Andy

Scud missile!

SSR 265

Scootering | #383 May 2018

pocket rocket

test ride

Francis

Gallardo Vespa Butcher Garage

story

creation

The inside

custom clearance

#383 May 2018

s e l l i G t u Sal ero’ Gilles Formula One ‘h T5 a Villeneuve Vesp ute ib ‘Pole Position’ tr

Scootering, always in Pole Position

PLUS: Old Blue RD350YPVS powered

Lambretta inside

FATHER ‘N’ DAUGHTER SCOOTERING BOND NOT A JUST A

FAMILY THING,

A SCOOTER

PLUS

www.scootering.com

THING…

COLD SEASON KICK OFF A GLOWING REPORT FROM A FREEZING EVENT

WHITBY

NATIONAL RALLY REPORT

NEW! ‘Subs Extra’ exclusive benefits for subscribers ■ Scooter Boy Tales from the 80s ■ air-cooled junkie Vespa ■ VCB update ■ tech for beginners ■ readers’ rides ■ Scooter Trader ■ Events Guide and much more …

WELCOME Editor: Dan Clare Email: dan@scootering.com Publisher: Dan Savage Designers: Charlotte Turnbull, Justin Blackamore and Fran Lovely 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 (June 2018) is Thursday, May 3, 2018 On sale in newsagents Thursday, May 24, 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

Welcome to the May edition of Scootering

O

kay, firstly… thank you for all the positive messages we have received regarding the new Scootering Extra subs club. The response has been, and continues to be, overwhelming. We are delighted to be able to offer all the extra content, digital back issue archives, exclusive prizes, discounted scooter products and insurance to you… and we are even more delighted at the manner in which it’s been received. That speaks volumes to us, so we will continue to develop Scootering Extra on an ongoing basis, to make sure it remains the success it is now, for as far into the future as possible. Next item of business is the test rides we’ve been doing this month; the SSR 265 from JB was a real eye opener for Stan, and now aptly named the ‘Scud missile’. Thankfully the SSR 265 test ride was done well in advance of press day, so made it into this issue. The same couldn’t be said of the Scomadi test rides our team undertook, with TT, 250

geared, 300 and 400cc variants being offered to us by Frank Sanderson, which were completed later than expected, so we’ve had to push those back until next month. The last thing for me to mention, before you dive into the rest of the mag, is a simple ‘nod’ to the fabulous work coming out of Butcher Garage in Russia. Last month we gave you a flavour of their premises and the team who work there, and alluded to some of the projects we had to share with you. So in this edition we have the Gallardo Vespa feature starting on page 44, the scooter itself having been built in… well, what can only be described as unusual circumstances! The other scooter we have this month is the Scrambler collaboration between SIP and Butchers. We held that feature to a single page, and reserved the rest for Scootering Extra, so as not to limit the number of images used, and they are spectacular indeed. 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 guy. 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

62A lasting impression

06Kickstart

70Precious Metal

A warm welcome to the May issue of Scootering. The upfront section with all the latest news, views and product reviews!

14Rossa revisited

The epitome of 80s super-cool, the RD350YPVS engine, shoehorned into this craftily engineered Lambretta chassis – Old Blue.

24Show Report: Wet-by

Did we mention it was cold? Whitby kicks off the first National, and despite the inclement weather, it was a great start to the season.

Report: VMSC 29Show Extravaganza

Stu Smith has a ride out to bring us the latest from the VMSC at their flagship event.

Having just completed his ‘father ’n’ son’ scooterist trilogy, Stu was delighted to discover this father ’n’ daughter story…

There’s a number of ways to clean off years of road grime and thanks to BAW Coatings, Scootering magazine can now offer another – powdered gemstones.

74Dealer Focus: Supertune

Supertune is in new hands again, so Stan reports on what’s planned for one of British scootering’s iconic brands…

79Reader’s Ride

Stu revisits this classic custom chopper, Dream Warrior, to find out what updates have been carried out since our last look.

89Club Do’s & Events

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

Report: Kev Walsh Words 33Show Parts Fair 93Scootering & Sounds We meet up with Kev as he battles with the logistics of the weather at Wicksteed.

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

38Mailbox

95Uncontrollable Soul

40Subscriptions

99Loyal to the Lambretta

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

Get your mag delivered to the door, earlier than newsstands, and save money… cool. Plus – gain access to all the benefits of the NEW ‘Scootering Extra’ subs-club.

42

Show Us Your Scoots

44

Gallardo Vespa

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

Rik travels to Russia and meets up with our pals at Butchers Garage, to marvel at this wondrous customs clearance creation.

Ride: Scud Missile 51Test SSR 265

We send Captain Slow (Stan) to test ride the new SSR 265 built by JB Tuning. He’s not a pocket rocket fan by nature, so how will he fare on this veritable missile of a scooter?

56

Air-Cooled Junkie

That annoying Frog – the ring tone, not Macron – put into paint on this custom Vespa. Not just cool, air-cool.

4 | SCOOTERING | MAY 2018

136

Love conquers all, or so they say, but especially when it’s accompanied by the gift of a GT200.

Never miss from only £20 an issue Subscribe today on page 40

One of the scene’s more colourful, and active, characters is the well-known Andy Francis. We catch up with him as he tells his story.

Tech Torque: Common 113 mistakes and how to avoid them

99

Lambretta guru, Stu Owen, shows us some of the more common maintenance mistakes, and tells us how we can avoid them like the plague.

Tech Torque: Essential scooter repairs with Stu Owen No need to chew up your sprocket components in fitting, Stu explains all.

104

SUBS CLUB!

Not a subscriber? You’ll wish you were now, with our new club making it just too juicy and fruitful to resist. Check out the advert on page 104.

105

A word from the VCB

The history of cogs from the VCB, as part of our new and ongoing Vespa Club updates.

Pre-season 109BSSO shakedown

Paul Green checks out the pre-season test days, and brings us the team scoops to be expected for the 2018 race season.

118Pole Position

When Mark Mitchell decided to create a tribute to his Formula One hero Gilles Villeneuve there was only one choice of machine, Piaggio’s Vespa T5.

127Scooter Trader Nostalgic 136Dave’s Custom Corner

All the sales and classifieds.

Nostalgia master Dave Oakley pulls out another stunning blast from the past – this month it’s Diamond Dogs.

138Reader’s Ride

Our favourite road ridden scooter this month – it’s always something special.

24

79

62 WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 5

KICKSTART

AF Clo5e Ratio Gearbox Spec Update Two Group 6 race bikes managed to break their gear selectors while using AF Rayspeed Clo5e Ratio boxes at the Mallory race track in March. Both of the bikes concerned are in the 40-45bhp region and were on the track when the failures occurred. AF Rayspeed’s product testing had involved a season’s racing in a Group 6 engine (approx 35bhp) and a 4500mile hard road test in a 28bhp engine, plus several unusual event tests (slamming the bike into first gear at 50 and 80mph etc.) Based on that experience, AF does not believe that fast road use in 30bhp engines would be likely to result in a failure (one of the Group 6 race riders is still running a Clo5e Ratio in his RB25 road bike and is 3000 miles in). Since then, AF has been working alongside the manufacturer to inspect the damaged gearbox from the race bikes. They have found the cause of the failure, assessed a number of design solutions and organised

production of a replacement selector. Based on the previous testing, they reiterate the point that they do not believe there is an immediate danger in running the gearboxes in road bikes. On that basis they intend to continue to run the Clo5e Ratio boxes in their own bikes, until the replacement selector is available. As 1 soon as the new design is available they will offer to replace all the original design selectors with the new version. To that end, they will require the original selector back in exchange for the new selector, or alternatively you will be able to purchase the new selector and get a full refund on the purchase price when they receive the original back. The manufacturer has placed a high priority on this new design, allowing it to jump the normal production schedule.

ONTEST

AF expects the replacement selectors in circa the beginning of June. Here is a brief explanation of the design change: picture 1 shows the original design of the selector compared to the new design (picture 2). The weak points in the original are the reliefs at the base of the selector legs. In the new design shown in picture 2 you can see the reliefs have been filled in, and where the selector legs join the selector ring there is now a larger radii. The diameter of the centre of the selector ring has been increased and the metallurgy has been altered. These changes increase the integrity of the selector ring, reducing the focus of the stress points, 2 increasing the material thickness and increasing the material core strength. AF will also supply shorter gear pawls with the new selector to accommodate the increase in selector ring diameter. Initially these may be modified standard pawls, but will be manufactured to spec in the future.

The new season’s upon us and Stan’s found some new goodies. We’ll let you know how they survive once he’s got some miles in. GIVE YOUR ELBOW THE ELBOW

If room under your panel’s too tight for an inline filter and your elbow filter’s sucking away horsepower, a panel filter is probably the solution you’re looking for. Fresh in stock at Chiselspeed are filters to fit TMX 28mm/VHST 30mm and TMX 35mm/PHBH 28 and 30mm. Priced at £13.95 plus p&p the foam filter seals against a Lambretta side-panel keeping junk out of the engine while minimising power loss. RRP £13.95 www.chiselspeed.co.uk

6 | SCOOTERING | MAY 2018

Subs Club

Fundraising fun day out Samantha Gibson, a scooterist who lost her hand and wrist due to injury, is trying to raise money for a new bionic hand. The hand, which will cost £30,000, will help her get back to work and hopefully ride a scooter again. Sam’s fellow scooterists from Shrewsbury Severnside Lions SC, and other scooterists, are doing a fundraising ride of the five counties, on scooters covering 634 miles over three days (May 25-27). All donations to this cause will be appreciated.

They’re also having a fun day on July 8. Anyone who would like to make donation can read about Sam’s story here: www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/givesamahand and those wishing to join in the ride or attend the fun day, where a Lambretta (see picture) will be raffled off as a prize, towards the fundraising total, can contact Sam for further details here: sam.gibson15@ googlemail.com

This month, subscribers can log on and enter our exclusive competition to win a Corazzo jacket courtesy of VE. Also, those looking for special deals and discounts on scooter products can see the offers we have from VE on Mitas tyres, Leo Vince exhausts, Polini PX177 cylinder kits, Casa 200ss cylinder kits and Actif screens, with up to 25% off selected items. There are also insurance discounts available from both Lexham and Bikesure, and we have a scoop from Butchers Garage on their new SIP scooter scrambler – read more about that on page 10. Subscribers simply log on at: www.scootering.com/extra

FLIP FRONT FIRST

Promising to be revolutionary on two fronts is AGV’s Sportmodular carbon fibre helmet. While the manufacturers claim that it “rewrites the rule book”, being the first flip front helmet that’s safe, light and compact, it’s also the first time Stan’s tried anything other than a full face. He’s not a man who likes too much change so expect a frank opinion… RRP £599.99 www.agv.com

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER, STAN

Having been very impressed with Furygan’s Blazer gloves, Stan’s giving their Vulcain 3 EN 1 Jacket a run for its money. Promising exceptional breathability combined with a waterproof shell, it’s supplied with D3O CE approved protectors for elbows and shoulders. Furygain claims that it’s a jacket for people who are “too demanding”; sounds like it’s for scooterists in general! RRP £309.99 www.nevis.uk.com

WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 7

KICKSTART

GPS Universal Solution

T

he benefit of fitting a sat-nav goes far beyond artificially improving your sense of direction, a good sat-nav can act as an accurate speedo, provide you with information on distance to the next fuel stop and display up-todate journey stats – all of which can prove very useful on long rides! The two major problems scooter riders face when it comes to fitting a sat-nav are how to mount it and how to power. Both of these issues are relatively simple to solve, but there is no single ‘off the shelf’ solution which is universally applied. I decided a sat-nav was a must after the YGSC tour round the Low Countries; my old school taped-to-the-headset directions were great until we needed to get to the specific location. I did not want to suffer the same woes again, so fitted a GPS. Dedicated motorcycle sat-navs are very expensive, so instead I had been looking for ways to integrate one of the many high quality and good value car systems available. The power issue is more pronounced on non-battery AC models, like most Lambrettas. Looking for a simple and cheap solution I used one of the nifty BGM regulators with the DC trickle. All you need to do is run a length of wire from the regulator, along the frame to the feed for the battery and earth appropriately. I’ve located mine behind the legshield spare wheel holder. A toolbox can also double up as a great location for the battery, particularly as it has the flat surface on top in which to mount a 12V socket.

Universal GPS mount kit with Navi RRP £49 approx.

However, I was keen to retain the spare wheel so I sourced a Rally Master style dash (from K2 Customs) on which to mount the 12V socket. It’s important to use a high quality case and mount. Cheap eBay ones can often be flimsy and move under the strains of riding. Old scooters and the amount of vibration they produce can be quite challenging for many parts and accessories. I have opted for the universal case produced by SW Motech and, I have to say, it is excellent. It uses a ‘Ram Arm’

BGM AC/DC regulator RRP £25 approx.

www.sw-motech.com

Never miss an issue 8 | SCOOTERING | MAY 2018

www.scooter-center.com

system, which has two ‘ball mounts’ (one on the case and one on the scooter) and a clamp arm to form a sturdy fixing between the two. The arm is clamped via a quick release screw mechanism, allowing for this to be released easily. The kit comes with several of the ‘ball mounts’ with different adapters to allow these to be attached in several different places, according to the rider’s preference. I supplemented the kit with a swingarm bracket attached to the master cylinder on the disc brake; the SW Motech kit comes with a ‘ball mount’ suitable for these. The end result is a very sturdy piece of kit that does not move from vibration or the wind. The case itself comes with a selection of handy features: for example, several foam pads that can be placed inside the case allowing the GPS Unit to fit snug against the case. What I really liked about this was the Velcro straps that held it all in place and reduced fiddling while zipping the unit together. The case’s peak is made of a sturdy material and does not flex easily, meaning that it effectively reduces the glare from the sun. The last thing you want is to be straining to see the unit while riding! Although it’s one of those upgrades that takes a little effort and a little imagination, it’s definitely worthwhile. After a long hard ride, there’s nothing better than just simply knowing where your digs are! Jordan

from only

£20

Subscribe today on page 40

KICKSTART

Scootering scoops ‘SIP Project’ scrambler with Butcher Garage! Scootering went over to Butcher Garage in St Petersburg, Russia to meet up with the lads. It’s a powerhouse of invention and attention to detail, as well as being a brilliant place with characters to match. This superb Vespa Scrambler is a collaboration between Butcher and SIP, and suffice to say… it’s an awesome piece of engineering, using top quality components, executed in a stunning paint finish. The full story is available in our new ‘Scootering Extra’ subs-club – there you can log in and see the full story, read all about the engineering and components, and view the huge selection of hi-res, detailed shots. Subscribers go directly to: www.scootering.com/extra Photographs by: Roman Sokolov, Mitya Ganopolsky Studio, and Rik

ENGINE SPEC • Crankcase: Pinasco ‘Slave’ version powered by Butcher Garage • Racing cylinder: Parmakit TSV 177 • Flowed racing crankshaft: Serie Pro by Worb5 • Carburettor: Keihin PWK 35mm • Reed valve block: Tassinari V-force 4 • Racing air filter: Ramair • Ignition: Malossi VesPower MKII • Input shaft: DRT for SIP Spitfire Road 12-13-17-20 • Driveshaft: Piaggio/DRT ‘PX Lusso’ 57-42-38-35 • Primary driven gear: DRT 68 teeth • Clutch: SIP ‘Cosa 2’ Sport 22 • Pressure plate clutch: SIP • Clutch cover: Piaggio by MMW • Selector box: ‘PX Lusso’ • Engine mounting bush: Plc Corse • Racing exhaust: SIP Performance

10 | SCOOTERING | MAY 2018

Italian or Indian?

Recently a huge debate has resurfaced about whether you should own an Italian or Indian Lambretta. But does it really matter which one you choose?

S

ince the 70s, there’s been the option to own not just an Italian Lambretta but also an Indian one. Innocenti themselves, or technically British Leyland, is responsible for this as it is they who sold the rights of the GP to SIL. It wasn’t until ’78 and the failed attempt by Two Four Accessories to mass market them that ownership in the UK was a real option. Since then, the Indian GP has sometimes been the butt of jokes among Lambretta owners. But is this justifiable? When SIL started Lambretta production in the mid-70s the GP was already out of date technology. The styling and looks were modern but that couldn’t hide the fact that the engineering wasn’t. To the Indian public that didn’t matter – as a developing country, it was the ideal transport solution. By the time it was relaunched in the UK things had moved on considerably. It would appeal to the younger generation and, by a stroke of luck, it was just in time for the ’79 Mod revival, but the same couldn’t be said for the ‘regular consumer’. By then the Japanese revolution was in full swing throughout the motorcycle industry. With their far superior performance and technology, there was no comparison. It didn’t help that the magazines at the time ridiculed and humiliated the Indian GP whenever possible. Reviews would be biased against owning one. Maybe some of those reports did have an effect, even more so if you had just purchased one. The problems didn’t stop there though – there was also the subject of poor reliability. A lot of this had to do with the lighting and the indicator system, which by this time was compulsory. Indicators were a sore point and on a Lambretta, it has to be said, they do look ugly. With the abundance of cheap Italian

12 | SCOOTERING | MAY 2018

Lambrettas still around and most in good condition, there was no need to buy a new one and certainly not one regarded as the poorer cousin. So there lies the answer to why the Indian Lambretta is regarded as inferior or at least where it all started from. Fast forward to the present day and views and opinions on the subject have changed considerably. Good SIL examples are becoming very collectible and now fetch a premium. Gone are the days where owning one was seen as I bit of an embarrassment – they are now regarded as somewhat fashionable. If you do manage to find an untouched SIL Lambretta, then you will find they are not as bad as they were made out to be. The bodywork is a good fit and the panels well made. The frames are robust – even strengthened in certain areas, probably because in India they were subject to a lot of stress from overloading. The engines are durable and reliable, even if they were never upgraded from the Innocenti days. There is a dilemma though and unfortunately, it’s one that still tarnishes Indian Lambretta’s image. During the big boom of scooter ownership post 2000, thousands of second-hand Lambrettas were imported from India. Many of them had been subject to years of abuse and strain. Not intentionally – but because of the harsh environment where they came from. Unfortunately, there were a few entrepreneurs who were keen to cash in on the boom. Many of these battered

Left: Fifty miles from new, this SIL Grand Prix Lambretta is a great example of what is available if you look hard enough. Above: Two Four Accessories advertising campaign from 1978 didn’t do much to capture the public’s imagination.

examples were given a quick makeover and then sold on for vast profit. Many customers who bought them were duped into thinking they were in pristine condition when in fact they were not. They were unable to sell them, such was that bad state many were in, or if they did it was at a hefty loss and this only made the reputation worse. Just to compound the matter even further, many aftermarket manufacturers in India flooded the UK with substandard parts with many not fit for purpose – further tarnishing the image. Over the years it’s been a compound effect, from the bad press in the early days to the poor examples and lack of quality workmanship of the later day examples. Should this put someone off from buying one though? I think not. If you want a genuine SIL example you can find one and as long as it’s been looked after they are well worth buying. If you want a project then buy one of the imports for restoration but be prepared to spend money on getting it right. Many top customs that have been built up from one. The Indian Lambretta will never have the kudos of an Italian one, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good. Far from it and possibly, dare I say, it is now becoming a cult classic?