Six Vespa and one Lambretta

Scooter rideout in Stockholm yesterday. A couple of days before Mods vs Rockers on Saturday. (A mod-kitted Lambretta series III just passed our house, who dat?)  

Six Vespas and my Lambretta showed up at the small café at Nytorget. Four PX's, one VGL and one GS 150 and my TV 175.

After espressos it was time for a rideout through Stockholm city, along Norr Mälarstrand and Söder Mälarstrand. A visit in a scooter and bike garage, and some more coffe ended the evening.

Series II Lambretta Li 150

When I wrote the story of the Swedish NV Hobby roller, originally a DKW, the owner Stefan told me that after the NV he owned a brand new Lambretta Li 150, series II. Stefan also supplied me with these pictures. Above with his kid brother, below two lady friends. He have vague memories of that he left it in a barn in the end of the sixties. All traces ends there...

A cheesy part of scootering

I bought these in a cheese shop this summer. Guess why?
The scooter looks like a Vespa but it says Lambretta on the leg shield.
The taste? A bit dusty...

Vespa 125 U started

Started my Vespa 125 U from 1953 today, last driven in October last year. Had to use starter gas as todays petrol deteriorate rapidly. Before that I had to change the inner tube of the rear wheel.

It's a big difference driving the U compared to the Lambretta TV 175. Obviously there is 125 cc against  175 cc, 4 hp against 8,6 hp. And the riding position, you are very close to the handlebar. 

Sitting on the pillion seat doesn't make sense - you only look silly!

Italian guy on a Vespa GS

A lovely pic from days long gone. The Vespa GS 150 looks brand new with the proud italian owner on it. Not sure if it's a VS1-VS2 or VS3. It's not a VS4 or a VS5, if you go by the tail light. The picture should have been taken around 1957-1958, I guess.
Anyhow, it has lots of cool accessories; crash bar, horn cover, wheel discs front and rear and bumper!
I have the actual photo in my possession.

Lambretta in the Olympics

Since the Olympic Games are in full swing (?) in London I like to show you this. A official Lambretta series II scooter for the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, or as it says "Servizio Olimpiadi Roma".
Of course there were some official Vespas as well. And the 1960 Eurovespa was held together with the Olympics in Rome.

The Lambretta in the pictures is displayed in Vittorio Tessera's museum.

I want a Pirelli wall clock!

This nice clock sits on the wall in the house by a friend. He is more of a motorcycle man, but in the early sixties he worked at a Vespa Service in a town in southern Sweden.
My Lambretta TV 175 has new Pirelli tyres, not made in Italy but in Brazil (you can't be choosy these days...). They are a couple of years old and when I found them I immediately bought three.
I recently browsed through some photos and found the one below. It's a part blow up from picture hanging on one wall in Vittorio Tessera's museum in Rodano outside Milano.
It's obviously a series 1 Li, but the colour scheme looks just like on my TV. Apart from the tail light. And the colour on the horn cover and side cowls might have been red.
The original picture shows a Agip service station from the end of the fifties.
I bet they had a Pirelli clock inside!

Jan - the Piccolino man!

Jan from up north in Sweden has a rare Iso scooter.

About a year ago I spotted some Iso Milanos at the Imola fair in Italy. I wrongly thought they were called "Milano" in Sweden as well. Jan, or Janne, from the north of Sweden made a comment on that blogpost and corrected me. Here they were called "Piccolino".
This summer I had a chance to visit Jan in is home. He has been restoring an Iso Piccolino for some years now. The sidecowls and the horncover has been resprayed in an original pink hue. The magnificent trim was actually with the scooter!
Right now Jan has two engines, hopefully leading to one in top shape. The frame and front shield have been sandblasted and primed. Now he needs some spare time to finish the restoration. A handfull of Vespas, a GS 150, a Rally and a 1956 "Struzzo" is already finished. And recently he inherited a 1925 Chevrolet Touring...

The side cowls and the horn cover has been painted,

Marked "Iso", but doesn't fit. Instead it fits Vespa GS!

This is better, trim that fits the Iso Milano/Piccolino.

The frame is blasted and awaits paint. A bit Lambretta-like,

Close-up of the fabulous side cowl trim to Jan's Iso.

Jan found his spare engine in the Netherlands.

Happy anniversary, 50 PK S!

Today is a special day. It's exactly one year ago since I started to take pictures of an abandoned Vespa 50 PK S!