Inspired by the cultural impact of Quadrophenia and the 1980s British custom scooter scene, this article follows John Walsh’s journey from teenage scooterist to the creation of his first full-custom Vespa PX. The build, named Brighton Beach, reflects long-standing influences, rally memories and a detailed custom paint and engine project.
The scooter scene creates a passion that never leaves you, and when that passion is developed into a custom scooter that reflects those feelings, a dream is realised…
When the film Quadrophenia hit the UK cinemas in 1979, it didn’t just launch a cultural revival; it rekindled a lifestyle. For John Walsh, as a teenager growing up in Baildon, West Yorkshire, it wasn’t only a coming-of-age film set to a fantastic soundtrack, it was a reflection of everything that had been with him since childhood: soul music, youth culture, identity and scooters.
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Now, several decades later, John’s first full-custom scooter, Brighton Beach, is a shimmering metal-flake masterpiece that not only pays tribute to the movie that sparked it all off but also to the 80s custom scooter scene that shaped his life. Built with precision, creativity and deep emotion, this Vespa PX is a tribute to a lifestyle and a story on wheels.
Influences
John’s roots in the scooter scene go deep: “I’m from a family with an Irish background, I’m the youngest of five kids, and music was constantly played in our house, Soul, Motown, all of it. My older sister and brothers were all into the scene, so it was a natural progression that I also got into it, and after Quadrophenia came out, there was no turning back.”
At the time, Baildon and Shipley were buzzing with scooter clubs, meets, and local legends. None more so than Len’s of Shipley, an iconic dealership where at weekends John and his mates used to hang around looking at the gleaming scooters on display, which they one day dreamed of owning; so when John turned 17, he bought his first scooter from Len’s, a Vespa PX125, which was when the dream really started.
Having taken to the roads, like most seasoned scooterists, John has no shortage of rally memories. “Some are glorious and others are downright grim, but all of them have a special place in my heart because they always bring back fond memories and always put a smile on my face. My first rally was Morecambe; we didn’t have much, just a sleeping bag and the open road. Then there was Llandudno, memorable for all the wrong reasons: the rain. Another time, riding overnight to Great Yarmouth, one of the lads actually fell asleep on his scooter and drifted off the road, and we still laugh about that today.”
But it’s not the chaos that keeps John coming back, “What I love about rallies is that there are hundreds of people there who all love the scene and share the same passion, and there’s nothing like that.”
The Idea
Over the years, John has owned several scooters, all of which were of the classic, clean-cut style. But as time passed, John started thinking about developing a project that reflected his personal history. “I wanted to create a full custom scooter, like the ones I used to see in the 80s that came out of Len’s with full metal-flake paint jobs and airbrushed murals.”
To finance the project and with an idea in mind, John sold off a couple of his existing scooters and got in touch with his tried and trusted pal, Kev Emmott of Emmo’s Scooters and Paintworks. Together,
they embarked on a mission to bring John’s vision to life: a scooter that honoured both Len’s and Quadrophenia.
Bringing the idea to life wasn’t as easy as it sounds, as it took John and Kev a whole year to find the right base colour. The issue was that to make the murals stand out, the colour had to be the perfect green. But once it was locked in, the real magic began. Kev then spent three months transforming the PX into a shimmering showpiece, which is thanks to the heavy metal-flake layered paint job, complemented by an 80s style ‘scale’ effect which pops in the sunlight.
The airbrushed murals are each based on key scenes from Quadrophenia. “The initial idea was that they were meant to be more silhouette-like. But Kev doesn’t do half-measures, so when he called me one day and said, “You’d better come and have a look”, I went over, not really knowing what to expect. When I saw it, it was hardly silhouettes, but I absolutely loved it. During the process, one of the challenges Kev faced was how to include a sunrise/sunset effect into the artwork, and to do that, he had to develop the scenes to make it work. True to form, Kev also added a little surprise, his own signature that’s discreetly airbrushed into the spare-wheel side panel, which I didn’t notice at first; but it’s there, it’s subtle and I love it.”
In respect of coordinating the accessories, no detail was overlooked. The front crash bars feature twin battery-powered Lucas period headlights, the seat is a King and Queen item with an 80s style back-rest, and to complete the chrome-work, at the rear are a pair of crash bars. The Sundance grips keep the visuals sleek and clear, indicator lenses keep the focus on the paintwork, which remains the hero, making the scooter look like a modern-day version of something that could have come out of Len’s.
Performance
Whilst John’s scooter is a visual showstopper, under the shimmering panels is a fully upgraded engine which is built for riding, and to deal with that, the chosen setup includes a Malossi MHR225 kit, a Mazzucchelli 60mm rotary race-crank, 30mm Malossi carb and a SIP3 exhaust. The gearbox remains standard, with upgraded clutch plates and springs. The suspension and brakes are standard, but the intelligently organised setup keeps the road-holding firm while delivering power on demand. Describing the ride, John said, “It’s smooth, fast and reliable; everything you want from a scoot.”
Brighton Beach made its debut on the National Scooter Rally custom show scene in 2025 at Kelso, where John walked away with Best Vespa, which was a clear validation of not just its looks, but of the story behind it; so when I asked John if there was anything he would’ve done differently, he shook his head and said, “No. This one’s exactly how I wanted it. The only thing left is to find some oblong mirrors that’ll fit inside the crash bars, but that’s just a detail.”
Advice
Having learnt through the process and the development of this build, John’s advice to anyone considering taking on a similar project is: “Take your time and do it once; it’s worth waiting to find the right parts, the right colours and the right people, and of course in my case I have to thank two key contributors: Kev Emmott, for his vision and patience and Ken Potts, who built the engine to perfection.”
In a world of fast fads and digital distractions, Brighton Beach is a reminder that craftsmanship, culture and personal history are what really matter. John’s scooter carries with it the echoes of Len’s of Shipley, the rush of teenage freedom and the thrill of the ride down to the south coast, looking forward to the excitement of the bank holiday weekend. John’s had scooters before. But this one? This one’s got his soul embedded in it, and isn’t that what ultimately it’s really all about?
Man & Machine
Name: John Walsh
Scooter club & town: Baildon S.C.
Your first scooter: My first scooter was a Vespa PX125, which I got when I was seventeen from Len’s of Shipley. I’m the youngest of five kids, and they were all into the scooter scene and the music, and after I’d watched Quadrophenia, there was no turning back.
What do you like about rallies: Just love that thousands of people love the same scene.
Favourite Scootering Magazine feature: I’ve always bought Scootering, and if there’s a scooter in there, I like it.
Favourite scooter of all time: I generally like them quite plain, but at the Southport rally, I saw a Pendle Witches-themed Vespa, which looked amazing and is probably the best custom scooter I’ve seen.
What is your favourite scooter model: Rally for a Vespa and TV175 for a Lambretta.
Favourite style of custom scooter: I like them quite plain, but naturally, I’ve always liked Len’s paint jobs from the 80s, which is why I’ve had this one done.
Name of scooter: ‘Brighton Beach’ inspired by the film Quadrophenia.
Has the scooter won any show trophies: Kelso National Scooter Rally 2025 – Best Vespa
Time to build & by who: Three months by Kev Emmott (Emmo’s Scooters & Paintworks)
Engine spec
Kit: Malossi MHR225
Crank: Mazzucchelli 60mm rotary race
Carb: 30mm Malossi
Case: Malossi V1 Rotary valve casing.
Exhaust: SIP3
Clutch: Uprated springs & plates
Gearbox: Standard 200
What’s it like to ride: Smooth and reliable.
Hardest part of the project: For Kev, it was to try to read my mind! I gave Kev the scenes from the film that I wanted, and because it was a tribute to Len’s paint jobs, we had to get the sunset/sunrise scenes in view and turn them to make them work.
Tech tip for anyone starting a project: Take your time, do it once. It took us a whole year to find the right green base colour to make the murals work!
Anyone you wish to thank: Ken Potts for the engine and Kev Emmott for his patience and great paint work.
This article by Stu Smith originally appeared in Scootering Magazine. You can subscribe here: https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/scootering Photos: Gary Chapman
