Custom Project "TRIBUTE" by SIP Scootershop - 30 years of SIP
The custom scooters that have been created at SIP Scootershop in recent years have won prizes, set records and made a name for themselves in the scene. For example the classic Vespa Rally "Street Custom", the crazy 90 hp racing machine BFA "Something Special" or the old lady Vespa VM2 125 "1953". As the 30th anniversary of the company approached, we immediately felt like starting a custom project in-house again. The first meetings were organised and lots of different ideas were floated around the room. SIP co-founder Alex explains: "We are inspired by scooters all over the world and see what is being built there. We have summarised all these impressions in this custom project and want to give something back and show what is possible in other scenes." Co-founder Ralf adds: "Our inspiration was the Asians, because they build scooters that really impress us."
The Vespa Sprint as a classy street racer
Once they had agreed on a design, Christoph and Basti were tasked with realising the project. "Ralf came to me a year before the Open Day," recalls Christoph, "and told me to install a GTS Engine in a Sprint or Primavera. That was it." Basti qualified because of his "normal" job at SIP Scootershop: "In Purchasing, I mainly deal with parts for Modern Vespa, so I'm very familiar with the vehicles and the market. We were at the Vespa World Days in Bali in 2022 and got an impression of what the scene is like there. So we have to screw together the kind of awesome bike they build over there." Their task: to build a classy street racer based on a modern Vespa Sprint. Here you can see the vehicle used for the project in our modelbase. So off to the workshop!
The initial plan was to install a GTS-300 Engine, but the technical effort involved was too high. We also prefer solutions that can be replicated by customers. Fortunately, we have the right parts to turn a 150cc engine into a 300cc engine. A different crankshaft with more stroke and 182 cc Cylinder gives us 260 cc, about the same as the 300 GTS engine. The cylinder head was modified, a different gearbox used and the drivetrain adapted. The exhaust comes from the motorbike sector and the injection system has been mapped. Every part of the engine is hand-picked and all the screws are titanium, much to Basti's delight: "Nobody uses screws like that, so we had to do it. The engine also had to be black, because it just looks cool."
Masterful paintwork by Marcus Pfeil
"Two factors are crucial for the custom build," explains Christoph, "the Engine and the paintwork. We built the Engine ourselves, so we still needed a top painter." Fortunately, Marcus "Pfeili" Pfeil has been a friend of the company for many years, so we took the frame to him in Austria to decide on a style together with the whole SIP project team. Pfeili describes how he proceeded: "All the very different parts on the scooter had to be harmonised, i.e. the modern carbon parts, CNC milled parts, plastic, metal: all uniform in one look. To achieve this, we deliberately worked with a 3D effect that makes people want to touch the scooter because they can't believe that the surface is smooth." The end result is best seen in the video. In addition to the 3D effects, Pfeili used various fonts and languages for our "performance & style" claim. Marcus Pfeil skilfully refined the rough and rugged look of the "Real Steel" metal-effect Paint with real gold leaf elements in the Badge and contour lines. A truly unique work that does justice to the occasion and the scooter.
Meanwhile, the workshop in Landsberg was struggling with various difficulties. The switch from Euro 5 to Euro 3 was made at short notice. The built-in Wiring Loom therefore had to make way and the new one also had to be modified to control all the lighting via buttons and Motogadget. The replacement took a whole day and the SIP Open Day was approaching inexorably. "But despite all the difficulties, it was fun to build such a scooter," says Christoph, describing the progress, "because while you're working on it, you keep coming up with new ideas."
The technical equipment
As a little finger exercise for the ambitious coachbuilder, the Side Panels were designed to open like a classic Vespa and polished to a high gloss. A lot of work went into this remarkable detail, as well as the front mudguard, which was hand-crafted from aluminium. Basti explains: "For the rims, we chose the SIP MK II aluminium rimswhich are fitted at the rear with the Conversion Kit JS MANUF conversion kit to a Disc Brake. At the front, we installed the race-proven Ottopuntouno Endurance Seating with Hurricane Brake Calliperand customised steel flex lines. For the lighting, we opted for the XO headlights, which are popular in Asia - with a Playstation look. The Rear Light comes from the same manufacturer and was made available to us exclusively as a prototype. The Indicators with LED Moving Lights and Position Light were developed together with Koso and are now available in the shop. The Speedometer/Rev Counter comes from SIP Performance and was artistically integrated into the cockpit by Pfeili."
"For the Seat, we involved the specialists from NISA in Italy, who developed a prototype to match the 'Tribute'. Compared to the original, we have made the lines sportier and flatter. Over the course of the year, this will result in a production-ready model in various versions. The length-adjustable Side Stand is CNC-milled and comes from the manufacturer Prodigy from Taiwan, which we distribute exclusively in Europe. The brake pumps, on the other hand, were supplied by the German brake guru Magura and meet the highest standards."
Overall, the equipment of the "Tribute" is a combination of modern components with various materials and high-tech elements that emphasise the special style of this custom Vespa.
World premiere
The big moment came on 18 May 2024 in bright sunshine. The "TRIBUTE" custom scooter was presented to an enthusiastic audience and everyone was left in awe. Alex and Ralf had also finally found a name: "With the term 'Tribute', we are creating a tribute to the global scooter scene. And because SIP stands for 'Performance & Style', we immortalised it on the scooter in many languages and fonts."
"It was just great to see how enthusiastically people reacted to the custom," concludes Ralf, "but our great respect goes to Christoph and Basti, who realised the project perfectly. Thank you to you!"
Technical Data
Name: SIP Vespa "Tribute" 30 years
Displacement: approx. 258 ccm
Cylinder Head 3 V modified
PS: approx. 28
Injection system E3 modified & Polini Fuel Injection Module
Open intake
Front brakes: Magura HC1 on 4 Pistons radial
Rear brakes: Magura HC1 on 2 Piston GTS Brake Calliper
Suspension: SIP Performance
Handlebar: SIP Dropbar
Fork: 20 mm shortened
Lights: XO LED
Indicators: SIP LED / side indicators
Control Electronics: MOTOGADGET, "mo.unit blue" Bluetooth
Mudguards: Speedway Style ALU
Side flaps: removable ALU
Notepad
All the parts fitted to this vehicle are available here as a practical notepad, so you can easily view the parts you are interested in yourself:
https://www.sip-scootershop.com/notepad/tR-em5poY0mC1pPbq1zmLg
https://www.sip-scootershop.com/notepad/qqIosZcRBEm2sajJZmJLXw
Video: Vespa Custom Project "TRIBUTE" by SIP Scootershop
Picture gallery: Vespa custom project "TRIBUTE" by SIP Scootershop
