Time for business Peaky Blinders
Lambretta
AmeriVespa
2017
Antics
NEW! Lambretta performance
series
#377 November 2017
Ride it like
Rossi
Classy #46 Custom Street Racer
Lad ’n’ Dad Young scooterist
doing it his way
PLUS
Latest m reports fro oT, Mersea,mW be & Woolaco ! Brighton
Destination: Vespa City VCB Belfast 2018 guide ■ latest news ■ Undercover V Festival and Brighton Mod Weekender review ■ Carnaby Scooters interview ■ Cadwell race report ■ Scooter Trader ■ Events Guide ■ Your scooters 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 42 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £49.20. Export rates are also available – see page 42 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 (December 2017) is Thursday, November 2, 2017 On sale in newsagents Thursday, November 23, 2017 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 November edition of Scootering
O
kay, okay… I’ll get the bad news out of the way now. To all the ‘hardcore classic enthusiasts’: there’s a news item on electric scooters over the page. If the reception Euro 4 compliant machines receive is anything to go by, the two-stroke crowd will be fuming about this… even more than usual! The styling of said machine is clearly Vespa-retro based, albeit a somewhat Frankenstein mish-mash. But the end result however, ain’t all that bad – visually at least. I guess if the pricing, performance and range all add up, they will actually become very popular mainstream vehicles in the future; maybe not so much to the classic scooter crowd, but certainly to the general public. This of course doesn’t affect our path here at Scootering, or our focus on the traditional machines… but it does lead into an interesting question. For all the years rally-goers have been quoted in the magazine as saying ‘we need young blood in the scene to keep it alive’, did they ever stop to question on what terms this new ‘young bl d’ would blood’ ld be b accepted? t d?
Suppose a whole new generation of young rally going scooterists arrived on electric ‘retro styled’ machines, the rally was buzzing and a great vibe was created… would anyone object? Would anyone look down their noses at the new arrivals? Would they be deemed an abomination by classic enthusiasts? Something to think about I suppose, next time you are stood at the bar and the crowd looks a bit sparse. On another note, I’m going to have to use the C-word for a minute I’m afraid… yes, Christmas. Check out out our festive subscription offer on page 42 – we have a new T-shirt as a FREE gift. It’s available in either Vespa or Lambretta versions and if you want one, and your spouse/kids are lacking in ideas for a present… just shove the advert under their noses and give them the ‘knowing nod of approval’. It’s a cracking design and available to all new subscribers this Christmas. 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 © 2017 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.
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.
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!
Jordan Lewis Hard-riding, rally going scooterist representing the Young Guns SC. He might be young in years, but this lad has already covered more miles than most and represents his club at the BSRA meetings.
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 November issue of Scootering.
06Kickstart
The front section with all the latest news, views and product reviews!
14
Time for business
Meticulous Peaky Blinders-themed custom scooter – drawing inspiration from the owner’s son.
22
REPORT: Mersea Island Rally
Dave O brings us four page of fun from Mersea.
27
REPORT: WoT Rally
Stu Smith gets neck deep in the action at Weston-on-Trent.
33
REPORT: Woolacombe Rally
New girl Serena Chamberlain does the SWSC National in style.
41Mailbox 42Subscriptions
Readers’ letters and feedback.
Buy one now, get your mag delivered to the door, earlier than newsstands, and save money!
44Lad ’n’ Dad
Has the student now become the master? Scootering meets Ben Finlay to find out.
69Dealer Profile
Stan takes a trip to Carnaby Scooters to investigate their wide choice of products, services and scooters.
Addicts – 73Scooter AmeriVespa 2017
Penni Gladstone gives us the highs and lows of her exciting time on the AmeriVespa ride.
79Vespa Heaven
It’s over a decade since Mauro Pascoli opened his museum, Stan takes a trip to see what’s new.
82Club Do’s & Events
Your essential guide to the scene – what, where and when!
88
Undercover V Festival
Sarge goes undercover to report on this dream event, and brings us a little extra from Geno Washington.
Words 93Scootering & Sounds
The best of words and music as reviewed by Nik and Sarge.
94Brighton Mod Weekender Not your usual run of the mill rally, we take a look at this VERY successful Mod event.
Torque: Lambretta 100Tech Performance review
Stu Owen, one of the UKs most successful scooter sprinters, starts his new winter series on Lambretta performance
50Show us your scoots
105Race Report: Cadwell
52Project Lieblingsstück
109Retrospective Allstate
The best of our readers rides as sent in by you.
CTP-built, Pinasco-endorsed engine in this ‘fashionable’ street racer.
Paul Green brings us the season Grand Finale and all its excitement.
Stan looks at ‘Little Red’ an Allstate Vespa lovingly brought to life by Retrospective Scooters
– Destination 56Chinatown Vespa City 114Scooter Trader A pictorial insight into Vespa culture from a faraway land.
62VWD Belfast 2018
Stan continues his guide to the when, where and why for next year’s big event.
Wildest Scooter 65The Racer – Dave Tooley
Stu Owen takes a look back at the career of former Wildcat-sponsored racer, Dave Tooley.
4 | SCOOTERING | NOVEMBER 2017
128
Your sales and classifieds section – including Specialist Services and At a Glance.
116Ride it like Rossi
One of the nicest Vespa Street Racers we’ve seen in ages, looks good, rides fast, and wins trophies too!
Nostalgic 128Dave’s Custom Corner
This month it’s Time, Trouble and Money – a true classic.
Never miss from only £20 an issue Subscribe today on page 42
94
14
56 WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 5
KICKSTART SHE’S ELECTRIC CLASSIC, MANUAL GEARED, TWO-STROKE ENTHUSIASTS… LOOK AWAY NOW!
S
cooter based electric transportation is now available via SSC and, the firm says, the world will be a better, cleaner and quieter place as a result. SSC has been involved in building electric scooters on a small scale, for their own interest, for over 10 years now. Previous designs have been based around converting classic Italian scooters which were branded as VTronic and EBretta. Ex-Brit and company owner Pat Joynt firmly believes now is the right time to step into series production of affordable quality electric scooters. He tells us: “The ethos behind our Buzz 1 model is based upon our passion. We have drawn inspiration aesthetically from designs of 50+ years ago – automotive design has lost some of its freedom over the years as manufacturing techniques have changed and mechanical packaging of fossil fuelled vehicles has standardised. “One of the wonderful attributes of electric vehicles is the freedom of design available. There is no longer the need to have a fuel tank, an engine, a gearbox, a drive train, an exhaust system, and a cooling system – all of which take up a lot of space – and the placement of these systems is not so flexible. While we have nodded in respect to designs past, we firmly gaze forward in terms of technology and connectivity. The end result is a retro modern design which has an innate beauty and simplicity.” It’s an interesting concept, and if the reception four-stroke autos received is anything to go by, this new-fangled
6 | SCOOTERING | NOVEMBER 2017
technology will have the two-stroke purists hopping mad… maybe. The base scooter’s dry weight is 82kg, full charge in six hours, fast charge 80% in 12 minutes, with optional 50W solar panels (+30km), Lithium-ion phosphate battery (twin battery option will be available) and hydraulic disc brakes front and rear. Bodywork specs: Vinylester weather and corrosion proof glass fibre GRP bodyshell with a steel tubular chassis. Motor options: The initial production will concentrate on 1000/1200 and 3000W
motor options. i To order, T d iin the h ffuture, SSC will also offer a 5000W brushless hub motor option. Performance: 1000w 55kph 2000w 80kph 3000w 90kph 5000w 120kph (0-100kph, four seconds) The scooter is coming soon in early 2018, are pre-orders will be available shortly. Interested national distributors should contact Pat at SSC for more details: info@saigonscootercentre.com
PARASCOOTERISTS
Imminent rally, ride and race dates
October 28-30: Bridlington National Rally with Trade & Custom Show. November 11: Pontefract SC End of Season Bash & Rally The Ambience, Pontefract. Tel. Mick 07508 108149. November 17-20: VFM* Great Eastern. Mablethorpe, Lincs. November 25: Scorcher, 17th Anniversary The Irish Centre, Digbeth B12 0LN. November 26: Walsall Parts Fair Bloxwich Leisure Centre WS3 2DA. Kev Walsh 07966 265588 December 3: Peanut Duck, Trade Show, Dunstable.
Members of the Vespa Club of Britain’s Sheffield branch have raised an incredible £6129 by throwing themselves out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft. The parachute jump, which took place on May 14, was in support of Bluebell Wood, a local children’s hospice. The team which comprised Mick Comer and Graham Seal, together with Steve Kirkland and his daughter Stacey, recently presented the cheque to the hospice. Gail Parkin, community fund-raiser at the hospice and a keen scooterist herself, said: “We would like to thank Steve, Stacey, Graham and Michael for taking part in the skydive, they have worked so hard to raise this amazing amount. We have received some tremendous support from our local scooter community in recent years and we would like to thank them once again for their generosity. It was a pleasure welcoming them back here to Bluebell Wood.” www.bluebellwood.org
NEW VESPA SMALL FRAME CASING We’re told Pinasco’s engine casings for Vespa Small Frame are now available in two versions. The company says: “A ‘Slave Naked’ version with reedvalve blanking plate for ‘cylinder intake lovers’ and a ‘Slave 8X’ version with Pinasco eight-petal reedvalve pack. Both models use a bigger crankshaft, a roller cage and oil seal on gear selector, bigger bearings, extra supports on critical points and, for the first time on a Vespa engine casing, the Pinasco removable gear
system. The Pinasco casings for Vespa Small Frame are compatible with all current Vespa racing cylinder kits and exhausts on the market without substantial modifications. Product name: Vespa Small Engine Casing Item: 26482027 Engine Casing Slave Naked or 26482030 Engine Casing Slave 8X Suitability: Vespa Small Frame For more info: www.pinasco.com
CHEEKY CALENDAR FOR A GOOD CAUSE Members of MRRSC have bared all in a cheeky bid to raise money for charity. The idea originated when thinking of something different no other scooter club had done to raise cash. The members stripped off and straddled their scooters using a variety of props to hide their modesty, from Christmas baubles to Halloween capes and St Paddy hats. Thirteen club members participated in the shoot which took place in club member
Daz Booth’s back garden, the loss of his wife and club member Wendy, aged 50, inspired us to do the calendar to raise cash for Macmillan Nurses, and local charity Dollar for Dawson – raising money to help an 18 month boy with liver cancer. Lizzie Orridge a local photographer donated her time and expertise for free for the shoot and Linney Print has printed the calendars for free. Luckily on the day the
sun was shining – so the lads didn’t mind getting their kit off! Good fun was had by us all, which culminated in a barbecue, having a few beers and a bit of a boogie. We also included text on the calendar in memory of Carla Incerti Fisher, who sadly lost her four year fight against cancer in May aged 38. The calendars cost £7.99 each. To buy one, contact Steph via email at: steph.adkins@sky.com
WWW.SCOOTERING.COM | 7
KICKSTART
Product spotlight A HARDY BIT OF KIT
DENIM ON TEST
The Hardy is a classically styled wax cotton jacket from Oxford products. It comes with a removable and washable thermal liner, Includes CE approved shoulder and elbow protectors, and has provision for CE back protector, popper secured cuffs and collar with storm flap. Price: £189.95 For more info: www.oxfordproducts.com
As Stan continues to crunch the miles, Draggin has added a pair of Revz jeans to his wardrobe. Featuring Draggin’s latest lining, the Jeans offer an incredible 70m of slide protection. Made from silicone coated high stretch denim, the jeans offer comfort and safety in a lightweight package. UK prices are around £185, which is much less expensive than a skin graft! www.dragginjeans.net
XCP RUST BLOCKER AND ONE SPRAY With the winter rebuild season just around the corner XCP Professional has provided a set from its Professional range. The ‘Red One’ is pitched as a modern replacement for our traditional toolbox friend – being a lubricant, loosener and water dispersal agent. Its formula has been tested by the AA and now XCP’s carried by all their patrols. The XCP rust blocker should find a home with fans of rusteraton as even with the thinnest of layers it will protect against corrosion. When the pack arrived, Stan politely pointed out that scooters don’t have chains that need external lubrication but Scott Sutherland, XCP’s managing director and brains behind the product range pointed out that it was perfect for lubricating cables. We’ll be putting these claims to the test over the winter as Stan’s P2 undergoes a rebuild. www.xcp-protection.com
FRICTION FREE CABLES! VE (UK) has great news for Lambretta owners looking for a high quality, friction free cable set for their machine. The new Italian manufactured cable sets are Teflon lined to allow for free, unhindered movement and are available with either a grey or black casing. Each set includes two gear cables, clutch cable, front brake cable, rear brake cable, choke cable, and speedo cable. Suitable for Lambretta GP, LI Series 3, SX, and TV Series 3 scooters. More info at: www.ve-uk.com
Never miss an issue 8 | SCOOTERING | NOVEMBER 2017
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KICKSTART LAMBRETTA TRICK BITS FROM JPP Just landed at VE are these new trick bits for Lambretta owners from JPP Lambretta. They’re high quality CNC machined parts designed and manufactured to be a direct replacement for the original items. Parts available include: gear linkage kit, extended engine breather, magnetic drain plug, throttle pulley, gear pulley, handle bar end bush, mag wire plates with grommet, and three bolt rear hub lock plate. Choose from seven fantastic anodised colours: black, blue, gold, green, orange, red, or silver. All items are compatible with Lambretta Series 1, 2, and 3 with the exception of the handlebar end bush and 3 bolt rear hub lock plate which are Series 3 and GP only. More info at: www.ve-uk.com
THE NK ROAD – AN UNDERRATED CHOICE? Despite coming out on top in the Scootering magazine dyno shootout several years ago, scooterists have often approached this particular exhaust with a degree of caution. I’ve never quite managed to put my finger on why this was the case; maybe it was the lack of sexy marketing or maybe the fact it came in a bare metal finish... who knows? AF Rayspeed has now contracted another exhaust manufacturer to produce its pipes, and as a result the styling has been brought straight into the 21st century. I purchased the coated black option, with a gloss black end can and boy does it look good! They now also come with a handy rubber slip joint cover to stop the annoying spitting of burnt two-stroke oil spewing onto your panels. On and off I’ve been using an NK since I first entered the world of Lambrettas. However, like everyone else I often fancy a change or simply get caught up in the latest marketing storm when a new exhaust is released. But I always find myself reaching for the spanners to refit the NK before long. What I’ve always liked is the versatility of the NK, it kind of just works with whatever set up it’s bolted onto. This is a robust, versatile pipe that performs well and for a relatively palatable RRP of £295. More info: 01944 710693
NEW CARBURETTOR OPTIONS Choosing a performance carburettor can often be a tricky affair with so many offerings on the market today. VE (UK) stocks a great range of Keihin type universal 2T carbs, which are available in 24mm, 28mm, and 30mm. The rubber mounted carbs are suitable for fitment to any 2T machine, particularly Vespa and Lambretta scooters that are being tuned. They’re supplied with carb rubber, fuel hose and clips, and jubilee clips. Of particular note is that the 24mm version uses a 28/30mm carb rubber increasing the number of inlet manifolds to choose from. More info at: www.ve-uk.com
PINASCO VESPA RALLY 215CC CYLINDER KIT Pinasco has expanded its range of cylinder kits with the 215cc for Vespa Rally 180. The kit is similar to the classic 215cc but with a few changes which increase performance. The cylinder kit is easily replacement for the original item and it doesn’t require any modification to the other original parts, except the larger exhaust pipe which needs changing to either the PX 200 original exhaust, or modification of the standard manifold. Pinasco says "the new cylinder kit for Vespa Rally 180 gives excellent performance and unique driving feeling." Item: 26031906 For more info: www.pinasco.com
10 | SCOOTERING | NOVEMBER 2017
SEPERATED AT BIRTH
The Lambretta and Vespa were launched within a year of each other but whichever one you chose often meant total separation from the other.
W
hen launched in the late 1940s, the Vespa and Lambretta shared a common goal: to provide cheap and affordable transport. Each was a direct rival to the other but together they played an important role in gaining a foothold for scooters within the motorcycle industry. Though both brands had their own unique styling and mechanical engineering, they also had many similarities. Step through design, small wheel diameter and a compact engine, just a few of the related features they shared. In a way, they were like twins… working together for the same cause. That may have been the case, but in reality they were rivals and it seemed the owner almost had to pledge some sort of allegiance to whichever brand they chose. It’s difficult to say where this ‘unwritten loyalty’ to one make originally emanated from, but it seems to have stood the test of time. During the 1950s the formation of scooter clubs throughout the country grew rapidly, with some clubs boasting very big memberships. Even so, many of the clubs seemed be made up entirely of either just the Vespa, or just the Lambretta, with a mix of the two being far less common. This unusual phenomenon may have been further encouraged by the fact that both companies introduced their own national clubs: the Vespa Club of Great Britain and British Lambretta Owners Association respectively. The exact reasons for this situation arising remain a mystery, but it’s a situation that has existed right up to the present day. It doesn’t matter which era or decade we look at since the birth of these machines, the split between the two has always been
Vespa and Lambretta, the two most popular makes of scooter in history, but they don’t always share the same allegiance.
prevalent. In the 1980s, with Lambrettas only being available second-hand, many Vespa riders would mock the reliability of them. Likewise Lambretta owners would return comments, more often than not relating to the use of plastic that now made up parts of the Vespa bodywork. It’s true to say a lot of the banter was light-hearted and in a certain way provided balance within the scooter scene in general. The decision of which brand you chose began to gain a little extra depth, in terms of what exactly it was that you wanted from your scooter. If it was tuning and styling it was suggested that you bought a Lambretta; even though there were rumours of prolific reliability issues, that didn’t seem to matter. If it was a steady, reliable but sometimes mundane touring scooter that would guarantee to get you home, then the Vespa would be your choice of steed. Despite having to make the decision of whether you joined the Vespa or Lambretta
In the 1980s, with Lambrettas only being available second-hand, many Vespa riders would mock the reliability of them.
12 | SCOOTERING | NOVEMBER 2017
camp there has always been the exception to the rule, and those who would want both. To a certain extent, many owners who were loyal to one make secretly desired the other for many of the reasons already outlined. This brings us up to the present day and the dilemma of which one can cater for the modern day scooterist. Owning a Lambretta is fine for general use but when it comes to rallies or long distance touring, let’s face it, the maintenance schedule is high, more so with the tuned models. The simple solution for many is to buy a modern day Vespa to give the reliability needed. This has led to the scenario where being loyal to one make is no longer a priority in certain people’s eyes. In truth I don’t think it matters whether you choose to go down the Vespa or Lambretta route or how loyal you remain to one or the other. Both are important in making up the scooter scene as we know it. The question remains though: what makes people choose a certain make in the first place? It’s a bit like supporting either City or United, who knows? Just to throw the theory out of the window, I have stayed loyal to the Lambretta for over 30 years, but my first scooter was a Vespa…