Reader’s Ride: Ogden’s Afterglow…
Twenty-two years of ownership and a tribute to a legendary band makes the owner of this Lambretta a very happy man…
Twenty-two years of ownership and a tribute to a legendary band makes the owner of this Lambretta a very happy man…
There are just a handful of bands that have chiefly inspired the majority of custom scooters. The most well-known ‘top three' are The Jam/ Weller, along with a pair of London-based 60s outfits, both with huge Mod followings. From West London it's The Who, along with East London's finest, the legendary Small Faces. It is the latter of the trio – to be precise, their ground-breaking concept album, Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake – that provided Guernsey-based scooterist Nolan with both the inspiration and name for his Lambretta, Ogden. He has owned the scooter since 1998, and it has been an ongoing project of sorts (more ‘off' than ‘on') with changes being made when mood and finances allowed. It was conducted at a leisurely pace, which suits Nolan, as well as being kind of in keeping with his native island of Guernsey, where the maximum speed limit on the island is a mere 35mph.
The Journey
Nolan's appreciation of scooters began during the mid-80s when he was an impressionable youngster. But it wasn't until more than a decade later that he acquired his first scooter, the very same Italian thoroughbred Grand Prix 150 Lambretta that he owns and rides today. In the 22 years or so that Nolan has had his Lammy, he's spent in the region of £4k on various changes. “I think I paid around £650 for it in 1998. Since I first got it, my scooter has been an ongoing project of mine, treating it to some upgrades and alterations as and when circumstances allowed. John Biggs here on Guernsey did the paint job for me; it was four or five years ago now when there were some real changes of any note made, with the various work at that time carried out on my behalf, to my requirements, led by expert advice, by Tim LeLacheur and Pete Sylvester. It has an SR185 top end kit that's had the ports blended and matched to the crankcase as well as to suit the 30mm Dell'Orto carb manifold and big-bore exhaust. I honestly don't know what the top speed is exactly, as we've got a low limit on the island. It picks up and goes really well, on the rare occasion I open the throttle fully and give it some welly.”
Lazy Sunday
One of the many endearing aspects of the scooter fraternity is there are no hard and fast rules that rigidly apply to any aspect of ownership. Individuals can put in as little or as much as suits. Nolan thoroughly enjoys riding his Lambretta around Guernsey. A fiercely independent solo rider, choosing not to be a scooter club member, he invariably meets up with whoever else from the Guernsey scooter collective is also out and about as well as enjoying his regular rides on a Sunday. That said, in terms of scooter rallies his only first-hand experiences of them are the annual (2020 excepted) Guernsey Scooter Rally. “Being a music fan, I've done Glastonbury Festival many times. Camping in a muddy field holds little appeal, especially these days, and I prefer my home comforts. I've never been to a national scooter rally on the mainland; the idea of camping at one isn't for me. I actually have camped at the Guernsey Scooter Rally, having a laugh with mates and like-minded people, comforted by the knowledge, although unlikely on Guernsey, that if the weather does turn, or should the mood take, home comforts are fairly close by. I do enjoy going out for a ride on my Lambretta, whether on my own or with a few other island scooterists on a Sunday, maybe stopping off for a drink or a coffee with a chat.”
Rolling Over
Another element of our scene is the modifying and customising of your ride; invariably a scooterist will put their own stamp on their steed. While others may have opinions on that, some more vocally than is warranted, it's worth stating that while it may not be the observer's choice of style, the owner/rider has just one aim when individualising their pride and joy… which
Although it doesn’t match any of the many Tootal paisley scarves I own, it did appeal and fitted the bill too, being different from anything else here on Guernsey.
is simply to suit their own requirements and no one else's! Granted, there are a number of different approaches to customising, some which have as many detractors as devotees. But there is one in particular that is perceived as an absolute no-no: vinyl wraps. Yet in terms of cost, a vinyl wrap weighs in more costly than a basic paint respray, but vastly cheaper than a full custom paint job with murals airbrushed on. Maybe there's a touch of snobbery, along with appreciation and acknowledgment of a craftsman's work regarding the utilisation of vinyl wrap instead of paint? To each their own, goes the old adage. Nolan has named his Lammy Ogden in homage to Small Faces' chart-topping concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. He has the cover art of that record replicated on the legshield-mounted spare wheel cover. Along with the kitted and tuned engine, he has fitted a subtle amount of chrome-plated fixtures and fittings, which contrast with the mustard gold and deep red-coloured livery. This consists of the base paint coat, overlaid on the panels, mainframe loop, as well as sections of the mudguard, horncast and headset, with a paisley design wrap. “It was a wrap design I saw and ordered online when I was looking for ideas and inspiration for making some changes to my scooter. Although it doesn't match any of the many Tootal paisley scarves I own, it did appeal and fitted the bill too, being different from anything else here on Guernsey, as well as being in keeping with the name I gave my scooter. I'm more than happy with how it looks currently; after all, the last real makeover was four or five years ago. That's not to say it's how it's going to stay, the way I see it, custom scooters are always an ongoing project.”