Our Vespa T5 SIP speedo competition has had our virtual mailbox overflowing over the weekend!
Entries are flooding in so we’ve decided to show a selection in part 1 and follow that up with another two parts during this week. If you own a T5 and haven’t already entered, you can do so on the link above. Need to know more about the speedo you can visit SIP here.
Anyway, here are the first of our entrants…
Entry #1
I’d wanted a T5 for years, the near-mythical accounts of this 125 engine had me yearning to experience it. I found one but the guy wanted £2,200, I offered £1,200 and we settled on £1,400.
I got it home, rode it and it was awful and I mean dangerous it’s only saving grace was the spunky 125 engine… I could have cried.
I was at the point of putting her up for sale when I thought no, I will not be defeated or disappointed so off she went for changes. All front bearings replaced, brakes renewed, carb cleaned out but that was a lost cause so a new one was purchased. The most essential part, the suspension system was renewed and upgraded both front and back.
It was like an epiphany… she came back a different girl, she ran like new. The ride was smooth, acceleration was steady with a slight carb lag but when she kicked in ‘whooa’ I could wheelie! This spunky 125 was a match for any P2 I’d had – now I get the T5 mythology.
All in all, the T5 is better than my PX125 and that lump of lard PX200 I got rid of. I agree on the parts finding, some of the new ‘light/horn’ switches are appalling.
Keep up the good work……hope she wins.
Michael Holmes
Entry #2
I’ve had this T5 since 2006 and took it back to bare metal due to the poor bodywork. I chose Renault Liquid Yellow paint and rebuilt it myself using new fixings everywhere. It was the first time I’d ever undertaken a job of this size. I’ve ridden this T5 all over the country including two trips to the Isle of Skye. My boy will have this scooter when the time comes. The speedo rev counter has stopped working so a SIP one would be a brilliant addition. Thank you for the opportunity to be entered into the draw.
Jason Atkinson (Acko)
Entry #3
I bought the scooter in 2016, after selling my last one in 1988! It’s the same story that I always regretted selling my original one, so much soooo… that I would dream of having one again (sad but true 😀)
It isn’t a standard engine it has the worb5 172cc, worb5 54mm fast flow crank, V-Force reed valve, 30mm carb, SIP XL exhaust, BGM uprated clutch, BGM shocks…oh and a temperamental old speedo! 😇
It rides well and puts out 24hp & 20ftlb, which is enough to get me and my lady on weekend trips to the coast or to the IOW.
I won’t bore you anymore, long live the T5!
Howard Ward
Entry #4
I acquired my first T5 ‘styled’ scooter back in 1991, winning the Splat Designs/Taffspeed TX200 raffle scooter at the Alfreton end-of-year custom show.
In 1996 an opportunity arose to buy a ‘real’ T5 from a friend, which had then been resprayed in an eye-catching two-tone flip purple paint. It was fitted with a Pole Position seat, Pinasco 162 kit, Kegra pipe and a Cosa up gear.
The desire to own another T5 came to fruition earlier this year, again off a friend. You may recognise the T5 from Norrie Kerr’s EMSA night jaunts where he could be seen whizzing around on it with his club Merlin SC in tow. More recently, the scooter toured around Ireland, this time loaned to his good friend Gordon Roper.
My plans for it are already afoot. The motor remains solid, which is always a big tick. I’ve repainted the tank, and will shortly be returning the seat to standard, along with the front shock and its trademark black shroud. Unfortunately, as with most of this age, the analogue rev counter is dead. Mmm?
I’m now in the process of rejuvenating the paint in preparation for the Newark show and will continue my search for that elusive working rev counter.
Here’s to next season and long live the T5, we salute you!
David Delaney
Team Vespa
Entry #5
The T5 to me is and always has been my scooter of choice. I first got one in ’86, bought three of them in ’80s, the lads from Hartlepool SC nicknamed me T5 Tom and it stuck. I did numerous rallies.
This is my T5 today, kitted Malossi 172, still getting about as much as possible. Painted by Phil Stuart (Wizard paintshop) and built by Mo-Tech Byker Newcastle (Paul&Mark).
Been looking forward to these speedos being released.
Kind regards
Tom
Entry #6
Dear SLUK,
The T5 Pole Position was the seed model for many weird and wonderful variants from around the world so I’m hoping owners of these will also be considered for the competition.
I’m the owner of one of the weirdest, an LML Select II 150, considered the black sheep of the T5 litter. Its factory “styling” updates are questionable to say the least. Yet in spite of these deplorably distasteful and hideously erroneous attempts at improvement, one thing it didn’t lose was its strong connection with its family roots, which is a good start point to improve from. So, it’s been slammed a few inches up front for stance, with disc brakes fitted front and rear and a lairy VMC 190cc reed valve engine. They say you can’t polish a turd, but you can use it to bake a crapcake, and a SIP speedo would be the icing on it. I plan on bringing it to European Vespisti Week next year in Montegrotto.
Entry #6 continued…
It hasn’t seen the road yet in its current guise, but I’ve attached photos of before and after its midlife crisis, and one photo from a chance meeting with a friendly horse who I’m convinced was possessed by the spirit of Chetak, the horse of the legendary warrior Maharana Pratap (pic attached). It was like they knew each other. This encounter at the time seemed like a chance one, but the more I think about it I feel it was fuelled by destiny and there were secrets shared between them on a level not worthy of investigation nor discussion by earthly humans.
Entry #6 continued…
The following excerpt from War & Peace will explain why I like T5s so much.
What makes the T5 so special to me? Purists will argue it’s the styling, others the engine and some insist on both. When the T5 burst onto the scene it was treated with both derision and excitement in equal measures, for me, the first time I saw one I liked it instantly and bought one at the first opportunity. The motor was smooth and refined and they still feel up to date now, the styling was way ahead of its time and doesn’t even look old today. It could do everything I wanted my tuned PX 125 to do but couldn’t (except uphill). In standard form needed no aesthetic improvement whatsoever, on my 125 licence I could reliably and legally travel greater distances with ease, in my youth I’ve travelled the length and breadth of Ireland and Britain, and venturing into Europe on them too, which is why I hold a great fondness for them today.
Please fix it for me to win this competition.
Kindest regards
Stephen Hempenstall
Entry #7
1988 mk1 T5, full DC conversion all LED lights, Pinasco 251 fitted, vinyl wrapped, disc brake conversion. I’ve owned this for about four years now and my most memorable ride was a trip to the Dutch Lions rally, scoot never missed a beat despite horrendous weather on the way there.
Craig Fletcher
Entry #8
Hello SLUK!
I love MK1 T5s and have owned many (at least six that I can remember), one of which was an Armando’s back in the day which I don’t have any decent pictures of! I’m currently restoring another…
This is one of my favourites – it started life as a restoration project by Dan Jones @ Total Revamp which I traded for a part restored Rally 200 (my other favourite!) which I then Martini’d up! I added the ubiquitous Malossi 172 kit, and tried several exhausts – ending up with the combination I already knew worked best – a Scorpion!
It also had the Grimeca front disc brake conversion and the headlight screen is the prototype for the SLUK T5 Driver production model. I’m pleased to say anybody who subsequently purchased one will have benefited from my feedback on the mounting arrangements.
My favourite journey on this particular scooter was the Isle of Wight 2019 – wherever I went I always had a bottle of Martini and a few glasses in the toolbox, which made me very popular in the queue for the ferry (especially with the ladies!).
On the way home from that rally the speedo cable snapped so I was using the rev counter to regulate speed. I thought an indicated 7000rpm equated to about 70mph until a fully laden P200 two-up flew past me on the A34. Remembering I had a GPS on my watch I did a speed check – 7000pm was about 60mph, so an indicated 8000rpm became the steady target (about 68mph on the GPS).
I sold this a year or so ago so it may come in via the existing owner!
Cheers
Ellis
Vespa T5 Driver screens
If you like the look of the SLUK T5 Driver screen on Ellis’ scooter above you can get one from our SLUK Shop here.
