Category Archives: News

Limited Edition Scomadi 200’s Available Soon!

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c04f15c0-fea1-4001-b378-5b09dfdace77-originalWord has reached Lambrettista Towers that the first 100 Limited Edition FP (First Production) TL200 Scooters have arrived at Scomadi HQ. The are being hand finished before being rolled out to the Scomadi dealer network over the next couple of weeks. If you fancy one though, I’m afraid you’re out of luck… this batch are all reserved for those that made a pledge via the Scomadi Crowd Funding Campaign. I’m sure more will follow shortly though!

Y Viva Mallorca!

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Mallorca Lambretta Trips!

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Dani got in touch to let me know about his new venture. With his pal Thomas he has set up Loco Wheels –  a Lambretta tours business in sunny Mallorca.

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Dani & Thomas have been into Lambrettas since the 90’s and are now taking the big step of turning their passion into a business.
Currently, they have four classic Lambrettas they’ve loving restored, and a couple of brand new Scomadi 125’s.
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The idea is to take you on a guided tour of hidden Mallorca… going off the beaten track and “getting  lost” in the labyrinth of  Mallorcan back roads. You’ll  discover the secret places tourists never see, and only the locals know about. You stop whenever takes your fancy to enjoy the culture and scenery.

As well as knowing which ‘Lammies friendly’ roads (and tracks!) to ride they also know the best places to sample typical local dishes, so you get a real taste of Mallorca in more ways than one! Your day ends back at Loco Wheels HQ for a drink and a chat.

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If you like the idea of riding a Lambretta, on a beautiful Mediterranean island, in the sunshine, (let’s be honest, what’s not to like) check out their (very cool) Loco Wheels Website, or their Facebook page.

New Lambretta Announced!

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LambrettaVendetta-4The new, official Lambretta has been announced… with little more than a silhouette and a new name “the Vendetta”. I’m liking both. The silhouette looks very traditional, and although it doesn’t reveal much, it looks very promising! The name? Lambretta Vendetta? Fantastic. Hinting maybe at rekindling the old rivalry with Vespa? Are we going to see a ‘wasp killer’? (yeah, good luck with that one, but it’s good to have ambition).

The one other thing we do know is the proposed capacities of 50, 125 and 180cc’s. Seems a reasonable line-up. I expect we’ll see the L70 designation dropped, as calling a machine a “L70 50” would be confusing, to say the least. And Vendetta is a great name. Stick with that lads.

The counter on the official page, has reset to 42 days, (which takes us to the middle of June) when I guess we’ll know a little more. I’m guessing we won’t see everything until a big reveal at a show (I don’t think there’s anything in June). I’m guessing it won’t be until EICMA in November, in Milan that we’ll see the Vendetta ‘in the flesh’. But so far, so good! Stay tuned.

When I know more, you’ll know more.

UPDATE: Sticky’s thoughts over at ScooterLab add more to the picture (as does his forensic Photoshop skills). I’m really liking the elements that reflect the original Lambretta lines, especially horncasting. The upward sweep of the bodywork gives the scooter an aggressively sporty stance. From what I’m seeing, it won’t appeal to those traditionalists amongst us who only want something with an Innocenti (or Eibar or SIL) badge on it, but if you’re in the market for a Scomadi, you might find you have another option.

FURTHER UPDATE: In a Press Release, Sébastien Stassin of KISKA (The design house behind the Vendetta design) said: “Lambretta is a treasured brand – a cult icon whose global cultural impact is as relevant today as it was last century. It’s not often that you’re given the opportunity to play an instrumental role in such a relaunch. The design team is honoured and excited.

Having relaunched Swedish motorcycle brand Husqvarna Motorcycles in 2014, and contributed largely to KTM’s brand success over the past 24 years, KISKA is up to the task. Working closely with the global development and investment team, Lambretta Consortium, KISKA has aimed to evolve the Lambretta design language, positioning it to take on the future realities of urban mobility, while honouring the brand’s compelling heritage.”

Sticky’s thoughts on the ‘New Lambretta’

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Some valuable insights here by Sticky, on ScooterLab regarding the L70 the ‘New Lambretta’ to be launched in (as I write) 11 days. I make that Tuesday the 3rd of May. Not too long to wait, and worth getting over to the Lambretta Consortium site and registering for the chance to win ‘one of five’ new Lambrettas.

One of the nuggets of information in Sticky’s article is that the design of the L70 is likely to be by Austrian designer Gerald Kiska, rather than the designer of the LN, Alessandro Tartarini. Amongst several ‘generic’ scooters studio Kiska has also been responsible for an update to historic Swedish Motorcycle brand Husqvarna (now probably more famous these days for making chainsaws and the like).

There is a quote in the  Husqvarna case study that says “They don’t make them like they used to because today’s riders are forward thinking.  They are interested in the future of bike design, not what’s behind them.  The 401 VITPILEN delivers what they want: “retro futurism done right” I’m pretty sure most Lambretta buyers are interested in ‘what’s behind them’ but the concept of retro futurism done right sounds pretty good to me.

Here’s the link to Sticky’s article again.

ScooterLab.uk launches…

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ScooterlabSSIt’s finally here, the new ScooterLab.uk website launched today. I’m not going to write reams about it, until I’ve got my head round it a little, other than to say it’s quality product from a team of professionals who know what they’re talking about. There’s something for everybody, whether you’re into classic geared scoots, or modern autos. So, for now I’d just like to give a hearty Lambrettista welcome to the new kid on the block! Check it out for yourself, here.

Being launches on Kickstarter

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Being, the short film project I wrote about a while back has launched on Kickstarter.

af6b9ef50edcfb0eeb050b43b5c8df4c_originalFeaturing a young carer (Buddy) inspired by 60’s music and the film Quadrophenia. Buddy meets an out of work actor, Doley who was in Quadrophenia  (played by Mark Wingett) an they become friends. From original cast members and the Brighton location, right down to the replicas of the scooters and clothing, Being has strong cultural references to the original Quadrophenia movie.Caring

Being will be shot in London and Brighton in late summer 2016. It’s a gentle observational drama, about a young boy who is bullied for being different.bdfdd3b599ed7b3c0187cb964da6abc3_original

Check it out on Kickstarter, here, watch the project movie, and if you feel like getting involved, become a backer. This project will only be funded if at least £20,000 is pledged by Sat, Apr 16. At the moment, they are off to a good start. If you want to see this happen, pledges start at just £2.

 

 

SLUK Launch Date Set

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So, the latest missive from Sticky and the gang gives a little more information about Project SLUK… recently revealed to stand for ScooterLab UK…

Just to clarify, this isn’t something I’m involved in, I just think it’s good to see the Scooter media in such a healthy state. The Lambrettista blog will continue, as I see it as a very different beast from SLUK, although there is obviously some ‘cross-over’.

So over to the latest news from SLUK;

Launch date
We’ve tentatively set the website launch date for Monday March 7th.
SLUK email subscribers are the first to know about our launch date, so spread the word.

ScooterLab.UK is an online magazine, run by scooterists, for scooterists. With a website we have enormous flexibility about how SLUK will grow and evolve. We want your input on what you’d like to see, particularly if you have a good feature idea or want to get involved. We need road going scooter riders to support us and help wherever possible.

What’s the SLUKing format?
 SLUK is going to be a split format website covering the whole scooter market. At the entrance you can choose one door for retro scooters or another for modern. There will be a cross-over of some features across both sides of the site.

The great thing about what we are doing is that we can make the rules up as we go, so SLUK will have a weekly format. Sunday will be the big day for us, with scheduled release of our major articles. We can’t wait to show you.
Do I have to pay to view?
 No.
ScooterLab’s content is free to view and supported by relevant advertising. You don’t even have to sign-up to view but there are a raft of benefits if you join the party.

 

So, there you go, March 7th is the big launch… You can sign-up for further updates over at  http://www.scooterlab.uk

Scooter & Style Magazine, #6

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Its always a pleasant moment when an A4 (ok, C4, envelope pedants) envelope drops through my letterbox with a french postmark… It’ll be the next issue of Scooter & Style magazine, hot off the press…couv6
Issue No 6 is a quality product as ever, with another wonderful scooter collection (it seems every other Frenchman has a garage full of rare and beautiful scooters!) a pristine GP 200 Electronic… various Vespa related articles, and a Maico Mobile feature. But perhaps this issues standout feature is a comparison between two Peugeot scooters… the classic s57, and it’s modern counterpart the Django, both of which have featured in my blog recently. (0k, the Django was a custom build by Deus Ex Machina) .

I’ve got to say, the Django – which I initially wrote off as just another, bandwagon jumping retro styling exercise – is growing on me. After all, Peugeot has a proud history of producing scooters. If Vespa can continue to trade off their heritage, why can’t other marques?

Anway, back to Scooter & Style… another strong issue… if you want to widen your reading materials from the obvious, I’d highly recommend it. You can get it online, here.

 

SLUK… All is revealed!

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So, there’s been a bit of a buzz around ‘something’ called SLUK – all was revealed today at Scooterist Meltdown by Martin ‘Sticky’ Round… well-known scooter expert,  journalist and adventurer…

SLUK PRESS RELEASE

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Do you love scooters but are fed up with dead-tree scooter media?

Would you like something that was more up to date, faster with the news, more interactive maybe?

Would you prefer it if you could obtain quality scooter content in a format that you could access anywhere, at any time, with the phone in your pocket or the computer in front of you?

What about going beyond a static format and adding video content designed both to inform and entertain?

How about your scooter media not being a one-way street, but by you being able to actively take part in real time?

How would you feel about all of this being brought to you by forward-thinking scooter riders like yourself?

Would you like to still get the quality of writing that only comes from knowledgeable and experienced writers?

Would you like to see big, powerful images displayed beautifully on a revolutionary website that blows the competition into the weeds?

How about if there was one place on the net that acted as a hub for scooterists worldwide? Somewhere you can find out about forthcoming events and post reports of those you’ve attended in video or photographic format.

How about a site that allowed you to get a better deal on insurance, clothing or simply to find your nearest dealer?

What would you pay for such a service? What if we said that you do not need to visit a newsagent to pay £4 every month or take out a subscription for this?

How about if we told you that the price for all this is FREE?

If that sounds like a good deal then you need SLUK.

SLUK is short for ScooterLab.uk and it’s coming to you soon.

Sign-up online to be the first to know when it kickstarts…

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Sounds pretty good to me! Of course, you can still keep reading and interacting with your favourite Lambretta blog… 😉

I’d just like to give a personal nod to Sticky, I’ve been thoroughly entertained by his writing for Scootering over the years, and he’s even made me smile when reading his “Complete Spanners Guide” how many workshop manuals do that? He’s been a friend to the blog, and I wish him and the team every success in their new venture!

What the SLUK is going on?

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12548841_217220165285086_1723976991621773571_nHints are being dropped on Facebook and elsewhere on t’internet about something called SLUK. Word reached Lambrettista towers that there’s a name that will be familiar to pretty much everybody involved. Apparently there’s a big reveal at Scooterist Meltdown in Germany on the 12th.

Actually, I do know a little more, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. 😉

Stay tuned. When I can tell you more, I will. In the meantime, here’s their Facebook page, with some exclusive Lambretta product info.