Royal Alloy removing GP panels

[@grahamknight2339]

Very helpful video thank you. What a real pig of a job and to be honest not a brilliant design. I tried to get my panel back on for the first time and struggled like hell before looking at your video for help 👍

[@MikeColwell]

Trust me when you've done it a few times you will find it a lot easier. You shouldn't need to take panels off very often unlike the old Lambrettas we're you were taking them off every five minutes to fix something.

[@grahamknight2339]

@@MikeColwell I'm wondering next time if I should stick the gasket on with silicone although the masking tape did the job? Thanks again for the tip as I was starting to lose the plot and it all became a struggle and a fight in which I was losing.

[@MikeColwell]

Put 4 or 5 spots of super glue to hold the rubber gaskets in place and they will just drop right on.

[@thisthat283]

I still can't get past the fact that SX copy panels are on "GP" branded Scoot it just throws me off. I wouldn't ind trying an RA but it is very hard for me to even imagine not riding all electric. Since I started converting my vespas and my Lambrettas to electric in 2005 I have been able to ride non stop since then with zero maintenance and zero breakdowns. Not to mention having real power and speed at my throttle is addictive. My 64 GT200 now does 180 kph 0-100 in 1.2 seconds. No petrol rubbish can even smell that kind of power. Great vid as always M8 Ride safe!

[@soulshufflin6253]

Great video, and it looks a great scooter with well thought out contrasting colours ❤👍🏻

[@MikeColwell]

Thank you 😊

[@Senna-xi1gr]

Bloody lovely 👍🇬🇧. Like the seat to match also.

[@MikeColwell]

Thanks it's still evolving 😊

[@AlrexBarclay]

Thanks Mike I'm new to royal alloys. My other scooters are geared👍🛵💯great advice

[@MikeColwell]

Thank you 😁

[@marcswayne4611]

I love my Gp300 by far the best scooter I’ve had mind you I loved my Li 125 with a Indian gp 200 lump but was a pig for breaking down which is why I loved my px so really what I’m saying is I love scooters Well done mike nice videos and you have saved me a bit of time cheers

[@MikeColwell]

Thanks Marc, I couldn't face another Lammy 😊

[@grahamknight2339]

​@@MikeColwellHi Mike, I'm a newbie to Scooters and have just bought a GP125. I noticed in the background on the floor you have a small table scissor lift, any chance you could possibly send me a video/ picture of where you actually position it for a front end lift of the scooter please? I'm torn between getting one like yours or a paddock stand. Any advice or comments greatly appreciated.

[@MikeColwell]

It will lift it from the middle and take either or both wheel off the ground depending on its exact position.

[@grahamknight2339]

@@MikeColwell mine has a bar across the middle and no flat platform.

[@philtucker1224]

A really beautiful bike! Two questions please: a.) Have you retained the delivery plastic sheet on the inside of the side panel for a reason? and b.) why not glue the gasket rubbers to the side panel to avoid them dropping off? .thank you for this very informative video. Stay safe and prosper my friend..

[@MikeColwell]

Thank you for your comments. The material on the inside of the panels is insulation and therefore permanent. Since making this video I superglued the rubbers to the panels with small dots at several places and it works much better. We live and learn.

[@robertmee478]

Nice and informative as always. Any chance of a horncast removal video next?

[@MikeColwell]

If I need to remove the horncast Robert I will certainly. Thanks for you comments.

[@AJay-rf2vs]

Another good, informative video Mike but my GP125 is much better with the rubbers, they are actually fixed to the side panels. I have had them both off twice to fit the same backrest and rear crash bars that you have and apart from having to wiggle them somewhat, they came off and and back on fairly easily. Your paintwork is looking good, what is the thin chrome strip you have between the orange and the black?

[@MikeColwell]

The new style rubbers work better if you super glue them to the panels I have discovered. The chrome strip is from eBay and it's 3mm. Thanks for watching.

[@jfro5867]

That's a nice looking scooter 👍

[@MikeColwell]

Thank you. This is my second GP and I think they look great too.

[@theslow_pulse_boy7107]

Thanks for the video Mike. I'm getting a new GP300 next month coming from a 125cc Ajs Modena. I love the paint scheme you have and was wondering the sort of cost that would be. Including the horncast and instrument cover what should I expect to pay in your opinion.

[@MikeColwell]

Hi, My GP300 came from Carnaby Scooters who I sent a colour code and specified the paint layout. It's Pearlescent btw. They charge £400 to £450 for applying the orange to the stock pearl white. Vinyl wrapping is cheaper in fact the black I added to my panels is vinyl. Hope this helps.

[@theslow_pulse_boy7107]

Mike Colwell Cheers for the info Mike. Keep up the good work with the channel. 🛵💨💨💨

[@MikeColwell]

The Slow_pulse_boy thanks it's nice to know people appreciate the videos 🤗

[@75ocs]

lovely scooter who did the paint job

[@MikeColwell]

Carnaby scooters 😊

[@75ocs]

@@MikeColwell very nice, ive just pre ordered a white and red gp 125 ac but ive got to wait until the end of September, keep up the videos there really good

[@pinkyboon9877]

I've just taken delivery of a GP300. Can I ask where you purchased your side chrome protection bars from?

[@MikeColwell]

I guess you mean my rear crash bars. They are Lambretta series 3 rear crash bars. If you search on ebay you will easily find them.

[@scooterboyvespa331]

Great colour scheme

[@MikeColwell]

Thanks for that 😊

[@nigellynch1]

the first nut you removed , you said was a captive nut, a captive nut is welded in place and cannot be removes as you described

[@MikeColwell]

Sorry it's a captive screw locked in place and the point was you don't need to hold the back. Fiming these videos means I don't have a script and I'm doing things at the same time so the odd small error is bound to occur. You can also find lots of errors in Hollywood movies!

[@davidmiyamoto8928]

Thankyou for the info. How would you , or would you clean your carb.? Thankyouverymuch

[@MikeColwell]

Hi David, UK Royal Alloys are all fuel injected so no carb to clean sorry!

[@davidmiyamoto8928]

@@MikeColwell fair enough. I appreciate you.

[@paulguitar4662]

you can use low tack tape which won't mark the paintwork...

[@MikeColwell]

Soon after making this video I secured the ruber seals with a few spots of super glue which worked really well.

[@paulguitar4662]

I was thinking same... 😊

[@celticboy1950]

Great video RA guy, could you tell me where you got the back rack ? I need those grab handles.

[@MikeColwell]

They are difficult to get right now due to Covid etc. The link below is where I've bought two for my scoots. It shows out of stock so I would phone and ask when they expect them in and email your details as they keep a list: www.ktfscooters.co.uk/product/scomadi-2-1-rear-rack/

[@celticboy1950]

@@MikeColwell Thanks for the info RA guy, Much appreciated.

[@MikeColwell]

@@celticboy1950 you are very welcome 😊

[@georgemoran4077]

Why's TG300 different 🤔

[@thebluemaxfreddie]

hi mike I have indeed damaged my paint near where the ends of my rear rack sits taking off my panel, did you have your panels proffesionally painted with the black strip at the top ? I suppose I could pinstripe it to cover the paint chip...whats your thoughts

[@MikeColwell]

I love the top stripe on my panels and it's vinyl wrap although the rest is paint. Get a local sign shop to do it for you and put some felt where you caught your panel.

[@ericdenau2223]

A very nice scooter. On any chinese there are always room for some tweaking. I will think that panels are not ment to be stripped off and I am bloody nervous every time I have to. Each time is a different story where I tought that I finaly got the right knix about it but then igen the bloody thing fights back.

[@MikeColwell]

There's room for tweaking on any scooter, the build quality on RA is very good. Triumph, BMW and lots of other m/cycles are made in China. Depending on which model you have the earlier GP had thicker rubber gaskets and I would recommend purchasing the newer thinner ones from MotoGB for a couple of pounds. I have attached the seals to my panels with a few dots of superglue which makes the procedure far easier. The panels are not meant to be taken off often as unlike earlier scooters there is no need, my old Lambrettas had the panels taken off almost every time I used it as they are inherently unreliable. Enjoy your RA.

[@ericdenau2223]

@@MikeColwell I do not have the RA but my machine is equaly well made, a mockup on a Yamaha. Benith the shields it is a chinese scooter same as all the rest. It works fine and here is the thing, it will roll without any problems for years to come beacuse I have checked it thru and sortet things out from the front to the back. I do not need to advertise my machines they go by the word spred around. On a Yamaha for an example made in China, Vietnam, Thailand one have to do nothing just follow the service plan, you can ride them safely right out of the box, well I can do the same with a chinese if I belive it, I do not because I know better.

[@simonbrown895]

Hi the back you have with grab handles is it made for royal alloy and if you don't mind where did you get it please

[@MikeColwell]

Hi Simon, the backrest was made for Scomadi and will fit straight on the RA GP and with a little alteration the GT. Here's a link where to get one. Make sure you subscribe for more vids to come. www.ktfscooters.co.uk/product/scomadi-2-1-rear-rack/

[@BobbyBlackley]

Have you ever removed the loop panel

[@MikeColwell]

Sorry no!

[@paulfranks4323]

Can the rubber seal not be glued on? Seems a right old hassle just to take the panel off

[@MikeColwell]

I've rethought the rubbers and have glued them to the panel with spots of super glue which works really well. So yes they can.

[@mousecat9398]

Could also use silicone mastic and leave off to dry for a day...

[@75ocs]

could you put up a link for the chrome panel trim ? cheers

[@MikeColwell]

Just search eBay for 3mm chrome car trim and 6mm chrome edging strip it's low cost.

[@jimbojet8728]

Good and useful info. Thank you

[@MikeColwell]

I have changed my advice on refitting the rubber gaskets. If you fix them to the panels with a few dots of superglue it makes refitting much easier. Thanks for your comment.

[@adrianmaurice9654]

Hello rather having bolts with Philips Get 2 wing nuts some stud bar Weld 1nut to bar cut to length then tighten the other with fingers

[@Northernlanes]

I think I'd glue the rubbers in place

[@MikeColwell]

Since this video I have glued mine to the panels with 5 or 6 dots of superglue and it's a good solution.

[@hipad4544]

If it goes on sale in Japan, it will sell.

[@MikeColwell]

I'm sure it will like hot rice cakes 😊

[@robinansell1888]

Pity you didn’t show us a good look into the engine and components before closing cases, otherwise excellent

[@MikeColwell]

Thanks Robin I'll bear that in mind for future vids.

[@georgemoran4077]

❤

[@davidjennings9253]

I have never seen anything like it!! If this is an improvement gods knows how bad it was before. I wouldn't touch on of these scooters with a barge pole cos if they have made such a mess of a simple job of fitting panels I hate to think what they have done with the more technical side. It beggars belief that they copied the style of the Lambretta but made such a hash of the panels and as for the rubber gasket seals that is just a bodge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MikeColwell]

David I think you've missed the point here. Having had two Lambrettas the panels come off in seconds and in my experience they needed too as the scooters were always breaking down in fact many people put additional locks on their panels to stop them being stolen. The Royal Alloy is an excellent quality scooter and apart from attaching accessories you do not need to take the panels off. Once on very solid and secure like the rest of the quality machine.

[@davidjennings9253]

Hi Mike I have to disagree. I had a 1966 Lambretta 150 Li and a 1964 Vespa GS160 and they were both superbly reliable.I completed 37k miles on the Lambretta which only failed to start once which was only 300 miles from new when the points closed up. After resetting them it never missed a beat all the time I rode it. It was the same story with the Vespa which only failed once in 52k miles when the original battery failed. Once replaced it too never missed a beat. I lived in Essex and had a 22mile round trip every day for work and as my then girlfriend lived in Norwich I traveled there every Friday evening and every other weekend collected her and rode back to Essex. Neither scooter ever let me down other than the two occasions aforementioned. I did have friends who broke down but that was because they didn't service their scooters and look after them like I did and expected them to go on forever without touching them. My scooters were as clean behind the panels as they were outside so that meant taking the panels off most weekends for cleaning. I rode all over the country staying in many different towns and never ever experienced anyone trying to pinch my panels, so I don't understand that concern. There are many different ways of fitting panels but that is just terrible. I just tried to imagine if I had to take bolts and nuts off if I wanted to lift the bonnet of my car to refill the windscreen bottle. Just wouldn't happen. I stand by what I said, the fact that the panels are bolted on is abysmal and the fact that the gasket seals are not fixed to either the panel or the frame is ridiculous. It's just an afterthought. I have been considering getting a scooter again although I am now seventy but it wont be one of those Royal Alloys. There are so many bad designs on them, from the awful exhaust system to the narrow running boards which require fold out footrests to the terrible amount of engine/gearbox which extends outside the panels and the horrible controls. The vintage scooters had flair, they were sleek and stylish. These fall well short and need a lot of work before I would consider one. Just my view - Regards David

[@ac9110]

@@davidjennings9253 Blimey David, you were one lucky bloke. My Lambretta I pushed more than I rode ;-)

[@MikeColwell]

All I can tell you is I've on my second now having moved up to the GP300 and on both once I fitted extras I never removed the panels for months at a time. If you had a Lambretta that never broke down it was a rarety I had two 50 years ago and they were very unreliable then. Lammy owners in our club regularly break down and have to take their panels off. I love Lambrettas but I don't want to own one I want the style with impeccable reliability and superb handling. Don't take my word for it watch other online reviews like the SLUK one on the 300. Enjoy your scootering.

[@davidjennings9253]

@@MikeColwell As I never had reliability issues it doesn't bother me, but maybe one day when they sort out the terrible design issues I may be interested.

[@Red-ne13]

I would have bought one of these if it had gears. Does anyone else think the same???

[@MikeColwell]

Ride one and you'll forget about gears. I don't know of any modern retro styled scooter with gears. Many scooterists are buying them to get away from gears.

[@Red-ne13]

@@MikeColwell NOT THIS ONE