofthe Scooter Preservation Society. Together we What was your first (or most custom Lambretta. Everything hatched a plan to build the Rally of my dreams tthad ‘memorable rallyevent: My first rally chromed and Candy Apple tobe orange, as all the provocative brochures and was Scerborough 1980, my parents paint jobs photos af Ral in the 1970s seemed to be that colour. Ithad to have more ‘oomph than a standard engine as | Year the parka | wore when Iwas 17 may have Shrunk ‘somewhat, plus | wanted ito be able to go around I've got something very sme. ieta rae ie rarely achieved in life; exactly any kind, what I always wanted. Carl secured his ‘ream machine back in 2015. looked good but there were hidden horrors. ater a delayed stat, its taken five years to ‘A Malossi 210 with matched casings was agreed ‘pon with BGM Pro SC/R12 competition shocks ta help withthe cornering. A Vespatronic ignition was added tothe lst, as was a SIP Big Box exhaust, vinich looks stock, but helps the kit perform. All the necessary bits were orderad, anc Danny sotto work While waiting on the parts and time to fette the engine, the bodywork needed to be addressed. Acié clipping revealed the true state ofthe notoriously corresive 1970s steel, which resulted in new legshields and a great deal of fabrication, replacing the rat with new panals. The job ofthe bodywork and paint was entrusted to Dave Dixon, who did an outstanding job I's taken more than five years to completa the ‘ground-up rebuild of my"75 Rally, but the end result fs stunning, an I've go something very rarely achieved in life; exactly what | always wanted, Danny and | are now plotting our next projec, vibich isa replica ofa limited-edition Arthur Francis GP200 S Type from 1979, so watch out, there might, be another article in fue years’ time! Words and images: Car! Burroughs WWW. SCOOTERING.COM | 23 Giza FUTURAMA Koln Intermot 2022 Hope for the future? Are you a Belieber? Andare friends electric? As Rik discovered, Vespa flew the flag and Royal Alloy nailed the company’s colours to the mast at October's Intermot show in Cologne. hen Steve Oliver, the CEO of Royal Alloy, asked if | fancied going to the international motorbike exhibition in Cologne, it sounded like afar enough offer. As it was the frst proper far (curse you, Covi!) where Royal Alioy’s TG has nad a public aring and they'd signed up 2 distributor, Steve wanted to make abit of ‘a noise about it. Intermot (as it's officially tiled) was also my frst taste of ‘behind the scenes’ bike exhibitions. Steve, Elie (his daughter) and | flew from Manchester direct ta Cologne, and that seemed pretty straightforward. Although we should have ealisad that an easy light usually means paying back good fortune witha nightmare ‘After leaving the airport, we popped on a train (German efficiency, disembarked after three stops and followed Google maps, Other Stuff lke that is available and we should have used it.The internet’ finest guidance system sent us on a wild goose chase lasting more than 40 minutes tramping up ‘and down roads around the train station, dragging our increasingly weighty uggage behind us. Eventually, Ellie took charge and ordered an Uber. Fair enaugh. The Koelnmesse, 2s the local Hit 24 | SCOOTERING | DECEMBER 2022 holds more than 2000 conferences and about 75 trade shows each year, and it's got ‘more than 248,000 square metras of foo space. Ina nutshell it's big and incredibly ‘easy to get lost in. Which | ci, requently In the end Steve called up Ahmet Royal Alloy’ distributor, who guided us to where he and his ew were inside busily constructing te stand Stand easy I's amazing ose (and take part in) the construction of sland, I've been invol with design of exhibitions Tor years, but never for ‘bikes, and certainly not the actual hands-on Bul side ofthe cape. Inside the hal it was al very calm, but very, very busy. There were chery picker trucks zipping about, with staff wearing, cergo shrts Hanging up banners and ‘gn while blaring out god-awful cheap Iv American and German heavy rock and power pop ftom their nests above 1. | Swear, it must be part of Cologne's exhibition hal’ staff cess rues that you MUST have a mullet haitcut and 1980s Tom Selleck moustache if you use a fokit or cherry picker. thas an eye ton scooters er to see just wha bikes are delivered in, Muppet boy here was under the delusion that you popped open the box, wheeled m out and job done. Not so fast bucko! Scooters seem far more “put together than the bikes, within thei boxes the scoots came bolted into metal cages. Makes sense really, as a protection aid. Anyway, after much til, eror, swearing and heaving, stuff was put into place and the exhibition contractors came round to remove the plastic from the stand’s floor, We weren't alloned to da this, das union, you know. A chap even came round with a laser measuring device to check that ‘our overhead banners were ofthe correc height. Proving that his job was important he pronounced they weren't and needed raising by Sem, So graft done forthe day, we retired to our hotel. ining that was another story, then out fora meal The next cay I was on duty forthe magazine and being the first press day was out onthe ferret to find out what was what, and to be perfectly frank, | was shocked. Naive me, full of wid ‘expectant hope and wonder, salivating atthe thought of seeing just what the world had to ‘offer on the retro-based scoot front. Spier alert! Nota huge arnount Vespa too much space? I In Tino. Yes itrealis cal Tino Scoot about Going from hall to hal | was increasingly aware of the amount of madern, electric ‘creations’ that were infesting the place. Is this relly what the future holds for us? 1 have an increasingly grave fear its. Some of these creations were attempting to show (what thelr designers considered) a nod to the heyday of scooter design. Oh dear, of earie, deavie me. ‘Tobe fair, | can't give a balanced rundown as there was no presence from Lambretta, Peugeot, AlS/Lexmoto etc I'l have to wait for EICMA (the big Italian show) to make a full appraisal of what 2023 and beyond hold focus, Naturally, Piaggio had a huge flor area, and unfortunately this di the company something of a disservice, as even when the stand was busy, it didn't appear so. Piaggio’ big reveal was a new GTS, | know there's 2 new front suspension set-up and "im told almost every pane!’s been revised but it looks more ike a facelift than a new article. Having said that, with something so successful asthe GTS, why would you realy 26 | SCOOTERING | DECEMBER 2022 ned to rethink his one. ‘muck about with it? The biggest rab-rah (on the stand was the PR push for a naw celebrity scooter to appeal to the younger fend of the market. Enter Justin Bieber stage left. According tothe chap an the stand, it as a decision based on alot of market research, by people wio are skilled in this area. | took some pics and you make your ‘own mind up, Ive made mine. On the other hand, like several other men ofa certain age | was very drawn tothe Pie-Nic ‘Suzuki claims that its scooters are for "your city’ and are. your Scooter’. Er. neither fr me thanks. | was excited to see aa menacing black, water cooled custom Vespa on a stand, oly t be disappointed to find that the stand was logeing workbenches. Bugger In my view when manufacturers try to straddle the divide between retro and ‘modern they inevitably fil, Pick a team for ‘goodness’ sake, Enter Nipponia and its Fvi-Ball and a company called Tinbot which was atleast being open and honest in its name. BMV had a chunky electric ‘cool, with an even chunkier price tag, Its ‘ie maraig depen ay DP Ican't speak for the other exhibitors, but generally the fair had a feeling of optimism. reveal? Nope, it's 2 morkben battery can be charged in just four hours and has a range of 130km but to me, it looks like a police vehicle from Robocop or Bade Runner. | ealise that 'm probably a dinosaur clinging toa rose-tinted past, which probably never existed, and I do remember the furore when the P Range came out ‘and the T5! But | draw the line atthe Evi-Ball and Keeway's‘Sisties’. They say that beauty isin the eye ofthe beholder and | know we're not the intended customers but ny eyes ae still recovering. Back to the 60s with Hanway. ‘Some companies have jumped on the electric bandwagon by buying production scooters, swapping the engine for a battery powered one and rebadging, Hmmm, that ‘ould be why the Ernco has more than a passing Ikeness tothe AS Modena, but if you ike that sort of thing, then these wil be the sort of thing you'l ike Disappointment withthe lack of retro faye aside, there were plenty of accessories and novelty items to be enthralled by. From Kevlar jeans, some really creative crash helmet stands, clothing and bag stands all the way through to Dry-Lube (remember this was Cathedral City Cologne NOT Hamburg or ‘Amsterdam, you fithy animals!) There were a couple of things that did cause ‘a quake of concern, There were some clothing stands which were pedaling wear that ‘looked! protective, but given a quick once over, was nothing of the sort. This is worse than bad, For instance, if you're riding around wearing flip flops, T shirt and shorts you know if you core off, it ain't gonna be good. However, if you are wearing same items that ‘appear’ to be protective, you may chance your arm that [Above and right: A sight for sre eyes. Below: Fancy aPic-Mc? little bit more, believing that your gear will catch you if you fal. What I suppose I'm getting at is, check the ratings and the ike before you buy, all that glters ete I'm probably biased as I was on the Royal Alloy stand ala, and Ido mean a hell of alot, but | can say hand on hea was very busy. Ahmet even called in family ‘members to help deal withthe number of lenquiries. As I've already said, this was the first outing ofthe TG in Germany, and the main point in attending the fat was fr the newly appointed distributor to sign up dealers, which they di, in droves. Every scooter on the stand was purchased by one potential dealer onthe opening day, and this could have been done many times over. Honestly, it was mental. I cant speak for the other exhibitors, but generally the fair hac a ‘eeting of optimism. In summary, Vespa is stil waving the fag, and Royal Alay has definitly nailed its to the mast. Scooterng s definitely alive and has more choice than ever... which path will it choose? | havent a clue and I don think the major players have ether Words and images: Rik Wat's your address mate? Erm, i's a Suzuki 185. WWwWw.SCOOTERING.com | 27 Sayonara Southport The end-of-season National has anew home for 2023 but as Stan reports, there was still plenty of fun. tobe had this year. (ambretta cia t's nat a view shared by my fellow Yorkshire sooterists but in my opinion ‘moving the end-of-season National from Brijington was the right thing to {do. A combination of rising costs and over ‘commercalisation meant that it was time tomove, and on the face of i Southport \was the ideal venue. The North West has been underrepresented inthe Nationals. calendar for to long, Southport coun! was welcoming, licensees were on board and the {ows Floral Hal was a venue to rval the Spa. Sadly, things went wrong fatly quickly. In this rally’s case Covid was but an iitant, the man problem being thatthe Floral Hal was closed for returishment ‘The rally’ unusual in that it's a joint venture between VFM, which organises the entertainment, and the LOGB, which takes responsibilty fr the trade fair and custom ‘show. All creit to them, they've worked herd to create a funetioning rally but with ‘vents spread around town, the National's lost its sense of cohesion, Ths year there ere three sites; The Duke of York Hotel, # Wich hosted the night‘, The Market Hall, \wicn housed the custom snow and Splash World, where the traders gathered to show off their wares. In fairess none ofthese. were more than a 10-minute walk from each ther but with the North West holding up its reputation for rain it was far from ideal (Changing a Nationa’s venue ist quite so straightforward as may be thought but the stars have now aligned and next yea will see the season closing in Llandudno. Will the rely return to Southport? Possibly, but the Floral Hal's refurbishment isn’t due to fend much before 2026, For now, i's safe to cancel your internet accommodation search for Southport in October Here comes the weekend Somuch forte trials and tribulations of the organisers. It dict take long to see that those who'd oraved the wet rida over were determined to make the most of 2022's final National gathering, Pd travelled over the Pennines with Stu Smith and the Scootering stall. quick curry and itwas over tothe quick drink s. With te some heathy fair filed up quicky, as oi the custom shaw. OF al the outlets in Southport | think the old market halls my favourite After trading marke, the council has it and exhitition er to an exhibiio atthe cu Giants ofthe street racer scene together. It's a shame that Southport hasn't really worked out as a National venue, the town has so much to offer Happy people means a busy dance for. WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 29 CUSTOM SHOW RESULTS: et of Show: Breaking Rocks Best Ridden: Torque of the Town ‘Spectators choice: Legends of Soul Best Custom Lambretta: SK150 AMH 78H Best Custom Vespa: Motovespa GT160 EY 426T, 3st Street Racer: The Obsession st Chopper/Cutdown: Something ‘Special (SIP Scootershop) st Custom Lambretta pre 1959/Series 1: Model A, KXS 914 st Custom Lambretta Series 3/SX: Tom Cats Forever Best Custom Lambretta OP: Breaking Rocks Best Lambretta/Vespa Smaliframe: ©, YL 585, Best Custom Vespa pre P Range/TS: ‘Motovespa GT160 UEY 426T Best Custom Vespa P Range/TS Onwards: ‘Micl PX, Mark Kendall st Ridden Lambretta: Series 2.439 XVT st Ridden Vespa: Top Banana Alongside the custom show trophies, th end-of-season rally also sees the awards for best supporting members, Ths year Helen Rumsey picked up the female championship trophy fora second year while the male ‘award went to another rider who records galactic mileage, lain Cleeve ‘As with almost every rally, the final trophy signalled an end tothe day's proceedings, Stu and | packed the stall up and bade an early faranell leaving the more hardened partygoers to their onn devices and the ever popular Heavy Sol I's shame that Southport hasnt really worked out asa National vanua, the town has so much to offer but so does Liandudno ‘and I'm tod that it’s another town waiting to receive us with open arms, See you there Words: Star Images: Star/Stu Smith 80 | SCOOTERING | DECEMBER 2022 Best Ridden Street Racer: Rizia +33 Best Ridden Chop/Cutdown: Old Skool Classic Cut Best Ridden Lambretta pre 1959/Series 12439 XV Best Ridden Lambretta Series 3/SX: Calamity ane Best Ridden Lambretta GP: Legends of Soul Best Ridden Lambretta/Vespa Smal frame: LD 744 XGV Best Ridden Vespa pre PRange: SIP Rally 200 Best Ridden Vespa P Range/TS onwards: Razor Cola Tom Cats Forever 3: Ducati Cruiser Best Vinyi/Graphics: I ooks could kill Best Unrestored: No entrants, Non Vespa/Lambretta: Ducati Cruiser Best Indian Scooter: Rizia +33 Best Spanish Scooter: Servetta Jot 200 ROW 575M Best Fist Time Entrant: Hondalla. aeeceene aes Here comes summer! ‘The season's barely ended and Santa's yet to empty his sack butit’s: already time to start planning next year’s adventures. Here's a selection of our favourites from the rallies that have already been announced. January 7-8: Scooter World Newark Your chance to blow away those post festive blues witha healthy dose of scooter-reated fu, April 7-10: Scarborough Nationa Rally If Brighton isthe city of Mod then Scarborough the Scooterboy’s spiritual home. Always a highlight of the calendar. April 18: VMSC Extravaganza Coventry Calling you rally an ‘extravaganza’ isa pretty ‘bold mave but inthe Vintage Motor Scooter Club's case it's wholly justified. Don't let the name mislead you; this show isnt about cbscure European design from the 50s, i's 2a celebration of al things step-through, April 29-May 1: Weston-Super-Mare National Rally It took a while to get back on the calendar but WSM more than deserves its place as 2 National, and South West Scooter Clubs always put on a warm weleome. May 26-28: Kelso National Rally This isn't just rally, it's riding extravaganza, Whether you just ike to pitch your tent and stay put or explore the countryside, Kelso has something for everyone. If you'e a BnB person book eary, the town spends mest of the year catering for fly-ishermen and golfers so budget beds can be in sort supply June 9-11: Big 7 National Rally Hop Farm is one ofthe south’ largest event sites and fr one weekend it's taken over by the Big 7 collective, a group of scootersts wine know how to deliver all the right ingredients ofan excelent rally. uly 1-2: Royal Alloy Family Day Prestatyn This sa new one, the success of Royal Alloy has taken many by surprise but so far they've lacked some sort of ener’ club This weekend aims to put that right and the ‘xganisers promise something diferent from the usual rally format... Waning, afresh vnve to close the season. ‘July 6-8: Euro Lambretta Peterborough The bigone for Lambretta owners worldwide. Thanks to Covd, Scotland ‘missed out on bringing the Euro across the sea, so there's no doubt the LOGB will be putting ona party to remember. July 28-29: Aberystwyth National Rally ‘Anew entry for 2023, the rally site wil be (on the university campus so plenty of bars and budget accommodation, Students tend tabe a thirsty bunch so if you fancy a walk into town don't worry about your legs getting tired, tere are plenty of pubs ining the route 1 August 4-6: British Vespa Days, Northern weland Yes its ery ride but that all add to the adventure. IFyou've never experienced Norther Ireland before, here's your trance. The hospitality is legendary and the scenery's stunning, Some of the best riding you've lever experienced is waiting for you across the sea and you can ride on L plates toot 1 August 24.28: Isle of Wight International Rally Is there anything that hasn't been said about the legendary 1 rally? I's a trip every scooterist should make atleast once in their Ifetime. For scale and spectacle you won't see anything ike it arywinere else on Earth, Scarborough, spiritual home of the Scooteroy = Sarto a Sand Vm ‘m September 1-2: Mersea Istand Rally ‘The non-national National? One ofthe largest custom shows on the circu, with welcoming hosts and fun aplenty The only way is Essex. * 'm September 22-25: Woolacombe National ‘rally that delivers exactly what the punters want. I's almost certain that ‘accommodation onsite has already sold out but don't worry there are plenty of other ‘options in and around Woolacombe. Given the countryside in which the rally sites set, riding in isn't a bad option at al. ‘October 27-28: Llandudno National Rally ‘The end-of-season national has found a new homne and there ae plenty of reasons to Celebrate the mave I's rally town on the scale of Bridlington or Scarborough and its publicans are eagerly awaiting your arrival Worthen retand — it's so much more than just Belfast | ; WWW.SCOOTERING.coM | 31 The naw model was launched in typical Nalian styl 82 | SCOOTERING | DECEMBER 2022 Italjet Dragster It'shard to believe that a quarter ofa century's passed since one of the most radical scooter The Dragster was, nevery respect, revolutionary. designs ofall time made its debut. hile the classic scooter scene was gong through a stiong revival in the late 1990s, no one was prepared forthe new wave of automatic scacters that would dare to challenge the monopoly of Vespa and Lambretta, Gone were the days of Uuglylooking, squared-off 50ce commuter autos. This new breed were more powerful and stylish machinas that ware capable of lightning acceleration and were fitted with hydraulic dise brakes, Itwas as if the ‘scooter market had been invaded by sports mmatorcycles, The likes ofthe Gilera Runner and the Peugeot Speedtight led the invasion, ‘and thanks to their affordable prices introduced a new generation of enthusiasts into the world of scooter ownership. ust as withthe scooter boom af the 1950s, other manufacturers attempted to capture part of this naw and lucrative market but, just as withthe historic scocter boom, it was an Italian company that would rip up the rule book and stun everyone with its radical new machine. Based in Bologna, Haljet Moto had been producing motorcycles since the beginning of the 1960s, often with innovative designs and ideas. However, it seemed that it was in scooters the ‘compary's destiny lay ~ and one man in particular had a vision forthe future Dragged forward Leopoldo Tatrini wanted io create a sports scooter, the kes of ich had ever been seen before. Having been surrounded by the vst empires of Imacent ard Pegao, who had dominated the worldwide scocter ‘market, it wasn't about taking ver thelr mantle, just capturing a marketshare by ‘creating Something different. Two main areas dominate scooter design: the step through chassis and braking/Suspeasion, the later being vital because of the small wheel size It was here that Tartarini would focus his atention most, and the results ware unbelievable Until naw, all manufactures had followed the sarne basic principles in these areas, but Leopoldo was about to take a aifferent approach, one that would stun the motorcycle word. Unt then, with the notable exception of Vespa with its manecoque construction, chassis designs followed the same format of a tubular frame with components balted to it. The dagstor would incorporate a space frame design, one that would make the scooter exceptionally strong thanks to its triangulated, lattice layout. An addtional bonus of building a frame this way was that it would be far lighter. (At about 107g, this was significantly less than its main competitor, the 130kg Gilera Runner. While the frame may have been racial it was nothing compared to the front ‘end, which did away withthe front forks altogether. Instead, it used a patented ISS (Independent Suspension System) design with a single swingarm connected to the front wheel. A moneshack bolted tothe central frame area controlled its damping, allowing the steering tobe independent and ‘making its action much smaothe. Dragsters soon appeared at sprint mectings with impressive results Formula three To complement this unique technical design the bodywork, inspired by contemporary sports bikes, was thoroughly modern looking. Rather than concealing the frame, asin traditional scooter designs, it was placed on open display withthe exposed latticework being leary visible. The front fairing contained the lighting, a radiator with its vented gille, and toolbox; the dials ane controls were housed on the handlebars ‘At the rear, te large seat and cifuser Unit eoncealed the fuel tank, which was neatly hidden away; a task not easy to achieve with such limited bodywork. twas such a cosmetic masterclass that, with so ‘much ofthe frame being exposed, they were stil capable of hiding all the running gear from sight. The combined result ofthe engineering and cosmetic layout gave the Dragster look that had never been seen before, not justin scooters but among two- wineeled vehicles in general. It didn't matter winether you were a fan of scoaters or not if you saw one in the street, you were instantly ‘awn tit to because it was so different What ofits performance, though, would that mateh the looks? It was made with three ifferent engine sizes: 50, 125 and 180cc, al being two-strokes. The 50cc version used 2 Minaeli engine, wile the 125 and 180cc \etsions used the tried and tested Piagglo ‘auto engine fitted to the Hexagon and Gilera Runner. The 125 had a quoted top speed of {dmph and the 180ce version 76mph, but ‘more importantly, the frame's ight weight ‘meant acceleration was exceptional, This alowed the performance to match its 1ooks, ‘making the Dragster an instant hit with fans ofthe sports scooter Dragster in the true meaning While the Dragster was ripping up the rule book regarding scooter desig, in the UK it was aptiy finding a new home on the dag strip. Sprinting scooters was becoming 66 (ere =e ee This cancept model teralded the Dragster’ return. Its likeness to production examples ilustratesItale’s clarity of vision 2 popular pastime thanks tothe growing reputation ofthe Stretfighter series, ‘and now it had a new machine tearing up the tarmac, Malossi offered an improved cylinder kit to benefit the power outout, and ther tuning products, such as expansion pipes, took the performance to anther level, Iwas a lucrative market, and because so ‘many different machines used this engine, there was a big enough audience to warrant such aftermarket components ‘This was a massive bonus for onners who could nom bolton even more power and as the millennium dawned a Dragster became the must-have auto scooter. On the track, some riders were managing 12-second Auarter mile times, which seemed an almost impossible performance from any scooter. In doing so, these became the perfect ‘advertisement for choosing the Dragster in the hugely contested auto market, Times change For years governments had been tying ton the two-stroke engine, regarding it asthe umber one polite on the oad Whether their research contained any true facts or otf matter fr debate but in 2003 the inevitable happened, and production vehicles had no choice but to Eich to four-stroke engines. This wouldn't bea problem forthe Dragster, 2s Piaggio had been developing four stoke auto engines in readiness before the ban was implemented Wie it would mean alterations, it wou take much fo adapt the new thition engine int the Dragster, or soit would seem, However, lat was concered Leopoldo Tartarini wanted to create a sports scooter, the likes of which had never been seen before. 9 9 about the overall markat, Sales of S0ce machines were particulary wocrying as this sector was shrinking rapidly, with attitudes hardening against lon-ponered machines. ‘The compary’s response was te concertrat its efforts elsentere and specifically in the emerging market of electric bicycles, In doing soit announced the end of the Dragster Inte six-year production cycle, more than 70,000 units were made and sold through all three variants. Although this didn't ‘make it the biggest-selling scocter of all time, it was mare than enough to make ita commercial success, ‘As isso often the case it's nat unt ‘something's gone that people realise how great it was, and the Dragster falls firmly into that category, It eft behind a legacy like no other, @ design so radical that nothing Ike ithad ever been seen before and, likewise, nathing lke it has been seen since. ‘Was it cut short too early, and eould production have continued successfully even ‘though the two-stroke era haa fished? Other manufacturers, such 2s Piaggio, would flourish even more with the advent of the four-stroke engine, and it wasnt asf Itajet needed to develop an engine; there was ane waiting inthe wings. However, a corporate decision brought production toa close That could have been the end of the Dragster story but with such a world changing design, there was little chance of itbeing gone forever. In 2019 it was announced that the Dragster would be reborn. This time it would be a four-stroke ‘and the world held its breath. Would the new Dragster match the legendary status ‘ofthe orginal? After lla lat can change in 25 years. Words: Siuart Onen ‘Adcitional information: Bobby Beck Images: Stu Owen/StanvMortons Archive/ Itt WWW. SCOOTERING.coM | 33 =) InLexicon, we usually take a look at how the press received our chosen model but with the Dragster it's impossible to ignore Italjet’s self-confidence hen the Dragster burst on to the matt, its radical Jesign and rapid acceleration instantly caught the attention of riders worldwide. There was no doubting its kerb appeal but the question many in the industry wanted answering was: “Whol buy ite" It wasn'ta dedicated commuter scoot neither was it a sportsbike. But no doubt who'd want Oragst young and they'd want to go fast. Today the mator industry shies away from promoting products based on outright speed and performance, but at the turn of the millennium things were very diferent Whether the Dragster went “lke the proverbial” or mace the town centre feel abit more like Brands Hatch on a Forrula F50LC model, italjet new what its customers wanted —and its advertising certainly set a cat arnang the pigeons! Words: Stan Images: Mortons Archive they'd be 34 | SCOOTERING | DECEMBER 2022 Italjet Dragster lo nate tn Sn ck ee Sr Cat among the pigeons. GOES LIKE THE PROVERBIAL I's 2001 and nathing says glamour better than a S0cc moped sol out of an industrial estate in Rotherham used on atherHajet machines, notably the Formula series. | doubt any advert, before or since, has dropped so many names in one paragraph alliance withthe British Touring Car ship just one example of the Drag rotorsprt WWW.SCOOTERING.com | 35 Italjet Dragster This is now Dragster demonstrators are thin on the ground but having tracked one down to Comwall Scooter Centre, how did Stan enjoy his date with a Dragster? i freely admit that the Dragster phenomenon pretty much passed me by, the initial machines having arrived during my ‘motorcycle years: (Other than seeing them in showrooms and listening to nosy post pubescent teens making a nuisance of themselves screaming around council estates (wow, for a moment "turned into my dad there), they were of no real interest. The hub stering looked lke a gimmick and i was going to shell fut on something with a latticenmork frame it would have been a Ducati Monster. Not that my budget or riding ability ever mace that a realistic prospect. When I returned to the fol, like many born again scooters, | was set on picking up where let off, not looking for something new, But by this time the Dragster had found its niche, somewhere in what | learned to call the "Darkside Although I'd admire the inevitable entry in ‘custom sho, it wasn't a machine that particularly appealed ta me. | dont think | 86 | SCOOTERING | DECEMBER 2022 ‘even noticed its departure from showrooms. | consider myself tobe atypical scooterist: Lambretta, Vespa, geared, auto, ccutdown, standard, chap ~all have some appeal, but as ecitor I've been genuinely ‘surprised at the numberof requests ‘Scooterng’s had fora review of the new Dragster. On the Face of it there's nothing that should appeal tothe typical Scootening reader. I's certainly nat moulded along classic lines and, other than being Italian, it sat fit any generic category !can tink of. Even among scoaterists who struggle ta accept autos, the Dragster seems to find ‘admirers, Thanks to its rebirth, the days wwhen only a salitary Dragster could be found in the custom show are gane and they're now ‘een in increasing numbers at rales up and ‘down the country. ‘Although the concept stil mystified me, | decided to hunt down atest ride and that proved to bea challenge in itselt ‘When the new Dragster was revealed Hooligan mde, 'on = EXPERIENCE A F clorious FRA OF TRAVEL atthe 2018 Milan Motorcycle Show it ‘was announced that the fist production ‘examples would bea limited edition. Given the Dragsters cult status it was unsurprising tha these sold out immediately, 2 pattern followed by the next few batches ‘of machines to hit showrooms. When a scooter sels that well there's ttle point ina distributor tying up cash in a press demonstrator thatl be trashed in six months by heavy-handed journalists. Having read I'd describe myself as a rider of average skills but even I couldn't mess up corners on the Dragster. 9 9 6 how road tests are usually conducted, new ‘owners are understandably reluctant to pout their pride and joy into the hands of a Stranger, so we've bean stuck for option. ‘That was until | saw a post on Facebook by Graeme and Roland from Cornwall Scootar Centre, inviting potential buyers down to ‘Bodmin fora rice on their Dragster 200. Well, it would have been rude not to accept. First impressions Before going any further I ust point someting out. A regular readers may know Yimnotasmall chap. A 6it3in and wih size 13 feat shout! eally be riding Hates. Thanks, butno thanks, Many scooters are a squeeze forme, and the Dragster was no exception. 1 ay this now ard then leave it alone for the rest ofthe test. If you'te ver Git tal think very carefully about buying a Dragster, you fn tat Tomy” isnt a word to describe it As Graeme isa more average size, 1 bow tohis experience when it comes to describing how comfortable the Dragster ison long rps. Being a good jouralst cone my bomenork before arving at Cmmval Scooter Centre knew that what sat before ie was a 1Blce four-stroke, fur-ale, {uelinjected Aprilia engine witha CVT (auto) gearbox, quoted as developing 175%» Pilions need nat. ph st 8000rpm and 15.5Nm of torque at 7750rpm. The 5Oce machine has baen ‘dropped from the Dragster family but there's also a 125ce version in showrooms. you fancy eect, that’s an option, \while for those in search of even more fun Nats just unveled a supersized 500ce version (See Kickstart) Whichever version you choose, the mator sits in a chrome ‘molybdenum frame, is slightly smaller in ‘overall dimensions than a Vespa GTS but the 200 manages to undercut the 300HPE by an incredible 24g in cry weight. It has ‘a 12in whee! at the front and a 13in at the reat, bath linked ta Brembo calipers by an AntisLock Braking System. A monoshock holds up the rear while the Dragster's characteristic Independent Suspension System (18S) hub steer single arm takes the place of standard forks. The factory shoes ‘the Dragster with Pieli Ange! tyre, the rear having a most unusual profile tha, instead ‘of rounding out onto the ‘chicken strip, curls up atthe outer edge. I's hard to capture in print but is so unusual that it was the frst thing | noticed. Actually, the very first thing | noticed was that, despite its ligt weight, the Dragster's not easy to push around. There ‘seems tobe some resistance at the frant fend and the turing circle ist the smallest Once astride, the overall impression Rear tyre hasan unusual profile, uti sooms to work, I was one of nakedness. The whole point of ‘the Dragster is that i's light but that also translates into a minimalistic approach. This certainly isn't the scooter to select if weather Protection's your main concern, With ignition ‘on, the TFT display burst into life revealing a set of clear and intuitive instruments, ‘There are no gimmicks here, ust every piece of information that a rider needs to keep things manitored. The snitchgear’s set out logically and falls to hand easily enough. The only minor iitant was the kill, button which found frustratingly easy to ‘catch when manewering the scooter for photos. Because it's a simple push infpush ‘off bution with no markings it's not always ‘easy to spot why the Dragster doesn't want to pay WWW. SCOOTERING.COM | 37 There's no doubt Graeme's keen to explore the Dragster’ full tuning potential, in fact he's got a box full of tuning goodies tucked away todo just that, but he'd left the demonstrator in almost standard trim for my test ride, ‘Almost standard in that Graeme ports a slight dead spat around 4000rpm. cocrect this he's Fitted the demonstrat with a Malossi variator, a modification he daseribes as “transforming” On the road [ter adjusting the mirrors, which saw past my elbows with ease, and a quick test jab ‘on the brakes, confirming that they were responsive and progressive, it was out on the open road. As part of my research, I read one review that concluded the tajet felt “neutered” and “ike any auto scoote rm nat sure what that reviewer was sat astride but it certainly isn'ta description ise. From the outset the Dragster was lively, what had felt like resistance atthe front end tumed into precise handling, the engine was pleasingly esponsive to throttle inputs and it was very fast on acceleration. In case you'e skim reading and may have missed those ast few words Ill repeat them, it was vry fast on acceleration. Realy fast In fact, the whole experience was a huge amount af fun. Very quickly I'd lst \ elt! @ roe S em 2 OL SCHOO CHUDREN NED DON'T TAKE OUR WORD ‘The proud owner ofthis 125 is. Kate Angell, who sums up her experience a5 follows, “Riding my aby short and quirky like me. She is light and manoeuvrable, easy to ride and so well balanced {can take bath hands off th hanclebars (not recommended ‘on my old 125 Vespa). The seat hhecomes really comty after 1000 miles and the lack ofa tuning circle isnt realy a problem @ she's so light Ican easily et. The only problem i that she's unique and everyone wants to talk to me about her.” the fesling of nakedness and was enjoying plenty of ‘paint and squit action in the Dragster's natural urban environment (if Bodimin can be described as urban). Here the swift acceleration came into its own and it wasnt at al dificult for me to sip into full hooligan mode’. For this type of work the riding postio’s ideal, weichis just as well because even fora small rider there's where else to go. Before | set off, Graeme It goes about things its own way, delivers a load of fun, and refuses to be pigeonholed. If that’s not what scooters are all about, I don't know what is. 38 | SCOOTERING DECEMBER 2022 had advised popping down the rear pegs and using them to get a little extra purchase fon the frame. For reasons Ive already ‘mentioned my attempt to do this only 2 instant cramp, but Ihave no doubt that adopting this stance would increase the Dragster’s fun factor tenfold Steering clear ‘Along withthe frame, talj's designs best known forts ISS, orcentre hub steering. Tat’ esy to wit but much harder o explain. Basicaly the ISS mounts the font wheel ona single swingarm. This allows the wheel to move up and down wit steering cantrlled by inkages fixed to the handlebar. I's more like aca’ rant suspension than a scooter or motorcycle Welding and overal fish is excellent ‘bution was easy to catch. 7. The advantages are that braking force Is transmitted tothe frame far more effectively and as a result the Dragste’s geometry remains more stable, meaning that the effects of both comeing and braking are far more controlled than on a standard set-up. The downside is that it's ‘more complex and expensive to produce, wc s the only eal reason it’s nat seen fon more bwo-whelers, 'So much forthe science tall, what's It ke in practice? I've ridden plenty of scooters and mast comer within a defined sot of parameters; thase can generally be described as not quite so good as most ‘motorcycles’ and toa large extent that's wnat makes riing scooters fun. When | came to my first corner | tied the Dragster ins | would on my GTS, afterall the review Ti read had concluded that it's “ust another auto." When I came out the other side | couldn't quite believe what had happened, so | went back again, and again, and then afew tines more I'l freely aciit that I'm more a plodder than a racer, infact 'd scribe myself asa rider of average skills but even | couldn't mess up earners on the Dragster. We've all read road tests that describe cornering as ‘being on rails, infact i's become something of e magazine cliché Yet, can't think of anether way to describe the Dragster’ handling. Throw i into a comer and it slavishly follows the line rider sets, not justin one of those fluke perfect comers we all manage from time to time, but consistently, However strange the Angel's tyre profile may look when static, it certainly works. There were no complaints fr the rear, no matter how hard | pushed things. My PX may be good fun to comer because it's a challenge, The Dragster pushes things the other way it's fun because it's so effrtess. © € Alltoo soon it 66 was time to hand the Dragster back, something that contrary to my initial expectations I was quite reluctant @ @ to do. F Is it a bird, is it a plane. Personally, I'd say thatthe open road isnt the place fora Dragster, but Graeme disagrees. Last August Bank Holiday he put his backside where his mouth is, rigged up some bespoke panniar racks, trapped on an ‘Aithamk seat pad and rode the demonstrator from Bodmin tothe Isle of Wight and back Ivan experience he describes as “fun” ‘and would certainly do again, He claims thatthe speedo wil top out inthe early 80s, | managed low 70s so that sounds about right ‘Al too soon it was time to hand the Dragstor back, something that contrary to ry intial expectations | was quite reluctant ta do. Not only had the test ride been a huge amount of fun, but it had also explained the Dragster’ enduring popularity It fits because it doesn’t fit anywhere else. The Dragster isnt really a tourer, and its lack of storage space makes for an impractical ‘commuter. The tuthis thatthe Deagster’s part scooter, part sporisbike persona simply {doesn't conform to any normal standards. It goes about things is ovm way, delivers a load of fun, and refuses tobe pigeonhole. In that’s not what scooters are all about, | don’t know what is Words: Stan Images: Stan, Halt, Kate Angell ITALJET DRAGSTER The ABC Engine: Single cylinder At, 4valve ligula ‘cooled double overhead camshatt Bore x stroke: 63x58mm. Displacement: 181cc. Power: 17.5bhp @8000rpm. Torque: 15.5Nm @7750rpm, Front suspension: ISS single arm and Paiolhydro-pneumaticaojustable shock. Rear Suspension: Single hyaro- pneumatic adjustable shock Brakes: ABS, Brembo calipes, front disc 200mm, rear disc 190m, ‘Tyres: Front 120-70-12, Rear 140-60- 13, Dimensions ‘Wheelbase: 1350mm, Length: 1880mm ‘Width: 750mm, Seat height: 770mm, Dry weight: 124hg, Tank Capacity: 9 lives WWW, SCOOTERING.coM | 39 Bars CORNWALL SCOOTER CENTRE Spares Repairs Restoration FS Lad Quality Parts available or Ragen oe 8 Heeb vaiablen tact, nth @SYM (ceaem PORT GUESTS aren PSU Ris EAE Oat | | | | E mo | Z Fm

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