Readers’ letters, laughs, feedback and fury – get it off your chest!

Can I share the following ‘advice’ for new scooterists or those that have never attempted any basic maintenance before? I’m no mechanic but at 66, I’ll have a go with simple maintenance (tinkering). I’ve owned my 1966 Li125 Special for almost six years. Since picking it up from Armandos, who did the full restoration, it has been 100% reliable, however the inevitable (outer) cable wear started to affect gear change. I bought two new inner and outer cables and set about thinking the job through. Off came the headset, horncast, front mudguard and bridge piece… and the fiddling began. It took about one hour to strip down and an hour and a half to install the new inner and outer cables and rebuild; as I said, I’m no mechanic and I take things steady. Result, gear change best it’s ever been.

Each year I change the oil and plug, an easy job but only after you’ve done it once. I have two tips regarding maintenance… firstly get a copy of Sticky’s Manual, and secondly don’t rush into anything. Buy the parts and think it over before starting, take it steady and you’ll be surprised what you can achieve.

I’ve also upgraded the rear light to LED, now I can be seen from behind at night and my headlamp doesn’t dim at all when braking! This is in my opinion a must-do upgrade and it’s cheap. If you do the simple maintenance jobs, your confidence grows, and you might just prevent a roadside breakdown.

Thanks for a great magazine, I especially love the old-time pictures and stories.

Best regards

Don Roberts

Barnburgh, South Yorkshire

The writer of our Star Letter this month wins a stunning pair of Duchinni DR-1 gloves worth £51.99. Get sporty with the DR1 glove. Aimed at track and road use, it combines a tough leather/Keprotec® shell with CE-approved knuckle protection. Find out more at www. weiseclothing.com