SCOOTER SPECIFICATION
Name of scooter & reason: Dig Out Your Soul. Oasis tribute to the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of a generation.
Scooter model: Lambretta GP150. Inspiration for project: The greatest band to walk the planet and too many exquisite Lambrettas in Silhouettes to not do one. Time to build & by who: Ten months by myself, Dale Winney, Dave Kirk and one or two others who liked to interfere claiming they helped.
Any specialised parts or mods: Rear rack, flywheel cowl, choke/fuel levers, horncast badge all by Keith Newman, K2 Customs. Engine spec
Kit: 198 Imola.
Crank: AF 58mm.
Carb: 28mm Dell’Orto.
Exhaust: Stainless TVR EVO.
Chassis spec:
Rims: SIP.
Suspension: Targaline.
Speedo: SIP.
Grips: MB TZR Yamaha type.
Levers: PM Tuning adjustable.
Cable brand: MB.
Seat: TSR.
Fuel tank & tap: Medium range stainless. Brakes: Front hydraulic disc, rear standard. Paintwork by: Jonno Drayton at Colourworx, Scunthorpe.
Engraving by: Kevin Adams, Hull.
Powder coating by: CJ Powder Coating, Grimsby.
Overall cost of work and components: About £3000.
Thanks to:
Club members Dale Winney who did the majority of the build, Dave Kirk for the engine strip and rebuild, Freddy Vitello and Mick Witty for turning up. My wife Anita for not asking about the cost and not minding me going AWOL on numerous nights. Keith Newman at K2 Customs for the rack, flywheel cover etc., Lin Rushworth at Retro Refits in Scunthorpe for both seats, Kevin Adams engraving.
The Masterplan
As with so many Indian GPs, all was not as it seemed as beneath the shiny white paint was a host of horrors. All of these required attention but fortunately none proved terminal and the bodywork was passed to Jonno at Colourworx in Scunthorpe. Before Jonno closed his spray booth doors late last year he built up quite a reputation among Scunthorpe’s custom aficionados. Sadly the reputation was double edged. Although there’s no disputing the quality of his work it didn’t arrive quickly, which proved to be the case with John’s project. While he waited, and waited, for the paint to be completed John turned his mind to the GP’s powerplant. “One thing I learned very quickly is that there are very few standard scooters in Scunthorpe. When I started riding with the Silhouettes my red 150 was completely outclassed and I upgraded very quickly.” The weapons of choice among club members are mainly TS1s and RBs. Although John’s had many happy miles of trouble-free TS1 riding, for this build he decided to retain the small-block casing and fit Tino Sacchi’s 198 Imola kit. Although he’s a master of electronics, the dark art of shimming up a Lambretta engine is outside John’s skill set and credit for that part of the build goes entirely to fellow club member Dave Kirk. Just as his patience was about to be exhausted John received the body work, now resplendent in its freshly applied paint. At this point John learned the value of a piece of advice that’s ignored as much as it’s repeated. “I wish I’d dry built it. Everyone’s an expert after the event but I could have saved a lot of time, money and heartache had I followed that advice. New parts, old parts – nothing fitted. ”
Although this is very much John’s build, the scooter came together in the workshop of another Silhouette member, Dale Winney. “I can’t thank Dale enough,” said John. “I was only supposed to use his garage but he
"One thing I learned very quickly is that there are very few standard scooters in Scunthorpe. When I started riding with the Silhouettes my red 150 was completely outclassed and I upgraded very quickly. "
loves getting involved, he can’t help himself. I’d call in on my way home from work to find him already working away. The next thing it’d be 10pm. It was like being a kid again, trying to sneak in but getting told off for missing my tea!” A self-confessed fan of the ‘full blown’ style of custom scooter, John’s managed to perfectly balance the amount of bling. The engraving by Kevin Adams and one-off parts from Keith Newman at K2 mark the machine as something special but they haven’t propelled it into the ‘too good to ride’ category.
The scooter was completed in time for that seasons Newark show where it formed part of the Silhouettes’ outstanding club display. Sadly Covid’s put paid to this year’s running-in schedule but hopefully by the time these words are read the Imola will be proving its worth.
Some Might Say
Clearly John’s not alone in his love of Oasis and there’s no shortage of tribute scooters out there. What separates John’s machine isn’t just quality, it’s also his reason for centring the scheme around Oasis’s final album. “I see Dig Out Your Soul as a pop at the scooter scene which is dominated by northern soul,” said John. “Possibly too much in my opinion, but each to their own.” Doubtless there’ll be some who disagree with him but there can be no doubt that John’s gone far beyond creating a simple tribute to his favourite band. He’s turned a rough GP into a worthy addition to Scunthorpe’s fine tradition of high-class scooter builds. It could be said that he’s Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.