Scootering March 2018

FREE

Ginger Stepchild

The blood, sweat and tears of a

Essential Lambretta Maintenance Guide

custom build

Interview Lambretta Concessionaires

legend #381 March 2018

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400cc Scomadi race-rep rules the roost Full spec inside!

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OIL SECRETS SMOOTH DISCOVERED KRUZING WE DRILL THE

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The Crossroad’s Devil chopper ■ creepy House of Horrors custom ■ Scooter Boy Tales ■ BSSO 2018 update ■ Stu Owen tech ■ VWD Belfast Guide ■ latest news ■ readers’ rides ■ 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 38 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £49.20. Export rates are also available – see page 38 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 (April 2018) is Thursday, March 8, 2018 On sale in newsagents Thursday, March 29, 2018 SCOOTERING (USPS:020-245) is published monthly

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Welcome to the March edition of Scootering

I

f you’ve ever seen a question posted on social media regarding oil, then you’ll know exactly what a contentious issue two-stroke oil can be as the replies cascade! Despite the varied answers and wide-ranging personal opinions which people are willing to attest to, for all sorts of reasons, when it comes to getting specific answers on the technical facts, there is no better source than the manufacturer. The difficulty usually, though, is getting through the doors and finding an oil company willing to go on record and give definitive answers… enter FUCHS Silkolene. Our man Stan went to the UK HQ to get some definitive answers to often asked questions such as: “Be honest… aren’t all 2-stroke oils the same”, And my personal favourite: “Can I using cooking oil as an emergency alternative”?

It’s an informative and interesting interview.

Cooking oil aside, something else which I’ve very much enjoyed this month is the way ‘Ginger Stepchild’ has been split into

a two-part feature. It’s so common to see a finished scooter sparkling on display, whether that be in a magazine, on the internet, or at a show. But it’s very rare we get to see the depths of the blood, sweat and tears which go into building these beasts. So on this occasion, when the owner presented us with 638 images of the work in progress, I had no hesitation in taking the opportunity to show the ‘behind the scenes’ history to the build. You can all enjoy the ‘glossy shots’ next month, and hopefully that little background glimpse will make it all the more appreciated.

There’s a tonne of other stuff, not least of all some cracking feature scooters, readers’ rides, an interview with racing legend Chas DeLacey, a 400cc ‘Dominator’ Scomadi and much more beside… but I’ll let you discover that for yourself. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, it’s another belter this month… enjoy the issue.

Dan

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

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

63Reader’s Ride – Crossroad’s

06Kickstart

68Ginger Stepchild

A warm welcome to the March issue of Scootering.

The front section with all the latest news, views and product reviews!

14The Midnight Hour

Custom scooter ‘Lammy House of Horror’ is the star of this feature, with artwork by Gatch and the Hammer Horror films providing a common bond between artist and owner.

report: 24Show Newark 2018

Our man Stan sums up the Winter Classic show, bringing us the best bits from Scooter World.

No, not Benny and Miss Diane… the awesome custom Lambretta chop!

It’s always lovely to see a shiny finished custom scooter on display, but what about all the hard work which goes into making it? Our two-part feature on Ginger Stepchild does just that!

75Family Affair

Stu Smith completes his miniseries of ‘Dad ’n’ Lad’ features with a look at the scootering household of Kev and Tom Hawkes.

80Club Do’s & Events

Your essential guide to the scene – What, Where & When!

28All Lubed Up!

Words 84Scootering & Sounds

World Days 34Vespa – Game On!

Tech Torque: Lambretta 95 Performance review – Part 5: Aerodynamics

Silkolene boffins answer our direct and frank questions, to bring you the answers you want to know.

Stan’s continues his guide to the finest spots in Ireland (by scooter) with another top tip in his ongoing series for the build up to VWD.

37Mailbox

Readers’ letters, laughs, feedback and fury – just go ahead and get it off your chest man!

38

Subscriptions

Buy one now! Get your mag delivered to the door, earlier than newsstands, and save money… cool.

40Show us your scoots

The best of our readers’ rides as sent in by you.

Spotlight 45Trade – Allstyles Scooters

A look behind the scenes at this top dealer, there’s more to them than meets the eye!

50

Smooth Kruzing

Three cool custom scooters owned

by Jens Kruse, including VSRC, Goodbye, Nothing to Say, the particularly gorgeous Pogue Mahone.

Interview with scooter 58An legend Chas DeLacey Former Lambretta Concessionaires employee Chas DeLacey fills in a few historic gaps with Stu Owen.

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24

The best of Scootering words and music as reviewed by Nik & Sarge.

Can you translate success on the track to performance on the road? Stu Owen, one of the UK’s most successful scooter sprinters, continues his winter series on Lambretta performance analysis.

Scooter 101BSSO Racing Update

Paul Green tells us what to expect from the improved BSSO race series in 2018.

104Reader’s Ride

Submarine engineer Sam Booth gives us the lowdown on his custom… and it only cost him £20 to build, honest!

400cc 110Scomadi – The Dominator

Tired of waiting for elusive 400cc machines to come to market? Do what Neil Kent did instead… build your own!

119Scooter Trader

Your sales and classifieds section – including Specialist Services & at a glance.

Nostalgic 128Dave’s Custom Corner

Race-rep classic custom Cannon-Williams under Dave Oakley’s nostalgic spotlight.

130Readers Ride

A ‘First Class’ scooter with an X-men themed paint job.

Never miss from only £20 an issue Subscribe today on page 38

128

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28 WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 5

KICKSTART QUATTRINI WARS In last month’s edition of Scootering we predicted that Max Quattrini’s small block kit had plenty of potential and it seems we weren’t wrong. The Chiselspeed test engine ran at just under 24bhp straight out of the box, which was impressive enough. German tuner Rainer Büsch was showcasing his heavily modified creation generating 28bhp as we went to press. And as we hinted in the article, Chiselspeed was quick to fight back its their own interpretation reading a more than impressive 32.5bhp. With kits only just hitting the shelves it looks like Quattrini has produced a winner. As to how far tuners can push the kit, only time will tell.

ELECTRIC RENTALS Not convinced by electric scooters? Frankly you’re not alone.

However, visitors to German cities such as Berlin and Stuttgart are being offered the chance to take part in an e-scooter sharing scheme. Designed to ease congestion and pollution, a variety of scooters are on offer but the most familiar to Scootering readers will be the Emco Retro Nova. Based on the Modena/Milano chassis, it has a range of 100km and it’s claimed that charging the battery costs less than €1. The manufacturer, Emco Electroroller, states that more than 2000 scooters are currently available for rent and expansion to other cities will happen very soon. www.emco-elektroroller.de and www.stadtwerke-stuttgart.de

A NEW SHOP FOR THE SOUTH COAST Skinhead and Ska, who have been trading on the rallies and online for a long time, have now opened a shop in Moordown, Bournemouth next to Velocity Scooters.

They are open 10am-3pm every day except Wednesday and Sunday but can open at other times by appointment. Stock includes jackets, Sta-Prest, Relco and Brutus shirts, 50s and rockabilly clothing, shoes, boots, handbags and other scooter related items.

They can also print T-shirts and mugs to order. You can visit the shop at 981 Wimbourne Road BH9 2BN

LEGAL POSITION OUTLINED AT LCGB AGM I always look forward to the LCGB AGM, primarily because you get a heads-up on the members’ rallies before the masses and can catch up with old friends you’ve not seen since Brid. However, this year’s meeting promised to be more ‘lively’ than normal as the controversial external revival of the British Lambretta Owners Association (BLOA) was to be discussed.

This year’s meeting was held in Rotherham. Though some would regard the location as ‘northern’ it’s reasonably close to the geographic centre of the UK, meaning most members have a fair chance to attend. On arrival, each chair was laid

6 | SCOOTERING | MARCH 2018

out with club reports, paperwork and the previous year’s minutes for review.

Following the formalities of introducing the committee, it was time to get down to business and discuss the ‘BLOA issue’.

The committee started by reading a pre-prepared statement outlining the club’s official position and the order of events. As the floor got the opportunity to speak, it became obvious that the majority (but not all) of the room supported the committee’s actions. Despite this, there were several members concerned about a prolonged legal battle, and the cost to club funds, should it become a protracted

affair. The focus then finally moved to the really important stuff… 2018 rally dates and locations, and it was good to see the club living up its name; with a members’ rally in each of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.

LCGB 2018 events:

NEW FROM

ALLSTYLES… These black and white handlebar tassels are five-strand, heavy duty and 280mm long, made from a high quality rubber compound. They are also Available in multi colours £19.95 pair. Allstyles Scooters 02392 655565 www.allstyles-scooters.com

Review SIP CLASSIC VESPA GLOVEBOX BAG What they say “This bag allows rapid access to essential items such as your motorway toll documentation, road maps, mobile phone, camera, etc. without having to frantically search through your whole luggage and jacket pockets every time one of these things is necessary!”

In a sentence You’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

The knowledge RRP £27.11 – www.sip-scootershop.com

What Stan says I’ll admit to dismissing these bags as a novelty, right up to borrowing Dan’s project PX for the trip to Vespa World Days. Maps, tickets, hotel bookings, snacks and a bottle of water all fell easily to hand without faffing around in a rucksack. I’d draw short at carrying a passport in there but the Velcro straps make it easy enough to remove if valuables are kept inside. The bag fits all PX/GTS style toolboxes and its waterproof too.

March 3: Modrapheniacs SC Rally March 31: BSRA Whitby Rally April 21: LCGB Coast 2 Coast – Grange-Over-Sands to Saltburn May 5: BSRA Tenby Rally May 12: LCGB Llangollen Rally (ride out for extra 15 points) May 19: Flying 8 Balls SC Rally May 26: BSRA Kelso Rally June 2: Doncaster Hunters SC Rally June 9: Euro Lambretta Abejar, Spain June 23: LCGB Oban Rally (ride out for extra 15 points) June 30: South Downs Ride, hosted by Solent Cougars SC July 7: BSRA Cleethorpes Rally July 14: Wearside Wanderers SC, Tall Ships Weekender July 28: BSRA Exmouth Rally August 4: Ready Steady Go SC, South Lakes Rally August 11: Lambretta Club Wales Rally, Aberaeron August 18: LCGB Malton Rally (ride out for extra 15 points) August 25: BSRA IOW Rally September 1: Mersea Island Rally September 15: LCGB Ypres Rally, Belgium September 22: BSRA Woolacombe Rally September 29: 4 Nations Rally, Lisnaskea, Ireland October 27: BSRA Bridlington Rally

SCOOTERING BOOKAZINE SALES HITS ALL-TIME RECORD! only becomes available via mail order. A brief synopsis of the title is outlined below, by author Stu Owen, and for anyone who still hasn’t got a copy, you can order online: www.classicmagazines.co.uk for only £6.99 (price includes FREE UK delivery).

Book overview

By the mid-60s scooter sales by the likes of Lambretta and Vespa had already peaked in Britain. The emphasis of the scooter had begun to change from a commuter vehicle to The new publication Th bli ti ffrom th the one now more suited for Scootering magazine stable leisure. As it did, ownership has been selling off the shifted to the younger shelves. This publicaton is a generation whose appetite for one-off ‘hybrid’ of book and magazine which can be found speed and power was every increasing. Soon enough on the newsstands of WHSmiths for a select three to shops began to cater for this new fashion, offering tuning six month period, but once sold out (as I understand most services as a new era of the WHS stockists now are) then it scooter scene dawned.

Before long competition among owners to be the fastest intensified and found a new outlet in the form of circuit racing. This was the real catalyst for both road-going and track scooters as development continued at a fast pace. Though production of the Lambretta ceased in 1971 the Vespa survived despite the continuing downward trend of sales.

This pushed the scooter scene underground but despite doing so the passion of tuning continued to flourish. With the release of Quadrophenia towards the end of the decade a new injection of devotees were keen to join in and in the process Lambretta and Vespa ownership increased significantly. Shops and businesses opened up in droves as the scooter tuning market took off, and

companies began heavily investing in the manufacture of all manner of products.

With the introduction of the TS1 kit for the Lambretta and the T5 Vespa by Piaggio in the mid-80s this would not only cement scooter ownership but take the tuning scene in a new direction. With owners prepared to blow huge budgets, stunning creations took these machines to a new level. With continued investment from manufacturers and the competition still strong the Lambretta and Vespa Street racer scene continues to thrive. This is the story of its evolution from the 1960s to the present day.

Order yours now online at: www.classicmagazines.co.uk for only £6.99 with FREE UK delivery.

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 7

KICKSTART AF RAYSPEED 5-SPEED GEARBOX NOW AVAILABLE! Five-speed gearboxes have been lusted after by Lambretta owners for quite some time now, but the limiting factor for most is the sheer cost of such an item. But fear not, AF Rayspeed has been hard at work testing and developing an affordable unit.

When purchasing the gearbox you have the choice between two alternate fifth gears. The 35-tooth fifth gear option is considered the ‘standard’ gear. This is only a 9% jump from fourth, using GP200 sprockets (18-47) and gives a 5.2 ratio for fourth gear followed by a 4.8 ratio for fifth gear. In testing, AF Rayspeed found this to be the favoured ratio for when your speed is often dictated by other riders. (e.g. if you are riding at 50mph on a bike capable of 85-90mph, on a standard box you’ll usually find fourth too tall and the bike chugs, but third is screaming at the upper part of its rev range).

The alternative 34-tooth fifth gear option is the ‘alternative’ gear. This brings the jump to 12% (with 18-47 your new final drive will be 4.7). This slightly larger jump is better for more aggressive riding.

When you get to dictate your own road speed, rather than having to ride at the speed of everyone else.

The two fifth gears make it much easier to achieve a desired final drive when you wish to keep your existing crownwheel (i.e. you’ve already purchased a high spec clutch fitted with a 46 crownwheel).

Final Drive examples 17-46 std 35 5th FD = 4.98 17-46 alt 34 5th FD = 4.84 18-46 std 35 5th FD = 4.71 18-46 alt 34 5th FD = 4.57

First gear is 10-45, instead of the 11-50 of the Pacemaker and AF Close Ratio four-speed. This makes a 1% difference to the ratio but is significantly stronger.

Second gear is 13-41, as was the Pacemaker and AF Close Ratio four-speed.

Third gear is 16-38, as is the Indian GP200 and AF Close Ratio four-speed.

Fourth gear is 18-36, as is the Indian GP200 and the close ratio fifth gear (standard) is 19-35, as is the Pacemaker fourth. Fifth gear (alternative) is 19-34 as is the MB five-speed Although most of the ratios are familiar the profile and clearances of the gears have been altered to reduce friction and noise.

The metallurgy, and surface treatments are also new to Lambretta gearboxes.

AF has been running samples of these gearboxes for over a year now in both Group 6 race bikes, and several powerful road bikes, and has been exceptionally pleased with the results. The highest mileage sample has covered just over 4500 miles mostly in a 28bhp RB ridden as a daily B-road commute by AF mechanic Scott, whose riding style is best characterised as aggressive.

AF is confident this new gearbox will enhance the enjoyment of riding a Lambretta for all those who choose to fit one. If your engine is in good condition you can expect to buy a small selection of gear shims but you should not have to

replace anything else. In most cases it’s good practice to replace any worn gearbox bearings, selector shaft, tie bar, and gear cables at the same time to ensure the gear selection is positive.

Fitment is straightforward, the gearboxes will be supplied with instructions to highlight the checks required, but if you are competent to fit a standard gearbox this will offer no surprises. However, do not underestimate the skill of a good mechanic. There are a lot of checks in building a standard gearbox. If in any doubt have it fitted by your local dealer. It is cheaper to get it right once than risk your safety and money on ‘it’ll be alright’.

The gearbox will retail at £495 for the loose five gears, the gear cluster and the gear selector.

NEW FUEL TAP AND SEATS FROM CAM-LAM In the past, the filter length and hose for the reserve has been much higher than original fuel taps, meaning that the amount of fuel before you went on reserve was minimal. Now you will have far more range before you run out of fuel!

These rear exit fuel taps were designed by Cambridge Lambretta to overcome the fast flow problem of the fuel outlet being too close to the engine mount and flywheel cowl. This can cause problems with the fuel hose rubbing on the engine mount, and kinking thus starving the engine of fuel/air/oil. Also new to market from Cambridge Lambretta are these exclusive GP original style coffin seats.

Seats: £179.99 Fuel Taps: £9.99 For more info: 01223 516662 or www.lambretta.co.uk

Never miss an issue 8 | SCOOTERING | MARCH 2018

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KICKSTART

TESTED KEIS PREMIUM HEATED VEST V501

Well it was a cold one on the Yorkshire Dales this winter, so one item I was very pleased to be testing was the all-new Keis Premium Heated Vest. With temperatures dropping into the sub-zero category, this bit of kit really proved its worth. Complete with its strategically positioned heat-panels on chest and kidney areas, and a flexible 12v Dual-Power for use anywhere anytime, it really did the business. The vest comes with a free heat controller included (valued at £34.99) and all the necessary wiring to plug into a DC setup.

Though for me, I didn’t want to start running wires etc. everywhere, so instead used the optional extra battery pack which slipped into the vest… and meant I was warm both on AND off the scooter. The battery pack lasts up to two hours on the lower setting, was light and discreet, and plugs neatly into any USB charger for quick top ups. The battery also has a charge indicator so you know how much juice is left in the pack. This vest is the business as far as I’m concerned and got me through some cold miles, much happier and more comfortable than ever before. Highly recommended.

Price: £149.95. What’s included: Keis Premium Heated Vest V501, vehicle supply loom, instructions, heat controller.

For more info: www.keisapparel.co.uk

TESTED BRIDGESTONE HOOP Since completing a ‘full range’ tyre review last year, I have been happily using one of my more favoured tyres (Michelin City Grips) for the remainder of the season so these Bridgestones would have a tough act to follow! With the Michelins being quite a standard looking tyre, it was nice to return to something that looked far more aggressive and sporty, meaning these will also tick all the boxes for the street racer contingent! I was not too sure what to expect performance wise as I can’t say I've ever really seen Bridgestone as a big player in the classic scooter market before. That said Bridgestone

is obviously a huge player in the wider tyre market and has clearly brought into play its masses of experience and expertise with these tyres.

I’m always conscious to rub the ‘sheen’ off before going into corners with new tyres fitted, however I was quickly taking on corners at speed as the tyres inspired confidence.

The profile itself was nice and balanced in its curvature, allowing you to ‘tip in’ and lean without feeling any of ‘that wobble’ as you overdo it and go off the tread like it’s a cliff face! The tyre performed well in both wet and dry conditions, making it a good all-rounder, though for such a

sporty tyre it would have been nice to have seen a higher speed rating than 62mph.

Although this isn’t the end of the world, it is a nice to have, particularly as scooters only seem to be getting quicker! All in all these

Bridgestone tyres were a good performer at every level, inspired confidence when cornering, were stable in both wet and dry conditions, and all at a reasonable price of £33.

For more info: www.bridgestone.co.uk

ANNOUNCES THE ELECTRIC START SYSTEM FOR THE LAMBRETTA Supertune has announced a new electric start system for the Lambretta. Using the latest 3D scanning technology, and after several years of development and engineering, an easy start system has become a reality. Innocenti itself briefly flirted with the idea back in the 50s, producing one for a short period on the LD model. Even the very last Spanish Jet200

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models had a system fitted, the trouble was they were too bulky and unreliable.

Supertune has taken a different approach to the problem and ironed out not just the reliability issue but also made it more compact and easier to fit. The starter motor is now neatly tucked away and protected from the elements, being encased inside the fan cowl. With an

improved stator plate design and revised electrics, the extra power needed for the motor is easily delivered without straining the lighting circuit. The result is a compact system that makes starting your Lambretta effortless and easier than ever before. This is just one of several new developments from Supertune.

For more info: www.supertune.org

Substance vs style: what’s in a name?

Branding of a product is essential when it comes to getting maximum impact through advertising, but just how dynamic does it need to be?

E

ver since aftermarket scooter products became available they’ve been subject to some sort of branding, usually in the form of an elaborate name to make them stand out. Often the more dynamic a product sounded the more attention it got… regardless of what it actually did! Don’t get me wrong, if a product was no good it got found out, but more than likely, long after it sold well just from name alone!

So, how important is it to get the name right? A good example is the AF Rayspeed kits; both the TS1200 and RB225 sounded good before anyone even saw them. Their quality and performance proved to be good, but would they have sold so well if they were just called ‘aluminium performance cylinder’? The kits produced by Tino Sacchi were named after race tracks in Italy and the names just oozed exotica. The ‘Imola 186’ – perfect. But what if it had been named ‘Oulton Park Kit’? Or if the ‘Super Monza’ had perhaps been called the ‘Great Knockhill’. Somehow, I don’t think they would have sold so well.

Branding isn’t just associated with performance products, even mundane items like seats, such as Super Corsa or the ever popular Snetterton, are subject to the same treatment. Manufacturers themselves led the way on branding.

Piaggio’s Vespa range sounded pretty dull until the GS came along. Even more than 60 years later the GS name is still loved.

More notable was what the Lambretta Concessionaires did back in the 1960s, by successfully rebranding three Innocenti models. The new names of Pacemaker,

GT200 and Grand Prix all gave maximum impact. There’s no doubt the name change in the UK, to Grand Prix instead of the rather dull DL, was a masterstroke. At a time when scooter sales were struggling the new name, combined with performance, worked as a winning formula to help boost sales.

There have been cases where the name, luckily, hasn’t mattered quite so much.

When Piaggio introduced its best sports model ever, the T5, it sounded rather mundane. This was an example of where the product was actually so good that the name wasn’t important. For a manufacturer, while the name is important, at the end of the day it’s the mass-marketing of a product which finally gets it noticed. This is the advantage they have over a smaller company or entrepreneur who doesn’t have the big budgets. For them the name is ultra important in ensuring maximum impact is achieved.

In the scooter scene though, regardless of what a company or individual is selling, an appealing name seems to be expected or even demanded. This is more prevalent when it comes to performance products.

Looking back to the 1980s the term ‘stage tuning’ defined how a product could get noticed. Tuners soon exploited this with the most popular being stages four, five or the fabled stage six. Stage six meant you were getting the most powerful engine possible, even if it didn’t live up to expectations. If you could tell fellow scooterists you had a stage six engine in your Lambretta it gave you kudos that nothing else could. Of course, trends change and the introduction kits such as

Too many times in the past products in the scooter industry have failed to deliver, but lured customers through the brand name alone.

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the TS1 signalled a shift in how products would be branded in future. With more companies vying for a share in the scooter scene, getting the name right is vitally important – making sure their product is noticed in what is such a crowded market place.

But as a consumer, it’s imperative to be certain a product does what it says, regardless of how impressive it sounds.

Too many times in the past products in the scooter industry have failed to deliver, having lured customers through the brand name alone. Thankfully, those days are largely behind us, and with many ‘tried n tested’ reviews now available, the products seem to be getting better each year… even the ones without big budgets or snazzy names! An example of this was the recent Quattrini 210 kit, not exactly an exciting name, but rather than just get a test kit and say ‘this is what we think’… in the first part of the review Scootering went straight to source and dealt with kit developer Max Quattrini to get full tech specs straight from the horse’s mouth.

Next a dual road test from riders with polar opposite requirements took place, as well as an interview with the engine builder Martin Cook. Hopefully, this sort of testing should result in a reduction in the number of garages full of unwanted purchases which have failed to live up to expectations, not to mention their snazzy names!