PROJECT DRAGSTER 50cc 2014
In March 2000, Mashi’s brother bought an Italjet Dragster 50 from the scooter company where he was working at the time. Sanders Tweewielers from Groesbeek delivered the Italjet, and upon seeing the Dragster, Mashi fell in love instantly. He was only ten years old, but he knew for sure that this scooter, still owned by his brother, would one day be his. As soon as he was allowed to work, he got on his bike to deliver the NRC newspaper. He eagerly took on extra routes because he absolutely wanted to own this remarkable scooter.While the Italjet Formula, despite its front suspension, still had a relatively modest appearance, the Dragster was a true eye-catcher. Its visible tube frame was particularly unique. The only plastic parts, typically characteristic of scooters, were the front shield, footboard, and seat combination. Technically, with its visible front shock absorber andconspicuous rear suspension, it was a truly delightful scooter. That delight became a reality for Mashi at the age of thirteen. The Dragster is an eye-catcher He bought the Dragster for five thousand guilders, and his scooter adventure could almost begin.Of course, he wasn’t allowed to ride the Italjet yet, but he could already start customizing it to his liking. He had to, actually, because his sister had borrowed it and crashed into a wall, causing significant damage to the front. He chose the baby blue metallic color of the then-popular Peugeot 206 GTI. The tuning for his first project was purely paintwork and some minor modifications, which were more or less prompted by his sister’s crash. These small adjustments inspired Mashi, and he saw more than just a unique scooter in his Dragster. With a marker and tape, he marked lines on the already sparse bodywork, but in his eyes, his scooter gained a better look. Because the coolant hoses became visible due
to the modifications, Mashi decided to run them symmetrically along the frame and through the cover under the front suspension. This way, they were visible but did not disrupt the ideal image. Because his first scooter held a special place in his heart, he decided to buy a second one. In 2008, a second one was purchased on German eBay, which had to be an evolved version of his first. Without hesitation, before the pristine VW Golf GTI white was sprayed on the plastic, he cut into the bodywork, giving the Dragster a slightly modified look. Only experts could recognize it because everything had to look factory made. Project two went smoothly, but passion isunstoppable, and soon there was a number three: a completely original red model with only 3,000 kilometers on the clock. It was decided to keep this one almost entirely original. Almost, because despite its condition, this scooter was also given a fresh coat of paint. The saw and file stayed far away from this one, and his creative outbursts had already inspired more people. On commission, Mashi started working on number 4. Also white, but with a pearlescent layer and more piano-black parts. Unfortunately, the client withdrew, and Mashi couldn’t bring himself to sell this scooter. He had put so much work and energy into it that he decided to keep it. Selling was not an option anyway, as this fourth Dragster was again an evolved version of the third in terms of modifications and design. Working with plastic has one downside: if you remove too much, there’s no going back, and since Mashi didn’t have a 3D printer yet, sometimes he created something that wasn’t entirely to his liking. You can guess it, there had to be another Italjet Dragster. But because they aren’t for sale on every corner, Mashi decided to do it differently. Number 1 had to become his perfect Dragster, but there was one drawback: the baby blue plastic couldn’t be destroyed.
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