Race Rep Heaven
Two stunning race-rep feature scooters, simply gorgeous.
When Paul Douglas decided to build a Lambretta street racer it was only natural that his first love would inspire him... Teenage kicks
Any readers who are now in their 50s, no matter how ‘Mod’ their teenage years, will probably raise a smile at the mention of a Fizzy or more accurately a Yamaha FS1E sports moped. Even if their own ride was a 50 Special the chances are that at least one friend would be riding alongside on their Fizzy. It was the combined experience of riding and of being free to go anywhere, without relying on parents or public transport, which drew motorcycling into many of our veins. School friendships enabled us to compare and contrast our chosen transport and endlessly debate their merits when we should have been concentrating on more important things, like exams. If my classmate Malcolm is reading this I’ll finally concede that my 50 Special was no match for a Fizzy – at least not until I discovered Pinasco! “If it’s got two wheels I love it,” says Paul, which is good news for his employer because he earns a living as motorcycle showroom manager at Team Roberts Triumph in Doncaster. A scooterist since the early 1980s Paul is equally at home on a superbike as he is on a Lambretta, but it was on a little Yamaha that he first felt the adrenaline rush which only two wheels can supply.
“That little Fizzy changed me,” admits Paul. “Pretty much all of my adult life had been shaped by those early riding experiences.