Category Archives: Customisation

Headless and handsome…

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You know a scooter model has “arrived” when custom shops start modifying it! Almost sInce day one of the Lambretta – people have been customising them – this latest – and I’ve got to say totally fantastic looking – custom comes out of K-Speed – a custom bike shop in Bangkok Thailand – taking the aggressive lines and stance of V-Special as it’s base – and running with it. Excellent work chaps!

It will be interesting to see what K-Speed (and others) make of the G-Special when launched – see my previous post for the latest rumours on that bad boy.

Seen a V-Special custom as good as this one? Send me some pics and I’ll feature it on the blog.

Link to the K-Speed website…https://www.k-speed.net/th

Thanks to user Adventurous_Pea_3240 on Reddit for flagging this up to me.

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Sporty Stickered-up S1 Streetracers

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I see a lot of nice Lambrettas out there on the internet – many of them customised to the owners personal taste. In some cases, I can admire the work that’s gone into a scoot, but it’s “just not my thing”. On the other hand, sometimes I see one (or in this case two) that really float my boat. I came across this pair on a Facebook group, and thought, yeah, they’ll do! Everything about them is spot on, both of them, although they’re sublty different (rear footboard, a bit more chrome, fork embellishers on the orange one) they work nicely as a pair – and everything about them just seems ‘right’. Love the stickered-up aesthetic (but it’s got to be the right stickers)!

Posted by kind permission on the owner; John Lindgren.

Uncle Joe’s Rumpshaker

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Every now and then, a Lambretta comes along and blows my socks off. This post is about one that has done just that. But first, some context. The ‘rusto-rat’ look has been around for a while, and spawned some great looking scooters. I wrote about it here – back in 2013 – so the look has been around for a while! I think the looks originates with the Hot Rod scene – where distressed and patina-ed bodywork is paired with handwritten signwriting – often coupled with a very powerful engine. The first Lambretta I recall having this look – a real gamechanger – was a Series 2 called Janie Jones, and features heavily that post.

So, this signwritten rusto-rat look has become a staple of the custom Lambretta scene now – and there are many very cool examples of it around. The signwriting lends itself to classic curves of the Lambretta – and the retro typography is and clearly handwritten and crafted style is just matches perfectly with the machine.

Styles changes, and every style evolves. That’s what keeps things fresh. I think the rusto-rat scene has reached it’s apex in this scooter. I love everything about it. The theme is original. The way the graphics and the type fit the panels is spot on – without looking too contrived. And everywhere you look there are little touches that just make you smile. And it all comes together beautifully.

The scooter – a Serveta – has had a complicated history, involving both Kris Green and Harry Barlow (of H-Bomb Scooters fame) in it’s creation – and is now owned by Darren Wood from Wigan. The signwriting and faux-patina work was all carried out by Phil at The Monster Forge – a visit to their facebook page reveals more more of Phil’s fantastic work – on scooters, trucks and more. If this style floats your boat – and it does mine – Phil is the master of it. There’s some fantastic Alice of Wonderland murals on some Series 2 side-panels if you scroll down a bit! I hope to feature a blog post on Monster Forge in the not too distant future – stay tuned for updates.

If you’ve got a custom Lambretta that you’d like featured on the blog, or if you run a business, and there’s something special you’ve worked on that you’d like featured, get in touch.

A Green Future for your classic scooter. Go Electric.

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5c370a1919ea1ee0aa43ebdf_electric_lambrettaWe all love our 2-strokes – but they’re not the most environmentally friendly of machines. Many people think the future of transportation is electric. With the likes of VW, BMW and even Jaguar joining Tesla in bringing electric vehicles to market, is the writing on the wall for fossil fuels? After all – when even Milan – the home of the Lambretta – bans classic scooters – you have to start taking these things seriously.

An electric scooter is not a new idea – and I’ve featured a few on the blog already. I even featured the first footage on the internet of the new Electric Lambretta – which is rumoured to be coming to market soon. Piaggio isn’t missing out either, and you can buy a Vespa Elettrica today.  But what if you love the lines of an authentic vintage Lambretta or Vespa?

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ProjectE

Well, now you don’t have to choose between a new, eco-friendly electric scooter, and vintage classic. Codenamed “Project E” Retrospective Scooters are producing a conversion kit for the most popular models of Lambretta & Vespa. They will remove the old petrol engine, electrics and cabling, and install a DC brushless electric motor, motor controller and lithium-ion battery. Ease of riding, reliability, economy and environmental footprint are all brought into the 21st Century – but most importantly the exterior styling remains totally original. A lot of effort has been put into cleverly hiding the modern tech behind dummy plastic engine casings keeping your classic looking as authentic as possible.

5c370b1d542c022ff4943e97_Electric_vespa_lambrettaRetrospective will be offering the conversion as a DIY kit, with prices starting at £2,485. They will fit it for you for around £500. You can even add it as an option if you’re having a scooter restored. You’ll also have to factor in the cost of the batteries – not included in the kit price, and they run to £850. You can choose to have just the one battery, or improve your range by adding another one or more.

Lambretta Models

Project E is compatible with most popular Lambretta models – LI Series 1, 2 & 3 and GP models can be converted. Retrospective are working on a J Range conversion, and a LD will follow at some stage.

30 – 110 Mile Range

Retrospective offer a variety of different lithium-ion battery options. Each has been made specifically to suit a range of needs – from a Sunday run-around to an everyday commuter.

Change back

One of the great things about this conversion is that it can be fitted without butchering your classic scoot – as Retrospective say “No scooters were harmed in this conversion, no cutting, welding or grinding; the conversion perfectly fits the classic frames” this makes the conversion is completely reversible – so if you want to go back to burning dead dinosaur fuel, you can.

Specs

Range ………………………………….. 30 — 110 MILES
Power ………………………………….. 1kw/3km
Top Speed ………………………………….. 55mph
Removable battery ………………………………….. Yes
Headlights ………………………………….. LED
Charge time 70% ………………………………….. 90 mins
Charge time 100% ………………………………….. 6 hrs
Battery capacity ………………………………….. 66V / 25ah

5c40839116b8f70343067670_electric_scooter_hero_shotThe future is bright. The future is retro.

The Retrospective conversion may be the future for classic scooters. And what could be more eco than riding a machine originally made maybe 50 or 60 years ago, powered by electricity?

I originally found out about Project E on Scooterlab, which covers a lot of ground that I don’t. If you haven’t seen their article, check it out here.

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Retrospective Scooters

Retrospective Scooters are based in Walthamstow, London E17, and as well as designing and building the electric scooter conversion, they are experts in Scooter Restorations, Servicing and Repairs. Check out their website here.

Images are used with permission of Retrospective Scooters.

Lambretta Trailer Bar

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LU_Cambretta_Bar_trailer1Pub prices too expensive? Bar too far to stumble to? The Lambretta Cambretta Trailer is a “must for every scooter rally, man cave, enthusiast etc”

It’s a totally unique hand-built “party trailer”, based on a jet ski trailer, which can be towed by a Lambretta. It’s got working electrics, including indicators, and a fully functioning bar, lights, stereo witch run off the mains or a 12v battery.

Certain to make you popular at the next scooter rally, if you fill the optics up!
It’s on eBay, here

 

LD150 Scrambler

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Scrambler-2nteresting scrambler on eBay, no visible frame numbers, so it will have to remain an “off-roader”, but it’s got visible engine numbers. The fish-tail exhaust is pretty cool!

Scrambler-5

Here’s the eBay link

80’s Style… AF Rayspeed Super S-Type

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AFRaySp_SuperS_Marigold-1
This isn’t an 80’s scoot. It was imported from India in 2008. But, for me, it’s got that 80’s feel about it. It’s the type of scoot I’d have wanted more than any other in the ’80s. An Arthur Francis Super S-Type. Built, and signed by Ray and Ben Kemp. In orange (ok, “Red candy over marigold”).


If you promised yourself one like this in the eighties, and you can afford one now, wtf is stopping you? Here’s the eBay link.
AFRaySp_SuperS_Marigold-3

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’70s Style Racer…

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DonsSpeedShopRacer-1
I featured a ’50s style racer a couple of days ago, moving on a couple of decades gets us to this ’70s style, full faired metalflake racer. This one is on eBay, sitting at a mere £2,000 at the moment. The downside, is you’ll have to drop your own engine in, as it doesn’t come with one. But that might be an upside for you 🙂
Here’s the link

Semaphore indicator accessory…

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Semaphore_Indicators
Not seen these before (although there seem to be a few listed on the Italian eBay site) Pop-up or ‘semaphore’ indicators for a Lambretta (or a classic scooter anyway). They remind me of the ones I used to have on my old split-screen Moggy Minor. I think they’d look good on a restored older open frame model (A-F), or an LC or LD.

You’d need deep pocket though – they’re priced at €2,000!

 On the Italian eBay site, here.