“I don’t think it’s possible” Iggy’s last comment to me before he asked me to look into a planned 24-hour endurance ride, which Rick Westwood is set to embark on in the wee small hours of Saturday 24th June.
Rick plans to take his totally Standard 1999 Vespa T5 classic and save for the odd comfort and fuel break, ride it for 1000 miles continuously all in aid of Charity. Not only that, he’s set to accomplish the feat within 24 hours.
Stock 125cc T5
Necessary additions should help aerodynamics no end!
Background
Rick is 32, lives in Rotherham and loves a challenge, (No sh*t)! He’s one of quite a few scooterists who’ve ridden bikes and scooters and was looking for a different way of raising some cash for a decent charity.
Charity Choices
Speaking to him earlier Rick explained that whatever cash he raised through this remarkable feat of Vespa endurance riding, should be donated to charity. He’d researched his charities and soon found out that all of his donation may not actually make its way to the people needing it. The one he found which does donate completely is unsurprisingly, the one he chose.
Royal British Legion
You know what? It’s a great charity too. It does provide a great level of support and indeed comradeship to those that have served the country and in some respects still do. The charity Rick has chosen is the Royal British Legion. The longest established Armed Forces charity we have.
Says it all really
Royal British Legion Ride 1000 2017
Each Year since 2009, fool hardy but charitable motorcyclists are encouraged to join the RBLR1000. There are two one thousand mile routes (although Rick’s planned north route is actually 1060 miles). They both start at the well known Squires biker cafe in Sherburn in Elmett near Leeds and take a southern circuit around a planned route through England, or the planned north route which heads up the east side of England to Scotland right up to Wick on the Scottish East Coast (it’s a long way up), then back through the Scottish Western Highlands past Glasgow, down the western side of Cumbria and back to Squires Cafe via Manchester and Leeds. The exact route can be found on the RBLR1000 website here. The challenge is to complete the route within 24 hours. Completion allows you membership to the IBA.
IBA?
Stands for the Iron Butt Assocation who’s eliquently apt motto is “Welcome to insanity”. The Iron Butt Association is dedicated to safe, long-distance, endurance motorcycle riding. They have over 60,000 members world-wide.
It is not a club as such. There are no membership fees. There is only one way to become a member – you must successfully complete a certified IBA ride. Read more about the IBA here.
Unique
Rick will possibly be the only new IBA member to have completed one of their certified rides on a 125cc classic geared Vespa.
Nice clean T5 Lump – dodgy image supplied by Rick
Prep
In Rick’s own words the standard engine has had a “fettle” and a “clean up”. He’s also gone over the front end of the scooter ensuring all’s well and treated the bike to some new brakes and a speedo cable. As well as the racks you see in the pictures to carry spares, oil and fuel.
Contingency Donations
The only real contingency Rick is relying on are the spare parts he will carry to get the scooter fixed on the side of the road if needs be and crack on. He’s carrying with him a new cruciform, spark plugs, cables, CDI, regulator, bulbs, a spare exhaust, inner tubes, two sets of rims and tyres and lot’s of two stroke oil. Big hearted and charitable donations to his spares stash have come in from Ron Daley, Mark Broadhurst, Jason from Absolutely Scooters, Flintshire Scooter Centre, Alan at Beedspeed, Lubetec and Chiggy at Lambretta Upgrades.
Of course, we’d like to do our bit to help Rick with this challenge so have donated a SLUK Sports Screen for his Vespa which are of course, also available from our online shop.
Riding Buddies
Rick actually considered doing the ride on a Suzuki Bandit but the plan changed. He had an idea that the ride had already been completed by a Vespa GTS rider but never, as far as he knows, by a rider on a classically geared Vespa scooter. Exactly how long it was before he informed his Honda VFR800 equipped riding companion is unknown, but Rick remains certain they’ll still be friends even though his mate’s cruising speed may be reduced a bit!
Get behind him
After chatting with Rick, I’m pretty much convinced that he will actually do this and will access the Iron Butt Association, purely by the fact that his Vespa is equipped with a 1980s Yankee seat. His plan is to raise £1000 for the Royal British Legion and he’s a good way there. All being well, you can help to ensure that he smashes this, by donating through his dedicated Just Giving site here.
Rick, a non ex-services scooterist who deserves a medal.
Words: Lee, pics: Rick Westwood
“I don’t think it’s possible” Iggy’s last comment to me before he asked me to look into a planned 24-hour endurance ride, which Rick Westwood is set to embark on in the wee small hours of Saturday 24th June.
Rick plans to take his totally Standard 1999 Vespa T5 classic and save for the odd comfort and fuel break, ride it for 1000 miles continuously all in aid of Charity. Not only that, he’s set to accomplish the feat within 24 hours.
Background
Rick is 32, lives in Rotherham and loves a challenge, (No sh*t)! He’s one of quite a few scooterists who’ve ridden bikes and scooters and was looking for a different way of raising some cash for a decent charity.
Charity Choices
Speaking to him earlier Rick explained that whatever cash he raised through this remarkable feat of Vespa endurance riding, should be donated to charity. He’d researched his charities and soon found out that all of his donation may not actually make its way to the people needing it. The one he found which does donate completely is unsurprisingly, the one he chose.
Royal British Legion
You know what? It’s a great charity too. It does provide a great level of support and indeed comradeship to those that have served the country and in some respects still do. The charity Rick has chosen is the Royal British Legion. The longest established Armed Forces charity we have.
Royal British Legion Ride 1000 2017
Each Year since 2009, fool hardy but charitable motorcyclists are encouraged to join the RBLR1000. There are two one thousand mile routes (although Rick’s planned north route is actually 1060 miles). They both start at the well known Squires biker cafe in Sherburn in Elmett near Leeds and take a southern circuit around a planned route through England, or the planned north route which heads up the east side of England to Scotland right up to Wick on the Scottish East Coast (it’s a long way up), then back through the Scottish Western Highlands past Glasgow, down the western side of Cumbria and back to Squires Cafe via Manchester and Leeds. The exact route can be found on the RBLR1000 website here. The challenge is to complete the route within 24 hours. Completion allows you membership to the IBA.
IBA?
Stands for the Iron Butt Assocation who’s eliquently apt motto is “Welcome to insanity”. The Iron Butt Association is dedicated to safe, long-distance, endurance motorcycle riding. They have over 60,000 members world-wide.
It is not a club as such. There are no membership fees. There is only one way to become a member – you must successfully complete a certified IBA ride. Read more about the IBA here.
Unique
Rick will possibly be the only new IBA member to have completed one of their certified rides on a 125cc classic geared Vespa.
Prep
In Rick’s own words the standard engine has had a “fettle” and a “clean up”. He’s also gone over the front end of the scooter ensuring all’s well and treated the bike to some new brakes and a speedo cable. As well as the racks you see in the pictures to carry spares, oil and fuel.
Contingency Donations
The only real contingency Rick is relying on are the spare parts he will carry to get the scooter fixed on the side of the road if needs be and crack on. He’s carrying with him a new cruciform, spark plugs, cables, CDI, regulator, bulbs, a spare exhaust, inner tubes, two sets of rims and tyres and lot’s of two stroke oil. Big hearted and charitable donations to his spares stash have come in from Ron Daley, Mark Broadhurst, Jason from Absolutely Scooters, Flintshire Scooter Centre, Alan at Beedspeed, Lubetec and Chiggy at Lambretta Upgrades.
Of course, we’d like to do our bit to help Rick with this challenge so have donated a SLUK Sports Screen for his Vespa which are of course, also available from our online shop.
Riding Buddies
Rick actually considered doing the ride on a Suzuki Bandit but the plan changed. He had an idea that the ride had already been completed by a Vespa GTS rider but never, as far as he knows, by a rider on a classically geared Vespa scooter. Exactly how long it was before he informed his Honda VFR800 equipped riding companion is unknown, but Rick remains certain they’ll still be friends even though his mate’s cruising speed may be reduced a bit!
Get behind him
After chatting with Rick, I’m pretty much convinced that he will actually do this and will access the Iron Butt Association, purely by the fact that his Vespa is equipped with a 1980s Yankee seat. His plan is to raise £1000 for the Royal British Legion and he’s a good way there. All being well, you can help to ensure that he smashes this, by donating through his dedicated Just Giving site here.
Rick, a non ex-services scooterist who deserves a medal.
Words: Lee, pics: Rick Westwood
Hi, please support Rick by giving what you can. Scooterevents.co.uk has already made its donation to his very worty cause. Every single £ donated will help.