Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Velocette Viper items......

Seems time for some Velocette Viper stuff.....
The Velocette Viper, a 350cc 72mm bore x 86mm stroke single, introduced with its stable mate the 500cc Venom in 1956 was really a sleeved down Venom. But despite this fact which leads to the thought that it would be an underpowered 350 encumbered with the weight of a 500, the Viper was a nice, quick little machine, although it likely was considered inferior to the 350cc BSA Gold Star, probably because of the Gold Stars success in the Clubman races in the IOM TT in the mid 1950's.
For most of the following items used, courtesy of "The MotorCycle", "MotorCycling" who I acknowledge copyright to Mortons Motorcycle Media in the UK, "Moto Revue"..unsure who owns it's copyright and to the BMS Service Series book on Velocette Viper/Venom/Thruxton, although BMS himself utilised the photos concerned from "MotorCycling" where he was a staff motorcycling journalist for many years.
Left click on the images to enlarge...
1963 Viper Clubman fitted with a BMG desmodromic valve gear conversion.
French magazine "Moto Revue" test in December 1962 at Montlhery, France.
Below an August 1961 "MotorCycling" road test

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