More than a custom scooter, Phil Joyce’s PX is a deeply personal build that pays tribute to hard graft and turns lived experience into art. Stu Smith finds out more.
A tribute to life underground
Phil Joyce grew up on the John O’Groats estate in Rothwell, near Leeds, where mining was part of everyday life.
His father worked on the pit face for nearly 30 years at several local pits and, because of that, Phil grew up understanding that mining was not simply a job — it was an identity.
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“When I left school at 17, I followed in his footsteps, which wasn’t unusual where I’m from,” said Phil. “In the mining industry, you weren’t just earning a living; you were part of something that supported families, communities and towns.”
Phil started work in early 1984 at Rothwell pit after completing his training. Over the years he worked in several roles, including belt operative, Free-Steered Vehicle worker and later on Load Haul Dumpers, moving supplies up and down the face.
“It was physically hard and demanding, but there was always camaraderie,” he said. “You relied on each other down there, and that bond stays with you.
“Even now, those memories are vivid — the noise, the heat, the darkness, but also the humour and solidarity.”
Early scooter memories
Scooters also entered Phil’s life at a young age, thanks to his mum.
“When I was about 10, she had a Lambretta GP200 that she rode to work while my dad was at the pit,” he said. “When she wasn’t using it, I’d sit on it in the garden pretending I was riding. I didn’t get very far, but it stuck with me.
“Scooters were always there in the background, even if I didn’t own one for years.”
Phil was always drawn to the scooter scene and the music that went with it — Ska, 2-Tone and Northern Soul, especially while growing up in the 1980s. But, as he puts it, life gets in the way.
When he turned 50 in 2016, he decided it was time.
“I thought, if not now, when?” he said. “I bought a Vespa PX125 with a Mod-style paint job. It was reliable and fun, but after riding it for a while, I realised the Mod look wasn’t really me. I wanted something more personal.”
A mining-themed custom scooter
That desire for something personal became the starting point for a mining-themed custom scooter.
“Mining shaped my life and my family’s life, and I felt there was a story worth telling properly,” Phil explained. “I wanted to focus on the broader picture — the blood, sweat, sacrifices and pride of the industry itself, not just one moment in history.”
The artwork started in 2019, but after the first version Phil knew it could go deeper.
He contacted Harvey Aimee at DNA666 Deadly Nightshade Airbrushing and trusted her to handle something deeply personal.
“She didn’t just ask what I wanted painted,” said Phil. “She interviewed me in detail about my story, my dad’s story, and the mining industry as a whole.
“She then went away, researched further, and came back with concepts that genuinely surprised me in how accurately they reflected what I’d told her.”
Artwork with meaning
For Phil, the artwork is the heart of the scooter — and what makes it special is its honesty.
“It’s emotional, and it doesn’t sugar-coat anything,” he said. “The images reflect danger, exhaustion and sacrifice, not nostalgia.
“The artwork’s placement around the scooter tells a story as you walk around it; it’s not just decoration. People who’ve worked in mining, or whose families did, instantly recognise what it’s about. That means more to me than compliments ever could.”
The scooter carries phrases and imagery that reflect grit, determination, unity and the realities of working life underground.
Built to ride, not just to look at
While the artwork was being developed, Phil also upgraded the performance of the scooter.
“I wanted the scooter to ride as well as it looked,” he said. “While the panels were away, I had a Pinasco 177 kit fitted by Chiselspeed, along with an upgraded carb setup, SIP clutch and a Sterling exhaust.
“The idea wasn’t to build a racer, but to give it strong, usable power that would be smooth and reliable on longer runs.”
The result is a scooter that has been transformed on the road.
“The engine feels strong without being stressed; it pulls cleanly and cruises comfortably,” said Phil. “It’s smooth and predictable, exactly what I want when I’m riding to rallies or covering longer distances.
“This scooter represents hard work, so it needed to be able to handle hard work itself.”
Completed for a milestone birthday
The project was completed just in time for Phil’s 55th birthday.
“There were a few bumps along the way, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “It tells the story I wanted it to tell, it runs beautifully, and I genuinely love riding it.
“And more importantly than anything, it’s a tribute to my dad, to the lads I worked with, and to an industry that shaped who I am.”
Phil’s scooter is a deeply honest piece of machinery, combining powerful artwork with thoughtful engineering. It honours a hard-working life underground and proves that the strongest custom builds are not always driven by aesthetics alone.
Some scooters look good because of the paintwork. This one matters because of the story beneath it.
Man and machine
Name: Phil Joyce
Scooter club and town: Hunslet Old Boys S.C., Leeds
Scooter model: Vespa PX125
When purchased: 2016
Kit: Pinasco 177
Carb: Upgraded
Exhaust: Sterling
Words and photos: Stu Smith
Rally Bound photo: Courtesy of Phil Joyce
