Viva Las Vega's

I owned my first Lambretta Vega 75 back in the early nineteen eighties. I would have been 13 or 14 years of age and knew nothing about scooters or indeed mechanical engineering. It all started on a whim really. It was during the short-lived UK Mod revival around that time and I'd decided to buy a parka and some appropriate sew-on patches thereby labelling myself as part of this scene. One of the patches was of the classic Lambretta decal a vehicle brand highly associated with the Mod movement. Getting well into the mood, and on the off chance, I asked my estranged father, on one of the few occasions he visited, whether he could get me a Lambretta. To my surprise he somehow managed to drag a mothballed scooter out of some lock up somewhere and rang me to say it was on the way. I was, well, delighted

When he turned up I remember being instantly deflated and more than a little disappointed. I watched on, somewhat ruefully, as he unloaded from his trailer what I later found to be a tatty looking Vega 75 in its original, but battered, blue paint. Economical in design with funny girder type handlebars and very little adornment it looked more like that other retro classic; the Raleigh Chopper than one of the side-panelled classics that I was expecting to receive. In short, it was not the iconic Mod-mobile I’d hoped for. Anyway, swallowing my deep reservations and after some energetic work kicking it over, we got it started and, following some minor adjustments, all the major bits were soon operating; brakes, gears, lights and clutch. My first association with the so called Luna line had begun.

Fly me to the Moon

After some consideration, I decided that my grand plan was to take my machine and restore it to its former glory. This was obviously impeded by some quite major failings on my part mainly centred on lack of skills, tools, money or knowledge not to mention a driving licence or any experience of riding any kind of motorbike. Sources of information to aid this process were patchy to say the least. At the time the internet still resided with the US military, other Vega owners were thin on the ground especially when all you could do is hope to accidentally bump into them on the street. These issues set the overall tone for this my first foray into classic scootering. After several years of incompetent fettling followed by rallying my bike around various car parks and industrial estates and a few brushes with the police for lack of insurance, tax or indeed age I sold it for thirty quid, in a much worse state that when it first arrived. How I regret that now. If I'd laid it up in my Mum's shed I might now still be able to bring it back to life. To take some good from this I did in fact learn a lot. During the Vega’s time with me I had dismantled most of the major parts, learned how to coax it to life, even after months of being laid up, and perform some basic maintenance. This knowledge serves me well today but with so much more to learn.

No Helmet Needed

To offer some relevant Lambretta history: they were launched in three models known collectively as the Luna Line so called to invoke, or more likely, cash-in on the frantic space race happening during the 1968 – 1970 period in which they were produced.  There was the basic Lui 50cc Italian market only, which could be ridden in their home country, licence and insurance free, in much the same way as a push bike. Foreign markets were better served by the more practical and road legal 75cc Vega and the now rare Cometa Models.  The latter being the first commercially produced scooter to have a clever, automatic two stroke oil delivery system fed from a dual compartment petrol/oil tank (but limiting the range in the process). Performance for these machines was impressive due to the high revving engines and a beefy 20mm carburettor meaning they accelerated well and could manage in excess of 50mph with a good following wind. Scary stuff with such small wheels and virtually on or off drum brakes. Issues came with high levels of vibration caused by the highly ported engine which meant long journeys were a numbing experience for both the arms and the posterior.  Complaints were that they were not quite pitched right; 75cc was not quite powerful or versatile enough leaving them stranded between basic commuters and more powerful keep-up-with-traffic 100cc plus bikes. They didn’t sell well and heavy discounting was required to shift them in numbers.  They did, however gain a following, and success, as racing scooters where the adaptable engine and high ground clearance gave them good advantages in their class.  Indeed, many were broken down for their leg shields as they offered good aerodynamics to custom build racers and kept them compliant for their competitions. Even today this part makes good money on eBay and also means complete bikes for sale are increasingly rare.

And so it was that I came to love and admire these quirky machines. Even though they occupy a short but unique period in the Lambretta story their inherent novelty still appeals even despite the issues of scarce spare parts and under-powered performance.  I know they're not to everyone’s taste, even Lambretta enthusiasts, but those Bertoni-styled lines mean that Luna line scooters, when looked at critically, can be seen for what they are: true 60/70s classics that were way ahead of their time. The key to this appreciation is not to compare them, as I initially did, to their siblings in the Lambretta stable but to their contemporary small commuters on UK roads at the time this being mainly the Honda 90 Moped. In doing this it’s obvious there’s simply no comparison. The Italians win hands down and not only for their looks but also their performance and innovation.

Although they remain irrevocably stranded in the few short years they were made the Luna Line does truly evoke the era of space travel that inspired their naming. When considered over 40 years later it's clear they were truly revolutionary in terms of their overall design and you can still see some of their residual DNA when you look at modern scooters. It is for this they deserve to be admired and coveted by all who value innovative engineering coupled with unique retro styling.

Viva Las Vega's

I'm pleased to say there's a happy ending to my tale. I now own both a Vega 75 and a Lui 50 CL and have the time and money (still not sure about the skills) to do a better job of a restoration project this time. Love them or loathe them these classic machines are part of scootering heritage and their preservation and presence on the roads must remain a priority at least for the appreciative few.

Edited Version first published in H&H CVC Magazine Feb 2012. Copyright Anthony Boe 2014 All Rights Reserved