Scooterotica

I've seen a few users mention their 'cutdown' in some of the tech posts, so I'm presuming a few out there have cutdowns as well as their regular scoots. I'm just about to embark on building my cutdown. It's been a long time sitting there gathering dust. Quite a while ago I managed to get hold of a butchered S2 frame that someone had taken a grinder to. I have no history of the frame but whoever it was didn't do bad work. Anyway I'm keen to get views and advice as I go along with this one. I've already started on the forks which I'm refurbishing. They are S2 forks but in good nick. I'm going to be using different parts fromS2 and S3 (headset for example). I have a magnificent SX200 engine case with mag flange and outer casing. I've also got a complete set of NOS SX200 internals. I'm aiming to build my own piece of art, but I need it to have some intrinsic value even if someone was to asset strip it later. I'm told it wont be possible to register a cutdown here in Western Australia, but I'm going to give it a go. The look I'm after is along the lines of an old cutdown called "Tangerine Dream", if anyone remembers it. Pretty much a blank canvas right now. Any cutdown enthusiasts out there?

Bang into em. Tangerine dream played a part in inspiring mine. Lambretta cutdown club is a brilliant group on fbook too full of good lads with helpful tricks etc

i an building a cutdown myself, i bought an ex race frame so ive had to weld on a brake pedal pin, and some outriggers for the legshields, ive cut a gp front mudguard, and some old indian legshields, done some filling and prep work, and primed it, i am hoping to put wiring loom inside the frame. it will have a standard gp headset and a small race seat to go on as well, engine is an rb250 thats just been fully rebuilt by me, just on hold at the moment as were moving house.

Holty. Interested in your approach to the wiring loom. Keep me posted. I'm wondering whether I can get around the standard loom and go for something simpler. I'm putting a modified SX headset on mine with a Smiths speedo (replica). But as I've posted elsewhere on the forum, getting it calibrated is a challenge.

My other conundrum is whether or not to leave the tool box and the toolbox door off. I've got a standard fuel tank. Anyone done this?

Final question for now is what stand to use. I want a side stand but I've seen them put in different locations on the frame, and also wondering what is the best available stand.

tony172 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 11:01 pm Bang into em. Tangerine dream played a part in inspiring mine. Lambretta cutdown club is a brilliant group on fbook too full of good lads with helpful tricks etc

Sadly (or maybe not) I don't have a Facebook account. But keen to look at any other forums.

Feeling pretty pleased today. Managed to get a S2 toolbox in good nick, dent free complete with rubber. Sourced here in Australia (albeit in the Eastern States). Also managed to pick up a decent fuel tank, cleaned and dent free. The vision is starting to come together now and I'm keeping a good number of standard features. I just keep defaulting to old school. Haven't quite decided on colour scheme yet. Also thinking long and hard about the engine. I've always been an iron barrel, manifold and big carb man (left hand mount), but as this is a cutdown I may bite the bullet and change. Could even go TS-1 or similar.

Cav wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:52 pm Feeling pretty pleased today. Managed to get a S2 toolbox in good nick, dent free complete with rubber. Sourced here in Australia (albeit in the Eastern States). Also managed to pick up a decent fuel tank, cleaned and dent free. The vision is starting to come together now and I'm keeping a good number of standard features. I just keep defaulting to old school. Haven't quite decided on colour scheme yet. Also thinking long and hard about the engine. I've always been an iron barrel, manifold and big carb man (left hand mount), but as this is a cutdown I may bite the bullet and change. Could even go TS-1 or similar.

Just my opinion.........

Cutdowns are real old school and need a motor to match. I'd go cast 225 with DJ pipe and big carb but TS1 is still old school enough to suit.

Metal flake and a snetterton seat.

Yep they are old school, starting with the very early Skelly scoots. Back in the early 1970's one of my mates had a well used S2. It had been in a minor prang but front muddy and leggies were badly bashed. So he removed them along with the rear runners. When I rode it I couldn't believe the handling and responsiveness. It was a revelation. But at the time we all thought it looked a bit odd. We used to call it the scaffold, because it looked like bits of scaff tubing bent into shape. Of course back then paint and chrome were all the go and we really didn't have either the imagination, the skills or the motivation to do anything special with it. The MOT ran out and he sold it for ten quid to some local kids who used as a field scrambler. A couple of years later on a coastal run we came across a proper Skelly, complete with KL back rest, etc. That was me hooked and I've been meaning to do a 'proper' one myself for many years, but could never bring myself to butcher a full frame. Fortunately this one had already been damaged and so now I'm well into the job.