BUDGET S COOTERI NG
There are plenty of laughs to be had while working for Scootering magazine, but it’s also a responsibility. If we say that something’s good, you’ve every right to expect that we’ve tested it properly, and if we say something’s bad the manufacturer’s quite right to expect the same. Testing is in Scootering ’s DNA and that’s how, a few years ago, I came to be the custodian of an AJS Modena.
I’ve shared this with a few people over a pint or two, but I have a theory as to what the ‘motorcycle’ industry needs to reinvent itself. It’s a theory that works best if you’re full of alcohol and grew up in the late 1970s or early 1980s, because I believe we need a new ‘FS1E’. By that I don’t mean a modern interpretation of Yamaha’s teenage racer designed to suit middle-aged men wanting to relive their youth; I mean an entry level motorcycle that’s both revolutionary and affordable. Only something like this will entice the next generation of riders to the magical world of two wheels. If you follow the basic thrust of my argument, you’ll realise that what I think the scooter industry needs is a 21st century version of the Vespa 50 Special. I thought that might be the AJS Modena, so a couple of years ago I persuaded AJS to lend me one.
In, or on, the saddle
I’ll spare the name of the
