Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i Scootering

I’d love to say that it’s the result of good planning but in truth it was only when I started work on this edition that I realised it contained two very similar machines. Around 65 years and 375cc separate them, but in many ways both the new Dragster 500 and classic Moto Rumi are cut from the same material. With their foot gear change, limited ‘step through’ space and only-just-there weather protection there’s an argument that neither of them are true scooters, or indeed true motorcycles. In its heyday the Rumi won scooterists over by virtue of its outstanding performance and judging by the number of emails I get asking for updates on its progress, that seems to be the case with the Dragster 500. It’s interesting to note that…

Since its foundation in 1959, Italjet has become known for its innovative, imaginative approach to both motorcycles and scooters. With a 500cc version of the Dragster in development these are interesting times for the company, and Massimo is the man responsible for guiding it into the second quarter of the 21st century. A keen rider and accomplished designer, he welcomed Stan to Italjet’s headquarters just outside Bologna. SC: Italjet’s always struck me as an enthusiast’s brand, do you think that’s correct and if so where does that passion come from? MT: I think that’s the exact truth, I like to say that my family has gasoline pumping through our veins! My grandfather was a Ducati dealer and his enthusiasm rubbed off on to my father, Leopoldo Tartarini. He was…

A scooter for the sporting enthusiast It is some considerable time since we promised our readers a test report on the Rumi Tipo Sport; when originally handed over to us the model was in new condition and during the running-in period, it suffered piston troubles which resulted in much delay. During this time it has become more than ever clear to us that a new Rumi engine requires an exceptionally oil-rich petroil mixture and that running-in mileage for this motor should be in the region of 3000 (miles). We mention this for the benefit of owners of new examples of this delightful machine, for great care taken during this long running-in period is well repaid, boring though it may seem at the time. But better boring than reboring! First impressions…

Anyone that’s been around Lambrettas for a considerable amount of time will remember how much cheaper they used to be. I’m not talking about the days when people were getting them out of a garden shed for a tenner, but around the millennium when even the ‘top’ models were only fetching a couple of grand. To those of us that had been pulling them out of sheds in the 1980s that amount was incomprehensible, and most of us were complaining about the obscene prices they were fetching. Fast forward to 2023 and anyone would snap your right arm off for one at that price. Not only are four-figure sums normal, five-figure prices are routine with some scooters fetching multiples of that. I’m not alone in wondering – where will it…

There can be few scooterists on the planet who haven’t heard of Rimini Lambretta Centre (RLC), and for many a trip to the company’s premises in Poggio Torriana, around 10 miles outside Rimini, is high on their scootering bucket list. I’m no exception and am embarrassed to say that despite having travelled widely around Italy, I’ve never made it to RLC. So, when Marco Pennesi invited me for a behind-the-scenes tour it was too good an opportunity to miss. We’ve all seen images of RLC’s building on YouTube, with exotica being displayed, or more often thrashed, along the road outside. It’s actually situated on a rather bland industrial estate and even on a sunny day, making the brutalist cube the team call home look interesting was a challenge but, once…

COMEDIC CONTINUITY I think I should grow up really – but then again no! I like the fact that I’m still as turned on to a classic Vespa or Lambretta as I always was. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT I had seen clips of the TV series Sister Boniface Mysteries when it first came out, and had a little chuckle at the expense of the programme’s researchers regarding the choice of Vespa model used for the combination that the lead actor rides. This drama is supposedly set in the 1960s, but yet Sister Boniface is riding a P Range (but then again, if we were that picky and precious, we would refuse to watch Quadrophenia due to its many inaccuracies). And at least they have managed to use a classic Vespa.…

RIDING HIGH Being the supreme publicist that he was – and to promote the sales of Vespas from his shop – André Baldet originally intended to climb Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, in Scotland, by scooter. “Originally, I wanted to climb Ben Nevis, but I was told it was so steep in parts that I would need a team to carry it. I wasn’t interested; I wanted to ride all the way, so I chose Snowdon instead. I carried a sand bag on the front to stop it flipping over. I never used the clutch; I just controlled it with the throttle. It was frightening, because I was riding by the side of the railway line at about 4mph with a few thousand feet drop on the other side. It…

So far as the Vespa Club of Britain (VCB) was concerned the wacky races to Switzerland involved around 190 members, from all corners of the UK, who traversed a multitude of different routes to this year’s Vespa World Days (VWD). This is the most prestigious event on the Vespa calendar, where more than 5000 Vespisti from all over the world meet to share their passion of everything Vespa. This year it was to be held in the picturesque town of Interlaken in Switzerland and the majority of VCB members rode their Vespas to the event, sitting astride a healthy mixture of classics and autos. For Tim and I the round trip was 1515 miles covered on our classic scooters, but many others had planned longer adventures. Several had made the…

There could be no better choice of artist to depict Oor Wullie’s comic book style He’s as Scottish as bagpipes, haggis and kilts but for anyone living south of Hadrian’s Wall, we’d better start by introducing Oor Wullie. First penned in 1936, Wullie alongside his pals Fat Bob, Wee Eck and Soapy Souta have been entertaining kids of all ages every week in the Sunday Post newspaper. While his broad Scottish dialect may make him incomprehensible to many, over the decades he’s won a huge following across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England. The gang never grows old and exists in a world of mischief and mayhem with the comic strips telling stories of constant battles with arch nemesis, the local bobby, PC Murdoch. With a pedigree like…

Hey Mickey... To continue Piaggio’s theme of celebrity endorsements that have already included Sean Wotherspoon and Justin Bieber, this year it has rolled back the clock to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 100th anniversary. Before the emails start, we all know this limited edition Mickey Mouse themed Primavera won’t be seen at too many Nationals. However, if it gets people who wouldn’t ordinarily think about two-wheeled transport into their nearest showroom then that has to be a good thing. If you do want to stand out from the crowd the lucky Primaveras to be chosen are, according to the press release, “coloured black, red, white and yellow: the same hues that have characterised Walt Disney’s most famous mouse for decades. The yellow wheels are reminiscent of Mickey Mouse’s shoes, while the black…

Although there were road scooters with bodywork alterations, along with engine and running gear changes during the 1960s and 70s, cutdowns – together with ‘chopped’ scooters – were very much an integral part of the Scooterboy era. It was something anyone with access to a hacksaw, and maybe an angle grinder, could carry out themselves in their shed. It also distanced this new culture from the existing Mod scene; after all nothing screams ‘I’m not a Mod’ more than a matt black cutdown! It was during this era that Carl Hissey, builder and tuner of Hardcore, the trick Lambretta cutdown that’s featured here, first became involved with the scooter scene. The builder, owner, rider It was a Vespa 90 smallframe that introduced Carl to scooter ownership while his first experience…

Whether they’re selling a slightly used auto, an expensive restored classic, or a dream barn find, there are plenty of people out there ready to take scooterists for a ride. There are also lots of genuine sellers and even the occasional bargain to be found, but the art is in separating one from the other. As this is a topic that never seems to go away, now is as good a time as any to set out some golden rules for buying a used scooter. 1: Bargain hunt We live in the age of the internet and that allows anyone, anywhere in the world, to value anything in a fraction of a second. Classic scooters have a global cult following, and that includes Asia. Local enthusiasts out there know the…

NEXT MONTH In next month’s issue: It’s been a long time since we’ve featured an accessorised scooter on the cover but Green Goblin more than makes up for it. Inside we go to the other extreme with an 80s-inspired Lambretta chop and we speak with the creator of more masterpieces than van Gough, the legendary Col Fitzgerald. There’ll be rally reports galore, updates on our PX project and auto fans stand by as we take the latest GTS ‘RST’ 300 out for a spin. All that and so much more in September’s Scootering, on sale Thursday, August 24, which is just in time for the Isle of Wight; we’ll be there, will you?…

CLASSIC SCOOTERIST EVENTS June 16-18, 2023 After such a successful rally it’s only right and proper that all those that contributed to the event’s success are recognised, no matter how big or small the part they played. First off has to be to all at Sleaford Rugby Club for playing hosts and allowing us to put on the whole event. They were extremely flexible in their assistance, especially when faced with the unforeseen civil engineering works taking up part of the entrance area. Both bars did a brisk trade and all the staff deserve praise for the efforts they put in serving hundreds of thirsty rallygoers. The food the club provided was top notch and excellent value, so thank you to Dave’s Kitchen. We also have to thank Marvellous Marquees…

Hosting Euro Lambretta is always a challenge, but the Lambretta Club of Great Britain (LCGB) has had more than the usual number of hurdles to cross. Despite having their booking confirmed for some time, it came as something of a shock to members of the organising committee when, late last year, they were informed that the venue in Peterborough was no longer available. Faced with the option of cancelling or finding another site at short notice, the committee pulled out all the stops. A slight change in date and a move slightly north to the Lincolnshire Showground meant that the show could go on, albeit with a few changes to the well-established Euro Lambretta format. All inclusive Although there had been some online mutterings about the £103 admission price, this…

When the Moto Rumi scooter is mentioned, it’s often referred to as a twin-cylinder racing machine that was fast for its time. That’s very true, but the story behind it and how it achieved that reputation is far more intriguing and complicated than would be expected. None of the story is straightforward; from its creation by the most unorthodox route to its demise. It’s a machine surrounded by mythology but during its short tenure it indisputably became a sporting legend. Sculpting a piece of art Born in 1906, Donnino Rumi aspired to become an artist from an early age. He had a natural talent for both painting and sculpture, the latter of which is important to the Rumi story. Despite studying art in his late teens, he began working at…

Rideouts are nothing new and not solely a UK phenomenon. Having said that, scootering in certain parts of the world hasn’t ever been as much of a leisure-based activity. This was largely because scooters were the general workhorse vehicle of the family, and more often than not (if they had one) their business. However, times change and increased levels of prosperity have seen the scooter evolve into an item of pleasure, a symbol of affluence and an opportunity for freedom. The world has also become a lot smaller via the proliferation of devices that can instantly transmit images, thoughts, ideas and music across the globe in less than a blink of an eye. Simultaneously streaming services are pumping out content including films both old and new; it’s no wonder that…

It was a standout weekend for Jimi McNally on the DTC Reparto Corsa Lambretta who took his first 4E race win and, much to the delight of his team, set a new lap record. The trip down to deepest South Wales is a long one for almost all the BSSO scooter racers, but once there they are met with a fast, ex-airfield circuit sitting at sea level and producing some very fast lap times. Unusually it was Super Scooters first up; kicking off with the fast boys and they did not disappoint. Super Scooters (geared) It was three wins for Warren Wilkinson, but a tumble in the wet race which let Steve Wright take a win to add to his three second places over the weekend enabled him to top…

CLASSIC SCOOTERIST EVENTS Just over 300 scooterists attended this small but very friendly event; unfortunately it clashed with another local event, or it could have been a lot busier. But having said that, the rally attracted some very stunning scooters, great people – and no queue for the bar! Hopefully, next time the club can sort the dates out so there is no clash with other regional events, as it’s well worth a visit. It was entertainment and smiles all weekend with DJ Benny and Chalky Martin providing the music for the event (which was split between two venues). The frivolities kicked off on the Friday with a good time being had by all. Then on the Saturday, Screaming Scooters (aka me) was asked to help with the judging of…