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Archive of scooters owned by or worked on by Mark Broadhurst

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Marks first scooter. A spanish 150 paid £28, restored it for £80. All standard, hand painted aged 16 (1980). Passed bike test within 6 weeks just to get rid of L plates - they spoiled its looks. This had mod racks on it for a weekend.

Second version again rebuilt many times overnight just to get to work the next day. SX cranks don't suit Stage 6 tunes, MK1 amals and someone knowing nothing!

Second version of Marks first scooter, Li 150 spanish converted to 200cc, not too reliable - crap bores in race tuned GT200 cylinder (1981 aged 17).

Head hunted to rebuild a scooter for the first time! 1982. A tuned 125 the first and last time! All work by Mark including sprayjob, bodywork, engine and exhaust for £200. You don't get a barrel kit for that these days.

1982 aged 17, Marks first nut and bolt custom of the time. Sprayed and tuned by Mark. Later became a very famous liquid cooled rally goer for 3 years in different paint jobs. Built from a bare frame.

Marks' spare bike of the time, 90mph stage 5 used daily for work, 12 miles every day for 4 years. Sold to Ginger (Easter egg run) in 1985.

Marks spare road bike (MK1), pink and green just for fun! Made from bits of Jet 200, paid £15 for it.

Further development of Marks custom, hey what the hell water cool it and stick a big radiator on it. "Is that just for show", No I said, it's got water in it!

What a nice exhaust. Even then I made an exhaust for every rally I went on, thats development!! Make one at work, test it over the weekend. Most broke but I learnt a lot!

Latest version of the early custom GP, chrome and custom paint of the day. Picture taken North Wales 1985. Smashed it up at 70mph then it didn't survive the MB developments workshop fire of 1987.

GP200 1985, built to order for a mad man. The same mad man stopped the IRA bombing Canary Wharf.

Sold on umpteen times. One owner went to Bosnia on a peace mission.

1985 Isle of Wight, 3 liquid cooled scooters built by Mark Broadhurst in his mothers basement at the age of 19. All cast iron 240 Kawasaki conversions. The red GP became "Respect" all engineering glory taken by new owner. One Li still runs. The other did until it got nicked!

"If looks could kill", just not quick enough to keep up with Fast Eddie, at the time a liquid cooled 240cc yamaha cast iron barrel, total bike designed and built by Mark Broadhurst in 1987. This bike had more developments carried out on it than any other! 4 total rebuilds later, after many crashes, it's still running - 13 years on!

1986 Ex-beedspeed days showing MRB retro expansion chamber (Stage 5 200cc).

Mirro flake paint scheme designed by Mark Broadhurst 1988.

Vega 135 kawasaki Liquid cooled. 80+ mph bone shaker 1988.

The cylinder is still used on a vespa today, 13 years on!

Vespa 210 liquid cooled, 1986-7.

Mark doesn't just do Lambrettas, Vespas sometimes get the treatment too.

This had a special one-off engine. The customer still has engines built by MB developments. 3 up to now.

Cut-downs used to be common but not as nice as this one from 1988. Lot of money at the time, £2000.

Another old trusty steed, used daily cost £25. Found in a barn, was covered in pigeon shit. We brought it home in a reliant robin 3 wheel van with me laid on top of it! I shit myself, crazy driver!!

I've now done 3 bikes for this customer, he's had more bikes than me - he just keeps selling them. This one went to a dealer in Germany who thought he could make more money selling drugs - Guess where he is now! It was on the front of scootering once.

Oh look! A good old Vespa T5 semi custom with MRB 170 kit, full race tuned, good for 85mph.

I owned a T5 once, just after the fire. I developed 170 Suzuki, 180 Yamaha and 190 Kawasaki conversions with it. It got nicked and was fished out of the canal. The insurance paid out, we stripped it and I sold it. Nice little earner!!

GP200 built for a customer who sold it because of a broken back. Well they do vibrate!!

Oh no, it's an Indian restoration. Actually owned by a member of the LCGB commitee.

A nice and tidy standard looking GP with Honda 205.

This bike survived MRB's great fire. It was rebuilt to replace the customers own bike. He had a liquid cooled full body GP with side car. It was nearly done and he lost his claim because he had a chrome crankcase side on! The insurance company said that was customising and voided his insurance. Bye Bye £2000.

"Ayresome angel" it was called, something to do with a football club. Hey, who cares! Belonged to Mick Benson AKA MR Unlucky, see his grey series 1.

This was a batch of dealer specials MRB did. The frame is around somewhere and the engine's somewhere else.
There is something about a well built scooter, it was lovely to ride.

"Take me away I'm insane" Well the customer was and he paid for what he wanted!!

A personal favourite of Marks. A lot of time went into it, the detail was a job well done.

A Yamaha barrel on a Lambretta casing, they said it couldn't be done. Have a close look then don't be silly. We always have to prove them wrong!

Detail of Yamaha barrel on Lambretta casing.

Still a favourite of Marks. I like that dealer special paint (1991) only did six, all slightly different.

TS1 200 done as a commission for a customer I've seen only once. No 31 on the panels was the number of bike rebuilds to date (1991). As of 2000 I've lost count!

The guy who had this Li150 restored gave it to us just before he went off to war in the Gulf.

It was sold to another dealer who sent it to Japan. I've never seen it since. Anyway, an Li150 is just an Li150!

Why buy a genuine italian Gp and have it restored and put indicators on? I don't know, I just did as asked!

This bike was bought by the mans wife as a surprise christmas present, he then spent money with us for a nut and bolt rebuild. It ended up with mod racks on, which killed it. Mod racks take off before they fall off!!

The customer was well into his 40's, he loved reliving his past. He only took it to the MOT each year. 6 years and 100 miles later he sold it for the money! Broke my heart. Just one of those great bikes to ride. It's still about today.

SX200 restoration, this is the 3rd or 4th rebuild of the yellow "Eddie Cochran" but this version is a 230TS1 LC. Built in 1990 still used and running.

This bike was restored, hit by a car, restored again with a new frame, fallen off and smashed up & restored again. I dread to imagine it in 10 years time!

We used to joke about this bike that the only time it got its cables adjusted was when it was smashed up and we got it back! I should have known what would happen when the owner came to collect it the first time in 1988 and got chased by my dog and nearly fell off.

"It takes seconds" for what I don't know! I woke up with the idea one day. The MRB custom tuner logo never really took off. We couldn't turn out bikes fast enough to get them around the UK. Too much tuning to do. Each bike was a one off with a lot of love and thought put into it.

One of our dealers specials, a nice one too. Built to order as usual. The chap who owns it is locked away unfortunately. What a character he was!

Ah the unlucky Mick Benson. A jolly nice chap. He got married once, then divorced and came out with only the clothes on his back. His GP200 side car disappeared in MRB's great fire and he didn't get a penny of the insurance. This Li toured Europe for years only to have it nicked outside Micks' work. Poor Mick.

This bike was a rare Li series 1 framebreather, full nut and bolt job - even the engine was standard. We even did Mick a suzuki 190 engine for his Li 125 with side-car. Now what happened to that? I think it sank on the Zeebrugge ferry.

Maybe not known for nut and bolt jobs, MB developments have done their fair share of them - well before it became the fashion.

This bike used to be "love slipped through my fingers" a blue version of this. The paintwork was collected on the day of the fire in 1987. The engine just survived the fire and is still running to this day.

The ex brother in laws bike put together three times in different paint schemes. The theme is the Kray twins. One of them sent Martin a letter!!

First bought as a 150cc in 1984 2nd hand. It was number 22 from India with mostly Italian parts.

Ah Marks' old trusty steed, SX190 - only ever put a couple of plugs in over 6 years. Never stayed inside, even rode in 12" of snow once. Did Quadrophenia in 1996 two-up as well, what a buzz. 150,000 people and me in a Parka! Look at the outboard disc! An early prototype. See, we test our own products. Rare shot of the firms van in the background!

"Babe" pictured here at Bruntingthorpe test day. Clocked by speed camera at 84mph with the road barrel on, it will do that all day. I clocked it at 105mph with the race barrel on. Avon Park to Doncaster non stop. Didn't drop below 80mph, my poor car couldn't keep up. Number one buzz for both of us. Then pulled a 100yd wheelie and nearly crashed it leaving my house!

One lovely bike to ride. So easy and powerful. Built as a love job and then sold to go on holiday. Two careful owners later and it's still loved!

As with most of my mate Maxes bikes MB developments do ALL the hard ground work, restoration, engineering and engines. He's won various shows with restorations including best Lambretta model "A". We had to restore a box of rust, I said scrap it. But it worked and looks good!

This customer had a full GP that escaped my fire the week before. Lucky him! Anyway I sold him this bike complete for a LOT of money. It just needed restoring. He gave me that job too.

Another SX200 rebuild. See, we did them too!!

A wolf in sheeps clothing. Honda 205 stage 4, good for 80mph all day. Rebuilt with some crappy mod stuff on and guess what? It's the only stuff to vibrate off.

SX200 semi-restored. Hydraulic disc, 25mm dellorto, kawasaki 210 stage 3 (1997)

XOJ 25J. Yes, thats what scooters look like in England before many hours of restoration.

Ah, Marks' multi-coloured genuine UK spec GP200 electronic. How many colours? Anyway, I'm bored with it and use it for developments.

I'm really proud of some aspects of this scooter. The amount of thought and detail that went into it then I went and buggered up some of the paint. What a pill!

Please E-mail us with any questions or comments.

	Marks first scooter. A spanish 150 paid £28, restored it for £80. All standard, hand painted aged 16 (1980). Passed bike test within 6 weeks just to get rid of L plates - they spoiled its looks. This had mod racks on it for a weekend.
	Second version again rebuilt many times overnight just to get to work the next day. SX cranks don't suit Stage 6 tunes, MK1 amals and someone knowing nothing!
	Second version of Marks first scooter, Li 150 spanish converted to 200cc, not too reliable - crap bores in race tuned GT200 cylinder (1981 aged 17).
	Head hunted to rebuild a scooter for the first time! 1982. A tuned 125 the first and last time! All work by Mark including sprayjob, bodywork, engine and exhaust for £200. You don't get a barrel kit for that these days.
	1982 aged 17, Marks first nut and bolt custom of the time. Sprayed and tuned by Mark. Later became a very famous liquid cooled rally goer for 3 years in different paint jobs. Built from a bare frame.
	Marks' spare bike of the time, 90mph stage 5 used daily for work, 12 miles every day for 4 years. Sold to Ginger (Easter egg run) in 1985.
	Marks spare road bike (MK1), pink and green just for fun! Made from bits of Jet 200, paid £15 for it.
	Further development of Marks custom, hey what the hell water cool it and stick a big radiator on it. "Is that just for show", No I said, it's got water in it!
	What a nice exhaust. Even then I made an exhaust for every rally I went on, thats development!! Make one at work, test it over the weekend. Most broke but I learnt a lot!
	Latest version of the early custom GP, chrome and custom paint of the day. Picture taken North Wales 1985. Smashed it up at 70mph then it didn't survive the MB developments workshop fire of 1987.
	GP200 1985, built to order for a mad man. The same mad man stopped the IRA bombing Canary Wharf.
	Sold on umpteen times. One owner went to Bosnia on a peace mission.
	1985 Isle of Wight, 3 liquid cooled scooters built by Mark Broadhurst in his mothers basement at the age of 19. All cast iron 240 Kawasaki conversions. The red GP became "Respect" all engineering glory taken by new owner. One Li still runs. The other did until it got nicked!
	"If looks could kill", just not quick enough to keep up with Fast Eddie, at the time a liquid cooled 240cc yamaha cast iron barrel, total bike designed and built by Mark Broadhurst in 1987. This bike had more developments carried out on it than any other! 4 total rebuilds later, after many crashes, it's still running - 13 years on!
	1986 Ex-beedspeed days showing MRB retro expansion chamber (Stage 5 200cc).
	Mirro flake paint scheme designed by Mark Broadhurst 1988.
	Vega 135 kawasaki Liquid cooled. 80+ mph bone shaker 1988.
	The cylinder is still used on a vespa today, 13 years on!
	Vespa 210 liquid cooled, 1986-7.
	Mark doesn't just do Lambrettas, Vespas sometimes get the treatment too.
	This had a special one-off engine. The customer still has engines built by MB developments. 3 up to now.
	Cut-downs used to be common but not as nice as this one from 1988. Lot of money at the time, £2000.
	Another old trusty steed, used daily cost £25. Found in a barn, was covered in pigeon shit. We brought it home in a reliant robin 3 wheel van with me laid on top of it! I shit myself, crazy driver!!
	I've now done 3 bikes for this customer, he's had more bikes than me - he just keeps selling them. This one went to a dealer in Germany who thought he could make more money selling drugs - Guess where he is now! It was on the front of scootering once.
	Oh look! A good old Vespa T5 semi custom with MRB 170 kit, full race tuned, good for 85mph.
	I owned a T5 once, just after the fire. I developed 170 Suzuki, 180 Yamaha and 190 Kawasaki conversions with it. It got nicked and was fished out of the canal. The insurance paid out, we stripped it and I sold it. Nice little earner!!
	GP200 built for a customer who sold it because of a broken back. Well they do vibrate!!
	Oh no, it's an Indian restoration. Actually owned by a member of the LCGB commitee.
	A nice and tidy standard looking GP with Honda 205.
	This bike survived MRB's great fire. It was rebuilt to replace the customers own bike. He had a liquid cooled full body GP with side car. It was nearly done and he lost his claim because he had a chrome crankcase side on! The insurance company said that was customising and voided his insurance. Bye Bye £2000.
	"Ayresome angel" it was called, something to do with a football club. Hey, who cares! Belonged to Mick Benson AKA MR Unlucky, see his grey series 1.
	This was a batch of dealer specials MRB did. The frame is around somewhere and the engine's somewhere else. There is something about a well built scooter, it was lovely to ride.
	"Take me away I'm insane" Well the customer was and he paid for what he wanted!!
	A personal favourite of Marks. A lot of time went into it, the detail was a job well done.
	A Yamaha barrel on a Lambretta casing, they said it couldn't be done. Have a close look then don't be silly. We always have to prove them wrong!
	Detail of Yamaha barrel on Lambretta casing.
	Still a favourite of Marks. I like that dealer special paint (1991) only did six, all slightly different.
	TS1 200 done as a commission for a customer I've seen only once. No 31 on the panels was the number of bike rebuilds to date (1991). As of 2000 I've lost count!
	The guy who had this Li150 restored gave it to us just before he went off to war in the Gulf.
	It was sold to another dealer who sent it to Japan. I've never seen it since. Anyway, an Li150 is just an Li150!
	Why buy a genuine italian Gp and have it restored and put indicators on? I don't know, I just did as asked!
	This bike was bought by the mans wife as a surprise christmas present, he then spent money with us for a nut and bolt rebuild. It ended up with mod racks on, which killed it. Mod racks take off before they fall off!!
	The customer was well into his 40's, he loved reliving his past. He only took it to the MOT each year. 6 years and 100 miles later he sold it for the money! Broke my heart. Just one of those great bikes to ride. It's still about today.
	SX200 restoration, this is the 3rd or 4th rebuild of the yellow "Eddie Cochran" but this version is a 230TS1 LC. Built in 1990 still used and running.
	This bike was restored, hit by a car, restored again with a new frame, fallen off and smashed up & restored again. I dread to imagine it in 10 years time!
	We used to joke about this bike that the only time it got its cables adjusted was when it was smashed up and we got it back! I should have known what would happen when the owner came to collect it the first time in 1988 and got chased by my dog and nearly fell off.
	"It takes seconds" for what I don't know! I woke up with the idea one day. The MRB custom tuner logo never really took off. We couldn't turn out bikes fast enough to get them around the UK. Too much tuning to do. Each bike was a one off with a lot of love and thought put into it.
	One of our dealers specials, a nice one too. Built to order as usual. The chap who owns it is locked away unfortunately. What a character he was!
	Ah the unlucky Mick Benson. A jolly nice chap. He got married once, then divorced and came out with only the clothes on his back. His GP200 side car disappeared in MRB's great fire and he didn't get a penny of the insurance. This Li toured Europe for years only to have it nicked outside Micks' work. Poor Mick.
	This bike was a rare Li series 1 framebreather, full nut and bolt job - even the engine was standard. We even did Mick a suzuki 190 engine for his Li 125 with side-car. Now what happened to that? I think it sank on the Zeebrugge ferry.
	Maybe not known for nut and bolt jobs, MB developments have done their fair share of them - well before it became the fashion.
	This bike used to be "love slipped through my fingers" a blue version of this. The paintwork was collected on the day of the fire in 1987. The engine just survived the fire and is still running to this day.
	The ex brother in laws bike put together three times in different paint schemes. The theme is the Kray twins. One of them sent Martin a letter!!
	First bought as a 150cc in 1984 2nd hand. It was number 22 from India with mostly Italian parts.
	Ah Marks' old trusty steed, SX190 - only ever put a couple of plugs in over 6 years. Never stayed inside, even rode in 12" of snow once. Did Quadrophenia in 1996 two-up as well, what a buzz. 150,000 people and me in a Parka! Look at the outboard disc! An early prototype. See, we test our own products. Rare shot of the firms van in the background!
	"Babe" pictured here at Bruntingthorpe test day. Clocked by speed camera at 84mph with the road barrel on, it will do that all day. I clocked it at 105mph with the race barrel on. Avon Park to Doncaster non stop. Didn't drop below 80mph, my poor car couldn't keep up. Number one buzz for both of us. Then pulled a 100yd wheelie and nearly crashed it leaving my house!
	One lovely bike to ride. So easy and powerful. Built as a love job and then sold to go on holiday. Two careful owners later and it's still loved!
	As with most of my mate Maxes bikes MB developments do ALL the hard ground work, restoration, engineering and engines. He's won various shows with restorations including best Lambretta model "A". We had to restore a box of rust, I said scrap it. But it worked and looks good!
	This customer had a full GP that escaped my fire the week before. Lucky him! Anyway I sold him this bike complete for a LOT of money. It just needed restoring. He gave me that job too.
	Another SX200 rebuild. See, we did them too!!
	A wolf in sheeps clothing. Honda 205 stage 4, good for 80mph all day. Rebuilt with some crappy mod stuff on and guess what? It's the only stuff to vibrate off.
	SX200 semi-restored. Hydraulic disc, 25mm dellorto, kawasaki 210 stage 3 (1997)
	XOJ 25J. Yes, thats what scooters look like in England before many hours of restoration.
	Ah, Marks' multi-coloured genuine UK spec GP200 electronic. How many colours? Anyway, I'm bored with it and use it for developments.
	I'm really proud of some aspects of this scooter. The amount of thought and detail that went into it then I went and buggered up some of the paint. What a pill!