If I were to tell you that outside of scootering my main interest is history you could be forgiven for thinking that I’m very fond of 1980s nostalgia, yet as a rule I’m not. Admittedly it was the era that defined the modern scooter scene but any nost

Martin ‘Sticky’ Round probably needs no introduction to the scootering faithful, being a long-time journalist and bestselling author on generic scooter-related topics. Arguably, his ‘biggest hit’ is, or are (there are two reprints), the spanner’s gui

We don’t like to think about accidents, but they’re an inevitable part of our chosen lifestyle. Even if we manage to stay shiny side up, friends may not be so fortunate and as we filter to the front of traffic queues, statistically speaking, we’re mo

For the last few years the UK sprint/drag race season has kicked off with the Straightliners Speed Show at Elvington Airfield near York and this year was no exception. Staging any show in the middle of February can be a bit of a risk, especially one

According to information sourced from the fantastic book by Señor Jaime Supereibar on the subject of Eibar-produced machines, the Jet 200 was officially launched in Madrid on March 4, 1967, to rather less of a fanfare than previous models. As Jaime s

It doesn’t take long after entering Roadskin’s retail premises and warehouse at Tunbridge Wells, Kent for the fun to kick in. The two owners, Ian Wilson and Mark Kingham, play off one another like the Hairy Bikers did at their peak; except it’s texti

I’m an engine man through and through. Once I start getting bogged down in chassis stuff (cables, looms, electrics, trim, forks, brakes etc) I just start to glaze over. It’s all easy stuff, but I don’t get the same surge of enthusiasm as when I’m tun

In the spring and summer of 1964, a series of socially shocking events took place on the beaches and streets of Britain, the likes of which had never been seen before. These events would come to fuel a scene that in various guises would endure across

If there is one thing I’ve learned during the many years that I have been repairing vintage scooters, it’s that things rarely ever go to plan! By that I mean the job always seems so straightforward in my mind, for example: remove the floorboards and

By the mid-1950s, scooter ownership in Britain was beginning to take hold, and at its forefront was the Lambretta. This was hardly surprising because Lambretta Concessionaires, the company behind its importation, was in the process of building up a v

It doesn’t take long in Martin Gladwell’s company to realise that he has a complicated relationship with this Triumph Tina. “Over the years I’ve had most British bikes,” he began. “Triumphs, BSAs, Nortons, you name it. More recently I’ve got interest

This year there are some breaks with tradition, with no Mallory Park meeting and the final leg being in mid-October at the popular Lord of Lydden meeting. All forms of motorsport are increasingly expensive, as indeed are all public events, with organ

Triumph surprise: a 100cc Miniscooter with Automatic Transmission What was that? Just a little scooter, nothing to get excited about? You don’t know Tina, that pert mam’selle from Meriden. Come and be introduced. No clutch lever, no gear pedal? That’

We’ve divided the market first by capacity, and then alphabetically within each category. We can’t possibly give values for every classic scooter, there are far too many variables for that, but we have included data for three of the most common machi

The location for this well-attended season opener is Paget High School. Last year not only was it the Burton Brewers’ 70th anniversary, but it was also the first time they’d delivered the show at the new venue. After last year’s show, Ian Vanes-Jones

In next month’s issue: Fresh from its Best Vespa in Show award at Meltdown, we bring you the spectacularly insane Rusty Hangar Vespa. Our Lexicon series turns its attentions to a little-understood part of the Lambretta story; the Fenwick machines man

Those with an eye for detail will recall that the first Scooterist Meltdown was held in 2013 but as it had a break of two years during the pandemic, 2024 was designated as the 10th anniversary year. Organised then, and now, by Spirit of 84 Scooterist

For Graham Lee it all began when he was a teenager and with a group of pals he bought a Vespa PX to ride on the school fields near to where he lived. “We all chipped in and would take turns riding it. When we’d made enough of a nuisance of ourselves

Cast your mind back four decades, and it’ll take you to a time when scooter rallies were at their peak. Included in that era are the custom machines which provided the very fabric that helps us reminisce about what is arguably the most significant pe

“I got into music when I was a teenager and eventually had every album Paul Weller had made. I’d also watched Quadrophenia at just about every opportunity I could get; so I think it all started from there!” “A standard Vespa PX125. My initial intenti