Scootering magazine

Stupid is as stupid does Almost a decade after stripping it down, Richard Dixon finally decided to get his GP back on the road. His aim was simple... create a tidy scooter on a budget.

˃˃ Lockdown policy is eased (slightly), but how will the intellectually challenged respond?

As this wretched lockdown drags on, I was pleased to see the Government guidelines eased a little, in relation to travel and exercise ‘allowances’, but was disappointed to see it’s not a uniform policy for the UK.

Those living in England can now benefit from the update that there’s ‘no longer any limit to the amount of exercise or open-air activity you can do outside in England’. But the more interesting update was that ‘households can also drive any distance in England to destinations such as parks and beaches’.

These combined updates have given us the freedom to break free the shackles of a ‘blanket ban’ on movement, and let us dictate our own leisure time a little better. It has to be said that though I understand why government makes blanket policies, its not to provide guidance to those with common sense, it’s to stop the intellectually challenged hordes (they walk amongst us) hurting the rest of society.

Common sense dictates that a person riding a motorcycle or scooter is quite unlikely to pass on the spread of Covid-19.

Sensible refuelling precautions via contactless payment, and common sense social distancing on arrival at your remote destination of choice are clearly the order of the day.

Surely we can rely on everyone to understand that? Sadly not. We all saw the images of pubs in the UK on their last night before lockdown, every single one packed to the rafters for ‘one last hurrah’.

Now, here we are nine weeks on, and with the first glimpse of sunshine practically every public space is rammed beyond belief.

We can’t stop the virus, it has to filter through the population leaving devastation in its wake. But in the meantime we still have to support our NHS, make sure ICU beds are not pushed beyond capacity, and hope that everyone can filter through the system and receive the appropriate medical care they need.

So as the demon Covid-bogey wreaks its havoc, I’ll be planning circular routes of the beloved Yorkshire Dales in which I live, using my home as the key pit-stop (other than refuelling) and getting out on the open road… my state of mind depends on it!

#staysafe

The first scooter Richard Dixon ever owned was a GP150 for which he paid the princely sum of £60 in 1983. The following year he joined Scunthorpe Road Rats, although his first rally experience was in the back of a Mk2 Cortina. “Unfortunately, my 17th birthday wasn’t until two weeks after the rally in Morecambe,” he laughed. For the next few years Richard had all the usual scrapes, laughs and adventures that are told time after time when 80s scooterists get together. Just like most others from that era, the day came when two wheels gave way to four and a family took over from drunken weekends at the seaside. Also in common with so many others, the love of scooters and soul music never went away, it just hibernated.

“In 2007 my wife, Charlotte, bought me this GP as a birthday present. It’s probably the best gift I’ve ever had, but finished in pastel colours and with lacklustre performance it certainly wasn’t the scooter of my dreams.” After three years of ownership Richard stripped down the GP with the intention of executing a few upgrades and conducting a quick rebuild….

New Love

Fast forward a few years and the GP had settled into a collection of cardboard boxes scattered around the garage whilst it continued to deteriorate, but in 2017 he decided that it was time to make some progress. “Being honest, progress was more off than on.”

The project received a muchneeded injection of enthusiasm when the engine returned from the hands of 2-stroke tuning supremo Daryl Taylor. What had been a distinctly average lump emerged from his workshop as a potent TS230. With that work completed it really was a case of ‘now or never’; all Richard needed was a colour scheme, ideally something that would combine his love of music. After toying with various ideas he finally realised that the answer had been staring him in the face all along. “I’ve owned the same pair of Technics SL1210 turntables for around 30 years. It took me a long time to realise it, but they were the perfect inspiration.”

Anyone who is serious about their vinyl discs can skip this next paragraph. Mere mortals should carry on, as to understand the scheme it’s necessary to understand a basic DJ-ing trick. The part of a turntable that the record sits on is called a ‘platter’ and on the edge of a Technics platter are a series of dots. These are used to calibrate the platter’s speed using the same principle as setting ignition timing. Under the correct light these dots appear static when the platter’s at the correct speed. The Technics design is very distinctive and Richard decided this would be a key element of the design.

Local Heroes

A fan of the clean street racer look, Richard is a huge admirer of Maca and his series of DTC schemes, but his budget was never going to extend to commissioning the master. Instead he turned to a local painter, Jonno, at the now defunct ColorWorx in Scunthorpe. “We started to chat through various options and came up with a twist on the classic DTC lines.”

When translating the Technics graphic into a DTC homage, Jonno did well to avoid the obvious temptation of simply replicating the design in fresh colours. On the basis that a turntable is circular he decided to round out the DTC’s angular appearance. Viewed in its entirety the design forms a circle around the GP’s bodywork, as if the turntable had been draped over the machine. It’s a very clever variation on the classic scheme, a subtle homage rather than all-out replica.

For upholstery Richard turned to another local business, Retro Refits. “Although more used to working on Hot Rods and restorations, Lin has made a fantastic job of the seat,” said Richard. “Being honest I wasn’t sure that people would get the finished product,” he added, “but so far people have been very complimentary.”

The scooter was never built to show, as Richard only ever intended it to be a good-looking road bike, but as Technics picked up a trophy on its debut appearance it’s clear that he’s achieved so much more.

Built on a budget and intended to ride, in every respect Technics is a worthy addition to Scunthorpe’s rich scootering history.