I acquire still Veloce Ltd publicity photos, often from different sources....in some of the photos to follow they came off calendars from the early 1980's..... Veloce Ltd of course manufactured the Velocette motorcycle.... So I'm not always sure of their origin, but there is a good chance they came from "The MotorCycle" and "MotorCycling" , the copyright of which is now held by Morton's Motorcycle Media in the UK and to who I acknowledge credit if applicable. Left click on the images to enlarge..... Two new 1953 MAC 350cc Velocettes...the tubular silencer dates them to 1953......
1956-1960 MAC 350 Velocette....the tank badges, monobloc carburettor, type of rear Miller taillight and seat cover help identify it.
1954 500cc MSS Velocette. The open attachment for the rear number plate with the earlier circular Miller taillight, stepped seat, Amal type 289 carburettor all help identify it.
Two Mk.2 192cc water cooled twin LE Velocettes.....
A Mk.1 350cc KTS Velocette with two Tiger Moths in 1934.
1924 Model A 250cc Velocette two stroke.
WW2 350cc MAF Velocette in War Dept. specification
Pukekohe has come a long way since the first tentative classic race meeting in the early 1980's..... Three Aussies were invited as guests to give it an international flavour and I was one with my 1939 Mk.8 KTT, together with Eric Debenham on a Vincent/Norton special and Elmer McCabe on a 7R AJS..... I flew Velocettes over for several years, then borrowed racing bikes, then retirement from racing set in but I attended continuously until around 5 years back..... It has come a long way since then....many European former champions, together with exotic racing machinery have been the meetings special guest(s), John Surtees, Ivan Rhodes, Sammy Miller, Paul Smart, Kevin Schwantz come to mind and this year was Dutchman Ferry Brouwer with his 125cc 4 cylinder Yamaha.... Ferry and I correspond....He has done much for the Classic scene in Europe with his coupe being the Centenary TT at Assen in the late 1990's...many former NZ and Australian racers of the period were invited....so payback time.... Would I come over and meet up with him....? Of course, but circumstances at the last minute prevented his coming and his two mechanics, Melwyn and Andre did a good job keeping the Yamaha fettled for the display laps and former world champion NZer Hugh Anderson climbed aboard and did the honours.... Following are a few pics from my camera... looking back I should have taken more diverse ones.... But I'm sure these will prove interesting.... Left click on the images to enlarge.....
The Anderson family had several KTT's in imaculate fettle....
An unknown...to me, Mk.8 KTT...engine number KTT918
Andre fettles the Yamaha 125/4....
NZer and Veloman Neville Mickelson with his Matchless outfit and daughter in the chair....
Some years back this minaturised 250 DOHC desmodromic Manx Norton appeared.... one of a pair, the other a conventional DOHC engined bike was bought by Ferry Brouwer....
For several years a Japanese rider,Shizuka Motegi, has ridden his 1950's BMW Rennsport at Pukekohe....thanks to Glenn Ducey for ferreting out his name- I'd forgotten it!
A Jawa racer....
I've seen this replica of the 250 BSA racer than never graced Britains race tracks.... the original BSA factory race effort was a flat single and from memory had cylinder and head finning to suit.....just the same this is an interesting effort.
Being a Velo man I like to fraternise with the NZ Velo folk..... well this pic shows some other Aussie Velo people outside the NZ Velo Register display and tent.
I've only one pic for this blog and I think it is really evocative of the IOM at TT practice time ....when? I guess there are others who will research when Cadbury had their tent offering steaming hot mugs of their best cocoa to riders on a cold morning after practice...... The pic shows just such a shot with what else but a Mk.8 KTT Velocette..... But others have seen this original water-colour at my house....yes I forked out heaps to buy this in the late 1980's, to Thomas Quinn who lived in the San Francisco area and was an illustrator for the US "Car and Driver" magazine. This illustrated an article, likely in 1985 by the note in the bottom RH corner.... Regrettably I don't seem to have the original magazine...unusual for DQ, but..... Back to the "others"... Ivan Rhodes often stays with me on his infrequent visits to Sydney and commented that he thought the KTT was his... as the brass plaque on the rear mudguard was identical and the tall rider...aged by the artist, was his son Grahame Rhodes..... I suspect it was painted from a photo taken by others..... Its a favourite painting of mine and one I'm pleased to share with you...... Left click on the image to enlarge....
When I set out to do this blog, Keith Heckles featured in it because he finished second in the 1967 IOM 500cc class of the Production TT.....I was preparing a blog of the last time Velocette won a TT...... however Keith passed away on 28th January 2010, aged 75 year old.
So a short tribute to him from several people, featured on the Manx Grand Prix Community website...the URL is... http://www.manxgrandprix.org/Community/Communitynews.html
1967 Manx Grand Prix lap record holder, Keith Heckles has died. Keith passed away peacefully at his home in Liverpool. He was 75 years old. A past vice chairman of the Riders' Association, Keith's best finish in the MGP was second. Moving on to the TT, he famously started with Giacomo Agostini on two occasions. Keith's funeral will take place on Tuesday 2nd February, 10.30am at Springwood Crematorium, Garston, Liverpool. Donations in lieu of flowers to the TTRA.
Mike Steel (right) and Keith Heckles with the Junior Beart Nortonon which Keith finished second in the 1966 Junior MGP. Photo from Manx GP community website.
Keith during the 1967 Production TT.Photo courtesy ...Bill Snelling, IOM.
As the name of this blog indicates, 1967 was the last time Velocette won a TT, they were first and second in the 500cc class of the Production TT..... during their active racing efforts up until the early 1950's, a 500cc win, then the Senior TT, eluded them.... ironic that they finally won in a 500cc class.....
The following is the article I did in the current Australian Velocette OC magazine, Fish Tail Down Under ...number FTDU350.....
I acknowledge Mortons Motorcycle Media for the MotorCycling and The MotorCycle items and Motorcyclist Illustrated for the colour photo of the winner Neil Kelly....
Left click on image in the blog to enlarge....
The last time Velocette won a TT…..1967
Taken from “MotorCycling”, June 17, 1967.
Acknowledgement is made to Morton’s Motorcycle Media, copyright holders.
“Heading a Velocette one-two, Manxman Neil Kelly won the 500cc class at an average speed of 89.89mph.”
As the 500s keyed themselves up to start five minutes after the unlimited class got away and the 250s waited to get awayafter another five minute interval, John Hartle had snatched the 750cc lead inside a couple of miles. And from then on, with clear roads in front of him all the way, he was never headed.
Fastest man of the 500 class by over four mph with a practice lap of 25 minutes 23 seconds ( 89.18mph), Percy Tait started a firm favourite in the 14 strong 500cc race.
But as other riders kicked their engines into life, Graham Penny pressed the starter button on his 444cc Honda and got away at the head of the field, closely followed by Hugh Evans (BSA A50) and Tony Dunnell (305 Honda).
Tait left with the pack, as Bob Biscardine, Neil Kelly and Arthur Lavington all struggled to coax theirreluctant Velocette “Thruxton Venoms”to life.
Yet by the time they reached Ballacraine, Kelly lay third on the Reg Orpin machine behind leader Keith Heckles with the Geoff Dodkin “Thruxton Venom” and Penny – and barely a second between each of them.
But there was no sign of Tait, and the leaders were through Ramsay, 24 miles out, before the BallaughBridge commentator reported that Percy had gone over the famous jump “touring”. So it looked as though Triumph had next to no chance of pulling off a 500 and 750cc double, even with Hartle already so far ahead in the big class.
On the gruelling 1400 ft. climb from Ramsey to the Bungalow, Kelly wrested the lead from Heckles and started to pull away- the Peel rider upsetting the form book since he had not once figured on the 500cc leader board in practice.
Interesting this…my information was that they used standard Venom Thruxton engines in practice, but were given special squish head engines from Veloce Ltd for the race…these with another 4½BHP…Bertie Goodman told this to me in a letter. .Ed
But, despite his good start, Evans was already out of the race- with a hole in the BSA’s crankcase at Quarry Bends.
Lapping at 88.29mph, Kelly started his second circuit eight seconds in front of Heckles with Penny third, ahead of Dave Nixon (Triumph T100) and Norman Hanks (BSA A50), hotly challenged by Alan Peck on another T100.
Seventh came Ron Baylee on his Triumph 5TA, then Declan Doyle (Norton 88SS) and Biscardine.
Lavington retired at the pits with suspected suspension trouble. And, last of all, was Tait in fourteenth place, and already behind 11 of the 250cc runners who had started five minutes in arrears.
But after fitting a new plug, he set off in pursuit.
And what a pursuit! For Percy flashed through “MotorCyclings’s” “Highlander” time trap to clock the fastest 500cc maximum of the day at 122.9mph. But, less than a mile later on, he overdid it at Appledene and crashed, sustaining abrasions for which he was taken to NobleHospital after the race.
At the end of the lap, the only leader board change was that Peck had snatched fifth place from Hanks by a fifth of a second. But Penny lost third place within yards of starting the last lap when he stopped for petrol as Nixon flashed by.
Putting in his best time of the race with a lap at 91.01mph, Kelly pulled still further ahead on the final circuit to win by just 8 seconds from Heckles –both ahead of the eighth 750.”
Neil Kelly in Parliament Square on the winning Velocette Venom Thruxton.
Page from the IOM TT program for the 1967 races...
Acknowledgement of items used in this Blog from my archive...
I often feature items from older Motorcycle magazines, including photographs and other drawings, cartoons etc in my Blog. Where possible I acknowledge their source. These items are often from "MotorCycle" and "MotorCycling", and the current copyright holders are Mortons Motor Cycle Media. I thank them for their use.
Where other sources are used such as Fox Photos, Keystone Press and other now defunct press agencies from the UK and elsewhere I attempt to acknowledge their source.
You are free to use any item from my Blog, but PLEASE give credit to the source.
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A photo I like....!
BMS in 1961 aboard a road test Velocette Venom Clubman Veeline
DQs Thruxton in the 1971 Castrol 6 hour Race, Amaroo Park,Sydney.
My co-rider, Dennis Fry, looking the consumate racer,probably the last to use a pudding basin helmet in competition...
DQs Thruxton in the 1971 Castrol 6 hour Race, Amaroo Park,Sydney.
DQ aboard his VMT during the first 2 hour stint, pictured in Brabham loop
VMT458 at the 2012 Australian Velocette Owners Club National Rally at Bundanoon, NSW.
DQ reunited with VMT458 after 32 years
VMT458 at the 2012 National Velocette Owners Club Rally at Bundanoon, NSW
Dennis Fry re-united with VMT458, DQs co-rider in the 1971 Castrol 6 hour race
Ready for another US Velo Ride
My 1962/1948 KSS/Scrambler Velo road bike, built in Canada in 1976 and imported into Sydney, Australia, May 2012 for use in local Australian Velo events......
DQ on his Velo Special
Riding in the Napa, Cal. area May 2010
DQ on his second KSS engined RS framed Velocette
Velo Thruxton at speed
North American Velo OC logo used for one of the Club's annual rally and rides
I've motorcycled since the early 1960s...both in Australia, the USA,NZ and UK to where my long suffering wife and I rode a 1972 BMW R50/5 motorcycle via the overland route through Asia in 1974. Careers in Animal Physiology and Automotive Instruments and now finally semi retired into music...as a banjoist in Trad./Dixieland Jazz bands.
Life for me is very interesting......
