Simply the best?
It may not look like much, but this Series 1 may just be the nicest scooter Stan’s ridden. Ever.
It may not look like much, but this JB-tuned, 43hp, RB250 Series 1 Lambretta, could possibly be the nicest scooter Stan has ridden. Ever. He didn’t want to give it back...
When the conversation about a scooter begins with reigning BSSO champion Mike Bonnett saying “It’s something special” then it’s time to pay attention. The Southend-based owner of this S1 is a little camera shy but it’s fair to say Lee’s a man who pays lavish attention to detail in everything he does. Scooters are no exception to this and his workshop of choice is JB Tuning. It's here that tuning supremo John Balcomb produced this masterpiece.
First impressions are a little underwhelming. A casual observer probably wouldn’t pay it too much attention but that would be a mistake, and as Lee explained also part of its charm. “I love watching the look on drivers’ faces at traffic lights when this old moped filters to the front. Most expect me to hold them up, others get an idea from the exhaust that something’s going on but none of them have any idea just how quick it is off the line.”
When it left the factory this Li150 boasted 6.5bhp but now peaks at 43bhp with 25lbs of torque. Although the top speed has never been confirmed it’s “certainly north of 85mph”.The secret behind this is a combination of the best parts available and John’s tuning expertise. Using a CasaCase as the starting point, John fitted a Cyclone-5 gearbox, Powermaster clutch and multi-spline hub. Other Casa components include the CasaCover, Casatronic ignition, high flow fan and CasaCowl. The next logical step would be to fit a Casa top end but instead John chose the RB250.
Without too much effort an RB250 will produce around 30BHP and that’s not too shabby by any standards, however it can give more. Much of the arrangement is a closely guarded secret but John will say he’s welded a 5mm packer to the barrel which was then ported and re-plated with nikasil. By increasing the stroke to 68mm a true 277cc is realised.
Over the years I’ve learned that an impressive list of components doesn’t always make for a rideable scooter, so the jury was still out as we set off for the photoshoot, me following on a TS1. At the first set of lights the S1 didn’t just leave me standing, it entered another dimension in time. It was the same story when we hit a stretch of A-road. The S1 pulled away in every single gear. However hard I tried, the
S1 was always closer to the horizon than my front mudguard. The only consolation to being behind the S1 was listening to the beautifully crisp rasp of its modified Bullet exhaust.
I’ll freely admit that when it came to my turn I was more than slightly nervous. There was obviously a huge amount of deliverable power, and experience shows that usually means ‘launching’ away with high revs and a front end that’s more interested in sky than tarmac.
More in hope than expectation I applied a small amount of revs and gently released the clutch. The S1 rolled forward without any complaint, a bigger handful and it surged forward.
After some experimentation I realised this was by far the smoothest tuned scooter I’d ever ridden. Power delivery feels consistent in each and every gear; it’s pleasurable to ride around town but the open road is its natural environment.
Back in the 1990s I drove a Renault 5 Turbo and the S1 reminded me of that experience. Throttle response was instant and every gear produced a punch in the chest as it surged forward yet the power was completely controllable.
The owner and I are around the same weight and his efforts at achieving just the right suspension settings produced a ride that was incomparable. I really must try harder with my own set up! Both John and the owner remain tight lipped at the cost of building this engine but it’s surprisingly frugal in use. Don’t ask me how, but on an extended ride the 39mm Dellorto wasn’t much thirstier than the 30mm fitted to the TS1 I was riding.
One part of the build leaves me with mixed emotions – the CasaCover replacement chain case. I doubt many owners will make full use of the chain guide and crank access afforded by the removable window, but the clutch action is superb. I’ve ridden a few scooters fitted with the cover, and thanks to a complete rework of the operating mechanism even when coupled to a monster clutch, rider feel at the lever is incredibly light.
There’s no doubt that fitting one would be a massive improvement in comfort for the type of long-distance riding I enjoy. However, I’ve not quite managed to justify spending £500 on a crankcase cover. Not yet anyway…
I’ve ridden a lot of scooters over the years and no matter how much the owner’s spent on them there’s always been something I’d change. That’s not the case with this S1. I’m approaching four decades of scootering and in all that time never have I ridden such a beautifully put together and well-balanced machine.
Perfection is an elusive concept, so much of it depends on personal preference, but for me this will be the scooter to which all others will be compared. Simply the best? It’ll be an exciting day when I ride one better.