Two wheeled stool - Lambretta bitsa

[4wheeledstool]

I've owned this since 1989, from 1990-92 it was my only means of transportation, and since then, its use has steadily declined until the MOT expired a couple of years ago. (A Mk1 Cavalier began to eat up all my spare time!) It's a total bitsa, comprising of parts from all of the series three Lambretta models, and when I first assembled all the bits I had, just to assess what parts would be required, it looked like this.

 

 

After tracking down what was missing, then giving it a good painting up, I ended up with this.

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling pretty pleased with myself, it carted me around for the next couple of years, blessed with the kind of reliability that only comes with an engine built from parts found on people's garage floors.

[Cavcraft]

If you ever raffle this, I'll have numbers 1-59. KTHXBUY.

[4wheeledstool]

After dropping it at a petrol station, ruining the paint on the off side, it got a make over in 1993. Nicer paint job, better engine with some new parts, and a few different odds and ends - it was now looking smart again.

 

 

 

[4wheeledstool]

By 1998, it sported different side panels, forks, a front disk brake and a 200cc motor - as well as electronic ignition - pretty much the same spec it's in now. In keeping with the bitsa theme, the side panels came from an SX150, the forks from an SX200, the disk brake from a GP200, and the engine was from a TV200. All these parts were the best of the stuff I'd saved from the multitude of Lambrettas that had passed through my hands when they were still relatively inexpensive. (Those days are long gone )

These pics are a couple of years old now, nothing has changed other than it being dirtier!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's last big makeover was in 1993 - it doesn't look too bad, but the close ups show the need for refurbishment.

 

 

 

It'll be a hell of a lot easier than doing my Cavalier!

[Cavcraft]

How do you find the reliability with a 200 engine and electronic engine? It must be a pretty winning combo? As much as I loved my Vespas, you can't beat the Lambrettas for sound, speed and style as far as I'm concerned. 

[4wheeledstool]

A couple of scoots from my early to mid nineties fleet - this Jet 200 was bought from Horner's of Old Trafford and fitted with some spare Sx200 panels (don't have spares like that any more!) Was bog standard, and didn't need any work done to it at all. Can't even remember selling this - DVLA enquiry shows it as not being taxed since 1992 - that was when it was sold!

 

 

This was bought from Horner's as a LI125. Still have the bill of sale - frame number is SX150 reg'd BPC 28H. It had a 200cc motor in it as well as a perfect SX mudguard which went on my SX 200. It was rebuilt and painted after being fitted with many parts from my LI150 bitsa when it went from blue to green in 1993. Got a fair bit of use out of it until the frame tube broke in two whilst riding through Altrincham in 1994. Was folded up and brought home in a Fiesta! Here it is before it broke -

 

 

Was recycled soon afterwards!

[4wheeledstool]

How do you find the reliability with a 200 engine and electronic engine? It must be a pretty winning combo? As much as I loved my Vespas, you can't beat the Lambrettas for sound, speed and style as far as I'm concerned.

 

Electronic kit (AF Rayspeed one) is spot on. The only attention its needed since fitting was to adjust the timing a little to allow for the donkey piss that passes for petrol these days. One thing a Lambretta definitely has over a Vespa is stability at speed - particularly on motorways - the heavier front end is a lot more planted when overtaking/being overtaken.

[4wheeledstool]

Before I carry on with the bitsa, here's a few pics of another long termer - my TV200. It was bought in boxes of bits in 1994, and I spent the next 8 years sourcing all the correct parts for a bog standard restoration. Back then, there were very few parts available for Lambrettas, only old motorcycle shops that had been dealers back in the day had bits and bobs of old stock. (Virtually any part you can think of is available as a reproduction today) I started the job in 2002, and it was back on the road in 2003. It had been off the road since 1971!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It still scrubs up nicely even after 14 years

[4wheeledstool]

My other long termer is this SX200. Bought in 1990 for 50 queenheads, this sat around for a few years due to being poor (and having 10 other scooters in various states of disrepair). The theme applied to this one by its previous owner was "Dulux". The front mudguard and legshields were frilly, but it was totally complete. It didn't run, but it didn't matter - I had a 200! Here's a pic of it after it was stripped down, and then loosely placed together to take up less space

 

 

Here's a couple of pictures of its first incarnation - pictures of pictures as I have no scanner I'm afraid, but you get the idea! Back then I was younger and stupider, so I fitted a tuned motor with a micron pipe, then cut a hole in it so my 34mm Amal carburettor could poke out (fabricated Reed valve manifolds were bigger and bulkier back then). It was finished in 1996, but the pics are from 2001.

 

 

 

It stayed this way until 2011 when a complete rebuild was done.

[4wheeledstool]

The bodywork and Gubbins went to Zoot Scoot in Warrington for paint - and I got it all back exactly a year later

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It took longer than it should have to put back together as my arthritis was pretty bad at this point in time, but was still buttoned up in under a week.

 

 

 

 

 

At the MOT place in 2012.

 

 

[puddlethumper]

Love your Lambo's. Brings back memories of 1972 when I was 19 and had an SX200 that was bored out to 225. Blue and white and went like shite. The guy I bought it off said it would do 90. I was too shit scared to try that even though I was young and stupid.

Stupid enough to swap it for a BSA 500. 

Regrets. We all have them I presume.

[puddlethumper]

^^ Posted as you put your SX200 up. Absolutely fuckin beautiful. I am green with envy and purple with something else. Can I come and give it a severe licking? 

DROOOOOOOOOOOL !

 

 

I may have had a slight mishap in the trouser department.

[4wheeledstool]

 

Finally got this over to my unit at the weekend (been intending to make it happen for weeks!), hopefully I'll get started on it on Friday.

[strangeangel]

Lovely to see a thread on trad scooters that doesn't feature engraved engine cases and airbrushed pictures of a slightly melted looking Paul Weller

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Great thread, and shocking prices paid. The TV 200 is really special - the fact it was off the road since '71 and you had the opportunity to be the person that put it back on the road again must have been an amazing feeling. Just imagine how much you would fetch on eBay for an unrestored, in boxes TV200 right now. Crazy money for sure.

Your bitsa brought back memories of a Spanish Jet 200 I owned before my current SX150. It had exactly the same exhaust, which had become fairly rare by that point. What make is it? I've been racking my brain, but I'm damned if I can remember what it was! Lovely sound to it from what I can remember.

[4wheeledstool]

It was a Fresco exhaust when blue, changed for a Micron when painted green. The Fresco was a bugger for scraping the road during spirited right turns.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Fresco! That's it! They do hang low to be fair. They seem really rare now - nothing on the bay at all. Having said all that, I'm pretty happy with my JL pipe current setup. Micron sounds interesting too.

[4wheeledstool]

Decorating our Maud's new gaff has taken away scooter time of late, should get on it soon! I've been digging out some parts that have been stashed at my mother's place when time allows. So far, some reproduction rear floor boards have turned up, as well as a couple of air boxes that I intend to modify for use with a 30mm Dell'Orto carburettor.

 

 

The floor boards are a bit shit - it may be easier to fettle the ones that are on it!

[4wheeledstool]

I finally got round to doing a bit on this today, the repro floor boards are indeed a bit shit, the fit is poor enough for me to proceed with fettling the ones that were on it.

 

[4wheeledstool]

I spent a couple of hours carefully removing all the rusty fasteners holding the body panels to the frame. My joints are very sore at the moment, and my back has joined the pain party after doing the above - hopefully a nice hot bath will see me right for continuing tomorrow.

 

[4wheeledstool]

We now have a pile of poxy ped pieces protected from precipitation. Just a bit of cleaning and painting to do - mounting up nicely. (sounds a bit familiar)

 

[4wheeledstool]

Got a bit more done today, the front end has now been dismantled - didn't wreck myself too badly either.

 

[4wheeledstool]

This left me with another pile of pieces to sort through.

 

[4wheeledstool]

Finished up the session by removing the seat, tail light, wiring loom, regulator and rear mudguard. If my back lets me, I'll get the tank, toolbox and motor out tomorrow.

 

[4wheeledstool]

The frame is now stripped.

 

[4wheeledstool]

Need to sort through all the parts now, then I can fettle/discard/replace bits and pieces to ensure tiptoppedness.

 

[puddlethumper]

Great thread. Love Lambo's. Keep up the good work.

[I_am_Diesel]

There's a lot of love for Lambretta's on this forum which only adds to its appeal.

 

Great looking scooters you have there 4wheeledstool. I'm insanely jealous.

[4wheeledstool]

On 10/15/2017 at 4:52 PM, puddlethumper said:

Great thread. Love Lambo's. Keep up the good work.

 

Thank you kindly! The pace will be slow, but constant! 

On 10/15/2017 at 8:14 PM, I_am_Diesel said:

There's a lot of love for Lambretta's on this forum which only adds to its appeal.

 

Great looking scooters you have there 4wheeledstool. I'm insanely jealous.

Many thanks!

 

Got a few things done this weekend, the rear of the frame had become distorted where the panel spring clips mount (covered by the number plate). It was biffed flat, and a couple of tiny cracks were welded up.

The bearing cups and cones were hammered out of the headstock and forks, then the forks were stripped bare. Frame and forks now ready for blasting.

 

[barrett]

It's amazing how little is left when you strip all the bits off one of these. Does the tubular frame provide all the structural rigidity on a scooter like this? It looks like it would bend in the middle if you picked it up too roughly!