Lambretta Alwyn Pushpak

Lambretta Alwyn Pushpak

This is Marks personal Scooter, he’s owned it years.

We built this for a bit of fun. In the Lambretta world the Italian Innocenti genuine Scooter is the one to go for, if your a purest. Lambrettas were produced in many countries Italy, India, France, Brazil and Spain. When Innocenti was bought out and shut down in the early 1970’s the tooling was sold to the Indians.

From then on the quality went down, the world was flooded with the cheaper inferior Indian Lambrettas. For those who can not afford an Italian version you can afford an Indian one then all the parts are interchangeable where ever they are made.

This is a rare one, when we got this it was perhaps one of the first to come into the UK, years later there are a few more around. The company making them were classed as the best of the best rebuilt Lambrettas in India and well on parr with the Italian Lambrettas and used Italian parts.

I took this one apart and every screw came loose, unlike most Lambrettas which are rusted solid. The main difference with this Alwyn Pushpak was it had a turning front mudguard that resembled a Vespa GS mudguard, where as Italian versions of this model had a fixed front mudguard.

When we got this one it was early days of ebay and every ebay advert for a Lambretta part said ‘Lambretta not Vespa’ it was on every advert, it was boring, type in Lambretta and that came up. So as a bit of a piss take thats what we called it as it was a Lambretta – sort of! It had the Vespa style front mudguard! So it built from there. The front dampers were swapped to Biturbo a well know Vespa shocker – but since gone as they were crap and back now back to standard.

Oh where to start on this bike, like my Electronic bike it’s been a test bike for MB products.

Oh and where has this bike been? It’s been designed as the ultimate touring Lambretta and massive mile muncher! It’s been to Austria/Slovenia, South of France, All over the UK, it’s won the coast to coast race and it’s been driven on every motorway in the UK when we did our charity Parkinsons ride! It’s so smooth you can do 200 miles and want to get on it again and go home the same day!

Whats it had done? Well – It’s constantly been developed, at one time it was the only Lambretta engine where every moving part inside the engine was made by MB. Different cylinders have been tested as with all sorts of engine parts. The forks have been changed to Indian 3 wheeler type, which used stronger external shockers and springs. To do this the fork links had to be altered to suit. The headset is altered to house a digital speedo. We added a dummy Vespa petrol tank, which houses a battery and all the electrics needed as its got a full 12 volt DC conversion with spot lights. The seat is modified to be softer and a spare wheel rear rack made to suit it. The dummy tank has clips to hold luggage and spare oil and water bottles. On the front end is a one off rack, again to hold all the gear you will need on a 2 weeks tour. The toolbox has been converted to a petrol tank and is connected to the standard tank. Under the dummy tank is another alloy petrol tank making 3 all connected to get more miles without stopping.

The front brake is a MB outboard disc brake – stopping power with one finger from the handlebar master cylinder. Along with the speedo its had all sorts of set up gadgets – EGT, AF, Sat nav, battery indicator. Along with sound deadening material for a quieter bike this all adds weight so it’s like driving 2 up all the time but is still fast!

Engine wise its changed, today its a MB Race-Tour 230 reed cylinder, with MB made forged piston and MB made 60mm crankshaft. The ignition is a one off 12 volt DC. The gearbox is a MB UK made 5 speed gearbox, the clutch is a 6-11 MB conversion and has the first constant adjusting chain guide.

Paint wise its a Volvo Bronze which came from a car parked in a works car park around the corner and it just stood out. Then it’s finished with some chrome plating and alloy polishing.

A true touring Lambretta and it’s not slow – clocked at 85mph and will cruise at 60-70mph all day long.