Scootering April 2023

I love April. Summer is by far my favourite time of year but there’s something about April that fills the air with excitement. The Christmas spending hangover has (mostly) vanished, the nights are getting lighter and the days when riding for pleasure outnumber those made for necessity. The list of rallies, rideouts and trips that I’ve been dwelling on all through winter ceases to be a ‘fantasy scooter league’ and planning starts in earnest. Temperatures in the garage finally become bearable and the scramble to complete projects I’ve had all winter to sort out doesn’t feel like too much of a chore. At the editing desk the first rally reports start coming in and we begin to get firm indications as to which projects will be unveiled and when we…

Vespa’s GTS has many admirable qualities, but the ability to store a helmet under its seat is not one of them. Fortunately, Monaco-based company Bigbox has taken on that challenge and won. When I first heard about the Big Box I was sceptical; there’s not a lot of room to manoeuvre in the GTS’s engine bay and if it were possible to get a helmet in the underseat storage area then surely Piaggio would have done so? It appears not. By a very careful and clever use of space, effectively wrapping around the engine, Bigbox has managed to reprofile the underseat bin so that a pair of ‘jet’ helmets or one open face/modular helmet will sneak into the bin. There’s not a lot of wiggle room and it’s worth checking…

This information is provided by Stephen Hattersley, of WildWood Legal, a firm of solicitors specialising in claims for injured scooterists. Stephen, a qualified solicitor for 25 years, has been riding scooters for more than 30 years and has acted for injured riders across the UK. He knows the tricks and pitfalls that insurers use and pulls no punches in his dealings with them. He rides to work every day and understands the challenges you face out there. Q. I was knocked off my scooter and couldn’t work for around six months. I am a self-employed plasterer. A lot of the work I do is cash in hand – my solicitor says I can’t claim for these lost earnings but that doesn’t seem fair to me. Is there any way…

KICK START Perhaps best known as an authorised Piaggio dealer with a passion for the PX, Barnsley-based Ron Daley’s has also built up an enviable reputation as a retail supplier of parts for both modern and classic scooters. Now, for the first time, the team at Daley’s is able to offer dedicated trade accounts for workshops, retailers and trade distributors. The move follows the expansion of warehouse space at its Tardis-like premises and an increased range of brands, including genuine and OEM Piaggio parts. Further information and a trade account application form can be found on its website: www.rondaleyscooters.co.uk…

If you fancy something different this year, it’s not too late to plan for SIP’s open day on May 20. Every year the start of the scooter season is marked at SIP’s HQ in Landsberg am Lech by an open day and party. Last year about 2000 scooter riders made the pilgrimage and this year the date May 20 is particularly convenient, as Ascension Day is a holiday in Bavaria, making it a long weekend for locals. With fresh pizza from the wood oven Ape, food and drinks from SIP’s Italian SIPERIA Cafe-Bar, parts and used scooter market and a €10 dyno it promises, once again, to be an unmissable weekend. Further information can be found on the SIP website or by following the QR code (left). www.sipscootershop.com…

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has announced a new offer to help protect riders facing the expanding ULEZ charge in the form of a ‘risk-free’ method to check if their older scooter or motorcycle is compliant with the ULEZ’s requirement. MAG urges riders not to scrap serviceable bikes without first checking whether they are compliant. Having fiercely opposed the ULEZ charge for motorcycles from the day it was first suggested, MAG went on to prove that the majority of pre-Euro 3 two-wheeled vehicles are compliant with the emissions standard that would exempt them from the ULEZ charge. London Mayor Sadiq Khan relented and agreed to a system to allow individual vehicles to be registered as exempt if they meet the standard. Many riders have since proven that their pre-Euro 3…