Onder
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-Velocette- ... 0c&vxp=mtr
Was Frank Damp looking for one of these not so long ago?
Was Frank Damp looking for one of these not so long ago?
Frank Damp
- Thread starter Onder
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- Apr 15, 2009
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Dang, same state too.
Yes, I was, but pre-1950 means it has a hand-shift gear lever on the side of the spine and It controls a non synchromesh automobile-style transmission that needs double clutching. They were very difficult to drive. Later models had a conventional motorcycle type transmission. Interesting machine, though.
They were widely used by UK police forces for town patrols. Because of their very quiet exhaust systems they became known as "Whisoering Coppers".
Thanks for the tip - I was surprised to see my name in the subject line/
They were widely used by UK police forces for town patrols. Because of their very quiet exhaust systems they became known as "Whisoering Coppers".
Thanks for the tip - I was surprised to see my name in the subject line/
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2005
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- 18,978
Frank with your long history we are surprised and pleased you are still here. The complex coordinated operation sounds like a uncomfortable challenge in traffic nowadays. Still what a lovely thing to hear puttering around a rally camp or nice home zone.
Any examples here that strike your fancy to share with us the flavors you remember?
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... rop08J0RbU
Any examples here that strike your fancy to share with us the flavors you remember?
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... rop08J0RbU
Thanks for the compliment, Hobot. I thoroughly enjoyed my motorcycling years in the UK and having it crowned by the N-V job was the icing on the cake. It's a shame the company went down the toilet, but after I'd watched how it was being managed, it didn't come as a big surprise. There were some very talented engineers and designers there, but IMO, they were betrayed by what I call "Widow Dressing Management". Image was all - competence, knowledge of motorcycles, and good, all-round engineering common sense were startlingly absent.
The job got me rides on some fascinating stuff, the prototype Commandos (before anyone outside the company knew what they were) that early P-11 I've talked about before and my favorite old clunker 650SS. If I could've brought any bike to the US, it would have been the 650 rather than a new Commando. There were also a few "interesting' machines. N-V were considering merging wit or buying an Italian outfit called "Motom". While "my" 650SS was seconded to Plumstaed for tests, I got to commute on the "Motom" 50cc cafe racer (yeah, fifty cc's). It kinda looked the part, with dropped handlebars and a "here's my head my butt is coming" riding position. It had a 4-speed, scooter-type twist-grip shifter, and I think a 3-gallon tank. It was a 2-stroke and needed pre-mix. My commute at the time was about 45 miles each way and there wasn't much of that 3-gallons left after a round trip.
The other "interesting" bike was a scooter, made by Villiers-India.Again a 2-stroke, but this time one of the well-known Villers engines, the 197cc "9E. As a scooter, it was pretty good, with electric start, decent weather protection and fairly good performance. It was let down by its tires, skinny things with poor grip and brakes that couldn't even use the minimal grip of the tires. It also had the oddest structural configuration. The front end, back to the seat, was welded steel sheet. The engine and transmission were scabbed onto that with a weird tubular hoop that was stiffened by the sheet metal tail section. It was displayed on the N-V stand at the 1967 Motorcycle Show, but nobody noticed it.
EDIT 01 Nov:
Later in my time with N-v, I switched over to the AJS Stormer project, A fair bit of investigative riding when out with the works M-X team, then development testing on the street with the street/trail version of the bike. That's when we found the problem with instantaneous welding of the piston rings to the cylinder liner that I've mentioned before. The Stormer was really a much better machine than most folks think, but it hit the market as two-strokes were increasingly frowned on as polluters.
End of edit
My own bikes were a mixture. I started out in 1958 with a new Vespa 150 Clubman. It was cheaper than riding the bus to work. The 8" wheels and marginal tires didn't inspire much confidence, but Mother wouldn't let me have a "dangerous motorbike". I sold the Vespa and briefly ran a car, but then switched to a one-owner, used 1960 Ariel Leader. It looked like a scooter, so Mom was OK with it, but it was actually a pretty good bike. Brakes were less than impressive, but it was comfortable, fairly weatherproof (with its windshield, fairings and engine covers) and quite economical, with the 250cc 2-stroke twin. My final bike, before going to N-v was a 1953 BSA A7, which I ran for about 3 years.
Hope this was of interest.
Frank
The job got me rides on some fascinating stuff, the prototype Commandos (before anyone outside the company knew what they were) that early P-11 I've talked about before and my favorite old clunker 650SS. If I could've brought any bike to the US, it would have been the 650 rather than a new Commando. There were also a few "interesting' machines. N-V were considering merging wit or buying an Italian outfit called "Motom". While "my" 650SS was seconded to Plumstaed for tests, I got to commute on the "Motom" 50cc cafe racer (yeah, fifty cc's). It kinda looked the part, with dropped handlebars and a "here's my head my butt is coming" riding position. It had a 4-speed, scooter-type twist-grip shifter, and I think a 3-gallon tank. It was a 2-stroke and needed pre-mix. My commute at the time was about 45 miles each way and there wasn't much of that 3-gallons left after a round trip.
The other "interesting" bike was a scooter, made by Villiers-India.Again a 2-stroke, but this time one of the well-known Villers engines, the 197cc "9E. As a scooter, it was pretty good, with electric start, decent weather protection and fairly good performance. It was let down by its tires, skinny things with poor grip and brakes that couldn't even use the minimal grip of the tires. It also had the oddest structural configuration. The front end, back to the seat, was welded steel sheet. The engine and transmission were scabbed onto that with a weird tubular hoop that was stiffened by the sheet metal tail section. It was displayed on the N-V stand at the 1967 Motorcycle Show, but nobody noticed it.
EDIT 01 Nov:
Later in my time with N-v, I switched over to the AJS Stormer project, A fair bit of investigative riding when out with the works M-X team, then development testing on the street with the street/trail version of the bike. That's when we found the problem with instantaneous welding of the piston rings to the cylinder liner that I've mentioned before. The Stormer was really a much better machine than most folks think, but it hit the market as two-strokes were increasingly frowned on as polluters.
End of edit
My own bikes were a mixture. I started out in 1958 with a new Vespa 150 Clubman. It was cheaper than riding the bus to work. The 8" wheels and marginal tires didn't inspire much confidence, but Mother wouldn't let me have a "dangerous motorbike". I sold the Vespa and briefly ran a car, but then switched to a one-owner, used 1960 Ariel Leader. It looked like a scooter, so Mom was OK with it, but it was actually a pretty good bike. Brakes were less than impressive, but it was comfortable, fairly weatherproof (with its windshield, fairings and engine covers) and quite economical, with the 250cc 2-stroke twin. My final bike, before going to N-v was a 1953 BSA A7, which I ran for about 3 years.
Hope this was of interest.
Frank
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