VVC 49_Layout 1 - Veteran Vespa Club

Transcription

VVC 49_Layout 1 04/11/2011 9:09 PM Page 1
Veteran
Club
J O U R N A L
WINTER 2011-2012
No. 49
VVC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD
AT LETCHWORTH OCTOBER 29 2011
Chairman Roger Smith welcomed an audience of forty-seven members
to the forty eighth AGM of the Veteran Vespa Club. Roger reported on a
highly successful year with record membership, three events run plus
another two supported and strong finances. The main points were as
follows:
u Membership stood at 446 – a full 10% increase on last year’s record
figure. Much of the increase was due to an increased percentage of
renewals.
u Bill Drake reported that there was a slight drop in the number of requests
for dating certificates.
u Ashley Lenton brought news that the Journal was to henceforth be printed
by Mortons and that the style would be completely revamped.
u Peter Rose ran through the club’s financial position, and revealed that the
total available cash and assets (mostly stock of club gear) was around
£10,000 – a healthy figure.
u There was a lengthy discussion on the proposed VCB ‘World Days’ event
and as to what involvement the VVC would have. It was explained by
several of the committee members that despite numerous attempts to
engage with the VCB in this matter we had been unable to establish what
involvement we would be having, or even to confirm precise details of
the event itself. As it stood there was to be no involvement from us, but
that as far as we were concerned the matter was still up for discussion.
u Chuck Swonnell was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and Carole Rose
was the recipient of this year’s President’s Trophy
u Paul Hart resigned from the committee due to family commitments. The
Chairman thanked him for all his efforts in the past. Chris Wainwright
was welcomed onto the committee in his place with special
responsibility for generating sponsorship.
u The evening meal was followed by a memorabilia auction, and DVDs of
our French trip. Michael Phipps showed again the DVD of his Mod years.
u Next year’s AGM will be at Leamington Spa.
2
VVC Journal No.49
A new look
a little further along that path.
One thing is certain though.
We’re going to have to keep
raising our game in the future.
afoot. We all know that a four
stroke PX200 is on the way.
In the meantime, following
Hopefully you will have
the imminent re-introduction
already noticed that the
Journal has undergone a fairly The endless drive forward into (again!) of the 150 cc version
of the PX to the British
major re-vamp, and this is
the past.
market, is Piaggio UK’s active
mostly to do with the fact that
It would nice to record that
support of the release of the
it is now printed by Mortons
Piaggio’s marketing dept has “Director’s Cut” version of
– publishers of Classic
been overcome by sentiment Quadrophenia. Even more
Scooterist Scene and
– in reality it’s probably more intriguing is the possibility
Scootering amongst much
that Quadrophenia 2 is finally
else. Largely the work of Mau a case of them becoming
to be made. Unlike the false
Spencer, the new look – with aware of the commercial
possibilities of the
dawn of Brighton Rock, this
its strong photographic
sentimentality of others.
might really change things.
emphasis – is a result of
Whatever the motivation,
having access to the most
various interesting things are Ashley Lenton
modern digital printing
facilities. The rapid advance
of this technology has
allowed the Journal to evolve
by increments to a standard
that would have been
unimaginable not so long
Contact Dave Hawkins on 1.
ago. Indeed, as recently as
[email protected]
1999 the Newsletter (as it
was then) was still being
churned out on a few
photostatted sheets in black
and white. Other changes you
will see are a different font
You may advertise items For Sale
and fewer captions.
In the last issue I alluded to
or Wanted on our Website Forum
the need for the Journal to
in the For Sale & Wanted section.
become an item that people
would value physically having
To have your bike featured on the
in their hands, rather than
Members Bikes page see details
something that largely
repeated information already
on that page.
available electronically. This
latest update should move us
Technical help
Website
Website: www.veteranvespaclub.com
3
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor
After reading your article ‘The Uncharted Sixties – GS
Style at a Bargain Rate’ I felt compelled to express my
view, especially as you used my old colour photo.
When I was 13, I was fascinated with Italian scooters
and I bought an Ian Allan ABC At that stage, I fell in
love with the scooter on page 49, the Vespa GS150.
However, as soon as I started working for the Post
Office, I decided that I wanted to be a Mod. Fags,
records and clothes were expensive so I had a difficult
job saving for my dream machine. By 1964 I had
saved enough for a deposit so I started looking in
earnest by visiting the
local scooter dealers,
looking in Exchange &
Mart and the Scooter
and Three Wheeler mag.
Here is where my
memory is different to
yours. I worked out that I
could afford the HP on a
scooter costing £120. At
that time, a new GS160
cost £196 19s 6d. Good
GS150’s were on sale in
the dealers for an
average price of £130,
about the same as a
1962 160. Cheaper
150’s at dealers were
rubbish. Yes, I should have got a loan and bought one
privately but I didn’t have the knowledge or the
confidence to do that then. I finally found one on sale
for £120 that had been resprayed maroon and seemed
sound. It used to start well with good handling, brakes
and clutch. It wasn’t until I went on a long ride that I
realised the engine was knackered.
With a little help from a rocker, I rebuilt that engine.
Somebody had already opened the ports up and it had
to be rebored to its maximum size. Once it was run it,
it was very quick. Even my best mate’s TV200 had
trouble keeping up with me until I reached 50 mph;
then he left me standing!
One black day I had two minor accidents. One was on
my way to work and the other on the return journey. I
wasn’t hurt but both side panels and the front
mudguard were damaged. The guy who caused the
second accident gave me enough money to get all
three repaired and resprayed by my Dad’s mate but
black was the nearest colour he had to maroon! I was
then desperate to protect the bubbles so I went to my
local scooter dealer and bought the rear Florida
crashbars for about 4 quid. This had nothing to do
4
VVC Journal No.49
with hiding the bubbles to
make it look like a 160. I
thought a 160 was nothing
more than an enlarged
Sportique. Technically better
than a 150, but nowhere near
as desirable.
Now I tried extra lights but the
6v electrics where rubbish and
if you had them on the engine
would stall every time you
stopped as the brake light
would take the last bit of
current the engine needed.
There were lads who had the money to have all the
panels chromed, loads of mirrors and lights on their
scooter, even if the lights didn’t work, but they would
never beat you away from the lights or handle their
mounts very well. Mine had just enough chrome
fittings to say “I’m a Mod” without spoiling the
enjoyment I got from riding it as fast as I could. I used
to get over 70 mph down the steep hill in Ferme Park
Road, near where I lived in Crouch End and I enjoyed
speeding into Middle Lane outside the Best Burger
were Mods used to hang out. If there were some
outside, I used to lean over as far as I could so the
engine casing under the kick start scraped the road
and produced sparks! Yes, I was a nutter and that’s
why I bought a Mini in 1966 as I thought I was going
to kill myself.
I’ve included a 1965 photo of me on my scooter in
Poole and a photo where the use of Photoshop has
move me on my latest GS150 to the same spot. The
wall has changed a great deal and so have I!
Kind regards
John Bailey
Dear Editor,
Realising that there is some
interest in old photos featuring
scooters, I thought you might
like these two featuring my
Vespa GS 160 fitted with some
classic old bolt on accessories
of the period. You can see, not
only whitewall tyres, but also a
Ken Cobbing big bore silencer,
Florida bars, Jag lights and an
unusual back rest – all set off
with a leopard skin seat cover. A
typical ‘Mod’ scooter of the
‘60’s, in fact.
The pictures were taken at my
parents' house in Chessington in
'68, & I used it to commute to
work at Lloyds Bank in Worcester
Park until I bought my first car (A
Morris Minor) – I don't know
which was the slower?
It was my pride & joy, dark green
with cream flashes, and followed
on from a GS150 with chrome
bubbles no less!!
I thought I was the ‘bees’ knees’
with my 42” Parka!
Regards
Jim Heasman
5
BILL DRAKE’S
SS180
Bill needed something suitable to ride to
our recent French jaunt, and instead of
taking the easy route of working over the
engine of one of his existing Vespas
decided to build himself a new one out
of spare parts. The model selected was
an SSI80, the frame of which was an
unused Douglas service replacement
one. Just to remind ourselves; the
service exchange scheme included many
repaired frames that were supplemented
by brand new ones presumably because
some trade-ins were too far-gone. Bill’s
example has ‘VSC 1T’ underneath the
Douglas plate without a following number
- thus firmly identifying it as a new
example.
Everything went off without a hitch until
the final action was carried out – fitting a
NOS engine panel went a bit wrong when
the flywheel mangled the panel grill upon
starting the engine. The air around
Eastleigh must have turned blue, but the
SS made it to France with just one side
panel. Since the owner careered around
Normandy with commendable
insouciance and an out-of-date passport,
he was never going to be fazed by a mere
missing panel.
One or two interesting questions spring
to mind though. Did other countries
operate exchange schemes including
new frames, and how many extra
unnumbered ones did Piaggio build to
accommodate them.
AROUND
AND
ABOUT
WITH
PAUL HART
The Sprint was once not-allthat common in the UK, the
Veloce version not originally
being brought in at all. But
imports from Italy since the
nineties have changed all that,
and now London (and
elsewhere) is seemingly awash
with them. Paul Hart has
snapped quite a few in his
travels, and a selection is seen
here. Easy to maintain and get
parts for, it can sometimes be
forgotten that the earliest
examples (always marketed as
a Sprint despite being badged
as a “Vespa S”) date all the
way back to 1965. Not exactly
cheap style these days, but
relatively trouble free.
For more photos see
www.vespamore.com
L O O K I N G A G A I N AT
T H E P R A N G E V E S PA
Or, in my case, looking
for the first time.
had to be. A 125 – or even a
150 – version is barely as fast as
a GS, and in truth that’s not
really quick enough these days.
Having more-or-less ignored
something so apparently modern In the event what turned up was
one of the first P200Es; no
since they emerged in 1977, I
finally succumbed – lured by the indicators or fuel mix and of
course built way before things
temptations of electronic
like electric start and disc
ignition, no battery and easy
brakes. It currently resides in the
parts availability.
house (being a few feet from the
Yes, I know I could have fitted a
sea means anything parked in a
modern engine into a GS or SS
frame as so many do, but I don’t leaky garage would soon get
wiped out by the salt) next to my
feel that comfortable about it.
sole remaining GS 160. Such a
Though it’s easy to understand
momentous event takes a bit of
why people do such things. I
would have bought a new PX, but getting used to,
Actually, it’s taken a lot of
since the 200cc model is no
people a long time to get used to
longer available an old one it
8
VVC Journal No.49
the last ‘real’ big frame Vespa.
As it happens, the P itself wasn’t
regarded as a ‘proper’ Vespa for
quite a while by some. In the
wider scheme of things, this was
about par for the course. My
scoutmaster was wholly
dismissive of post war MGs on
account of them not having
proper overhead cam engines
like his PB model. And there was
once a great row in the Triumph
TR club when owners of
‘modern’ versions like my TR4
were only allowed associate
membership.
But the passage of time does
wonders for the widening of
perspective. The P Range has
long since consolidated its
position as a direct descendent
of the 1946 model.
The truth is that – despite
Piaggio’s exhortations – the P
was a long way from being a
complete redesign of the Vespa
anyway. Most people are aware
that the engine units in their
entirety were carried over from
the preceding models, but it
goes far deeper than that. The
central pressing under the floor
mat and the adjoining longeon
that goes up to the headset can
be traced back to the VNA of
1958. Even the front halves of
the rear frame pressings – up to
below the seat strap – are of the
same heritage. Compared to a
GS160, common fittings include
the helmet hook, panel clips,
frame gaskets, fuel tap, and
choke knob. Some of these
items can be traced back to the
fifties too.
Notwithstanding all of this, the
relationship between the P and
earlier Vespas is best viewed as
an ongoing trade off between the
desire to improve design and the
need to contain costs. Up to and
including the GS 150 there was
relatively little pressure to cut
costs, but from then on inflation
and competition from cheap third
world labour meant that ignoring
such concerns threatened
survival.
At the same time, constant R&D
meant that every new Vespa was
more practical to run and better
to ride. So with the P we can
marvel at the ease of cable
access and the better handling –
not to mention the larger locker
lid and later on the disc brake
too. While at the same time
glossing over all that plastic and
the lack of brightwork.
Deciding which Vespa represents
the best balance between good
design and quality of
construction is a difficult award
to make, but one that the P can
make a credible pitch for.
immediately preceding Rally 200
make an interesting comparison.
Looking at the front, it is
surprising how much more
curvaceous the legshields of the
newer machine are –in fact only
those of the original VS1 version
But, very often, the choice is
of the GS150 can match it. It is
made not on design or quality
possible to make a case for the
but on styling – and it is here
pronounced horn cover of the P
that the P is weakest. To
providing a stronger visual
understand why it looks the way reference point for the front,
it does it is necessary to
though, possibly regrettably, this
consider that Vespas previously
has resulted in a rather wide
had arguably not really been
mudguard.
styled at all. They merely evolved Still, all things considered, the
through ‘form following function’ frontal view of the P is worthy
at least as far as the GS160.
enough – but at the back things
Thereafter the ‘styling’ was really go a bit awry. There’s no getting
no more than edges highlighting away from the fact that few would
the existing form, but the P
think that the squared-off panels
changed things somewhat. A
are in any way a stylistic match
shortening of the horncasting
for the gently tapering ones of
was always on the cards in order the Rally. Worse, the back part of
to accommodate the longer
the frame around the rear light
steering column, so the
has been clumsily squared off
opportunity was taken to rework
too, thus condemning the rear
front and back in a fairly brutalist three-quarter view to perpetual
seventies fashion. A couple of
awkwardness. Admittedly these
photographs here of my P200E
are expensive parts to change,
next to John Harrington’s
but you would think that the
tooling costs must have been
recovered after a production run
of three million! It should be
possible to substitute the rear
pressings of the Rally with
relative ease.
The image of the P has always
been problematic in the UK. The
British opinion of fifties Vespas
dovetails nicely with Piaggio’s
view of the same, and the
fleeting inconvenience of the
Mod association with the GS/SS
has long since been overridden
by the apparent elevation of Mod
to a sort of cultural national
treasure – fair game for
exploitation by all, Piaggio
included.
But the P is a different case. A
permanently recurring nightmare
is that of DISC 85 This was a
huge event held in very wet
conditions at the Donington
circuit in 1985, underwritten by
the new Vespa importers
following the demise of Douglas
a couple of years before. There
10
VVC Journal No.49
had been a certain amount of
bad feeling from Eric Brockway
in respect of the new outfit taking
over, and he was still keeping his
distance from them. In the event
I took on organising a display of
classic Vespas with the help of
one or two other VVC members.
The importers invited various
personalities from the
FIV/Piaggio along to reassure
them that the British appreciation
of their style masterpiece (I don’t
think ‘Icons’ had been invented
in 1985) was alive and well. This
was the point at which things
went a bit wrong as these
elegantly attired middle-aged
Italians were obliged to mix with
an army of scruffy oiks in a sea
of mud surrounded by appalling
looking scooters – many cut
down and painted matt black
with cheap chrome. By far the
largest number were new or
newish P ranges, and I don’t
think Pontedera has ever
recovered from the shock.
Though Piaggio has sometimes
been criticised for a lack of
commitment to the UK market,
maybe we should be grateful that
it has any at all. I have to admit
to a concern myself that when
riding my P200 people might
think I’m en route to the Jeremy
Kyle show.
None of this, of course, is the
fault of the scooter itself and
Piaggio has in recent years being
trying to come to terms with the
new reality – that the older it
makes the P look, then the more
it will sell. So in stages the early
Vespa badging has returned
along with a plated mudguard
crest and the original P horn
cover. There is potential for so
much more in this respect, but
the fact is that brand new
examples are once again coming
out of Pontedera. And that makes
me feel really good. A new 200
version might make me feel even
better though.
AL
HALL OF
FAME 2011:
CHUCK
SWONNELL
If anybody can be considered
a scootering institution, then
that person must surely be
Marshall “Chuck” Swonnell
(aka “Chuckles”) who has
been a continuous all-weather
rider since the late fifties.
Chuck cut his scootering teeth
on Lambrettas, but upon the
demise of the national club in
1972 immediately joined the
VCB/VVC, and has enjoyed a
parallel career with Vespas ever
since. Rallies (including
continental ones), AGMs and
events of all kinds are never
complete without the sight of
Chuck on one of his pair of early
P200s. Not only does he take
great pride in riding everywhere,
but also he still does his own
maintenance.
The esteem with which Chuck is
held within the scootering
fraternity can easily be gauged
from the constant references to
him in the scootering press over
the years, and now it’s our turn
to let him know just how much
we value him. Long may he
continue riding.
11
LE WEEKEND
2011 –
CALVADOS
Once again the club held a
sojourn in Northern France in
September – this time staying
at holiday chalets in the small
coastal town of Houlgate in the
Calvados region of Normandy.
While a few took the NewhavenDieppe route followed by a ride
westwards, most opted to land at
Caen with the resulting much
shorter journey. Following an onsite meal the previous evening,
Friday morning saw around thirty
scooters (including four GS150s,
two GS160s, four SS180s and
three Rallys) wend their way in
fine weather inland towards a
brewery that made Calvados
cider. After a guided tour, and a
film show (not to mention free
tasting samples!), everybody ate
together in a typical civilised
French open-air fashion.
Friday evening was taken up with
a group barbecue, while Saturday
saw the longest trip – an eighty
mile round trip to Honfleur with a
couple of stops along the way.
Honfleur itself was the most
attractive of seaside towns with
some very old buildings, and it
is surprising how many people
from Britain know little about this
part of the French coast.
Considering it’s close vicinity to
the D-Day landing sites, it’s
something of a miracle that
Honfleur seems to have come
through the war unscathed.
Following a leisurely return to
site, everybody rode to the local
harbour for an evening meal at a
restaurant that was occupied
exclusively by us. We were able
to park up in a line on the
waterfront –all lit up at night it
made quite a display.
Sunday morning saw the first bit
of rain, but not enough to deter
anybody for a shortish ride to the
Pegasus Bridge Museum – the
site of major D Day action. The
museum itself was very
impressively laid out, with an
extremely knowledgeable British
guide. In the afternoon the
weather picked up somewhat, so
some rode up to one of the main
D-Day landing sites, while others
slowly returned home, stopping
off along the way for lunch at a
seaside town.
The final evening meal was once
again at the site, and – as last
year – the Editor attempted to
run a quiz. Following last year’s
disgraceful food fight, it was
decided to split the contestants
into more teams to try and avoid
another fracas. However, this
only resulted into endless
exhortations of intoxicated
pedantic competitive angst a la
the quiz episode of “The Office”.
It was never quite clear who
actually won.
Events like these always have a
few tales of human endeavour
under extreme adversity, and
special mention must be made
of valiant scooterist Richard
Hammond. Following a gruelling
ten-hour ride through wind rain
and pestilence, Richard
unaccountably slipped over
when attempting to park his
Vespa on a grass bank in front of
his chalet. The ensuing sprained
shoulder caused him to miss
both the first evening’s activities
and the rideout the following
day. But, displaying the sort of
pluck and derring-do that gained
Britain an Empire (and lost it
again) he was soon back in
action.
For the third year in a row Roger,
Veronica, Bob and Genevieve
had laid the ground work for a
superbly memorable event. There
is an incredible amount of
organisation involved in
something like this, and once
again there were no real hiccups.
They need a bit of a break from
the ardour of continental
planning, so are arranging a
similar sort of event in the Peak
District next year. Then,
hopefully, it will be back to
France in 2013.
CHELTENHAM
VESPA CLUB
REFORMED
During the late fifties and
early sixties, one of the bestknown VCB branches was
Cheltenham.
With their-trade mark Arc-enCiel GS150s, they were a
regular feature at rallies both
here and abroad, but had
disbanded by the end of the
sixties. Circa 1980 there was a
revival by Dave Hawkins and
Jon Eliston that lasted all the
way up to 2005.
This was long enough to
facilitate reunions by a number
of the original members, and it
is they who have decided to
revive it once more and got the
ball rolling with a dinner at the
Still smiling after all these years
Plough at Ford, a meeting at
the Bourton-on-the-Water
Motor Museum and a ride back
to Cheltenham itself.
Many people still own original
spec GS150s, and an
impressive line up of them
The Mayor of Cheltenham gets all the latest “gen” on the 1960 Eurovespa
in Rome from Richard Rawlins accompanied by Bill Gaskins
14
VVC Journal No.49
appears on our front cover.
Some of them also appear not
only on our French trips, but
also on Vespa World Days
events throughout Europe – all
very much in the tradition of
the original club
Margaret Farquhar is reunited at
Bourton with her original 42L2
Every time a new model
Vespa was introduced,
Piaggio had a small
number of display engines
made up that were
carefully sectioned in
certain places so as to
display internal workings.
SECTIONED
DISPLAY
ENGINES
They were seen at model
launches, trade shows etc
and sometimes featured in
publicity material. It’s not
known how many were made
(though it wouldn’t be many)
nor whether they were sold off
to dealers. Douglas made at
least one Rod Model
sectioned engine themselves.
From time to time these
engines – usually complete
with all ancillaries – surface,
and there are three or four of
different types in this country.
Recently Matthew Phillips
found this SS180 version at
the Kempton racecourse
motorcycle parts fair, so it
shows that it is worth keeping
an eye out at these places. In
fact it was apparently
previously for sale at the
Beaulieu Autojumble, but
nobody noticed it!
Apart from showing clearly
the internal workings, the
good condition of this
example allows it to be used
as an accurate reference point
for the exact finishes of
everything that is attached to
the engine – especially lesser
items such as splash guards
that are rarely found in NOS
condition these days.
15
THE DOUGLAS
VESPA 42L2 &
92L2 IN DETAIL
Piaggio’s policy of getting
Vespa production going in
different European countries
was by giving them obsolete
Pontedera tooling to get them
started.
By the mid-fifties this had
resulted in quite a wide disparity
of specifications throughout the
continent, so an attempt was
made to get everybody making
approximately the same thing by
standardising on the Italian
125cc VM1 model that had
actually come out in Italy in
1953. The variants of this type of
Vespa made in Italy, France,
Spain, Germany and Britain are
collectively known as “World
Models”, and in truth vary in
specification a great deal as
consequence of local
manufacturing processes and
vehicle regulations.
The Douglas version was known
as the 42L2 and came out in
1955. Rather than continuing
with the previous arrangement of
a special legshield mounted
headlight in order to satisfy UK
lighting requirements, instead
the more satisfactory solution of
adopting the handlebar
–mounted headlight of the Italian
150cc VL1 was adopted.
Compared to the outgoing GL2,
other major changes were a
proper front damper (at last!),
smooth sides to the rear part of
the frame and the now-familiar
louvres on the engine panel.
The engine was mostly carried
over from the GL2, though the
crankshaft was adapted to
accommodate a larger main
bearing and the flywheel, stator
plate and clutch were all
improved slightly. The 42L2 was
in production for less than a
year, and the only change during
this time was from the GL2 type
rear light to a rather slimmer
(and cheaper looking) type.
The replacement 92l2 only
differed in two details – a larger
fuel tank (which, of course,
necessitated a rear frame
pressing with a bigger aperture
to accommodate it), and outer
floorboard runners that curved
round at the rear. The 92l2
continued in production until
early 1959.
The one area of contention with
these models is –rather
surprisingly – the colours that
they came in. The official
Douglas position was always that
the 42L2 and the base model
92L2 only ever came in Dove
Grey, and that only the Magna
and Ultra (variants of the 92L2
with a few accessories as
standard) were available in red,
blue or black. However, the
evidence does not entirely back
this up. For a start, the 1956
Motor Cycle Show 42L2s were
definitely not grey, Alfred Marks
being seen here on what would
seem to be a red one.
Furthermore one of Douglas’
own publicity shots (as seen in
the Brockway book) shows a
black example. In addition,
Margaret Farquhar still has a
42L2 that still has the original
black paint on the frame, and a
while ago a NOS 42L2 fuel tank
turned up in blue.
As far as the 92L2 goes, there
are various examples around of
the standard version with their
original paint in colours other
than grey. Absolutely certain,
though, is that Douglas
standardised on silver wheels –
one assumes that the dealers
were complaining about having
to stock all four colours. In fact,
from this point silver wheels
were the norm for Douglas. There
were no other significant
changes to the 92L2.
But the really important point
about the 42L2 and 92L2 is that
they were the mainstay of Vespa
club life as scootering in Britain
moved towards its peak. The GS
may have taken all the glory, but
most people actually rode the
smaller models. These pictures
demonstrate just what an
important part of people’s lives
they were.
BITS AND PIECES
Certificate for the money we raised for the Hampshire and Isle
of Wight Air Ambulance at our Andover rally
Bob Box has
had this
special badge
made in China
for the
Calvados trip.
Priced at only
£20 (plus
p&p) they can
be obtained
from him at
bob@bobbox.
net
Bob Christy sent in this picture showing the prize presentation at the 1971 VCB National Rally at
Stanford Hall.From left to right are:Lady Bray,Dave Best (Nott’m VC),Tony Thorpe (Nott’m VC) with
microphone,”Jet” Whittle (either HitchinTed Gooding (Nott’m VC),Lord Bray (owner of Stanford Hall),
Lord Bray’s driver.
18
VVC Journal No.49
CLUB GEAR
All of the following items are available from the Editor. Please note that prices are exclusive of p&p
Journal binder. Takes 12
issues plus index – £4.50
2011 Andover badge £28
VVC club badge
– £23
2010 Dieppe badge
– £26
WEBSITE
ALTERATIONS
If you change your personal details,
don't forget you need to change your
Profile on the VVC website. This
includes if you change your email
address, or else you will not be able to
access the web site or receive any
email circulars from VVC.
2010 Tring rally badge, £26
Peter Rose
19
GS150
BATTERY
WOES
John Bailey on the trials and
tribulations of keeping on the
road
In March this year I bought a
Tipo battery from S.I.P. The
description said ‘for Vespa 150
GS VS1–5T (I) 160x230x35mm,
standard battery, vintage look,
dry pre-charged, black’. With the
battery acid pack and postage it
cost me more than 80 quid so I
expected something special. I
spent a few days testing this
battery and found out that it
wouldn’t hold more than about
4.5 amps. As I was expecting it
to hold 12, I thought it was
faulty. After a few emails, S.I.P.
updated their web site and added
4Ah to the description.
In 1955 Piaggio had no trouble
procuring a neat flat battery with
a durable casing and a special
absorbent material between the
plates to hold the electrolyte. It
could hold 12 Ah which is a
good idea as the GS150 needs a
tip top battery to start.
The Tipo battery is not fit for
purpose and I should have
returned it. However, I had
trouble getting my message
across due to the language
barrier, so I gave up.
I set about writing this article to
warn other Vespa GS 150 owners
about this inferior battery.
However, whist doing my
research I found out that S.I.P.
seems to have a replacement
although the web site has only
updated the photos! If you look
at their site you can see that the
photo of the GS150 battery
shows one with a 13Ah capacity.
If this is kosher, it’s the battery
20
VVC Journal No.49
us GS 150 owners have been
looking for. I bet the Art. No. will
change and the price will
increase though.
I chased up SIP about the GS
150 battery and this was their
reply:
“The part 8505200 is 6v/4Ah
there’s a wrong picture in the
webshop.”
I’ve just checked the SIP web
site and they have not changed
the photo of the battery which
clearly shows it with a 6V 13Ah
label. Although the text clearly
states it is a 6V 4Ah I think this
is misleading. What’s more, this
6V 4Ah GS 150 battery is not fit
for purpose and over priced.
I’ve done a little more research
and a lot of suppliers sell this
Tipo battery or the similar
Fiamme battery. The Fiamme
one looks identical but none of
the suppliers I’ve visited publish
the Ah rating. What’s more, you
can pay up to £120 for one.
As Dave Dry says, there are
plenty of cheaper 6 volt batteries
with a higher Ah rating but none
of them will fit the GS 150 tray.
I’m currently using a Yuasu B396 battery as recommended by
Dave Hawkins, your technical
advice co-ordinator. I had to
make a simple raised platform
and it is only a 7Ah one but it’s a
lot better than the Tipo and only
a quarter of the price.
John Bailey
Dave Dry was asked his
opinion on John’s article
and he had this to say:
“My only view is that people
should be aware of this battery
and its downsides. Obviously, in
this case, just because it looks
like the original, it doesn’t mean
that it performs in the same
manner.
More to the point, the old style
GS 150 battery is a poor design
– full stop. The GS ignition
system requires the battery to
provide a spark. The very thin
make up of the 150 battery is the
first problem. Each cell in a
secondary, but multi cell battery
produces an EMF of 1.5 volts.
These cells are then connected in
series to ramp up the EMF to 6
volts. The problem is that in a
very small battery enclosure
there is very little clearance
between the plates that form the
secondary cells within that
battery. With constant charging
and discharging over the life of
the battery these plates buckle
and finally touch. Each time this
happens the battery loses 1.5
volts. When this happens the
battery becomes, more or less,
useless and will not spark up the
GS ignition.
Quite why this offer from SIP has
a lower Ampere rating and thus a
lower Ampere Hour rating to
match must mean that the battery
has not been manufactured to
the original design. The Amp
Hour rating is the number of
Amps that can be drawn from the
battery per hour – for example 1
Amp per 12 hours or 12 Amps
for one hour. The lowering of the
Ampere rating, obviously, affects
the overall power rating of the
battery in Watts.
It would appear that this is yet
another example of after market
spare parts being inferior and, in
this case from a source that is
usually very good at providing
quality items.
The other problem is that the GS
150 seems to be the only motor
vehicle to use this shape of 6
Volt battery, hence the high price
of replacements. It is possible,
as an example, to source a 160
GS battery for as little as £15,
presumably because other
vehicles use a battery of similar
dimensions. An example of a
similar vehicle is the Triumph
Tiger Cub – its battery is the
same shape. This must keep
costs down in the volume of
production”.
Dave Dry
EDITORIAL COMMENT
It’s sometimes easy to forget
that scooters like the GS150
were considered quite reliable
when new. Not only were they
ridden to work daily, but every
weekend they covered the
length of the country –and
sometimes the Continent too
– in order to take part in
rallies. There just doesn’t
seem to be enough knowledge
around now to consistently
produce quality reliable parts.
It’s all a bit hit or miss. If you
purchase from someone like
SIP you might get the right
item or you might not.
However, I also contacted Bill
Drake about this matter, and
he replied:
“I have been selling similar
batteries for at least 10 years.
Current Price £75 and they
are 6v 13/14ah. Regards Bill”
So now you know where to
go! Meanwhile, John Bailey
continues his investigations
Ed
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Everybody will be aware of the Eric Brockway
book, and many will have seen variations of the
cover design reproduced on various handbags
and similar items over the years – one assumes
the reproduction of this image being
“unauthorised” in these instances. The image
itself tends to alter over a period of time, and the
version discovered in Tenerife by Dave Hawkins
(shown here with the original book cover for
comparison) verges on the comical. Not that Eric
Brockway (nor even Edward Brochway!) would
have found it that amusing.
21
CLUB AND SERVICES OFFICERS
President: Frank Brookes BEM
19, Ditchling Crescent,
Hollingbury, Brighton BN1 8GD
Honorary Vice-President:
Margaret Farquhar
11, Battle Court,Kineton. Warwickshire CV35 0LX
Chairman/Membership Secretary:
Roger Smith
20 Rookery Way, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 2TE
[email protected]
[email protected]
(01323 491417)
General Secretary: Dick Smith
[email protected]
Treasurer/Club Shop/Website Manager:
Peter Rose
28,Greenway, Letchworth, Herts SG6 3UG
[email protected]
Journal Editor/P.R./Club Regalia:
Ashley Lenton
13 The Promenade, Peacehaven,
East Sussex BN108QF
01273 579769
[email protected]
22
VVC Journal No.49
Club Registrar: Bob Box
[email protected]
Technical Advice Co-ordinator: Dave
Hawkins
9A Coronation Road, Cheltenham, Gloucs
GD523DA
[email protected]
Registration Certificate Registrar: Bill
Drake
23 Archers Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 9AQ
[email protected]
Committee members:
Chris Wainwright
Paul Carr
[email protected]
VETERAN VESPA CLUB
HALL OF FAME
1: Fank Brookes
2: Margaret Farquhar
3: Brian Freehold
4. Brian Edwards
5. Vi Edwards
6: Bill Drake
7 Chuck Swonnell
2007
2007
2007
2008
2008
2009
2011
VVC CLOTHING
To order: All sizes (generous fit)
Polo shirt in pale blue with embroidered VVC badge -----------------------------------£10
T shirt in pale blue with embroidered VVC badge (L & XL only) -----------------------£8
Fleece 380gsm in royal blue embroidered VVC badge ---------------------------------£20
Wind/Waterprood lightweight jacket with hood rolled into collar in dark blue with
printed VVC logo on back -------------------------------------------------------------------£20
Printed t shirt in dark blue with printed VVC logo----------------------------------------£8
Hi vis with printed cog badge on back ------------------------------------------------------£5
Please add £2 postage for all clothing items
See Club Shop on website for more items
All items may be bought and paid for on the
website including Club Gear and Cog Badges
[email protected]
Send orders and cheque payable to VVC (UK) Ltd, to:
28 Greenway, Letchworth Garden City
Herts SG6 3UG
23

VVC 49_Layout 1 - Veteran Vespa Club

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