Do the next scooter rally in comfort and style!

4b98f96dbc8bca7b64209244945b68d1Fed up of camping? Can’t afford a B’n’B? This homemade scooter-caravan hybrid may be just the answer you’re looking for. Based on a beat of a scooter – the Soviet era Tula – or the Muravey commercial vehicle version of it… (think Russian Lambro. Lambretta-heads), I’ve been unable to track down much information on it. It’s a British build, put together somewhere in Leicestershire. And as well as a fabrication job, it looks like a first class restoration, from a less than promising original vehicle, see the first shot below! If you are the talented, but slightly nutty builder of this unique vehicle, please get in touch, I’d love to know more! Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.55.49 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.56.56 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.57.06 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.57.32 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.57.58 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.58.07 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.58.15 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.58.43 Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 17.58.52

Fun fact: Muravey is Russian for Ant, (there’s a bit of a insect theme here, Vespa = Wasp, Ape = Bee, Muravey = Ant), Although, perhaps “Ulitka” would be more suitable. That’s Russian for snail. More for carrying it’s home on it’s back than for the speed connotations, although that’s probably relevant too!

UPDATE: If you fancy tackling a project like this yourself, (or perhaps something simpler such as this) you could do worse than check out the “Teardrops & Tiny Trailers” forum (conveniently shortened to tnttt.com. I didn’t even know such a category existed, but fantastically, it does… the internet is a wonderful thing!

Here’s a link to the original site.

LD with Sidecar in original nick…

Nice little video of a Lambretta LD restoration

Unique Eibar on eBay

$(KGrHqN,!jUFE31cf,()BSWs(u)g(g~~60_12 $(KGrHqR,!qIFI6UtvU7qBSWs(q2B3g~~60_12 $(KGrHqV,!lUFJ,ru+(!WBSWtvDun0g~~60_12 $(KGrHqV,!q0FEIIfS66SBSWsULIGBw~~60_12 $(KGrHqZ,!qgFI8qd0vrYBSWsTfR)Ug~~60_12 $(KGrHqZ,!qQFJVtJ7)jDBSWsWJjBu!~~60_12 $T2eC16d,!zcFIdBUU5LwBSWs(g7tV!~~60_12 $T2eC16F,!ykFId4j01rfBSWsRMR4Z!~~60_12You’re going to love this scooter, or hate it. (Spoiler alert: I love it!) What you won’t be able to do, is ignore it. And you’ll have never seen anything like it before. I could try and describe it, but you’ll get the jist from the pics, and the full description is on eBay. If you love it, can finish it, and you’ve got a wedge of cash burning a hole in your pocket, put a bid in on eBay here.

Found via the Mutant Series 1 and 2 Lambretta Group on Facebook.

Back On Target?

Remember On Target, the independent scooter magazine from a few years ago? I must admit, it was never on my radar, but some of you will know it. Well here’s a video to fill you in on it… and the reason I’m posting it, is I’ve heard on the grapevine that there’s the possibility of a relaunch in 2014. While I think Scootering and Classic Scooterist Scene do a good job, on the whole, I’m all for a bit of competition in the magazine market, so good luck to the fellas. I’ll keep you posted if I find out more.

No comment!

Doh! I just realised, when publishing a post, I haven’t been clicking the box that allows readers too post comments. Well, I’ve fixed that for the last few posts anyway, so if you’ve been dying to have your say on anything I’ve posted, or correct any of my mistakes, now’s the time!

Straight from the 70’s… the future of motorcycling… the Quasar!

quasar_wf Quasar_2_wfHot on the heels of Future Shock, here’s another bike straight out of the future. Yesterdays future. I saw a pic of this bike somewhere recently, and it reminded me of the classic 70’s Bond Bug I posted about on my original CrocodileJock blog way back. I vaguely remember it, probably from Tomorrow’s World, or the original Top Gear with William Woollard.Bond Bug

Anyway, my usual cursory ‘research’ has revealed it was a British bike,  designed and built in 1975 by Malcolm Newell and Ken Leaman. Although it had much to commend it, particularly the build quality, it also had its problems. Its long wheelbase led to it having an enormous turning circle, and the fact that your feet were up on running boards, made stopping a problem, apparently. Although it’s never really been a problem with scooters…Quasars + Bond bug

It was a project that never really lived up to it’s early promise, and only 22 Quasars were built. But it was a bold, innovative and interesting idea, and one that, in more recent years, has reappeared in more successful (but, in my opinion, far duller) models such as the BMW C1. quasar3 quasar7 quasar2 quasar1988739_515669001851371_74223166_n

More info here and here, and that’s where I nicked the pictures from too.

Chrome Series 1

Chrome S1“Chrome won’t get you home” is the saying amongst the Lambrettisti, and I must admit, I’m not as much in love with the plating as I was back in the day. However, when it’s done right, it still looks boss. Here’s a Series 1 where it is. Done right that is.

Future Shock Chopper for sale

Future Shock Lambretta ChopperCards on the table… Choppers ain’t my thing. When you put the list of various custom scooter categories together (and I should do that one day), Choppers would come close to the bottom. For me.

Saying all that, once in a while a chopper comes along that is just SO good that you can’t ignore it. It imbeds itself in your brain, and comes to define the category. Future Shock is the machine that does this… a completely radical, stunningly executed concept that has become, well, iconic. With numerous appearances in the scootering press over the years, you can’t help having noticed it, and admired the vision, time and artistry that has gone into it. Now you can own it. It’s on eBay now, sitting (at time of typing at a tad over £4k). Here’s the eBay link.

Future Shock Lambretta Chopper Screen shot 2013-10-09 at 12.52.09 Screen shot 2013-10-09 at 12.52.19 Screen shot 2013-10-09 at 12.52.27 Screen shot 2013-10-09 at 12.52.36 Screen shot 2013-10-09 at 12.52.42

Travels on a Lambretta

Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 15.32.07I diari della Lambretta is a fantastic blog by Silvia about her travels on a Series 2 Lambretta, with her partner Marco. As she says “Local storytelling and slow travel, two wheels and small gatherings”. What she doesn’t say is there is beautiful, evocative photography, charming hand-drawn maps, and wonderful descriptions of the places she goes and the people they meet.Screen shot 2013-10-08 at 15.32.33

Don’t just take my word for it, follow her blog here.

img083All images and content from the blog is copyright © Silvia Benedet, unless otherwise indicated

 

Woodsy’s pics

scooter17I’ve feature the work of Paul “Woodsy” Wood a couple of times before… videos of both EuroLambretta and the LCGB 60th Anniversary Rally at Shipson on Stour… but I’ve never featured his still images before. These days, everyone with a camera phone is “a photographer” …but not everybody has the eye. In my humble opinion Woodsy has… in bucket loads. What do you think?

Back Camera scooter8 scooter9 scooter13 scooter14 scooter16

Paul is from Manchester and rides with the Manchester Lyons SC. For more Woodsy; check out his website here, or his movies on YouTube or Vimeo.scooter15 scooter6 scooter4 scooter2 scooter1