Feature Scooter: Technically Speaking
Almost a decade after stripping it down, Richard Dixon finally decided to get his GP back on the road. His aim was simple: create a tidy scooter on a budget.
Almost a decade after stripping it down, Richard Dixon finally decided to get his GP back on the road. His aim was simple, create a tidy scooter on a budget.
If a list were to be drawn up of Britain’s scooterist hot spots, Scunthorpe would be a strong contender for pole position. Over the years this small industrial town in Lincolnshire has produced more quality scooters than it’s possible to accurately recall. While other areas of the country turned their backs on the scootering lifestyle, Scunthorpe’s enthusiasts continued to tune, customise and, more importantly, ride their ageing charges. In turn these eye-catching machines served as inspiration to younger riders, each keen to equal or better what had gone before. One of those who fell under the influence was the owner of this stunning GP, Richard Dixon. “I grew up seeing scooters all the time,” he explained. “I’d see the older lads parked outside Scunthorpe Soul Scene on a Friday night, I couldn’t wait to join them.”
In, out and back again
His first scooter was a GP150 for which he paid the princely sum of £60 in 1983. The following year he joined Scunthorpe Road Rats, although his first rally experience was in the back of a Mk2 Cortina. “Unfortunately my 17th birthday wasn’t until two weeks after Morecambe,” he laughed. “I did manage to hitch a ride on the back of a GP200 for part of the journey though!”
For the next few years Richard had all the usual scrapes, laughs and adventures that are told time after time when ’80s scooterists get together. Just like most others from that era, the day came when two wheels gave way to four and a family took over from drunken weekends at the seaside. Also in common with so many others, the love of scooters and soul music never went away, it just hibernated. “In 2007 my wife, Charlotte, bought me this GP as a birthday present. It’s probably the best gift I’ve ever had but finished in pastel colours and with lacklustre performance it certainly wasn’t the scooter of my dreams.” After three years of ownership Richard stripped down the GP with the intention of executing a few upgrades and conducting a quick rebuild….
New love
Fast forward a few years and while the GP had settled into a collection of cardboard boxes scattered around the garage, Richard had found a new passion, spinning discs at soul events. “Although I’ve toyed with DJ’ing for a few years it really took off around seven or eight years ago,” he said. “With a friend, Mark Brough, I started to work a modern soul night at Hedon Park. We play everything from the 1970s to the current day and have built up a number of events across North Lincolnshire.”
With DJ’ing taking up more and more time the GP continued to deteriorate in Richard’s garage but in 2017 he decided that it was time to make some progress. “Being honest, progress was more off than on,” he said. The project received a much-needed injection of enthusiasm when the engine returned from the hands of tuning supremo Darrell Taylor. What had been a distinctly average lump emerged from his workshop as a potent TS230. With that work completed it really was a case of ‘now or never’; all Richard needed was a colour scheme, ideally something that would combine his love of music. After toying with various ideas he finally realised that the answer had been staring him in the face all along. “I’ve owned the same pair of Technics SL1210 turntables for around 30 years. It took me a long time to realise it but they were the perfect inspiration.”
The science bit
Anyone that’s serious about their vinyl discs can skip this next paragraph. Mere mortals should carry on reading, as to understand the scheme it’s necessary to understand a basic DJ’ing trick. The part of a turntable that the record sits on is called a ‘platter’ and on the edge of a Technics platter are a series of dots. These are used to calibrate the platter’s speed using the same principle as setting ignition timing. Under the correct light these dots appear static when the platter’s at the correct speed. The Technics design is very distinctive and Richard decided this would be a key element of the design.
Local heroes
A fan of the clean street racer look, Richard is a huge admirer of Maca and his series of DTC schemes, but his budget was never going to extend to commissioning the master. Instead he turned to a local painter, Jonno, at the now defunct ColourWorx in Scunthorpe. “We started to chat through various options and came up with a twist on the classic DTC lines.” When translating the Technics graphic into a DTC homage, Jonno did well to avoid the obvious temptation of simply replicating the design in fresh colours. On the basis that a turntable is circular he decided to round out the DTC’s angular appearance. Viewed in its entirety the design forms a
circle around the GP’s
bodywork, as if the turntable had been draped over the machine. It’s a very clever variation on the classic scheme, a subtle homage rather than all-out replica.
For upholstery Richard turned to another local business, Retro Refits. “Although more used to working on hot rods and restorations, Lin has made a fantastic job of the seat,” said Richard.
“Being honest I wasn’t sure that people would get the finished product,” he added, “but so far people have been very complimentary.”
The scooter was never built to show; Richard only ever intended it to be a good-looking road bike, but as Technics picked up a trophy on its debut appearance it’s clear that he’s achieved so much more.
Built on a budget and intended to ride, in every respect Technics is a worthy addition to Scunthorpe’s rich scootering history.