Gymkhana on Vespa

The hard core bit of Visby Vespa Club's event is the gymkhana with slow race. Last year the team "Mainland" beat "Gotland". This year it was the other way around. I think team Gotland had the five or six top places. Tobbe from Gotland won the slow race.
Sun and good roads made this an super event.
Back next year? Of course!

Mr "Spetan" was on the Mainland team, here on his PX 125.

Linda from Gotland on her 1963 Vespa Touring. She was second overall.
Below; Jonas borrowed my Vespa GS 150.

From the slow race, Hampus takes a beating by the Tobbe, the final winner.

Nina och Max awaiting the standing.

Rideout at Östergarnslandet

Visby Vespa Club's run and party is in full swing. 12 scooters were at start in Ljugarn at a café.
No "faro basso" this year, except on participant Stickan's arm in the form of a tatto...
The goal for the rideout was lunch at a restaurant in Herrvik.

A stop on the way:

At the small harbour in Herrvik:

Space age helmet for Vespa

As always - a happy smile!
Just showing off my cool space age visor. I found it on a veteran fair last year. Yes, I immediately bought it, perfect for an old Vespa or Lambretta. It's marked AGV Made in Italy. The strange thing is that I found the helmet at the same fair, by an other vendor! I'm not sure if it's an AGV helmet, the sticker is borrowed from one of my son's helmet.

At least some sun, even if it's just of the evening variety.

A "postcard" from the small harbour of Herrvik.
Tomorrow it's raduno time!
Visby Vespa Club's sommer meet is at last here. Hope to give a report tomorrow before the official dinner. The weather forecast, hrm, no good so far.
The picture below are for the Swedish scooterists:

Vespa sulla Vespa!

Sorry! Scusa! Entschuldigung! Anteeksi! Ursäkta! Pardon! Excusa! Desculpa!
O e' un'ape?

Lambretta for restoration?

This is some heavy task! A 1956 Lambretta LD 150 in rough condition and non-complete. I think the current owner might consider a sale.
No side cowls but it is fairly straight and only surface rust. The engine is not seized according to the owner.
Fortunately (?) I have an object similar to this so I don't need to buy it!
I wonder if anyone ever will take on the challenge? The LD models of Lambretta are not as popular as the TV 175 series III, Li series III and GP's, the faster and slimmer Lambrettas.

One owner during it's past was apparentely a lover of the oil company BP, British petroleum or Best Persian as it was known as in the beginning.

Ancora una Vespa sidecar

This original Piaggio sidecar for Vespa might be for sale. At the moment I'm negotiating with the current owner. The sidecar has been resprayed in this metallic blue colour. For me that's bad, my plan is to have a sidecar attached to my 1956 Vespa 150 (VL3), il Struzzo, that will get an original light grey colour.
I don't think we had any side cars of the italian Longhi brand here in Sweden. I've seen some german Bender and Royal sidecars attached to Vespas. Steib was also an option but I think that was mostly for motorcycles.

As you can see, the very small enamel Piaggio-badge isn't in top condition. Very hard to find, seems a bit like the badge on the Moscone outboard motor, but it's in another size.
The wind screen is ordered some ten years ago or so. I believe it's too short compared to the original screen from the 50's.

The seat is absolutely original and in good condition.

Vespa pics from Gotland

I really like the old "Nynäs" petrol station, well from 1960's I reckon. The Swedish oil company Nynäs was founded in the harbour town of Nynäshamn, south of Stockholm. I don't know if it's the genuine place for the small petrol station, or if it has been relocated. There was no one to ask.

The white Vespa 50N is from 1968, it resides in a small private museum.

My Vespa 150 GS at the Grogarnsberget on Gotland. The island was placed at the equator, some zillion years ago. Lot's of fossiles can be found.

Gulf petrol for an old Vespa

No, that's not true.
The sign advertising the petrol brand "Gulf" is only of historical value. On this spot there once upon a time was a small petrol station. Well, one pump next to the local taxi station.
The owners of the house in Katthammarsvik, Gotland, has reinstalled the Gulf paraphernalia for nostalgic reasons only.

On the island of Gotland

Next leg on this year's vacation. The island of Gotland is situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea. From Nynäshamn it takes three hours on the ferry. My family takes the car while I ride a Vespa. This year the GS 150. The roads here on Gotland is awesome, narrow and curvy. Not only gravel, but that is cool too.
The smallframe belongs to some friends, it's not working at the moment.
In about two weeks time the Visby Vespa Club is holding their annual rideout and fiesta here!

Gravel road leading down to the sea:

Dressing up the Vespa GS

Lovely evening last night. Took the Vespa GS in to the centre of Stockholm. The building in the background is the Town hall. The water is the lake Mälaren which is connected with the Baltic Sea between Stockholm's old town and Södermalm.
The crashbars are back on the GS, they were there when I bought "her" in May 1989. The front hubcab is also back in place. The one alteration I have made is the removal of the rear luggage rack. Yeah, and the fitting of the bling-bling on the exhaust pipe of the silencer. For real, this is what I call rocket science!

I'm out of this kind of brackets, this one is borrowed from my GS 160.

Vespa 150 was for sale

This Vespa 150, VL2 or VL3, was for sale here in Sweden a couple of weeks ago. Should be from 1955 or 1956, sold in Sweden under the name "Super". Top of the line GS and 125 cc "Elit" where also available at that time. The 150 cc engine produced 6 hp and wheels where 8-inch. In Italy the model is called "Struzzo", ostrich, for obvious reasons.
This example has had a respray sometimes, the original colour was light-grey.
I like the blue colour, and I hope that it went to a good home.

I don't know if you can debate the original colour of the VL1-VL3 models. Here is two Struzzo with different colour. This is the cover of the 1958 June issue of the Swedish magazine "Teknikens Värld". But I believe that it's an american photo from the beginning, maybe for the fashion magazine Vogue. Or a french magazine? The ladies outfits seems to be from Chanel? Being a keen fashionista I do think so...

...and ready to go!

Well, since yesterday's test drive went well, I got up early this morning. The old GS needed a MoT. Luckily enough I got an appointment for the test this very day! Everything went smooth and the 50-year old Vespa, yes it's a VS5 from 1961, is back on the road again.
A Vespa 180 SS was tested at the same time.

The two guys in the background was fiddling with a butt-ugly and non-working Baotian.

In the city:

My old Vespa GS 150

Today I started my old Vespa GS 150 from 1961. Also my first Vespa, bought in May 1989.
It has been unused for some years, almost since the puncture during a winter rally in Finland.
Starter gas and a new battery wasn't enough, I also had to empty the tank, petrol ages Quick these days. New, fresh petrol helped. Suddenly I was driving along and ended up at Patrik's home. He took his 180 SS, the one I borrowed during Vespa World Days in Norway, and we went to the "Scooter-fika" here in Stockholm. "Fika" means coffe and some pastry...
6 scooters were present, Vespa vs Lambretta = 4-2.

The pics are a shade too blue, due to evening light. The GS has it's original colour.

The hole was put there by an former owner, for a switch for the ignition.

One of the nicest behinds in the history of Vespa!

Strange Vespas from India

I'm not sure of what's happening in India at the moment. The country's story with Vespa and Lambretta goes way back. The firm Bajaj started building Vespa 150, the eight inch-wheeled Super, on license in 1960. The Bajaj Chetak, based on Vespa Sprint, was launched in 1972.
LML, Lohia Machinery Limited and founded in 1978, started a collaboration with Piaggio in 1984 and ended in 1999. The LML Star (in the US sold as Stella) was based on the PX and are today available in both 2- and 4-stroke versions.
In the fifties API (Auto Products of India) in Bombay started building Lambretta D's under license. And of course there is Scooters of India Limited, S.I.L. The company took over the Lambretta factory in 1971 after it's demise, with the blessing of the Indian governement. The production was based on the GP-range even if some scooters based on the Cento were built.
Since S.I.L. own's the right to the Lambretta name, API sold their scooters under the name "Lamby Polo". Today S.I.L. is only building three-wheelers and no scooters.
Sorry, a long story to get to the pictures in this blog. The first one was found on a sales site in India. According to the seller it is an 1951 "Vespa Acma", with an 150 cc LML engine, and 12 V electrics. Well, they can call their Vespas whatever they want in India. But naming it "Acma" suggests that it is a french historical vehicle. The Acma company built Vespas on license between 1951 and 1962 in Fourchambault near Dijon in France.
The green monster above has no resemblance with a 1951 Vespa/Acma. 10-inch wheels? The handlebar? The rivets on the front fender? You can also enjoy the saddle and it's springs. Don't forget to marvel over the back light, pointing to the sky...
And, of course, a rubber mat on the tunnel! And the body, home-welded?
Build what ever you want, but don't try to sell it as a true classic!
Here are some more Indian freaks:

The red and silver Vespa is also a "1951 Vespa Acma", with an 150 cc new LML-engine. Well, 10-inch wheels and a backlight that might be from a Vespa GS.
The three-coloured "beauty" below is advertised as a 1962 Vespa 150. If it is a true vintage Indian Vespa, shouldn't it have 8-inch wheels? Rubber mat, don't think so.
The seller has the word "export" in his company name. Hopefully no one falls for these fakes. If they are dangerous too? I don't know, Let's hope not!