The Lambretta Li150 Special This is (almost) now

In a change from our usual lexicon look at a restored example, Stu Owen shares the story of his love affair with a very special Pacemaker.

Someone in the club always purchased Scootermania magazine, and then handed it around for everyone to look at. In 1984, one such edition featured the iconic image of a lady posing with an Li150 Special Pacemaker. It was a publicity shot arranged by Lambretta Concessionaires, featuring a stuck-on Pacemaker badge and was actually a TV200, as no Specials had been imported in time for the early press release. Not that anyone noticed at the time or that it mattered; what did matter was that I now wanted to own one.

We were lucky in that a local shop had what seemed like hundreds of Lambrettas for sale, most having been consigned to a neglected storeroom during the 1970s. However, the owner was keen to get anything back for the written-off stock and was more than happy to accommodate me when I asked if they had one. They had three, all in varying states, so by the end of the day and being 30 quid poorer, I was now the proud owner of my dream Pacemaker; albeit in a dilapidated state. So began my quest to restore it while also learning how to build a Lambretta along the way. At a time when most people were cutting the backs off them, a difficult road lay ahead.

Learning cliff

What I experienced wasn’t a learning curve as such, but rather a learning cliff; so difficult was it to get hold of information. The shop that sold me the Lambretta was more than happy to extract another fiver for the workshop repair manual, so I got my head down and read the book, hoping it would tell me how to pull one apart and more importantly instruct me how to put it back together again. Scooter shops at the time wanted to sell Fresco exhausts and Metalflake seats, so when I asked for standard parts the usual response was being laughed at. I tracked down a few dealers that had survived from the 1960s and they dug out a few bits and pieces to help put it back together but, in the main, it was a case of overhauling the original components; certainly the mechanical parts.

The idea was to keep it standard, and though such items as bearings and seals would be replaced, the engine would remain as it came from the factory. The same treatment would be given to everything else, such as the electrical and braking system. I wanted to truly reflect what the machine was like when it left the factory. I knew nothing about the original paint scheme, hence it emerging from the paint shop in white with red side panels. That was how it looked in the Scootermania photo. Not that anyone was bothered back then; anyone looking at it saw a standard Lambretta, which, apart from the colour, it was.

Keeping up

After two years of tinkering and detective work, BOC 198B made its long-awaited return to the road in 1986; some 15 years since it had last graced the tarmac. By this time it was 22 years old, and when it came to vehicle performance, things had moved on considerably since the 1960s. Could a machine this old, particularly a scooter, keep up with modern traffic? Having ridden many standard 150cc Lambrettas, remembering there were plenty to be had back then, it was surprising just how good the performance was.

There was a running-in period as the seized 57mm bore had gone up two oversizes, but it remained 150cc. What was most notable was the acceleration, far better than any other Li150 I had ridden, and the gap between the third and fourth gear was non-existent, especially as the standard box pipe allowed the power to come in early. There were times in traffic I’d attempt to put it into fourth gear only to realise it was already there. That’s what was so good about the gearbox, its ratios were so close that even the acceleration in fourth gear was impressive. The top speed was quoted by Lambretta concessionaires as 60mph, and though the Lambretta speedometer can never be regarded as super accurate, ‘BOC’ reached that speed without straining to get there. It would happily keep up with other Lambretta riders in the club who were on larger capacity machines, and often people would ask how the engine was tuned.

It would happily keep up with other Lambretta riders in the club who were on larger capacity machines, and often people would ask how the engine was tuned.

When I told them it wasn’t there was usually some expression of disbelief or a suspicion that I wasn’t telling the truth. The reality was that Innocenti had done a bloody good job when it came to designing the Li150 Special. Those purchasing one new from a showroom back in 1963 must have been mightily impressed, because two decades later it held its own in terms of performance.

End to end

Another feather to BOC’s cap was the cruising speed, which meant holding the throttle fully open for as long as I wanted to. With the engine reaching maximum power at 5600rpm, there was relatively low stress on components so it could be held open for long periods without any problem of overheating. Undoubtedly, the user-friendly, heavily leaded four-star petrol helped the matter, but thousands of trouble-free miles from an engine at full throttle proved this was an exceptional machine.

Not only did we campaign many rallies around the country flawlessly in 1988, it was used to compete the LCGB John O’Groats to Land’s End rally. To travel that distance on a factory standard Lambretta seemed mad to some, but the journey proved flawless. Not forgetting the 18mm Dell’Orto carburettor gave excellent fuel consumption, and 100 miles out of a standard tank was easily achievable. This backed up the figures claimed by the factory, so to have good performance and be economical at the same time was a remarkable feat.

Of course all good things come to an end and by 2007, BOC was looking a little tired and need of another refurb, so we parted company. So far as I’m aware it’s still out there, and I hope that its new owner’s having as much fun with it as I did.

Modern motors

There’s no denying that a standard Li150 Special would struggle a bit in today’s traffic, but it debuted 60 years ago, and any other vehicle produced at the time would also suffer by the same comparison. However, it’s not always about trying to keep up with the times, and if you wanted to shove a powerful engine in one, that would be a simple enough exercise. Even upgrading to a bigger capacity cylinder kit would improve it, but to me that’s missing the point.

The Li150 Special was precisely that; special. At the time, Innocenti took an existing model and, with just a few tweaks, made it into something completely different. A sports Lambretta that was capable of delivering performance to match its appearance. Finding them in standard trim is still possible and if you are thinking of buying one I’ve a suggestion. Before you think of upgrading it, try it out as it is; you won’t be disappointed. Most enthusiasts have several Lambrettas and if you already have a tuned example, leave the Li150 Special standard. Why? Because you’ll be able to appreciate the great job Innocenti did in creating it and I think you’ll undoubtedly get more pleasure out of it if you do.

Words and images: Stuart Owen

Additional image: Richie Lunt

1984 and, at last, the proud owner of a Pacemaker; all that was needed now was to work out how to pull it apart and put it back together again.

At Scarborough in 1987 I was asked to put the scooter in the custom show because restored Lambrettas were so scarce.

BOC 198B became the only vehicle of choice as far as I was concerned; despite covering thousands of miles it very rarely let me down. All hail the standard Lambretta.

Below: Finished. Except I couldn’t find any side panels for it. Note the greenhouse in the background where it was sprayed.

Making it on to the front cover of Jet set magazine, image taken at Midland Scooter Centre open day in 1988. Once it was complete a few images were sent to Mike Karslake for an insurance valuation. It came as a great shock to see that he valued it at such a high figure of £975.