REPLACING J RANGE Fork bearings
THE PRINCE & THE TEA LADY
TRIALS & TRIBULATION S The 1997 London-Milan attempt record
Rallymaster Lambretta
A long time in the making…
DE-SEAMING A VESPA THE GOLDEN ERA OF SCOOTER MAGAZINES:
ALIEN vs PREDATOR Grant’s customised Series 2
Vespa TIP
SCOOTERAMA! – A FELICITOUS FANFARE OF FACTS, FEEDBACK & FACES
ISSUE 119 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
MOTO LAMBRETTA Innocentibuilt motorcycles
Issue 119 February/March 2018 Founding Editor: Mau Spencer 01507 529408 mauspencer@classicscooterist.com Publisher: Dan Savage Contributors: Rich Addison; Autopilot; Gill Beecham; Jon Betts; Brian Crook; Jo Dale; Jock Dewars; Pete Davies, Dave Dry; Pete Newbold; Nippa; Chris Natural; Izaac Poh; Chris Wainwright; Andy Westlake. Apologies to anyone we’ve forgot. Some articles express contributors opinions and are not necessarily those of Classic Scooterist. Design: Fran Lovely Production editor: Dan Sharp Picture desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield and Angie Sisestean Divisional advertising team leader: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk (01507 529412) Advertising: Emma Buxton-Rockley ebuxton-rockley@mortons.co.uk (01507 529410) Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steve O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Commercial director: Nigel Hole Editorial address: Classic Scooterist magazine. PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ General queries and back issues: 01507 529529 (24hr answerphone) Archivist: Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk Next issue (120) published: March 19, 2018 Editorial deadline: February 19, 2018 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: Marketforce UK Ltd 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 32 for offer): (12 months 6 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £22.80. Export rates are also available – see page 32 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Customer services number: 01507 529529 Telephone lines are open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm, Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton © Mortons Media Group. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced without prior written permission. In the event of a dispute developing between two or more individual clubs, businesses, or organisations - and in the abscence of any legal ruling to the contrary - Mortons Media will strive to maintain a neutral position in not disadvantaging either party.
78 CONTENTS 4
Back when we had hair Nostalgic memories from times gone by
6
Mailbox Readers’ opinions
8
Scooterama A felicitous fanfare of facts, feedback and faces
14 The Prince and the Tea Lady A true fairy tale of challenge and determination
18 What’s going on? The scooterist calendar
19 Event round-up A look at recent events
26 Alan’s Rallymaster A long time in the making… The Professional Publishers Association
Member
Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine? Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?
30 Moto Lambretta Innocenti-built motorcycles
34 Vespa V100 Sport Simon’s green machine
38 London-Milan (1997) Jim Trewin and ‘Sal’ Salvin’s record-breaking journey
40 The promise 41 Hook, line and sinker John Byron’s scooter collection
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John Turner’s Lambretta D Type Special
64 Elegance with a touch of style Andy Moore’s Durkopp Diana
42 ‘Ruby’ Nick Sheader’s stunninglooking Series 2
46 Back in the day What every well-equipped Lambretta Service Agent needs on their wall
48 Alien versus Predator A conflict of interests
52 Project Tigress pt2 ‘Winging it’ on the build springs to mind
56 ‘The Singapore Strut’ Izaac’s ‘Leopard Tourer’ Lambretta Series 1 and PAV trailer
2018 Brid rally – and if not, where would the event go? One favourite alternative that kept cropping up in conversation was Southport (but this remained unconfirmed at the time of going to press). In the end, those who’d already booked their Brid B&Bs heaved a sigh of relief for this year – but the location of the 2019 national rally finale remains unconfirmed as ‘somewhere in the North West’ – we’ll keep you posted… …and if you think that’s the end of the
The 50s and 60s German Vespa club magazine
62 ’Ow be knackin’
Helping a friend in need
What’s the future for national scooter rallies? ? t’s never too early to plan your scootering calendar, but doubt was cast on doing that in October last year with the announcement of the 2018 BSRA national rallies tailing-off with the ever-popular Brid event remaining ‘unconfirmed’. If there was ever anything to send shivers of fear through scooterists who’d already pre-booked their accommodation, then this would be it. The announcement immediately set the rumour mills kicking-off; was there going to be a
58 Vespa TIP
68 Ridden, never to be hidden A stunning AF S-Type 250
72 Scooters on the Mount Auto 66 National Hill Climb
74 Replacing Lambretta J Range fork bearings Getting rid of riding and handling problems
78 De-seaming a Vespa A customising modification that can be done at home
90 Blast from the past The 1960 Inter International Show
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national rally conundrum, think again. Also mentioned at Brid’s BSRA meeting was that the aging owners of Smallbrook Stadium (where the BSRA’s IoW activities are centred) are considering retirement and selling up; add the fact that the area surrounding Smallbrook is about to undergo a major housing development plan, and there could be some drastic changes to future national scooter rally calendars.
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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
TO SHARE?
6LZ ✉ mauspencer@classicscooterist.com ☎ 01507 529408 ✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9
Exmouth ’89 Good times. Jon Rose
Leigh in the 80s Me on the parents’ driveway in Leigh, approx. 1980. Pic taken by my old friend Andy Hume. Alan Jackson
Jimmy and Isobel The lovely Isobel and me, outside my house in Prestwick, circa 1974. I bought that GP200 for £215 from Mickey Oates in Glasgow on my 17th birthday and brought it home on the train. At that time I was working part-time, making £5 a week. For every fiver I saved my dad put in a fiver. Took a while, but I wanted it bad. Back then a GP was (to my mind) the best you could get. Nobody wanted a Series 1 Li, LD or small frame – you could get them for coppers; all the old men drove them (lol)! I had it about a month when a car overtook me, clipping my handlebars; I went into a wobble and came off! Scoot was off the road for three months; new forks were fitted, but it never drove the same after that. Managed to fall off four or five times after that; I had no fear and here I am, old and grey, telling the tale (lol)! Jimmy Plonk
Share your nostalgic pictures with our readers
If you have any pictures from the past, why not share them with our readers. Call Mau on 01507 529408, or email him at mauspencer@classicscooterist.com
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Brid ’79
Here’s a picture of me and Derek Wilson at Brid in ’79 on my 1972 K-reg GP200 which I bought from a lad in Elloughton near Hull; cost me £80 in them days. I sold it to ‘Bruno’ in Brid couple of years later for £80. Richard Cook
Lone Sharks
This picture of the Lone Sharks was taken many moons ago – where have the years gone; pretty scary. Dickie Stewart
Down The Crown.
RANDOM PICTURES
European adventures
One of my favourite pictures from our excursions into Europe in the 1990s. Not even sure why we stopped? Might have been a map reading session, or even a fag break – or maybe broken-down Lambretta syndrome! Tony Griffiths
My SX Targa Twin 250 (engine no.9) with a Supertune paint job – love it.
Me sat on my old TV175, taken in early 80s Birmingham.
Me riding my standard SIL GP200 supplied by AF Rayspeed.
The other pictures are just random – bloody hell I can’t remember much. I’m a member of the LCGB and also Shrewsbury Severnside Lions SC. I will be doing a lot more rallies next year, as this year has been shite – but hey ho, ride safe. Carl Goff
First Lammie?
The middle picture here shows me on my first Lammie (no, not really). The other pictures show me fitting a ‘Fresco’ at Great Yarmouth in ’84. Both pics are of the same Lammie, but one is taken from the rear. I was making such a pig’s ear of it that a copper eventually helped me. Great times, great memories, great friends. Oh to be young and carefree again. Eoin McSorley
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x 99, Horncastle,
t, PO Bo ✎ Classic Scooteris
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ssicscooterist mauspencer@cla
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01507 529408
Dual control scooter?
Beryl and Bella Hello Mau I was approached recently by the son-in-law of Beryl Warburton, who was s a Zundapp Bella owner back in the day. He asked me if there were any Bella events in the North West, as Beryl regularly talked fondly about her Bella R200 kick-start, start which she owned approximately from 1958 to 1972 (she actually has an old tax disc from it, still in its holder). Apparently Beryl still talks very fondly of her Zundapp and regretted selling it to a family member back in 1972. To cut a long story short, I arranged a surprise visit for her to my home to see my Bella collection. To say she was overjoyed would be an understatement and we had a lovely afternoon just chatting about Bellas – and although not very good on her legs, she insisted on getting aboard one of my Bellas. It seems that although not a member of a formal scooter club back in the day, Beryl and her friend had many outings on their scooters. During our conversation it was suggested that there may be a picture around of Beryl with her Bella from back in the day andher relatives said they would try and find it - well it turned up this week, so here’s ‘now and then’ pictures. The colour picture shows Beryl on my Bella; in the black/white picture she’s is the lady standing, not the child on the bike.
Brian Crook
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Hi Mau, My mum found an RAC Scooter Riding book dating from 1961 in my late dad’s ‘library’ (see pictures). Never seen or heard of a scooter with dual controls – did this really exist, or is the photo in the book an early example of Photoshopping?
This (and other) period pictures can be found on our website archive at www.mortonsarchive.com
Mau
Jeremy Bromfield Colchester DVLC
Yes Jeremy, dual control scooters did exist. Here’s a picture of one in use; this picture appeared in a 1960s edition of Motor Cycle with the following caption: “A pupil makes her first run on a dual control Lambretta, confident in the knowledge that her instructor can correct any mistakes she might make.”
Steph or Steff? – just to end the confusion There seems to be some confusion regarding the Steph/Stef of Leek. In the last edition of Classic Scooterist, ex-Jesters member Stef Callear wrote a letter entitled ‘Hanging-up my mirrors’. Since then I’ve had messages thanking me for my efforts in scootering and Scooter-Fest, and hoping that I will stay in the scene. All of this I found very humbling, thanks to all! My name? Steph Knott. As one of four founder members of the North Staffs Jesters SC I’ve been involved in the running of the club for the past 15 years and have played a big part (along with the rest of the club) in presenting Scooter-Fest; it’s now in its’ 14th year and I shall continue to give my best to the scene for as long as is possible.
May I take this opportunity to thank everyone for attending and supporting Scooter-Fest; without you guys, it wouldn’t happen – thank you! Stef (Callear) was a member of the club for a short while and it’s with great sadness that problems with his eyesight have forced him to stop riding. I and the rest of the Jesters would personally like to wish Stef the very best for the future and hope that things improve for him. Perhaps in the meantime he’ll keep spinning the vinyl! Regards to all, ride safe.
Steph Knott Chairman, Jesters Scooter Club
NB: SCOOTER-FEST 14 IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2018.
A M A R E T O SCO
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le, Lincs LN9 6LZ ✉ mauspencer@clas
✎ Classic Scooterist, PO Box 99, Horncast
Lukas Lambretta CDI RRP: £ ask New from Readspeed, the ‘Lukas’ is a totally new type of Lambretta CDI unit, that bypasses historic problems with Lambretta stator plates and their ongoing failure of poorlymade low tension coils. The CDI unit claims to give better starting and improved low rpm response. Its price is a fraction of the cost of a new ignition system. And it’s small enough to carry in a scooter toolbox, thus helping the rider to resolve stator issues fast when out on the road, or at a rally. Info: www.readspeed scooters.com
PX gear replacement RRP: £ various Vespa PX owners now have a cost effective replacement on primary drive gears. VE11180: Standard helical cut primary drive gear with 65 teeth; standard Vespa 200 uses this with a 23 tooth clutch gear (22 tooth clutch gears can also be used). VE11181: Standard helical cut primary drive gear with 67 teeth; the standard Vespa 125-150 (22 tooth clutch gears can also be used). VE11055: A primary drive repair kit helps to complete the repair; there’s a range of replacement clutch drive gears should they also need replacement. Info: www.ve-uk.com
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Lights, camera, action! Back in 2017, the BBC approached Aberdeen Classic Scooter Collective to see if they’d be interested in taking part in a TV documentary about Scottish night life and cultures. They were, and they did – we’ll let Johnny Street explain… During the last week of October 2017, I received a message from a woman from BBC Scotland asking if the ACSC would be interested in taking part in a documentary about Scottish night life and cultures from the Fifties to the Noughties – and if so, to get in touch. On contacting the lassie she asked me if anyone from the club would be prepared to ride ‘two-up’ with the documentary’s presenter sat on the back so that it could be filmed for the programme, which was scheduled to be shown on BBC 1 at 9pm on Hogmanay. So I asked the lads in the Collective if they’d be interested, but as the filming was to be done on a Thursday morning many of them were working. However, Alex (who has three scooters, including a very tidy orange Vespa 50S small frame) jumped at the opportunity to do it; so he contacted the lassie direct and was told to meet the documentary crew in the centre of Aberdeen.
On arriving at Little Belmont Street in Aberdeen city centre, the three of us (me, Alex and Phil) stood about waiting and wondering what we would be asked to do? About 20 minutes passed, then eventually the film crew arrived, along with a famous telly presenter (Iain Stirling, the voice-over man from ITV’s Love Island ). The deal was that we would ride a circuit around Belmont Street and it would be filmed. The colouring of the city and dullish day made Alex’s scooter stand out and as both he and the presenter were dressed for the occasion, it looked great as they rode round the cobbled streets. The documentary director made Alex stop, start and turn a good few times in order to get the perfect shots – but there were
plenty of smoke and tea breaks in between, so all was good. Phil wandered around with his camera taking some great pictures and videos of the shoot – and these are the ones that you see here. Me? I drank tea and chatted to the make-up girl and the director’s helper while watching everything that was going on. All in all, it was great to be asked to be part of the TV programme and to get an insight into the filming, etc. Oh and we educated them on classic scooters and the scene we have here in Scotland. Johnny Street
WINTER TYRES RRP: £ various With the colder months now with us it’s the perfect time of year to look at changing over your tyres to a dedicated winter compound. Dedicated winter tyres are manufactured expressly for colder road surfaces that are often covered with water, slush, or even snow, ensuring increased grip in slippery conditions.
ANLAS:
The SC-500 is an all-weather tyre with excellent grip; it’s M&S rated for use in mud and snow. It’s perfect for all-year round use and is competitively priced in the marketplace. Available in 10in fitments.
CONTINENTAL:
The Move 365 is rated M&S for use in mud and snow. It’s a veritable allrounder; not only are its all-season features impressive, but it’s also easy on the environment and on the rider’s budget! Available in 12in fitments.
IRC:
The IRC Urban Snow excels in wet,
snowy and icy roads. Its unique profile, with hundreds of fine radial and diagonal slats, offers optimum traction and stability even under harsh winter conditions. Available in 10in, 12in, and 13in fitments.
MICHELIN:
A dedicated winter tyre, featuring Progressive Sipe Technology to break up the water’s surface film, ensuring excellent water clearing properties. The number of sipes in contact with the ground increases when cornering to increase grip. Available in 10in and 12in fitments.
MITAS:
The MC20 Monsum tyre excels in wet weather conditions thanks to its wet weather race-developed tread pattern, designed to clear high volumes of water, ensuring better grip on the road surface. For those looking to keep a classic look during the winter months, selected fitments are also available in a whitewall finish. Available in 10in, 11in, and 12in fitments. Info: www.ve-uk.com
York ‘show and shine’ a success Following a very successful ‘show and shine’ display of scooters and motorcycles in the city centre, York Inset SC presented a cheque for £1150 to John Henderson of the Alzheimer’s Society. The presentation was held at the Walnut Tree public house in the presence of honorary members, the four remaining York Normandy veterans and four former Lord Mayors of York. The evening concluded with a buffet and raffle. York Inset are proud to support local charities and over the years have raised more than £10,000 on their behalf.
Nick Beilby York Inset
Q PLATE WOES In a recent letter from the DVLA we now understand that trying to remove a Q plate from a vehicle will not be a straightforward matter. In the past the DVLA have allowed appeals against the issue of Q plates and over the years have relaxed the rules on the time limit that applicants could have to gather evidence to establish a vehicle’s provenance. However, they have now realised that they are getting requests to remove Q plates issued 20 or 30 years ago. As they feel the risk of fraud is too high, they now no longer support any relaxation of the time limit for Q plate appeals. With immediate effect (that’s from November 2017) any appeal against a Q plate allocation must be made by the first keeper within 12 months of the Q plate being issued. DVLA will not consider any applications for age-related plates for any machines that fall outside of this criteria.
Pete Davies
TCX Hero WP boots RRP: £169.99 Reviewer: Nick Mowbray These new boots from TCX are stylish and comfortable to wear both on and off the bike, and they’re easy to put on too, thanks to a zip on the inside which is sealed with Velcro at the top. And the top quality leather that they’re made from doesn’t take much bedding
PRODUCT REVIEW
in either – so they are comfortable straight out of the box. The soles offer plenty of grip; the toes and heels are reinforced; and there’s extra padding for gear selection – so these TCX Hero boots offer everything you’d need from fashion-styled bike footwear. Plus, they’re waterproof too, and have held up in some pretty torrential downpours so far. Of course, they’re priced at the higher end of the scale, but if you’re after a pair of multi-purpose boots that look fantastic both on and off the bike, that promise to offer the protection you need out on two wheels – you should take a look at these boots. They come in sizes 3.5 to 13 in a Brown colourway. Info: www.nevis.uk.com
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SCOOTERAMA! Richa Original jeans RRP: £149.99 | Reviewer: Andy Catton These stylish, well-fitting Richa riding jeans have proved themselves over around 1000 miles of winter, spring and summer riding to be an extremely versatile, comfy and warm. The fit is brilliant, my partner preferring the look of these Richa jeans over my older Held pair. That’s a big win, as is the colour and feel of the denim, no doubt helped by the Cordura material, a mixture of corduroy and denim which serves to both strengthen and the jeans and make them feel extremely tactile. Standard jean features include lots of handy pockets and a zip up fly, helping ease of use in all vital situations! Pocket stitching and the jeans branding looks impeccable and the jeans accommodate a variety of sizes of belt too. Protection features include strengthened stitching plus D30 armour in the knees and hips as standard, which is comfy to wear and textured to be protective if an accident was to occur, which fortunately it has not in my time with these jeans. There’s a smooth inner lining materiel helping dressing and undressing quickly and removable
PRODUCT REVIEW
Keis Premium V501 heated vest RRP: ££149.99 Keis has updated its heated gear range with the introduction of its new Premium V501 heated vest. The latest products feature all-new heat generation technology and have been restyled for lighter and thinner construction, with improved pockets and a distinctive new look. The Keis kit utilises micro carbon fibre panels, which deliver an even spread of heat. The Keis Premium Vest is typically powered using the supplied wiring harness, directly from the motorcycle battery; it can also be powered using a Keis lithium battery pack (optional extra). The vest is made from breathable lightweight soft shell fabric, has elasticated side panels, and features two external pockets and dedicated zipped pockets. The Vest comes in sizes XS to 5XL in a Black/Red colourway. The price includes a Heat Controller worth £34.99. Info: www.keisapparel.co.uk
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? Can Classic Scooterist help you find the answer? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a technical question and can be about any scooterrelated subject. If we don’t know the answer ourselves, then we’ll throw your question over to our readers to see if they can help. Email scooterguru@ scooteristscene.com with your questions, but don’t expect an instant answer – sometimes these things take time.
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Denim loops around the feet to help hold the jeans in place while riding. I can vouch for the warmth of these jeans from riding through the winter months and I feel confident and safe in them. They come in sizes 30in to 44in (in a range of leg lengths). Info: www.nevis.uk.com
CUPPINI SCOOTER BLING
RRP: £ various Classic Vespa and Lambretta owners love to add chromework to their scooters to give that final degree of sparkle. Here are some great new chrome products from Italian manufacturer Cuppini. REAR CRASHBARS: Suitable for the Vespa PX/T5 and LML Star range of classic scooters; includes footrests for pillion comfort and security. Supplied with all fittings. GRAB RAIL: Suitable for Lambretta Series 1, 2, and 3 scooters. Fitting is simple, as it uses the existing bolts found under the seat. Both items are manufactured from mild steel which has been chrome plated and then polished to a mirror finish. Info: www.ve-uk.com
Paddy Smith, RIP Well-known scooter rally patch designer, Paddy Smith, passed away in hospital on Monday, December 4, 2017, following a short illness. His funeral was held at Tonneins Crematorium in France on Monday, December 11, and was well attended by family and friends. Paddy played an active part in the scooter world and he achieved almost instant fame for his unique designing skills for scooter rally patches – his first one being for the 1981 Yarmouth national scooter rally. Since then, his patches have become a very collectable part of scooter memorabilia. On behalf of all our readers, Classic Scooterist sends condolences to all his family and friends.
Lambretta Lui Author: Vittorio Tessera Price: circa £30 Reviewer: Pete Davies How much more information can you find on the various Lambretta models is a question people often ask me. I like to think of the history of Lambretta being like an iceberg; so far I think we’ve only found the tip of it. The latest offering from Vittorio Tessera shows that, within its 120 pages, there’s a lot more to learn about the Luna line of machines. The book is soft bound and is, I’m told, the start of a new set of books by Vittorio which will cover a different model every year. It starts quite nicely with detailed information about the Lui prototypes with many photographs never seen before, and rolls nicely into work on each specific model showing technical drawings not just for the machines, but for additional items such as the exhausts and air boxes too.
TAX AVOIDANCE (NOT OFF-SHORE)
BOO REVIEWK
All of that is nice, but it’s quite a dry subject; so to add more flavour to the mix there are chapters on the Luna line machines being used in racing and competitions, production of the Luna line under licence – Ceylon-built Lui anyone? Some of the best photos in the book show a Vega completely stripped down to its component parts. There is a nice chapter on advertising and pages of black and white photographs of the Luna line machines being photographed on the Sardinian coast. Why? Because Roberto Zabban (the photographer) liked it’s almost Lunar-type landscape. There follow pages of brochures and adverts from around the world, leading nicely into a chapter on the Lui itself around the world including Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Great Britain,
Morocco and Mozambique, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and many other countries. To round it all off there are chapters on Luna line curiosities – set of playing cards, Luna toys, or a note book anyone? The final part of the book again details technical information and the various paint schemes of the Luna line. The book is a fantastic addition to any Luna line or for that matter Lambretta fan’s library. I guess I’m biased, but I feel it’s worth every penny of the £30 price tag.
John Scrutton, RIP
Tucano Urbano Tetris gloves RRP: £99 TU’s new Tetris gloves protect extremities throughout the colder months. The outer forms a four-fingered glove with the ring and little fingers joined together, giving added impact protection; it’s constructed from Neoprene style fabric while the palm is made from goat leather. The accompanying fivefingered inner glove can also be worn separately. The internal glove is also waterproof and breathable. The gloves feature knuckle protection and cuff adjusters to improve insulation. The gloves also allow the use of touchscreen devices and the thumb includes a rubber screen cleaner. They come in sizes S to 2XL in a Black/Orange colourway. Info: www.tucano urbano.com/gb
Scooter sprinter and 10 times British Record Holder, John Scrutton passed away recently. Having grown up with scooters during the 1960s, during which time he attended many rallies and sporting events, he eventually migrated into the scooter racing scene later in the same decade and by 1974, he had become a champion in his own race class. By 1978 he had moved onto the scooter sprinting scene, taking a more hands-on and radical approach with the scooters he built. This led to him becoming one of the top British sprint riders.
In 1986 John established three new British sprint records (the one kilometre flying start, the standing start one mile and also the one kilometre standing start); and by 1987, he held four of the six available distance sprint records, being the rider of the fastest accelerating and fastest top speed Lambretta in the UK. He will go down in scooter history as being the fastest man of his sprinting era. Condolences go out to his friends and family from everyone here at Classic Scooterist and on behalf of all our readers.
The government soothsayers foretold that eliminating the paper road tax disc would save the country £10 million a year. Sadly, the latest stats from the Department for Transport reveal a potential revenue loss of £107 million per year caused by this sort of tax evasion – the greatest amount lost to the exchequer from this form of taxation in a decade. The comparison both before and after the demise of the paper tax disc is striking. In 2013, 0.6% of vehicles were not paying Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) as road tax is correctly titled. By 2017 this had risen to 1.8% – amounting to 750,000 untaxed vehicles. The rate of evasion might be high for cars, but as far as motorised two wheelers are concerned, 5.8% of bikes are reckoned to be evading paying their dues. And 11% of all unlicensed vehicles have been that way for more than a year. Focus on the bikes and that figures rises to a hefty 38%. With the benefit of hindsight, this could, perhaps, have been foreseen on the grounds that the policing system for VED evasion partly relies on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology. This higher rate of evasion could be partly due to the fact that motorcycles and scooters have, obviously, only one number plate (as opposed to the two fitted to other vehicles), so this might well mean that they are, in theory, half as likely to be caught by police cameras. The treasury will be keen to solve this failure to collect revenue, as the amount lost due to licence evasion has gone up so dramatically. The answer, it seems, is simply to use a better reminder system. One bright idea that might work: placing a brightlycoloured piece of paper held in a specially manufactured holder for those on two wheels or the same piece of paper placed on the inside of the windscreen for other vehicles – this would, at a glance, tell everyone if the vehicle was licensed or not, instantly. What do our readers think of this idea?
DD
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SCOOTERAMA! Franspeed exhausts RRP: £ various The Franspeed exhaust range encompasses systems suitable for both road and race use. LAMBRETTA EXHAUSTS Franspeed Super Tourer: Designed to deliver more power and torque at low to mid range. Supplied with standard and TS1 manifolds. Available for Series 3 Lambrettas in a black or stainless steel finish, and for the Series 1 and 2 models in black. Franspeed 3: Designed to be the best performing all-round exhaust, making great mid range power and torque and still able to hold the power through to the higher revs. Supplied with standard and TS1 manifolds. Available for Series 2 and 3 Lambrettas in black, clear, stainless steel and polished stainless steel finishes. Franspeed RB Tour: Designed to make power at low to mid revs; it will still hold the power through to the high revs. Supplied with the RB cylinder-style manifold. Available for Series 3 Lambrettas in black and polished steel finishes. Franspeed TS1 Race & RB Race: Designed to make power at mid to high revs, and to hold the power to much higher revs than the touring exhausts. Supplied with either a TS1 or RB type manifold depending on system. Available for Series 3 Lambrettas in a black finish. (All Franspeed Lambretta exhausts feature a nylon bush mounting to reduce wear and a three-point muffler bracket). VESPA EXHAUSTS Available for the Vespa PX 125/150 and PX 200 models in left- or right-hand mounted versions and is spring mounted to the manifold for ease of fitment. The systems are manufactured from mild steel, finished in black, and topped-off with a stainless steel end can (fully rebuildable for repacking). Info: www.ve-uk.com
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All or Nothing photoshoot New Forest SC members took part in a photoshoot with cast members from the All or Nothing stage musical event which took place in Southampton during late 2017. Organised by Rick Mills, New Forest SC members, supported by other local clubs and riders from as far away as Portsmouth and Andover, rode their scooters to the Mayflower Theatre in Commercial Road, on Saturday
October 28, 2017. And on arrival, they met up with members of the cast outside the venue. Despite the scooterists’ best efforts to ‘show the bling’, the real star of the show turned-out to be Trigger the border terrier, who patiently sat in his wicker basket the whole time – even stars from the show’s cast had their picture taken with him!
PeeJay New Forest SC
Furygan Coburn jacket RRP: £399 Reviewer: Ryan Goodyear Looking for something a little bit more retro and stylish than your average riding jacket, but which will still provide the same protection and practicality? Furygan has developed your answer, the Coburn. Furygan’s tribute to its own legendary GTO jacket, the Coburn features the same shoulder design and quilted red lining as the GTO did but is now paired with modern safety technology and premium protection components. On the exterior of the jacket you have three reinforced zipped pockets, zip adjustable cuffs and waist along with a secure popper to keep the collar closed. It’s available in a waterproof treated leather, which is very subtle allowing for a straight fit and no stiffness in movement. The interior features a zipped inside
pocket, and a very stylish quilted red leather lining made from Coolon, which makes for maximum breathability and comfort. A thermoaluminium lining can also be added as an option. When it comes to protection and safety the Coburn is CE approved as PPE. D3O protectors feature in the elbows and shoulders along with the option to add extra protection the rear of the jacket with either a central back protector or a full back protector. Wearing the jacket day in and day out gave me the opportunity to test the jacket in all weather conditions and temperatures. The leather performed very well in wet and cold conditions, keeping me dry and warm throughout and in the warmer
PRODUCT REVIEW
weather became a breathable and light. My back did feel a little exposed due to lack of protection – but thankfully I didn’t have to test this. It’s also worth adding that the armour is barely noticeable when wearing the jacket, and allows for maximum flexibility and comfort. It comes in sizes: S to 4XL in a Rusted colourway. Info: www.nevis.uk.com