BUILDING A LAMBRETTA OR VESPA STREET RACER THE ENGINE PART 4

The engine is, in reality, the whole thing a street racer is built around. Quite often it is said by many owners: "This is the engine I'm building - it just needs a scooter worthy of it going in." That's a true statement to a certain extent but the problem remains, what engine should you choose in the first place? This depends on several things and the most important factor is the cylinder kit that is fitted. This is where it all begins with the rest of the engine components following this decision. Before you start there are several things that must be taken into consideration to make your choice easier.

Which top end?

Deciding on which kit to use can be a real minefield and at the best of times very confusing. It can be narrowed down by several factors, the first of which, certainly when it comes to the Lambretta, is the casing. It may be that the engine and frame are the same ones that came out of the factory together and you have documentary evidence to support this. Rather than split them up you want to keep them together. If it's a Lambretta and a small block casing then this narrows your choice down, making the decision of which kit to use easier. It may be that you want to use a 'one-off' cylinder made exclusively by a tuner which again significantly narrows the choice down. It's the final option which is the trickiest buying