Scootering June 2021

Throughout 2008 I had developed plans to get on the racetrack with a Group 6 Lambretta, which was being built by Sean Brady at our Scooterotica garage. I chronicled the build on our Scooterotica Forum, and the project gained much interest. I finally arrived at Cadwell Park, completely wet behind the ears and with zero race experience, at the last meet of the year in 2008. I was inexperienced and ill-equipped, but I did have a tent and beer… so I pitched up and got stuck in. On the Saturday of my maiden meeting, I was greeted by possibly the loveliest couple I have ever met in my entire life… Les and Denise Perry. Les had been following my exploits online and wanted to come and say hello; realising that…

Scootering in the 1970s was more of a necessity than a hobby, as your scooter was most likely to be your main (if not only) mode of transport for getting to work. The pleasure part came at the weekends when we would go on rideouts to various places like Blackpool. Clubs were forming fast during this period, at first the clubs were just referred to by their location – ‘Preston SC’ etc. – then later became known by both a location and a club name (e.g. Preston WildCats SC, Lytham Vagabonds SC etc.); it was great. We would all chip in and pay subs towards a club van to go on rallies with, which, while it was meant for breakdowns etc., often became where people slept as well. No nice…

In mid-April, Carnaby Scooters passed an incredible milestone with the dealership’s 500th sale of a Royal Alloy. The proud customer, Chris, is now the owner of one of Carnaby’s ‘James Bradley’ special charity editions, in this case a GP125. As Carnaby’s owner Richard Cooney explained, the James Bradley Series is named after his son who died unexpectedly aged 18 at the end of 2019. “James received excellent care from The Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital Trust which is a specialist NHS hospital, one of few with ECMO machines on site. ECMO is effectively a mechanical heart which allows the body to rest as an aid to recovery. Before James collapsed we had never heard of this miraculous machine but ECMO was used and publicised during the pandemic. Visitors to our…

This classically styled wet-waxed waist length cotton jacket uses traditional materials and manufacturing techniques, and beneath the old-world look is a hidden layer of modern technology. The Holwell is produced by British Millerain, a company which harks back to a day when goods were transported by wind-powered ships. Their sails were made from cotton which was waxed to protect against the ravages of the sea; the material consequently found its way into the clothing which sailors wore to protect themselves from the same weather. With the history lesson completed, and respectful of the material’s heritage, Oxford’s designers have employed traditional tailoring methods to develop a jacket which delivers comfort and practicality. The jacket has a breathable membrane, which gives added protection against the weather. Its chest pockets are pleated and lie…

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’m self-employed. Can I claim my lost income during the time I was unable to work after my accident? A. The short answer is yes, you can. Couple of pointers though. First of all, in the real world, some self-employed people’s accounts may give a certain set of figures whereas they actually earn quite…

He’s no stranger to long distance scooter rides but this year Markus André Mayer has something very special planned. Having already ridden around the world in 80 days by Vespa, Markus now has his eyes set on breaking the record for the longest ever 50cc scooter ride. Using a 1971 V50N that’s currently being prepared by Scooter Centre Koln, he aims to travel 25,000km through 40 countries and on the way tackle three Guinness World Records. If that wasn’t challenging enough, he’ll also complete the trip wearing a suit and tie throughout. Subject to Covid restrictions that may be in place, the trip will last for around 14 months, with the first leg being completed in Germany. The main purpose of the trip is to raise money for child cancer…