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Scooter fever : Two Tone red and white P150X, loving restored by the team. -
Scooter fever : LML's have gears and are a bit trickier to drive said Pete. -
Scooter fever : Colours and accessories are all up to the clients. -
Scooter fever : Kicking it old school with this red 1979 P200E. -
Scooter fever : Scoot Dr. owners owners Neil Felgate and Pete Milne. -
Scooter fever : Rental scooters line the front of the store on Bree Street. Locals need a motorcycle license to rent but foreigners can get away with an international license. -
Scooter fever : Scooters like this Vespa 1958 150 come in as "rust buckets" and leave as glistening steads.
WORDS: Remy Raitt
Cape Town’s Scoot Dr is a candy shop of convenient transport that caters to the transport needs of the local cool crowd. So, when owners Pete Milne and Neil Felgate talk scooter trends, we take notice.
The rows of scooters outside the Scoot Dr store on 201 Bree Street glisten in shades of peppermint green, lemon-sherbet yellow and, of course, bright Vespa red. Here, eye-catching Vespas, Lambreattas, Bajajs and 2-stroke LMLs are lovingly restored, maintained, rented and sold.
Owned and run by Pete Milne and Neil Felgate, Scoot Dr has been saddling Capetonians and tourists up onto beautifully restored scooters for the past four years. The business was started through Neil’s passion for vintage bikes and the partners have been growing the trend in the Mother City ever since.
According to the duo, Cape Town is the perfect city in which to own or rent a scooter, which probably explains why the business is still on the up. Not only do local scooter riders own the retro-cool look, choosing two wheels over four is also economical. Scooters zoom past climbing fuel prices and parking fares, and traffic is also easily avoidable. And although you can’t reach speeds above 90km/h, you’re able to squeeze through the cars queuing during rush hours.
Popular choices
When it comes to popularity, Pete notes that most guys are after a slightly faster bike, so they usually go for a 200 engine. “The P200E is therefore the most popular choice, but it’s also the rarest as it only came out late in the Vespa development – just before they discontinued the 2-stroke engine. The classic rebuild is a Primavera: a 125cc from the late 1960s. We’re busy with no less than five of these at the moment.”
According to Pete, real Vespa nuts are always after the golden oldies. However, the sleeker and more styled Sprint from the 1960s, as well as the GS from the 1950s, are still the most sought-after bikes.
When it comes “pimping” scooters, chrome is the most popular – and best – choice. “These classic machines look stunning with as much chrome and stainless steel as possible.” Think chrome/stainless steel crash bars, decals, racks and trimmings.
The lion’s share of the market
Scoot Dr currently has 500 Vespa clients and enjoys the lion’s share of the scooter market in Cape Town. They import parts from other countries and also source “rust buckets” from all over the world. These are then transformed into fully operational, beautiful bikes.
Most of the mechanics take place at their Woodstock garage, but if you stroll into their City Bowl shop, you’re sure to spot a few busted-up old scooters waiting for a makeover.
Pete discourages buying cheaper, Chinese-import scooters, noting that these machines break easily and require constant attention. However, classic machines are built to last.
“We look at everything as having a life cycle, and each thing needs to last a certain life span,” says Pete. “Vespas have quality frames that last. We’re moving away from a throw-away society and looking at these scooters as something that will last a person’s life, and which can then be passed on to their kids.”
More information: www.scootdr.com, 021 424 5302
