If you had a Vintage Motorcycle...

[Linford]

Oh, yes. they are purely for having an enjoyable relaxing ride through some beautiful scenery - something my bike does very well also, although wind her on a bit and the bike offers a bit more handling than I imagine a scooter to do, but they do what they do with much more style.

is the arm coming forwards from the back on the scooters the kick start? I've always assumed it was...

Yes it is. the Lambretta has an engine which is mounted in front of the real wheel, and the transmission casing acts as the swingarm.
The Vespa's engine hangs off the RHS, and needs the spare wheel on the other side of the bike to help balance it.

 

[ArDee]

I think I'd have one of these an old chap that my father knew, when I was a boy, re-built a number of them. He rode one, his son rode one, there was one in the Beaulieu motor museum and the rest were sold to the US.

I remember going to his house and him opening a cupboard door, pushing the tins of food aside and pulling an engine out and putting it on the dinning room table. And then him pointing out that this engine had the serial number 5R which meant to was a racing engine and from tracing it's history he was able to prove that this engine had won the TT in 1913.

 

[Hacienda71]

If you want a Scooter that handles you would need one of these.

Small frame Vespas were always nippy and agile compared to Lambrettas and Large frame Vespas and the 90ss was the dogs dangly bits on the racing scene.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

 

[Linford]

If you want a Scooter that handles you would need one of these.

Small frame Vespas were always nippy and agile compared to Lambrettas and Large frame Vespas and the 90ss was the dogs dangly bits on the racing scene.

If you like nippy, how about this

I think it is based on an Indian SIL GP200.- He is riding it to rallies, and now looking to get it painted properly that all the engineering work has been done - a major money pit

 

[byegad]

One of these. Triton the best of two worlds.

 

[ASC1951]

Vincent motor in a featherbed frame....money no object....

I briefly rode a Norton ES 2 with that frame. "Featherbed" was comparative - you might not have to replace all your fillings after a day in the saddle, but if you weren't carrying a spare set of bulbs you often came home in the dark.

Not much better was the Isolastic Suspension on my 850 Interplod - accurately described in the Norton Owners Club Handbook as "a tuppenny-halfpenny system of milk bottle tops and rubber bands chosen by Norton as an alternative to spending money on research and development".

 

[Linford]

How about Monkey Bikes?

Chinese are knocking these out again big time. you can buy then for fairly sensible money.

 

[Linford]

I briefly rode a Norton ES 2 with that frame. "Featherbed" was comparative - you might not have to replace all your fillings after a day in the saddle, but if you weren't carrying a spare set of bulbs you often came home in the dark.

Not much better was the Isolastic Suspension on my 850 Interplod - accurately described in the Norton Owners Club Handbook as "a tuppenny-halfpenny system of milk bottle tops and rubber bands chosen by Norton as an alternative to spending money on research and development".

Modern ones made at Donington Park are very nice. A couple of members of my local bike club ride them. Some serious money though

http://nortonmotorcycles.com/bikes/Norton%20Commando%20961SE/

 

[BLUE(UK)]

How about Monkey Bikes?

I have owned 2 of these and also a CT70(USA market),non could pull the skin off a rice pudding hence me selling them each time having not learned the first few times.
One would say that I am quite a biking type, there are too many out there for me to pick since I'd be happy on just about anything(even a C90). I think it would be an old RG500 or one of the 500's of that era or an XT500. I often feel tempted to buy one every now and again but the problem is that I would ride it(I don't baby my bikes).

At present I own a couple of KTM's and would own many more if I had the space but sadly my gym stuff is also in my garage.

 

[Black Sheep]

My uncle has a monkey bike,

He found that he was starting to wear it out so decided he better get a bigger bike, so he got a Honda shadow 125, then a BSA bantam and one or two other classic small bikes.

 

[BLUE(UK)]

What sort of monkey bike is it?

 

[Linford]

I have owned 2 of these and also a CT70(USA market),non could pull the skin off a rice pudding hence me selling them each time having not learned the first few times.
One would say that I am quite a biking type, there are too many out there for me to pick since I'd be happy on just about anything(even a C90). I think it would be an old RG500 or one of the 500's of that era or an XT500. I often feel tempted to buy one every now and again but the problem is that I would ride it(I don't baby my bikes).

At present I own a couple of KTM's and would own many more if I had the space but sadly my gym stuff is also in my garage.

Did you see the Lambretta in my post above with one of these engines fitted ^

 

[BLUE(UK)]

Did you see the Lambretta in my post above with one of these engines fitted ^

Holy Moses, I bet that's safe!!
The odd thing is,as I get older, the less I like things that have been modified but that probably stems from having some quite modified bikes in the past.

 

[swee'pea99]

I'd be happy on just about anything(even a C90).

I remember my Dad once telling me that he was introduced to a Honda guy in the course of one of his jobs, who told him, in a very quiet and polite Japanese way, that the total number of C90s made exceeded the total number of motorcycles of every kind ever made by the British bike industry. Not least because they were *the* workhouse of the post-war third world, being able to go anywhere, survive anything, and run on just about anything that would burn.