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Following on from our Casing Wars feature, we now have several competing upgraded Lambretta engine casings coming on to the market from the likes of Richard Taylor, Tino Sacchi and Casa Performance, but this is the first side-casing to be completely redesigned to accommodate extra-large clutches and to improve clutch lever action with a rack and pinion actuator. It is backwards compatible with normal Lambretta engines too.

http://www.scooterlab.uk/casa-performance-casacover-casing-8-plate-clutch-component-news/

What do you reckon - interesting upgrade or a clutch too far?

I think i've just dribbled a bit. that looks gorgeous.

I can't believe how many new cases and parts are coming out on the market now. Fantastic times.

It's gonna be Marmite this one and I think it's Fugly!

Rich'

I think what is becoming available now is quite amazing but I have a big "however".
The Lambretta enthusiast market is big but it's not massive. Yes it runs into thousands of potential customers globally but not millions.
The R & D costs must be incredible so pitching the price into a market where these components are "wants" and not "needs" and only a percentage will eventually buy, is potentially financial suicide. It could all end in tears.

I hope I am wrong and way off with my opinion because I admire what you guys are developing; I just wonder how you will pitch the price so as to recoup costs and most importantly.....Make a profit.
Good Luck.

CHRIS in MARGATE wrote:I think what is becoming available now is quite amazing but I have a big "however".
The Lambretta enthusiast market is big but it's not massive. Yes it runs into thousands of potential customers globally but not millions.
The R & D costs must be incredible so pitching the price into a market where these components are "wants" and not "needs" and only a percentage will eventually buy, is potentially financial suicide. It could all end in tears.

I hope I am wrong and way off with my opinion because I admire what you guys are developing; I just wonder how you will pitch the price so as to recoup costs and most importantly.....Make a profit.
Good Luck.

On the casing issue I think you are probably right Chris but hope not. Yes the Lambretta enthusiast market is big but the amount of people who would purchase a newly developed casing is relatively small. The "Scene" is not dying off, far from it, as the masses of new registrations I have done in the last 17 months prove that but what I have noticed is the huge amount of people who are buying a Lambretta for their first time or for the first time in 40 years.
A lot of these people don't even know where the engine No is never mind know their way round one so imo, the market is going to remain pretty small for what is now 6 or 7 newly developed casings.

Rich'

looks very nice but how will the average exhaust swan neck mount?

That is a very good point, well spotted.

And where is the stop for the kick-start?

(Sorry, a rather negative observation. All new parts that work are a good thing)

CHRIS in MARGATE wrote:The Lambretta enthusiast market is big but it's not massive.

The R & D costs must be incredible ......

Hi Chris.

Good points in your original post about the size of the market, but I have assumed that the R&D costs are coming down so that such developments are now viable. With laser 3D scanning, cheap(er) computer based design and more CNC machines in use, then perhaps small batches of such products is possible when previously we discounted the very idea of manufacturing items such as engine casings.

There must be plenty of CNC machines out there, and all need to be working 24hrs a day.

With regards to both comments about the swan neck mount and kickstart stop, as the article points out, this is an early rendering rather than the finished item.

As shown all of the fastener holes seem to be counter-sunk which won't work with studs and nuts, but I expect that these will be revised to accommodate nuts etc.

From my point of view this is an item that comes with the clutch, as you can't easily use one without the other. As such the pair won't be cheap because clutches on their own aren't cheap.

As regards the business viability of all of this - I'm still trying to get my head around it. However there are plenty of engine replacement businesses for Harley Davidsons (like S&S) that have flourished for years and even found new outlets. S&S motors are fitted to the latest 3-wheeled Morgans for instance.

Lambretta engines for mobility scooters ! Now there's a market for aging mods.
Funnily enough I was in a Tuk Tuk in Bangkok in February and got talking. Driver had never heard of Lambretta and his pride and joy was powered by a Daihatsu.

I appreciate that this is only a prototype, but it also appears that the kickstart oil seal is fitted from within the case rather than the outside ?.

I don't think it will be Jetex. Funnily enough from the comments elsewhere it does seem to be a Marmite product.

When you say 'tendering' does that mean that this is a CAD image rather than a photograph?

Should read 'rendering', yes CAD image, just like this one:

Ducking autocorrect...