From your own responses, I feel sure that any fuel tap issue is obviously something that you will be able to rectify & easily tailor the amount of reserve to suit your own preference.
Some of us that have never been without Lambrettas since first getting motorised transport will be more aware than others of some of the potential issues to be avoided.
Reading through this Post, I would remind anybody that some common assumptions should be avoided. Potentially, any long term car driver, or perhaps somebody not familiar with a fan cooled two stroke, should forget common practice associated with such other vehicles.
Debates about ignition timing & petroil mix often occur on this Forum, but you need to figure out what it is you would like to do & try & stick with it, otherwise you will having nothing consistent.
Ignition timing of a fairly standard engine will probably be best retarded from OEM due to the fuel. How much is really anybody"s guess, but it's fair to say IMHO that any safety margin is commonly applied & then some! Recently, I have witnessed examples where the ignition has been set as OEM with no apparent detriment to the engine. I am just saying that the reasoning for retarding can often be over stressed & it really is not an exact science unless analytical equipment is available.
Petroil mix & the brand of oil is another topic often discussed. Whilst I am on record for what I use, it won't suit certain engines, say, like a reed valve engine where big end lubrication may not be so liberally available. However, in a ported Rapido Suzuki TS piston 71 x 61 that pulls TV200 top gear ratio (no doubt torquey then...) I use Exol Optima with the best Super unleaded that I am aware of. Currently, that appears to be Tesco's @ 99 Octane rating, but I stand to be corrected. That engine runs very happily on 2%
I would imagine that just by reading what I have thus far said, may cause some consternation, but I am merely trying to express how the variables are so......variable!
Some things
are consistent though.
I wouldn't mind a pound for every time I have read of extra oil being added to the tank whilst running in & the practice of keeping RPM low.
Both are detrimental! Adding oil weakens the petrol/air mix.
Not revving an engine means less fan cooling, thus over heating! I am not advocating caning a fresh bore, but with the increased friction as the consequence, low revs are potentially more dangerous than high! Riders used to car engines have been known to roll off the throttle after a high speed blast. Easily done, but the consequences are less oil & cooling. That has been enough to cause @ least one owner of an MQ engine to need a replate of the bore.
Gasp! Despite my often out spoken views, I hope you can enjoy ownership of your Lambretta & not be put off by what may be judged as the complexities.
Lambretta in it's purest form is as reliable as any vintage motor scooter, taking into account the need for adjustments due to changes in legislation, the most likely of which is fuel. A big part of the problems brought about is that in particular, we in the UK tend to tinker & I confess to being guilty of that. Hopefully, some of my experience may help others avoid making some of the mistakes that I have.....