he could see was that the wiring loom had
been cut inside the handlebars and the 123cc
engine needed some attention. This didn't
deter Johnny though.
A NICHE WITHIN A NICHE
As mentioned already, the world of machines
like the Model B is a specialised one and as
such, people who can work their magic on
them are few and far between (as are items
such as spare parts catalogues and workshop
manuals which fetch high prices).
Johnny had heard good things about Pete
McNally who runs Scoot Forever. He was
another lover of shaft-driven Lambrettas and
had experience in repairing and restoring
them. So after some contact between the pair,
the Model B was duly entrusted to Pete to
bring the old shaftie back to life.
Johnny knew he’d picked the right man for
the job as he’d been following Pete’s work
for some time. So, before he emigrated to
France, Pete ran his eye over the machine,
tending to those parts that needed attention.
In the main this was sorting the wiring out,
along with servicing the engine. There was one
downside (there always has to be one) – a new
coil would be needed. Now, anyone who knows
anything about these scooters will know items
like new coils don't grow on trees, nor can they
be found on the shelf at your local dealer.
However, lady luck smiled on Johnny and he
received a call from Danny at Scootopia who
told him he’d found a few coils and if Johnny
wanted one he could take it away, then fit and
test it to make sure it worked; if he was happy
with it, he could then pay for it. In Johnny’s
words: “What a gent!”LATE OFF THE LINE
This machine is a very late production model
with both frame and engine numbers falling
after the end of the production figures listed
by Innocenti. The inclusion of the Furgone (FB,
FC, FD etc) engines was within the Model B
production figures and this example is over
2000 units after those ended in March 1950.
Nothing unusual for any model Lambretta
numbers to run over; various reasons could be
speculated, but I also know of other machines in
the UK that have later numbers than this one.
The modern roads would seem to be at odds
with riding a machine of this vintage, but that's
where you would be wrong. I asked Johnny
about this and he said: “It's been a cracking
little scooter ever since; I don’t see much point
owning a scooter and not getting any use out
of it, so it’s been ridden and often, and even
commuting to work on fairer days, although it
does pay to have a think about what to ride
the night before and shuffle scooters around
in the garage. I sold my GP 200 to buy it... and
I still think it is one of the better things I have
chosen to do in life.”
The scooter has been shown at the Irish
EuroLambretta where it picked up first place in
the Model A/B category, and also a couple of
first place trophies at Abbies Hideaway a few
years back for various categories.
Johnny had some fun partaking in the
Snake Pass Challenge in memory of the late
Mike Karslake (an event organised by the late
Kev Walsh, along with Giulio and Guido of
Armando's, Mike Phoenix and Paul Stringer).Johnny said: “That was a really amazing
experience on the old shafters. I met up with
two old work colleagues from my days working
at Gatecrasher in Sheffield while at Armando’s,
who also happen to be fellow scooterists.
Clocking 50mph was a victory too... the event
was a challenging ride.”
Johnny went on to say: “It’s nice to see
respect for the older machines and events
being organised specifically for them. I’ve
done a few local rideouts with TS1s and GTS
machines racing-off and you’re first to leave
and last to arrive; but who cares, it’s about
enjoying yourself and your machine, I used to
enjoy going fast, but I prefer the laughter and
joy of a quirky, slower machine.”BEST MEMORIES
Given that this Model B is clearly ridden and
not hidden, I asked Johnny about his most
memorable ride on it? “I think the most
memorable I’ve ever had was riding home from
the VMSC a few years ago; gale force winds
carried me over to the opposite carriageway
riding down the Fosse Way (the wind was that
strong). It wasn’t a pleasant journey to say
the least. If you’ve ever ridden a Model B, it’s
an experience at the best of times, given the
design, age and technology. But add gales to
that equation and it becomes scary.”
Johnny is a strong advocate for the early
Innocenti machines and I think that if you do
your homework and study the early shaft-driven
Lambrettas, you can find a whole new world of
scootering opportunities out there. Oh, it may
not be a world at TS1 speed, but who said that
all the fun in life is gained from going fast?
Pete Davies