Lockdown Velocette
The list of jobs to do is getting smaller as the project nears completion. Although it’s not quite as complete as appearances suggest.
Appearances can be deceptive, and that’s a little bit the case here – insomuch as despite it looking pretty much finished, the project Velocette isn’t really quite as far on as it would seem, although completion gets ever nearer. That’s because, well, I couldn’t resist ‘dressing up’ the Viper, using the tank and seat off dad’s 1966 MSS, just to see what the Viper would look like…
There are things still to do and bits to source; I found a second-hand toolbox on eBay, which I’m sure had been listed before, and once again I kept an eye on it, this time going so far as to bid; but once again it didn’t reach its estimate, despite being bid to more than I thought it was worth, especially considering it had a £15 posting charge. So I’m still in need of a toolbox.
Despite us having a dynamo cover in stock, it’s not the correct type – though it is Velocette – so that’s another item on the ‘to acquire’ list, while a speedo is required as well. My tentative hope and plan is to have the bike ready to take to Stafford in July, which sort of limits my options, as that’d be the best place to pick up some of my required odds and ends.
As for the dynamo itself, I’d mentioned previously how we were lacking one, while dad has oft mentioned how he’d like to fit an alternator to his MSS, so we agreed a deal whereupon I bought an alternator (from Criterion) which he had for his bike, and in exchange I had the dynamo off his bike. It’s the least I could do really, after all the time and effort he’s put into this project – I had to buy something one way or another, and this seemed the obvious solution. So I spoke to Stuart and an alternator was dispatched and arrived in good time.
Dad’s MSS is a late one, with the Velocette engine enclosing side covers on it, which had coloured his thinking as well – the alternator would be hidden from view, whereas on my bike it would be plain to see. Not really an issue, but a minor consideration. However, once it had turned up and he duly fitted it, a problem – the engine covers wouldn’t go back on. Solution one was to modify the side cover, but this is a largely original bike and we weren’t keen on that. Solution two was that among my collection of parts, was a spare set of the side covers – so dad could get his glass fibre kit out and modify a cover to suit. Only problem was, my covers are pretty manky and damaged, so he’d need to effect a load of repair work too, which didn’t seem too appealing. Solution three was to look at modifying the way the alternator fitted and how it was mounted; after consulting Stuart, this seemed to be the most practical solution. Dad set to work with his Dremel, and the job was soon accomplished. The side panels went back on no bother and the MSS could go back together.
Well, it could, except I still had the tank and seat on the Viper – and rather appealing I think/thought it looked too. We agreed that it makes the bike look much more 1960s than 1950s, compared to the small tank, as fitted to earlier Vipers and Venoms and which dates them to the decade before. But dad wasn’t prepared to give up his fuel tank, so after a bit of posing, it was taken back off, and I needed to sort out the tank and seat we had.
Ever since the start, I’ve been saying I would like to have a go at painting the tank and covering the seat, but I’ve always been a bit wary, as, basically, I’ve seen too many bikes over the years, where people have laboured long and hard and then ruined the whole job with a dodgy DIY job on the petrol tank, and a horrible, illfitting seat. I want to avoid these disappointments, so have decided to enlist specialists to undertake both jobs.
In mid-March, on my first visit to the office in six months, I took both tank and seat with me, from where they will be properly packed and sent off to two companies who have agreed to assist, Bespoke Auto Works taking care of the seat and Vale Paints the petrol tank. More on both companies and their services in due course, but John from Vale quickly was in touch to say the tank looks in pretty decent nick, so that’s a good start. I’ve sent over pictures of how I’d like it to look; though for a while I’d toyed with a red tank, the black and gold Velocette one is timeless, so that’s what we’ll go with.
The steady stream of deliveries has slowed somewhat of late, but we did get an exciting one, in the form of a shiny, new pair of shock absorbers from Hagon. Having spoken to Hagon, they dispatched them promptly, having asked my weight… (which is slightly more than this time last year, but never mind!). I decided to go for the traditional shrouded units rather than the exposed springs I quite fancied, but was pleased when they arrived. As ever, dad was dead keen to get them fitted, and was soon on the job. They cost £203.50 for the pair.
In the downtime before they arrived, he had undertaken a few other jobs, including fitting a new set of primary chaincase Allen key studs (£4.99 from eBay) and deciding that the front mudguard stays would look better painted black than the grey they were, so they were taken off and given a repaint. The line of the front
mudguard isn’t completely right, to my eye, so that may be something we will come back to; my brother reckons it looks a bit like it’s had a punch on the nose… Which is perhaps ironic considering the bent fork legs we discovered earlier, so maybe it was fitted with the same mudguard when it took its punt.
As mentioned earlier, my hope and plan is to have the Viper up and running by Stafford in July, which would be about a year after we started. I think in part one I speculated it would take two years and cost twice what I’d hoped; it looks like turning out that half of that prophesy was true…
“My hope and plan is to have the Viper up and running by Stafford in July, which would be about a year after we started.”