Scooter Boy Tales

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way

Another cracking Scooter Boy story from the annals of Scootering history

Then in March 2019 and casually scrolling through Facebook I see a For Sale post, ‘1979 Vespa P125X in blue’!

It was around 1984/5 when I was 14 years old when we (mum, dad and my sister) took a trip from Norwich to Coventry to visit friends we had met some 10 years previously. I enjoyed these visits because it was the chance to catch up with Steve, who I looked up to. He was around three years older than me and I always thought he was cool! Arriving in Coventry, we were greeted and welcomed into the house. I was eager to see what Steve was up to, but unfortunately he was out with his mates. After a short time he returned along with various engine sounds, some louder than others! When I looked, Steve was leading the way on a burgundycoloured Vespa 50 Special along with his mates on various other scooters. I marvelled at the sight and instantly was hooked. Shortly after a quick round of hellos, it was over to the local park where I was taken around on the back of Steve’s scooter. So this was my introduction to the scooter scene.

After a couple of years when I was 16 Mike, my mate from school, was the first of us to get a scooter, a Vespa PK50. Things were about to change big time for our local group of lads. I was coming up to my 17th birthday a few months after Mike got his PK, and the decision was made to get a bigger machine. A 125cc Vespa was the plan, but from where would I procure such a machine? “I can ring the lot in Coventry and see if they have one of their old ones kicking around,” my dad suggested. So that’s what happened and before long my dad and I were on another road trip to Coventry (in a van this time) to collect a Vespa P150X, registered as a 125, that we had agreed on a deal of around £150. It was owned by Jim, one of Steve’s mates. He no longer used it. He was studying at university and it had just been stored in his garage, gathering dust over the past two years.

Back in Norwich the machine was

unloaded and the task was set to get it running, but unfortunately it was seized solid due to not being used.

Eventually, after a month or so this was all sorted and it was made ready for the road by a neighbour called Jack, who worked at R.O. Clarks, the local scooter shop in Norwich.

Over the next 10 years I rode the scooter nearly every day, with mates, tearing around the local area, going to rallies and commuting to work. It was treated to a fresh coat of blue metallic paint and various shiny extras. I loved it!

After 10 years and as a ‘responsible adult’ it was time to move out of the family home and the decision was taken to buy my first house, so the Vespa I loved had to go to help fund the deposit. After various attempts to sell it, I failed miserably because I just couldn’t let it go. In the end I had to get my dad to do the deed for me, so my beloved Vespa was gone and I had £650 in my pocket, which to be honest was no concellation, but I was closer to the £1000 deposit that was required to buy my first house.

Fast forward to 2001 and after having a child being diagnosed with diabetes, I decided it was time to get back on the horse and ordered myself a brand new Vespa PX125 in Cobalt blue. I was chuffed to bits and the memories of the old days came flooding back. I’ve owned various scooters, but still have the one I purchased new in 2001 (I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again and sell my pride and joy). Still, I always had thoughts about my old scooter, where it was, was it still around. From time to time a visit to the DVLA website was in order to check the registration and it was usually on a Sorn, so I knew it was still alive somewhere. I even put the message out on various Facebook scootering groups to see if anyone new the whereabouts of my beloved first scoot, but to no avail.

Then, in March 2019, whilst casually scrolling through Facebook, I see an a For Sale post... ‘1979 Vespa P125X in blue’ with accompanying image. “Mmm. that looks really familiar, could it be it?!” Full of the jitters I messaged the seller. ‘Hi bud, I believe there may be a chance that that’s my old scooter that your selling. Could you just check the reg plate for me?’ I wait patiently for a reply… ‘Hi, yeah, that’s the one!’ I nearly collapsed.

After a few years of trying to find it, here the scoot just turns up after a few minutes of scrolling through a social media site. After a long discussion on the phone with the current owner Daniel, both parties can’t quite believe it’s the same scooter. So a deal is made and plans are set for Daniel to deliver the scooter back to me.

Six days later on a very windy and wet Saturday afternoon in March, a pick-up van pulls up outside and there to see, all strapped down, is my old beloved scooter! It was looking a little shabby with a few dents and scrapes, but that couldn’t stop the smile on face.

After a meet and greet with Dan, we unloaded the scoot and sorted out the paperwork and payment.

“You’d better see if she starts before I head back,” says Dan. So I turn on the fuel and pull out the choke, and she splutters to life on the first kick. Absolutely amazing. The plan is to return her to her best, just the way she was when I owned her all those years ago, and NO, I won’t be selling her again!