Lambretta 48 Moped
With Phil Aynsley
Lambretta is very well known for its range of scooters but the company also made a highly successful range of mopeds as well.
The 48 moped was produced over several series from 1955 until it was superseded by the 39 cc Lambrettino in 1966.
The 48 used a 47.75 cc single cylinder two-stroke that was fitted with a four-speed twist grip controlled gearbox. Power was a whopping 1.7 hp at 5000 rpm.
Weight was 44 kg and fuel consumption (probably its most important performance figure) was 80km/L (or 188mpg). The 2.7 L tank was therefore good for 217 km. A petrol-oil mixture of five per cent was used.
The original Type 57 Series I was produced from August 1955 to mid 1956 after being first displayed the year before.
The Series II was built until December 1957 and had several minor changes such as a pressed metal stand rather than a steel rod etc.
Not a lot was new for the Type 58 Series I that followed in January 1959 after a break of 12 months (all of 1958), with a new twin-cable gear control twist grip, the HT coil moved inside the engine and no decompression device.
The only change for the Series II was new outsourced bar lever carriers. The bike seen here is a restored 1960 Type 58 Series II model.
The 48 moped was also built in India by subsidiary API Lambretta via kits supplied from Italy.
34,909 Type 57 and 24,640 Type 58 48 cc mopeds were built which shows if you’re onto a good thing, stick to it!
Lambretta 48 Moped Specifications
| Lambretta 48 Specifications | |
| Engine | 48 cc two stroke, single cylinder alloy head, Dell’Orto T5/11S carb |
| Bore x stroke | 40 x 38 mm |
| Power | 1.7 hp at 5000 rpm |
| Ignition type | Magneto, F70 spark plug |
| Transmission | Two-speed gearbox |
| Suspension | Trailing-link front fork, trailing fork at rear with twin shocks |
| Brakes | 100 mm drum front and rear |
| Tyres | 2.00 x 22 in |
| Wheelbase | 1100 mm |
| Weight | 44 kg |
