Text: Brannigan Achadinha. Article form the August 2012 issue of DO IT NOW Magazine.
Have you ever seen a scooter with really cool mods and wish you could do that to yours? I mean, how difficult or expensive can it be. A little spray job here, a cut here and file down there … pfft! if only.
What it entails is a lot of time, tons of skill and a heap of moola! ‘Trick parts’ don’t come cheap, that I can tell you. Most parts have to be imported, unless you are lucky enough to have a granny that lives in the States and can ship them over to you. Trick levers, clutch covers and anodised forks can be made locally, but if you want them made well it’s probably going to cost you just as much to import them. There are some great local places you can go to for modifications that involve pipes, engine upgrades, upholstery and spray jobs. However, the quality is not quite the same because the international scoots are completely rebuilt with insane modifications we could only dream of.
When it comes to buying one that can be pimped, I think the best scoots to modify are the Yamaha BWS100 (B-wizz) and PGO PMX Naked (a motorcycle without fairings is called a naked). The B-wizz is a good one because of its easy-to-remove panels, motocross look, short-wheel base and there’s tons of extras available locally. The PGO is another fun scoot to modify; its motocross triple-clamps can be easily swopped with MX bars, panels are simple to remove and the side-facing air filter can be replaced with a foam filter. Now add some 2-stroke pipes, which are cheap, and you’ll really enhance the overall look, sound and performance of these scooters. While you can do some of the mods yourself, such as bar changing and filters, I would recommend that you visit a pro for any engine mods.
In terms of dos and don’ts, it all depends on what you want to use your scooter for. It it’s racing, you can only mod your scooter to the rules, but it it’s for personal use then you can go ape. However, you never wanna over do it!
Despite the amazing spray jobs and various modifications that can be done to the BWS and PGOs, we are nowhere near the international standard! And sadly, there is no shop in this country where we can send our little two-wheeled friends to, to be converted from granny-transporting scooters into look-at-me-I’m-freakin’-awesome scooters. Your only options of getting your scoot into showroom condition are to either import the parts yourself or find them on the net. Thereafter, you can then get the parts expertly fitted and working at either PRD Performance, Malossi or MOC Racing.
With limited options on where to pimp your scoot, I’ve spent a lot of time online looking for already hopped-up scooters and every time one catches my eye it’s the Honda Rucus! This hot scooter has been quite popular in the States for a while now, and the types available range from a rat-rod type to an extremely beautiful copper-style Rucus. You will be amazed at the attention to detail spent on each of these scoots; from the license plate holder and bolts on every nut, to the colour coding of the seat, to shock springs, grips and levers. The entire floor board has also been re-welded around an aluminum fuel tank and not only does it look good, it serves to hide every cable in the frame. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Rucus is destined for South African shores anytime now or in the future, thus leaving us with the options I mentioned earlier.
If you have any scooter related questions, you are welcome to contact me on facebook or twitter.
DINfobox
If your scoot is your pride and joy and you want to show it off, then post a picture on our facebook page (Scooter101), tweet me on Brannigan 101, join our facebook group or go to our website www.scooter101.com so that we can all enjoy all your hard work. To check out some of the fastest scooters in South Africa, come join us at the next Scooter101 races, which are held on 25 August at Vereeniging Kart Circuit; 9 September at Holeshot Raceway (parking lot race); and 20 October at the Kyalami Kart Track for the finals.
Related Content
