When and where did you first have an interest in scooters?
I grew up in Australia, where the scooter scene is very different from that in the UK, on the outskirts of Sydney, where big V8 cars were the norm. I lived on a farm and had trial bikes so wasn’t a total novice at riding. In Sydney I had a PX, which was perfect for commuting and gave me experience of riding a Vespa with the handlebar gear change. Unfortunately, this knowledge didn’t extend to maintenance or fixing them, which would later lead to memorable encounters during my trip.
Why a Vespa?
I believed it would be a fast track into Italy – if you ride a Vespa, you are part of the scene.
I remember seeing old black and white Italian movies with Vespas and stars like Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren draped over them, looking cool while nipping around Rome. It obviously made an impression as I thought to myself that one day I’d go to Rome and ride a scooter around the city myself, a dream that stuck with me right up to turning 40. At that point it struck me that I hadn’t yet achieved it. There and then
