Statuto – Noi Siamo i Mods!

Turim, no norte de Itália, oferece-nos maravilhosos chocolates e locais elegantes para beber um café ou então uma das suas criações, o Martini. Também possui excelentes livrarias, uma culinária requintada, dois clubes de futebol com mística, a Juventus e o Torino, uma arquitectura barroca mas ao mesmo tempo racional, e uma vista para os Alpes, ali mesmo ao lado. Também nos ofereceu os Statuto, a mais importante banda mod/ska italiana. Sem dúvida uma cidade de bom gosto pois com coisas que a gente gosta. Aqui fica o relato da minha entrevista ao Naska, o baterista.


It's your first interview for Portugal?
Naska - Yes it is our first interview for Portugal

Have you ever been here in vacations?
No sorry, none of us has ever been to Portugal.




I've just finished reading the book wrote by Oskar. That period between the end of the 70's and the begining of 80's might have been really exciting...
For us born in the mid sixties the early '80 were a period of full innovation. Musically and socially. At that time there was not Internet so we have to 'discover' every new sensation coming from England through the musical papers, the fanzines the record that someone brought back from his vacation in London. It was really exciting.



The mixing between mod revival and ska two tone was positive or complicated?
Ska arrived in Italy in the early '80’s with 2tone invasion. Some italian singer recorded some ska song in italian, and there was a big interest for a year but soon all vanished. Some early mods in Italy otherwise were 'ska boys' (in Italy nobody knew what a rude boy was), that turned into the mod thing.

Wich were your favorite bands at the time?
At the time first of all were The Jam and Style Council, Lambrettas, Purple Hearts, Chords, Merton Parkas, Thruth, and all the 2tne from england (Madness, Specials, Selecter, Beat, etc). And some oldies like The Who, Small Faces, Motown. We discovered the real soul and northern soul scene at the end of the '80s.



Were you the first ska band in Italy?
Definitly yes, we composed and sang ska songs in italian from the beginning.

As I figure it out by the book was just after that you discovered the sound of the 60's?
Not so. Statuto were formed from the sounds we had in our ears from english ska and mod revival.

All of the mods and rude boys from Piazza Statuto had a Vespa?
At the moment there are more Vespas than Lambrettas in Piazza Statuto. Almost every mod has a scooter.

Wich models did you have? Do you reemember?
Mine is a Vespa 200 Rally. There are many vespa PE 200, I think this is the most common.



And nowadays, how are the Vespa activities for Statuto?
Vespa has always been associated with Statuto. We have countless of pics with our scooter, many album cover with a vespa on it, even our latest album greatest hits “Elegantemente Rudi” released by Sony in 2008 has my vespa on the cover (that picture was took in 1987).



And how about the mod scene in Turim? The Mod Clan is just for mods that have a Vespa?
Turin had always had a great mod scene, really healthy from the beginning in the early '80’s. Nowadays there are mods in theirs 40’s and new generations on teenagers, all in the same group. No the mod clan is not a scooter club.

The compilation "Elegantemente Rudi 1983/2008" is an excelent compilation of your music. Do you have any plans for 2009?
At the moment we are still touring from last year (in 2008 we played 70 gigs in italy). We'll stop touring in september and then we will begin the recordings of a new album; these are the plans at the moment.



Am I wrong or you refuse to play in Turim?
You are correct we don't play in Turin since 2004. This was a strong decision against the city musical 'burocracy' : few people that take control of huge amount of public money and that is spent in one way. If you're not 'friend' with these people you are banned , not officially but de facto, from festivals, big concerts events, etc, etc.

Who knows one concert in Lisbon...
Who knows, why not??



Visitem o myspace deles aqui.
ou o Vespa Gang lá de Turim aqui.
e a nova banda da cidade aqui.

Leonel de Jesus, O Rapaz do Chapéu

Mais fotos da super noite Motown...

Mais fotos da nossa última festa, que nos chegaram via maildogang@gmail.com. Se tiverem mais que queiram partilhar com o resto do mundo, enviem-nos, ok?

Neste fim-de-semana vamos estar no 13º Iberovespa que este ano será em Arganil. No sábado, Professor X e Pedro "42" Ferreira animam a noite no Nova Vaga com sons scooteristas. Dia 1, 2 e 3 de Maio vamos andar por ali, plos caminhos de Portugal. Faça chuva ou faça sol...

Parts in the mail & new scooter clothing business

In the usual part order fashion crap happens and hoops appear from no where for you jump through. I received the fuel rod from Scooters Origanli late last week. My brake switch, rivets for glove box door, and the foam trim for the glove box door should go out in Monday's mail. I want the bike running by June 1st and ready for AmeriVespa the July 4th weekend. We have our tickets.

Living in PA afforded us more disposable income than CA does and restoring my Lambretta TV175 S.3 so I have had to get clever with fundraising for my hobby:
I have started a micro business that sells shirts for infants through toddlers with applique scooter patches. I will be making some SS180 patches and other various Vespa models. If you're interested you can me out at GoGo510. Vespa shirts and patches will be available soon!

Pictured above is my son wearing a Lambretta Series 2 shirt I made for him.

Rotundas

Como as rotundas parecem um elemento em vias de expansão nas nossas estradas e como parece que há aí muita gente que AINDA não sabe circular nas mesmas, não é demais (re)lembrar algumas regras de circulação recomendadas.Tendo em conta uma das muitas revisões do Código da Estrada, esta a de 23 de Fevereiro de 2005, relativamente à circulação em rotundas, os condutores devem adoptar o comportamento

Lambretta Children's Clothing

Children's Lambretta clothing for sale.
I need to raise $450 for the electronic ignition set-up I want for my TV175. I'm a high school English teacher and a proud dad to a 2.5 year old, which means to my Lambretta it needs to wait a long time for parts money. It is my goal to completely rebuild the engine this summer and then some. In order to do that I need to buy my BGM electronic ignition. So I am creating a fundraising event for my TV. I am selling applique Lambrettas (think iron-on patches which are iron & sewn on and totally safe in the washing machine and will handle toddler abuse) on onesies for infants through 24 months. Pictured above is my son wearing one my shirts (Note: I have not added the cross stitching around the profile yet, which will add a nice subtle texture to it and make very durable).

I have a variety of templates, which include Series I, II, III, & a couple Lambros. Personally, I have always wanted to dress my son in a Lambretta shirt and I think he looks cute and stylish in this one-of-a-kind Lambretta shirt.

Onesies are for sale at $15.00 plus postage. I have a variety of fabrics that are friendly to both boys and/or girls. I just need to know the size of onesie, the model of Lammy you want, and gender of the child. I can use a color thread or a clear thread (basically invisible). Just let me know. If you are a LCUSA member you can PM me at JeremyJSutton.

The sound of young America...

Aqui ficam as imagens de mais uma noite festiva, que marcou este mês de Abril 09.
Muito som Motown, dança e coreografias cuidadas, algum ska para agitar e os clássicos do gang. Prémios Motown, t-shirts e cd's Motown 50 voaram na pista de dança. No fim fechou-se com Marvin Gaye, como não poderia deixar de acontecer.
As imagens que se seguem são autoria do fotografo Carlos Didelet, que se estreou nas nossas noites e quer voltar...
Preparem-se para a comemoração dos 3 anos do Vespa Gang Mod Club a acontecer na praia. Muitos convidados e amigos já disseram que sim. Dia 16 Maio no Hula Hula - Praia do Rei na Costa da Caparica...

Proposta: Sessão de Cinema

This Is England — a estrear entre nós como Isto É Inglaterra —, consegue a extraordinária proeza de contar uma história centrada num rapaz de 12 anos, "adoptado" por um grupo de skinheads (em pleno consulado de Margaret Thatcher, durante a guerra das Malvinas), sem ceder a nenhum cliché, seja ele histórico, político ou moral. O filme, escrito e realizado por Shane Meadows — e directamente inspirado em algumas experiências pessoais, — tem as suas raízes na grande tradição realista do cinema inglês e, ao mesmo tempo, possui o fulgor shakespeareano de um conto de som e fúria em que cada um procura um sentido para as convulsões da sua própria existência — com essa proeza extraordinária de não menosprezar nenhuma personagem, de não recusar a ninguém o direito de existir como elemento dramático, irredutível e extremamente complexo. Digamos, para já, e para simplificar, que é um dos grandes acontecimentos cinematográficos de 2009. João Lopes DN (extraido do blog dele: Sound & Vision)

Update for April

What can I say? I am waiting on parts. That's it!

I did find out that I need a USA released Rally 200 brake switch and found one through Mic at Scooter Shop (it's an SIP one). He asked me if I had a round or square horn button. And that cued him in on exactly what I needed. It should be on its way along with the glove box door sponge trim.

In the meantime I have been posting a lot of research on my Lambretta site.

Remagnetized stators

I asked Gene M. about the remagnitized stators when considering building a fully stock motor and this is what I asked Gene:


If I go with a 6-pole stator/flywheel and have Barry Gwin at SF Scooter Center re-magnitise it -- do you think it would be very dependable with a freshly rebuilt motor or do you like the SIL set-up more?

Gene's response:

Does he have a flux tester -- to see which magnets are low?

If the recharge has worked?

Remagnetized stators are fine -I ran my tv200 with stock 6 pole DC system for years. Strong flywheel too. Ignition was fine. Charging was fine. What was poor was the headlight power..the elec kit I have now puts out a lot more wattage for lights...

Bearing choices

I have been doing a lot of research on bearing choices and trying to make sure that I get great quality bearings. I spoke with both a scoot shop and two bearing distributors. SKF and FAG brand bearings are the most expensive bearings I looked at, but it looks like I will be using NSK. The bearing distributor has not been able to find the three needle rolling bearings based off of the numbers provided in Marti Sticky's book. Here's what I have so far:

- $27.35 for drive side main bearing "6305 VVC3 NSK (has rubber seal per Sticky's recommendation)"

- $50.63 for flywheel side main bearing "NU205M NSK (has bronze metal cages)"
* Alternative is $141 for FAG NU205E.M1

- $19.00 for endplate gear cluster bearing "6004 NSK"

- $11.12 for front hub sealed bearing "6201VV NSK"

- $60.00 for a RIV branded rear hub bearing

I will confirm that these are the best choices to go with.

Note: I do not need to order the front hub bearings as my front disc brake came with two brand new FAGs with metal seals still in unopened boxes.

Order #1 Engine Parts List

I am researching the bearings more, but here is a list of the parts I ordered.

L52-433 Flange - Rear Hub Seal Holding Plate 1.99

L52-435 Engine Rubber Bumpstop 1.99

L52-436 Washer-Engine Bumpstop Rubber 0.99

(qty: 2) L52-424 Cone Engine Bolt - Li Special/TV/SX/GP 11.98

L52-430 Distance Nut Spacing Cylinder Cover 1.29
8mm x 30

L52-523 Kickstart Rubber Bumpstop 1.59

HD-DN-008 Deep Nut - 8mm (EXHAUST - ENGINECASE) 0.79

(Qty:4) HD-JN-007 Nut - 7mm Jam (ENDPLATE) 0.80

(Qty: 4) HD-LW-007 Washer, Split Lock - 7mm 1.00

L52-442 6mm Grease Nipple 1.59 (can I reuse original?)

L52-520IT Oil Drain Plug - Magnetic 10.99 (can I reuse original?)

L52-438 Oil Throw Washer A16 0.99

L60-202R Seal Set - 5 Engines Seal ROLF 22.99

(Qty: 4) L52-444 DriveSide Oil Seal Plate Screw 1.96
*** DO YOU WANT SLOTTED, PHILIPS OR
ALLEN KEY? (I would like what ever would be stock on an 1962 Italian TV175)

L52-439 Spacer, Seal Retainer - Mag 2.59

L52-440 Spacer, Bearing Spacer - Mag 1.25

HD-IC-052 Circlip - Internal 52mm - MAG FLANGE 1.19 (needed with my TV crank?)

L56-300G Kickstart Pad - Ser 3 - Black 5.99

(Qty: 2) HD-BB-516 Ball Bearing-Cruciform 1.58 (needed with my TV crank?)

L60-303RIV Lambretta: Bearing, Rear Hub RIV Italian brand $60

Main jet (106 for Dell'Orto SH1/20 $4

Total: $137.68

Rules for the Cult of Capitalism

Recently, my buddy Klint renamed his Technoccult blog, Renegade Futurist, and his focus for the blog seems to shifted some.No worries, though, he's posting some awesome stuff like this "Rules for the Cult of Capitalism":3. When the government charges for its services (taxes), this is theft. When private enterprises charge for food and rent, this is just. 4. Theft is the worst crime known to man.

Triggering Traffic Lights on a Scooter.

Every scooterist has faced this at one time or another, those damned traffic light sensors that your scooter can't trigger.I've seen discussion of this on several scooter forums, but really never expected to see it addressed in the mainstream media. But apparently, the Columbus Dispatch has tackled a story that other papers have been afraid to touch... perhaps out of fear of losing the

American Scooterist: Issue # 54/55 Scooting to the Beat

Somehow, I got the latest issue of American Scooterist today. My dues for Vespa Club of America must have expired two years ago, and I never changed my address with them when you changed coasts.Not that I'm complaining.If like me, you are interested in the history of American counter-culture, the Beats, and scooters, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of this issue.Proving there is nothing new

Próximo sábado no Europa...

Neste próximo sábado celebramos os 50 anos da editora Motown. Smokey Robison, Marvin Gaye, Supremes, The Funky Brothers...muito som da Motor City para agitar o pedaço!





Esta noite muito especial Motown 50 conta com o apoio da Universal Music e da Fnac.

Dave Arneson has Left the Prime Material Plane

As is my wont of late, I am late in this post in observation of the late Dave Arneson, who failed his last saving throw versus Cancer earlier this week.This means that the two main minds behind the origins of Fantasy Role Playing Games, have left us.I know there were some issues about Dave not feeling he got his due credit for his role in the creation of Dungeons & Dragons, though for me

It's all about engine bearings

Background reference: great information on bearing choices can be found here.

When restoring my wife's 1967 Vespa VSC. I quickly took to two mentors, because I am a total newbie. Those guys are Christopher Markley and Tom Giordano. They are referenced a ton on the blog restore of the Vespa. For this Lambretta I have added to mentors to my list, Stuart Werner and Mike Analt. So now I have four teachers. I am in the process of learning everything I can about the bearings that go inside a Lambretta engine. I don't like to just do things. I get obsessive and want to know about each piece before installing it and without a doubt bearings are parts that play an integral role in the performance and safety of your scooter.

First, I spoke with Gene Meredith and learned he sells URB bearings, but of course he explained
we can get any bearing you want. we normally use URB, which is a good high quality bearing, but if you insist on SKF I can get it, although it will be more $ and also NO guarantee what country the bearing was made in (SKF supply whatever is sent to them from whatever country is making x bearing at that time - which is why we prefer URB which is a good European bearing - used around here by most motorcycle shops and we use and have had no problem with them. they are EC which is extra capacity rating.

Secondly, I spoke with my mentors and got a greatly detailed answer that taught me exactly what I needed to know.

For the crank, you want to use an ECP (extra capacity) bearing. If you can get that from SKF, great. If not, go with the best quality bearing you can find. But then again, SKF has plants all over the world, and I'm not thrilled with their Indian production. Some of the Vespa Crankshaft bearings you get these days are SKF Indian, and I have seen several cage failures (and NEVER saw a cage failure on anything BUT these indian SKFs).

I've had good experiences with ZKL bearings.

But remember, the magneto side bearing is a two-part roller bearing. N204 or NU204 (I can't recall right now which). The rollers are held in place by a cage. Most N or NU 204 bearings made these days are made with plastic cages. But if you hunt, you can still find ones with bronze or steel cages. You want to use a bronze or steel cage bearing.

For a few years, (a reputable very shop) was selling plastic caged bearings. I had spoken with the Technical Service people at SKF, who said that the plastic cages were not meant to be used in constant contact with fuel. I raised this issue with (the very reputable shop owner), who spoke with (very reputable Italian distributor and Lammy Lover) about it. (The Italian Distributor) said he had been using them for years with no ill effects, and continued supplying plastic cage bearings. I decided to only use metal cage for my rebuilds. I think -- but am not sure -- that (the very reputable shop) has changed their policy and that their magneto bearings now only come with metal cages. I have not bought one lately, so I don't know.

You will not have an option to use metal cages with some of the needle rollers in the Lammy transmission. Some only come in plastic cage these days, but it does not matter. The transmission does not see gas -- only oil. So plastic is not a problem here.

Tom

When I lived in Harrisburg, PA I purchased my bearings from an industrial company, but I can't recall the name off the top of my head.

I have also been told that Power Transmission Services in Baltimore at 410-354-0010 is good and sells ZKL as well.

Metal Fuel Rod

As usual, finding "true" parts for the SS180 in this day in age can be challenging. When installing my gas tank I accidently broke the tip of the fuel rod (gas on/off/reserve) switch -- Part #84424. The odd thing is the handle on the switch is plastic on my stock one, which doesn't make since to me because metal was used. So maybe my wife's SS180 had an aftermarket switch on it. Even finding an original used one is a bit challenging. I found one through a local rider, but he has to hunt it down and recommended I just buy a new one because I can count on that. At the time I thought metal ones were still available at a few shops.

I attempted to drill a small hole through the end of the fuel rod and re-use my original. It did not work, because the fuel rod needs to be able to dangle at a steep angle to allow you to install the gas tank and get the fuel rod through the frame. I won't post pictures of that. I was able to find an original Italian made all metal one, but note that the color is not true. The handle is not black. So it was a toss up for authenticity -- Italian, metal, and silver or reproduction, plastic, and black. I asked my wife what she wanted on her bike and she chose the metal Italian one. It won't look stock, but the bike is not a stock color either. And seeing as it is metal and Italian it is closer to the original. I hope to receive it by Monday in the mail.

Dance Craze em Almada Velha

Cá vão algumas imagens da última soireé Dance Craze no mês passado. Os scooter boys invadiram o Acercadanoite bar, onde o nosso companheiro Mod 64 da Two Tone Store e Pedro "42" Ferreira abrilhantaram a noite com uma mistura de sons northern soul, mod revival..Mais uma noite daquelas!

Out with the old....

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW???

So....I have been thinking about buying another scooter but wondering why I think I need 4 scooters in my shed when I can only ever ride one at a time.

It's a disease!

I started thinking about selling one of the old Supers to help with the finances for purchase but not sure I could part with either of my Supers when it comes to the crunch....

I am liking the look of the 300 Super and toying with the idea of grabbing one when this contract is over.

I am currently working in the bush on a construction site doing OHS and I think I'll need to reward myself at the end of it :)

What better way than spoiling myself with a brand new Vespa.

Is it possible to love both old geared scoots and new twisties alike?

I think so, it's a Vespa after all :)

I'll just go with white as its safer on the road. I'll be able to jazz her up with decals if I get bored.

Now all I need is a suitable name for her, any suggestions?

The Poppers apresentam novo disco dia 8 Maio no Music Box

Os The Poppers estão de regresso aos palcos e com novo disco na bagagem. Segundo esse miseravel cantor/boêmio e nosso conhecido Rai, o novo álbum está em fase de masterização em NY. E avisa a malta do gangue, que nos quer ver a todos no Music Box dia 8 Maio, para uma apresentação oficial dos novos temas. Este será o segundo álbum de originais da banda dos Olivais, que foi gravado em Janeiro no estúdios Valentim de Carvalho em Paço de Arcos, tendo como produtor Nuno Rafael.
Neste teaser, podemos ouvir o novo tema Drynamilll, que faz parte deste mais recente trabalho dos The Poppers e a julgar por este tema, temos boas noticias dos rapazes. Dia 8 ao vivo no Music Box e ainda uma after party em local a designar. Fiquem atentos.

SS180 & Rally180

Pictured above is a 1971 Vespa Rally 180 I found for sale on Scoot dot net. Note the similarities with the headset and tractor tail light on my wife's VSC. Clearly, the piston-ported engine in her bike is different than the rotary in the Rally 180, but frame wise they are close. I know that the Dept. of Motor Vehicles required the late USA models of the SS180 to have a round headset for weather-proofing. Not sure about the tractor tail light. And now that I have learned that I have a rear brake switch from the Rally180-200. There are some specific differences in the USA models that few Vespa owners know about. The question I now have, per my post just before this is . . .

Do both bikes share the same wiring loom? If not, I am in trouble.

Also, does any one know the breakdown of similarities / differences in detail on these two bikes?

Rear brake switch

With the help of David at First Kick Scooters, I have come to the realization that my stock rear brake switch was actually one from the Rally 180. It would be in grey with a grey gasket. You can see my stock one pictured here on the right. Note the guts of the stock one. It is in the "open" position, which means when you push the plunger that the connection is formed. SIP pictures their black Rally 180-200 here and you can see the internals are the same as my stock one. So now my big concern is, since I don't use a "Closed" GS/SS180 brake switch, should I have also used a Rally 180 wire loom (if they are different). Anybody know this answer?

Rotate rims & hubs correctly

While the scoot lived in Ted's garage, he was kind enough to tackle a bit of the reassembly. One item he took care of for me was to purchase the new tubes and put the tires on the rim. I hadn't noticed until a reader pointed out, but the tube came through the rim wrong and the rims were connected to the hubs backwards.It was an easy change for me and just one more item that needed to be done. So I tackled the front tire a week ago and the rear tire today. An item worth investing in for me is a torque wrench -- a nice Craftsman for $90. I purchased mine on sale at Harbor Freight for $12 or $20 or something like that. I figured since it is a hand tool I should be safe. I was wrong. I just pulled it out and I can't remember, but I am not sure the last time I used it if I put it on the lowest setting so to preserve the intricate mechanisms. All I know is it no longer works and I now need to invest in a quality one.

I did not fix the spare tire set up yet, as the tube inside it was pinched between the rim halves when put together (make sure to pump up with air before sealing the halves) and I figure I will fix that when I put a new tube in. No rush as the visible tires are now correct.

Spark plug changed and finished

As some of you may remember I had a NGK style upgrade on my spark plug with the nice tight ball bearing connection, but was warned by a reader that it stood too tall and would dent the underside of the cowl when my wife rode over a big bump. You can see a photo and read the comments about my modified spark plug clip here. I didn't take any chances and changed it back to stock, which is a good thing.It takes very little work to remove the spark plug clip. No need to cut the wire and chance the wire being too short -- mine was in danger of being too short. I used pliers and gently walked it around the clip's end and listened for a small "cracking" sound. It did and I was able to pull the wire out with no effort at all.As you can see it was a clean break. I am no expert, but logic tells me the fact that the modified NGK spark plug clip has a sharp nail like pin going into the cables inside the wire produce both a superior connection and a better water/weather proof protection than the stock one did.In an effort to increase the connection "area" between the wire and the spark plug clip, I recommend trimming the rubber on the wire back and folding the wire back over itself so it literally rests against the clip when you tighten it down. That way you have two connections: the spike in the clip, which goes through the wire, and the folded over wire you created. Click to enlarge the photo to see what I did. Thanks to David at First Kick, who taught me this trick.

James' Scooter Saga Solved!!

Continued from Last Post

From last time I wrote, had some issues to resolve again, I got my RWC but the motor was smoking and behaving badly. I broke it down again and replaced the crank and seals again. I also managed to repair the rear hub (if you recall the bearing retainer was welded in). Got my dremil into it, cut it out and popped out the bits, luckily the thread was undamaged, and came up like new! I got the cases and motor looking really clean and I think that every part has been replaced/serviced and up to grade. Put it all back together, started first shot, but still had smoke issues....... very unhappy at this point, did the job twice but I guess I put in all that effort onto a set of cases that must have a warp issue internally or a crack that is not allowing a seal to happen between the gear box and rotor area.

OK, picked my self back up and kicked in plan 'B'.

Got the LML P150 motor I had as a backup, and did an inspection. This motor looks fresh, popped the head and cylinder off and inspected the inside via the clutch cover and rotor area with a micro torch (those with a bendy head look like ET ) and the guts look brand new!
Decided that I was not going to split this motor, quite frankly a bit sick of all the rebuilds and felt I needed to get some time on the road before the weather gets bad. I did change the cylinder, head and piston as there was scoring in the cylinder and the piston was a 3rd over sized and had scoring on it - and its cheaper to replace than machine a 4th oversize and also that would have been the limit as 4th is as far as you can go. Dave hand cut the ports on a new 3 port cylinder and honed it nicely. Put it all together, did the electrical conversion (this was fun, I love electronics) and mounted the CDI and regulator.

Converted the motor to a 8 inch (very simple, dust cover plate, brakes and rear hob fir straight on from the old motor) Mounted the lot - it went straight in, no issue. Fired it up - had an idle issue (would not stay on unless I opened up the throttle), did a carb rebuild and found that the mixture screw was missing - reassembled and now she is running well!

No smoke - I was worried about the seals, but they seem OK.
I am running in the motor now as I have the new rings in it, but for the last couple of weeks she has been sweet! I think she has finally in one piece - can't wait to open her up, will have to wait for another 600km for the run in to finish, but seems to have more power (it is a 3port motor and 20/20 carb!).

Have to sort out a couple of mystery vibration in the body, but I am happy with her.

Scooting Again!

And Hello again!Well, I have to plead fatherhood for the umpteenth time on my lack of posting recently.But it is Spring, and I have a new (to me) scooter.It's a 1992 Honda Elite 80. This little beauty came into the shop as a trade-in on a new Vespa, and I just couldn't bear to see him go to the wholesaler. So, I sold my Honda Magna 500, and bought this little guy. Probably the best downgrade of