Hacksaw Harry

Scootering continues its new short series of scooter boy tales. If you’re inspired to reminisce on days of old, send us your 1000 word story to share with the readers…

The Mod revival of 1979 had seen a massive resurgence in scooter ownership with many choosing to resuscitate abandoned scooters from the 1960s. There was always the option to buy a brand new Vespa PX, but if choosing the Lambretta route then second-hand was the only real choice. However, from time to time when the Spanish Serveta factory managed to get their act together there would be a fragmented supply of machines make its way to the UK mainland. The Jet 200 was based on a sort of crossbreed between the Li and SX range. Though at the time it didn’t carry the kudos of the Innocenti built machines, it was still well made and offered those that did want a Lambretta the chance to purchase new.

Local to us was a Lambretta dealer from the 60s and any chance they had to acquire offerings from the Serveta factory was duly accepted. Quite often we would make the journey to the shop by bus to look in awe at these bright shiny new Lambrettas adorning the dealer’s showroom. No one in our scooter club owned a Lambretta; come to think of it not many owned a Vespa either. In our early days, we were more a public transport sort of scooter club, if you get my drift.

News that one of the members had put a deposit down on a brand new Jet 200 soon circulated, many envious of his new acquisition. Not long after, on a bright and sunny Saturday morning, it was delivered directly to his house. Every member of the so-called scooter club was present, looking at the marvels of this splendid creation. In an all-black livery with silver stripes on the side panels, it stood miles above any other scooter in the vicinity.

Many of the club members were still Mod-orientated and this soon rubbed off on the owner of the Jet 200. Within days a three in one rear rack appeared on it followed by a small fly screen and whip aerial any CB enthusiast would have been proud of. While it looked good, something didn’t quite sit right with the styling. Of course, it was those daft stalk indicators so without hesitation they were quickly removed. Alarmingly they were virtually ripped off from their mountings, as too were the silver panel stripes. Though the scooter was brand new it sent out a signal that changes to it could be made very quickly and by any means necessary.

For a month or two, everything remained the same all of us, proud that such a fine machine was in our club. Standing out almost like a peacock with its feathers in full bloom. Then all of a sudden an event happened that would be the catalyst for its downfall…

News that one of the members had put a deposit down on a brand new Jet 200 soon circulated, many envious of his new acquisition.

Upon returning from Morecombe, the first rally of the 1984 season, gone were the accessories that only a few weeks earlier had graced the Jet 200 in such splendour. So too the was owner’s parka, now replaced with combat trousers and flight jacket. Still rally virgins, we were oblivious to what was going on within the scene but those in attendance were swept up in the tide of change, and how the scooter was now perceived to look. Questioning the scrappage of racks, fly screens etcetera we were informed that this was now out of fashion. Fair enough but what was going to replace it? That was answered soon enough after the next rally to Great Yarmouth…

Upon returning from GY, it was deemed that bodywork was also now out of fashion and that the skelly cut-down look was all the rage. Without hesitation, everything was removed in an instant. The pace this scooter was changing its appearance was electrifying; the problem was the way it was being done.

Any vehicle assembled in a factory can be taken apart by means of simply unbolting the components. However in this case that didn’t happen and instead was done with a set of metal cutters. The only use the panel-work now had was to be exchanged with the local tat man for a balloon or a goldfish. More worrying was the impending bank holiday which meant even more changes to the poor Jet 200.

That’s when it came – the point of no return. We popped round to see the latest instalment of the machine’s customisation and couldn’t believe our eyes. The owner had in his hand a rather large industrial looking hacksaw; lying on the floor were all the stand struts and what resembled the whole back end of the frame. Informed that ‘the cutdown’ was this month’s ‘must have’ scooter-look the garage more resembled the back of a butcher’s shop! With plenty of bare metal, the frame or what was left of it needed painting. This was the final moment, the crowning glory by finishing off in silver Hammerite. Now resembling some sort of agricultural machinery or a garden gate, it was topped off with a Maltese cross backlight to replace the one that had been sawn off.

In no fewer than six months, the scooter had gone from a sparkling new machine to some sort of worn-out old tractor. Quickly it fell out of favour. Once the club’s flagship scooter, now it rarely made an appearance. Ironically it was sold off for a few quid to make way for a Vespa PX, spending the last days of its life as a scrambler on the fields over the back of where we lived. Though it only had a short life it will never be forgotten for the sacrifice it made to the radical world of scooter customisation…