Reader’s Ride: Rusty the Yorkshire bean
Over time some scooters age badly, becoming rusty and tatty looking. Some owners, however, like to paint them so that they purposely look like that…
Over time some scooters age badly, becoming rusty and tatty looking. Some owners, however, like to paint them so that they purposely look like that!
Living by the coast has its benefits – nice sandy beaches and deep blue sea, something we all dream of. However, the salty seawater can play havoc with metal, causing it to corrode and rust at a much faster pace than normal. Imagine that happening to your scooter once you have restored it. On the other hand, there is an alternative... to make it look like that on purpose. That was the choice Gary Leatt made when it came to building his new custom scooter.
Late starter
Growing up and living in Jersey might not seem like the ideal place to get into the scooter scene even though there have been clubs on the island for years. The seed was planted for Gary in the early 1980s watching Quadrophenia, but it took him decades before he would own one – 2015 to be exact. This hasn't been helped by the lack of scooter availability on the island and the process involved in getting them registered for the road if you choose to import one. There are however a few Vespa 50 Specials to be found and this ended up being the choice of scooter for the project. Gary wanted it to be a tribute to his parents – his mother was born in Yorkshire while his father hails from Jersey, where people are referred to as ‘Jersey beans'. Now it's clear to see what the name of the scooter stands for, representing where his parents originally came from and the rusty look of the bodywork. Getting parts from the UK mainland is no problem and neither is taking the whole scooter over there for work to be carried out so there were no real obstacles in the way of getting everything done.
Corrosion treatment
This was the case with the paintwork as that was tasked to Colin McKay who runs Airbrush Art based in Southampton, which, being only a stone's throw from the ferry port, made the logistics of it much easier. The 50 Special with its pressed steel frame is an ideal choice for laying down the artwork as there are no side panels to worry about, making the theme easier to flow across the seamless area. The idea was to lay down a silver base with an overlaying chequered scheme, situated in between references to where his parents came from. It's not a complicated layout and easy to follow; perhaps the only thing wrong is that it might look a little too simple as the artwork was limited. The clever part was ageing the paintwork to make it look old and therefore give the appearance that has a used and, dare I say, neglected look. That was done in two stages by fading out the chequered areas as though they had worn away over time and similarly with the silver base.
Once that was done a brown colour was added to all the seams of the panel work as well as certain spots on the silver areas. This gives the effect of corrosion and looks as though the scooter has been standing on the beach for years where the sea air has taken its toll. The effect is carried out so well when you first look at it that's exactly what you think has happened.
Limited power
Despite the deliberate ageing of the bodywork, the engine has gone in totally the opposite direction using the Parmakit W-Force cylinder which produces more than 25bhp, a 54mm Mazzacchelli crank, 30mm Dell'Orto carburettor and LTH Midrange exhaust – making for one powerful beast. Coupled with the lightweight frame of the 50 Special, both acceleration and top-end are breathtaking. There is a slight downside to all this, and one which Gary mentioned when telling the story of how the scooter was created. “The power delivery and speed are amazing – the only problem is, the limit on Jersey is 40mph.” That is a real pain so Gary tells us he is looking forward to getting on the mainland sometime in the future so he can open it up a bit more. To help slow the scooter down it's equipped with a Crimaz front disc set-up and operating system and uses SIP front and rear suspension to cope with aggressive braking. It goes to show that when it comes to the components on this project there is no expense spared and only the best will do. There are a few other extras such as the KR Automation long-range tank and SIP electronic speedometer, which are subtly hidden away and prevented from spoiling the overall effect of the theme Gary has achieved.
Despite the deliberate ageing of the bodywork, the engine has gone in totally the opposite direction using the Parmakit W-Force cylinder which produces more than 25bhp, a 54mm Mazzacchelli crank, 30mm Dell’Orto carburettor and LTH Midrange exhaust – making for one powerful beast.
The taste of honey
Though it may not look too over the top to the naked eye there has been no expense spared when it came to building this scooter. Thankfully, Gary has a passion for beekeeping and the honey he sells is what has funded the project. A novel way of doing it but if it keeps the household bank balance untouched then why not. It's not that often that the Vespa 50 Special gets the full-blown custom treatment, even though over the years there have been some great examples and it's great to see another. Here Gary has taken a personal theme and made it a glowing tribute to his parents in a simple statement. Everything works on this scooter, from the carefully aged paintwork to the powerful performance of the engine. Nothing looks over the top and therefore out of place. Surely this creation can spur on others to think along the same lines of customisation in the future. Well done Gary in putting the Jersey scooter scene well and truly on the map with your stunning creation.