Old dog – new tricks

I’m no mechanic but at 66, I’ll have a go with simple maintenance (tinkering). I’ve owned my scooter, a 1966 LI 125 Special, for almost six years. Since picking it up from Armandos, who did the full restoration, it has been 100% reliable; however, the inevitable (outer) cable wear started to affect gear change. I bought two new inner and outer cables and set about thinking the job through – off came the headset, horncast and front mudguard bridge piece and the fiddling began. It took about one hour to strip down and an hour and half to install the new inner and outer cables and rebuild; as I said, I’m no mechanic and take things steady. Result – gear change best it’s ever been. Each year I change the oil and plug, an easy job but only after you’ve e done it once. I have two tips regarding maintenance, firstly… get a copy of Sticky’s Manual. Secondly, don’t rush into anything, buy the parts and think it over before starting, take it steady and you’ll be surprised what you can achieve.

I’ve also upgraded the rear light to LED, now I can be seen from behind at night and my headlamp doesn’t dim at all when braking so much that you need to say a prayer for full head lighting to be restored! This is in my opinion a must-do upgrade and it’s cheap. If you do the simple maintenance jobs, your confidence grows and you might just prevent a roadside breakdown. Thanks for a great magazine, I especially love the old-time pictures and stories.

Best regards, Don Roberts – Barnburgh