It’s okay to break down
No one wants their scooter to break down or need repair, but it’s inevitable that someday it will happen
If you had a scooter back in the 1980s, although most of the fun was in riding it, much of the ‘ownership experience' centred around making repairs and just trying to keep the damn thing on the road. It almost became a balancing act, taking it out for a ride and then fixing what had gone wrong before using it again.
It was standard practice, so much so that if it needed nothing doing to it after a long journey there was great cause for celebration.
A lot of this was down to the lack of maintenance, and I was guilty as charged. As the old saying goes ‘If it isn't broken don't fix it.' Wise words unless what you're riding breaks down on an almost weekly basis. Most of us rode machines that were second-hand and devoid of any warranty so every problem came at a cost. For Lambretta owners the situation was dire. Any sort of backup had disappeared way back in the 1960s, and finding a garage to repair one was like searching for the Holy Grail.
It was left to us, the owners, to fix them any way we could. This often involved using a tool kit borrowed from your dad. You know the ones, imperial spanners that didn't quite fit and wooden-handled screwdrivers. It didn't matter though, a repair (or dare I say bodge) could usually be made, keeping the scooter roadworthy until the next inevitable breakdown. It was an accepted part of scooter ownership and one that was never questioned. So why all these ramblings? It seems that today if a scooter breaks down, for many owners it feels like the end of the world.
The problem is that we now live in an age where everything is expected to work, even the most complicated of gadgets. If it doesn't, then a quick reboot or piece of computer coded instruction fixes it. Fair enough, that's progress but it seems we've forgotten that it's possible to repair things ourselves. Admittedly modern vehicles are complex creatures that need to be plugged into a diagnostic life support machine when it goes wrong. Gone are the days where you could strip a car engine apart on a Saturday morning, go down to the local auto shop to buy spares and have it completely rebuilt in time for dinner. These days vehicles are intentionally built so we can't work on them. We have no choice but to involve the manufacturer or a garage so are almost programmed to accept that when something breaks it needs replacing. We don't even keep cars for very long, most drivers choosing to simply upgrade them once there are a few miles on the clock, fearful of them no longer being ultra-reliable. The automotive industry is a stark example of the throwaway society we live in.
Scooters, specifically two-strokes, are different. Their technology dates from the ‘fix it yourself era' and I think owners sometimes forget that. Many new systems have indeed been developed for old scooters, bringing them into the 21st century such as electronic ignitions, alloy cylinder kits and hydraulic brakes. While these have improved reliability tremendously, they've brought about new problems.
Many scooter owners haven't owned their machines for very long. They are used to a scooter starting first time, having bright lights and bolt-on performance that even a few years ago wouldn't have seemed possible. No one is saying they have done anything wrong, but they haven't served the old-style scooter apprenticeship. Bumping a reluctant scooter down the road trying in vain to get it started or not being able to see where they're going because the one-watt candle behind the headlight glass is so dim. So, when something does fail, and it will, then it seems like the end of the earth.
It doesn't need to be that way. Most problems can be fixed, and most likely there'll be a simple solution. Remember, these machines were designed to be maintained by the owner, therefore repaired by them as well. You only have to get hold of an old workshop manual. Unlike modern instruction booklets one of these will show you how to strip the whole thing down and put it back together again. If that's possible, then sorting something small should not in any way be a problem. There are those of us who are not that handy with tools, and it's often said that ‘if you aren't mechanically minded then you shouldn't own a scooter'.
While it's true that if you're not a confident with a spanner it does make scooter ownership a little more difficult, but there is always someone local who will know how to sort it.
Currently almost every repair you can think of is played out on social media, with plenty of people ready to help. Anyone can carry out work on their scooter knowing they have access to instant backup. If your scooter does break down then don't get into some sort of blind panic. It's okay, a pain or inconvenience it may be, but the issue can be solved and by repairing it yourself, the next time something breaks you'll be prepared.