You need a 350 Velocette MAC you can use a pre war iron engine rigid or a post war ally engine with swing arm. Known in England as the engineeers motorcycle top speed 71 mph(15BHP) comfortable 55-60 mph cruising, I have riden mine from the UK (Kent) to Spain for the Colombres rally see( http://gs85079.piczo.com ) see other bikes page. I used this bike to commute to work on daily. Best bike Iv'e ever had !!

Paul has a lot about Velos in his blog. I quite enjoy reading his stuff as he comes up with very interesting bikes to write about. Have a look though his back pages, some of the Velo clubs runs are pretty enjoyable it seems.
If I was smart I'd sell up all my bikes but my red Chang and have Paul find me a good Velo.
http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/

A colleague at work back in the UK had a Velocette 500. As I rode my Ariel Leader to work, he would often go past at 90 or more, usually with the brake light on!

He did have a nasty experience. His particular bike was a high compression engine (10.5, I think). One morning, the compression release cable snapped, and he tried to kick it over without that feature. Fat chance.

He then set the bike on its center stand, took a running leap onto the kick start, which promptly failed to engage and went straight though to the bottom of its travel.

He rode the bus to work for a month, with his broken ankle in a cast!

Watch out for big singles - they can bite big time.

I have a Venom with a 9:1 comp ratio and I recently tried to start it with trainers on and a slightly oily right sole I'm now the proud owner of a 7" bruise on the right shin but I still love her http://gs85079.piczo.com/ see other bikes page...I call it the Ebay special as thats where most of it has been obtained over the last three years plus some auto jumbles ....the velobanjogent web site is one of the best I've ever seen....apart from this one of course..

see also http://velobanjogent.blogspot.com/

I was able to pick up a fairly decently priced 1971 BSA B50 MX at the Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction. From what I have read it has a better bottom end than the 441 Victors. It should be what I am looking for as far as back road riding. So far all I think I have to do is put some street tires on it. Nothing major. I had an Ironhead Harley Sportster in the 70s that continually tore my leg up. I have gotten very good at starting these older bikes.

I was alway partial to the Matchless G80cs. Truly a king of a thumper, 500cc 12:1 compression. Without the compression release pulled in, you could jump up and down the kickstarter like it was seized. I remember my dad trying to start this and with a poor sence of timing would be black and blue and limp for a week. I could some how time that sucker just right and "BAM" ....it would tick over like a timponi drum. Prone to head gaket problems, this was my first mechanical achievement with motorcycles. My folks were gone and I took it up into the woods for a romp and she started blowing out the head. I was 14 in 1967.

pvisseriii wrote:I was alway partial to the Matchless G80cs. Truly a king of a thumper, 500cc 12:1 compression. Without the compression release pulled in, you could jump up and down the kickstarter like it was seized. I remember my dad trying to start this and with a poor sence of timing would be black and blue and limp for a week. I could some how time that sucker just right and "BAM" ....it would tick over like a timponi drum. Prone to head gaket problems, this was my first mechanical achievement with motorcycles. My folks were gone and I took it up into the woods for a romp and she started blowing out the head. I was 14 in 1967.

I was 14 in '67 also and remember the legends of a 500 Matchless, all of what you say here. No experiece even to this day with Matchless. My Norton singles (350 and 500) were pretty whimpy compared to the Matchless legend.

Those matchless singles did pretty good in desert racing if I recall. I'd buy one if the right deal came along but I sure wouldn't run some of the compression ratios they used to.

The late G80CS - '64 on - had 8.7:1 compression in street trim. The 12:1 was optional along with an Amal GP carb and used by racers and in the G85CS which was a stripped down motocrosser. The cylinder head is lapped to the cylinder with no gasket used. It has a stepped spigot. I spray a thin layer of aluminum paint on both surfaces after lapping them together using valve grinding compound and have had no problems with the 8.7:1. It is not that hard to start with the proper drill - about the same as a Commando.

Russ

That's a beauty and a compression ratio I'd run on today's gas. It looks to have the same sidecar lug frame my G15csr had.

I have a few thumpers. I've always liked them. I think you're going to enjoy your new B50. I have one in a B44 frame

I bought a bike that I probably should not have. When I unloaded it from the truck, I could hear the chain rubbing against the chain guard and the swing arm cross member. I put the bike in the shed and got down on my knees to take a look. The new chain was so long that is was going under the swing arm support and darn near dragging on the floor. I ended up taking out 8 links before I got the recommended free play in the chain. The bike came with a complete new wire harness that was plugged in at random. You would think the MId America Auction house would have some standards when it comes to selling "Restored Bikes". I guess not. None of the electrics work. Turns out the ignition/ electrical box under the frame was missing a ground wire. Easy stuff to sort out and fix. Bike was sold as a matching numbers bike but so far I am having trouble locating a frame serial number.

All in all I probably overpaid about 1,000 for the bike. It is fairly original on the hard to find sheet metal parts. The suspension is good. I think somebody bought an orginal low milage bike and did a clean up on it. It was last registered in California in about 1973. I am hoping that they did not screw around with the lower end. I plan to be able to fire it up in a few days. I plan to use it as a dirt bike. I am back to looking for a good 500cc single road bike.

The bike came out of the Palos Verdes area of Southern California. Just goes to show that you can get ripped off by people in the better neighborhoods.