Bada Bing! – Jersey Crew P200E

There are some subjects that demand respect, something that Billy McKechnie’s tribute to The Sopranos delivers in spades.

Words: Nik Skeat Images: Gary Chapman

I’m sure there can’t be many out there who aren’t aware of the huge success of the TV show The Sopranos. Launching in early 1999 it became an immediate success, telling the story of the head of a Mafia family, Tony Soprano, and his family and associates. Unlike previous Mob shows and films, it focused on Tony as a human being, trying to hold his natural family life together along with handling the more criminal-oriented associates that were his other ‘family’, the Jersey Crew.

Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest TV shows of all times, and gaining many awards to back this claim up, it attracted Scottish Scooterboy Billy McKechnie who, it’s fair to say, became a huge fan of the show. His love of the show extended to a holiday in the US where he visited the New Jersey area of New York and toured the locations that the programme regularly featured, even going as far as to sit in the chair that the head of the family made his own and visiting the infamous Bada Bing! strip joint. Purely as a fan of the show, obviously!

As is often the case, Billy decided that a custom scooter based around his passion was called for, and that, in keeping with the feel and principles of the show, it had to reflect the wealth of the Soprano family along with featuring many characters and references to the show itself. Based on a PX200E which he bought from an old friend, the scooter has undergone extensive modification, with a wealth of one-off pieces and a ‘no expense spared’ approach that I’m sure Tony himself would appreciate.

Don’t settle for mediocrity

This isn’t a scooter where you can concentrate on the paint, or the engine, or the brightwork. Everything is out of the top drawer. Starting with the most obvious aspect, the chassis. The frame has been deseamed and the toolbox welded into place. The number plate area has been recessed in a way that puts me in mind of some large American cars, adding to the overall stateside feel. From there, you notice the little subtle modifications. The grilles over the lights are obvious, but the reshaped horn cover grille and matching switch housings much less so. This is very much a scooter to spend time looking over; a lot of thought has gone into every single modification.

Even under the panels, in areas that you wouldn’t usually see, small, detailed pieces abound. I particularly loved the FBI shield inspired by the Scooter Boys Inverclyde shield, a nod to his own ‘family’ of scooterists.

The paint is a standout feature, without any doubt, with a mixture of references to the show scattered throughout. I was particularly drawn to the spare wheel side panel, with its image of the family painted almost as if it were a photograph that had been taken through a long lens with a slight graininess about it. The FBI photo gallery on the inside legshield helps explain the story a little more too, as do the smaller images that fill almost every inch of the scooter. The image of Tony Soprano himself dominates from the background on the right-hand panel, in the manner of a good mob boss.

All this is held together by a well-chosen deep cherry base paint which allows the chosen pictures to shine through. No surprise that it comes from the talented airbrush of John Whittle up at Clan Customs, a name we’re starting to see more regularly here at the magazine.

But when it comes to shine, you can’t beat a bit of electroplating, and if you’re going to have some shiny metal, then no top custom is complete without one-off and engraved parts. Billy had a hand in some of the unique parts, conspiring with his mate Stevie McDaid to make the blanks for the pedals and poker chips on the forks, along with the playing cards that cover the flywheel. These, along with pretty much any other unpainted parts, were shipped off to Adi Clarke for him to perform his engraving magic. A job that must have had him dreaming about the show given the amount of work he’s put into it. I genuinely can’t remember seeing a scooter with this level of intricate engraving for many years, a real throwback to the heyday of scooter customising.

Electroplating came next, with Quality Chrome being the next big name to be entrusted with working on the scooter, with their usual standard of work being on show everywhere you look, with the gold and chrome plating bringing an extra dazzle to the machine.

Finally, on the outside, is the work of John Corcoran at Corky’s Covers, who made up the seat, spare wheel cover and grips, along with a set of riding covers to protect the paint when the scooter is being ridden. Billy admits that the combination of seat and dropped handlebars doesn’t give the right riding position for long distance travel, but he quite rightly felt that both were necessary for the overall feel of the scooter.

It’s about power, and who has it

The sporting aspirations of these items are matched by the engine. A potent blend of Malossi MHR225 cylinder and 30mm Mikuni carb are combined with a TSR Revolver that threw out a respectable set of 21 horses on the dyno at Chiselspeed, with Martin Cook having performed his engine magic at this long-established and respected tuning shop.

Then came the hard bit of putting it together, something that always takes longer than expected, even more so when you’re dying to see the finished item!

All this effort has produced a scooter that’s fast and fun to ride, as well as looking ‘the business’, although being a little hard on the wrists pretty quickly.

But sometimes you have to take the rough with the smooth, and the end product is well worth the pain involved.

It has to be said that Billy is more than happy with how the scooter has turned out, despite the possibility of more bling to come, and would like to say a huge public “thank you” to his partner Gael for her support of this project, and her understanding of his need to build it.

But that’s Family, isn’t it?

A fitting tribute

All scooters have a story; as Billy explained, becoming a showstopper is just part of this P2’s history.

“The previous owner of the scooter that you see before you was Jack Kane, who I’d known since primary school and we had been in and out of each other’s lives since. We’d had scooters and hung out together.

“He was well-known on the local scooter scene, and the scooter that you see was run as an outfit.

“Jack was a great father, with his boys often being seen riding in the sidecar; in particular his son Lee, who had a disability, loved riding in it.

“Sadly, Lee passed away and Jack didn’t have the same feeling for the scooter any more and offered it to me.

“This is the scooter you’re now looking at. I’d discussed the plans I had for the machine with him before he was tragically taken from us in an accident.

“I hope he’s looking down now and giving the finished machine a big thumbs up.”

OWNER

Name: Billy McKechnie.

Scooter club & town: Kilbirnie, Ayrshire Lambretta Club, SBI and occasionally Mad Dogs.

What was your first scooter and how did you first become interested in them: The usual route of Quadrophenia and the scooters I’d see around town. I’d watch them for hours on a Saturday in the local car park. My first scooter was the usual Vespa 50 before progressing to bigger machines as soon as I could.

What was your first rally: First rally was at Balloch, Loch Lomond. It was a National in ’82 and I was 16.

What do you like about rallies/ events: Travelling together as a group, spending time with friends with a common interest.

If you had to recommend one scooter part or item of riding kit what would it be: The best waterproofs and gloves that you can buy!

Your favourite custom/featured scooter of all time: Revenge. I remember seeing it in the flesh at Morecambe in ’83 or ’84.

What is your favourite scooter model: It used to be the PX200, reminding me of my youth, but now it’s a Lambretta GP.

SCOOTER SPECIFICATIONS

Name of scooter (reason & inspiration): Jersey Crew, based onthe TV series The Sopranos.

Scooter model: P200E.

Time to build & by who: Too long!

Build by Steve McDaid and topped off by Craig Hutchinson.

ENGINE SPEC

Kit: Malossi MHR 225.

Carb: 30mm Mikuni.

Exhaust: TSR Revolver.

Clutch: BGM.

Gearbox: T5 Fourth.

Porting work by: Martin Cook at

Chiselspeed (21bhp).

What’s it like to ride? Fast, fun, but definitely not comfortable for longer trips.

FRAME SPEC:

Paintwork & murals by: John Whittle at Clan Customs.

Engraving by: Adi Clarke.

Chrome by: Quality Chrome.

Seat by: John Corcoran of Corky’s Covers, he also did full riding cover, hand grips and spare wheel cover.

Any frame modifications? What & by whom: Fully frenched anddeseamed, welded and smoothedglovebox, grilles and vents for horncover and switchgear.

All by the genius that is John Whittle.

Are there any other unique details we have missed? Probably loads.

All the little pieces, such as the kick-start, sidestand and brake pedal, the flywheel cover and poker chips were made by Stevie McDaid and myself before being engraved.

What was the hardest part of the project: Trying to find the time tofinish it.

Do you have any advice or tech tips for anyone starting a project:

Make sure that you have the timeand money to see it through, set atime frame and stick to it, and havean understanding partner!

Is there anything still to add to the scoot: Some more gold!

In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently: Finished it sooner!

Is there anyone you wish to thank: My pal Stevie, Brian Davidson, Brian Sutherland, Craig Hutchison.

Many thanks to John Whittle for his patience, and a special huge thanks to my lovely partner Gael for her understanding….