Moment in Time: Whoa, my SX is on fire | RETRO VIBE

Who: Toddy and Moth 

What: Lambretta fire

Where: On the way to 8 Balls rally at Larling 

When: 6th May 2016

Why: I wish we knew

This particular Friday wasn’t a very good scootering day for us, it could have been the 13th the way our luck went…

We met Friday lunchtime at a services outside Goole in East Yorkshire. The weather was glorious sunshine, so we were looking forward to a nice 170-mile ride to Larling and to be fair all was going well. Both scooters were running nicely, the usual fuel stops were taken at 60 mile intervals what could possibly go wrong? 

We were travelling on the A47, a familiar route if you’re on your way to Great Yarmouth. It got a little tricky as we tried to pick up the A134 towards Thetford, which would take us towards the A11 to Larling in Norfolk.

It was at Hardacre roundabout just outside Kings Lynn where the incident occurred. Anyone who knows the area will know it’s a large four-lane roundabout. I was leading the way as we spotted the correct lane, I thought all was well as I pulled out of the roundabout towards Thetford but as I glanced back I saw Moth wasn’t there so I pulled over to wait for him. A van driver pulled in as well, wound his window down and told me “your mate has come off back there and his bikes on fire” WTF I thought?! As I looked around I could see black smoke bellowing across the roundabout, I turned round and rode back towards the fire, panicking as I was worried about my mate. As I got closer I spotted Moth stood away from the scooter as it blazed away, luckily a lady had stopped and phoned the fire brigade.

We couldn’t do anything as the fire had a big hold and was very hot. It was gutting to watch Moth’s pride and joy go up in flames. The scooter had sentimental value as well as he had bought it off a mate in Whitby who had sadly passed away with a serious illness. The fire brigade came and put it out leaving a charred wreck (two of the firefighters were local scooterists as well).

 
As to what happened; Moth had been following me when a car cut across the lane and he was thinking it was coming towards him. He pulled across to avoid it and clipped the kerb, flipping the scooter over onto the grass area on the outside of the roundabout. As he rolled off and jumped up he looked back and saw flames coming from the scooter. Luckily he was ok but all he could do was stand back and watch the scooter burn!

Whether a spark from the off, or an electrical fault had caused it we will never know but it soon got hold and burned away. The AA came and recovered the vehicle to a local garage for insurance assessment. Moth had to stay in a hotel Friday night in Kings Lynn before catching a train back to Whitby on Saturday morning. Since then the scooter has been written off by the insurers.

That wasn’t the end of the trauma though. I left Moth at Kings Lynn and carried on to the rally at Larling. On arrival I rang the wife as my youngest had been unwell the previous day. As we spoke she told me he had been rushed into the local hospital with appendicitis and required an operation (he’s only 8) that was it I had to be home. The 8 Balls lads and lasses offered me food and drink and told me where the nearest fuel station was, then I set off on the 170-mile return trip from my flying visit to Larling. Still all was good, my son had the operation and is recovering well and Moth is in one piece after his off…

Toddy ( Wisemen SC)