Classic Scooterist Issue 99 Preview

SKINHEADS 1979-1984

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IoW INTERNATIONAL SCOOTER RALLY

50 years of iconic riders and engineering skills

NEW ZEALAND VESPAS

A VIBRANT AND COLOURFUL HERITAGE

BUYING TROUSERS

FIT, COMFORT, STYLE AND ADVICE

No.99 October/November 2014

The AF S-Type

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FULL REPORT INSIDE

SCOOTERAMA! – A FELICITOUS FANFARE OF FACTS, FEEDBACK & FACES

50 Issue 99 October/November 2014 Editor: Mau Spencer 01507 529408 mauspencer@classicscooterist.com Group production editor: Tim Hartley Publisher: Steve Rose Contributors: Rich Addison, Nick Beilby, Terry Brown, Henry Byer, Dave Cole, Dave Dry, Paul Fielding, Martin Heath; Jock, Mike Kelly, Ashley Lenton, Richard Rawlins, Carli A Smith, Tony Tessier, Phillip Tooth, Dave Walker, Phil & Dawn Walker, Steve Wright. Apologies to anyone we’ve forgotten.

Some of the articles within these pages express the opinions of the contributors and are not necessarily those of Classic Scooterist.

Design: Charlotte Turnbull Reprographics: Simon Duncan Divisional advertising manager: Richard Sinclair rsinclair@mortons.co.uk Advertising: Etta Hargrave 01507 524464 ehargrave@mortons.co.uk Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steve O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Production manager: Craig Lamb Publishing director: Dan Savage Commercial director: Nigel Hole Associate director: Malc Wheeler Editorial address: CLASSIC SCOOTERIST MAGAZINE PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ www.scooteristscene.com General queries and back issues: 01507 529529 (24hr answerphone) Archivist: Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk Next issue (100) published: November 19, 2014 Editorial deadline: October 10, 2014 CLASSIC SCOOTERIST (ISSN:1756-9494) is published bi-monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $36 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC SCOOTERIST, Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 Email: chris@classicbikebooks.com www.classicbikebooks.com Distribution: COMAG Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 66 for offer): (12 months 6 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £21.60. Export rates are also available – see page 66 for more details.

UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton © Mortons Media Group. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced without prior written permission.

Independent publisher since 1885

CONTENTS 4 6

Back when we had hair

42 Sa Ferrari

Scooterama

46 Back in the day

Nostalgic memories from times gone by

A felicitous fanfare of facts, feedback and faces

18 “You’ve got mail”

Readers express their views, ask questions and show us their pictures

20 What’s going on?

What, where and when – upcoming event updates

22 Spotlight: Bridlington

Are you ready for this year’s scooter rally?

24 Isle of Wight

The 2014 international scooter rally

36 An Olympic Lambretta Few originals are still in existence – this is one of them

40 High aspirations Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?

There was to be no fairy tale ending for DMW’s Bambi scooter

74 Lively Lydden

Alonso Gallardo’s custom Vespa

With special guests on the scene, the weekend was bound to be exciting

The King’s Lynn scooter trials

48 Lambretta tank strapping One of the more awkward jobs

50 50 years young

The 50th anniversary of the S-Type

52 Events

Reports and pictures from rallies around the world

76 All action at Darley BSSO Round 8

78 Scoot to Scotland 1966 One man’s memories

80 The shed project

The final part of our budget scooter restoration

82 Scooter clubs

Meet and greet your local club

62 A link to the past

86 Scooterist classifieds

64 Vespa engine mounts

90 Oddballs

Torbay scooter memories

Rarely a problem – but everything needs changing at some point

68 Trouser buying guide

With so many styles and material, you might not know where to start?

72 Airco – New Zealand Vespas The Antipodean archives

For all your wants and needs

Strange and quirky – you’ll find it here

ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER? Fill in the coupon on page 66 and take advantage of our money-saving offers

A special type of event As this year’s main riding season slowly nears its end, it’s time for me to reflect on what has been one of the better years on the recent annual scooterist calendar. There have been many fantastic local and national scooter events taking place this year (and I’m sure there are still some to come); this makes it hard to single out which one was best.

Everyone will have their own opinion, but for me personally, the highlight has to have been the AF Rayspeed 50th anniversary of the Lambretta S-Type (featured elsewhere in this

issue). Sorry to upset those of you who own a Vespa (myself included), but to me this was a no-brainer. Not only was it well organised, but the atmosphere on the day was electrifying; everywhere you looked, a famous face from the past could be seen – and they were all easily approachable, willing to answer questions or sign autographs as requested.

It was a true family event for everyone attending and the organisation by the hardworking Rayspeed team should not go unrecognised; well done to all of them. I’d like to

say that I’d be around for the 100th anniversary, but that’s as unlikely as Innocenti ever going into production with another scooter...

That old chestnut of magazine space has reared its ugly head yet again (although in one way that’s a good sign of a healthy scooterist scene). So we’ve had to adapt our page layout to suit. But fear not, you’ll still find our eclectic mix of old and new articles which will provide something for everyone to read and enjoy.

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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n e h w k Bac we had hair

dO YOU haVe a NOstalGiC stORY tO tell, OR aN Old PiCtURe Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ

mauspencer@classicscooterist.com

tO shaRe?

01507 529408

FROM VesPa tO VesPa

I am 63 years of age and have had several motorcycles and scooters. Enclosed is a picture of me taken in 1965 on a 1961 Vespa 125cc, costing £12. I’ve had more since then, including a Burgman 400, SYM Joyride 200, Yamaha 250, Honda SH300 and a Honda PS125. I am 6ft 5in tall and they have been acceptable for room with my long legs.

Last month I purchased my all-time favourite, a brand-new Vespa 300 Super GTS in black, which shows off the chrome beautifully.

Jack Lowe

Old LD 150 at home in my shed Miles ahead with Milk

This old American advert was sent in to us by a reader. And yes, a glass of milk would certainly taste good to us right now – what about you?

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I love this latest barn find trend. This 1957 LD 150 was owned by my late father-in-law from new. He died about three years ago, although the scooter was stored in his garage when it came off the road in 1962. It’s now in my garden shed. It’s a lovely old bike with a fabulous provenance and that patina of age that comes over many years – original logbook and bill of sale, etc. The 1962 tax disc is still on the bike, which needs restoring, but it will have to join the queue behind my 1973 Beetle cabrio and the 1975 Benelli 750 SEI. The other photo shows me on the LD in about 1960!

Chris Pinard

RALLY SPOTLIGHT

Scooterists outside the Leisure World complex during 2007

BRIDLINGTON

NATIONAL SCOOTER RALLY There’s something about Bridlington scooter rally. Maybe it’s the quality of the custom scooters; or the fact that the BSRA annual AGM is held there. We find out what exciting rally venues are planned for next year.

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The rally returned to the refurbished Spa in 2008

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hatever it is; if there’s one rally worth attending for the quality of the custom scooters alone, then Brid has to be it. You’d expect that with owners having a whole winter to prepare scooters in readiness for the next season, the first national rally of the year would be the event to show them. But no, Brid always seems to spawn that magical mix of innovative custom show machinery – and for that alone, it’s always a venue not to be missed.

Of course, there’s lots more going on from Friday onwards with music and bands to suit all tastes. There’s also a large scooter trade fair where you can buy everything from air filters through to Zip shock absorbers (and everything else in between – including clothing). It also provides the opportunity to catch up with friends from around the UK who you might not see again until next season.

Outside the main focus of Bridlington Spa arena, the whole of the town fills with

One thing Brid is never short of is places to drink

scooterists attending the event and it can become quite hard to find somewhere to stay if you haven’t booked well in advance. What Brid isn’t short of however, are places to eat and drink; fish and chips are a speciality around the area, so if you haven’t had the opportunity to try them, then you should; the local hostelries are also very scooter-friendly, so you shouldn’t be short of places to drink either.

Although other scooter events continue in the run-up to Christmas and the New Year, the Bridlington rally is, in reality, the season finale to the end of the main scooter riding season – here’s to the next one!

BRIDLINGTON IN BRIEF

The coastal town of Bridlington is a sea fishing port with a working harbour and is well known for its shellfish. It is situated in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The town’s origins are uncertain, but archaeological evidence shows habitation in the Bronze Age and in Roman times. At the

Brid Custom Show is never short of stunning machinery

time of the Norman Conquest, the settlement was called Bretlinton, but it has also gone by the names of Berlington, Brellington and Britlington, before settling on its modern name in the 19th century.

The Bridlington Spa was originally opened in 1896; in its heyday, Bridlington was a leading entertainment resort thanks to this nationally famous venue where many well-known entertainers have appeared, including David Bowie and Morrissey. By 2005 the condition of the Spa complex had deteriorated to the point where East Riding of Yorkshire Council had to take a bold decision. A full and thorough refurbishment of the entire facility was undertaken, between 2006-2008, to ensure that it would be fit for the demands of a changing market in the 21st century. During this period, the Brid scooter rally was held at Leisure World elsewhere in the town. Since this restoration the venue has attracted many wellknown bands, including The Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian, The Script and Joe McElderry.

After refurbishment, the Spa’s custom show structure needed rethinking, due to a slightly smaller floor area

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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TOP: The original Olympic Lambretta line-up RIGHT: Number 80 was used in many photoshoots including this one with the Lambretta helicopter

An original Olympic Lambretta Only 80 ‘Olympic’ special edition Lambrettas were produced for the 1960 ‘Games of the XVII Olympiad’ which took place in Rome between Aug 25 and Sept 11.

Very few of those original models are still in existence – and this is one of them

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he present day market of scooter sales sometimes makes people gasp when they hear the escalated prices for a mint SX200, or a stunning-looking GS160 – and many collectors are always searching for that holy grail of the rarest of the rare.

Well one man with such a challenge in life is Marc Richardson; he once asked me: “Can you see what I’m trying to do with these scooters Rich?” I knew full well what he meant while I was gazing at his bright red Model A Lambretta with its remarkable matching sidecar on display at the Bridlington Custom Show.

Marc feels there’s a special place for all these unique Lambretta machines that have become quite rare over the last 50 years – and he might have a point. Right from the very first Lambretta off the production line, thousands were built for customers across the world. Their life span, in some cases, was very short; many all too often being destroyed from misuse or left to rot in a garden or shed.

Plenty of these scooters have risen from the ashes, so to speak, and have been restored to their former glory; it’s a nice feeling to think that someone has taken great care in the restoration to keep the memory of these Italian-produced vehicles going for years to come.

One such person who must enjoy his work (for many like me it would be a dream to be in his shoes) is Dean Orton of Rimini Lambretta Centre (RLC), situated in the hills overlooking the Italian town. Chatting to Dean, it soon becomes apparent he’s very focused on what he and his Italian scooter workshop team do. So when he came across a second 1960 Olympic Series 2 Lambretta, the only thing he could do was to purchase it, so it wasn’t lost, never to be seen again.

Previously Dean had restored example number 26, from the original batch of 80 made

by Innocenti for the 1960 Rome Olympics. All the original machines were painted blue with the Olympic five rings and motifs and signwritten with stencils on a white band along the sidepanels. Their use in the Olympics has been much debated over the years, but Dean explained that Piaggio produced a number of Vespas for the same games and Innocenti decided to produce 80 identical Lambrettas just to go one better.

It must have been a constant battle during that era for the two large companies to outshine each other whenever the Milan show came up, or a spectacle like the Olympic Games arrived in Italy on their doorstep. Anyway

80 was the number produced and when this actual Lambretta was found by Dean, he realised just how important this machine was in the history of Innocenti production. It was used on a lot of marketing photoshoots and films, promoting the games to let everyone know how many scooters the company had made for the Rome event. One such photo shows a helicopter, complete with the ‘Lambretta’ logo emblazed along the sides, coming in to land in an area cordoned off by four Olympic Lambrettas. The scooter in the foreground is this very same machine – number 80.

The Olympic Lambrettas were used throughout the games in both Rome and within the Olympic Village. It’s easy to imagine the immense publicity that must have been generated for Innocenti every time a celebrity athlete was captured on film, either sat on, or riding the scooters. After the Games ended, these machines were mainly offered to Lambretta dealers across the country. Within a short space of time most were probably repainted once the initial fascination of the Rome Olympic Games had faded away, leaving most of these unique machines to anonymously blend into the other thousands of Lambrettas being ridden in Italy on a daily basis.

MAUSPENCER@CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM

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Dean only knows of possibly four (genuine) Olympic Lambrettas in existence at this moment; he has had two and his friend, Vittorio Tessera, has one in his Italian museum. RLC is currently dealing with someone regarding the possible purchase of a fourth example (which will obviously only happen once the frame and engine numbers have been checked).

When Dean eventually acquired the Olympic number 80 scooter, he knew he’d eventually sell it on to one of his customers and Marc was keen to make sure the machine came to the UK. The amount paid for such a scooter will remain undisclosed, but the cost doesn’t end there as Marc requested that Dean should do a ‘conservation restoration’ which entailed a complete strip-down of the machine and restoring it to as new working order, but with the original paintwork left intact.

Some areas of the paint were worn away, so a mix of the original blue paint was made up to ‘blow-in’ the damaged areas on the original panelwork. There was also a crack on the underpart of the headset top, but having a vast amount of ‘new old stock’ parts on hand in the workshop, Dean found it better to replace this and repaint the item with matching worn areas giving it that authentic appearance. Some of the stencil work was almost invisible, so after speaking to Vittorio, Dean spent hours of research on colours and size of the Olympic five rings so they could be recreated exactly.

A conserved resto is very time consuming and Dean explained that it took around 150 hours to complete number 80; each nut and bolt, when stripped, is audited and if damaged an exact replacement is found and fitted utilising period photos (some of which have

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never been publicly seen or published). With the results of the research carried out by Vittorio and original documentation, RLC was able to ensure everything was correct, with the end result being that the machine now feels and rides like it had just come off the production line. It has its age-related paintwork sealed under a light clear-coat lacquer that should preserve it for another 54 years – not that me or Marc will see that (LOL).

The scooter was finished in time for the Riva Del Garda Custom Show held in Italy late last year and caused incredible interest among show visitors. At the time there was just one, small piece missing from the jigsaw to make a perfect finished product – the intricate horncast waterslide of the ‘Rome Olympic Games 1960’.

While at the show Dean was approached by an Italian scooterist called Giovanni Moscato, who explained how he knew the motif was missing because his uncle actually worked on the gates at the Olympic Games that year and he still had a couple if they needed them – remarkable.

It wasn’t as simple as that though, because when the original waterslide was placed in water before transferring it to the horncast, it just parted in hundreds of pieces like a jigsaw. But eventually it all went together on the scooter and completed the finished project you see here. When I was with Marc to do the photoshoot, he nipped off to fetch us a coffee; so I had a sneak quick start-up of the scooter and after a couple of kicks it came to life and it sounded sweet. Well done to Dean and the Rimini Lambretta Centre team – a top job and for something as rare as this to be preserved for the future; it’s possibly one of the most important machines in Lambretta history.

Rich

The original detail is endless

KIT ADVICE

Buying trousers

We’ve been focusing on one piece of riding kit every issue, offering our advice about getting the most for your money. Last issue we covered gloves, this time we’re talking about riding trousers…

W

ith so many trouser styles and materials to choose from, you might not know where to start and there are plenty of things to consider.

Trousers are often the piece of riding clothing that’s forgotten about. Riders kit out the top of their bodies with protective gear and forget about the bottom. However, it’s extremely important to make sure you have the right kit on to keep you safe.

The only protective equipment that you are required to wear by law is a helmet – unbelievable we know; it’s highly advisable to get trousers which offer some leg protection as well – and not just against the elements.

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TYPE

To begin narrowing down your choices, think about the material you think would be best for you and suit your needs. The main choices for scooterists are textile and reinforced denim (leather is also available, but that’s mainly an option for motorcycle riders). All options have pros and cons, so consider which suits you, your bike and your budget the best.

> Denim

Contrary to belief, normal denim isn’t protective; however, jeans are often the choice of attire for many. Manufacturers have now developed denim trousers which have double stitching and

armour; others have added Kevlar panels to increase the abrasion resistance properties of the material.

According to some statistics normal jeans need to be exposed to road abrasion for just 0.6 seconds before a hole is created (some of the more ‘sophisticated’ jeans manufacturers claim they’ve increased this to over four seconds). Bear in mind, this is still less than some textiles and leathers.

> Textile

Textile trousers have a number of benefits.

They are often cheaper to buy than other materials; they’re waterproof and they can be cleaned easily to freshen them up and get rid of any dirt you may pick up from the road. There are some great materials on the market which have high levels of abrasion resistance too.

> Leather

The properties of leather include high levels of abrasion resistance, so should you have a spill – you’ll be well protected. They are often chosen by motorcycle sports bike riders who travel at high speeds. Leather trousers are also more expensive than their textile counterparts and bear in mind that usually leather trousers aren’t waterproof – unless they’ve been treated – check if that’s something that’s important to you.

STYLE

Once you’ve decided on the best kind of material for you, that has the properties you are looking for, then it’s time to have a think

about the style of trousers you’d like. There are a number to choose from. Here are a couple of styles normally worn by scooterists (there are others, but they’re mainly the preserve of motorcycle riders):

> Straight leg trousers

Straight leg trousers are made either from textile, denim, or leather and because of the cut, they allow you to put your boots or footwear underneath.

They often feature pockets and adjustable waist straps so that you can get the perfect fit.

Touring styles tend to feature lots of pockets to keep your belongings in; they’re often equipped for all conditions and will no doubt contain lots of impressive sounding ‘membranes’ that make them waterproof and a lot made from textile.

> Overtrousers

Overtrousers are often a thin waterproof pair of trousers which go over your normal riding trousers to ensure they keep you protected from the elements.

They sometimes come with a matching jacket as part of a rainsuit.

They might not have thermal linings but they offer good protection from the elements and keep you dry.

FIT

As with all gear, fit is important. Trousers should be loose enough so that you can move easily and bend your legs, but tight enough so that the armour lines up properly and doesn’t shift around in the event of an accident.

You usually have an idea of what size you will be thanks to your regular trousers – but if you’re at a total loss and want to start from the beginning, here’s the easiest way to find out what size you are:

1> Get a friend and a soft tape measure and

measure around your waist. Place the tape measure around your body, level with your belly button.

2> If the sizing chart asks for a hip measurement then it’s taken around 8-10in below your waist measurement.

3> Then measure your inseam from the sticky out bone (malleolus) on the inside of your ankle to the highest point of your groin.

4> Sizing charts on clothing websites will then tell you what the best size for you will be.

CE approval – what’s it all about?

Bike riding trousers aren’t required to have CE approval by law – they don’t even have to be worn, although it’s highly recommended. If a manufacturer claims that an item of apparel is ‘protective’ then motorcycle clothing comes under the category of PPE – Personal Protective Equipment.

To achieve this status, items should adhere to (and achieve) CE approval. The CE marking is required to show that they meet EU safety levels. The testing is carried out in laboratories and is independent from manufacturers.

> EN 13595-1:2002 is the test that applies to motorcycle jackets, trousers, plus one-piece and two-piece suits. To pass, a product must meet all four of the safety standards which form the test. > Part 1 covers the general requirements of the materials and design. Parts 2-4 refer to tests that measure abrasion, burst and tear resistance – including the seams and zipper. > Many products have clear labels explaining they are CE approved as motorcycle clothing and should feature the code of the test – if you’re unsure, ask!

MAUSPENCER@ClASSiCSCootERiSt.CoM

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THE SHED PROJECT PART 3

An inventive

restoration Rich finally completes his ‘jelly mould’ rebuild…

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ne thing that I was lucky with when putting all the parts back on the scooter was that they were all parts I’d already used... so in theory I’d already done my Lambretta dry build.

You often hear of builders/restorers referring to ‘dry building’ first, and I agree it’s a crucial part of any project. Most dry builds are to make sure everything fits fine (aftermarket replacement panels can be very challenging) before sending the bits off to the painter.

I’ve also had to do builds after the painting is finished and some fine work has to be done to clean up areas where the painter has oversprayed, or been a little ‘slap-dash’ with too much paint on threads at the top of forks, or even filling-in legshield holes where you need to place badges or support bolts. It’s fun trying to locate fixings when the hole has disappeared, so time taken at this stage helps later.

After fitting the rear body unit one tricky bit was creating a connection for the rear light fitting. As it was part of the ‘lift-off’ glass fibre, it had to be a detachable system for the earth and power cable connections. The simple and easiest way was to use bullet connectors and extend the cable so it would give enough clearance from the framework to be detached when working on the scooter. The cables nearest to the light unit were attached with spade connectors and I used rubber shrink wrap to secure, then placed a longer piece of colour coded cable about 50cm long with bullet connecters on the end. The main wiring loom connected to these and an earth was found on the rear of the frame. I later moved the earth grounding as it was too close to the glass fibre unit sat on the frame (it was rubbing against the cable); so after another longer section of cable to the earth, it was placed on the same site as the CDi earth and my Agusto unit.

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My Lambretta engine originally started out as a TS1 225 which I’d run for approx 6000 miles until one morning travelling to Cleethorpes at about 65-70mph, it decided to dislike its piston and put a perfect hole in the top. Heat was the culprit and on closer inspection (not finding any leaks or such) my conclusion was the everincreasing talk about ethanol in unleaded mix.

I class myself as being lucky – not only that it only blew the piston, but I use Torco oil and contacted the guys there if they’d any advice on UK ethanol issues (Torco Lubricants is American and with up to 20% ethanol in fuels over there, they surely know best). The tech guys suggested changing my fully synthetic for a blended oil they sold (“aaah” you say, “bet it’s much dearer”.

Wrong! It’s cheaper). I used Torco GP7 previously, but since the explosion I’ve used Torco T2R synthetic blended oil, which copes well with unleaded fuels. It doesn’t separate from fuel if stood for a week-or-so and I refuel at any petrol station without concerns. I don’t potter along at 45mph so being a race oil, it likes higher revs.

Back to the engine; I’d decided to go back to my cast iron 200 barrel and sold the TS1 kit after it had been for a re-line to Lancourts and a new piston.

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1> Back to an old-school cast-iron barrel 2> The rear light connections proved a bit tricky

3 3> An Li 150 gearbox was fitted 4> The GP link chain was substituted for an Iwis 81 5> Make sure your brakes are up to scratch

I totally stripped my engine, replacing the rear hub bearing, drive bearing and mag side bearings with new seals, etc. It’s best to do all these jobs at once, as if you do one the other will let you down at some stage; also if you replace together you’ll understand how much wear they have as a complete unit.

Nothing much more was changed in the drive end of the motor, although I did swap the GP200 gearbox (glitches with second jumping) to an Li 150 gearbox. The Li box was Italian but had an odd third gear in, so I contacted Trev at Beverley Engine Builds who gave me a choice of replacement sprockets for third – sorted. A 46x16 tooth setup sprockets and an Iwis 81 link chain instead of the 18x47 and 82 chain for the GP was changed; the clutch had been changed regularly, but I’d only had a four-plate Surflex setup, so I purchased a five-plate clutch. The 46 clutch bell sprocket had been machined before slightly with cut-outs for the pressure plate, so the five-plate clutch worked great and free movement was good.

Running an AF crankshaft and machined lightened flywheel and the Agusto advance/ retard unit on the motor added to the changes made for a reliable cruising Lambretta. I made a few alterations to the barrel and nothing to the crankcase base, as it had been matched and cleaned up already for the TS1 transfers; so the cast barrel was cleaned and matched to them. The inlet was matched to the 30mm inlet I had already on my 28mm Dell’Orto and the exhaust outlet matched to my JL3 expansion pipe stub. Bolting it back together I used Norlok washers on the head to give more security and also extended brass nuts drilled and locking wire on the exhaust (a great bit of kit for those that have experienced them falling off on the vibrating Lambretta monsters).

All assembled, we were ready for the gear oil; I’d recently spoken to a few mile-crunching Lambretta riders and on their advice I chose a higher graded gear oil. Rock Oil ST90 is fine, but Torco MTF or Maxima MTL oil produces more protection for the wet clutch and chain, so hopefully prolongs mechanical parts life.

4 With all parts back on it’s just finishing-off the fiddly bits. Another way of improving your rear brake is to make sure the bush fit in the pedal housing is good. With a little heat remove the old bush and replace with a new one (it helps stop the pedal twisting when depressed and makes setting-up the brake cable easier).

With tyres and wheels on, she was ready; I swapped my Schwalbe Weathermans for new SIP Performer tyres (which helped to keep the cost down). The test to see if they performed better would be on the ride to the IoM TT. I’d booked an MoT but riding four miles there, passing the MoT and riding home only put 20 miles on the clock, but I was determined to ride across Yorkshire to Heysham to catch the Sunday ferry. All seemed okay if not a little cloudy, so I loaded my gear and set off.

Running-in the barrel and two ring piston it ran okay, but wouldn’t pull much more than 4550mph before bogging down. I wasn’t bothered too much as the spark plug was a nice dark brown on the electrode and black around the thread. All went well and I stopped every hour or so for a numb bum break. I met Nick and Helen Prince (my IoM hosts) at the ferry port on their way home from the Kelso National rally. A flat, calm ferry crossing was a bonus.

Nick and I inspected the scooter next day and found the 18 litre tank strap had snapped (tie wraps to the rescue). Investigating the boggy feel, we concluded that the carb just

couldn’t breathe the same, so we made the silicone carb rubber shorter and took the threads off the carb inlet which gave it clearance to breathe. A test ride proved okay and the scooter now reached about 60mph. It still had more miles to be run in so I was much happier and we spent the next few nights out on our scooters watching the likes of Michael Dunlop, Guy Martin and John McGuinness on the TT course, flying past at 190mph inches away from my camera lens – spectacular.

My homeward journey was challenging with wind, rain and everything the Yorkshire climate could throw at me, but the scooter never missed a beat and just kept on going.

With 400 miles covered and a few small changes, the project seems a success. Lighter scooter means it handles much better; not sure what the fuel economy is because I’m enjoying riding it so much I never seem to travel anywhere below 60-65mph. The old-school castiron barrel rides with the best of them. I have changed the carb from the 28mm Dell’Orto to a 30mm Dell’Orto and it seems to produce a little more smoothness with improved top end.

So maybe the overall cost (£500) has been well spent; she’s never going to win custom shows, but as long as I can ride wherever I can and it’s reliable and competitive, I’m more than happy – just what I wanted to achieve with my shed project.

Restoration Rich

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ODDBALLS At its height this scooter was selling more than 10,000 units per year

The Peugeot

S57C

An early model with the heavier front end storage trunk fitted

In the 1950s, sales of scooters exploded in France (which at that time was still impoverished by the consequences of the Second World War). Spurred on by the commercial success of the Vespa scooter, Peugeot entered the scooter market in 1954 with the S55, and then followed it up in 1955 with the S57.

The ‘Elite’ version had a built-in storage trunk mounted on the front of the legshields over the front wheel. It immediately found success with those looking for a cheap transport solution.

The rear end hingedup, allowing easy access to the engine

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In 1957 Peugeot adopted a more traditional (and lighter) front end to improve the scooter’s road behaviour and introduced it to the market as the ‘Elegant’. Both versions came in 125 and 150cc two-stroke engine options with a three-speed gearbox and riding on 4.00 x 10in wheels.

At its height the scooter was achieving sales of 10,000 units per year (cause for celebration in today’s market). However, by 1958, sales were declining rapidly, due to an increase in French insurance rates and a car buying incentive. Peugeot continued to sell the scooter until 1961 to use up its existing stockpiles.