SCOOTER RACING IN THE 1980s A pictorial history Lambretta and Vespa (The Lambretta history series)

By the end of the 1960s, scooter racing as a national championship began taking shape, which had been born out of the 12 and 24-hour reliability trials held in the years before. The problem stemmed from the fact it wasn’t out-and-out racing, which is what everyone wanted to happen. After an initial trial in 1969 to see how a championship would work in 1970, it became a reality. However, by the following year, Innocenti had been taken over, and production of the Lambretta would finish. Initially, it had no effect on scooter racing and, if anything, helped boost it. With machines such as the Grand Prix out of warranty, it didn’t matter if they were modified and allowed the racing scene to flourish. Throughout the 1970s, it continued even though the scooter scene, in general, went underground.It was reignited at the end of the decade thanks to the release of Quadrophenia and the music media-driven mod revival bringing in a massive influx of new owners. While the revival soon fizzled out, the scooter owners didn’t and little did they know they were about to make the 1980s huge in terms of scootering. While many would be engrossed in the rally side and all it had to offer, some went down the path of scooter racing. It was the perfect storm as several vital issues played an essential part in shaping it over the following decade. Those who had started racing in the 1970s were now seasoned pros and were joined by the new rookies keen to learn the ropes. Added to all this was the endless supply of cheap Lambrettas left over from the demise of Innocenti and the availability of small-frame Vespas, meaning you had all the ingredients required.Also fueling the issue was a group of dedicated and talented tuners keen to ply their trade. With the scooter scene growing rapidly, they now had the chance to turn their part-time ventures into full-time businesses. This spilt out onto the track as shops ran their own teams because winning meant guaranteed sales of tuning goods to road-going scooterists. Development of both Lambretta and Vespa engines accelerated at a furious pace as those at the front of the grid got faster and faster. Everything else followed suit: brakes, suspension, and the chassis continued to be improved with some hugely innovative ideas. The more competitive the sport became, the more it encouraged others to join in, and at one point, there were over 300 licence holders ready to race. This meant scooter-only race meetings were a regular occurrence and allowed each group its own individual races. Some exceeded the amount allowed on the grid because the demand was so big. While scootering racing has never stopped, the 1980s was undoubtedly the pinnacle and crowning moment of the sport. Read more