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Jan-March 2015

Oct-Dec 2014

Member profilefrom the Apple Isle

Lambretta Club of Australia

All the news from around the states

National Classic Scooter

Mille

Pacemaker

LCoA Treasure Hunt

New

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W E L C O M EWelcome to the Jan-March edition of the New Pacemaker. Before I go on I’d like to thank each and every one of you that submitted articles and photographs f o r t h i s edition. Three months ago I w a s s c r a t c h i n g a r o u n d w o n d e r i n g what I could fi l l t h i s n e w s l e t t e r with but you all came up t r u m p s t o help produce what can only be described as a bumper issue. The last issue seemed to be received well by the membership but there’s no room for complacency and I’ll be looking to improve the layout and content in future issues so if you have any suggestions on how the Pacemaker can be improved or anything that you would like to see in the future then please let me know. Also keep those fantastic articles coming in. In this edition you’ll find articles on various members adventures on Mille held back in October, there’s also Siobhan’s wr i te up on her epic

adventure to get to the National and the South Australian guys day out in pursuit of the ultimate photograph to enter in the

Treasure Hunt. Speaking of which, there’s a l s o a n article on that with photo’s of some of the entries. O n a p e r s o n a l note, since t h e l a s t edition I have stood down f r o m t h e pos i t i on o f C l u b President due

to other commitments and the work load that the position entails. Max Box has stepped up into the position and Ian Brill has stepped up as Vice President. I’d like to wish them all the best and every success in what I learned is quite a difficult job at times. Finally I’d like to wish all members a very Happy Christmas and New Year and I hope that 2015 brings you all a year filled with many safe and enjoyable miles on your Lambrettas.

Phil

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F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T Welcome to the December issue of The New Pacemaker. This quarter has seen the committee face some big challenges. Firstly in early November, Nevil Cope resigned as Secretary, closely followed by Phil Kellow resigning as President both felt they couldn’t commit themselves to the workload the roles entailed. Subsequently I have agreed to take on the role of President, Ian Brill has stated that he will take on t h e ro l e o f V i c e P r e s i d e n t , a n d t h e committee will be holding a S p e c i a l G e n e r a l Mee t ing on t h e 1 7 t h

January 2015, to elect a new Secretary and O r d i n a r y Member. All c u r r e n t fi n a n c i a l m e m b e r s should have received nomination and proxy forms by now, via email.

Secondly the committee went through a difficult period investigating a members concern, in regards to an expenditure that was incurred during the 2013/14 financial year, this resulted in Steve Bardsley and his wife Elizabeth resigning from the club. Despite our differences, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge Steve Bardsley’s, long standing service and commitment to the Lambretta Club of Australia.

On to the good news, despite these issues, membership continues to grow. Subs and forms are coming in frequently, and membership is the highest the club has ever seen.

Phil Kellow has agreed to continue as editor of The New Pacemaker, which is fantastic as his first issue with the new format was so well received. The Annual Mille, and National Classic Scooter Rally, which were of course supported by the LCoA have been held (see feature articles) and were a raging success. The LCoA Treasure Hunt, is into its 3

attraction with some amazing, b i z a r r e a n d hilarious photos b e i n g submitted. The winners of Oct. a n d N o v . rece ived $45 R e p c o vouchers, which negates the i r annual subs and more. Now there is an incentive to participate! In breaking news, as hosts of the 2015 National

Classic Rally, the Melbourne Crusaders have announced that LCoA members will receive a discount on their ticket to the National.

The tool libraries have been expanded to include paint swatches, and we are currently awaiting the arrival of engine stands. Also plans are underway to manufacture frame jigs to complement the toolkits.

These new initiatives provide genuine member benefits, which will hopefully continue to see the club grow apace.

Ride safe, Max

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Welcome From the Ed

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From The President Max Box

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2014 Classic Scooter Mille Nicky Hussey

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Member Profile Jan Blyton

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Turning Japanese Max Box in the land of the rising sun

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2 0Goodness Gracious Me

Steve Kelly’s experience importing an Indian Resto.

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Victor Harbor Or Bust Siobhan Ellis’ epic adventure to this years national.

2 3History of Lambretta in

Australia Siobhan Ellis

Thanks for contributions and photo’s by Max Box, Nicky Hussey, Jan Blyton, Siobhan Ellis, Steve Kelly, Russ Edwards, Chris Johnson, Nick Townsend , Mark

Nangle and Phil Kellow

Please send all articles to pacemaker@lambrettaclubofaustralia.com.au

2 8Around the States

A wrap up of what’s been going on around the country

2 4LCoA Treasure Hunt

The hunt so far

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Pre-­‐Mille  

Shake-­‐down,   break-­‐down,  snapped   shocks   and   fuel  tanks.Dodgy   electrics   and  punctured  tyres.  Supercheap  to  the  rescue!  

Photo:  Team  GS  at  SS  Scooter  

Day  One  Where  to  stay?  Oh,  I  know  –  somewhere  

close  

What  d’ya  mean,  busy  road?    Not  a  prob…  

The  noisy  Tollgate  Motel    

By Nicky Hussey

Photo:  Phillip  Julian,  Mark  le  Cornu  and  Terry  Minu;llo  at  the  Tollgate  Hotel

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Early  start,  uphill  to  Mount  LoCy  

ScruEneering,  all  passed,  let’s  go  folks!  

Il  Ginchi  waves  the  start  flag    

Photo:   Forming   up   at   the   Mt   Lo@y   start   line,   Siobhan   Ellis   in   the  foreground

Adelaide  Hills,  which  way  next?  That  way?  

Let’s  all  race  against  a  kangaroo  

Coffee  at  Williamstown  

More  wine  regions:  Barossa  and  Clare  

Most  people  found  Greenock’s  Canb’ra  

Then  head  east  t’wards  the  Murray  

Rodeo  horse  busts,  carved  pelicans  

Consult  the  Loxton  tree  of  knowledge  

Cadell  ferry’s  ScoS  says  hi  

Some  late  arrivals  at  Waikerie  

Seized  piston?  Acid  and  a  penknife  

Should  fix  that  up…well  sort  of  

Photo:    Coffee  stop  at  Williamstown,  support  drivers  Steve  Ramsden  and  Terry  Smith

Photo:  Nick  Townsend  of  Scuderia  Cinque-­‐Velocita,  in  front   of   the   Canberra   electric   bomber,   Greenock  avia;on  museum

Photo:   Nico  Wright,   Damien  Harris,   ScoO   the   Cadell   ferry  man,  Morris  Brioschi,  Neville  Cope,  Anthony  Long

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Photo:     Beth  Massey’s   piston   –   a@er  Rolf   Graunke’s   feOling,   the   scooter  was  limped  all  the  way  from  Waikerie  to  Victor  Harbor  on  day  2.

Day  Two  Following  the  Murray  River  cliffs  

More  ferry  rides  to  break  the  journey  

What’s  that  noise?    Only  Declan!  

Photo:   Bill   Guthrie   checking   out   the  produce   at   the  

Can’t  go  the  quick  way  back  to  Victor  

Loop  back  around  to  the  Hills  again  -­‐    

Buy  apples  from  young  Margaret  

A  toilet  block,  a  missing  yabby  

Some  tasks  were  not  easy  to  complete  

But  now  we’re  on  the  home  straight  

All  finished  whilst  it  was  sEll  daylight  

Photographic  evidence  reviewed  

And  handicapped  results  calculated  

Photo:  Anthony  Long  astride  Clayton  Bay’s  elusive  Big  YabbyPhoto:  Nicky  Hussey  crunching  the  numbers

Photo:  Declan  Magee,  John  Lill,  Adrian  Brown,  Peter  Daniels  -­‐  roadside  repairs

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The  Australian  Classic  Scooter  Mille  in  numbers:  1,000km   (well   977km)   over   2   days   =   1   AWESOME  Eme  

41  riders  registered  

30  riders  started  the  course  

24  riders  arrived  at  the  finish  line  

13  riders  completed  the  enEre  course  

3  teams  had  all  members  complete  the  course  

11:30  hours  =  average  Eme  to  complete  day  1  

9:20  hours  =  average  Eme  to  complete  day  2  

13   tasks   issued   to   ensure   entrants   didn’t   take  shortcuts!  

35   years   old   =   average   age   of   scooter   entered   into  event  

Results

Line  honours  Nico  Wright  

1967  Vespa  125  Super  (177cc)

Winner  on  handicap  

Janine  McGinness  

1963  LambreSa  Li  125  (195cc)

Most  spectacular  breakdown  

Declan  Magee  

1994  Vespa  T5

Best  and  fairest  

Brendan  vandeZand  

Thanks  All  the  parJcipants  –  no  riders  =  no  Mille!  

“Mille  Co-­‐ord  Chick”  Fleur  James  for  doing  the  bulk  of  the  hard  work  

Support  vehicle  drivers  Su  and  MaMhew  James,  Peter  Daniels,  Steve  Ramsden,  Terry  Smith,  Nicky  Hussey  

Nick  Townsend  for  assistance  with  route  planning,  despite  having  a  NaEonal  to  organise  

Steven  Miller  for  trophy-­‐making,  in  parEcular  the  much-­‐coveted  “golden  crank”  

Andy  Jackson  for  organising  the  Micro  Car  and  Scooter  Club  sponsorship  of  the  perpetual  Best  and  Fairest  trophy  

Ian  Brill  for  selng  the  control  Emes  (even  if  we  did  have  to  deduct  13  hours  from  each  one!)  and  coming  up  with  ideas  generally  

Nicky  Hussey  for  results  calculaEon  and  general  spreadsheeEng  skills

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M E M B E R P R O F I L E .This month we travel to the b e a u t i f u l a p p l e I s l e o f Tasmania to meet the states only LCoA member, Jan Blyton. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to catch up with Jan when I spent three weeks in Hobart for work.

Jan Blyton

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During my days off I was given a personal guided tour around the local area by Jan and that other well-known Australian scootering stalwart, Sharon Heritage. Their hospitality was second to none and I thoroughly enjoyed our days out as they proudly introduced me to the beautiful Huon Valley. I would really recommend a trip to this part of the world to anyone that hasn’t been before. A ride around this area on a Lambretta is now on my bucket list. During our time together Jan regaled me with fascinating stories of his life with Lambrettas since a young age so I thought I’d contact Jan again and find out a bit more for the pages of Pacemaker.

Jan,  you’ve  been  involved  with  Mod  and  scooter  scene    for  many  years.  What  was  it  that  made  you  interested  in  the  first  place?“I first became aware of 'Mods & Rockers' as a 10 yr old in 1964 and played themed games in the school playground.

When I was about 14 I had progressed to wearing a parka and Levi's etc. A year later in 1969 I left school and joined the workforce and a friend introduced me to the local 'soul scene' at the Stork Club in Hucknall (Notts). This changed my whole outlook on life and what I would pursue to this very day.

Please   tell   us   how   you   came  about  geXng  your  first  lambreMaFirst priority was to obtain a scooter and it just had to be a Lambretta, as I just loved the look of them and I duly bought a three month old 1969 SX 150 just after my 16th birthday in February 1970. At last I could ride out with the local lads and hang out in the local market place where we

parked up to 60 at a time. All the local lasses' too gave priority for their favours to scooter owners. I had made it!

So  you’ve  owned  lambre1as  ever  since? Three years later in 1973 I bought my first car a Ford Anglia, I sold my scooter to buy it. Although now on 4 wheels I never lost the love of the Lambretta and the soul music scene lived on and I got to see many Motown acts locally. There was a brief hiatus before the 'Second coming' in 1979 and all things Mod and scooter were in vogue again albeit to a different drum. Two-Tone and Ska were king following the much earlier lead of Jamaican Ska & Reggae, many bands emulated this style.

So what was it that made you to decide to buy another Lambretta? In 1990 I moved to Tasmania and in 1996 I found a 1967 Lambretta and during the next year did her up and have rode her ever since, anyone who knows me is familiar with my scoot.

You  aMend  a  lot  of  events  which  is  no  mean  feat  considering  the  geographical  challenges  of  living  in  Tasmania.  What  would  your  favourite  event  be?  

I have attended quite a few National Rallies and last year (2013) went to the Isle of Wight International Scooter Rally. A must do if at all possible.

What does the future hold for you and your Lambretta? I still love riding my Lambretta around Tasmania whenever the weather is sunny, would you believe that 44 years from my first SX150 I am still totally loving it!!.  

Many  thanks  Jan.  I  look  forward  to  joining  you  for  a  ride  around  Tasmania  one  day.

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Victor Harbor Or Bust

It's a big country. Really big. Sure, many people now know I ride long distances and, maybe, it's becoming just another "Oh, Siobhan is off again", but this one was definitely a challenge. The intention was a total of just under 5000km in 10 days, with 2 of those days being very l i t t le - the actual National itself.

Words and photo’sSiobhan Ellis

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I  started  on  Saturday  morning   leaving  Sydney  to  get  to  Albury,  on  the  border  of  NSW  with  Victoria.  About  560km.  I  leC  late,  and  stopped  on  the  way,  including  the  Dog  on  the  Tuckerbox,  just  outside  Gundagai.  I've  stopped  here  enough  now  that  they  know  me  by  name....  I  guess  not  so  many  LambreSas  show  up.  Next  day,  I  rode  the  final  350km  to  Melbourne,  catching  up  with  Chris  Johnson  and  Nicky  Hussey,  who  I  was  to  spend  the  next  few  days  with.  My  good  friend  Janine  McGinness,  who  had  just  bought  her  first  LambreSa,  put  us  up  for  the  night.  The  worlds  most  comfortable  couch  I  believe.  

Janine   recommend   to  us   to   leave  early   the  next  day.  What  would   she   know?  She  was  only   from  our  first  overnight   stay  Warrnambool   (pronounced  War-­‐num-­‐bool).   So   we   obviously   ignored   her   as   we   obviously  knew  beSer  and   leC  when  we   felt   like   it.   It  was  only   just  over  300km  and   the  first  100km  was   incredibly  boring  freeway.    

So,  why  were  we  doing  this  then?  The  Great  Ocean  Road!  Quite  possibly  one  of  the  most  beauEful  roads  on  the   planet.   It  winds   its  way   along   the   coast   from   Torquay   (No   Basil   Fawltey   though),   in   Victoria,   towards  Adelaide  in  South  Australia.  It  was  built  aCer  WW1  as  a  way  to  employ  returned  servicemen,  and  to  connect  the  seSlements  along  the  way.  

Nicky  started  on  her  American  spec  Rally  200,  and  I  was  conEnued  on  my  1965  LI  150  that  I  had  rebuilt  aCer  the  North  to  South  Australia  ride   in  2013,  and   it  contained  the  prototype  Misano,  from  Tino  Sacchi  with  a  much  larger  29mm  VHB  carb  now  to  give  it  some  oomph!  Chris  followed  us  in  their  flat  bed  Ute  with  his  AF  GP  onboard,  and  another  rat  Vespa  (Which  I  was  told  I  was  going  to  have  to  ride  if  I  broke  down).  

We  were  on  the  freeway  when  disaster  struck.  Nicky  kept  having  intermiSent  electrical  problems,  where  the  scoot  would   cut   out,   and   then   start   again.  Meanwhile,   oblivious   to   this,   I   ploughed   on.   I   got   to   the   first  roundabout,  and  noEced  that  Chris  and  Nicky  were  nowhere  to  be  seen.  I  called,  and  got  the  good...  I  mean  bad  news.  They  loaded  up  the  scoot  on  the  Ute  and  caught  up  with  me.  We  conEnued  on,  unEl  Chris  and  Nicky  suddenly  shot  in  front  of  me  to  tell  me  they  were  going  back....  they'd  leC  a  side  panel  and  the  milk  crate  (containing  fuel  and  bits  and  bobs)  on  the  side  of  the  road,  and  that  I  should  carry  on.  They'd  see  me  that  night  in  Warrnambool.  As  it  turned  out,  they  got  part  the  way  back,  called  Janine  and  asked  her  to  look  out  for  said  side  panel  and  milk  crate....  amazingly,  she  found  it,  and  all  was  good.  

I  was  on  the  Great  Ocean  Road,  proper  now.  Such  a   joy   to   ride.   I've  driven   it  before,  but  never   ridden   it.  However,  I  was    slowed  down  by  the  grey  nomads  in  their  camper  vans/RV's/Caravans.  The  speed  limit  was  80kph,  but  i  was  lucky  if  I  reached  that.  SEll,  it  gave  me  Eme  to  look  at  the  view.  

Coming  into  Apollo  Bay  was  a  nightmare.  It  was  lunch  Eme,  and  I  had  to  slip  the  clutch  in  1st  gear  to  move.  This  was  driving  me  nuts.  Fortunately,  on  the  outskirts,  there  was  a  small  straight  and  I  got  past  one  more  caravan  and  freedom!  Finally  enjoying  this  spectacle!  On  to  Wye  River  where  I  stopped  for  a  breather,  Fish  and  Chips  and  a  nice  refreshing  Ale!  (This  Eme  I  did  listen  to  Janine)  

On  again,  as   I   realised  that  the  slow  traffic  was  seriously  slowing  me  down,  and  on  towards  my  next  stop  which  was  to  be  the  Twelve  Apostles.  This  actually  involved  going  inland  and  riding  through  some  stunning  temperate  rain  forest  and  climbing  considerably  up  and  up  and  up.  

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The  road  would  have  been  fantasEc,  except  that  there  always  seemed  to  be  a  pot  hole  on  the  line,  or  at  least  so  oCen  that  you  couldn't  guarantee  the  line.  Then  down  to  the  coast  again.  

How  did  I  know  that  I  had  reached  the  first  of  the  Twelve  Apostles?  Because  the  car  in  front  of  me,  without  warning,  suddenly  slammed  on  the  brakes!  Fortunately,  I  had  already  decided  he  was  an  idiot,  and  I  was  well  prepared  for  something  strange  to  happen,  and  safely  went  past  him  to  park  just  up  the  road.  

The  Twelve  Apostles,  of  which  there  are  now  about  8,  are  where  the  lime  stone  cliffs  have  been  worn  away  by  erosion  and  have  leC  outcrops.  They  are,  simply,  quite  stunning!  I  walked  down  to  the  beach,  via  a  very  steep  walkway  that  clung  to  the  cliff,  and  got  some  pics.  Then  back  up  to  the  scoot,  and  off  again!  Time,  and  daylight,  was  wasEng!  

I  pulled  into  Port  Campbell,  filled  up  with  fuel,  and  was  off  again.  Not  far  to  go  now  to  Warrnambool.  I  was  going  to  be  there  by  5pm,  and  a  friend  from  the  North  to  South,  had  decided  to  joint  us  for  the  evening.  Our  support  Drive  for  the  event,  Fred  Burden.  He  lived  relaEvely  close  to  where  we  were.  

On  the  way,  I  went  through  a  liSle  seSlement  and,  suddenly,  a  dog  walked  out  across  the  road  in  front  of  me.  I  slammed  on  the  brakes,  and  it  just  stood  then  and  looked  at  me.  As  I  started  pulling  away  gain,  I  went  over  a  huge  bump  and,   suddenly   the   scoot  dropped  at   the  back,   and   then   the   rear   tyre  exploded.   I  was   lucky  really.   If   the   dog   hadn't   done   that,   I'd   have   been   going  much   faster   and  would   probably   have   not   been  upright.  I  pulled  up,  looked  down,  and  the  tyre  was  as  flat  as  a  pancake.  

I  lent  the  scoot  over  on  its  side,  and  changed  the  rear  wheel  for  the  spare....  then  I  noEced  that  the  engine  was  winging  a  bit  freely.  Standing  her  up  again,  I  took  the  kickstart  side  panel  off  to  find  that  the  rear  shock  had  snapped.  My  worst  nightmare!  I  was  45km  from  Warrnambool.   I  was  going  to  have  to  phone  Nicky  to  collect  me,  and  they  were  going  to  make  me  ride  the  Vespa!  

I  phoned,  and  told  them  where  I  was.  On  the  road  between  Port  Campbell  and  Warrnambool.  Simple.  An  hr  later.  No  rescue  ute.  I  called.  No  answer.  I  looked  at  the  scoot  and  started  thinking  about  how  we  could  get  it  on   the  ute  as   the   rear  wheel   touched   the   rear  mudguard.   I  had  most  of   the  boSom  of   the  shock,  and   the  spring.  So,  I  put  the  spring  over  the  boSom  of  the  shock,  and  shoved  the  spring  under  the  frame  mount  for  the  shock.  Well,   that  kept   it  away  from  the  mudguard.  Hmmm,  could   I   ride  that?   I  started   it.  Rode   it  a   few  meters....  yes  I  could!  I  called  both  Fred  and  Nicky  again,  and  told  them  I  was  going  to  ride  back.  It  was  gelng  dark.  So  off  I  went.  45km  at  50kph!  

Sun  set!  The  insects  came  out.....  in  force.  My  visor  was  splaSered  in  the  remains  of  insects.  I  couldn't  see  a  damn  thing.  I  raised  the  visor  slightly  so  I  could  see  a  liSle  way  in  front  of  me.  This  meant  that  my  lower  face  got  conEnually  hit,  but  my  eyes  were  protected.  Suddenly....  bang!  Bloody  great  big  insect  into  my  leC  eye!  I  limped   like   that   into  Warrnambool   and   the  motel.   Nicky   showed   up   not  much   later.   Not   happy  with  me.  Apparently,  there  were  two  roads  to  Port  Campbell,  and  I  was  not  on  the  main  one.  When  we  talked  about  it  later,   just  to  make   it  worse,  was  that   I  was  about  3km  from  the   juncEon  and  she  almost  went  my  way!  My  woes  had  not  finished  though,  the  broken  shock  had  punctured  the  tank!  

�16

The  next  day,  was  repair  day.  I  had  now  destroyed  2  tyres,  so  needed  a  new  one,  and  a  rear  shock.  We  are  in  a  large  town,  but  Scooters  are  not  popular  here.  I  was  fortunate  with  the  shock,  as  I  had  sold  one  to  Chris  a  few  days  before,  and  it  was  in  the  back  of  the  ute,  so  all  good.  Fred  then  took  me  off  to  get  a  spare  tyre.  3  shops  we  tried,  and  finally  got  one...  but  no  inner  tube.  I  only  got  the  tyre  because  it  had  been  ordered,  and  never  collected.  I  also  got  some  tank  repair  to  try  and  plug  the  small  hole,  but  it  really  need  many  hours  to  cure.  Hours  we  did  not  have.  

About  midday,   Chris,   on   his   AF   GP   200,   and   I   leC  the  motel,   and   started   to   ride   to   Robe.   Yesterday  had  been  beauEful.  Today?  Well,  I'm  not  sure  which  I   enjoyed  more....   the  Wind?   the   Rain?   The  Wind  and   the   Rain,   or   the   Wind   and   the   Hail?   It   was,  basically   awful.   We   had   to   lean   over   to   go   in   a  straight  line  as  we  mostly  had  a  side  or  head  wind.  This  was  bad  enough,  but  when  we  came  to  a  sharp  corner,   it   definitely  made   life   interesEng.   It   took  5  hrs   to   get   to   Robe,   which   was   a   good   Eme,   but  extremely   unpleasant.  We  were   so   pleased   to   see  the  Caledonian  Hotel,  with  its  roaring  fires!  

The  next  day,   it  was  check  over   the  scoot  and  try   to  plug  the  hole   in   the  tank  again,  and   look  over  Robe.  Fortunately  the  good  weather  had  returned.  It  was  a  lovely  day  for  a  ride,  as  we  headed  towards  Adelaide.  Unfortunately,  for  me,  ruined  by  constantly  wondering  if  I'd  make  the  next  fuel  staEon  or  not  as  fuel  poured  out  of  the  ever  widening  crack.  I  finally  resorted  to  gaffe  taping  around  the  crack  to  try  and  reduce  the  flow.  Finally  we  got  to  Adelaide,  and  I  went  straight  to  Carter's  Classic  Scooters  to  get  a  new  fuel  tank,  as  the  next  day  was  the  Mille.  Yep,  that's  right.I  had  just  ridden  nearly  2000km  to  do  another  1000km  in  2  days,  which  is  supposed  to  be  a  challenge  on  its  own.  That's  a  story  for  someone  else  to  tell.  

I  never  did  the  whole  ride?  Why?  The  new  tank  had  a  leak!  I  did  do  the  Mille,  as  the  new  leak  was  not  as  bad  as  the  original.  However,  I  just  couldn't  get  the  range  I  needed  to  ride  home,  and  so  she  went  into  a  van  to  within  300km  of  Sydney,  where  I  could  guarantee  the  closeness  of  fuel  staEons.  

Loreconda 29/09/14 17

TURNING JAPANESE

With  our  departure  date  for  

Japan  imminent,  and  the  idea  of  traipsing  round  a@er  my  wife  

and  her  girlfriends  clothes  shopping  unappealing,  I  needed  to  find  something  to  do.  A  quick  interweb  search  revealed  two  shops  in  Tokyo  that  seemed  to  fit  the  

bill  where  I  might  locate  some  LambreOas  and  enthusiasts,  and  with  some  LCoA  patches  and  a  couple  of  shirts  for  giveaways  I  was  

good  to  go.  

Words and Photo’sMax Box

�18

It  appeared  that  most  Japanese  LambreSa  owners  kept  their  machines   preSy   much   or ig ina l  w i t h   o n l y   a   f e w  accessories   or   tasty  

embellishers,   and  there   was   plenty   of  

paEna   to   go   around.  Tuned   e n g i n e s   a r e   n o t  parEcular ly   popular   either,   but   with   the  average   Japanese   being   half   the   weight   of   your   average  Aussie,  and  Tokyo  traffic  being  what  it  is,  maybe  that  is  not  surprising.   I   commented  on   the  plague  of  Viet   restoraEons  in  Oz,   and  Shiro  and  Harry   confirmed   that   the  disease  had  infected   Japan   as   well,   big   thumbs   down   from   Harry   and  Shiro.  

know  the  sort  that  comes  in  a  hot  can,  I  hear  that   unmistakable   sound   and   up   rides  

Harry  Na  on  his  TV200  (yep  that’s  three  so   far).   Harry’s   English   is   quite   good  as  he  has  been  to  Euro  LambreSa  a  few  Emes  and  wriSen  an  arEcle  on  LambreSas   in   Japan   for   ‘Jet   Set’.  Harry:  “Do  you  know  Nevil  Cope”  Me:  “choke  on  coffee  in  a  can”  

Harry   explained   that   very   few  LambreSas   were   imported   into  Japan  direct   from   the   factory,  most  

have  been  subsequently  imported  by  individual   enthusiasts.   I   asked   him  

about   scooter   clubs   and   he   told  me   that  there  were  a  couple  but  they  were  very  much  

Mod   clubs,   not   that   there’s   anything   wrong   with  that.    

Waking  up  in  Tokyo,  and  armed  with  an  address,  I  went  to  see  the  hotel  recepEonist  and  told  her  “this  is  where  I  want   to  go”,  she  cocked  her  head  to  the  side  and  said  “but   this   is   in   the  middle  of   the  suburbs  wouldn’t  you  prefer  to  go  to  shopping  districts   like  Harajuku,  Shinjuku  or  Shibuya?”  “No   I  want  to  go  there”   I   replied.  ACer  giving  me  a  look  that  said  ‘crazy  seiyou  jin’  she  carefully  explained  my  route,  and  two  trains  and  a  cab  later  there  I  was   in   the  middle   of   Tokyo’s   ‘burbs   in   front   of   ‘LambreSability’.   I   guessed   the   owner  was   the   bloke   in   the  fetching  LambreSa  overalls,  plus  he  was  the  only  one   in   the  shop,  so   I   introduced  myself  and  gave  him  some  good i e s .   Shiro  was  his  name,  and  I  believe  his  first  words  were  “do  you  know  Nevil  Cope”  M e :   “Umm  yep  he’s  a  mate”  Shiro:  “He’s  very  famous”  Me  “roll  eyes“.  

Shiro’s  shop  is  very  small  as  only  Japan  can  do,  but  was  packed  with  tasty  scoots  including  two  TV200s,  an  original  GP200  electronic,  a    J   range,   Luna   range  and  a  S1,  with  every   inch  of  wall   and  ceiling  space   covered   in   memorabilia   embellishers   and   accessories,  including  his  Eny  workshop.  

               Standing  outside  with  Shiro  having  a  ciggie  and  a  coffee-­‐  you

19

“IshouldhavewornajacketIshouldhavewornajacketshouldhaveworna   jacket”   running   through  my  head,   off  we  went.  

The  following  day  I  visited  ‘Jungle  Scooters’  and  met  the  owner  Furuta  who  pleasantly  didn’t  ask  me  if  I  knew  Nevil  Cope.  We  exchanged  goodies,  I  bought  a  beauEfully  made  teensy  weensy  diecast  SX200  model  and  had  a  look  around  the  shop,  yep  you  guessed   it  another  TV200,  a  S1  TV  and  a  Luna  range  amongst  others.  Furuta  also  gave  Viet.  resto’s  the  big  thumbs  down.  It  was  raining  as  I  leC  and  aCer  gelng  20m  down  the  road  Furuta  ran  up  to  me  and  gave  me  his  umbrella,  noice.  

So  that  was  it  for  me  and  LambreSas  in  Japan,  quite  apart  from  scooters  though  Japan  is  an  amazing  place  and  the  people  are  the  most  beauEful  and  kind  folk  you  are  ever  likely  to  meet.  Do  yourself  a  favour.  

Anyway  it  was  Eme  to  leave  my  new  friends,  and  aCer  enquiring  where  I  could  get  a  cab,  Harry  told  me  he  would  give  me  a  liC  to  the  train  staEon  on  the  back  of  his  TV.  Hmmm  OK,  so  with  a  helmet  that  was  only  five  sizes  to  small,  and  bearing  in  mind  my  previous  comment  on  the  size  of  your  average  Aussie  and  Jap,  I  felt  like  an  elephant  riding  pillion  behind  Harry,  and  with  no  rear  right  runner  I  had  to  try  and  keep  my  toe  on  the  support  without  touching  the  kickstart,  and  with  thoughts  of

�20GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME

21

After several months of deliberation and asking around I ini t ia l ly contacted Vespabretta in India looking for one scooter, that eventually ended up being three scooters all up for three of us.

As you would expect we all had different ideas of what we wanted and expectations, in the end the order went in for two GP200’s and a GP225 all with different paintwork etc. Initially the contact between myself and the supplier was very positive and his command of the English

language was pretty g o o d s o n o misunderstandings. Once the fine detail o n t h e s c o o t e r specifications were agreed it was down t o m o n e y – a s expected a fair chunk of the purchase price of one was required for the build to start on all three scooters, this was wired to his bank in New Delhi S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 (after I checked out the validity with my bank).

At this point I had to apply for import paperwork, nothing to onerous but a pain in the butt all the same, I used a company called Mainfreight International to do all the import work and in all honesty it went like clockwork.

As time wore on we were kept updated within reason of build progress with pictures and commentary by Sunny the proprietor of Vespabretta, he did have the ability to disappear when things were getting tough and reappear when all was fixed, so don’t worry he does deliver eventually. Given that the initial payment was Sept 13 the final payment was wired on the Feb 2014, this was wired after we were supplied pictures of all

three scooters finished, you could say the build period highlighted on the website blew out a bit. Also looking at the shipping schedule and the time it took I believe our scooters were part loaded in a container to m i n i m i z e cos ts , wha t should have been approx f o u r w e e k s from memory e n d e d u p seven weeks w i t h t h e scooters going missing for a two week period, this was a little concerning as again I couldn’t get a hold of Sunny.

When Steve Kelly from Perth told me that he was looking at importing a restored Lambretta from India, I must admit I felt slightly worried for him. When he later told me that his order had increased from one to three scooters I couldn't help think he was throwing (a lot) of money away. Owning an Indian import myself, I knew that if you are lucky you can end up with a good one. Here is his experience

�22

T h e y eventually turned up i n a warehouse away from the docks and were r e t u r n e d much to my relief. Once the final leg of s h i p p i n g was on us it was down

meeting up with the customs official at the import warehouse supplying the paperwork and inspecting the scooters, again in line with the whole import scenario this went without a hitch.A couple of things to keep in mind. Price was in US dollars as opposed to AU dollars – total cost to purchase three scooters $9372.00AUD

Import Costs vary but we spilt them three ways – Approx cost $600AUDPaperwork this end – pretty easy but keep an eye on the Indian end you will chase them for itTimescale – Don’t set your watch to the promises made and allow for the Indian wayBuildspec – Be particular and keep it as simple as possibleExtra Funds – Keep some extra cash up your sleeve once the scooters arrive to fix them.

Steve Kelly

23

The  board  has  asked  me  to  put  together  a  history  of  LambreMa  in  Australia,  but  I  can't  do  this  on  my  own.  I  need  help  from  anyone.  Help  can  come  in  many  forms.  

1)  Any  arEcles,  brochures,  newsleSers,  etc  that  you  may  have  and  are  willing  to  share,    please  just  email  me  2)  InformaEon  on  dealers,  when  &  where,  and  email  me  again  3)  Willingness  to  take  on  a  secEon  of  the  weebly    we  are  running,  such  as  a  parEcular  state,  or  topic  

At  Emes  I'm  sure  we'll  publish  something  that   is  controversial,  or  you  may  think   is  wrong.  That's  fine,   just   let  us  know   why   you   think   it's   wrong,   and   what   you   believe   the   correct   informaEon   is.   We   expect   this   to   happen,  especially  as  more  and  more  informaEon  comes  to  light.  

Please   don't   expect   everything   at   once,   but   please   keep   coming   back   as   we   compile   the   informaEon.   Just  remember,  we  have  the   longest  history  of  LambreSa   in  any  English  speaking  country   in   the  world,  and  some  of  that  history  is  very  unique,  from  the  only  two  Bitubos  leC,  to  World  records  and  models,  or  variants,  especially  for  Australia.  

hSp://lambreSahistoryoz.weebly.com  

Siobhan  

�24

LCoA Treasure Hunt

When  I  bought  my  first  scooter  years  ago  as  a  teenager  you  couldn’t  keep  me  off  it.  I  would  ride  hail,  rain,  snow  or  shine  and  look  for  any  excuse  to  take  it  out  be  it  a  quick  spin  to  the  shops  for  a  pint  of  milk  or  a  few  hundred  miles  to  a  scooter  rally  somewhere  in  Europe.  

�25

These  days  though,  what  with  having  a  kids  now  I  suppose,  (and  older  and  wearier  bones)  my  usual  mode  of  transport  is  the  family  car.  In  fact  it  seems  that  taking  the  scooter  out  for  a  spin  is  a  rare  treat  and  those  longer  journeys  are  now  a  rarity.  

With   the  average  age  of  club  membership  probably  being  somewhere   around   50   years   old,   I   suspect   that   my  experience  is  par  for  the  course  amongst  most  of  us.  

When  the  current  commiSee  first  met  it  was  decided  that  something   should   be   done   to   try   and   rejuvenate   our  passion   for   riding   and   to   give   everyone   an   excuse   to   get  out   and   about.   Ian   “Brilly”   Brill   (ever   the   ideas  man)   and  “NiCy”  Nev  Cope  had  the  brainchild  together  of  a  naEonal  treasure  hunt.  The  idea  being  that  any  member  could  take  part   regardless   of   whether   they   lived   in   metropolitan  Sydney   or   the   middle   of   the   bush.   The   idea   behind   the  treasure   hunt   was   that   a   different   challenge   would   be  announced   each   month   and   a   photograph   was   to   be  submiSed  as  proof  of  the  compleEon  of  the  challenge.  The  best  photo  in  the  opinion  of  the  commiSee  would  win  the  monthly   prize.   Points   would   be   awarded   to   those  compleEng  the  challenge  and  there  would  be  a  prize  at  the  end  of  the  year  for  those  with  the  most  points.      

The  first  challenge  thrown  down  was  to  take  a  photo  of  the  members   LambreSa   with   a   military   aircraC.   This   was  interpreted  in  various  ways  and  it  was  great  to  see  a  large  amount  of  members  register  to  take  part.  Even  beSer  was  seeing  the  photo’s  start  to  roll   in  and  the  efforts  to  which  everyone   had   gone.   At   the   end   of   the   day   there   can   be  only  one  winner  (Well  one  winner  and  one  runner  up)  and  for   this   challenge   the  winner  was   Fleur  with  her   amazing  photo.   The   runner   up   was   Bill   Guthrie’s   photo   taken   in  front  of  a  Lancaster  Bomber.  Some  might  argue  that  Fleur  had   an   advantage   due   to   her   job   as   an   officer   with   the  

RAAF   but   the   thought,   effort   and   result   made   it   an  outstanding  winner  in  anyone’s  books.    

The   following   month   was   a   double   challenge   with   the  theme  being   a  public  Eme  piece   and  a   sunset  or   sunrise.  Again  there  were  a  lot  of  interpretaEons  of  this  theme  with  most  people  choosing  to  combine  the  two.  The  winner  for  this   challenge  was  Robert  McClelland’s  beauEful  photo  of  his   LD   parked   in   front   of   the   Semaphore   clock   tower   at  sunset  in  Adelaide.  Runner  up  was  Trish  Daniels  Salvadore  Dali  inspired  “Persistence  of  LambreSa”  picture  of  Barney’s  TS1  GP  which  was  my  personal  favourite  as  I  thought  Trish  had  thought  out-­‐side  of  the  box.  

With   Nev   resigning   as   club   secretary   the   Treasure   hunt  organisaEon   reigns   were   handed   over   to   Fleur   and  although   she   is   now   running   the   compeEEon,   the  commiSee  sEll  choose  the  winners  as  Fleur  sEll  wanted  to  be  able  to  take  part.  

For   the   third   monthly   challenge   Fleur   has   chosen   the  theme   of   Christmas   or   to   be   more   precise,   the  ridiculousness  of  Christmas.  As  she  points  out  

 “Typified  by  snow  scenes  and  roast  dinners  on  40  degree  days,  the  Australian  Christmas  can  verge  on  the  ridiculous  and   contradictory   at   Emes.”   Fleur’s   challenge   is   to  “Photograph  your   Lammie  with  Christmas   things   that   just  don't  make  sense.  The  more  you  can  get  in  the  one  photo  the  beSer”  

So   get   your   thinking   caps   on   and   get   snapping   and   send  your  submissions  to  LCOAtreasurehunt@outlook.com.au.    

Good  luck.  

Phil

26

�27

November Treasure Hunt WinnerRobert McClelland

November Treasure Hunt Runner up

Trish Daniels

October Treasure Hunt Runner up

Bill Guthrie

October Treasure Hunt WinnerFleur

28

The   ACT   members   thoroughly   enjoyed   the   October  madness  with  3  of  us  taking  part  in  the  Classic  Mille.  What  a  fantasEc   event   and   well   done  to   the   LCoA   for   conEnuing   to  support   it.   Also,   well   done   to  the  LCSA  for  pulng  on  another  great   “recovery”   event   –   The  NaEonal.  

November   kicked   off   with   a  small  but  perfectly  formed  club  display  at  Marques  in  the  Park.    

As   can   be   seen   it   was   a  stressful   day.   In   all   seriousness  the   LambreSas   aSracted   a   lot  of  aSenEon  and  we  handed  out  several   copies   of   the   last  P a c e m a k e r   a n d   a   f e w  applicaEon   forms.   It   was   also  good  to  support   the  Council  of  ACT   Motor   Clubs,   without  whom   we   could   not   offer  historic  rego  in  the  ACT.  

The   last  Swarm  meeEng  of   the  month   saw   the  LCoA  members  dashing  off  at  sunset  to  grab  some  photos  for  the  treasure  hunt.  

Discussions   at   the   same   meeEng   led   to   an   impromptu  LambreSa  maintenance   day   the   following   Saturday.   Three  

LambreSas  got  stripped.  The  first  resulted   in  the  discovery  of   a   snapped   kickstart   shaC!   Well   done   Bill   Guthrie.   The  

second  a  holed  piston.  

Well  done  Bill  again!  Finally  we  completed  the  first  ever  rebuild  of   the   forks   on   John   Hunter’s  1964   Li150.   This   involved   a  butane   torch,   a   big   hammer,   a  bigger   G-­‐Clamp   and   a   socket.  John  was  blown  away  with   the  improved  handling.  

Finally   we   started   December  with  the  long  planned  joint  run  with   The   Swarm   and   NSW  members   to   MiSagong.   Four  LambreSas   joined   the   massed  geared   and   automaEc   Vespas  for  a  wet  but  entertaining  night  sampling   the   beer,   tequila,  smal l   town   ch inese   and  karaoke   on   offer   in   the  Southern   Highlands.   It   was  great   to   catch   up   with   the  Sydney   crowd;   a   superb  weekend  of  riding  and  drinking.  

Surely   a   Southern   Highlands   run   needs   to   be   an   annual  event?  

Chris  Johnson  

A R O U N D T H E S T A T E S - A U S T R A L I A N C A P I T A L

T E R R I T O RY.

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A R O U N D T H E S T A T E S - S O U T H A U S T R A L I A

South  Australian  LCoA  members  aMended  the  Port  Adelaide  aviaJon  Museum  for  the  take  a  photo   of   my   LambreMa   in   front   of   Military  aircraa  challenge.  

How  we  did  it.Knowing  full  well  gelng  close  to  Military   aircraC   in   South   Australia   could   be  difficult;   I   telephoned   the   port   Adelaide  aviaEon   museum.   I   began   fishing   in   true  Scooterist  style  it  went  something  like  this  …  

“Hi   I’m   from   the   South   Australian   LambreSa  Club   of   Australia   group   ,   we’d   like   to   come  down   as   part   of   a   club   challenge   and   get  photographs   of   our   LambreSa’s   in   front   of  Military  AircraC.”  

Response-­‐  “oh  unfortunately  they  are  all  inside  the  Museum”  

Me-­‐(knowing   full   well   all   of   the   aircraC   were  inside   the   Museum)   “Oh,   that’s   disappoinEng  do  you  any  suggesEons…?”  

ACer   lisEng   off   a   few   locaEons   as   well   as   the  currently  operaEng  RAAF  Edinburgh  air  base  he  said  give  this  guy  a  call.  

I  telephoned  another  old  reEred  gent  who  was  more  than  helpful  and  suggested  if  we  “made  a  small  donaEon”  he  would  open  the  back  of  the  hangar   and   let   us   wheel   the   scooters   in   side.  Result  !  I  thought  !  The  donaEon  turned  out  to  be   the   cost   of   entry   and   we   had   the   whole  Museum  to  ourselves  prior  to  it  opening  for  the  day.  

We  wheeled  the  scoots  and  even  had  the  good  fortune  to  have  a  chat  with  an  old  boy  that  had  been   an  RAAF   spi|ire   pilot.  He   had   recovered  and  restored  the  Museums  WW2    spi|ire  from  the  Papua  New  Guinea  jungle.  

We   had   a   great   day   at   the  Museum   and   rode  down  to  Semaphore  for  lunch.  

Cheers,  Nick.  

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A R O U N D T H E S T A T E S - W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A

In   the   absence   of   our   WA   based   commiSee   members  (Max  was   swanning  about   in   the   land  of   the   rising   sun,  and  Lucky  Phil  was  supposedly   ‘working’   in  Adelaide),   it  was  leC  me  to  hold  the  fort  for  the  November  WA  run!  

In  what  turned  out  to  be  a  hot  37  degree  day  (well,  hot  for   the  beginning  of  November  anyway!),  we  had   ‘only’  18   scooters   in   aSendance   for   the   relaEvely   short   run  from  Freo  to  the  Como  hotel  (strangely  enough  in  Como).  The  previous  few  runs  have  aSendance  of  25+,  so  I’m  not  sure   if   the   reduced   numbers   were   due   to   Max   and/or  Phil   being   away,   or   the   hot   day.   Although   someone   did  suggest  that  it  might  have  been  because  I  was  ‘in  charge’,  I  told  them  they  were  being  ridiculous  and  blamed  it  on  the  heat!  Despite  the  hot  weather,  it  was  a  very  pleasant  run,   especially   for   those   of   us   that   were   able   to   ride  along   the   coast   on   the   way   home   to   the   northern  suburbs!  

Now,   as   you   can   imagine,   on   a   short   run   of   only   about  13km,   there  was   limited   opportunity   for   any   LambreSa  related   ‘incidents’,   and   the   ride   itself   was   large  uneven|ul.    Given   that,   I   thought   I  would  make   special  menEon  of   the  magic   I  was  able   to  perform  on  my  first  official   run  as   the  WA  State  Rep.  Not  only  was   I  able   to  get   3   new   members   to   join   (Keith   Guest   (Sham),   Phil  

Hopkins  (Oxo)  and  Ken  Banks),  I  was  actually  able  to  get  them  to  hand  over  the  cash  for  the  membership  fees!    

While  this  is  not  a  parEcularly  spectacular  event  when  it  comes  to  Sham  (who’s  a  Londoner),   it   is  a  bit  surprising  when  it  comes  to  Ken  (who’s  a  Manc).  Given  that  Oxo  is  from  Yorkshire,   it   is  almost  unbelievable   that   I  was  able  to  get  him  to  part  with  his  cash!!  Many  others  have  tried  before  and  failed!!  Thankfully,  there  was  other  members  to  witness  this  momentous  occasion!      

Anyway,  on  behalf  of  the  WA  conEngent,   I  would   like  to  wish  you  all   a  Merry  Xmas  and  a  Happy  New  Year.   Stay  safe!  

All  the  best,  

Russell  

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A R O U N D T H E S T A T E S - Q U E E N S L A N D

Having   recently  moved  back   to  Queensland   from  WA   I  was   looking   forward   to   catching   up   with   the   other  banana   bending   members.   Unfortunately   due   to  working   away   for   three   weeks   out   of   four   I   don’t   get  much  chance  to  get  out  and  about  on  the  scooter  so   I  when  Trish  announced  a  Brisbane  LambreSa  ride  to  an  event   called   the   “Ska-­‐B-­‐Q”   which   is   a   few   local   ska  bands  playing  at  a  suburban  sports  club.  I  became  quite  excited.   More   for   the   ride   than   anything   else.   So  meeEng   up   with   John   BarreS   we   set   off   to   meet  everyone   else   at   the   Brisbane   LambreSa   Club   home  headquarters  at  the  Stone’s  Corner  Hotel  for  the  ride  to  the   gig.   Brisbane   has   changed   A   LOT   since   I   leC   three  years  ago  and  it  is  now  possible  to  cross  from  one  side  of  the  city  to  the  other  via  a  series  of  tunnels.  So  John  lead   the  way   through   the   new  Airport   link   tunnel   and  then  the  Clem  7  tunnel  both  of  which  must  have  been  five   or   more   km’s   long.   There’s   something   saEsfying  about   riding   a   scooter   through   a   long,   straight,  windless,  near  empty  tunnel,  John  on  his  GP  RB20  and  me   on   my   GP   RT225.   The   two   scooters   purred   along  with   the   two   disEnctly   different   exhaust   notes  resonaEng  off  the  walls  around  us.    

The   tunnels   had   us   at   our   desEnaEon   and   meeEng  point   in  half   the  Eme  that   it  used  to  take  and   I’m  sure  our  clutches  were  thankful  as  the  above  ground  route  is  a  twenty  km  long  strip  of  traffic  lights  and  congesEon.    

It  struck  me  when  we  arrived  that  there  were  a  lack  of  scooters   waiEng.   In   fact   there   were   NO   scooters  waiEng!  It  turned  out  that  the  rest  of  the  guys  had  set  

off   half   an   hour   earlier.   A   missed   Facebook  communicaEon   had  meant   that  we  were   all   operaEng  off  of  different  Emes.  Never  mind,  aCer  a  quick  coffee  we  set  off  to  catch  up  with  the  others.  The  gig  was  only  a  short  ride  away  and  we  soon  caught  up  with  Brilly  and  the  other  guys  at  the  gig.  The  day  was  a  typical  hot  and  humid  Qld   one   so  we   didn’t   hang   around   long   and   as  we  couldn’t  enjoy  a  few  cold  beers,  we  decided  to  head  home,   park   the   scooters   up   and   hit   the   pub   for   a  Sunday  aCernoon  sesh.  Brilly  suggested  that  we  stop  at  the  Town  Hall   clock   tower   to  get   some  photo’s   for   the  treasure   hunt   challenge.   So   we   all   rode   off   into   the  traffic   of   south   Brisbane.   Somewhere   near   the   Gabba  Brilly   darted   off   into   a   right   turn   lane   and   John   and   I  shot   past   him   thinking   that   he   had   changed   his   mind  and  was  heading  home.  So  we  gave  him  a  friendly  wave  and  carried  on  home  only  to  find  that  Brilly  knew  some  short  cut   into  the  city  and  the  clock  tower.  Oh  well,  at  least   Brilly   got   his   photo   of   the   clock   tower   with   his  VESPA  in  front  of  it!  

So   apart   from   that   I   don’t   have   much   else   to   report  from   the   Sunshine   State   but   I   know   that   Trish   and  Barney  Daniels   are  organising   an  overnight   ride   across  the  border   into  NSW  aCer  Christmas  so  hopefully   they  will  have  something  more  exciEng  to  report  for  the  next  ediEon.  

Safe  riding  everyone,    

Phil