Scooter customisation comes in many forms and usually involves a no-expense-spared philosophy. A fully restored machine with lavish paintwork, not forgetting many extras like chrome, etc. So what happens when you decide to go against the grain and le

In the summer of 1988, I was looking for another Lambretta restoration project and the opportunity to purchase an SX200 on the cheap was too good to turn down. Even though it was in a dishevelled state, indeed missing its engine, it was a bargain at

Go back 50 years and in any international sports gathering, such as the Olympic Games, one thing you could guarantee was dominance in the gymnastic events by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The name constantly cropped up at the top of the medal

Mention first aid and most people think of CPR or dealing with cuts – knowing how to deal with those emergencies might just save a life. That’s why we’ve joined forces with LIVES, an emergency first responders service made up of trained personnel (in

Way back when I was a lad, my mum, along with holding down a regular full-time job, also used to be an Avon lady... Ding Dong! Mum would also host Tupperware parties; I can remember pushing the fake gold plated and smoked glass hostess trolley the tw

As a young 19-year-old, I never imagined that the scooter club would still be up and running some 39 years later. We have had some great people running the club, with a mix of young and older scooter riders that has always ensured that the club remai

Peaky Blinders meets 2 Tone or something else entirely? Whether it’s a set of vinyl stickers or a full-blown custom scheme, Peaky Blinders has probably inspired more custom scooters than any ‘film’ other than Quadrophenia. So, when it was announced t

It’s a new year, championships are reset and ready to win, everything is at zero. It’s always an interesting time with some riders appearing on new scooters, and of course a chance to see how all the winter’s tinkering and development translates to t

Hot on the heels of a recent announcement that Italjet is to collaborate with the Gresini Racing MotoGP Team comes hints of a special edition Dragster. The sponsorship deal with Gresini not only includes the provision of Dragsters for use within the

There’s no point beating around the bush, I’ve been equally as apprehensive about this part of the project as I have been looking forward to it. Everyone likes a big-bore kit, what’s not to like, but I‘m a two-stroke man to the core and this will be

I’ve never taken the time to investigate why the white floats in Dell’Orto carbs seem to have such a high rate of failure, but they do. Nothing is 100% guaranteed or bulletproof, so even other floats will still have some level of failure, but I see m

During my time in Thailand I had the opportunity to visit some friends, Vespa enthusiasts and business partners, for example Lome from Vintage Vespa Thai/Auu Vespa and Kittisak from Lady Bug Scooter. Their warmth and hospitality are unrivalled and I

Big scooters are great. They’re practical, comfortable and quick off the line; and yet, in the UK, we don’t buy them in anything like the volumes that our European counterparts do. Maybe it’s the weather; maybe it’s because British kids can only star

How did you get into the scene and what was your first scooter? “When I was 13 or 14 I liked Mod and Northern Soul music and that introduced me to scooters. When I was 17 I went to Scarborough with a pal, we were sitting eating fish and chips on a wa

As the years pass, the events of 1964 become shrouded in the mists of history. Before he died, one of those original ‘Bank Holiday Mods’, Paul Grant, spoke with Riviera FM’s Ian and Jade about those crazy days. Thanks to Paul – although he may no lon

It’s that time of year when the season finally kicks off and all the months of cold-weather spannering start to pay off. By the time you read these words I’ll be back from Vespa World Days in Italy, but I’m embarrassed to say that my own preparations

I’m simultaneously working on three scooters (Lambretta, Vespa and Royal Alloy) as part of the Scootering tech series and, it has to be said, the Vespa seems to have far more components and gubbins than any of the other scooters, by far. The Royal Al

Before getting into the nuts and bolts of how Gary Holmes and Eric Jarvis of West Yorkshire Lambretta Restorations turned this French Mk4 from a collection of parts into the beauty you see here, there’s a question that needs to be answered. Given tha

The Grass Skirts and Button Down Shirts tour is gathering momentum and so far, since being launched in early September 2023, the team has raised more than 50% of its original target. The tour is aimed at raising both awareness of dementia generally a

In next month’s issue: We’ve a mixture of sporting prowess, high technology and something a little different from the norm. For sports fans our trophy-winning cover star celebrates the motorsport legend that was Jim Clark, while we’ve a technology-la

I don’t want to speak too soon and jinx it, but everything has gone to plan the past two months in a row. Last month’s front-end/fork rebuild was a cinch, and this month’s items were plain sailing; will it be the hat-trick next month? In part, some o