Well, it all started when I had to pick my daughter’s PK50XL elestart up – from Spain. Importing goods since BREXIT has been a nightmare. My good friend Santi, “el Presidente” Scooter Club Madrid said, “Come to the 30th Anniversary, Sara and I are in Viktoria that weekend, you can ride the Jet200 and I will bring the PK50 up in the van to Eibar, the spiritual home of the Lambretta”.

Fantastic, what a plan. Like all good plans, there was a flaw, Viktoria was cancelled, and my option was to ride on the PK50 with Alvaro, Santi Patric, Vicente and Modesto… not a great plan, some 470km on A roads, some 300 miles plus.

Due to the FCK CVD plan in Spain, the JetSet rally was cancelled, so a legshield banner, celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the club, was passed and signed by every province (county), including the Balearics but not counting the Canaries. The final passing of the banner was in the Pays Basque and we would all be there to witness it. Since May, Lambretta club by club, rode around the whole country, passing it from one to another.

Holiday essentials

The first stage of the journey was a flight from Manchester to Madrid, taking with me the last of the cheap useless GB stickers. A VIP lounge and a rake of beer later, fully vaxxed up and with the right documentation, I headed to Madrid. On arrival, doctors, medicine, certificate, and a “stamp” in my passport. I was collected by Alvaro at around 10:30 and we went straight out for tapas and a beer with him and Santi. The journey had started.

Up early the next morning to collect the PK and have a ride around Madrid. It is not like riding in the beach destinations I assure you. A bit of work on my laptop and then back out with Santi, Sara and the kids. Beer, wine, and great food later, back to the hotel and Santi joined me for the ride – what could possibly go wrong?

Hand controls

Firstly – Santi snapped a clutch cable and was riding in second. Then my carb was racing and needed some adjustment, I popped the cable out of the carb. Santi’s tools were in the Lambretta and mine in the hotel. Next stage, fit a replacement throttle cable through the petrol tap hole and operate it in four lanes of Madrid traffic by hand… just to mess it right up, I ran out of fuel.

Student night

16:00, sorted carb, packed up and we were ready to go, Modesto (Moe) arrived. The plan for us, along with Santi Patric and Vicente was to catch up with Alvaro en-route, so in two separate parties we hammered it to Longroño. Those who went to Euro Lambretta in Spain a few years back would have passed through it to get to Soria.

Five of us in a chalet at “Playa de Logroño, it was time to hit the town. Catching up with some members of Lambretta Club de Logroño, the beers and the food started flowing – too much. Hitting the famous “Plaza”, it was Student night, like every Thursday in every city around the world. I am getting old, too many gin and tonics and back to the chalet for Moe and me around 2 am, with the others out for another couple of hours – you have to love the Spanish mentality.

Top gear

Then the riding was to begin. First waiting for Nacho, a committee member travelling up from Alicante, a 9-hour drive/ride. This is when the fun started. We decided to play “Top Gear.” I drove the recovery van and whoever broke down, had to ride the Vespa PK50 to Eibar. I’ve got to say it did not start well for Santi, but we all made it. The scenery and riding was excellent and I will be going back on a Lambretta this time

Up in arms

On arriving at the hotel, more Lambrettas were arriving. There were about 50-60 Lambrettas from across Spain and another 30 from Lambretta Club Eibar. Straight out for a few beers and met the Presidente of the Lambretta Club Eibar and he took us for a private tour, some 20 of us to the Arms Museum.

What did the Spanish ever do for us?

Eibar is famous for the manufacture of small arms and second to places like Birmingham. The museum had lost of artifacts from Spanish style Raleigh Choppers, the last of the Lambrettas and a huge number of weapons. Interesting fact about Eibar, it was bombed by the fascist regime (at the time from Italy), during the Spanish Civil War, alike Guernica was bombed by the Stukas of Germany a few miles away.

Friday night ended in food and drinking, with Saturday morning starting well, seeing the masses of Lambrettas. Unfortunately, at the time of the ride to the Basilica, I had to get my COVID test sorted, so I missed the ride and the photo of the club, it was immense from what I saw in the photos.

The hallowed doors

I went to the original factory, which is now a base for the “Ertizaintza”, which means Police in Basque. Whilst the police escorted the ride, the local club embellished the old factory with its original flag and to see the doors raise where the Lambrettas left the factory line, was a once in a lifetime moment.

The ride out arrived, for more photos, TV, national and local press, followed by an array of Lambrettas in the Square, including Carlos’ 3,000,000th off the production line, now restored to how it left (see if you can spot it in the rallery at the end). After the speeches, it was time to eat and drink. Club Lambretta Eibar arranged a tapas bar and put a lot of money behind the bar, when that ran out after a couple of hours later, the Lambretta Club of Spain followed suit.

Welcome

Saturday night was quiet as locals set off, but the ones that remained carried on eating and drinking. I can’t express over the last 20 plus years how Lambretta Club of Spain and SC Madrid have accepted me, but they do, and I really enjoy myself.

Early start on Sunday to make the ferry. Pre-departure Covid test in hand, the short 60km distance to Bilbao happened and went so quickly. After doing BodySnatchers in a sidecar, Glevum Stax and the Isle of Wight, I was shattered, so arranged with Howard to collect me in Pompey on arrival. The ferry was uneventful being by myself, but once again, great hospitality from the Spanish and I will be back next year.

Please enjoy the photos, there were some very special Spanish Lambrettas there, one Indian and one hidden away Vespa PK50.

Words and photo: Doug Turner

Have a flick through the Rallery below…