Vespa SS90 This is now
In its day Vespa’s SS90 was a groundbreaking machine but the 21st century is a very different place. Stan got his hands on Retrospective’s electronic version of this iconic machine.
Woah, slow down! Before every Vespisti in the world explodes in a ball of rage I must point out that this isn’t an original SS90. It’s an example of how convincing a replica can be and full details of how it came into being can be found in the information panel on page 34. For now, I’ll just say that in all but frame number this is an exact copy and as I’m only interested in riding it, that’s perfect for me.
It seems that every month a new electric scooter is launched on an unsuspecting and often unwelcoming world. Standing out among the sea of cheap, and not so cheap, mass manufactured machines are a handful of small workshops busily trying to create an electric scooter that has class.
Among the foremost of these is Niall McCart of Retrospective Scooters in the Walthamstow borough of London. We’ve featured Niall’s kits before but it’s worth going over his ethos once more, as to understand his reasoning is key to appreciating the engineering that goes into these conversions. “I’ve no doubt that electrification is the future,” Niall began. “Almost every government in the world has signed up to reducing emissions and that can’t be achieved without reducing our use of fossil fuels. What I’ve tried to achieve with these kits is a way of adapting classic scooters to that reality.”
Part of Niall’s vision was to create a kit that would require no modification to the existing frame, ensuring that the conversion is entirely reversable. The result is a clever swinging arm unit that contains a hub motor which forms part of the rear wheel. A battery, or batteries, depending on the vehicle’s use, are located where the fuel tank once sat and the ancillaries are mounted elsewhere on the existing frame structure.
I’ve ridden previous incarnations of Niall’s conversion, but he’s recently launched a revised kit. What better way to discover how the new kit performs than by scratching my SS90 itch at the same time?
All aboard
It’s not often I begin a test ride by telling the person who owns the scooter to stop laughing at me, but that’s how my relationship with Niall’s SS began. I’ve ridden plenty of smallframes, but the SS feels very small indeed. Although the headset’s only 60mm narrower than that of a 50 Special, it feels more like six inches. There’s a mere 5mm difference in length between the two and only 15mm difference in wheelbase but the SS feels, and I’m sorry to say this, like a toy. It’s a feeling that’s enhanced by the narrow legshields and my view from the rider’s position was unlike any scooter I’ve ridden, including cutdowns. In fairness this isn’t entirely the SS90’s fault. I’m over 6ft 2in and enjoy a pint. This really isn’t a scooter designed for someone of my build. Once Niall has wiped the tears of laughter from his face (or maybe he was saying a tearful farewell to the 90’s suspension?) I set off for a hop around the industrial estate that Retrospective calls home.
Having started out a sceptic, by the time I returned to a nervous-looking Niall I’d been charmed by the SS.
I’ll come to the electric part in a moment but first let’s get to the meat of riding an SS90. Not only am I tall, I’m also broad shouldered. The SS’s headset is designed to allow a rider to ‘tuck in’ but gave me a rather unnatural riding stance, my elbows almost pinned to my side. Once I’d got used to this the SS started to make much more sense and the little scooter responded instantly to any input at the headset. The tank also proved itself to be more than a gimmick. Not only did it stop my gangly knees from catching on the headset, it also smoothly transmitted body movement to the frame. In all it was more like riding a small motorcycle than a scooter. Tight turns in cul-de-sacs were effortless and cornering was a pleasure. Having started out a sceptic, by the time I returned to a nervous-looking Niall I’d been charmed by the SS. Although I wouldn’t like to ride one a long distance, I could now see why this is such an iconic design. Unquestionably designed for the track, it would also make a very useful tool around town.
Power to the people
Part of the reason for my trip was to test the latest incarnation of Niall’s conversion. The main difference between this and the previous version is that the motor has been upgraded from 3kW to 4kW and now incorporates a rear disc brake. There are, however, several other, more subtle, modifications. These stem from sourcing a ‘DC/DC’ converter. In simple terms this isolates the motor from the rest of the machine and converts the 72v it requires into a 12v supply for the scooter’s ancillaries. The practical impact of this means that no special loom is required, it’s simply a case of splicing into the existing wiring and, if necessary, fitting a DC horn. This new item can be fitted anywhere on the scooter so there’s no need to ruin a Vespa’s classic looks with a modern replacement. The batteries are also removable which means that charging can take place anywhere that has a three-pin plug.
Of course, any electric scooter is only as good as its battery and Niall’s simplified the selection available. “In simple terms we have three battery sizes. Small, medium and large,” he explained. “Small is designed to fit inside the limited space offered by a smallframe and will give a range of 25-30 miles. Medium suits a Lambretta and gives a range of 30 to 35 miles while large will fit in the panels of a largeframe Vespa and give a range of 40 miles. However, they’re simply suggestions. If someone with a largeframe Vespa only rides short distances they can fit a small battery while both Lambretta and largeframe Vespas can accommodate two batteries if that’s what the owner needs.” Admittedly those figures won’t help anyone on a European trip, it’s important to remember what scooters were originally designed for and that was short trips at maximum economy.
In practical terms the new kit is a huge step forward over the old. Both are sprightly away from the start and Niall has recorded 69mph on the 4kW motor. The biggest difference is in throttle feel. I’ve previously fed back to Niall that the old kit felt as if the throttle was sticking. There’s no engine braking on an electric motor and for someone reared on a diet of petrol engines that took a lot of getting used to. The new kit has no such qualms with throttle response feeling familiar, both opening and closing. Indeed, the only thing that takes adapting to is that the clutch lever now acts as an emergency cut-off switch and that can only be reset using the control fob.
All things considered I enjoyed my spin on the electric SS far more than I’d expected; the frame design is already a classic and the latest kit from Retrospective does its memory no disservice whatsoever.
There’s a mere 5mm difference in length between the two and only 15mm difference in wheelbase but compared to a 50 Special the SS feels, and I’m genuinely sorry to say this, like a toy.