When we first started ScooterLab back in 2016 we had some tough decisions to make. We’re primarily Scooter Boys, love classic two strokes and enjoy making them go as fast and as far as possible. We also appreciate everything else on two wheels, we’re certainly not blinkered and have ridden pretty much everything worth riding. We’re in acceptance that the future won’t all smell of Putoline. Read on and let us know what you think…
Iggy
Wheat and chaff
We knew lots of old Scooterists weren’t as tolerant as we are though so we decided to split the site into Retro and Modern, knowing we’d have a crossover of models like the GTS, Scomadi, Italjet Dragster etc. but meaning our less tolerant readers wouldn’t have to sift through loads of modern machinery and vice versa for our modern scooter riders.
We’ll fix it for you
Even so, there are some marques and machines that cross those boundaries, need to be on both sides of the Retro/Modern divide and provoke very strong feelings. The new Lambretta provokes more violent reactions than a Jimmy Saville fancy dress outfit at a kids party.
Branded
The new Lambretta brand is an iconic name brought back from the dead two years ago with the V-Special (or bought back as the case may be). It’s a brand lots of us (myself included) are very passionate about and one we’ve kept alive and flown the flag for, for over 60 years.
It’s been brought back to cater for modern scooter buyers looking for a familiar name in a sea of Chinese anonymity- IT’S NOT MEANT FOR ‘US’. They never expected to attract a long in the tooth 50-year-old scooter rider on to their new fandangled twist and goery. Lambretta is a brand trading on an iconic name from the past in the same way as Triumph, Norton, AJS, Brough Superior and many others do, all brought back from extinction, all doing a modern take on an old name. Catering mainly to riders who never owned an original.
As an outsider looking in, the Brough Superior is a stunning new motorcycle, I’m looking at it as a new machine though. If I was an original Brough owner and aficionado with a £425,000 bike in my private collection (yes that’s how much a basket case SS 100 sold for earlier this year at auction) I’d probably be spitting feathers at these young upstarts desecrating my favourite brand. Putting new technology on to a classic platform, stopping the oil leaks and improving reliability, handling, stopping and power output.
Progression?
It’s hardly surprising but using the Lambretta brand name seems to bring out all the haters. Even so, we aren’t shy and will show you their latest flagship model. It may not look too much like our favourite Lambrettas of old (there are other popular retro brands that already do that) but this is still a Lambretta, by name at least. It’s also probably much closer to what a 2019 ‘real’ Lambretta would have looked like had Innocenti’s history been rosier than it actually was. We certainly wouldn’t be buying new two-stroke GP 200s, in the same way as we’re not buying Vespa GS 160s and car fans aren’t buying new Mark 1 Ford Escorts. It’s progression, like it or not.
Put yourself in the driving seat
Not all babies are cute, but let’s not offend the father too much.
It’s a simple choice, buy one or don’t. Some ScooterLab readers will look at this longingly, savouring the details. They’ll notice the clever way the front mudguard is used as a subtle cooling scoop for the radiator, and be impressed with the courtesy light projecting the familiar logo. I have to say, up close this is a completely different machine to the V-Special. It looks good, the finish is fantastic, it looks and feels like a quality machine, everything is substantial and it’s pretty much all-metal. This is a premium product.
The truth is most will be holding their heads in their hands and wishing it was all just a violent nightmare. Either way, this scooter has provoked more comments on the photos we’ve shown from EICMA 2019 and on our YouTube channel than anything else. That shows just how much passion true Lambretta fans have, but just typing “It’s shit” and comments of the sort isn’t very thought-provoking. Let us have some objective thoughts in the comments…
It’s usually just the haters who leave reviews or add their two penneth worth, we’d like to hear both sides of the story. Are you a modern scooter lover who yearns for technology? Does the G-325 tick boxes for you? Should this be melted down for scaffolding tubes?
What we know
- Engine? Unsure but may be Sym or Honda
- Bodywork? All steel, monocoque
- Panels? Side panels are removable
- Courtesy light? A first on a scooter
- Price? Too early to say
Other Lambretta news
Lambretta will be presenting their first ‘High power’ electric G-Special at the New Delhi Auto Show in February 2020 and are said to be investing in Hydrogen2 technology as well.
They’ve also added two new colours to the existing V-Special range, a GP turquoise and this year’s most popular colour, grey.
Lambretta G-325 Special gallery
SLUK Shop – modern and classic scooter parts and equipment since 2016
The scooter may look more Innocenti than Lambretta but as the article says they have kept the essence but brought the technology forward.
To use the old blueprint would I feel corrupt the classics. There are so many that are now not truly being restored but rebuilt using non original components of admittedly a better standard.
We all have our own reasons why we love scooters. To some it’s rekindling their youth and to others it is the joy just being out there.
The Lambretta G325 is on my wish list for 2020 if the Scomadi 400 doesn’t appear. It is stunning.
Whilst keeping to the original heritage marque silhouette it is a 21st century evolution, far closer to an original Lambretta than the GTS is to an original Vespa to my mind ( having owned 4 GT/S since 2004 and never truly “loving” the styling).
As a mature rider who uses two wheels to commute, I need a motorway competent machine that keeps faith with my Moddy sense of the aesthetic but equally does not lend itself to being bedecked with chrome tat.
I am not prepared to thrash to death a 60 year old 2T machine on big roads and compromise my safety anymore. If anyone has noticed there are twice the number of cars and trucks on the road than when most of us started riding and the traffic is much faster too. So for me, the old 2T is strictly for pottering around town in the Summer but scooters like the GTS and this Lambretta are for rallying and commuting in comfort.
Bravo New Lambretta!
Got to say I agree with you there. As Iggy says in the article this is probably pretty close to how a Lambretta would have looked if we British hadn’t bought Innocenti and immediately trashed it. I was in MSC a few weeks back, I’ve got an LI S2 and a Vespa T5, but I too want a commuter (come spring!). I saw the GTS up close and it’s a lovely thing – yes I’d prefer a geared 2T but those times are gone (and besides I have two of those already). Thing with Piaggio is they evolved the GTS. What RA and Scomadi have done is a pastiche of the 1960s – which is a legitimate approach if that’s your thing. The new Lambretta people seem to have taken their inspiration from the Piaggio approach. Could it be done better? Of course. The exhaust looks a bit odd, and why oh why don’t they slap an extra fiver on the price and give us fork boots? A little detail like that would make all the difference. So I’m definitely considering it, just need the road tests now. The RA scoots look ok but from what I can see they’ve shafted a British company run by a scooterist. Talking of which, I’ve been waiting 3 years now to hand Scomadi my £5k or so for the 400 or the rumoured geared 250, but I’m not even sure they exist anymore: shame. Looks like we’re back to Vespa vs Lambretta – who’d have thunk it in 2019.
Mixed feelings here,none of which concern the user of the name. Firstly, as you point out, the styling is very much “an up to date version”. Hmm. To me it looks like an up to date version from 2005. It needs further updating to truly being it into the modern era.
Secondly, those bloody wheels make the chassis look too small. Off the top of my head, there is only the GT/GTS range that have avoided this, and we all know how big they are as a result. Aesthetically though, it needs more balance here.
Finally.. The courtesy light. If I bought one, guess what would be the first thing I’d remove? Naffer than a box full of naff things.
Sure it’s a Lambretta:
Manufactured in Taiwan (I think)
CVT gearbox – belt drive
Fuel Injection
4 Stroke
Engine might be Sym or Honda
Monocoque bodywork
And they have the cheek to say ‘Get Real – Go Real’ on their website! I’m the opposite of Nik Skeat in that it’s the use of the Lambretta lineage, imagery and the monetisation of our passion for a branding exercise that annoys me most. If this product is ‘not meant for us’ why was it launched at Euro Lambretta 2017? Answer: undeserved kudos.
If Walter Scheffrahn is confident of his design then let him create a new brand, stand on his own feet and begin to build a new history with this scooter. Having said that, I do understand why RLC are involved; an enormous sum is being invested to bring new exciting products to market for the real Lambretta owner and this all costs them money. They have to think of the future and a lucrative youth market which will not be realised in our second hand machines. For those that disagree; I’ve got a new Ferrari on my driveway I’d like to show them.
I’m glad the lambretta name is still around. Sym or honda engine??? A machine carrying the lambretta name deserves better. It’s not offensive to look at and with 325cc it’ll move along nice and with metal bodywork it should last but to me it all seems a bit skoda. Very effective cars with a badge carrying a proud history but would you ever lust to own a vw one?
With Walter having legally shutdown everyone using the Lambretta name, I’d have thought it obvious why Rimini LAMBRETTA Centre have remained allied to this sham.
I’m mixed on it also i really don’t like the squareness of a lot of it it’s lost a lot of it’s styling that the old series’ of lambretta used to have.I’m pretty sure that Scomadi & Royal Alloy have got more of where lambretta would of been if they’d continued rather than this one.I’m no fan of a lot of these gts’ etc etc but i realise that they are unfortunately the scooter future i also believe this is about 10 years out of date they should work out how to use an electric engine in it rather than the lump it has now in it as to me buying one that will never happen and more to the point if any of my road compagnions got one they’d be riding alone.
As I said in the Sluk u tube clip, this thing is a turd, a big Green TURD. I’d actually ride a gts than swing my leg through this monstrosity and I’m not keen on Auto’s too begin with.
It all comes down to price I like the new ra tg300 but I also think the g325 is a fantastic looking scooter with proper dimensions to me the ra is to small.my knees are over the top of the leg shields but even sitting on a v200 special it’s roomier with a better handlebar position just my opinion
Just a thought to everyone ,if they care to look at the early designs innocent had for the proposed twin they`ll see a hell of a lot of style ideas brought into this prototype , larger wheels ,moving mudguard and squared off edges .The later designs for the twin was a far bigger step away from the gp/dl design ,think of a vega crossed with a amiga and your getting the idea .It `s not a innocent lambretta far from it but is a BMW mini a mini ,these new hmm lambretta`s are for mass market not the old crusty scooter guy and girl.
Steel monocoque? I can hear the hacksaws and grinders coming out of the tool box now! Although now lammy boys will have to look at the vespa for any cutting ideas.