Elias from Paphos restored his Grandfather’s TV175

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: My grandfather didn’t drive a car so he relied on motorbikes or scooters as his form of transport. He’d previously owned a Matchless motorbike and when the time came to replace it, he bought this Lambretta brand new.

Sc: What model is the scooter and what did he use it for?

EK: It’s a 1963 TV175. He used it to go to work, take me to school and take my grandmother to visit his brother in the mountains.

Sc: When and why did you decide to restore the scooter?

EK: When my grandfather passed away in 2018, the scooter was in a sorry state of repair and in need of a full restoration. None of my other family members wanted to take it on, but with my family’s agreement I told them that I wanted to restore it in honour of his memory.

Sc: What were your intentions when you started the restoration?

EK: I wanted to restore it back to how it used to be and to be able to ride it every day the same way my grandfather did.

Sc: Tell me about the restoration?

EK: First, I took it apart completely, then I sent the engine and frame for sandblasting and had the metal work refurbished. During that process I started to check what parts I could keep and refresh and what parts I would need to replace. I wanted to keep it as original as possible. I sourced original replacement parts from SIP in Nicosia, Cyprus and Scooter Shop in Greece. There were cheaper non-original parts available, but I didn’t want to use non-original parts. I started to complete the restoration myself but due to work and family commitments it was going to take a very long time. So, I found a guy in Cyprus who could rebuild the engine and do a lot of the other work for me. The only non-original feature is the paint colour which I chose and in my opinion looks better; but it’s still an original Lambretta colour.

Sc: Did you make any modifications to the engine and are there any unique specialised parts?

EK: No, it’s standard throughout except that I changed it from a 6v to 12v.

Sc: How long did the restoration take and what was the hardest part of the project?

EK: I started the restoration in May 2018 and eventually completed it in December 2021. The hardest part of the project was sourcing the original parts and waiting for them to arrive. Restoring the bike during the Covid pandemic also slowed things down, but in the end being patient and remembering the long-term goal helped keep me focused.

“My grandfather didn’t drive a car so he relied on motorbikes or scooters as his form of transport. He’d previously owned a Matchless motorbike and when the time came to replace it, he bought this Lambretta brand new.”

Sc: Have you given the scooter a name?

EK: No, I’ve not given it a name but I refer to it as my old lady!

Sc: Now the scooter’s on the road how often do you ride it and what do you use it for?

EK: It’s my daily form of transport, during the day I’m a pastry chef and I also own my own burger takeaway restaurant, which I run at nights and use the scooter for deliveries.

Sc: What’s it like to ride?

EK: Great but I always have that nervous feeling of whether it will make long journeys without breaking down!

Sc: What gives you the most pleasure when you’re riding the scooter and why?

EK: Memories of my grandfather and a feeling of a connection to him when I’m riding it. Also, when it’s parked up people stop, take photos of it and look at it with a smile.

Sc: If you could take anyone on the back of your scooter (alive or deceased) who would it be, where would you take them and why?

EK: That’s easy, my grandfather of course, because I think about how proud and pleased he would be to see his scooter restored and back on the road. Where would I take him? I’d take him to Limassol because that’s where he used to have a restaurant on the seafront.

Sc: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

EK: Because I decided to use the scooter as a daily commuter, I had the whole bike ceramic coated to protect it. I have no intentions of parting company with it, the scooter is now part of the family, and it holds an immense amount of sentimental value along with a lot of treasured memories.

Stu says: Elias’ discovery and childhood memories of this scooter are wonderful.

He’s lovingly restored the machine to an exceptional standard and using it every day keeps him constantly connected to his grandfather’s memory.

I’m sure his grandfather would be extremely proud of the results were he here today to see them.

Words: Stu Smith/Elias Kyriakides, Images: Teri Would/Elias Kyriakides. Article appeared in Scootering Magazine October 2025 issue. To subscribe and grab £99 worth of freebies visit https://classicmagazines.co.uk/scootering?offer=SCOME2026