Rossa revisited

For a number of two-stroke engine aficionados the Yamaha 350YPVS engine delivered the epitome of 80s power and performance. It also holds a special place in the heart of certain scooterists too...

The epitome of 80s super-cool, the RD350YPVS engine, shoehorned into this craftily engineered Lambretta chassis – Old Blue.

Col Barrett, who rides with Dorset Lowriders SC has been on the periphery of the scooter scene for many years. It was the 90s when he was in Canada when he attended a few scooter rallies. Later that same decade after returning to the UK he got his first scooter, a Lambretta GP, with a 240cc top end. He has also been an active member of the rare soul scene, which has always had a degree of crossing over into the scooter scene. Col numbers among those who regard the Yam 350 YPVS as the pinnacle of the 80s two-stroke power.

“I always had a bit of a soft spot for the Rossa 350 Yam-Lams, even in standard specifications. Those power-valve engines have always amazed me, they are the ultimate 80s two-stroke engines. The concept behind the creation of Old Blue comes from the Rossa Yam-Lams of the 80s. I’ve had a few bikes, getting more interested in scooters in the 90s. The ultimate scooter to me, as a younger man, was the Rossa. With my 50th birthday approaching, I decided to treat myself to a Yamaha 350 YPVS engined scooter.”

Two for the price of one

Back in 2014, after doing his own due diligence so to speak, Col commissioned Gary Hancox of GWH Restorations to build him a Yamaha 350 YPVS powered full bodied Lambretta. “Gary Hancox is an absolute engineering genius,” he said. “He also completed the initial build of Old Blue, including the paintwork prep and subcontracting out the paintwork in an amazingly short time. The paint code is R1 which is the exact shade of deep purple metallic blue colour used by Yamaha. I always fancied a scooter painted that colour, the name Old Blue part relates to the paint, and as for the ‘Old’, it was 30 years ago the RD engined Rossa first appeared.

“Gary did a fantastic job with his reworking of the frame, re-siting certain fittings, fabricating many one-off items and as a by-product of his superb workmanship, Old Blue looks as good fully dressed as she does undressed. Gary’s work on creating the frame allowed me to have a few extras added to it. I’m equally happy riding her with everything on display as I am with full panel work fitted. I’d recommend Gary at GWH Restorations to anyone, he’s a master engineer.”

Cool Off

Old Blue is powered by a standard Yamaha 350 YPVS motor which was first stripped and thoroughly checked, then items were replaced where necessary with new parts before rebuilding. All of which was meticulously carried out by Mark Wheeler at All2 wheels in Poole, Dorset. The only deviation from factory spec in the engine department is a set of aftermarket Jim Lomas exhaust pipes.

After Gary Hancox had completed the build Col decided on changing a few bits and pieces. Which, along with Mark Wheeler’s hands-on input resulted in the scooter Old Blue is now.

“Cooling on Old Blue didn’t seem to work too well,” said Col. “I wasn’t convinced that having the radiator under the legshields where it was sited originally would be efficient enough. I didn’t want to have the radiator relocated to be mounted on the front of the legshields, I’ve seen a few with that setup, personally, I don’t like how it looks. Me and Mark Wheeler had a look and a brainstorming session. The result was to move the rad’ to inside the legshield glovebox.

“At that point, the fuel tank was located inside the glovebox, which meant the tank would need moving. Logically the tank would move under the seat. Except, what was probably the optimum place for the tank was partly occupied by electrical components. I spent two days measuring and re-measuring, making a template for a new tank that utilised every spare millimetre. Electrics were moved from inside to outside the frame. A larger radiator was located inside the glovebox, to ensure the airflow to it is both efficient and constant there are symmetrical cutaways in the legshields, as well as a pair of forced air scoops that direct air into the engine compartment.

“As additional back up I have had an auxiliary fan fitted, which hasn’t been used as yet. Old Blue runs well, though maybe too cool at times. When first starting up I allow a bit of time for her to warm up properly before riding.”

Turning My Heartbeat Up

Functionality, as well as appearance, is a combination aimed for by just about everyone

embarking on a scooter project. Getting the two aspects to combine isn’t as straightforward as it may seem, certainly in some cases. When Old Blue was at the pre-build stage, Col had it in mind to keep it simple, subscribing to a less-is-more philosophy. He decided on a colour scheme combination of the Yamaha purple-blue metallic paintwork enhanced with black and stainless steel. Keith Newman at K2 Custom provided all the stainless steel items, including the subtle laser cut lettering.

Col is especially happy with how the stainless coverings on the legshield cut-outs look, in effect giving an appearance of lungs, which allow the scooter to breathe. Ensuring the 350 YPVS delivered optimum power meant Col taking Old Blue to go through a Dyno Tune process. Which proved to be successful resulting in a 9bhp increase in the output. There are a few other modifications to Old Blue that aren’t blatantly obvious; barring one planned change Col is more than happy with his bespoke, Rossa-inspired Yam-Lam 350.

“Gary’s design of the frame, including easy removal of the bodywork, allowed me to design a frame for the seat that incorporates both the number plate and rear light. The Seat frame was made to my design by Elite Fabrications, which is local to me. Also, I’ve got two options when riding – with either the panels or bodywork removed, a bit like a cut-down. This makes accessibility a lot easier if any adjustments are

needed. Quite a few people have commented they prefer her naked, personally, I prefer riding Old Blue with all her clothes on.

“It’s good to have options on how Old Blue appears. One change that will definitely be happening is fitting an electronic GPS style speedometer. At the moment I have a standard Lammy speedo, which is just about capable of registering how many miles I clock up and that’s about it. Speedo apart, I’m very pleased with Old Blue. Reliable, gobs of power across all the ranges, she’s an absolute dream to ride. Handling is both solid and stable, for quite a weighty scoot she’s good when cornering and at top speed.” Words: Sarge