Features

  • Reach Out I’ll Be There – A Tattoo-Inspired Lambretta Tribute

    Reach Out I’ll Be There – A Tattoo-Inspired Lambretta Tribute

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    A custom Lambretta Li Special 125 created by Sophia Levell, with the involvement of her twin sister Isabelle and scooter builder Mark Levell, combines tattoo-inspired artwork with performance modifications. The design draws on the style of Ed Hardy and reflects themes of duality and family connection expressed through detailed paintwork and symbolism. Some scooters wear…

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  • Custom Lambretta with digital camouflage and RB small-block engine built by Maddin Zellar

    Custom Lambretta with digital camouflage and RB small-block engine built by Maddin Zellar

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    This feature looks at a custom Lambretta built by Maddin Zellar under his JonnyLoveMotorsport brand. The machine uses a digitally styled camouflage paint scheme and a tuned small-block engine configuration. The build focuses on subdued finishes and carefully considered hardware choices. Stay low, move fast With all the political tensions around the world and the…

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  • Knobs, Shafts and Vaseline…

    Knobs, Shafts and Vaseline…

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    From the early 1960s, the Vespa used both an ingenious and a simple method of operating the choke mechanism on the Dellorto carburettor with only detailed changes in its design up to the demise of the two-stroke Vespa scooter. Dave Dry helps us get that choke system set up properly… (Body copy) Like the other…

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  • Chaos MKIII: James Charles’ Rapido 225-Powered Street-Racer Reimagined

    Chaos MKIII: James Charles’ Rapido 225-Powered Street-Racer Reimagined

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    Some custom scooters roar for attention; James Charles’ Chaos MKIII is an unapologetic street-racer that blends raw performance with obsessive detail, so we asked Stu Smith to find out more… Sc: James, before we get to the details of Chaos MKIII, how did you first get into the scooter scene? JC: I’ve always been into…

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  • Riding not hiding…

    Riding not hiding…

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    Stu Owen considers the ethics of taking a custom scooter to its destination in a van… The custom scooter scene goes way back, certainly to Mods in the 1960s, and if one considers accessorised machines, probably even further back. However, no one can deny that the golden era of custom scooters was in the 1980s,…

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  • It’s more than just a scooter…

    It’s more than just a scooter…

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    Paul Green reflects on why Lambretta means so much to him. In this article for Scootering Magazine, he explores the history, the attitude and the culture built around the Lambretta. Opening Reflection Keep going. Keep riding. Keep showing up, even when it’s raining, your clutch cable’s snapped and your tent’s leaking. I was talking to…

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  • Luscious, luxurious Gran Lusso

    Luscious, luxurious Gran Lusso

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    The Gran Lusso is an often-overlooked classic Vespa. Not only does Martin Bridgewater’s example have the look, it also has history and a serious pedigree. Big Chris takes a look Martin Bridgewater must be one of the nicest scooterists I know, a gentleman and always willing to lend a helping hand when required. Along with…

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  • Ray Butler: Scooter, ‘Nessie’ and Remembering The Chords

    Ray Butler: Scooter, ‘Nessie’ and Remembering The Chords

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    Ray Butler discusses his first scooter purchase in 1981, his 1963 Douglas Vespa Sportique 150 known as ‘Nessie’, engine upgrades including a 177cc conversion kit, and his book Remembering The Chords. He also explains the artwork approach used for the double-album ‘But Then Again’. First Scooter Purchase Without even testing it out, I said, “I’ll…

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  • From unfinished project to completed custom: Dave Hamilton’s ‘Kingdom of Heaven’

    From unfinished project to completed custom: Dave Hamilton’s ‘Kingdom of Heaven’

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    A long-unfinished custom scooter project inspired by the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven has been completed by Dave Hamilton using original engraved parts by the late Don Blocksidge, restored artwork, and a Casa 225-powered engine build. Over the years, there have been many custom scooter projects that have been started and not completed, but in…

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  • Elias from Paphos restored his Grandfather’s TV175

    Elias from Paphos restored his Grandfather’s TV175

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    When Elias Kyriakides from Paphos, Cyprus, discovered his grandfather’s TV175 he was determined to see the scooter restored to its former glory. We asked Stu Smith to find out more… Sc: I understand that the scooter was originally your grandfather’s. Could you please tell me when, why and how he came to own it? EK:…

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