The 1960s
The
next phase of the Lambretta scooter began in 1962 with the introduction
of the Series 1 Lambretta. The design carried forward some of the body
features of the LD model such as the headset, nose piece, and curvy
sidepanels, but the attached front fender was swapped for a fixed part.
Additionally, the engine capacity was increased to a larger range of a
125, 150, and 175cc. It was in this model phase the Framebreather
Lambretta gained its fame, but the design was not repeated with later
versions.
The Series 2 line began in 1964 with further modifications to the headset. The body remained fairly the same, but the rider's seat began being offered as a bench option rather than the two-saddle version. The 125cc and 150cc options marketed under the LI model name, while the premium model was dubbed the TV 175.
Both in the late 1950s through the 1960s both the Lambretta and Vespa line of scooters became extremely popular with youth culture in England. Dubbed mods, skins, scooter boys and a variety of less-than-stellar names from motorcycle fans, this generation of teens made the Italian scooters a trademark of European vehicle history. The impression was so strong, the trend was immortalized in music by the Who on its record album Quadrophenia in the 1970s and later as a related movie with the same name. Within this time period, the Lambretta line was well into its third series production with the Series 3 125, 150, and TV 175 and TV 200s as the prime scooters to own, if you could get your hands on one as a teenager. The SX 200 offered a further step-up, if one could afford it.
The unique aspect of the TV model Lambretta scooter was the braking system. This option with the early 1960s series 2 version became the first two-wheel vehicle to switch from drum brakes to modern hydraulic-pressured disc brake in the front for stopping power.
Eric Heath, Lambretta Series 1,2008.
The series 3 model carried forward the same brake design with cleaner production lines, but it was only offered on the TV and SX versions. The cheaper and slower LI 125 and 150 models still used drum brakes.
Today, the same original disc brake system is impossible to find brand new as an original assembly and runs as much as $500 to $700 for a used complete front wheel hub assembly. This doesn’t include the specific front fork needed to use the disc brake either. ScootRS in VietNam was the first to mass-market a replacement version, which gained quite a bit of credibility with scooter fans in the late 1990s. The company provided two versions, adaptable to Series 2 and Series 3 Lambrettas, including those originally designed with drum brakes.
Late
into the 1960s and early 1970s Innocenti tried a new design with a
dummied-down scooter assembly called the Luna (see left image). Going
back to the frame-only look on part of the scooter as it had in the
early days, the Luna was supposed to come across futuristic. Instead it
found more appeal with those riders who wanted to take the model
off-road, riding on grass trails and or circuit racing. Not quite what
Innocenti intended with the product, they were happy enough that the
Luna line realized sales successfully.
Gildos, Luna Model, 2006.
The
next phase of the Lambretta scooter began in 1962 with the introduction
of the Series 1 Lambretta. The design carried forward some of the body
features of the LD model such as the headset, nose piece, and curvy
sidepanels, but the attached front fender was swapped for a fixed part.
Additionally, the engine capacity was increased to a larger range of a
125, 150, and 175cc. It was in this model phase the Framebreather
Lambretta gained its fame, but the design was not repeated with later
versions.The Series 2 line began in 1964 with further modifications to the headset. The body remained fairly the same, but the rider's seat began being offered as a bench option rather than the two-saddle version. The 125cc and 150cc options marketed under the LI model name, while the premium model was dubbed the TV 175.
Both in the late 1950s through the 1960s both the Lambretta and Vespa line of scooters became extremely popular with youth culture in England. Dubbed mods, skins, scooter boys and a variety of less-than-stellar names from motorcycle fans, this generation of teens made the Italian scooters a trademark of European vehicle history. The impression was so strong, the trend was immortalized in music by the Who on its record album Quadrophenia in the 1970s and later as a related movie with the same name. Within this time period, the Lambretta line was well into its third series production with the Series 3 125, 150, and TV 175 and TV 200s as the prime scooters to own, if you could get your hands on one as a teenager. The SX 200 offered a further step-up, if one could afford it.
The unique aspect of the TV model Lambretta scooter was the braking system. This option with the early 1960s series 2 version became the first two-wheel vehicle to switch from drum brakes to modern hydraulic-pressured disc brake in the front for stopping power.
Tom Lutzenberger, Series 2 Lambretta, Las Vegas Rally, Nevada, 2003.
Eric Heath, Lambretta Series 1,2008.
The series 3 model carried forward the same brake design with cleaner production lines, but it was only offered on the TV and SX versions. The cheaper and slower LI 125 and 150 models still used drum brakes.
Today, the same original disc brake system is impossible to find brand new as an original assembly and runs as much as $500 to $700 for a used complete front wheel hub assembly. This doesn’t include the specific front fork needed to use the disc brake either. ScootRS in VietNam was the first to mass-market a replacement version, which gained quite a bit of credibility with scooter fans in the late 1990s. The company provided two versions, adaptable to Series 2 and Series 3 Lambrettas, including those originally designed with drum brakes.
Late
into the 1960s and early 1970s Innocenti tried a new design with a
dummied-down scooter assembly called the Luna (see left image). Going
back to the frame-only look on part of the scooter as it had in the
early days, the Luna was supposed to come across futuristic. Instead it
found more appeal with those riders who wanted to take the model
off-road, riding on grass trails and or circuit racing. Not quite what
Innocenti intended with the product, they were happy enough that the
Luna line realized sales successfully.Gildos, Luna Model, 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment