Retro Features Archives

AI generated cartoon showing a classic Vespa scooter in the back of a van being looked over by customs.

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Travelling abroad with a scooter after Brexit: 2024 Update

In February 2024 two British scooterists were held by Dutch customs for an hour. Their ‘crime’ was not declaring a Vespa that they were taking in their van to a European custom show. That’s nothing. The van next to them contained a scooterist taking engines to display at the same…

iggy-grainger29 February 2024

Classic scooters parked outside the Burton Brewers Custom Show 2024.

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First show of the year – Burton Brewers | RALLERY

Whilst 300 Brits were busy sunning themselves in Lanzarote with VFM, around 1500 scooterists were freezing their bits off riding to, or walking around Burton. It was baltic on Saturday morning, with freezing fog making it feel even colder for much of the trip. Thankfully my early morning ride was…

iggy-grainger27 February 2024

Scooterist meltdown 2024 custom show with cuastom Lambretta Breaking rocks in the hot sun.

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Scooterist Meltdown 10th Anniversary | RALLERY

The surreal all-inclusive European scooterist weekender based in a nuclear power station finally completes its mutation… Spirit of 84 Scooterists, headed by Marcus and Mareike Broix are not new to putting on parties. They lost that virginity, probably in a tent somewhere in Germany or Holland, many decades ago. Meltdown…

iggy-grainger19 February 2024

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BSRA National Rally ticket info – buy yours now | FEATURE

The BSRA National Scooter Rallies don't start until Easter (an early one this year at the end of March) but we've already seen Portrush selling out months in advance. Margate is going to be advance ticket only (they go on sale at midnight tonight) so we thought we'd put all…

iggy-grainger6 February 2024

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Part 2: Vespa GTS Buyers Guide | 2018-2024 (HPE/RST22)

If you missed Part 1 of this Vespa GTS Buyers Guide you can check it out here, that part details the model from its 2005 inception until 2018. Summer 2018 was a crossover time for the GTS, a facelift model arrived with a remote keyfob for the first time, an…

iggy-grainger30 January 2024

A line up of multi-coloured Vespa GTS scooters in a dealers window.

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Vespa GTS HPE/RST22 owners wanted | NEWS

We're looking for Vespa GTS HPE/RST22 owners to get in touch for a forthcoming feature. If you own (or have owned) an HPE Vespa GTS (2018-2024 models) we'd like to hear from you for part two of our GTS Buyer's Guide feature. You can read part one of that feature…

iggy-grainger23 January 2024

A white Vespa T5 with luggage sat against a backdrop of a Spanish lake with mountains in the background.

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The 10,000 mile penis tour by Vespa T5: Part 3 | FEATURE

Welcome back to part three of my 16,500 km scooter tour on a Vespa T5 through Europe called (for obvious reasons) "The Penis Tour." In part one of the journey, I took you through several breakdowns, over 14 days of rain and storms from southern Germany. I'd covered over 4,500…

iggy-grainger23 January 2024

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7 reasons to buy Sticky’s new Wideframe Vespa book | FEATURE

Vespa fans may have been wishing that Sticky would stop messing about with Lambrettas and produce a Complete Spanner's Manual just for them. Well, that time has come. Yes, his first Vespa book is being printed right now and is available to pre-order, ready for despatch in early February. Before…

iggy-grainger17 January 2024

A red Vespa GTS sat on a bike ramp with the rear wheel removed, ready for some maintenance.

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Part 1: Vespa GTS Buyers Guide – 2005-2018 | FEATURE

For many scooterists the Vespa GTS has become the modern long-distance equivalent of the PX200. Its a thoroughbred workhorse with the modern attributes and style a premium-priced scooter needs. In this two-part feature we're going to take a look at the model history, things to look out for when buying…

iggy-grainger15 January 2024

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Converting an electric Lambretta back to 2-stroke | VIDEO

We have some good news for all you Lambretta purists out there. The electric Lambretta that recently did a 1000-mile (Turn left at Dublin) trip around Ireland is back belching out two-stroke fumes into the London ULEZ zones.The scooter is owned by Retrospective Scooters mechanic, Gianfranco (pictured left, with Retrospective…

iggy-grainger10 January 2024