The :eader was one of my best beginner bikes. Sure, it smoked like a factory chimney, but it was damned quick for a 250. in my dotage, I'd like to find a cheap restorable example. Can any of you guys in the UK find one for me?

Given the anti-smog rules around here, I'd probalbly have to find a suitable EFI 4-stroke to replace the original engine, unless I can get geriatric (Grandfather) status. Since the Leader wasn't imported to the US, as far as I know, this may be a problem.

frankdamp wrote:The :eader was one of my best beginner bikes. Sure, it smoked like a factory chimney, but it was damned quick for a 250. in my dotage, I'd like to find a cheap restorable example. Can any of you guys in the UK find one for me?

Given the anti-smog rules around here, I'd probalbly have to find a suitable EFI 4-stroke to replace the original engine, unless I can get geriatric (Grandfather) status. Since the Leader wasn't imported to the US, as far as I know, this may be a problem.

http://nationalmotorsales.com/addetails.php?slno=10177



Sketchy looking site. I wouldn't buy from this person without a lot of verification. BUT, proves that there might be Leaders in the US. We tend to import everything, even the less desirables.

As for smog rules in WA, no big deal for vintage.

Sorry for all the typos, guys - too much Pinot Grigio!

That ebay sale is interesting, but his "buy it now" is ridiculous. When I bought my '58 in '60, with less than 6,000 miles on it, I paid £90, which was about $240. Maybe I'll put in a $200 bid and see if anyone else beats it! It would cost a bundle just to go get it from up here in the top left-hand corner! Not sure of DW would go along, but it would make a good "dinghy" for our motorhome.

She still remebers the one feature of that bike that gave her the most grief. Because of the box-beam structure, there was no low-level place to hang the passenger footpegs, so they put them on the swing-arm. Every bump in the road was transmitted to her feet and legs as the rear suspension did its thing.

It's interesting that the seller says "It's all there except the windshield". The windshields were blow-molded Plexiglas (Perspex to you Brits) and were very vulnerable. In 18 months, I put two new ones on my bike and sold ity without one. If he still has the windshield stanchions, it might be possible to re-create the windshield design.


Verrry Interrresting!!!, but shtupid!

I haven't seen a Leader but somebody had a Vellocette LE for sale here.

It appeared on eBay briefly, and I wasn't alert enough to copy the item #. Did anyone else copy it? If he hasn't sold it, I might make a low-ball offer and see if I can get it. Probably cost more to get it to NW Washington than it's worth!

Paul - the seller is one Steve White in Mission Hills TX. Do you know anything about him?

I might be interested in a "Whispering Copper", as the LE Velocette was known. They were quite heavily used as city patrol vehicles for the police. Since they were water-cooled and heavily muffled, they were very quiet.

A fellow apprentice at BAC had a very early one, which I rode fairly regularly when going out to pick up the ofiice's lunch order. It had an automobile-type gearbox, 3-speeds, non-synchro, with an H-gate shifter on the right side of the spine. To down shift, you had to operate the clutch, move the shift to neutral, blip the throttle, pull the clutch in again and then shift the lever into a lower gear. Since the "blip" was done with the same hand as the shift, not many people bothered to downshift!

Later versions got redesigned to be more like mainstream bikes, with a constant-mesh transmission, shifted by a foot lever. I always thought the early versions were designed by a guy with no left leg, as the back brake was on the right, the shifter was hand operated, also on the right. There were no left-foot functions.

The handlebars were unusual too. They looked like the handles on a wheelbarrow, as the headstock was so far forward of the seating position. The bars came almost staight back towards the rider and were really strange to work with. You had to move the whole assembly off to the side to change direction.

A late-model LE would be fun. With 200 very relaxed (L-head - UK term side-valve) ccs, you sure wouldn't win a stoplight Grand Prix. I doubt it put out more than about 8 horsepower on a good day.

Velocette made an OHV, air-cooled sport bike (called the Valiant, I think) that was based on the LE and I think it kept the shaft drive.

frankdamp wrote:Paul - the seller is one Steve White in Mission Hills TX. Do you know anything about him?

I've not heard of him, but I've not heard of lots of people, so it doesn't mean anything.

I just got nothing on a CL search, he has sold it or taken it off.

Hi Frank,

Craigslist in San Francisco area has a Velocette Valiant.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/1952891559.html

David:

Very interesting, but $3800!! If he'd divide that by 10, I might be interested.