Dave’s Nostalgic Custom Corner
Some scooters stick in your mind for all the wrong reasons, thankfully this isn’t one of them. Le Bic was stunning on first sight and only became more and more interesting, the longer you spent inspecting its subtle details…
This month’s trip down memory lane from DNCC is the stunning… Cinquante Neuf – Le Bic.
Sorry I was ‘missing in action’ with last month’s DNCC offering – language mix ups and cross-Europe internet glitches caused a bit of an unforeseen delay, however hopefully you’ll agree this machine was worth the wait! If I remember correctly the first time I came across this scooter was at the inaugural London Vikings SC weekender at Burridge near Southampton. A small but very vocal group of Frenchmen had made their way across ‘Le Manche’ and down to the South coast. Included in their group was ‘Le Bic’ and its builder Nicolas Lebreton. By cheque book customising standards it was on the surface very simplistic, but when you look closer it was very clever. Lambretta headset, tastefully cut down Vespa frame, modern auto forks/ wheel, rear pod section incorporating panels, repositioned rear brake – it was all very subtle (well, apart from the paint!). Since that time Nico has gained a bit of a reputation for building unique scooters, one early one being wideboy ‘Bad Man’, which hopefully I will have latest news of soon. Anyhow a while back he sold Le Bic (to his friend Gregory Simo) to free up some space and funds, but as a testament to Nico’s building skills it still remains as per 90s spec and can be seen at French events every now and then. So, let’s have a close shave with… Le Bic! Dave O
Scooter name & why: Le Bic – The enigma that is Éric Cantona was at the time advertising a razor/ shaver for the Bic factory, it was a very funny advert! During this time he was playing for Manchester United and I was a fan of them, so I hatched an idea. When was it first built: Very early 90s, it was an ongoing project… finished like this for the ’95 season. Builder and designer: Nico. Hometown: Dieppe. Scooter club: Proud adopted member of The Dirty Mills SC. Paintwork: Aerographe in Chartres. Engine: Standard 200cc P range, completely polished with Leovinci modified exhaust.
Base model and what was done to it: The frame, a PX125, was in good structural condition before being cut down – you have to break a few eggs when making an omelette! The handlebars came from an LI Series 3, the forks from a Peugeot SV125 and the complete rear end is a unique creation by me!
Favourite event: Nowhere in particular but my first UK rally at Margate in the 80s holds special memories.
Favourite custom scooter: Any scooter with personal work that is original and has been thought out.
On the surface very simplistic, but when you look closer it was very clever. Lambretta headset, tastefully cut down Vespa frame, modern auto forks/wheel, rear pod section incorporating panels, repositioned rear brake – it was all very subtle
Do you still do rallies: When I can but not as frequently as I would like. I did make Big 7 last year and really enjoyed it.
What other scooter do you own: A Rally 200 that is nearing completion, my ‘rocket’ sidecar combination and a couple of others I have been working on for the past 15 years!
Funny story: Once on a UK rally with two good friends Biscotte and Christophe we decided to purchase cases of beer from the supermarket before going to the Do. Our English is not very good and when we saw ‘free’ on the label we thought it meant you got so many bottles in the pack for free – bargain we thought, so we bought three cases! Anyhow after drinking about seven or so each we all felt very okay and fresh. In fact we had bought alcohol free larger! Luckily our English has improved over the years!
Favourite dealer: JP Tuning Paris. Next month an old Lambretta chop favourite, still pushing the boundaries with stunning engraving! Happy New Year pop pickers!