Two years after I purchased my 1963 Lambretta Li 125 Riverside, which is a Series 3 "Slimline" model, I was ready for another scooter. One that was not as pristine, a scooter that I could ride hard and put away wet, if it ever came to it. I especially liked the look of the earlier Series 1 and Series 2 Lambrettas. They are heavier, sturdier, and with their rounder curves quite a bit sexier as well. However, these earlier Lambretta scooters are also much more difficult to find.

I wasn't actively shopping for a scooter, just lurking around, watching the market, and chatting with like-minded folks. As so often, the opportunity arose unexpectedly, when Mike, a fellow LCUSA member from Portland, Oregon, was able to acquire a lot of old Lambretta scooters from a horder in Washington where they had been hybernating for decades. Among them were no less than three Series 2 Lambrettas in various states of neglect, accompanied by boxes of parts. Click on the image to the left for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)

The scooter that eventually would be adopted by me looked quite scary at first sight, but underneath all of that dirt and grime was a healthy 1960 Series 2 Li 125 featuring all of its factory original paint, something I'm extremely fond of.

Mike is a true Lambretta enthusiast, a passionate collector, and one of the best Lambretta restorers in the country. He is very meticulous, does everything correctly to the last detail, and his ground-up restorations speak for themselves.

Although he's a preservationist at heart, most of his restorations include all new paint and chrome on top of a complete mechanical refurbishment.
Not this one!

This one would be taken down to the bones, get a full mechanical rebuilt, a thorough cleaning and detailing, but would then be put back together with the old factory paint on frame or body. Much like my old Humpback Volvo, it would wear its battle scars and patina of 54 years with pride.

Mike stripped the scooter down to the bones and removed the entire drivetrain -- engine, transmission, rear hub with wheel -- still mounted together.

Click on the above image for an XXL-sized view (a separate browser window will open)

Thickly covered in decades-old grease, it would put Purple Power to the test.

Click on any of the above images for a full-size view