Parts advice

[mark]

i use both a scootrs outboard (home converted to anti-dive]
my lambretta gp's anti-dive front brake by mark & anne's photos, on Flickr
and a pm tuning onepiece tubeless rim/hub anti-dive and would go for the pm everytime tbh ,simply because it looks great and incorporates a tubeless rim made by a great company (grimeca).

anti dive front end by mark & anne's photos, on Flickr

[cvjosh]

Mark thank you for your advice and pictures. I thought that set up looked boss. Full front wheel/ brake set up.

[willwander]

i soon will have an RB225 kit...With this though i know that the added power output requires more upgrading in the engine...
any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated

Use Nylock nuts on all the body work! otherwise it will have all fallen off by the time you get home

[Diablo]

Have to say if you've bought an RB and want to cruise on it you've bought the wrong kit and should have maybe gone for a TS1. If you go with 5.2 gearing and the fat mamba then cruising is not an option. This is because at 65-70 you will be in the middle of a rather large power band.
I think its wrong to say either the fat mamba or the RB is revy. The RB makes lots of power over a a good 3000rpm its just that this is between say 6 and 9000rpm. Power starts to rise rather violently from 5000rpm anything below is flat. My view is that any pipe that doesn't allow this is simply retricting power and not allowing the kit to achieve its full potential. If your going to do that why buy an RB over a TS1 which is a better made kit and more flexable regards port timings and exhaust choice?
Not had the ADS pipe at ours yet for the RB but certainly the AF touring pipe only restricts top end power with no mid range benifit. No experience of the JL1 but a touring pipe on an RB-why?
The Fat Mamba produces excellent power but one of our customers did have issues with the end can.
My experience with RBs is that 5.2 gearing is too low and they should pull 4.8 easily. I have ridden and dynoed an RB with 5.2 gearing and an NKrace. It was lots of fun but I couldn't help feel it wouldn't be that way for long and it wasn't. Constant problems with ancillary parts destroying themselves.
Crank wise I think the 58mm AF crank for the RB is not as good as others on the market or even using 58mm webs with jap rods ie not an off the shelf crank.. We've used MEC webs with RG500 big end and RD350 rod with no problems over 2 rally seasons.
If your going to use the RB to its full potential I think a 6 plate is essential. The camlam 6 plate works well but plates need changing once a year due to the ears being eaten into by the crownwheel. The friction material stood up well after lots of abuse though. The MB clutch is excellent as well and may well stand up better by using thicker plates.
Variable ignition timing allows these motors to be ridden more easily round town so if your using a static system an augusto or Chislespeeds version which is adjustable is worthwhile. Camlams variatronic with welded flywheel has worked well on engines we've built.
Basically scrimp on nothing if you do you'll end up by the side of the road. At least you'll be warmer than we are here though

[tha83]

I think Diablo has nailed it. If you are buying an exhaust that doesn't suit your build because it is cheap then now is not the time to build an RB. Wait until you have collected the right parts and can afford to see it through. If you cheap out then you'll have nothing but heartache and repair bills. I am in Nor Cal but lived in So Cal for many years. Call Mark H at Jet 200. He is a top guy and won't steer you wrong. Check Scoot.net for used or cheap parts. There's a Hydro set up there now for Cheap. This is a great board but you should connect with folks in your area. Look into Paisans.org. Some folks from here pass through there as well. You are close enough to Bakersfield, Grumpy can help you out. You'll find great advice on the LCUSA board and fellow lambretta riders in your area. Good luck

[cvjosh]

Diablo- thanks for the advice i was actually going to drop you guys a line to see if you could ship me one of you fantastic tanks. My reasoning behind the RB is the fact that all the dyno graphs i have seen of it, the power band like you said is spread over 3000 rpms vs. the TS1 where from what i have seen peaks at 7000-8000 then falls only giving a 1000 rpm band to keep it in. As i am looking for a good out of the box type kit that will be able to move my rather large arse and keep it moving. My reasoning behind the Fat Mamba is that it shows good all around use or so i was under than impression. I agree with you on the gearing as i am going to shoot for 4.4-4.8 ratio.

can you help me understand as to why the TS1 would be a better choice than the RB ? All that i have found is that the RB was the TS1 taken to the next level?

and i have not purchased anything yet but that time is fast approaching.

thank you for all you help and ongoing advice.

cheers.

[sydduckett]

Have to say if you've bought an RB and want to cruise on it you've bought the wrong kit and should have maybe gone for a TS1. If you go with 5.2 gearing and the fat mamba then cruising is not an option. This is because at 65-70 you will be in the middle of a rather large power band.
I think its wrong to say either the fat mamba or the RB is revy. The RB makes lots of power over a a good 3000rpm its just that this is between say 6 and 9000rpm. Power starts to rise rather violently from 5000rpm anything below is flat. My view is that any pipe that doesn't allow this is simply retricting power and not allowing the kit to achieve its full potential. If your going to do that why buy an RB over a TS1 which is a better made kit and more flexable regards port timings and exhaust choice?
Not had the ADS pipe at ours yet for the RB but certainly the AF touring pipe only restricts top end power with no mid range benifit. No experience of the JL1 but a touring pipe on an RB-why?
The Fat Mamba produces excellent power but one of our customers did have issues with the end can.
My experience with RBs is that 5.2 gearing is too low and they should pull 4.8 easily. I have ridden and dynoed an RB with 5.2 gearing and an NKrace. It was lots of fun but I couldn't help feel it wouldn't be that way for long and it wasn't. Constant problems with ancillary parts destroying themselves.
Crank wise I think the 58mm AF crank for the RB is not as good as others on the market or even using 58mm webs with jap rods ie not an off the shelf crank.. We've used MEC webs with RG500 big end and RD350 rod with no problems over 2 rally seasons.
If your going to use the RB to its full potential I think a 6 plate is essential. The camlam 6 plate works well but plates need changing once a year due to the ears being eaten into by the crownwheel. The friction material stood up well after lots of abuse though. The MB clutch is excellent as well and may well stand up better by using thicker plates.
Variable ignition timing allows these motors to be ridden more easily round town so if your using a static system an augusto or Chislespeeds version which is adjustable is worthwhile. Camlams variatronic with welded flywheel has worked well on engines we've built.
Basically scrimp on nothing if you do you'll end up by the side of the road. At least you'll be warmer than we are here though

Diablo, is pretty much spot on with what he says. But his business is scooters and as such he may have a lot more of what i havent got (cash) Thats not to say that a cam lam 6 plate wouldnt be dandy as it would and id have one tomorrow. You can however use a 5 plate no problerm in a standard RB as i do and these are a lot cheaper than cam lams 6 (JB tuning do a good quality one for £200 i beleive?). Also not sure if i agree with his statment that TS,s are better built, iv done over 5000 on mine and i thrash the fu**er everywhere and no issues... He is spot on though about putting a touring pipe on though as whats the point. Having said this RBgaz on here as JL1 on his and hes very happy with it. Had a go on it this week and was very smooth power delivery all the way through. the touring pipe meant he had lost the power band (and the fixed grin) which he had after hed got off mine....

The ADS pipe is a bit of an unknown for me and maybe someone else can shed more light on them although by all accounts they have good feedback for his pipes.

Good luck.

Inj conclusion if you want to cruise and yr slightly lardy go for a TS & touring pipe or maybe a super monza if you want to rip the arse out of it then go the RB route. A standard RB will eat a standard TS all daqy long no matter what the soothsayers on here say....

[Diablo]

Tis true a std RB puts out about 5hp more than a std TS.
Clutch wise yes can take your point Sydduckett (although your wrong about the cash believe me!) if a 5 plate has held up for you fair enough.

To be fair I don't think the RB is an unreliable kit but I don't think is anywhere as robust as the TS1 and doesn't suffer engine misshaps half as well.
You don't need loads of porting to make a TS1 exceed the power of an RB but it can ported and set up as a fantastic tourer as well. My good friend Dean toured Northern Morroco before attending EuroLambretta in Spain on one of our TS1 240 motors and he won furthest travelled at Sweden the year before towing a Pav trailer. Try doing that on an RB!
The RB is what it is and out of the box its amazing. It is very focussed though and for the price of a spare pipe you can have two motors in one with a TS1.

[mark]

as for a clutch have a serious think about this one http://scooterotica.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14329, i will be testing this soon and fully expect it to be the best available

[cvjosh]

well i don't know what's big to you guys on the other side of the pond but i am 6'1" 240lbs not to large for the lard arses of america ahha. people over here are out of control big...

As for the touring pipe it was just a idea i had for doing long runs on my scooter and keeping the rpms low and the cylinder cool.

The main reason for me wanting a RB over the TS1 is the fact that where i am i don't have the abundance of help from shops or even people with good know it all about performance scooters, and with it being better out of the box means less things for me to have to fiddle with and potentially screw up.