Scootering Magazine May 2014

First ride

Scootering | #335 May 2014

The new 125cc Vespa Sprint

8

page

guide

to suspension

Lambretta Model A

with rare Picozzi accessories

116.2mph is this the

“Zebedee will put it right,” said Florence

world’s

fastest Vespa?* Exclusive

first ride

Scomadi

Prototype

(*or do you know different?)

Also

Malossi – we visit the world’s most technically advanced scooter tuning laboratory, a tidy Mod Lambretta, Back to Basics & more!

No.335 May 2014

www.scootering.com

£3.99

scooters

CONTENTS 03 Hello & welcome… 93 Scooter Trader … it’s the May 2014 edition of Scootering and we hope you enjoy it!

Classified and business advertising, for all your scootering needs.

06 Kickstart

Guide to 100AScooter Suspension

Packed full of information from news and reviews of products and events, to archive material, opinions, rumours and whispers, workshop essentials, old custom scooters from yesteryear, handy hints, readers’ letters, personals, app of the month, a couple of show reviews and plenty more.

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Exclusive First Ride

Scootering are the first to go for a spin on a prototype Scomadi scooter!

26 First Ride

Iggy tries out the new 125cc Vespa Sprint in Rome.

34 Gillette

An eight page guide for all scooterists, from tourers to boy racers, as to what to look out for with regard to both maintenance and upgrades, all necessary in keeping your scooter safely on the road.

Bounce 112More to the Ounce

The ‘Picozzi’ Model A Lambretta, a rare scooter with even rarer period modifications.

130Scooter Club do’s Show Us Your 134Scoots!

The best a man can get… in more ways than one. A very sharp Lambretta street racer indeed.

Pictures of you, on your scoots – simples, eh?

40

Lambretta Li Series 2 with long history and a modern nod to the old club.

Malossi factory visit

136The Harrow Pirate

Behind the scenes at the world’s most technically advanced scooter tuning laboratory. Would we like to work there? Of course we would!

144Scooter Racing

48 Club do’s & events 50 Morecambe Pre-season Run

146Into the Sunset

A calendar of scooter related events.

The 2014 BSSO season kicks off with four races at Croft.

Another of your tales of trials and tribulation. Keep ’em coming folks!

The scooter riding season seems to have well and truly started... it’s raining!

The VMSC 60 Vintage & Custom Extravaganza

A very good reason to be sent to Coventry.

72 The Green Hornet

Recently recorded at 116.2mph at a Top Speed event in March, is this the fastest Vespa in the world?

78 Back to Basics

Fitting a Lambretta speedo cable.

Sometimes the simplest things cause the most swearing and blaspheming!

Scootering – 83 Practical Staff Scooters

Barrie’s Spanish Series 2 and Andy’s Italian Series 3 Lambrettas are in need of a little fettling.

88 Specialist Services

Whatever you want, you’ll find them all here. Hopefully.

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KICKSTART The 15th Antwerp Custom Scooter Show So what do you do when at the 11th hour you get a message telling you that the venue hosting your 15th consecutive scooter show was double booked, with the rival jumble sale organisers showing up first with a written contract to claim the building?

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receded by a Saturday afternoon rideout which leaves from the large paved area outside Kapitein Zeppos ‘eetcafe’ bar/restaurant in Antwerp centre, which attracted both local scooterists as well as those from neighbouring countries and the UK, it was during the evening party at ‘De Kleine Hedonist’ that we learned the show venue had, at the last minute, realised it had double-booked itself with a huge indoor jumble sale.

A sort of party bar with a small dance floor and mezzanine chill-out area decked out with trendy 1970s lounge furniture, an eclectic mix of quality vinyl sounds from Northern to reggae to popcorn, crime jazz, R&B and rockabilly kept the good vibes going well into the small hours, while organisers Tim and Jurgen pulled off a remarkable recovery.

The latter held down the fort at the do (DJing and reassuring people!), while Tim rushed around in the night to source an

alternative venue – the Royal Antwerp Football Ground, a true vintage shabby football stadium with standing terraces, loads of character and only about a mile from the normal venue.

The next morning, having only slept for a couple of hours they managed to clear the venue, arrange and install a temporary and well-stocked bar, lay a temporary carpet and somehow get the word out to as many of the punters, stall holders and scooter owners as they could. By the time we

12v Lambretta conversion loom and ties Scootopia has produced some new items for the Lambretta to make the restoration of your favourite model even easier.

First up is a 12v conversion loom that is suitable for any non-battery Series 1, 2 or 3 model including Spanish, Indian and South American counterparts. Basically, if you’re upgrading the engine with a modern electronic ignition, then fit one of these looms too.

Priced at just £14 and with a choice of either black or grey sleeving (to suit the GP, or earlier models), the loom also comes complete with a set of the thin metal ties required to secure it to the frame, also made by Scootopia here in the UK, which

18 | SCOOTERING | MAY 2014

makes it a veritable bargain in my eyes and these are exactly what I’m currently fitting to a Lambretta in my shed at home.

Oh and if you only want the ties on their own, then they will cost you just 60p each (all prices plus p&p of course). www.scootopia.co.uk

arrived later it was like nothing had gone wrong, with a buzz in the air and hundreds of punters walking around. There was also a very tired but very relieved looking Tim and Jurgen!

Fairly thin on actual custom machines, save a couple of trick custom Vespas showing off Parmakits, the show more than made up for that with all manner of vintage Vespas, and Lambrettas from LD to TV1, and the odd street racer paint style Series 3. There were also a few oddities, like a lovely 1950s

Polish Osa and an early AO model Heinkel Tourist plus a huge IWL Berlin 250 scooter.

Also catching my eye was a 1950s Vespa (with a Cosa 200 engine) kitted out with huge top box and covered in writing, set against a backdrop of a huge map of the route the intrepid Belgian owner had ridden it around the world in 2012. He was understandably proudly showing it and also the book he had written about the journey.

Many dealer stalls were also in attendance as well as other

stalls offering both new parts and enough autojumble material to keep most happy, the Ape displaying unusual and rare Vespa parts in the back pick-up tray proving a useful marketing tool.

So all in all a great show was pulled off despite the odds. We left for a night in Bruges before heading home via the DunkirkDover route after another great weekend in Belgium due in no small part to the friendly and hospitable hosts.

Ben Ford

New his ’n’ hers coats

Italian clothing manufacturer Tucano Urbano is about to launch its new season collection (as Italian companies do!), which includes a couple of coats we reckon you’ll like.

The Ermes (his) and Iris (hers) have an abrasion resistant Oxford Polyamide outer should you go Tarmac surfing, and inside both feature removable D3O CE approved elbow and shoulder armour with the ability to insert D3O back armour too.

The outer is also breathable, windproof and waterproof with taped seams to keep you dry. It has a mesh lining and removable thermal padding as well as featuring Tucano’s Reflactive System, which is reflective pieces at the cuffs and collar

that can be folded away discreetly when not required.

There are adjusters on the wrists, arms and sides, removable lumbar support, along with plenty of ventilation and zillions of pockets which Tucano brands ‘Find it easy – everything in the right place’, which translates into ‘there are even pockets for your iPad, newspapers and snacks including chicken legs!’

The retail price is £219.99, sizes are numerous from XS to XXL, with the ladies’ coat available in black and the male in black or dark beige, and to find out more or locate your nearest dealer visit www.tucanourbano.co.uk

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e t t e l Gil

t e G n a C n a M The Best a es of a full-bodied The smooth flowing lin nvas for a tasty ca e th as t ec rf pe e ar P Lambretta G th, you can’t beat a oo sm of g in lk Ta r. ce ra street ght’s stubble either… ni st la of rid t ge to r zo good ra

FACTORY VISIT Behind the scenes at the world’s most technically advanced scooter tuning laboratory.

I

t’s been more than 15 years since my last visit to Malossi’s HQ in Bologna. In that time the company’s constructed a new, purposebuilt home for its business side; but that’s not what we are interested in.

On the other side of the same street is an anonymous factory unit where all the design, development and tool manufacture takes place. This is the real crucible where Malossi’s ideas are turned into products.

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D E S I G N D E PA RT M E N T 1

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3

4

5

6

Former Piaggio development engineer Paolo Del Seppia and designer Stefano Leoni were our guides for the tour which started in the design offices.

Malossi’s design workflow has been made massively faster and easier in recent times due to the extensive use of modern computer software and machinery.

The process begins by modelling the desired component in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software. This might mean drawing something from scratch or working from an existing component – for example an original scooter variator which could be scanned in 3D to enter its dimensions very rapidly into software.

In the case of the reworked 210cc kits for the PX200, the outer shape of the cylinder and fins was already designed, but the internal porting arrangement has been significantly updated. There are now two different versions of the kit: a Sport Production one for lower revving engines, and the MHR version which has a taller exhaust port and a shorter cylinder length to raise compression slightly.

There are also two different matching cylinder heads to suit either 57 or 60mm stroke crankshafts.

What surprised me was that CAD-engineer Gianluca said that the new porting arrangement was

1: A Computer Aided Design (CAD) rendering of the new MHR kit for Vespa PX200.

2: The fan on Malossi’s new Vespa race ignition has been extensively studied in CFD software.

3: A water-cooled cylinder head cover and carburettor inlet trumpet. Both items have been produced by 3D printing and are strong enough to fit and test!

4: The 3D Faro laser scanner arm is an incredibly fast way for Valerio to reverse-engineer parts in order to design compatible components.

5: Design of a new variator starts with modelling the original part and then looking for ways to improve it.

6: Not only is the new variator designed on PC, but also the moulds and tools required to manufacture it.

defined without making many prototypes. Instead all the porting was adjusted and analysed in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to make a test barrel which the engineers were happy with at the first attempt.

“I can study the reed valve, the intake ducts and exhaust ports for four-stroke and the transfer port ducts of a two-stroke engine,” explained Gianluca. “The three-dimensional software we use is called StarCCM+.

The mono-dimensional software is GT Power.”

CFD was also used to design the fan of Malossi’s new Vespa ignition system, with three different dome shapes and fin profiles tested before settling on the best compromise between airflow over the cylinder versus parasitic drag on the crankshaft.

The modern technology that has transformed the process of prototyping is 3D printing. It’s now possible to send the CAD file from the computer direct to a 3D printer in the lab below. This will build a model of the desired component from melted plastic wire built up layer by layer from a spool of donor material. Malossi’s old ‘powder and glue’ 3D printers could build models to hold in your hand, but the latest versions build pieces strong enough to test; as long as they are not exposed to direct flame or excessive stress.

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BMV ISETTA

BROCKHOUSE CORGI

GILERA RUNNER

HONDA SH300A7

1962, your chance to own a piece of motoring history, buff logbook plus loads of members mags. Tel. 07588 237850.

Gloucester

1948, Mark II version, complete but not run for over six years, been in storage, £975 Tel. 07973 178208. Stoke on Trent

FXR180, 1999, owned seven years, new style forks and better rear shocks, looks and ridses like a brand new scooter, £1500 Tel. 07952 549860.

2007 reg, vgc, 10,223 miles, MoT November 2014, tax until November 2014, extras include windscreen, large top box, heated grips £2200 Tel. 07768 752197.

KTM PONNY 2

LAMBRETTA

LAMBRETTA

LAMBRETTA

scooter, 1966, unfinished project, all complete, Sachs engine running well, no docs, 11,000km, £465 Tel. 01953 483711.

1954, Model F, once part of the Mike Karslake collection, V5, on Sorn, MoT exempt, restored two years ago, won several trophys, £4495 Tel. 07710 795831.

Golden Special, 1964, LI 150 reg as a 125 with a 186 Mugello kit fitted, lots of money spent on gold plating, £4300 Tel. 07980 258686 .

Chopper with Vespa PX200 engine, resprayed silver metalflake red tank with subtle flames, reg 1959 so no tax, MoT, £1500 Tel. 07922 682707. Lancs

LAMBRETTA 125LI

LAMBRETTA 150

LAMBRETTA GP/DL125

LAMBRETTA GP200

original Italian Lambretta Series 3, for restoration, £1300 can be delivered at cost Tel. 07415 220655. Hampshire

Special, 1967, 175 top end, reg as 125cc, tax & MoT, needs new seat, £2450 ono Tel. 07890 042307. Cornwall

tunning, Bare frame/nut & bolt restoration, all original parts kept except exhaust and carburettor, reg as a 125, £6750 Tel. 07818 031015.

Italian J reg, lovely reliable ride, some wear as this is a ridden scooter, offers around £3500 considered, need a quick sale. Tel. 07801 282212. East Sussex

LAMBRETTA GP200

LAMBRETTA GP200

LAMBRETTA

LAMBRETTA JET 200

1971, Italian engine rebuilt, new crankshaft bearings gaskets, seals, vgc, year t&t, £5750 may take p/x Tel. 07850 529018. Kent

Innocenti, stunning, Bare frame/nut & bolt restoration, all original parts kept, £5500 spent on parts alone, reg as 125, MoT, £6750 Tel. 07818 031015.

Special 150cc, Italian, very good condition, renovated complete needs tlc to get running & registration, offers, £2850 Tel. 01922 458228. Walsall

SX Spanish reg, just completed full restoration, full MoT, 1979, 30,000 miles, £3700 Tel. 07445 199271. London

LAMBRETTA LD150

LAMBRETTA LI125

LAMBRETTA LI125

LAMBRETTA LI125

1956, resprayed Verde Smeraldo green, spent £1500, owned 26 years. engine in bike but needs rebuild, reg no. 960 BFC, mint condition, £1400 Tel. 07922 682707.

Series 3, 1963, British Lambretta Archive Dated, standard, 12 volt battery, restored & resprayed, dry stored, not reg, £1995 Tel. 07899 797254. Sheffield

Inocenti with 175 kit, 1965, C reg, Series 3, MoT August tax April, lots of receipts for work with dating certificate, £3295 Tel. Gary 07877 746368. Harrow

1962, Italian bare metal & engine restoration, many new parts, full working order, as new condition, £2995 Tel. 01274 615608; 07946 592640. West Yorkshire

LAMBRETTA LI150

LAMBRETTA LI150

LAMBRETTA LI200

LAMBRETTA RB225

Spanish, with 185 kit, Ancillotti exhaust & 25mm Dellorto carb, needs running in, dated 1968 so tax exempt, reg & V5 in my name, £3950 Tel. 07544 230294. Devon

Series 3, D reg, 1966, Italian, restored to very high standard £2450 may p/x for classic vespa restoration project & cash Tel. 07971 770284. Tyne & Wear

totally rebuilt, with new engine, exhaust, front hub (Disc conversion), electronic ignition, seat, only done 150 miles since, reg as 125, £3250 Tel. 07774 210812.

custom paint, built by Classic Lambretta, two years ago, only done 90 miles, still as new, alloy wheels, £6995 ono Tel. 07836 746409. Surrey

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LAMBRETTA SX150

LAMBRETTA TV175

LAMBRETTA TV175

LAMBRETTA TV175

1966, tax exempt, MoT April 2015, 516 miles since restoration, £2000 Tel. 07989 204938. Bristol

Series 3, excellent condition vintage Lambretta, tax exempt, MoT, £4250 Tel. 07748 592017.

Serveta, 1965,, V5 present, frame numbers match, MoT end May, £3200 Tel. 07718 488925.

S3, the genuine article not a look a like fully restored, 1963, UK bike, just finished, matching numbers, £4500 Email. idmack3@ntlworld.com Scotland

LML

MOTOVESPA

PIAGGIO MP3 250

PIAGGIO TYPHOON

low mileage, one year old, Union Jack side panels (stickers), Whitewall tyres, autolube regd as 125 but has Polini 180 kit with uprated carb, £2000 Tel. 07584 665217.

& S-Boy sidecar, unique original combo with documentation, 1966 160cc Spanish scooter with cool left mounted upholstered sidecar, £3000 Tel. 07788 920855.

silver reg, 2010, service history, MoT April 2015, tax 2015, mileage 2500, good condition, cover, £3700 Tel. 01908 376997; 07725 590477. Milton Keynes

50cc, 2001, two stroke, new exhaust & piston set (run in), tax until 02/2014, MoT till 03/2014, vgc, cash on collection, £475 Tel. 07773 942684.

PIAGGIO XEVO 400

PIAGGIO ZIP

SUZUKI AN250

VESPA

automatic maxi scooter, good condition, full service history, £1600 Tel. 07968 968878.

Damon Tunnicliffe’s 2013 class winning race scooter, includes genuine Malossi Factory spare engine, & selection of Malossi race parts. Tel. 07966 038910.

Burgman, W reg, 12 months t&t, service history, manual, receipts etc, Datatagged, stainless sports exhaust, vgc, £1350 ovno Tel. 01845 524162 after 6.30pm.

Piaggio, 125cc, 1962, part of a collection in vgc, garage kept fully restored in 2007 engine completely rebuilt, £3750 ono Tel. 07831 329220. Middlesex

VESPA

VESPA 150

VESPA 150

VESPA 50

reg as 125 is actually a 220 Malossi, P reg, MoT till August 2014 & tax till May 2014 ready to go, cash on pick up, £3500 Tel. 07564 719958. Derbyshire

Super, 1974, t&t, full rebuild (standard spec engine) in 2012, nearly all new parts, less than 500 dry miles since, £2200 ono Tel. 07540 186136. Kent

Series 3, VD2TS part restored, all the scooter there requires time attention, all body work in vgc, £3000 Tel. 07792 589055. North Yorks

Special, 1979, rare British scooter, 5400 miles from new, superb condition, DR110 kit fitted, 12 months MoT on Sorn, £2195 Tel. 07506 218549 . Bedfordshire

VESPA 90

VESPA DOUGLAS

VESPA DOUGLAS

VESPA DOUGLAS

1964, fully restored; 1963 Lambretta TV175 Series 3; 1997 Vespa PX 200E; 2003 Vespa Ltd Ed PX 200E, all for sale as one lot. Tel. 07624 496622. Isle of Man

150GS VS4, 1958, no rot, dinks or dents, professional respray, inside leg shield, spare wheel carrier & spare sport fuel tank, £5000 Tel. 07976 585838.

150 Sportique, fully restored, t&t, £2950 ono Tel. 07906 312259. Somerset

1960, 125cc, model 152L2, 7953 miles, body stripped to bare metal & resprayed, starts & runs well, comes with original reg & V5, £2200 ono Tel. 01922 419809.

VESPA GTS

VESPA GTS

VESPA GTS

VESPA GTS250

2008, 300ie Super, good condition, regular service, MoT 2015, tax August 2014, £2600 ono Tel. 07906 312259.

Somerset

2011, Super 125ie, full chrome kit, Vespa back box, only 7416km, smoked screen, fine weather use only, always garaged & covered, £2995 Tel. 01745 859241.

Super 300iE, 58 plate, MoT Sept 2014, KMS 11,271 £3100 ono Tel. 07816 408125. Kent

56 plate, maintained regardless of cost, full service history, t&t, 16,000 miles, taxed and Mot’d just coming up to 16,000 miles, £1895 Tel. 07833 108735.

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MORE BOUNCE TO THE OUNCE

‘PICOZZI’ MODEL A

In 1947, only two years after the end of the SecondWorldWar, two rival firms competed to provide affordable transport solutions to Italians living through the reconstruction.

Vespas and Lambrettas of that era were totally new designs from the ground up and while functional, they were undeniably basic.

Comfort was in short supply.

Tino Sacchi unearthed this original Picozzi advert from the late 1940s.