Tech

After blueprinting and setting up a standard Lambretta engine, Darrell Taylor embarked upon a series of experiments to see what power could reasonably be attained from step-by-steo tuning of a SIL200 engine. This month, back to the clubman! One step forward and two steps back Having progressed the performance of the engine through parts 1-4…

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Metal Flake Our ‘painting by numbers’ series is here to guide readers through the process of painting a scooter. Parts 1-4 (see previous editions) have covered prep, primer, paint and pearls. This month we move on to flake… What is flake? Metal flake was first introduced into the automotive scene in 1959 on a Barris…

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Scooter sounding like a bag of spanners on the way back from a rally? This month: fault diagnosis… without taking your Lambretta apart! There are many occasions when there is a problem with your Lambretta that requires a strip down to see what is at fault. While this may be the case, it is still…

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How far can we reasonably take a SIL 200 engine, with each step giving the most ‘Bang for Buck’ (more power per pound spent)? Darrell Taylor finds out… The story so far Last month’s instalment brought an end to the ‘bolt on section’ of the report, resulting in a 15.33bhp/15.41tq output using the original SIL…

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Long journey home, getting dark, lights starting to flicker? It’s no joke if your lights pack up — time to look at the wiring (the lighting circuit)… Lambretta wiring (the lighting circuit) can be one of the most frustrating parts of regular maintenance. Many owners find wiring a ‘no-go zone’ and see the wiring circuit…

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Pearls & sparkle pearls Give a scooterist a Vespa or Lambretta and chances are he’ll fit something chrome to it, tune it… or paint it (perhaps all three). Our painting by numbers series is here to help with the latter of the trio and should provide helpful information for anyone wanting to get a paintjob…

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MEASURING, BURETTING & CALCULATING Building a decent engine involves a surprising amount of maths. Dull it may be, but the end results certainly are not Darrell Taylor explains how to get those top end measurements spot on… There are a few methods of measuring the compression ratio of a two-stroke engine which I’ve found useful. The…

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How far can we reasonably take a SIL 200 engine, using old school tuning, a little bit of knowledge and a lot of experience? Darrell Taylor finds out… Having already run the stock 200 engine through a series of tests and minor adjustments in Part 1, and then addressing the necessary base-level upgrades in Part…

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Safety is always paramount; the hub and rims take a lot of force under acceleration and braking, are yours up to scratch? This month: hubs and rims The Lambretta front and rear hub in standard form are unique in their design. Not only do they house the braking system but also directly bolt to the…

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Having looked at the extensive process of preparation in Part 1, and following up with colour coats and lacquer in Part 2, we are spending this month back with Paul Hindle at Eyecandy to address the correct process for multiple layers of paint, striping and stencils. What grade finish? At the end of the preparation…

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