Letter from the Editor
A warm welcome to the February issue of Scootering.
The Scooter World show, at Newark Showground on January 6, was a welcome event during these cold winter months. With the rally season being in seasonal slumber and all quiet on that front, it was nice to get out and see a few scooters and faces again. The show was a resounding success, with several halls packed full of scooters slotted neatly in between the vintage motorbike halls. The gates saw an all-time high number of visitors too. It was a welcome winter oasis for me, and a great result for my colleague Mau Spencer, editor of Classic Scooterist. Well done to you and your team Mau!
That’s not to say I haven’t been enjoying the winter stint, far from it… we’ve had some brilliant features to put together this month, I’m sure you’ll agree. The chance to strip down a BSSO race engine with Chalky White was a personal favourite, being the first UK journalist to test ride the new Quattrini 210 was a close second, and interviewing Stu Gentry about his desire to hit 100mph on his 40hp road going Vespa capped the month off nicely!
Meanwhile, while I was busy enjoying myself, Stu Owen continued his long running streak of interviewing industry figures, and this month wrapped up his insight into the life and times of the man behind the VFM, Steve Foster. It’s a great interview, and one of many we have lined up for this year, to give you that extra knowledge and perspective, into the background of those who co-exist alongside them, and share their passion. My closing comment this month is in regard to cover scooters. When I see a scooter like Castle’s Rocket, our cover scooter from last month, I really am blown away by the thought, work and detail which goes into such a machine.
But such scooters mostly come with a correspondingly high price tag. So when a fella like Jep, puts together such a great scooter in the way he has done, it has to be acknowledged. I’d love to see more scooters being produced at home in the shed ending up on the front cover, but at the end of the day… a great scooter is a great scooter, whether it cost £500, £1500 or £15,000. The trick, of course, is owning a scooter which cost £1500 but looks like it cost £15,000! Enough of my ramblings; it’s another belter this month… enjoy the issue. Dan