Velocette
Motorcycle History
Velocette
motorcycles | Velocette
History - Year by Year
Velocette is the name given to
motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in
Hall Green, Birmingham, England.
One of several motorcycle manufacturers
in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned
firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles
than the giant BSA, Norton, or Triumph concerns.
Renowned for the quality of their products,
the company was 'always in the picture' in international
motorcycle racing, from the mid-1920s through
the 1950s, culminating in two world championship
titles (1949-1950 350 cc) and their legendary
and still-unbeaten 24 hours at 100 mph (161
km/h) record. Veloce, while small, was a great
technical innovator and many of their patented
designs are commonplace on motorcycles today,
including the positive-stop foot shift and swingarm
rear fork with hydraulic shocks.
History
The company was founded by John
Taylor (born Johannes Gütgemann and later
known as John Goodman), and William Gue as "Taylor,
Gue Ltd." in 1905. Their first motorcycle
was the Veloce. Later that year, John Taylor
set up Veloce Limited, to produce cycles and
related products and services. Veloce Ltd initially
produced four-stroke motorcycles. The first
two-stroke, built in 1913, was called a Velocette.
This name was used for all of their subsequent
models.
Velocette two-strokes
Between 1913 and 1925, Veloce
only produced expensive, high-quality two-stroke
motorcycles of (nominally) 250 cc, which gained
an excellent reputation, and which they entered
in competitions, such as the Isle of Man TT,
with some success. The single-cylinder machines
had many advanced features, such as a throttle-controlled
oil pump, which set them apart from other manufacturers'
products. The factory gradually developed this
machine from the 'A' series and variants (A,
AC2 - coil ignition, two-speed gearbox, AC3
- three speed gearbox, etc.), then the 'H' series,
the model U and variants, culminating in the
model GTP in 1930, which was produced until
1946. The GTP was an elegant, reliable lightweight
motorcycle with charming steering and reasonable
power delivery.
Velocette 'K' series
In the early 1920s, Veloce realized that in
order to grow as a company, they needed a new
machine of advanced specification. They made
a bold move to produce an overhead camshaft
(OHC) 350 cc engine, which became known as the
'K' series, introduced in 1925. After a year
of teething troubles with this new design, Veloce
entered their model K into racing events such
as the Isle of Man TT and Brooklands races,
and the reliability and sweet running qualities
of their new engine led to a long string of
racing successes. The roadster models developed
from this initial model K were the KSS (super
sports), KTS (touring sports), KTP (twin exhaust
ports), KN (normal), and a few more obscure
variations. The OHC engine series continued
for roadsters until 1948, when the final KSS
versions were produced, with rigid frames and
Dowty air sprung telescopic forks. Their skills
with setting accurate valve timing was due to
their pioneering work with stroboscopic lamps.
The 'K' series showed an excellent turn of speed
and reliability, and soon the factory developed
specialized racing models to introduce their
new OHC machine to the world.
Velocette 'M' series
In 1933, the company decided to introduce a
new line of overhead valve (OHV) machines, in
order to cut production costs and make a more
affordable motorcycle. The K series was expensive
to produce, requiring selective hand assembly
of the shaft-and-bevel camshaft drive; it was
determined that a simpler OHV design would be
quicker to build and require less skilled labour
to assemble. The first of these new machines
was the MOV, using a 250 cc engine of 'square'
dimensions (68 mm bore x 68 mm stroke). It was
an immediate sales success, having lively performance
for the time (78 mph), and proved a reliable
machine with excellent road manners. From this
machine, by lengthening the stroke of the crankshaft,
the MAC 350 cc was introduced in 1934. It proved
even more popular than the MOV, and became a
real money spinner for the company, bringing
much needed capital into the firm. In 1935 an
entirely new machine was introduced, based on
the two previous OHV models, the MSS of 500
cc. A new, heavier frame was utilized with the
intention that the machine could serve as a
sidecar hauler. This new frame was developed
from the mkV KTT racing machine, and was shared
with the KSS MKII of 1936-48. The MSS also proved
very popular and profitable for Veloce.
Post war
After the Second World War, the company sought
to capture what it saw as a developing need
for personal transport, and they created (with
the help of Phil Irving of Vincent fame) the
model LE. This was a 192 cc watercooled flat
twin with side-valves, a pressed steel frame,
and telescopic forks and swingarm. It was sophisticated
and expensive, a consistent trait with all Velocettes.
Unfortunately it proved less successful than
the firm had anticipated, although it became
Veloce's best selling model ever, the massive
tooling costs for this all-new machine were
barely recouped. It did see widespread adoption
by British police forces for urban patrol. At
the time Metropolitan Police Officers on foot
patrol were required to salute Sergeants and
Inspectors. With the introduction of the Velocette
LE, this became dangerous, requiring the officer
to take his hand from the handle bars, and so
the rider was to allowed to show his respect
with a smart inclination of his head, or to
put it another way, give a smart nod. The riders
became known as Noddy's, and the bikes became
known as 'the Noddy Bike'. Another soubriquet
was "Whispering Willie", referring
to the LE's quietness allowing a "Bobby"
to sneak up on miscreants.
1950s
In 1950 Velocette were the World 350 cc champions.
The L.E. Mk II of 200 cc appears. The MAC uses
a Velocette designed telescopic front fork.
Over 1952-1953 The MAC gets a redesigned engine,
a swinging arm rear suspension and a dual seat.
In 1954 The 500 cc MSS reappears, like the MAC
but with a new engine. Scrambler and US variants
of the MSS started production in 1955. Two sports
models - the 500 cc Venom and 350 cc Viper and
a 200 cc air cooled flat-twin sports model Valiant
were announced in 1956. The L.E. Mk III appears
with four-speed foot change and kickstarter.
Over 1958/59 Fairings appear for all models.
1960s
In 1960 Velocette introduced the Viceroy, a
very unusual 250 cc opposed twin two-stroke
scooter. Unique to the Viceroy was the front
mounted twin cylinder engine, and the gas tank
mounted under the front legshield. The engine
itself was extremely compact, and connected
to the rear-mounted clutch and transmission
via a drive shaft from the engine-mounted flywheel.
With electric start, 12 volt electrics, a very
low centre of gravity, power over 15 hp and
a reported comfortable cruising speed of 65
MPH (105 km/h), performance, handling, and features
of the Viceroy were first class. Unfortunately
the scooter came as market forces and rider
preferences were changing, and the Viceroy was
not a sales success.
1961 Velocette Viceroy
The late 1960s were the last years of production
for Velocette motorcycles, production for Viper
and Vogue ending in 1968, "Special",
Scrambler and Endurance in 1969, and MSS Venom
and Thruxton in 1970. Veloce Ltd. closed in
February 1971,
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