tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post8437955885019872657..comments2024-03-21T16:35:35.123-04:00Comments on Parka Avenue: What is the ultimate Mod scooter? Vespa vs LambrettaPatrick Foisyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02610371104788169232noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-54489391478612824342018-04-25T13:58:43.404-04:002018-04-25T13:58:43.404-04:00I had a 1963 GT200 in 1966 and convinced myself I ...I had a 1963 GT200 in 1966 and convinced myself I wanted a new SS180 in 1967. The Vespa was smoother but a little slower. Part of regular maintenance on the GT was tightening the 6mm nuts on the exhaust flange. Fast forward 50 years and I watched as someone started their Lambretta - the vibration was just as I remembered! I wonder what happened to 946TRO and YUR51F?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-46866059142996220742017-11-26T06:47:22.338-05:002017-11-26T06:47:22.338-05:00Yep pretty cool but speaking as one of the "h...Yep pretty cool but speaking as one of the "hell I was there" gang I traded a really nice C15T for my first scooter (in 1966) which was a'64 Vespa 150 Sportique (with union jack bubbles and go slower chrome).Primarily the base reason was sex, all the prettiest girls were mods and the wore mini dresses, a BIG plus! The SS180 was the one to have if you could afford it on pittance apprentice wages, the girls loved to be seen on the Vespas. I just got my hands on a 1967 Granturismo 125 which is a very similar looking beast. SS's are through the roof. Going to restore it stock white with clean lines and minimum chrome. Such a pretty thing it would be a shame to cover it up with too much.<br />One request from an old timer who is actually from the north of England,.. please stop referring to it as 'Northern' Soul. It's Soul music and it was and is universal, full stop. Only the people who came after the action had tailed off refer to it as being Northern because after clubs like the Wheel and the Mojo closed down around '68 people who still dug that scene,(mainly in the North)kept it going. We all moved on because Mod 'ism' was a fashion, same as rock and roll and Beats(nicks) and fashions change as do tastes. Some became hippies, some became skinheads, others moved into club and disco scenes and became medallion men and knobheads :) I sort of floated around in all three depending where the most fun was to be had. Most Rockers turned into Greasers and like Heavy Metal...as do I.. They pinched that from the progressive rock scene which was born of the Hippie movement. It goes on ad infinitum.... thankfully :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-24962111615052536492017-08-03T08:22:43.264-04:002017-08-03T08:22:43.264-04:00I HAD A TV200 IN THE EARLY 70'S...LOVED IT.......I HAD A TV200 IN THE EARLY 70'S...LOVED IT....IF ANYONE HAS KGU 82D AND WANTS TO SELL ????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-82477256716289208842017-05-08T14:01:15.328-04:002017-05-08T14:01:15.328-04:00My heart just broke.My heart just broke.Patrick Foisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02610371104788169232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-25208720511215902382017-05-08T13:47:22.164-04:002017-05-08T13:47:22.164-04:00In the Eighties I had a TV 200, I loved the scoote...In the Eighties I had a TV 200, I loved the scooter, but it could be a little unreliable, and because I am not mechanically minded, it proved too much for me to maintain, I bought an Indian GP200 new and had several years of trouble free motoring!!! On a sad note the person I sold my TV to,stripped the machine and turned it into a chopper, a sad demise to a classic machine!!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-26578454351013489212017-02-16T04:47:06.189-05:002017-02-16T04:47:06.189-05:00no you didn't your speedo might have said it b...no you didn't your speedo might have said it but you didn't do it. Lambretta all the wayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-35246353768278628892017-01-19T12:42:30.990-05:002017-01-19T12:42:30.990-05:00also, Piaggio had aircraft design experience (whic...also, Piaggio had aircraft design experience (which beats any pipe design business as far as engineering is concerned)vracanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02156524285690491170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-21954790022331439762016-08-21T06:06:52.066-04:002016-08-21T06:06:52.066-04:00Haha. Great article. I was only discussing my Vesp...Haha. Great article. I was only discussing my Vespa SS180 this morning. I was racing Velocettes and had raced a little Kreidler but my road bike was a BSA 500 Goldie cafe racer when I "turned mod" under the influence of a pretty girl 😍 and Northern Soul. I road tested everything and chose the SS because it banked over and handled/ cornered quicker than the others and that was my sole criteria.<br />I think I gave the dealer my bike and £30 for a shiny new SS white and red which I added 20p kilos of chrome to before venturing to the "Pop In Cafe" to show it off only to have 20 rockers turn up and having to run out of the kitchen and over the back car park. Those were the days!Arcticfoxmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05347843785608910414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-33077449130895196722016-05-26T09:41:39.809-04:002016-05-26T09:41:39.809-04:00i was a mod in the 80s.... revival mod is totally ...i was a mod in the 80s.... revival mod is totally different from mod today or in the 60s. My first scooter was a vespa 50 special, then a PK100, then a PX. I had no desire to ride an original 60s vespa nor any desire to listen soley to 60s soul/mod... the scene, secret affair, the prisoners and the rage ( to name a few ) were just as important as spencer davis, the high numbers, the pretty things or the small faces. A few years later I bought a gs160 s2, gs150 series 5 then an LI series 2 ( which was soooo unreliable that i sold it soon ). I suppose my point is that the ` ultimate ` mod scooter depends on one`s experience of being a mod.... for me a nicely decorated , ride it every day, PX ( which i have now ), is fine.<br /><br />mike mckenna, london 80s mod, now living in osaka, japanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-44438610102742996892016-01-18T09:00:38.457-05:002016-01-18T09:00:38.457-05:00My dad bought a LD 125 in the early fifties. I rep...My dad bought a LD 125 in the early fifties. I replied with a Douglas rod 125 which had a less vibration engine but not as smooth ride. I saved up for a Vespa GS 150 , the dream come true. But the point about this machine was its engine note nothing has ever come near it! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08979420624081427222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-82661364914904895282015-12-03T20:09:12.471-05:002015-12-03T20:09:12.471-05:00The history of the two companies before making sco...The history of the two companies before making scooters was instrumental in the designs.. Innocenti had pipe bending tools and experience where Piaggio had the same for sheetmetal pressing.Boo Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11924878068373247575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-85466372460153731722015-11-05T14:49:40.967-05:002015-11-05T14:49:40.967-05:00The lambretta gp200 (Italian) with a ts1 engine (b...The lambretta gp200 (Italian) with a ts1 engine (built with high load components) is THE best scooter, nothing else gets close! As for Vespas, it's the T5 mark 1! I've had many scooters, but these are the 2 that I own now! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08201639874325937271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-35593233151995483652015-09-18T09:32:46.958-04:002015-09-18T09:32:46.958-04:00That is a solid argument Rob! And thanks for the c...That is a solid argument Rob! And thanks for the compliment.Patrick Foisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02610371104788169232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-43840731139292301852015-09-18T08:39:21.317-04:002015-09-18T08:39:21.317-04:00I currently own 5 scooters and a nice stable full ...I currently own 5 scooters and a nice stable full they are too (even though I say so myself) TV175, SX200, VBA and GS (I also own an everydayer GTS300)<br />In my opinion the GS160 is the best by quite a distance over the others, the styling is gorgeous, the engine is sweet (never let me down and i've owned it since 1981 to me it is the epitome of Mod scooters, sure the out and out performance of the SX & TV is better, but with that comes the unreliability (many an hour spent on the side of the roads re-building them) and they do look superb especially the SX, but for me I'm always drawn back to the GS as it does everything so well and is the real head turner in the stable, love the blog by the way.<br />Regards<br />Rob from EnglandAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-4729239055814469852015-08-05T12:23:38.496-04:002015-08-05T12:23:38.496-04:00I'd have to lean towards the region in this re...I'd have to lean towards the region in this regard, and I clearly favor Tuscany over Lombardy - Pontedera over Milano.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-33823396532205028352015-01-05T17:41:48.371-05:002015-01-05T17:41:48.371-05:00Good point. I would tend to agree. The difference ...Good point. I would tend to agree. The difference in engine power between a 150 and a 200 is noticeable though. Aside from that, you're right, an untrained eye would be hard pressed to see the subtleties between the different models.Patrick Foisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02610371104788169232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-33641638175064862472015-01-05T16:36:20.603-05:002015-01-05T16:36:20.603-05:00Great article. I have a '64 150 Special. Would...Great article. I have a '64 150 Special. Wouldn't you agree that the only real differences between a Special, an SX150, and TV175/200 are so minimal, that only a real Lammy man would be able to tell? i.e. the presence of a disk brake, the fiberglass mudguard on the TV200 (I think), and then just the badges? After that it'd be different gearing etc which you'd have to really be familiar with to distinguish the different ratios from each other.<br />They all could be dressed up as any of the others (providing they have age-related number plates in some cases I guess?). Stick SX200 panels on any of the above and make it look like an SX200 if you wish? Anyway, mines an Li150 Special, and so that's what it says on the leggies. Happy scootering!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-39801003498896026112014-10-28T10:47:40.467-04:002014-10-28T10:47:40.467-04:00Great story Brian! Hard to argue with your logic.Great story Brian! Hard to argue with your logic.Patrick Foisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02610371104788169232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-61004932770787650942014-10-28T10:38:54.731-04:002014-10-28T10:38:54.731-04:00As a south London mod in the `60s, I and most of m...As a south London mod in the `60s, I and most of my mates aspired to owning a TV200 for the reason stated by Dave Dry, it was aimed at the British market on the insistence (and consistent pestering) of importer Peter Agge; so we viewed it as `our` scoot. We preferred the TVs (and Lamby`s in general) sleeker look because it`s lines resembled the, then current, look of Bertone designed sports cars coming out of Italy as apposed to the "bubble`y" look of the Vespa`s!. <br />Out of our group of 8 mods back then only 2 had Vespa`s and the only thing we envied about the Vespa`s was their deeper exhaust tone when fitted with certain sports silencers.<br />I bought my TV200 (GT) 2 months after my 16th birthday in `66 when I part ex`d my old Li 150 for it. I still own that same scoot and have just finished a full restoration on it after last using it in `77, and am enjoying it every bit as much as I did in my misspent youth of the `60s...great times.<br />The ultimate scoot for me has to be the Sr3 TV Lamby, it did it for me back then, and still does today... 80)Brian Lucasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-30742894623213011512014-08-31T03:50:23.727-04:002014-08-31T03:50:23.727-04:00Got the TV 175 (MAY19) and love it. Added Mirrors ...Got the TV 175 (MAY19) and love it. Added Mirrors etc LOVE it. My wife that refuses riding a Bike of any sort loves getting out on it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-1549994405469996782014-07-24T15:30:50.069-04:002014-07-24T15:30:50.069-04:00Vespa GS 160 "Paradiso per due!"Vespa GS 160 "Paradiso per due!" Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-89856968397676250002014-05-19T08:09:23.188-04:002014-05-19T08:09:23.188-04:00First scooter I had was a 1954 vespa. I was 15 and...First scooter I had was a 1954 vespa. I was 15 and still at school. I was born in 54 so you can tell my age!. days away from getting my new scoot / rebuilt Lambretta and am hangin!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-45154968397798916262014-05-13T07:02:49.511-04:002014-05-13T07:02:49.511-04:00I know the feeling Claudia!I know the feeling Claudia!Patrick Foisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02610371104788169232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-14329346179952258652014-05-13T06:35:39.519-04:002014-05-13T06:35:39.519-04:00Close call! But I always go for the Vespa. VNB, GS...Close call! But I always go for the Vespa. VNB, GS, SS oder Rally/Sprint. It was love at the first crash when a test drive thirty years ago ended with me and my scooter in a couple of trash cans. My old lady (a Sprint from 1972) has just been restored one year ago, and she is more beautiful than ever. When I drive around town, I'm always the happiest girl in the world with a smile from one ear to another. Greetings from Germany, ClaudiaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352949628152379365.post-86634679863480144692013-10-21T14:54:57.823-04:002013-10-21T14:54:57.823-04:00I have owned Many Lambrettas, several Ld 150 LI 15...I have owned Many Lambrettas, several Ld 150 LI 150, a TV 200 but the one I loved the most My SX 200 1966 it was a streamline dream.<br />Lots of my mates had Lambrettas and some had Vespa's SS AND GS. We all enjoyed both and the argument never came up, we were just happy to have the freedom that they gave us at 17 brilliant.<br />I started when I was 14 years old with an old LD bought of an old guy. In total I had about 10 and I wish I still had everyone . Love your page by the way.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com