Reader’s Ride – Crossroad’s
Lambretta choppers are a bit like Marmite, you either love ’em or hate ’em! Ever since the glamorous 80s when Futuretta and Madame Medusa shed weight, right up to the present day and showstoppers like Dead Man’s Shoes appeared, this genre has been dividin
No, not Benny and Miss Diane… the awesome custom Lambretta chop!
Although you would think ‘chopping’ is a simple task of clearing the tube frame of any excess bodywork and struts, there are a lot more things to think about. Seat position, wiring/ electrics and cabling have to be taken into account, also there is no place to hide – everything is on display from the engine unit to the underneath of the bodywork. Chopper owners also seem to have a desire to stamp their own mark on their builds. Frame rakes and come to that complete frame redesign, hidden goodies and one-offs have often been the goal of this type of customiser. One word sums this up – radical. And you don’t get much more radical than the machine you see here.
Owned and built by proud Frenchman Scotty (I know, a bit confusing!), The Crossroad’s Demon started life as a 1974 Jet 200 which he acquired for just £20 in 1990. Over the years he always planned a chop project, but it took right up to last year to put these plans into action. The frame is a complete one-off giving a high handlebar height and low seat position. The Beedspeed forks, which just seem to go on and on, have had about 22in of twisted hexagonal bar added. Although these were out-sourced, nearly everything else you see was done by the owner. It also has some very clever touches – foot control block, tubes to run cables/wiring in, hidden rectifier/regulator and a very trick sunken rear light. To ‘fit’ the machine he also designed some unusual pull back bars and inverted levers. Now although it might not be the most comfortable ride, it has a menacing look.
Engine wise Scotty opted for a nice strong motor using a Rapido 225 kit with upgraded piston and Stratos head, 350LC reed valve, GP Meceur race 60x107 crank, Stratos 5 plate clutch, 28mm Dellorto, Jet gearing and a DJ style exhaust. He says this set-up gives his chop great rideability, pleasant for long distances. This gives not only a good cruising speed, but also some extra power for overtaking.
Now although he has gone for a very radical modern look and incorporated modern twists like a rear disc brake and R1 suspension, his scooter also has some very traditional 80s custom traits. Metal flake candy paint, lashings of chrome, scroll engraving and even good old pike nuts are also very much part of this build – and why not? It’s his scooter and like the sticker that sits on the rear of the side mounted number plate says “I don’t build it hoping for your approval… I built it because it meets mine!” For the record Scotty, it meets mine too! Dave O
I don’t build it hoping for your approval… I built it because it meets mine!