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"Quicksilver" Retro-Future Scooter from appliances and scrap metal

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intro"Quicksilver" Retro-Future Scooter from appliances and scrap metal

Ever since I was a kid I have always loved old scooters. However I have never really wanted the responsibility of maintaining a "vintage" machine. I always thought to myself, "why can't we have the convenience and reliability of modern engineering like a Honda with the class and styling of an old Lambretta?"
Recently it occurred to me that as an adult, I actually have the skills and facilities to address this important issue that has nagged me all these years.
I am a metal sculptor, and have absolutely no experience with scooters at all. What follows in this instructable is my experience of stripping down a mid 1980's Honda elite 125cc scooter, and totally redesigning it with aluminum scrap metal. For the curious, please visit my web site: www.nemomatic.com to get a look at my other work and see how this beast fits into the bigger picture.

"Quicksilver" Retro-Future Scooter from appliances and scrap metal
2007_12_13-Nemomatic_Scooter-03.jpg2007_12_13-Nemomatic_Scooter-10.jpg
 
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step 1The carcass
To start out with I wanted a scooter that had a reputation for reliability, and enough power to handle the additional weight that I was bound to add with all of the scrap metal bells and whistles that I intended to heap onto it. My friend Rich Humphrey liked my idea enough that he traded me the fine Honda Elite 125 that you see below for some other mechanical crap I ha…

step 2Picking a new outfit
The beginning stages of this project were very much like that of my sculptures. I gathered up a big collection of large aluminum objects to weld together as the body panels. Street lamp covers worked out to be the best basic shapes. Their teardrop design made them a good fit for the "vintage" look. I took extra (perhaps unnecessary) care to fabricate the main panels…

step 3The "nose"
Once I had decided on the what the major panels were going to be made out of, I removed the paint and passed the metal over the buffing wheel for a while to shine it up. If I wanted to get anywhere I had to start making some commitments, so I dove into the front end which I still feel looks a bit "nosey". I had already mounted the street lamp cover to the front, but i…

step 4The "head"
Having finished the front panel and air vent, the logical thing was to come up with a steering column head light that looked good with it. The original head light was mounted lower on the frame so I could pretty much make this up as I went along. The original approach was a vacuum cleaner carpet attachment with some light fixtures welded to it. The later discovery of…

step 5Junk IS my trunk
In the spirit of bringing the whole thing along at an even pace, it was time to swing around to the back and deal with how the two motor covers were going to meet together. I should mention that in hindsight I am making this seem much more methodic that it really was. All of these steps overlapped and ran together, but that wouldn't make a very good instructable now w…

step 6Dash board
Time now to look at the instrument panel. The original was a blocky, purple plastic thing, that the world is better off without. Rich suggested that we try to make a nixie tube speedometer. I couldn't think of anything that would be cooler than that so I went ahead and mounted everything up so that he could route the original encoder through a contraption of his own …

step 7Engine work
Now that the basic shape had been worked out, it was definitely time to make sure everything was in good shape mechanically. The scooter had been sitting for a long time with old gas in the tank and many rat-chewed wires. I pulled all the panelling off (again) and went over to my friend Wendell Jones's shop. Wendell has been working with bikes for years and provided…

step 8Finishing touches
With a running motor and attached body panels I was suddenly confronted with all the little details that had been insignificant thus far. Added together they represented a few more weeks of tweaking. The seat also needed to be re-designed / re-covered. I recruited my fiance Nancy to help me, but we just couldn't quite pull it off. Sometimes you just have to hire a p…

step 9Finished!
Whew! I had no intention of spending two and a half months on this project, but such are the labors of love. Despite all the hours and frustration it is a real pleasure to have accomplished something that had been lurking in the back of my mind for so many years. Now it is time to get back to making art , and perhaps tackle another bike in the future, maybe electric …

59 comments
1-50 of 59
Jan 21, 2010. 5:56 PMHubiewan says:
Hubiewan says:
Love it!   Where did you find so much aluminum that had yet to be recycled?
Jan 21, 2010. 6:09 PMnemomatic(author) says:
 I can't seem to get away from the stuff.  Got literally tons of it piling up.
Jan 22, 2010. 10:46 AMHubiewan says:
  I live north of Boston and, find it difficult to beat the other scroungers to the prize.  Lots of folks rely on scraps for extra dough.  Where are you located?
Jan 23, 2010. 12:27 PMnemomatic(author) says:
 I'm in Oakland CA.  I've had to form relationships with the scrap yards out here.  They are all afraid of liability claims so it helps to show up with a hard hat and steel toe boots.
Aug 2, 2009. 5:52 AMSoehave says:
Amazing. really great work even down to the smallest detail. I like the way you did the dashboard. did you get the Nixie tubes to work?
Aug 4, 2009. 8:36 AMnemomatic(author) says:
Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I just posted a photo of the finished panel on step 6.
Aug 2, 2009. 2:21 PMMtalus says:
You guys are making me feel really lazy. All that I managed with my aero 80 was a headlight and instrument nacel from my old BMW. Now I feel that I have to swap it back and rework both bikes!
Jul 13, 2009. 9:39 AMKentsOkay says:
Dude that's frigen awesome! My bike's gota built in retro look, but this takes the cake!
Jun 4, 2009. 10:28 AMtsaylor says:
I'm surprised you didn't make sure it ran or at least almost ran before doing all that body work! Isn't that a big risk?
Jun 4, 2009. 9:12 PMnemomatic(author) says:
Yeah. That's the problem with attempting functional things when you are primarily an artist. I get into trouble that way often.
May 22, 2008. 1:36 PMsabbott says:
Wow, this is so cool! Love it. I am the proud owner of a new Vespa. I'm pretty happy with it, but this is just awesome.
Apr 14, 2009. 11:54 PMI smell bacon says:
What kind of Vespa do you ride?
Apr 15, 2009. 5:09 AMsabbott says:
It's an S150. Red, actually. There are some pics of it on an -ible I posted into the Green contest. Looking at your work again makes me inspired to try to make the cowling storage more functional, like maybe engineer a water bottle to fit. I'll visit your site to see your other stuff.
Apr 20, 2009. 11:17 PMI smell bacon says:
In Australia I have only seen the S125. Maybe they don't sell them here?
Jan 9, 2009. 1:05 AMmcshawnboy says:
Check out index for FarmShow.com of Lakeville,MN about 3 years ago a fellow wanted the look of early HD bikes and built knock-offs out of metal tubing & painted 'em flat black. Love that paper! No ads & readers reccmd good products.
Aug 16, 2008. 1:09 PMTheMadScientist says:
its a lamp......
May 15, 2008. 4:56 PMGolem100 says:
Absolutely too frackin' awesome. Has a little bit of a steam punk look to it to my eye. Great job on the instructable too.
Aug 4, 2008. 6:33 PMcarpespasm says:
While I see what you mean, I think this is more in line with the style of the 40s and 50s with everything being as smooth and metallic as can be. If there had been more rivets, brown leather, wood, and exposed metal tubing I'd call it steampunk. It looks amazing either way.
Jun 23, 2008. 11:34 PMrandempedestrian says:
Amazing! Every attempt of mine to do this sort of thing on at any scale turns out "rigged" looking. 5/5 Props!
Jun 5, 2008. 6:44 PMcoffekid says:
chevere!!! nice work,
Jun 3, 2008. 7:35 AMnicko says:
Apr 25, 2008. 1:53 PMsharkbite1 says:
Great Project
Jan 10, 2008. 8:02 AMBrandcoIndustries says:
Incredible! That thing is awesome. I did something very similar to my Honda Elite 80, although my is less curvy. Check it out. http://flickr.com/photos/22380580@N02/2182615845/
Feb 19, 2008. 3:29 AMleebryuk says:
That is wild! It makes me want to track down a bum scooter and trick it out. I thought the rivets were a nice touch. Very utilitarian. There is an Eastern Block Scooter that actually looked a lot like this. What did you use as the donor scooter. I wish that I was this cool with a MIG welder.
Feb 20, 2008. 10:42 AMBrandcoIndustries says:
Thanks. It's a 1985 Honda Elite 80.
Jan 10, 2008. 8:45 AMnemomatic(author) says:
Whoa! That is awesome. I love it. I looked all over while I was doing this project to see what else was out there. I wish I found you then. Where are you located? We should dork up the streets!
Feb 20, 2008. 10:40 AMBrandcoIndustries says:
Thanks. I only need a few more things to finish it. Yours has inspired me to complete mine. I'm in south Texas. If you're ever down this way, let me know. The Streets will be thoroughly dorked.
Feb 18, 2008. 9:20 PMleebryuk says:
I do not say this lightly, but that is the most ape shit cool instructable ever. And I mean ever. I dig the chopper helmet (but it won't help you in a crash) Absolutely amazing. I am stunned by your brilliance. I too wish to own a lambretta but am not going to pay $3,000 for an example in shit condition. And I agree on the performance. And finally, you have a great girlfriend. My formers would never tolerate all of this. Did you land this cutie while making your bike?
Feb 19, 2008. 8:49 PMnemomatic(author) says:
No. Met her while I was still an art student. This gave me the opportunity to come across as weird and pointless as I was ever going to be. Everything I've done since then seems very responsible by comparison.
Feb 14, 2008. 2:59 PMFireBAT says:
THAT is the most beautiful Elite scooter ever! Amazing!
Feb 13, 2008. 1:31 PMclamoring says:
Clever, creative, fabulous! +1

And congrats on the metafilter mention .
Feb 13, 2008. 8:45 PMnemomatic(author) says:
Hey thanks, I didn't know about that post.
Feb 11, 2008. 7:52 PMaquadave says:
Dude, where can I get a sweatshirt like Wendell?
Feb 11, 2008. 9:00 PMnemomatic(author) says:
I think you just wear a white sweatshirt for a while around some nuclear waste.
Feb 11, 2008. 7:24 PMorpharion says:
It's a wonderfully beautiful design that makes me think of something Buster Crabbe would ride to the Rocket Port in Flash Gordon. Thank you!
Jan 27, 2008. 6:17 PMwalkthewalk says:
awesome
Jan 10, 2008. 12:38 PMhassi says:
Stunningly cunning...A work of art...
Jan 8, 2008. 7:53 AMtodayinart.com says:
Beautifully done!
Dec 28, 2007. 1:37 PMMr. Rig It says:
Very nicely done! You get a + from me. Great job.
Dec 28, 2007. 12:04 PMJiggsy says:
First off, LOVE the scooter! It's everything a Vespa is and more! If you put this into production, I want to be on the waiting list! However, I do have one teeny little comment. Shouldn't you be concerned with the nixie tubes breaking while driving? Although a cool design element, I just figure they're too expensive and fragile to be put to use in a scooter.
Dec 28, 2007. 1:16 PMnemomatic(author) says:
Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Your comment about the nixies is a good one. I am not sure yet how well they will hold up. I did make sure though to design the console around a style that I can get more of. They were only eight dollars each and very easy to pull out of their sockets if something goes wrong. Fine for a one of a kind project, not a great idea for a production vehicle. I will post my observations once I have put them through their paces a bit.
Dec 28, 2007. 12:49 PMbrunoxyz says:
awesome man, great job.
Dec 22, 2007. 4:10 PMIdahoDavid says:
Beautiful. A delightful blend of art and engineering. I really enjoyed looking at this.
Dec 21, 2007. 8:48 AMecho_anomie says:
Very nice. I really want to try and electrify a vespa or lambretta.
Dec 21, 2007. 8:31 AMwhatsisface says:
Fantastic work! My Dad has a Vespa PK50S that he restored himself :D
Dec 21, 2007. 7:30 AMTomunist says:
This inspires me to work on my scooter now. It's just a crappy little Schwinn Campus, but it's what I've got to work with. Besides, I've done so much damage to its fiberglass body that I should replace it all anyway. Thanks for this awesome instructable! =)
Dec 20, 2007. 11:16 PMDarkeru says:
this is freakin sweet!!!!!!
Dec 20, 2007. 8:58 PMHamO says:
Absolutely fantastic. Well Done great photos. Thanks for sharing.
Dec 20, 2007. 7:39 PMDewJunkie says:
Wow, that is a really awesome project. Awesome work.
Dec 20, 2007. 7:00 PMthecheatscalc says:
Where' the pictures of the nixie tubes in action? :O That's ONE nice bike!
1-50 of 59

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