For many, the brand of choice for those wheels will be Vespa. But what if you’re looking to buy into something with a little more, um, character, than a contemporary Vespa LX150, S150, or GTS?

Well if you’re NYC-based right now you could be in luck, with a surprising amount of choice out there on the local Craigslist board considering we’re a long way from Pondetera.

I’d like to think this is the combined result of a group of local Vespa collectors taking a long hard look at the balmy weather we’ve been having recently and deciding to call it quits on one of their babies. Furrowed brows opting out of the 2012 riding season with this-or-that particular bike so that concentration can be placed on each their respective remaining twelve projects in various states of disrepair.

A caveat before we start – we love (and ride) vintage bikes here at NYCS but fair warned is fair armed. If you’re a new rider with very little mechanical experience – know that while every bike on this list has the potential to serve you well for many years to come – riding safely has to be your first priority.

Every one of these bikes should be given an appropriate look-over by either your friendly local mechanic, or by a friend well versed in the quirks of these bikes, and ideally before committing to a purchase.

With that said, here’s a quick rundown of some random local finds all currently looking for new owners on the C-of-the-L (that’s Craigslist folks.)

“The Custom”: 1964 Vespa GS 160 – $2000

First up is a Vespa classic, the GS. In this case one that’s cosmetically clearly had a hard life, but is at least mechanically sound under the seat. A quirky find for sure, but as the seller states, the “previous owner “customized” it a bit … but (it’s) a GS 160 nevertheless.”

“The Paperworker”: 1963 Vespa VNB – $3300

Continuing the robin’s egg blue theme is this very nice VNB that, for me, balances just the right amount of dings-and-scratches patina with plenty of upgraded components beneath the metal. The rub? The owner does not have the title. Yes, it’s possible to get one, but be prepared for a couple of back-and-forths to the DMV. Oh, and check out that front fender ornament.

“The Smallie”: 1964 Vespa 90 – $1200

I love the casualness of this bike. Chained to a tree like a local Piazza runabout in true Vespa 90 tradition. Sounds from the description that it’s only a couple of hours of work away from a stable daily rider in the right hands; or of course, you can take it apart and turn it into a honest-to-goodness project bike.

“The Bombshell”: 1964 Vespa 150 – $4000

This bike has been on Craigslist for a while, so either those who’ve seen the bike have uncovered a flaw, or simply find the styling, or price tag, not to their liking.

A lovingly restored 150 with new shiny bits inside-and-out: a rebuilt engine and a complete stripped, sandblasted, primed, and eye-catching but tasteful paint job. Reading between the lines on the posting suggests however, that like the VNB above, this baby may require some paperwork juggling before it’s ready to ride off the curb.

“The Hot Pepper”: 1976 Rally 200 – $4600

The youngest, and most expensive of the lot, but a beautiful bike. 200cc’s bring you the power you need to scoot around the five borough bridge and tunnels with limited concern and some hopefully traceable provenance on the bike, given that the seller states that the bike was rebuilt a couple of years back by local (sorely missed) shop, BrooklynBretta.

Robbie Rhodes down at Brooklyn waterfront’s Scooter Bottega has also apparently touched the bike and should therefore be able to speak to its credibility as a purchase.

And finally…

“The Read-Between-The-Lines”: Various 1966 Vintage Vespas – $2900

Anyone with any familiarity with Vespas will tell you to run, not walk away from these scooters. And therein lies the read-between-the-lines of the posting’s title: “100% Italian Vintage Vespas.”

Yes, it’s reasonable to assume (though not necessarily true) that these bikes are 100% Italian originally. Unfortunately the over-zealous paint jobs and accessorizing clearly telegraph that they’ve found their way to New York City by way of South-East Asian “restorations.” We do not recommend these bikes as safe, reliable (or re-sellable) unless you’re looking to brighten up your office cube or SOHO loft apartment.

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Who needs a garage? Photograph courtesy of Marian Sell.

One of the best things about heading out on a ride-out or to a rally is the fact that you get to meet new like-minded people. Case-in-point. Last Sunday’s “Step Through Sunday” introduced me to native German – now NYC-based – scooterist Marian Sell.

Marian brought his project Vespa along for the ride. A Seventies Vespa Sprint Veloce that he has just finished spending several months outfitting with an 80′s Vespa T5 (5 port) engine among a whole host of other race-tuned improvements. Following a day’s ride alongside Marian and a short ride from the seat of the bike itself, I can attest to the fact that not only does the bike look great, this baby is fast.

Following the ride, Marian turned me on to his blog where he charted his progress on the bike over several months through a series of Instagram images of the build in action. While his captions are in his native German, his photographs of the progress are so beautiful they’ve turned the documentation of his scooter build into an art-form in itself.

What’s equally impressive however is (and I hope Marian will excuse me for this) his German ingenuity. A scan through his beautiful photographs show that the whole build took place in a combination of locations in-and-around his apartment on the Lower East Side without a garage or workshop in sight.

From de-greasing an engine in the kitchen to spray painting on the roof, there’s something really fantastic about the project that goes to the heart of owning a scooter. A machine that’s maintenance is within the mechanical reach of every rider who has a basic set of tools and a desire to tinker.

Freshly painted wheel rims drying on the roof. Photograph courtesy of Marian Sell.

It’s one thing to do a basic rebuild without a full workshop, heck, I rebuilt a PX a year-or-so ago inside my apartment in Brooklyn, but in my case the rebuild was mostly cosmetic. But in addition to a whole host of cosmetic upgrades, Marian has stripped and rebuilt the engine with a new crank, a new top-end, re-ported the case with a Dremel and who knows what else all inside and outside a cramped New York City studio apartment. Marian even goes so far as to use a skateboard as a cart to wheel his new engine home from the local mail depot.

For many many more beautiful photos, you can check out Marian’s blog here. In addition Marian recently began work on a sister Lambretta DL 125 project which is shaping up to be an equally beautiful documentation of progress. Marian has begun posting to a similarly fascinating visual blog, this time with captions in English.

Fantastic. Keep up the great work Marian.

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As this mild weather has started to turn to warm weather it’s perhaps no surprise that some of these same city scooterists have been eager to change up their daily commute and try something a little different.

They’ve discovered that thanks to NY Scooter Club’s Alan Gotlieb who has spent the past three Sunday mornings leading an increasing swarm of local riders, yawning fresh from scooter hibernation, along stretches of the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront providing these souls with their first ride-outs of 2012. In Alan’s words, “I never tire of the waterfront. There’s just so much to see.”

Informally titled “Step-Through Sundays,” I joined Alan, his partner Rebecca, and a gang of twenty or so riders this past weekend for a stretch that started with a short meet-and-greet in Windsor Terrace and over the course of six solid hours of scootering made it all the way up to Long Island City by way of Red Hook, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Five Pointz, downtown Queens.

Red Hook provided an opportunity to take up where last week’s ride had wrapped up and saw us riding by way of a gas stop down to everyone’s favorite European cultural haven, IKEA.

While there are limits to the practicalities of carrying self-assembly Scandinavian furniture on a scoot, I have to say, IKEA provided a mighty convenient bathroom break. What it also provided was a feeling that our Sunday was somehow going to be a whole heck of a lot more interesting than “theirs” as we left the early morning crowd of dreary-eyed, tape-measure-wielding, fighting-kid-corralling shoppers.

Lining up outside IKEA in Red Hook.

From IKEA we rolled down the waterfront by way of the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition and a view of the local NYPD impound that secrets away what has to be thousands of motorcycles, ATVs, and yes the occasional scooter, thought to be repo’d by the cops as the ill-gotten gains of drug money and other crimes. What’s most concerning is that the destination for most of these (many practically new) bikes seems to be the scrapyard. Curious minds want to know.

Overlooking the NYPD impound from the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition in Red Hook.

From IKEA we made our way down to the “Hook” of Red Hook, a place I’d not been before – the Gowanus Industrial Park in Eire Basin at the end of Columbia Street. This is just the kind of tucked away urban archeology destination I like: Industrial, hidden, curious, probably dangerous. We covered the dangerous parameter within a few minutes of arrival because it provided an opportunity for a stretch of open unadulterated road for myself and fellow rider Zach to take Marian’s souped up Vespa Sprint Veloce for a spin:

Eire Basin also provided Alan’s first wake-up call of the day as the back wheel on his current project scooter had worked its way loose following a couple of blocks of Red Hook cobblestones. This was to prove the first of several nut tightening stops over the next couple of hours as Alan impressed the group with his full compliment of on-the-bike tools. Of course, in true scooterists’ spirit, even a loose back wheel wasn’t going to discourage Alan from sticking to the ride, so we rode on.

How many toolkits does Alan have? As usual, fellow scooterists look on and 'advise'. Photograph courtesy of Rebecca.

From Red Hook we headed up to Brooklyn Heights for a short stop at the Esplanade for a misty view over downtown before hurrying on to DUMBO and a stop at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. This was a chance to take a gander at the recently installed carousel that has now found a permanent home under the bridge.

From DUMBO (or Elephantville as Alan apparently prefers to call it) NY Scooter Club member Zach took on a short section of the ride and led us up into the small tucked away neighborhood sandwiched between DUMBO and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Vinegar Hill. While its a neighborhood that only totals something like eight square blocks, it’s a great place to get off the beaten path, even if three more straight blocks of cobblestones had Alan pulling over again to tighten non-essentially scooter parts like wheels.

From Vinegar Hill it was on to Greenpoint by way of Williamsburg and a stop under the shadow of the Pulaski bridge. Visiting Greenpoint, of course, means only one thing to a seasoned New Yorker and that’s Polish food. And we got ours at Karczma. Karczma Polish Restaurant – to give it its full, if not redundant, name – is a terrific place to get into the local spirit. Polish folk art covers the walls, the wait staff dress in traditional costume, and of course the menu is stuffed full of fantastic traditional Polish fare: Kielbasa, Pierogis, meat plates, soups, potato pancakes and plenty of Zywiec beer to wash it down with. Na zdrowie as they say in Polska. Cheers!

Some of the best Polish food and beer money can buy at Karczma Polish Restaurant, Green Point, NY.

We entered Karczma hungry but rest assured we left there stuffed. With stomachs full, one more cobble-stoned block could have led to a green-gilled scooterist requiring a visor flip-up and a projectile vomit into a gutter without missing a gear (trust me – I’ve seen it happen – a story for another time.) Thankfully it didn’t. Zach was prevented from leading the next stretch.

The next stretch took us into Queens and over to historic Graffiti mecca, Five Pointz. While many riders stopped to admire the art, club member Hans used the opportunity to practice his slow race skills before the rally season gets into full swing. He ably schooled myself and several other riders under the elevated train tracks as confused graffiti artists and ever-puzzled local art cognoscenti from nearby PS-1 looked on.

Stopping to admire the graffiti at Queens' Five Pointz.

Finally we rolled into Long Island City for one last fix of Alan’s rear wheel. By this time the sun was well and truly shining and the waterfront was packed as folks were out and about and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather

What started as a mild, but gray misty morning, ended as a glorious sunny Sunday afternoon as scooterists finally went there separate ways beaming from ear to ear and full of stomach. A huge thanks goes to Alan for leading the ride despite mechanical difficulties.

If you’re interested in joining a future Step-Through Sunday or similar rides around the city, Alan and other members of the NY Scooter Club can best be found through the NY Scooter Club website’s “Rides, Meet-ups, Rallies and Events” forum.

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Photography courtesy of Elio DeAngelis, Flickr.

Planning a visit to New York City this year? Perhaps you’re a native who’s debating a scooter purchase this spring but are not yet ready to commit to a purchase?

Either way, you now have a new option to see the city from the seat (or back) of a scooter.

NJRentAScooter.com founder Edwin Devia who set up business renting scooters out of Jersey three years ago, is expanding, with the help of company VP Freddy Hernandez, and committing more seriously to a New York City based presence this riding season with the recent launch of a Gotham dedicated website, ScootersNYC.com.

Both sites allow renters to reserve quickly and easily online choosing a scooter make and model and the dates needed. The sites also provide a good amount of local information on visiting New York and what you need to know to get around on two wheels.

Folks without a motorcycle license have a couple of decent 50cc scooter options at their disposal. Naturally, having a motorcycle license opens up your options into higher power territory so the service is perhaps best suited to licensed riders from out of town.

Both sites have a nice range of Aprilias, Hondas, Yamahas and Vespas. The Vespa fleet are all 250s so if you’re looking to see what that extra power brings you in traffic, this could be a perfect opportunity to take one for a spin. 250 fans can also opt for Honda Reflex in this capacity.

Once the booking is taken care of and you’re ready to ride, your chosen scooter is dropped off by truck to any location in the five boroughs and the paperwork is taken care of on the spot. Wireless credit card readers mean that the payment can also be closed at this time.

In true New York style a complimentary lock and chain is provided with each bike plus a rental helmet for the rider. Additional helmets and extras can be added to the rental during the booking process.

At the end of your rental period, the bike is then similarly picked up from any location and arrangements can be made for a pick up in your absence if necessary.

Tourists looking to augment their ride further have the option of upgrading to a “Total Freedom” GPS tour which includes a GPS unit that is preset to point you to points of interest throughout the city and provides an informational audio clip at each location. Take that open-top bus!

Scooters can be rented by the day, week, or month with daily rates decreasing with longer rental periods.

Rates start at $139 for a single day’s rental of a 50cc model or $169 for a single day on a top-of-the-line Vespa. Prices then drop per day. A typical three-day rental of the same Vespa for example brings the bike’s cost down to $112 per day inclusive of all taxes and fees. Rent for a week and you’re down to $64 per day on that particular scoot. All rentals include access to liability and full coverage insurance policies, and roadside assistance is provided free of charge to all renters.

In addition ScootersNYC have partnered with a number of local partners and hotels to offer a 10% discount on rental fees. Renting two scooters at once brings a 15% discount. So there are a couple of ways to lower rental prices further.

As a promotional discount, ScootersNYC have offered all NYCScootering.com readers (that’s you) a 5% discount off any rental fee. All you have to do is enter the coupon code “NYCS05” during the online booking process.

To learn more about renting from ScootersNYC, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook.

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The Cushman II Step-Thru (Left) and Highlander (Right)

You have to go back in time a little ways to remember when the good ole US-of-A had American made contenders in the scooter market. What you must remember however is how critical one manufacturer, Cushman, was to the history of scootering.

Cushman manufactured scooters between 1936 to 1965 and it was the lightweight Cushman 53 “Airborne” scooter used by US Paratroopers during World War II as a utilitarian vehicle to quickly move materiel from their landing zones that gave many Europeans their first (no doubt) middle-of-the-night bleary eyed sighting of the humble scooter. Those sightings were said to have gone on to inspire the Piaggio and Innocenti companies to turn to scooter manufacture following the war.

The Cushman Company started in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1903. Originally the company built agricultural and machine equipment before turning it’s attention to scooter manufacture in 1936.
In later years as scooter sales dried up, Cushman turned its attention to other vehicles, most notably the Cushman Truckster manufactured up until 2002 as a maintenance vehicle sometimes seen on the streets of New York driven by the NYPD.

Now, ten years later in 2012, it seems that the humble Cushman scooter may be back. Gardenia, California manufacturer K-Jack Motors are currently seeking dealer relationships to bring four models of the bike back in a new environmentally appropriate guise. Not unlike Cushman, K-Jack got their start manufacturing something other than scooters – in their case newspaper vending machines. Now the company hopes to bring a US made scooter back to the masses. The newspaper connection has meaning: K-Jack’s founder originally rode a Cushman back in the 50s as he delivered copies of the Los Angeles Examiner around the streets of the City of Angels.

That same man, the mysterious “Mr. C.” has now brought the Cushman back by massaging the original design to meet EPA, DOT and CARB requirements.

What hasn’t changed in the design is the beautifully utilitarian look of the Cushman scooter.

Assuming dealer negotiations go well, the first available will be the “Highlander,” then a step-thru model and the third model will be the Cushman Eagle. All models will be available in 12 standard powder coated colors and the company promises that custom colors can be special ordered. All models bear the moniker “Cushman II.”

We wish K-Jack all the best in their endeavor to bring these beautiful bikes back on to our streets and we’ll bring you more news as we have it. In the meantime you can keep up with K-Jack and the Cushman IIs at the company’s official website.

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Look, I love the Genuine Scooter Company’s Stella as much as the next two-stroke lovin’ scooterist, but when an opportunity comes up to buy a Vespa PX my heart goes to the original model behind the Stella every time.

Case-in-point. Today on CraigsList is your rare opportunity to pick up an unscathed 1985 Vespa PX 150 Elestart. The bike comes complete with just 23 miles on the clock, in glorious factory red with all of the original trimmings including the first things that like to get lost like the spare wheel cover and the original paperwork.

$2800 gets you a – very reliable and very tidy – piece of history. Learn more at the original posting here.

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Some lucky bastard is scootin' to work in Bondi Beach every day.

One of the benefits of having an Australian wife is that visiting the in-laws for the holidays means a trip down under to the flip side of the world where an NYC Winter quickly becomes a Melbourne Summer.

This year I had my scooter-eyes on to bring back a brief report on – and a few snaps of – the scootering scenes in Sydney and Melbourne.

First off, let me give a serious hats-off to anyone riding a scooter in either of these cities. Take it from someone who rides in Gotham traffic everyday, you guys, and gals, have some serious brass balls. Car drivers in Melbourne, and especially in Sydney, have a way of flipping around bends at terrifying speeds that put NYC cabbies to shame. Add to that the twists, turns, and hair-pins of Sydney’s rolling hills of traffic and it’s enough to shake the nerves of even the most seasoned rider.

Melbourne doubles-down on the danger with the presence of the city’s ubiquitous trams, slippery tram tracks and local traffic nonsense, the infamous “Hook Turn” that I swear was designed for the single intent of testing the mettle of foreign tourists.

Let’s just say that, while the balmy weather is appealing, I’m not sure I’d want to be out there in either city on a scooter in everyday commuter traffic.

Dedicated powered-two-wheeler parking in Sydney downtown (AKA The Central Business District.)

Scootin’ in Sydney
Our first stop was a few days in Sydney for New Years Eve 2011/2012.

If you’re a foreign scooterist visiting Australia, one of the first things you might notice on local Aussie scoots are the ubiquitous “L” and “P” plates and we saw plenty of both in the city.

An "L-Plater" in Watson's Bay, Sydney.

“L” (or “Learner”) plates are worn by scooters ridden by scooterists in their first few weeks on two-wheels following the passing an initial online test at the local licensing center. Riding as an “L” means the requirement to be accompanied by another rider with appropriate licensing, either riding two-up or accompanying on another scooter or motorcycle. The system works much like the provisional licensing in New York but with visible notification to other drivers (and the cops) that you haven’t quite got your scooter “Sea Legs” yet.

Once you’ve gotten some miles behind you, you can apply for a “P” plate, which includes some restrictions including not being able to carry a passenger before easing into your full license. A system similar to the one I grew up with in England, and something I would love to see introduced in the States for all drivers. I’m convinced it leads to safer streets (my comment about corner-whipping down under aside.)

Attached to these plates my wife and I saw a good range of the usual scooter suspects naturally including a healthy dose of modern Vespas, Yamahas, Kymcos, and Hondas.

It might not have been in production for long, but at least one "La Vita" made it to Sydney.

In addition, much like last year’s trip to Paris, I was also pleased to see a decent amount of modern Peugeot scooters, another company with a historic pedigree, that currently offers a terrific portfolio of bikes that are disappointingly not sold in the US.

From a vintage perspective, if you find yourself in Sydney, do yourself a favor and swing by to check out and support S.S. Scooter Engineering who have been representing the vintage love in Sydney since 2006. They’re a much warmer friendly bunch of folks than their name suggests. The S.S. recently moved to a new workshop in the Alexandria neighborhood and are the local go-to guys for vintage repair, restorations and under-the frame performance pimping.

Finally, if local ride outs are your thing, if you have a couple of days in Sydney you’ll want to reach out to the local scooter clubs before planning your trip. In Sydney, your first stop for trip planning should be the website for the Sydney City Scooter Club that houses an active forum including the usual chatter, smack-talking, wrenching, and silliness that comprises all great scooter forums.

A Peroni billboard in Melbourne tips the hat to other Italian icons.

Movin’ in Melbourne

After a quick domestic flight, a few days in my wife’s hometown of Melbourne provided a great opportunity to swing by local legend, The Vespa House in the Collingwood neighborhood.

While Melbourne has a healthy number of scooter shops these guys deservedly wear the nostalgia crown.

The Vespa House has ruled Melbourne in the very-same location since 1956, founded like all great scooter shops by a guy called Tony from Italy. In addition to being a Piaggio, Vespa, and Gilera dealership, the jewel in the crown of the Vespa House is the fantastic workshop that drips with history and continues to actively take care of the vintage and four-stroke bikes of this very busy city.

The shop, now in its third generation of the same family, includes Giovanni (Johnny) Scriba who has put in an incredible 40-plus years as the in-house Vespa mechanic.

Outside The Vespa House in 2012.

The same location back in the day. Spot the Lammy. Photo courtesy The Vespa House.

If you’re into vintage bikes of another pedigree, don’t hold-your-breath for a sight of a Lambretta however. While the workshop does service Innocentis, its website claims that the business has seen four times as many Vespas than Lammys, particularly back in the rivalry heydays.

For a sense of the history of the place, check out the gallery over at the Vespa House website which includes some fantastic images from the past 50 plus years.

Customer bikes inside The Vespa House.

If you’re looking to soak up some more Italian nostalgia in Melbourne, the city is home to some terrific Italian coffee houses that put American coffee to shame, including – but by no means exclusive to – the “Little Italy” neighborhood stretch on Lygon Street where you’ll occasionally spot a vintage scoot or two, even if it is sitting there for display purposes propping up a couple of Cappuccinos., or better yet, some of the best Gelati on the planet. Personally, operational or not, I’m always happy to see a scooter in any shape or form. Seeing an old bike as décor always brings a smile to my face.

Like Sydney, Melbourne is also home to a number of active scooter clubs including the Vespa Club of Melbourne, Melbourne Crusaders and the Vintage Vespa and European Motor Scooter Club and if you ask nicely through their forums, they’ll no doubt set you up with an experience in the city.

If you find yourself joining one of the local clubs for a ride out, you may also want to check out Melbourne Vespa Tour who offer modern Vespas to rent for city traversal.

All said and done, we had a terrific trip and I can’t wait to head back to the Southern hemisphere to check out more on the active scooter scenes of these two terrific cities. If you’re also fortunate enough to make the trip, not only will you have an amazing time you’ll also get to experience modern scooter culture at its best. A warm “G’Day” and “How yer goin’” to all our Aussie NYCS readers.

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Ah, the Kymco People. This poor CraigsList seller doesn’t seem to be able to attract a buyer in a sea of Vespa love. And that’s a shame, because the People is a well regarded, reliable, and well reviewed scooter.

Go ahead and put this Borough Park seller out of their misery and pick up a very nice commuter in the process at a bargain price: just $1300. At an MSRP of $2,799 that’s a heck of a saving on a bike with only 1200 miles on the clock.

Tis’ the season for scooter bargains as owners decide to sell rather than store for the Winter. Check out the poster’s CraigsList page here to get in touch or check out the LA Time’s take on why the People is a great scooter here.

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You can't have enough light.

As many of you know, my 1975 Serveta Jet 200 spent much of the last half of the Summer and the first half of the Fall on the bench.

The insane ride it took down to Wildwood, NJ as part of this year’s first East Coast Classic scooter rally, put the final nail in the proverbial coffin. I got there and back safely but within a week or so of the ride, the bike was belching smoke and fouling plugs left, right, and center. These symptoms immediately pointed to a blown oil seal, the seal that among other things – and I’m over-simplifying here – keeps the oil in the crank case away from the combustion chamber.

Thankfully, we still have experts like Gene at Scooters Originali in Orange, NJ to come to the rescue when faced with repairs beyond the roadside. Gene did a fantastic job addressing the oil seal, and giving the entire bike a once over. Given I didn’t know the provenance of the engine, I was keen to know what he was going to find under the hood. As perhaps expected, he found a thirty-five-year-old engine under the hood, and the oil seal was not the only issue that needed addressing.

Given I was now looking at the costs associated with “splitting the cases” to get inside the engine, I realized that this was the ideal opportunity to invest in a popular Lambretta upgrade, the famous 12 volt conversion. The Jet still had it’s original 6 volt wiring, and even with a rare 6 volt halogen bulb in the headlamp, I could barely spit out more light than a 1990′s cellphone.

The 12 volt conversion can be performed on all battery and non-battery Lambrettas and is done by using a new regulator to upgrade the output of the flywheel an additional 6 volts. Typically this is done using a – ssshhh so you’re Lammy friends don’t hear – a Vespa PX or P200 regulator.

I’m no electrician, though it is true that I am the son of an electrician, so I can’t begin to explain the details of how this works. If you have the know-how and you’re interested in learning more, the Lambretta Club of Great Britain have a concise article on how to perform the conversion yourself.

What I can attest to however is what a difference it makes. I can’t tell you how much I was beaming (no pun intended) from ear-to-ear last night as I pulled up behind an SUV to see my headlamp reflecting back at me from their rear. The old 6V bulb barely lit past the end of the front fender.

Additionally, of course, the entire electrical system has been upgraded so that means that the squashed duck that is the Lambretta horn has put on a few pounds and squeals a little more loudly, and perhaps more important even that the headlamp, the tail and brake lights now shine out in the dark for fellow motorists to see me when I pulled over in the dark waiting to make a left-hand turn.

All-in-all, I can’t recommend the conversion enough. Unless you’re a purist looking to keep your Lambretta absolutely stock, the conversion is the way to go. I’m a daily rider and I feel sooooo much safer knowing that in a world where drivers say time and time again that they just don’t see two-wheelers, that I’m a touch more visible.

Oh. And not belching smoke is nice to. Thanks Gene.

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