A family of motorcyclists built the Velocette and this showed through the design and excellence of the manufacturing. That family was the Goodmans, and three generations were to bridle the Foyer Infant firm over the age.
Between 1913 and 1925, they produced hot property, huge grade 250cc two - renown, which gained an outstanding reputation, and were entered in competitions, congenerous as the Isle of Man TT. The single - drainpipe machines had many unskilled outlook, analogous as a throttle controlled oil pump, which set them apart from other manufacturers. The workshop gradually developed this appliance 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.
In the early 1920s, Veloce realised that in adjustment to wax as a company, it needed a new engine of unusual specification and developed an overhead camshaft ( OHC ) 350 cc appliance, confessed as the ' K ' series, which was introduced in 1925. Meeting a instance of teething troubles with this new design, Veloce entered into nimble events resembling as the Isle of Man TT and Brooklands races, and the reliability and saccharine running qualities of their new tool led to a string of speedball successes.
By 1930, they had made their matronymic in the TT with Junior wins in 1926, 1928 and 1929 using their OHC engine. They had also reached the end of development for their first two - stroke engine and so had a new one to offer.
It was the 249cc GTP, and it moved away from the overhung crankshaft of its predecessors to the more normal one.
The other machines all had 348cc OHC engines, with their slim, light lines and bevel and shaft drive on the right. The magneto went to the rear where it was chain driven, lubrication was dry sump and the dynamo, when fitted went in front of the crankcase and was driven by a flat belt.
There were three models, with the KSS the one for sporting roadwork. For the racer, there was the Mark I KTT, which was the first production - racing machine to be sold to the public and was based firmly on the 1928 works model.
The third machine was the KTP, which had coil ignition, the points came on the end of the camshaft, the dynamo was in the magneto position and it had the twin exhaust ports.
The company introduced four - speed gearboxes in 1933 for the KSS and KTS models. However, there was a big gap between the small two - stroke and the sports camshaft models.
To fill the gap, Velocette experimented with a side valve 350cc which lacked power and then came up with another classic, the 248cc MOV. This had an OHV engine, a high gear driven camshaft, enclosed valves and nearly square dimensions. It was obvious that it would rev and provide lively performance and no one was disappointed for early road models were good for 60mph and later tuned models for 100mph.
To fill the gap, Velocette experimented with a side valve 350cc which lacked power and then came up with another classic, the 248cc MOV. This had an OHV engine, a high gear driven camshaft, enclosed valves and nearly square dimensions. It was obvious that it would rev and provide lively performance and no one was disappointed for early road models were good for 60mph and later tuned models for 100mph.
The road range was listed for 1940, but before production could really get under way, war broke out and the company switched to general contracts. These were the production Velocettes, but others were built as experiments, one offs and for their own racing. With the easy interchange of many parts or assemblies, it was often no problem to arrange and the practice spread to private owners.
After World War 2, the company sought to capture what it saw as a developing need for personal transport and created the LE model with the help of Phil Irving of Vincent fame. It was a 192 cc watercooled flat twin with side - valves, a pressed steel frame and telescopic forks and swingarm. It was sophisticated and expensive. Unfortunately it proved less successful than the firm had anticipated and although it became Veloce ' s best selling model ever, the massive tooling costs for this all - new machine were barely recouped.
The late 1960s were the last years of production for Velocette motorcycles, production for the Velocette Viper and Vogue ending in 1968, Special, Scrambler and Endurance in 1969, and MSS Venom and Velocette Thruxton in 1970.
Veloce Ltd closed in February 1971.
