Retro Features Archives

BSRA #6: Newark National Scooter Rally 2024 | RALLERY

Another Friday, another rally. Today I'm off for the 40th anniversary BSRA National Scooter Rally at Newark. It's an early start as it's about 200 miles for me, the weather's not looking great, so it's on with the waterproofs and away I go. It's a straightforward ride until... suddenly no…

iggy-grainger24 July 2024

Vintage Italian truck with a row of Vespa scooters parked outside.

Retro Retro Events

European Vespisti Week, Montegrotto, Italy: A typically Irish misadventure | RALLERY

If you're a die-hard Vespa fan and want to go to international events run by independent Vespa clubs from Europe you need to keep an eye on the Vespa Club Europa website. European Vespisti Week Montegrotto was the first of what is to become an annual event, the Vespa Club…

iggy-grainger22 July 2024

Margate scooter rally campsite 2024 with glamping tents, ridge tents and scooters.

Retro Retro Events

BSRA 5 #: Margate National Scooter Rally | RALLERY

There was a real buzz about finally taking Chas & Dave’s advice and heading dooowwwn to Margate after such a long time away. Credit to the Big 7 SC for working hard to make it happen, as they were faced with a number of challenges along the way. Organising a…

iggy-grainger17 July 2024

Retro Retro Features

Three Generations: Our Unforgettable Tour of the Purbecks | FEATURE

We always enjoy reading about and sharing our reader's scooter rides and adventures. This little tour of a lesser-known part of the UK involved, dad (right on the picture, 79-year-old John Chatten), lad (centre - 57-year-old Nick) and lad's lad (Nick's son, Ollie 25). Three generations of the same family…

iggy-grainger15 July 2024

Retro Retro Events

SWSC Sand Bay scooter rally | RALLERY

Well, my Friday starts off much as any other rally weekend, in a panic. Having booked my scoot in for a well overdue tyre change (wear indicators are just a helpful hint, right?) I need to get to the fitter before I head off to Sand Bay. Tyre changed and…

iggy-grainger8 July 2024

Retro Features

VESPA DOUGLAS 152L2 – BROKEN AND BURNT #4 | FEATURE

Missed the story so far? This series of features were originally published back in June 2017. We've just revamped them and moved them over to this website from our Archive site. If you’d like to catch up on the first three parts of this 152L2 project you can click here…

Rory McIntosh5 July 2024

Retro Retro Events

2024 race season: Ben Readings #65 Pembrey BSSO

Returning to Pembrey Returning to Pembrey is a little daunting for me. I had my first proper, weekend-ending, red-flagged, 'off' there last time. The scooter was having some issues and as I was finding that I could take corners flat out, I was also finding that the scooter would splutter…

iggy-grainger2 July 2024

A grey Spanish Series 2 Lambretta being ridden in France.

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EUROLAMBRETTA, MAGNY COURS, FRANCE | FEATURE

France hosted the 33rd EuroLambretta rally, just as it did the very first one in Strasbourg 1989. I attended Strasbourg on my TS1-powered Lambretta chopper from the UK en route to Athens. Back then, it was a uniting of some very different worlds: Italian collectors like Vittorio Tessera and Tino…

iggy-grainger27 June 2024

Vespa W1 Racing clutch next to a Vespa Cosa clutch.

Retro Retro Tech

Vespa Largeframe Clutches: W1R Proto | TECH

White One Racing’s Proto clutch (right) compared to a banded Cosa 2 clutch (left) Does W1R’s lightweight largeframe clutch offer any advantages? I can remember back to a time when the best option for a tuned PX was stronger springs for the original 7-spring clutch; fitted with a reinforcement band…

iggy-grainger24 June 2024

Colourful scooters parked near a French beach.

Retro Events

D-Day at Sea Scoot and Run – Brittany | RALLERY

Not quite the ferry we were hoping for... Sea Scoot and Run #2 is the second time this event has been held in South Brittany and what a fantastic weekend it turned out to be. Although Euro Lambretta was being held in France the following weekend, our travelling group decided…

iggy-grainger18 June 2024