A Chair Made from Vintage Scooter Parts

Two Barcelona-based artists. One obsession: giving iconic machines a second life. This piece sits at the crossroads of design culture and rider culture—where “junk” isn’t waste, but raw material with a story. In this article, we spotlight the work of Carles Bel and Jesus Bel, Fine Arts graduates from the University of Barcelona, who teamed up in 2005 to build an atelier around what they call creative recycling. Their signature creation? The Scooter Chair: a handcrafted swivel chair built from parts of a legendary Italian scooter from the 1980s. Simple in concept, demanding in execution—and undeniably magnetic for anyone who loves vintage scooters.

The story: from Fine Arts to functional objects

Carles Bel and Jesus Bel didn’t come from an industrial design factory line. Their roots are in Fine Arts—where proportion, composition, and the emotional charge of objects matter as much as function. When they founded their workshop in 2005, the direction was clear: recover obsolete items and re-purpose them without stripping them of their identity.

That’s exactly what makes the Scooter Chair feel “right.” It doesn’t imitate scooter culture; it belongs to it. You can read the decades in the curves, the panels, the stance. And yet it’s not a sculpture you can’t touch: it’s built to be used.

The Scooter Chairs

Each Scooter Chair is entirely handmade by the two artists and numbered, which makes every chair a unique piece rather than a mass-produced object. The appeal is immediate if you’re into machines: vintage lines, real parts, and a sense that nothing here is “decorative for the sake of it.”

Why it matters: in a world flooded with retro-looking replicas, the Scooter Chair is the opposite approach—authentic components, re-engineered into something functional. It speaks to riders because it respects the original object. It speaks to collectors because it’s limited, traced, and crafted.

Where it fits best: a workshop office, a garage lounge corner, a dealership’s customer space, or a living room where you want one statement piece that doesn’t scream for attention—but still owns the room.

The technical side (where the “simple idea” gets complicated)

What looks straightforward—“turn a scooter into a chair”—gets technical fast. These chairs are made only from parts of a legendary Italian 1980s scooter. The reused chassis is what enables the swivel-chair format. Beyond the visual punch, the build includes:

• Swivel function based on the scooter’s reworked structure
• Tilt function for comfort over time (not just a showroom sit)
• Reinforced internal frame to handle real daily use
• Hydraulic piston base to adjust height and accommodate different weights

In practical terms, that means it’s not only “cool”—it’s designed to be reliable. And for anyone who has spent hours wrenching on a scooter: you can sense when an object has been engineered, not just assembled.

Custom touches: still a living object

A detail we love: the chair can be customized further if you want. The idea isn’t to freeze the object in a single “perfect” version—it can evolve with your taste. The method is old-school and human: you call the creators and discuss what you have in mind.

Planet Ride angle: why riders notice details like this

At Planet Ride, we spend our lives around machines and the people who ride them. And we know one thing: riders are sensitive to what’s true. A vintage scooter roadtrip has its own rhythm—slower, more tactile, more exposed to weather and terrain than a modern touring setup. Objects like the Scooter Chair carry that same honesty: the material has lived, and you can feel it.

Pro tip from the field: whether you’re planning a vintage scooter roadtrip or setting up your home workshop, think like a rider: avoid fatigue. On the road, that means planning shorter days (and real breaks). At home, it means choosing gear that’s comfortable enough to use for hours—because the best spaces are the ones you actually spend time in.

More information

Visit Bel & Bel’s website for details.

Want to ride a vintage scooter roadtrip?

Here’s what we recommend at Planet Ride:

FAQ

• Is a vintage scooter roadtrip realistic for beginners?
  Yes—if you keep daily distances modest, plan extra time for stops, and choose an itinerary with easy access to fuel and basic mechanical help.
• What’s the best season for a vintage scooter roadtrip in France?
  Late spring to early autumn is usually the easiest window: longer days, fewer cold starts, and less weather-related fatigue.
• Do I need special insurance for a vintage scooter roadtrip?
  You’ll need valid road insurance for the scooter; for travel, check coverage for breakdown assistance and repatriation—especially if you’re riding far from major cities.

À savoir aujourd’hui

The spirit of this piece remains true: Bel & Bel’s work sits at the intersection of vintage scooter culture and functional design. What should be checked before committing is availability (limited runs), customization lead times, and delivery conditions, which can evolve over the years.