1971 Velocette Thruxton - Jay Leno's Garage
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- Опубликовано: 5 авг 2024
- 1971 Velocette Thruxton. Jay bought this hand-built motorcycle in the year it was made, just after family-owned Velocette of Birmingham, England closed its doors for good. The marque has an incredible racing provenance, it still holds its class record for 24 hours at 100mph.
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1971 Velocette Thruxton - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1971 Velocette Thruxto...
Jay Leno's Garage
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One of the finest motorcycles ever made, unique in so many ways but the sound of the exhaust is unmistakable .
Brought back a lot of memories, I was an Engineering Apprentice with Veloce Ltd and the original 1964 Venom Thruxton was an apprentice project for which I was responsible and it came into being by putting all the 'extras' that were available for the Venom Clubman and a few 'special bits' such as a Valiant toolbox, modified Scrambler mud guards (fenders) etc. It took a lot to persuade the 'bosses' to move from the traditional Velo Black and Gold but they did and were so impressed that it was decided to display it at the Earls Court, London exhibition where it created so much interest that it was quickly priced up and offered for sale.
Gareth Lewis
Many thanks for sharing your really interesting experiences.
Andrew
@Andrew Wilson. I thought that it might interest you to know that when multiple World Champion Formula One racing car driver and designer Jack Brabham was a young Technician, starting his racing career in Sydney Australia he had a part-time source of income restoring and selling Velocette motorbikes. I spoke with Jack Brabham, in 1960, when he was servicing his Cooper Bristol racing car at the Fishermans Bend circuit, which was adjacent to the Melbourne CBD. i was only 22 at the time, but he spoke to me because I asked him some intelligent questions. At that time I rode a Triumph Tiger 100, that I had bought new in 1957, but I always wanted to own a Thruxton. Phil.
Maybe a Velocette redo is in the offing to follow the new Gold Star.
I went round the Veloce factory in 1971. It was very depressing. Management was clearly very poor. There was a serious theft problem and they closed a few weeks later. I had a Venom. Fortunatlely I lived on a hill so could bump start it every day. Jay's evaluation is very accurate- as ever.
this is a GORGEOUS bike.
So true!
its my opinion to say that velocettes were the finest British singles ever made & specially the venom exceeds expectations in every angle- the most beautiful bike i have spend my Sundays on !!!!!!!
This is always a pleasure for me. I've worked on bikes as a mechanic better than fifty years, ridden a good many different types, owned quite a few, and this reminds me of some of the best, and some I never saw. Jay's collection is something to be admired, he's done a fine job selecting pretty much the best, and taking the time, pleasure, of sharing with the rest of us as well. Thanks for them all.
I really enjoyed watching this video, all the compliments you said about this Velocette bike, my dad used to say. He was a fanatic lover of Velocette, he had three at different times, he had one, which was his favorite, the 1948 KSS equipped with telescopic air damped front suspension, and hard tail. It was tuned for track racing, and he was very proud of reaching a little over 100 m/h. It had over head cams, with just 350 cc. It was a great bike, I remember it wasn't easy to start, because I used to ride this bike without his permission at 15 yeas old, I let it run down the hill to start it, and some times didn't start, and I had to take it back up hill, but it was a fun to ride. I was lucky I never had an incident. One day my dad came early from work, and when he passed by the bike, he noticed the engine was hot, that's how he found out I was stealing his bike. He really was a Velocette lover.
I like this guy more and more. I used to think he was a chat show jerk but his passion for bikes and cars is well impressive. Great stuff.
I think he is a chat show jerk as well as an extremely passionate collector, archivist, driver and rider of awesome vehicles.
That goes to show you, there's two sides to every coin, and oftentimes more.
Colin 'Jolly Chap' Taylor Good comment Colin!
jeramy clarkson is a chat show jerk jay is cool understands the passion too
@@geezerbigfoot Clarkson is the jerk.Period.
The beauty is.... long after Jay is gone there will be this well preserved collection ,eclectic as a whole. A museum will be built to honor his collection. People even get ahold of Jay to offer him one of a kinds or immaculately cared for collectibles because they know he will give them a good home. I’m sure Jay throws some money at these families but really not the goal of quite a few of them. Often the Grandfather in a family passes on and he had a vehicle he lovingly cared for his entire life. Often these types of vehicles are offered to Jay.
I just got back into motorcycles at 54 years old. Call it a midlife crisis all you want because truly that’s what it is and I’m never going to stop riding ever again. I got home one hour ago from a solo 961 mile round trip from IL to Norther WI and took the ferry boat to Madeline Island yesterday on Lake Superior. Madeline Island is one of 22 Islands that make up the Apostle Islands. Three full days of riding and two nights in a motel 2-1/2 hours shy of the ferry boat. If you want to feel youthful again, get a bike!
A testament to the handling of this bike is the time I rode into what I at first thought was a drift of dead leaves across the road, turned out a truck had shed a load of hardcore, spread over the full width of the road for about 50 yards. The Velo stayed upright although my arms ached for hours afterwards from the effort of holding it straight.
The most beautiful motorcycle ever produced! Thanks for the video, Jay.
In 1915 the Veloce company, which had been established in Britain in 1905, launched a lightweight two-stroke single, called the 'Velocette Two - Stroke' The Velocette title was adopted to suggest that it was the baby brother of the company's 500cc machines. The model, however, became so popular that in time the company changed its trading name from Veloce to Velocette.
Your Thruxton is a thing of pure beauty, thank you for sharing.
You mentioned the clutch was a tricky one to set up and awkward to use, but if set up right is really light and it helps the bike stay very slim because the final drive sprocket is outside the clutch. Extremely unusual on a Brit bike.
Jay's are among the best bike videos ever made, an honest presentation of good points and limitations and above all we get to hear the wonderful sound of the bikes. So great to hear the engines instead of ruining it with overdubbed music as so many do.
Tout à fait d'accord.On a beau le souligner ils se sentent obligés de nous faire entendre leur goût pour une musique de merde qui plus est.
The unique Velo clutch design was intended to give a light lever while coping with the torque of a 500 single. And yes, it's a finicky set up, but it is a good clutch. Compared to other motorcycles, like for example the BSA Gold Star, which needs um a firm pull, you can declutch a Velo with one finger. But you still can't get neutral at a standstill.
My last bike was a velo, nearly 50 years ago.
I still miss it.
Having done a few thousand miles on one of these I can tell you that the marriage of the torque from the 500cc single with its nimble handling makes these a dream to ride on small twisty British B-roads. They are great fun.
i remember my brother used to complain that the chain kept stretching because of the torque and his was only a 350.
I had a Ducati Desmo 350, a BSA Victor 441, a Suzuki Savage 650, a Honda 100, and some multi cylinders bikes. But I wish I can ride on such a Velocette one day.
Thanks for the ride , Jay !
I love his narrative not looking to find fault just rejoice in the workings of some old engineering.
stanley gray I love his admiration for classics in general. Not many collectors are passionate about steam cars and exotic sports cars. Love the range of diversity in his collection and the variety that captures his interests.
I used to see a guy riding one of these to work in 1967. I saw him every morning and was incredibly jealous, as I rode my BSA Bantam to college. Nice review Jay!
The guy down the road from my parents house had one for about 5 years. Before trading it in for a Norton Commando. The only Velocette I owned was an LE. That funny looking "Noddy" bike. Which surprisingly despite it's looks, went well, especially in urban traffic. Rode a "Beezer", Gold Star, a few times but my mate had it on a flat sidecar. The Beezer had a low thrum. You could almost hear the piston turn over. I actually bought the LE from my mate, he had a real interest in different older bikes like Velocette or Sunbeam. Good times! Thanks to Jay, for a nice review of the Thruxton.
Yes bought one in 1966, done thousands of miles on it, handled like a dream, was very reliable, not the bike for fools as required a learnt maintenance, sold it 2008 after my right leg and arms began to suffer, Now have a CCM, not racing bread like the velo, fantastic history, always dreamt of owning KTT Mk 8
I hung out at Don Henderson's mc shop in Detroit around 1959. he was a Velo dealer / racer .Flat track and in the winter he was a Michigan state champ ice racer..Donny built some of the fastest Velocettes around. He would stuff a built Thruxton engine in an old Velo ridged springer frame..pure art and all the trophy's to show for it..Thanks Jay
A work of art. My old engineering teacher at school Mr Peach had a Venom, just lovely.
Brought back great memories.. especially the sound, reminding me of my Venom in the '60s. I had a friend who was a test rider for Velocette and I remember the first test machine he brought to the "Cabin" a local coffee bar. As I say, happy memories.
That’s one bike I’ve never seen here in south of Ga. Got to love those motorcycle with a kick start.
It’s shame they don’t make them anymore.
There is something special about all the vintage big singles.
These came out in !967, Just after the bike won the Truxton 24 hr race at an average speed of over 100mph. I had one then. Starting it was an artform but once going it was great, fast, smooth and comfortable. The 6 volt electrics were not a problem because they were only for the lights. I wish I still had it. but life moves on.
Paul Roberts It was a Clubman Venom which, in 1961, snatched the 24-hour speed record at Montlhéry, France taking the 12-hour record at an average of 104mph, and the 24-hour at slightly over 100.
It’s a 500cc class record that stands to this day.
Forgot to add. It was nice to hear Jay mention Burt Munro from NZ. If any one reading this hasn't seen The World's Fastest Indian, do yourself a favour and hire it or watch it on Netflix. It's one of my all time favourite movies... it just makes you feel great. I bet Jay enjoyed it!
+Sean Coyne You should read the book that the movie was based on. Much more into the life and work of Burt Munro.
WORLDS FASTES INDIAN-ANTHONY HOPKINS TOUR DE FORCE. DAMN THAT VELO SOUNDS EVEN AND STRONG🎵
Sean Coyne It’s actually available on RUclips now
Do both then go to New Zealand and see the real Indian and Burt's Velocette in E Hayes & Sons Hardware shop in Invercargill. It's on show along with the model props and FREE 7 days a week during shop opening hours. But do pay and go to Motorcycle Mecca just around the corner and see the Britten's
I've always liked Jay Leno even before I knew he shared some of the same interests I have. My first motorcycle was a '64 BSA single cyl B-40 I got when I was 15. I've been a classic bike devotee ever since. If I had the resources Jay has, there is no doubt in my mind that I would do the same thing and have my own museum. Someone has to preserve these machines because they're not going to preserve themselves.!!
How great this bike sounds!
Very nostalgic and well presented. My own Velocette experience began in 1951 with the purchase of a three-years-old MSS. This was followed by a KSS and later another MSS. Great bikes but there was always a lurking suspicion about the Dowty air forks, that they could deflate and leave you stranded. A new MSS purchased in 1954 solved any of those eventualities and provided one with several years of blissful Velocette ownership. The purchase price in 1954 was 220 pounds.
A piece of motoring history to be enjoyed. What a beauty!
Fantastic video
My father bought his venom new in march 1970 and your right it was a real enthusiasts bike
Hed wanted one since he got into bikes
He passed away in january this year and its now in my garage needing some work as it was taken off the road in 99 needing an engine rebuild
So im glad to hear parts are available as it will be getting a full rebuild
Built in my home City, Birmingham UK the real Birmingham the mother of the industrial revolution.
I always loved the look of these Velocettes. I have had several British bikes, the last two being a 1969 Triumph 650 Tiger, and a 1977 Triumph 750 Bonneville. Both handled so well and they were a pleasure to ride. :-)
Very special machine. You can tell the level of craftsmanship just from this video. So smooth.
I had the 500cc Venom Clubman back in the sixties, and remember seeing the new Thruxton at the Earls Court motor cycle show. It was a stunning looking bike complete with the Thruxton fairing.
I could not afford one unfortunately. This video is the best I've seen on the Thruxton,. Thanks for putting it up.
Thank you very much Mr. Leno. I almost bought an identical Velocette in 1972, from a car dealer in North Vancouver, B.C. I didn't. I've had 11 bikes since, and still want the Velocette.Your video is fabulous.
Just had a chance to see this episode. What an absolutely beautiful, timeless machine. And the sound is as gorgeous as the looks. The fact it's setup the way it is, a sporty road position, rearsets, clipons, wow. Just wow.
What a stunning piece of machinery, makes me proud to be British.
This is one of the most authentic and informative bike videos I’ve ever seen. Brilliant.
Several years ago, I had a friend who had a large collection of Vintage bikes and over time I rode several, but the one that impressed me the most was a Velocette. The smoothness of that engine was outstanding! I don't remember the year and model, it wasn't a Thruxton, but more of a lower priced Velo, the name Clubman come to mind and it did have the same fishtail muffler.
Thanks Jay for showing me yours.
The basic 500cc was the Venom then with bits added it became the Clubman but the Thruxton was the daddy of the family. They also had a limited run of 500cc scramblers. Later I will put up a video of our scrambler as wasn't many made and even few survived.
All ways wanted one! Yes it’s a very good looking bike! You can see the quality.
Jay's knowledge of and enthusiasm for all the machines he presents is so inspiring - a true enthusiast!
I love that bike. My Dad owned one. Very impressed Jay is the original owner.
I rode a new Thruxton in ‘71 and it was, without doubt, the smoothest 100 mph (160 klm/h) that had ever experienced. Unbelievable!😁🏆 All of Jay’s comments are accurate. Well done.
The company was called Veloce which is derived from speed. It was founded by a German emigre who changed his name to Goodman, and remained in the family to the end. Ivan Rhodes, the noted Velocette expert lives near me. My Dad had three Velocettes. I've got one and a half.
Jay you're a classic! Thanks for bringing us so much joy all these years!
I owned a 1934 velocette mac in 1960, my first bike, would not kick start so bumped off, learned to leave it on hills so could always start it, cost £5 sold for £7. in 1963 I purchased a 1949 venom clubmans, did a lot of work on it, cost £45 sold for £70. the lad wrecked it 3 weeks later. I had fitted a goldie straight through silencer, my mother said she knew when I got to work 3 miles away hearing the engine stop.
A chap came to our club one night picking our brains about why his KTT (a long time ago now, but I'm sure that's the correct model) was so slow. "Lucky if I can hit 70 and it ought to do a ton". Talked over various symptoms and Leant him my straight through Goldie pipe. Turns out the pattern Velo fishtail was badly made and strangled the exhaust. He said it hit 70 and took off. Fear of getting banned forced him him to slow down from a ton.
Time for bed.
The standard exhaust worked fine. The straight through pipe was standard on the 500cc Scrambler however
At 50 years old I just got my first Velocette, a 1957 350 MAC. Took me a day or so to get the starting knack and I know what you mean about finding neutral before stopping!! What a great little bike though. Took it to its birthplace two weeks ago, York Road, Birmingham just 3 miles from my home. I'm the second owner in 67 years, crazy.
I've owned both a Venom Clubman and a Thruxton and I still consider them the best machines I ever rode. Head turners wherever they went in the 60's and early 70's, with that deep single cylinder beat which always said they meant business. Terrific bikes!
Still owing both I still turn heads when they are ridden and that's the best way to keep a Velocette in tune and easy to start
I LOVE that exhaust note! Nothing quite like it.
This guy is a gift to enthusiast motorcycling
Beautiful bike ! TY Jay for sharing this unique piece of motorcycle history .
I use to work for a Velocette dealer. Roy Smith. He also raced Velo's at the TT. Best boss I ever had by a mile!
Jay, You are a treasure - you know your bikes - no BS EVER-FANTASTIC ! Just wished I had your budget to buy and love these beautiful machines and I am British of around your age ...
Jay your videos are fantastic. Really enjoy your stuff. My self and my brothers are all Big Velocette fans. My youngest Bro in Texax has a Venom and we have two MACs in Colombo. All started as my Dad is a Velocette Enthusiast. Love your garage. Velocettes are Super Classics. 👍
I have a 1967 BSA Victor that is very similar to the Velocette. It is a 441CC with the compression release also. Love your Garage!
I'd almost forgot that comment, usually spoken at a cafe or a pub - " and it started first kick!" Always brought a grin or a questioning look. They may have thought they could stay with a 6volt system because electric start was - mmm - unnecessary. Rode Velo's regularly during the 60's & 70's. Had a Venom, Scrambler, and a Thruxton. Rode the Venom for a while as the regular ride in the late 90's and early 00's. I was working grave shift in an airline hangar in Phoenix, AZ. A bit of a juxtaposition there somewhere...Thank you, Jay, and thank you to the Goodmans, too.
Hi Jay, nice to see somebody talk with so much passion and interest about his favorite bikes 😊 There are not so much people in daily life I meet know so much about the motorcycles and have this kind of common interest. When you visit holland come over for a cup of coffee and a nice chat about motorcycles 😉
This is easily the coolest bike Jay owns.
Fantastic!!! I had one. Loved it when I could start it. Was too young & inexperienced to keep it. Magnificent bike!
Awesome piece of classic technology. That level of involvement is exactly what I prefer. The sound is intoxicating too. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Phil Irving, the designer of the Vincent HRD Motor Cycles, always maintained a strong connection with the Velocette clan.
The Velo' was a wonderful bike, I had a 350cc Viper, 1947 ridged. I know I am a bit Patriotic, but you said that British singles won't tick over very well?
I do not quite agree with that statement, as all the Brit' bikes that I had over the years, all would tick over somewhere between 500 - 900 RPM.
Some of the old two-strokes could run a little of beat, due to pore collaboration!
But truly: If you build any of the old Brit' four-strokes, - and have the crankshaft, rods and piston/pistons dynamically balanced, you will find that they run very smoothly.
I must also say, it's really good to see your enthusiasm of a very well respected Motorcycle.
Thank you.
As the former owner of a Venom Clubman, the Thruxton was a dream bike. When I had the chance to buy one a few years ago, sadly, I passed. The reality is that we are living in the golden age of motorcycles and I know that if I bought a Classic, I wouldn't ride it much because I have bikes that I would prefer to ride.
Too bad you're not Immortal like your automotive icons from your collection. Thank you for being Leno🙂
I had several Triumphs. The 61 always started by the second kick after tickling the carb a bit, and yes, possibly dribbling some gas. That bike was fun, when it wasn't burning holes in pistons or frying zener diodes leaving me in the dark with no lights but running due to that awesome magneto.
Love that thumping sound, thanks for taking us on the pillion Jay 😉
I owned 2 Thruxtons in 1967-1968. One (red tank) hit a dump truck that changed lanes in front of me (Ouch!). I replaced it with a silver tank Thruxton. I think the muffler was called a Berklins silencer. One of the things that was unique is the instructions for starting. After “tickling” the carburetor you needed to “thrust down smartly” on the kick starter. They were imported into the US by Berliner - East Coast. A friend and his brother owned a little dealership. Friends bought Scramblers and Clubmans. Wish I still had it - it’s worth some bucks.
What a classic bike.. love the Amp meter.
There is nothing in this world that sounds as good as a Velocette. Period.
nice - I LUSTED after a Thruxton after one pulled up in my schoolyard when I was 17 - black and gold and that fishtail was so LOUD ! I guess they'd removed the muffling from inside - yeah that was a dream ...
Nice to see this has been kept in beautiful condition.
You gotta love old bikes. Motorcycles now days just don't have the same flair.
WOW, STUNNING MACHINE, MANY THANKS
“You either get it or don’t “ Truer words never spoken - Thanks Jay!
I was about 16 when I saw my first Thruxton in the window of Johnson Motors in Pasadena. That sold me on motorcycles as it was the most beautiful motor vehicle I had ever seen. I could never afford one, but when they advertised that the Velocette would do 130 out of the box (without muffler) they had me. I later bought a Matchless G80SC which was a poor substitute, but I drove the hell out of it (with a roll of Whitworth wrenches in my back pocket). Later a Yamaha SR500 as I couldn't get singles out of my mind. Drove that all over California for about eight years before I (sadly now) sold it. The Thruxton will always be stuck in my mind.
Thank you! I made a "Thruxton" spec Velocette out of parts I bought as I could get them. Result was a very handleable A- road cruiser.
Jay, this bike is a beauty. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Good video from Jay. A couple of points: I always found that I had to advance the ignition fully before attempting a kick-start and you had to get the piston just past top dead centre or you wouldn't have the leg muscles to push down hard enough. I would also recommend always wearing proper (motorcycle) boots before attempting the kick; with shoes or trainers your foot would just slip off and you would whack your ankle. On one occasion whilst riding down the M4 into Wales in the 70s I got so cold I had to pull over onto the hard shoulder to warm up. As I brought my right foot over the seat, I was so cold I lost my balance and had no option but to lay down gently lowering my Thruxton right on top of me. Too cold to move (and nobody stopped to help a guy lying UNDERNEATH his motorcycle) I waited patiently until the 500cc cylinder warmed me up enough to get some strength to lift my beauty up off me. So 'thanks' to all you car drivers who didn't stop to help!
While I fully agree about protective gear a well tuned 500cc will start easily with no kick back
@@christopherpearson1752 I cannot disagree with you about 'a 500cc' ... but my baby was a Thruxton Venom (as opposed to a just 'a 500cc Venom') and it came with a GPS carburettor and even when I picked it up from new at Geoff Dodkin's Velo shop in South London - and he personally showed me how to start it - the kickback AND the flame shooting out of the air intake(!!) were there from the get-go. Fun times indeed. I could leave my baby anywhere knowing that no-one else could start it (unless they were Velo Thruxton owners and we just didn't DO that sort of thing); the only way to steal it was to push it away and it was too heavy for that (read my post above). I loved that bike UYT 5F in silver and blue. My 'Blue Rocket' ..
Sorry either you had a Venom or a Venom Clubman or a Thruxton. No model was a Thruxton Venom? To have it spit flames etc from new was a sign the dealer ( yes I know of them) did not set yours up correctly. It seems to have been a " bastardised" model which was common. A true Thruxton unlike Jays came with the Amal GP but many Velocette motorcycles suffered from parts bin syndrome ie what was available. There was also the 500cc scrambler. I know because to this day I own 12 Velocette motorcycles of different models including 5 500cc models and they still all run infact today I am collecting the scrambler after a refurbishment and dropping of the straight Venom for it's refurbishment which will include the French electric start conversion then off to the paint shop to be restored to its original factory Red & Black paintwork
@@christopherpearson1752 Well Chris ... you can learn something new every day! There certainly was a Thruxton Venom - it was based on a Venom Clubman which won the Thruxton 24-hour race in the 60s and hence earned the soubriquet 'Thruxton'. You could distinguish these babies from the Venom and/or Venom Clubman by their distinctive styling e.g. mine was silver and blue (silver tank with blue frame), the Amal GPX carb, the front air scoops, the little heat shield on the oil tank and the optional (I couldn't afford one) silver fairing. Mine certainly wasn't bastardised as I picked it up from Dodkin's myself and it even had bits of wrapping still on it. It cost me £399 which was a fortune in those days - but I had a good job working for a bank - so I bought it on hire purchase. The only change I ever made was to swap the Woodhouse rear suspensions for Girling because these had shiny silver springs which I though enhanced its sexiness. Good to hear you have a collection, I hope they bring you much joy.
There certainly is the Thruxton but I disagree still it's not a Thruxton Venom. The Thruxton stood alone. Many people took Venoms and Thruxtonised them. I'm glad yours was the Silver with blue seat and the navy frame. Mine is that also but it has always being a joy to start as well as naturally ride. I just forget who sold it originally mine came from Andy Tierman? It was put into Black Gold but it's now returned to the factory spec of Silver etc as described. I'll get around to a RUclips video one day @Christopher Pearson 1752. You'll see some of my Velocette motorcycles there
Thanks for sharing Jay! What an wonderful machine, with a beautiful sound
Great video. My Uncle and Grandfather worked at Velocette. My Uncle was in the test team and also tested the race bikes the week before the TT races on the course.
My father still has a 1954 Velocette Venom.
I also have one of the last Velocettes made. It's a shaft drive, water cooled LE. Advanced features for the time but it looks like it's from the 1930s or 40s. It's also in New Zealand.
Brings back great memories I had a Venom when I was 18 years old in 1964 & ran it for 2 years it was really smooth & powerful for the time , it was a 1957 but very similar to Jays I was a bit of a cafe racer & always had a problem to keep up with the Dominator 99 & 650 Triumphs/BSAs which were fastewr but not more comfortable.All the clutch cases leaked (they had a felt gasket) rule was when it stops dripping refill it I sold it because I was poor & needed a car. Anyway still think about it!
Mr Leno you are so lucky to own such a iconic bike
Trev S Nothing to do with luck. Just hard work.
beatsByZlaya Lots of folk work hard and don't have such a wonderful bike - we have an MZ660
Trev S Let me correct... Just hard work in the right direction.
MZ are good bike. I rode on one when I was still in my mother stomach haha!
beatsByZlaya that would make you 12yo if it was ours
Always loved the "Velo", growing up as a neighbor named John Speak (A.K.A "Mad John") was a total Velocette fan. He knew and understood *everything* about them, and could tune them to be capable of terrifying performance, so he was The Man for anything Velocette around here.
John passed away some years ago, but I'll never forget him. Good bloke. ☺
Awesome Motorcycle !
Many thanks for having shared this video !
Respect, Peace & Music from Paris France
Good-looking bike, sounds great too. There's just something about these more simple machines that is appealing.
Boy that was fun. Back in 1971 I was a young motorcyclist with very little money. But I loved the Velo and AJS bikes in particular. The problem was a lack of funds. I just could not afford them. Thanks for the memories. Dave from Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
You've made this Brit (and his Dad) jealous!
Triumph had the Daytona and Bonneville, Norton had the Manx and Velocette had the Thruxton, which was also named after a race track.
I was surprised that this was a 70s bike, as you did not see many of them around then.
When I was a teenager, there was a Velocette dealer in Portsmouth- Burnett Bros. This was a legendary place- mostly because the brothers who were very old, were also incredibly slow at serving the customers- there was always a queue of moaning men getting visibly annoyed. One of the brothers had a bad limp and it was said he had been thrown over the handlebars of a Thruxton- it was too far advanced when he kicked it over. In the showroom out the back there were a number of bikes from the 50s- brand new and unsold. A school friend's father managed to extract some of them- a Norton 19S, Ariel Golden Arrow and Red Hunter. However he did not get the 1962 Velocette Viper- its headlamp had been taken off for some reason- spares most likely. People in the shop would ask about this machine and the brothers would deny its existence- to be told- "I have just seen it!" There was also an array of early 60s Triumph Tina scooters. We moved away in 1973 and I hope somebody bought it. There was a heap of old bikes in the workshop area and my friend told me there was a KTT Velocette in the mound. It was such a time capsule that shop- ancient ads for Ferodo belt drives on the walls etc! I have not been near the shop in decades and can reasonably predict it has been torn down and replaced with housing.It was just down the road from a very ornate pub covered in tiles called the Eldon Arms in Eldon Street.
The speedo and tach on that are stunning.
There are a few Velocettes in my family and they are all a pleasure to ride
What a beautiful bike. There was a fully restored Vello on the New South Wales police Wall to Wall remembrance run down to Canberra the national capital, over 1,000 bikes, it was fantastic with police telling us to hurry up when we were doing 85-90mph!. I wish I could post a photo of the Vello.
Come on. In Australia it's KMs not MPH and I was on that run on my Indian and no way would Police Condon speeding that much above the limit. I know Police often come on the various groups that converge on Canberra but I can't accept or let people think such actions would come from our Police
Beautiful! You Talk about holding the clutch in at a light is if that's a thing you should do? Neutral in a car or motorcycle is just the way it's done. And I agree , select neutral before you stop! Thanks for the ride Cheers Warren.
My brother had a 350 MAC & 500 MSS, but only one licence plate that he switched from bike to bike LOL. His Labrador dog went everywhere on the tank with him. I had a 350 MAC track bike on 12:1 compression, only ran on Shell A racing gas.
I could listen to him chat about mechanical stuff all day, he's a real enthusiast!
Bless you, Jay. You are one of the few people in the world i respect.