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A friend recently told me about a common discussion on marketing degree courses…
Imagine that you are the boss of CocaCola and you have a choice of two possible nightmare scenarios:
- Overnight, every Coca-Cola factory in the world is subjected to a simultaneous terrorist attack that stops production or…
- Your factories are fine but overnight, everyone completely forgets what Coca-Cola is.
Which is the worst scenario?
While Scenario-1 might seem terrible because it halts supply for a period until you can restart production, it does nothing to remove demand. In fact, a clever businessman might be able to make something of a restricted supply to increase demand once you are back in production.
The killer is Scenario-2. What is this sugary brown drink you are trying to sell us? Isn’t it just a copy of Pepsi? Why would I want to stock that in my supermarket ahead of all the other colas? What is special about this one?
The point of this example is to demonstrate the power of a brand. It is relatively easy to build a product but it takes years to build a brand that people are loyal to. Once this brand loyalty exists it is surprisingly enduring.
Lambretta as a brand
In the ‘50s and ‘60s Lambretta was Pepsi to Vespa’s Coca-Cola. There were other scooters, just as there are other colas, but in marketing terms having two brand leaders is a perfect scenario because competition promotes loyalty. Think Blur vs Oasis, The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones or even Shoei vs Arai helmets.
In 1989 I rode my Lambretta chopper to Athens via the first Euro-Lambretta in Strasbourg. On my way through Italy I only saw one other Lambretta on the road and was repeatedly told by Italians that “Lambretta is dead”.
For them it was true. Lambretta pretty much finished for Italy in the early 70s when the entire scooter production line was sold to the Indian government. Italy didn’t have a massive Mod revival or a huge scooterboy scene to soak-up substantial imports of Indian GPs from Scooters India Limited or Servetas from Spain. In the subsequent period, it was the British and the international spread of our peculiar youth cults that kept passion for Lambretta alive and many scooters on the roads. It is safe to say that most Italians didn’t understand or appreciate at the time the rich cultural heritage that Innocenti bestowed on the world.
As explained in the previous scenario though, for Lambretta to have been a Pepsi of its market, even a long time ago, means it was once very powerful. For as long as the name is remembered, this power never truly dies.
As a marketer, the achievements of Innocenti’s scooter provide a rich seam of historic wealth to mine.
New Lambretta
Let’s be honest, the story of the latest Lambrettas starts not with a scooter but with products capitalising on the Lambretta brand: clothes, watches, perfume etc.
Ducati, Harley and Triumph all do this sort of thing too, but at least they also make a motorcycle with the same name. Producing a scooter under the Lambretta brand is the most important step in legitimising every other Lambretta licensed product as official. For Walter Scheffrahn, the Dutch branding specialist who is behind the latest Lambretta scooter, it is probably his most ambitious project so far.
Becoming a scooter manufacturer is not something you can do on your own or overnight, but Scheffrahn has help from massive Austrian company KSR Group. They have been importing and trading in motorcycles and scooters for many years.
We caught Walter’s speech at the first public showing of the new Lambretta V-Special at Euro-Lambretta 2017 in Adria, Italy and you can hear it in full in the video below.
Walter Scheffrahn unveils the V-Special at Adria
The SYM connection
Ironically, when it comes to scooters from Taiwan, SYM are the Coca-cola to Kymco’s Pepsi. These two giant companies dominate the home market and produce good quality automatic scooters that are generally a step up from Chinese brands but usually a little cheaper than European or Japanese machines.
It is not financially viable to build a new scooter factory from scratch as well as developing an engine, so Scheffrahn has done the logical thing and chosen to work with SYM to produce their first new Lambretta model: the V-Special.
The shortcut to doing this has been to base the V-Special on an existing SYM frame and engine from the Fiddle 3 model. In this way, all the main chassis and drive-train development has already been done, saving a fortune, but this choice has also lead to some inevitable compromises in Kiska studio’s styling of the V-Special.
Why does the rear body line slope upwards?
This is a feature common to nearly every modern automatic scooter as a result of having a wide engine casing on one side of the rear wheel, and a fat exhaust pipe on the other that moves with the motor.
In order to provide clearance for the exhaust and engine during suspension travel, a designer has only 3 choices:
- Sweep the rear body line upwards to provide clearance. All the modern Vespas do this. Or…
- Keep the rear body line level but high, as per AJS Modena. Or…
- Make the rear body wide enough that the engine and exhaust can move up inside the bodywork when the suspension compresses. This was the solution adopted by Scomadi.
For the V-Special, Austrian style house Kiska Design, chose the first option. The advantage of this method is that the rear body can stay slim which makes it easier for short people to get their feet on the ground.
Why does the floor sweep upwards?
This is the first machine wearing the Lambretta badge that doesn’t have a horizontal floor for the rider’s feet.
Even Motom’s Lambretta-badged LN125 – which was also based on SYM cycle parts and engine – had a flat floor. To achieve this Motom comissioned a completely new chassis for the LN which Massimo Tartarini (of Italjet fame) styled.
For the V-Special range, Kiska had little choice but to follow the same floor line as the SYM Fiddle 3 due to the layout of the underlying chassis.
Why is the front mudguard so high above the wheel?
This is another design compromise forced by the use of basically the same telescopic forks as the Fiddle 3. The yoke that clamps the top of the telescopic fork legs is wide and square, forcing Kiska to mount the mudguard high in order to provide clearance.
On original Lambrettas the forks were not telescopic and had a rounded top arch which made it possible to have a lower, sleeker fixed ‘fender’.
Innocenti S.A. – the registered parent company based in Switzerland – have so far shown two versions of the scooter: ‘Fixed’ with a mudguard attached to the chassis, and ‘Flex’ which has a turning mudguard attached to the forks as per the Cento and also Tartarini’s LN design.
At Adria only the fixed version was displayed, and this has widely been the more popular solution of the two.
What powers the V-Special?
As SLUK predicted last year, this machine is powered by SYM’s range of relatively basic 2-valve air-cooled 4-stroke engines in Euro-4 format. There will be a 50cc, a 125 and a ‘200’ (actually 169cc).
The 125cc version essentially uses a derivative of Honda’s venerable GY6 engine; similar, but not exactly the same, as both the LN125 and the current Scomadi TL125. In terms of performance it should be fine for city use, but don’t expect the learner-legal version to offer the performance of more advanced 4-valve water-cooled 125s like the latest Vespa Sprint or Primavera, or indeed the forthcoming water-cooled Scomadi 125.
How was the V-Special received at Adria?
Scheffrahn couldn’t have picked a more difficult crowd for a launch than passionate Lambrettisti. Perhaps that’s why the prototype machines were shielded behind Perspex.
However, while most rally-goers simply stayed away, of those that did watch the reception was not as hostile as I’d anticipated. Our video above captures the initial reactions of those present.
Interesting comments from an Argentine Lambrettista – that I totally agree with – are that it would have been much better for the scooter to have a flat floor and a lower rear end as per the original Lambretta slimstyles. Without that feature the scooter is really missing one of the key strands of the Lambretta DNA, akin to an Audi missing its 4-ring bonnet badge.
VIDEO | What did the Lambrettista think of the V-125?
Will the V-Special sell?
For the reasons I pointed out at the start of the article, I expect that the Lambretta V-Special will sell, if it isn’t priced too prohibitively. You could put a Lambretta badge on a bottle of ketchup and someone would buy it.
Having said that, certainly for markets like Italy and Benelux, the disastrous situations surrounding the release of previous ‘Lambrettas’ has tarnished the name with both public and dealers alike. Motom’s LN wasn’t as bad as previous Asian re-badging attempts but still buyers were left with difficulties finding a dealer or getting spares. These people won’t want to be burned again.
However, from comments we’ve seen on the internet there are already people queuing up to ‘mod-up’ the first V-Specials. Manufacturers of chrome bathroom accessories take note – your time is coming!
The V-Special – which is due in 2018 – also arrives at a time when retro is really big but choice in retro scooters is massively diminished.
The 2-stroke PX as we know it is finished. LML are looking very unlikely to produce any more scooters. Royal Alloy sales are currently on hold in Europe pending a court decision and Scomadi are awaiting stock of their first Thai-produced machines.
At the time of writing if you want a retro-auto it is a choice of AJS Modena/Lexmoto Milano at the cheap end or modern Vespa at the high end.
At the moment we know of at least two prospective UK importers for the brand, both of which have had dealings with SYM, but it is understood that KSR will not announce importers until later this year.
What will the price be for a V-Special?
Not cheap. Suggestions are that the 50cc version will be over £2,000, the ABS-equipped 200 will be approaching £4,000 and the 125 will be somewhere in the middle.
Where next for new Lambretta?
For serious scooter enthusiasts the petite V-Special was never likely to tick our boxes. Many scooterists looking for a modern scooter demand more power and comfort. Sales and popularity of the Vespa GTS250/300 prove that.
Walter has already stated that Innocenti SA plan to display a 400cc model at the Milan show, but the latest rumours are of another model with a manual gearbox, possibly 250cc 4-stroke format. For me, this is a more interesting prospect.
With a release like that, Lambretta could be the only brand offering a geared swinging scooter engine. It might not offer the convenience of CVT automatic transmission but in terms of rider involvement it would be unique on the market.
Like revived Triumph, new Lambretta could turn out to be much more interesting than their first offering suggests…
Sticky
What do you think of the V-Special?
We are interested in feedback on the new Lambretta from all genuine SLUK readers so please leave your comments below.
Spammers and prospective importers conducting social media campaigns pretending to be scooterists need not apply.
Lambretta V50 V125 and V200 Specifications (from 2017 brochure)
Engine | V50 Special | V125 Special | V200 Special |
Type | 4-stroke air-cooled single cylinder | 4-stroke air-cooled single cylinder | 4-stroke air-cooled single cylinder |
Capacity | 49.5cc | 124.7cc | 168.9cc |
Compression | 12.5:1 | 10.7:1 | 10.3:1 |
Fuel | Petrol 95 (octane) | Petrol 95 (octane) | Petrol 95 (octane) |
Fuel Management | Electronic carb | Electronic Fuel Injection | Electronic Fuel Injection |
Max power | 2.6kW@7500rpm | 7.5kW@8500rpm | 8.9kW@7500rpm |
Max torque | 3.4Nm@6500rpm | 9.2Nm@7900rpm | 12.5Nm@5500rpm |
Ignition | CDI | ECU | ECU |
Starter | Electric | Electric | Electric |
Gearbox | CVT | CVT | CVT |
Final drive | Belt | Belt | Belt |
Max Speed | 45kmh (28mph) | Not stated | Not stated |
Dimensions | |||
Length | 1900mm | 1900mm | 1900mm |
Width | 690mm | 690mm | 690mm |
Height | 1130mm | 1130mm | 1130mm |
Wheelbase | 1330mm | 1330mm | 1330mm |
Seat height | 770mm | 770mm | 770mm |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 6.5litres | 6.5litres | 6.5litres |
Chassis | |||
Front tyre | 110/70-12 | 110/70-12 | 110/70-12 |
Rear Tyre | 120/70-12 | 120/70-12 | 120/70-12 |
Suspension front | Telescopic fork | Telescopic fork | Telescopic fork |
Suspension rear | Single rear shock | Single rear shock | Single rear shock |
Brakes Front | 220mm disc | 220mm disc with CBS linked brakes | 220mm disc with Bosch ABS |
Brakes Rear | 110mm mechanical drum | 220mm disc with CBS linked brakes | 220mm disc with Bosch ABS |
Yawn. I was there, saw it person. It has nothing that appeals to me. The SLUK bridge piece clip is far more exciting, not to mention the amazing developments by Casa Performance.
I have already spoken in the unveiling Video in Adria and my opinion has not changed…it’s a Modern Twist and Go…not a Lambretta. Please Please do not ever show a Modded Up Version on any Media….there already enough Comedy GTS Vespas floating about…..probably too dear for Deliveroo Riders to buy
Frankly I think Innocenti SPa should have simply approached Scomadi and negotiated a rebadging deal.
A ready-made scoot that’s proving to be hugely popular and actually has classic Lambretta looks with a Lambretta badge would I think prove to be a winning combination.
(Booga)
ajs/lexmoto no longer a cheap option. gone from 1100 to 1700 in a year. doubt the neco will reappear in euro4
should lml reappear, any brand loyalty by users and importers, will have been lost by the last 15 months carry on
At the end of this article you liken it to Triumph following the demise of Meriden production, however the business model is totally different, all design both chassis and power train were from scratch – there was no compromise using an off the shelf third party solution.
I agree Martin, using a pre-prepared platform is a big shortcut, but if the rumoured geared engine did come to fruition it would probably be exclusive. Currently even big players like BMW commission Taiwanese firms to make exclusive engines for scooters – Kymco make the engine for the BMW C650.
I respect the effort a lot, as a ex Industrial Designer myself, seeing how/what the respected Kiska did here, in addition to planning this platform so it will be offered as all electric model in 18′, this is what reminds me of the kind of vision Innocenti once had. I can understand the pushback from the the nostalgia oriented enthusiasts, but idealizing what could or should of been from 50 years ago is not really pragmatic nor realistic. Also, its easy to forget that this is a very risky and costly venture that can’t likely afford big writeoffs should it fail, therefore it has to marketed and sold to the widest market possible to survive, which means it can’t be focused on what vintage enthusiasts idealize or want, and there would never be any volume sales in that category anyways to provide the ROI. Scomadi may be trying to cater a bit otherwise to the vintage minded, and though that design is a far closer nod to the vintage design, vintage enthusiasts nearly en masse scoff at that scooter as well. I’ll be in on these when the electric version comes available, if I can get one here, this has vision, and its the future.
Not making the engine themselves is not the issue – Commissioning a third party to make your exclusive design is a smart move to reduce manufacturing costs, but for the example given, this would be an exclusive design by BMW or for BMW – they will have laid out the spec to suit their design goals so the compromise will not exist (other than the usual packaging constraints/compromise of fitting the latest homologation requirements for the current Euro 4 or forth coming Euro 5 legislation).
I am not against the modern scooter or even the auto, I just think that it is one compromise too many for the brand when you look at the global market share available for this type of machine and disagree that Innocenti would have come up with this, the front looks too stubby for the slimline style rear – I don’t believe it would be like the Scomadi either as this is too heratige looking for an all new modern Lambretta.
As for the comment about not risking too much in case of business failure – is this not planning to fail?
Roll on the larger geared version and lets see what this one looks like.
I’m a scooterist with a broad love of anything on two small wheels from the fugly Cosa to the beautiful GS150, I commute daily on a scooter (Bajaj Chetak!) and have used everything from GTSs to S3 Lambrettas.
I have no problem with autos and always try to keep an open mind when looking at any new scooter especially one with a Lambretta badge because there’s always the “what if they do a good job of it?” But alas I’m afraid to say that I can’t find anything to like with this scooter, the front end and the forks look awful and as mentioned the swept up floor and panels are just too big of a compromise and whilst I realise using another GY6 derivative is cheaper and easier I feel that a slimmer engine can be produced, if Innocenti could put a 4 speed gearbox engine into a slim chassis in the 1950s to keep the floor flat then someone ought to be able to design a slimmer auto engine.
I’ll be looking to buy an auto in the next 18 months and for me the Scomadi 200 is at the top of the list. As a previous commentator said, the new Lambretta company should have just struck a rebadging deal with Frank and Paul
I have always been a Lambretta man, but last year sold up and bought a Scomadi TL200, which I love. If Scomadi had been badged as a Lambretta I wouldn’t have bought one. In my opinion, the Scomadi has a certain amount of Lammy DNA due to the enthusiasts that designed it, and I see it as a progression from the auto and bike engined Lammys that Frank built. But a Lambretta it ain’t. Just like the V special isn’t. Just my opinion though.
I am no officianado, nor a lambretta purist. I own both a Lambretta and a Vespa PX. All I can say is I hate the way it slopes upwards at the back, the height of the front mudguard. Its overal visual presence is not that of a Lambretta. They have missed a trick here. If I were ever to buy a twist and go version of my real Lambretta, right now it would have to be a Scomadi.
Sadly i doubt this combination of retro-styled asian hardware will attract many die hards. As mentioned there are already several derivative varients of the original Lambretta line to chose from, the idea of hooking up with Scomandi could have been a good one, however i see very little to attract the likes of myself to this venture as it just looks like more of the same.
Worth mentioning is the styling on these retro-autos always falls short in my view. There is nothing balanced about the way the forks, front wheel and mudguard intersect – to my eye, and for that reason alone [its percieved uglyness] i would never buy one. Others have commented on the upswept rear [which bothers me less]. Point is the style of the original Lambrettas is what made them what they are, the best of the bunch and copied to this day, so why such attention to detail is being overlooked in this instance I simply cant understand.
I think the V-Special is the perfect successor to the J range, too small, underpowered and doesn’t look right either…
Absolutely love it, this was no half ass half thought out design, the work involved was respectable, and the design nicely refined, likely close to what Innocenti would of done had they survived. I’ll be a buyer when/if the electric version promised in 18′ becomes available, thats the future.
Why would anyone buy this over the Scomadi? For the name? The more I watch the struggle over the Lambretta heritage the more I respect the work Piaggio has done transitioning from the old to the new. I was no fan of the ET series and subsequent four strokes but I have come around (just as I did, slowly, when the PX Nuova Linea first appeared in 1977).
This Lambretta which requires a road test for a full appreciation lacks the fundamental styling elements to be considered a retro descendent of the name.
You can accuse me of being stuck in the mud,. But shouldn’t this be on the other side of the sluk site along with anything about scomadi and those gts thing’s ?
why call them 200’s when they’re 168? do they think we’re stupid?
I’ve put an order in for a V200, needless to say I’m no scooter purist. I like the look, it’s got nice clean lines with a bit of heritage and style. But I’ll decide whether to buy once I’ve seen and test ridden one. I like the Scomadi but the prices seem to be nudging upwards, I’ll be interested to see how the new metal panelled Scomadi 200 is priced, I think it will compare more with a Vespa GTS, which is fair enough if it’s as good, but maybe a bit pricey for me.
I long for the day when somebody carries on where the old SX200 finished. Exactly the same bodywork but with all up to the minute suspension, electrical and engine to 2018 spec. I think those in charge who make the decisions want to listen to what the older (and not so old) actually want to spend their hard earned on. Their are plenty of old Mods out there who are now in a position to fulfil their dreams and own and drive the bike they couldn’t afford the first time around.
Finally an evolution of scooter design that really is on point. I’m 33 years old, Designer myself, never had a scooter or was into it before. Fell in love and instantly bought the V Special in orange. And oh boy, it’s even more beautiful when you stand in front of it. And I can tell you this: Gazes all over the place. Who can say this 2018 in this mainstream Vespa boredom? Good design is pushing the boundaries of design and technology beyond his users’ expectations. “Most Advanced. Yet Acceptable.” – Maya Principle. Good job here Kiska! The marketing photos are chosen a little unhandily by photographing it often from the bottom: The mudguard doesn’t seem that high standing in front of it. Looking forward for the summer and world cup, with the company of my new Lambretta!
I have to disagree with the rationale for the sloping floors and angled rear. Modern scooters began to slope following the addition of under seat storage. The volume needed required the frame to go from a spine to a wishbone. That width pushed everything outward, fuel tanks to the rear, and the tubular frame wishbone struggles to tolerate severe bends at the floorboard to seating area transition. Thus it slopes at shallow angle. As production technology allowed designers to move away from human-centered design toward making their CAD dreams reality, the bodywork that dressed the tubular wishbone chassis just became interchangeable superficial adornment. (I’m sure it looks great in a sketch, but the riding doesn’t match) The economics of using a common or little-changed platform became too great for good design to trump cheap manufacturing. Engines just grew to use the space beneath the storage bin, under the ever widening skirt. There’s no need to spend time and money on an engine that fits a good design if you have plenty of room under which to hide it. The tall wheel scooters were able to absorb this volume more easily than others and flourished in the market. They retain good ergonomic balance, slimmer profiles, and flat floors at what some may say is a price of aesthetics.
I believe the general design of the Motom reflects a better design. The Tartarinis seemed to know how, and were willing to put in the effort, to make it all work. But Italjets came with compromises in other areas like using engines not shared with higher volume platforms and likely higher construction costs that ultimately led to the end of the business. The Velocifero kept the legshield and floor with good rider comfort but it came at the cost of a wide rear end and a bespoke Morini engine. They made it look fairly good, but it had its limits.
Piaggio was able to keep the floors flat for the ET series and other modern scooters like the early Sferra and Skipper by using a non-tubular transition from floors to rear, for the purpose of accommodating a place to stuff your rain gear, gloves and a bottle of oil (though certainly not a large full face helmet). They got wide as well, but put in the design work to tie it all together a bit better than those who went tubular.
Engines have now grown to the space and pivot configurations allowed by bad chassis design. Until someone is willing to put in the effort to make a compact engine, we’ll be stuck with scooters that design around economies of scale rather than a rider. A great quantity of work can go into any new design, but that may have no connection to great quality of work.
The new Lambrettas certainly have the silhouette and some design motifs of the classic, but there is certainly nothing Slimline about them. Woe is the pilot or passenger who would like to reach their feet for those long floorboards on the side. Alas there is no room.
There’s a gushing, but not over the top, review in French at the link below (if necessary use https://www.deepl.com/translator for a much better result than Google Translate)
I was most amused by the suggestion that wearing a full face helmet on one of these would be some sort of sacriledge 🙂
https://www.motoservices.com/essai-scooter/test-lambretta-v-special-125-le-retour-de-lanti-vespa
Test rode the new V200 today back to back with the Vespa i-Get 150. Handling wise the new Lambretta has it licked. It’s super rigid, no chassis flex felt whatsoever, well damped firm suspension with no pitching, excellent brakes with good feel at both ends, plenty of stopping power. Power delivery and surge is better than the 3Vi Vespa, not as smooth or quiet but certainly felt livelier. I think the Vespa has a slight edge on the fit and finish but its close, the instrument cluster on the Lambretta looks and functions great. The L.E.D’s all round are just awesome. My only gripe with the execution are the mirrors but they are an easy fix with aftermarket… I was reluctant to go and check it out in person as from the photos and write up’s it looked a little wanting. All I can say is do yourself a favour, go out in person, take one for a ride and then decide. Having owned too many Vespas that Id care to mention, and staring at my Triumph Scrambler more than riding it in town (big beast) I’m sold on an orange V200. Australia has already sold out of the first shipment in orange 🙁 Arguably the standout 🙂
Doesn’t appeal to me end of.