Feature Scooter: Scuderia AlphaTauri
The fast-moving environment of Formula 1 is a constant source of inspiration when it comes to building a custom scooter…
The fast-moving environment of Formula 1 is a constant source of inspiration when it comes to building a custom scooter, which helped an avid fan design and build his latest creation.
There are many things you can guarantee in Formula 1: high-powered cars, drivers duelling with each other at breakneck speeds, crashes, and controversy. Another aspect is the huge budget which is spent each year on what are considered the most technologically advanced machines on the planet. To be able to do that requires huge sponsorship to raise the required running costs, and those companies who agree to this want maximum exposure. That is why, each year, we see brightly coloured cars emblazoned with logos from front to back, to allow the teams to survive financially. The brighter and more outlandish a Formula 1 car looks, the better it comes across to the 300 million or so people around the world looking at it for two hours on a Sunday afternoon. So, for anyone looking for inspiration regarding a paint scheme, this is the ideal platform from which to draw. Teams spend a lot of money on getting the right design to make their cars stand out and give the sponsors maximum exposure, and because the companies backing them change each year it’s a never-ending supply of inspiration.
Breaking tradition
As well as being a keen scooterist for many years Mark Kendall is also an avid Formula 1 fan. To prove the fact he has joined his two passions together, building several Formula 1-inspired custom scooters over time – six in total so far. As regular readers will be aware he has graced the pages of this magazine before, very recently in fact, with his creations. This time it’s slightly different though because with all the brightly painted and colourful schemes he has to choose from, Mark has blown away tradition by picking one that’s just two colours. In modern Formula 1 history there have only ever been a few schemes using this colour combination, so having done several in the past which were so brightly themed has perhaps given Mark the chance to try something different. The scheme is based around the AlphaTauri team which was formerly called Toro Rosso, the sister team to Red Bull. AlphaTauri is an Italian high-end clothing brand, the name coming from the AlphaTauri star… the brightest in the constellation of Taurus the bull, hence the logo for the brand. Realising the colours and logos he had to work with, Mark set about designing and building his latest creation.
A GP for a Grand Prix
There was only ever going to be one choice of Lambretta for this build, the aptly named Grand Prix – ideal for the painting of the logos on the side panels where most of the artwork is on show. At first glance, the car appears black and white, when in fact the black is a very dark blue. Mark used the exact same colour and when you look at his Lambretta from different angles the blue does give the effect of appearing black. It is the main logo of the brand that graces the side panel, along with the name cleverly replicated in smaller detail where the side panel grille usually sits. From there the sponsors’ names are strategically placed across the rest of the bodywork. As usual, when doing one of these types of themes there are plenty of logos to fit in so just about every part of the scooter has something painted on it, even on the inside across the petrol tank. To gap areas like the inside in of the legshields, a centre line was created c to prevent the scheme from being broken b up, also done on the front mudguard with w a V line down the middle. The paint has been expertly laid down by Paul at Roadrash Paintwork and Mark can’t praise his work highly enough at what he thinks is a reasonable price for the amount of time it took to create.
Reliability
The old saying in Formula 1 is “to finish first you must first finish” and how many times have we seen a driver lose a race because his engine has blown up. Maybe that’s what Mark was thinking when he
decided on his engine and rather than go for some high-powered monster he opted for the Imola 186 small-block kit. Not that it’s any slouch but Mark likes to use his scooters, so leaned to the more cautious side of reliability first. With additional porting work done by Tom Perry and fitted with the best parts available, the engine gives a good turn of speed and acceleration without the worry of high maintenance and the possibility of something letting go. A bit like a modern Formula 1 car, which these days are far more reliable than they used to be – even if they are considerably faster than a tuned Lambretta.
High spec
You can’t build a scooter around this type of theme without having the right equipment to match it, otherwise it doesn’t look quite right. Like any tuned scooter, the suspension and brakes needed upgrading, which Mark has done thanks to BGM front and rear shocks. Controlled with Pro Street levers, which not only look good but are so well made, it gives the sense that this scooter is full of high-spec components. There is a SIP speedo fitted which complements the headset controls to great effect while under the side panels is the customary and required long-range fuel tank to help on those long journeys to rallies.
Dark detail
There is a distinct lack of chrome on this scooter, which is hardly surprising as it’s not the choice of finish in Formula 1. To get around the items of chrome and polished aluminium normally present on a Lambretta, Mark has chosen to finish them in black to offset it all. Items such as the headlamp rim with its bespoke grille, the gear and light switch housings on the handlebars and the sprint rack at the back of the frame all blend in perfectly with the theme and don’t spoil the look in any way.
The seat is based on the classic Snetterton shape but has been extended and hinged in the middle to allow access to the fuel filler. A clever idea and carried out by Chas Speed. Other extras include the moulded-in legshield toolbox and detailed choke and petrol tap controls: the type of detail which makes the difference.
A six-times winner
Mark, like many others, has had to sit the last year out and at times, as he explained: “The days can get rather long and boring so building this scooter has helped me get through it all.” Like all scooterists that have an outside passion, it’s often that which feeds its way into a person’s thinking. This is now Mark’s sixth race-inspired custom scooter... will it be his last? One thing is for sure – if he wants to build another there will always be plenty of ideas forthcoming in the ever-changing world of Formula 1.
Words: Stuart Owen Photographs: Gary Chapman