100mph
Interview
We find out the full spec inside
the VFM’s main man
P-range Vespa?
Steve Foster
BSSO race-winning engine exposé
#370 Month 2018
The
Jester
PLUS
nted custom Incredible home-pai ed! ir No chequebook requ
Biomechanical Beauty
Dark Star QUATTRINI 210 TOURING FIRST UK CROATIA BY VESPA
TOP TRAVELLER TIPS
ROAD TEST
Retrospective – Crucial Brew legacy continues ■ Scooter Boy Tales ■ Stu Owen tech ■ VWD Belfast guide ■ news ■ The Deep Six interview ■ Pure Sex and Soul custom ■ your scooters ■ Scooter Trader ■ Events Guide and more…
WELCOME Editor: Dan Clare Email: dan@scootering.com Publisher: Dan Savage Designer: Charlotte Turnbull Picture desk: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield and Angie Sisestean Production editor: Dan Sharp General queries and back issues: Tel: 01507 529529 24hr answerphone Mon-Fri 8.30am-7pm, Sat 8.30am-12.30pm help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk Archivist: Jane Skayman 01507 529423 Email: jskayman@mortons.co.uk Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 40 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £49.20. Export rates are also available – see page 40 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steven O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Commercial director: Nigel Hole TRADE ADVERTISING Gary Thomas – gthomas@mortons.co.uk Tel (01507) 529417 Emma Buxton-Rockley – ebuxton-rockley@mortons.co.uk Tel (01507) 529410 Divisional advertising team leader: Zoe Thurling 01507 529412, zthurling@mortons.co.uk ADVERTISING DEADLINES The advertising deadline for the next issue of Scootering (March 2018) is Thursday, February 1, 2018 On sale in newsagents Thursday, February 22, 2018 SCOOTERING (USPS:020-245) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ USA subscriptions are $60 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to SCOOTERING, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595. chris@ classicbikebooks.com SCOOTERING is published by: Mortons Scooter Media, a division of Mortons Media Group Ltd © 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the publisher. ISSN 0268 7194 Distribution: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU. Tel: 0203 787 9001. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton
The Professional Publishers Association Member
Welcome to the February edition of Scootering
T
he Scooter World show, at Newark Showground on January 6, was a welcome event during these cold winter months. With the rally season being in seasonal slumber and all quiet on that front, it was nice to get out and see a few scooters and faces again. The show was a resounding success, with several halls packed full of scooters slotted neatly in between the vintage motorbike halls. The gates saw an all-time high number of visitors too. It was a welcome winter oasis for me, and a great result for my colleague Mau Spencer, editor of Classic Scooterist. Well done to you and your team Mau! That’s not to say I haven’t been enjoying the winter stint, far from it… we’ve had some brilliant features to put together this month, I’m sure you’ll agree. The chance to strip down a BSSO race engine with Chalky White was a personal favourite, being the first UK journalist to test ride the new Quattrini 210 was a close second, and interviewing Stu Gentry about his desire to hit 100mph on his 40hp road going Vespa capped the month off nicely! Meanwhile, while I was busy enjoying myself, Stu Owen continued his long running streak of interviewing industry figures, and this month wrapped up his insight into the life and times of the man behind the VFM, Steve Foster. It’s a great interview, and one of many we have lined up for this year, to give you that extra
knowledge and perspective, into the background of those who co-exist alongside them, and share their passion. My closing comment this month is in regard to cover scooters. When I see a scooter like Castle’s Rocket, our cover scooter from last month, I really am blown away by the thought, work and detail which goes into such a machine. But such scooters mostly come with a correspondingly high price tag. So when a fella like Jep, puts together such a great scooter in the way he has done, it has to be acknowledged. I’d love to see more scooters being produced at home in the shed ending up on the front cover, but at the end of the day… a great scooter is a great scooter, whether it cost £500, £1500 or £15,000. The trick, of course, is owning a scooter which cost £1500 but looks like it cost £15,000! Enough of my ramblings; it’s another belter this month… enjoy the issue. Dan
S C O O T E R I N G WA S B R O U G H T T O Y O U W I T H T H E H E L P O F. . .
Stu Smith
Vespa & Lambretta owner, scooter obsessive, amateur home mechanic, rally goer, Mod sympathiser, music lover and general all round good egg. He writes your rally reports, be nice to him.
Nik Skeat
Vespa P-range obsessive, well-travelled rally rider since the 80s, and founder of the once notorious Scooterboy World online forum. He’s also a brilliant beer-brewing bearded Scootering feature writer.
Paul Green
Vespa & Lambretta scooter enthusiast, BSSO professional and general good egg. Our Paul has a long history of scootering both on the road and on the track, with the breakdown bills and crash scars to prove it.
Stuart Owen
Life member of the LCGB, 100mph LambrettaClub owner and scooter restoration expert to boot. Scooter rider, rally-goer, racer, restorer and author. Reaches the parts other scooter journalists just can’t reach.
Darrell Taylor Dave Oakley Two-stroke tuning guru, scooter engine building maestro, technical aficionado, and dyno tuning specialist. When it comes to a true understanding of scooter engine top-ends, he is THE man.
Riding and building scooters since 1983, Dave has been a contributor to Scootering since the 90s. His builds include chops, cutdowns, street-racers, autos and the most infamous custom of the 80s!
Big Stan
80s scooterboy turned long distance rider. Be it local, national or international, he’ll ride anywhere in his quest to bring you the tastiest scooters, best roads, trade interviews and hidden gems.
Sarge
With over four decades of riding, rally-going and competing on both Lambretta and Vespa scooters under his belt, this former Freddie Mercury lookalike is still going strong. He’s a top DJ too, don’tcha know.
CONTENTS 03Letter from the Editor
A warm welcome to the February issue of Scootering.
68The Jester
The front section with all the latest news, views and product reviews!
Thought you need a big budget and a fat chequebook to get on the cover of Scootering? Think again. Ready to give anything a try, scooter owner Jep got stuck in and painted his own machine. The results speak for themselves.
14Dark Star
75Simply Retro
06Kickstart
An unusually interesting biomechanical beauty of a scooter, blending Lambretta LD, Vespa PX and some very cool artwork.
210 22Quattrini – the Giant Slayer
Looking for a kit which will put a big smile on the face of 90% of rally going scooterists? Then look no further. Scootering were the first in the UK to road test one of the new kits, and the results are unequivocal.
Roving reporter Stu Smith takes a trip to see Rob Miller at Simply Retro, a man currently knocking out some fantastic work on both standard and custom scooters.
80Club Do’s & Events
Your essential guide to the scene – What, Where & When!
Words 84Scootering & Sounds
The best of scootering words and music as reviewed by Nik & Sarge.
32
31Ireland’s most scenic road? 91Steve Foster – keeping the fire burning Wondering about the when, the where and the why for next year’s VWD in Belfast? Stan’s gives another top tip in his ongoing series.
32Paisley Sundae
One man’s leap of faith in this very cool band, illustrated beautifully on his custom sprayed scooter.
An interview with the main man behind the legacy that is VFM scooter rallies.
Tech Torque: 101 Lambretta Performance review – Part 4
Readers’ letters, laughs, feedback and fury – get it off your chest man!
Can you translate success on the track to performance on the road? Stu Owen, one of the UKs most successful scooter sprinters, continues his winter series on Lambretta performance analysis.
40Subscriptions
Torque: Inside 107Tech a BSSO race engine
39Mailbox
Buy one now! Get your mag delivered to the door, earlier than newsstands, and save money… cool.
The best of our readers’ rides as sent in by you.
When an accomplished engine builder and tuner offers you the chance to rip apart one of his engines and peek inside, you don’t ask questions... you just get on with it. We look inside a BSSO race engine from Chalky White at Reply Scooters.
46Need for Speed
115Scooter Trader
42Show us your scoots
Nik and Dan take a look at the inner workings of SG Engineering, and owner Stuart’s passion to hit 100mph on his P-range Vespa.
54
Roman Holiday Redux
Touring Croatia and Slovenia by Vespa, writer and rider Chris Baker gives us his top traveller’s tips.
63Retrospective
In memory of Chris Miller, owner of Crucial Brew, friend Shane Barrow brings this unfinished project to life.
4 | SCOOTERING | FEBRUARY 2017
Your sales and classifieds section – including Specialist Services & at a glance
Nostalgic 128Dave’s Custom Corner
This month it’s the soulful classic custom Pure Sex and Soul which is under Dave Oakley’s nostalgic spotlight.
131Reader’s Ride
Our favourite reader’s scooter this month. A humble Li150, but a heart-warming story.
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22 WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 5
KICKSTART
THE ITALIAN JOB – LML STYLE! Following their successful trip to Pisa in 2017, the LML Owners Club of Great Britain are out to prove that there’s more to scootering than the ‘big two’ marques. This year the club are heading for Venice, departing from Dover on June 2 and then returning home on June 16. “Although this is primarily a LML excursion, other scooters are more than welcome,” explained organiser Paul Phillips. A few places are still available and more details can be found on the LML Owners Club Facebook page.
BUSY AS BEES Last year was one of Buzzsolomoto’s busiest ever but that hasn’t prevented the Halifax-based team from completing some spectacular restorations. Ready for the showroom in February are their first ever ‘dealer specials’. Based on former Spanish Post Office machines, these scooters have been subject to a bare metal rebuild with bodywork, bearings and seals all being inspected and replaced as necessary. Each is powered by the Pinasco GT177 kit turning a Mecur road race crank. These are mated to a 24mm carb and 21 tooth clutch. Pinasco shocks are fitted front and rear and an FA Italia seat
completes the package. Final prices are to be confirmed but will be in the region of £4000. Considering their painstaking restoration and overall specification that’s great value compared to the remaining new PXs. Next on the workbench are a brace of Spanish Vespa Sprints. Visually similar to an SS180, these will also be subject of a full rebuild with PX125 units replacing the original engines. Lambretta enthusiasts haven’t been forgotten and
a stunning Series 2 TV175 has recently been completed with the restoration of a Series 3 variant starting early in 2018. Visitors to the shop should keep their eyes open for an interesting PX/Vega hybrid that was built as a shop project. This will be used by Buzz on his overseas buying trips, several of which are planned for next year. With new and rare stock continually arriving the company’s website is always worth a visit. www.buzzsolomoto.com
VE WORKING TO KEEP PRICES LOW During 2017 VE (UK) was monitoring scooter parts prices across Europe and the UK. The firm aims to ensure it’s giving customers the best prices possible and accordingly parts prices at VE have been brought into line on many top names. Names such as: Malossi – performance equipment, Mazzucchelli – crankshafts, con rods, Pinasco – classic scooter performance parts, Newfren – clutches, brake components, Polini – scooter performance, Leo Vince – performance scooter exhausts, Giannelli Silencers – standard and performance, Dellorto – carbs and all associated parts – factory supplied importer. VE carries these items on the shelf, and they are dispatched carriage free. For more info visit: www.ve-uk.com
6 | SCOOTERING | FEBRUARY 2018
GRAN TURISMO TURNS TO FORMULA 1-STYLE MACHINING A scooter parts manufacturer adopting F1 production techniques may seem like a bit of tall story but in this case it’s true. Richard Taylor, owner of Gran Turismo Performance, has acquired the use of a Mazak five axis lathe for the machine shop where the GT Intercontinental casings are produced. While Richard is tight-lipped about which F1 team exactly used it before, it has nonetheless opened up a whole new means by which he can now look at producing components in the future. The machine’s advantage is that it can cut on five axis, meaning almost any shape and size of component is possible. Having seen the products Richard has created in the past
it’s no wonder he is excited about what using this new process means. The first idea is to look into the possibility of producing an aluminium cylinder CNC machined in one piece. By doing it this way, he can create the design on a computer and let the machine do all the work. At the same time, it will eliminate all the problems in making complicated casts which is how it is done at present. These machines are widely used in motorsport but it is the cost which prevents their wider use. The Mazak is due to land in the machine shop some time in the next few months and we will keep you updated on what products Richard and the Gran Turismo team come up with.
The GT kit as it is produced currently – cast in a mould. In future it may be CNC machined from one a piece billet of aluminium, opening up greater possibilities in performance than were previously thought possible.
LAST TWO-STROKE LMLS AT CARNABY SCOOTERS The very last of the two-strokes are at Carnaby Scooters available in all colours – Milano Red, Jet Black, White, and Deep Blue. This is it! The very last run available at Carnaby Scooters. Scomadi TL125 scooters have also arrived and Carnaby has only a few left at £2950 plus OTR. Ring now to secure yours with just a £100 deposit. Looking ahead to the Lambretta V-Special, Carnaby is now taking secure payments of £99 with the first 47 customers
becoming privileged members of the exclusive Club 47. Club 47 membership includes: Member’s discount card Free Lambretta bag Free Lambretta T-shirt Free club badge For more info contact: 01635 864111 or visit www.carnabyscooters.com
Save the date for SIP!
SIP kicks off the 2018 Scooter Season with its annual open day on Saturday May 5. The programme is to include: pizza from an Ape-mounted wood-fired oven, food and drinks by Siperia cafe-bar, vintage scooters for sale, used parts market, free Dynojet runs, p visitor photo wall and DJ Leo Ernst (Atomic Cafe Munich). In case of really bad weather, the date is May 12, 2018). For more info visit: www.sip-scootershop.com
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 7
KICKSTART TESTED JORDAN GETS THE MILES IN WITH REV’IT With the variety of events on the scootering calendar these days I’ve been searching for replacement riding gear which is versatile, to help cope with the varying conditions in which I ride. The EuroLambretta alone incorporated every imaginable weather condition, from 40-degree heat in Milan to drowning rains in the Swiss Alps – so asking for something to cope with these extremes is quite the task! Using those conditions as the brief my research took me to Dutch motorcycle apparel brand Rev’it and their own impressive range...
JACKET – SAND URBAN RRP £449.99 £449 99
TROUSERS – FACTOR 3 RRP £189.99 The Factor 3 trousers also use a removable Hydratex Membrane, which is a must for hotter days. The hip and knee protectors are ventilated, allowing air to pass through when on the go. Another feature is the YKK side lock front closure; a slider you hook onto a popper, acting as the front button. Which means your trousers won’t pop open! These trousers are simple and effective, made from robust materials, to a high quality. I’m confident these will last the test of time.
BOOTS – MOHAWK 2 RRP £179.99 In my opinion, boots are something that are particularly hard to get right on a scooter. The Mohawk boots are classy, so classy in fact I’m taking them with me on a Polish winter holiday… In this case, their military style complements the jacket nicely and are a nice nod to the ever-popular docs while offering more protection and functionality. The increased protection comes in the shape of several
simple but comforting features. There’s a reinforced ankle cup, in addition to this, the heel and toe areas are also reinforced giving good all round protection. In an attempted to keep the wind and rain out the tongue is ‘gusseted’ and does make a noticeable difference. What you gain in style by using a more traditional boot that incorporates laces, you loose on quick fitting and the ease that a zip up boot brings. I would advise that it would be best practice to try these on before buying, or possibly go up by half a size if your normal shoe size is quite snug. The reinforced heel isn’t very forgiving and it left two large blisters until I went up half a size!
My initial research attracted me to the ‘Sand 3’ jacket and its impressive technical specification. Using Rev’It’s Hydratex membrane insert it is designed to be 100% waterproof, but it’s a versatile jacket with plenty of ventilation too. That said, the stereotypical adventure bike look left me questioning whether it would clash with the style of a Lambretta. Cue the ‘Sand Urban; this is effectively the same jacket using an outer shell constructed from Polycotton that alludes to the classic wax cotton look. I’ve had several classic style jackets in the past that use the normal textile materials and these just never look quite right. This, however pulls off the look superbly and the additional Lorica cuffs and collar scream quality! Described as a ‘Swiss army knife’, the jacket certainly lives up to this reputation!
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8 | SCOOTERING | FEBRUARY 2018
The Hydratex membrane mem adds an additional waterproof layer while doubling up as a thermal layer too. So far this system has performed superbly, keeping me toasty and dry when others around are damp and cold. A benefit of this membrane is that on hot days it can be removed allowing considerable ventilation. If further airflow is required, there are large zips that run the length of the jacket, dramatically increasing the cooling capacity. These well-executed ideas are combined with excellent ergonomic features meaning that this jacket is a pleasure to wear at all times. The jacket is also prepped for Rev’It’s Challenger cooling vest, a liquid vest that cools your body for up to six hours. Maybe not necessary in the UK, it’s comforting to know that the option is there for future European adventures.
from only
£20
KICKSTART
TEN THOUSAND MILE TESTS Part 2 Following on from last month, when Stan introduced the first part of his 10,000 mile test, this month he continues with the rest of the kit. As mentioned, when working for a magazine it’s easy to get sucked into testing the most expensive kit on the market, but real life isn’t like that. Last year Stan took mostly mid-range products from a variety of sources and pitched them against everything from searing heat in Italy to torrential rain in Germany. Here’s how he got on…
HJC FG-ST HELMET What they say “The advanced channelling system offers full frront to back airflow which flushes heat and humidity up and d out of the helmet. The RapidFire visor replacement system m allows quick, tool-less removal/replacement of the t visor; which is also Max Vision Pinlock ready. The FG-ST uses a double-D retention system an nd also has a three-stage tinted internal sun visor.” What Stan says This is one of only 55 full face helmets to be awarded five stars by the SHARP safety testing regime and as such deserves to be taken seriouslyy. It has a good field of vision, excellent ventilation and a is light enough to wear for long periods. I’ve tried a few helmets recently and the FG-ST is the only on ne not to suffer from buffeting when riding. In a sentence High levels of protection at an affordable price.. The knowledge RRP: £229.99 – www.oxfordproducts.com
OXFORD MONDIAL BREATHABLE WATERPR ROOF 3-IN-1 TEXTILE JACKET T
FURYGAN BLAZER SYMP PATEX GLOVES What they ssay “To go further in all conditions, Furygan has developed a new winter glove. Leather is the traditional material of choice for upmarket glovves, however, it has now been brought intto the future by technology used by Fu urygan to protect against the cold aand rain.” What Stan says These gloves proved their worth on a trip to France. Wet doesn’t even cover the riding conditions but the Blazers remained warm and dry. The only water ingress being from the very tip of my clutch forefinger, after five hours of ttorrential rain. I’m not holding that aggainst them. A nice touch is the refl flective panel, perfect for hand signals in bad conditions. In a sentence I’vve paid much more for far less m weather protection. The knowledge RRP £119.99 www.nevis.UK.com w
What they say “Three jackets in one: mesh ventilated jacket; waaterproof layer which can be worn inside or out; removable, therm mal ‘puffa’ jacket which can also be worn on its own when offf the bike.” What Stan says In a world where a ‘decent’ jacket sells at around £500, the Mondial is exceptional value for money. Its three layer construction of outer, waterproof and liner makes it capable of tackling at least three seasons. The journey home from EuroLambretta saw some of the wettest riding days I’ve encountered in years. Not a drop passed through. A nice touch is the built in hood, top part mesh, which goes under a helmet creating an effective neck seal, no more water running water down my back. Result. In this price bracket there’s a downside to such protection and on hot days it can get a little sweaty with the membrane in place. I took this jacket to extremes and it didn’t let me down. It’s my current jacket of choice for day to day use, particularly if the weather looks changeable.
BULL-IT BULL IT SR6 CARBON JEANS What they say “Bull-it Jeans are the first jeans in the world to perform to level 2 safety. The liquid crystal polymer in our yarn was tested by NASA as a replacement for aramids in 2014; as it outperformed aramids.” What Stan says These are quite a bulky jean, I was concerned about heat retention and rang the suppliers. They assured me that their construction dispersed heart in summer and retained heat in winter. Surprisingly the jeans lived up to the marketing hype and it was only when temperatures hit the 30s that I started to feel uncomfortable. The SR6 claim abrasion resistance of 6.26 seconds, more than enough time to come to a halt after an unexpected demount.
In a sentence There’s a lot of jacket here for the money and is probably all you’ll need for UK riding.
In a sentence Comfortable jeans that rarely need an additional base-layer.
The knowledge RRP £199.99 – www.oxfordproducts.com
The knowledge RRP: £239.99 – www.oxfordproducts.com
10 | SCOOTERING | FEBRUARY 2018
Tuned scooter engines:
is there such a thing
as perfection?
No matter what engine or cylinder kit is produced for either the Vespa or Lambretta there are always those who will seek to improve it...
E
ver since the Vespa and Lambretta made their debut on the two-wheeled market some 70 years ago the engines that power them have been subject to tuning in the quest for even greater performance. No one is saying this is a bad thing but the question remains: will there ever be a time when a product is so good that nothing can be done to enhance it. If you go back to the days of mass production for both makes, it was obvious there would be those who sought greater potential from the engine. It must be remembered that they were detuned to a certain extent to make them as reliable and economical as possible. The power created was well within the tolerances the components were designed for and rightly so. Even the biggest capacity models such as the Rally or GP200 were well within the limits of what they were capable of. That’s probably why there was such an appetite among tuners to improve power output going all the way back to the 1960s. There were big gains to be made even with only slight alterations to the setup. Tuning factory cylinders or the original top end as a whole would continue well into the 1980s but that’s when it would all change with the introduction of purpose-made kits. For the Vespa, there were plenty of options with Pinasco and Polini being just two examples. For the Lambretta, there was the TS1 which even in standard form almost doubled the power of the engine. These were the first true ‘bolt-on power’ options available for both makes. Even so, within months of them coming out tuners
were looking at ways of improving them or offering options of what they thought would give even more potential. There were two ways owners started looking at why this was occurring. Either there was the possibility that the manufacturers hadn’t done as good a job as it first seemed in producing the kit, or a dealer knew if he The Targa Twin – one of the most expensive could get more power Lambretta engines ever produced. Even so, it’s already been subject to alterations out of the kit then to enhance its performance. he would have an advantage in the Which is exactly what happened when market. The truth was it was probably the latter, but this led to even more confusion. the T5 was taken to its limits. Now we come to the present day and With tuning shops situated all over the the flurry of kits that have entered the country, there would be several versions market. I don’t think there is one of of the same kit – each supposedly offering them that is free from the same kind something better than the original. treatment. Even the Supermonza kit for It wasn’t just aftermarket kits that the Lambretta which was hailed as the were prone to this type treatment either, complete top end package seems to have I’m sure we can all remember when the been altered afterwards to try and improve Vespa T5 came out with a five-port Nikasil it. The two most expensive engines to lined aluminium cylinder producing great date, the Targa Twin and the Casa SSR performance from its 125cc engine. series, in theory, should already be However, it wasn’t long after, that tuners perfect, but will they be subjected to were offering radical conversions to the same treatment? exploit the T5 engine even more. Does The two-stroke engine is in many ways this mean that Piaggio, who had probably very simplistic but on the other hand, put a huge investment and considerable has the potential to have great power time and resources into producing the squeezed out of it. The problem is though, T5, got it wrong? Of course they didn’t, there are many ways of how to go about but if they had taken the engine as far doing it. Therefore every tuner will have as the tuners were now offering, then their own specific methods of how to the reliability would have suffered. attempt it. At the same time, it seems that when a kit or engine comes on to the market, however good it is, we the scooter owners expect – maybe even demand – that it is taken even further. So there lies the answer to the question, even if the perfect tuned scooter engine is created there are those who will try or expect it to be made even better, one way or another…
The two most expensive engines to date, the Targa Twin and the Casa SSR series, in theory, should already be perfect, but will they be subjected to the same treatment? 12 | SCOOTERING | FEBRUARY 2018