Introduction

Firstly I'll introduce myself. My name is Jim Leonard and I've been a keen motorcyclist for quite a few years now. I also follow motorcycle road racing and have been a big fan of road racing since I was a kid, one of my biggest idols was Joey Dunlop. I've seen Joey race many times and also met Joey many times throughout the years.

Joey Dunlop was and still is to this date the most successful rider at the Isle of Man TT where he holds 26 titles, he has also held numerous records at national level. Joey also had a shy side oozing with brilliant human nature, he made many trips to Eastern Europe throughout their troubled times where Joey delivered clothing and food to those effected by war and strict government rules.

On the 2nd July 2000 whilst racing on the Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa circuit near Tallinn in Estonia Joey Dunlop was killed instantly after crashing in the 125cc race. The world of motorcycle road racing was was plunged into mourning. Over 50,000 people attended Joey's funeral in Ballymoney Northern Ireland.

I decided a couple of years ago that I would build a tribute of some sort, a tribute to Joey who gave us so much joy watching him do battle on the race circuit, more often than not taking the chequered flag. This tribute was going to be a little different, different to me and different to other tributes I had seen. Thinking of the many scooters I had seen over the years, many with painted tributes to musicians and other famous faces, most of these looked really nice so I decided that my tribute would be a Vespa scooter. But first I had to acquire a Vespa, one that preferably needed work done to it.

This is the story of My Joey Dunlop Tribute Vespa.