2-Basket case Velocette inventory

Before I could decide what this motorcycle would become, I had to take an inventory of what I had. It would also be an opportunity to get familiar with how this Venom was made and how it worked.

Like most British motorcycles of this era, Velocette published both a parts booklet and an owner's manual.  This was a time when owners were expected to know and work on their machines.  In turn, the information provided is incredibly detailed and accurate.  Not to mention, beautifully rendered as well.

Just look at the intricacy of the parts diagrams and thorough detailing.  Each item down to the last washer is shown. Not only is this helpful in finding parts, but it also demonstrates how to assemble the machine.

The owner's manual is equally impressive, clearly demonstrating what the factory expected from the machine's owner.
To preserve these wonderful publications and keep them away from my greasy fingers, I made a photo copy of the parts manual to start my inventory.

Next, I grabbed a beer and tackled one box at a time, laying parts out on the shop floor and then highlighting each one in my copied list.

While this might seem like a rather mundane task, it was a pleasure to unravel this puzzle and discover the multitude of parts that would hopefully one day become a Velocette again.

Once I completed this inventory, I revealed that I had about 80% of a Velocette, with some duplicate parts and some that belong to others.

I viewed this both with disappointment and opportunity.  On the one hand I was further away than I expected from one day riding my own Velocette, but on the other hand, I had some freedom in how I put this one together.  What would it be?  An endurance model, a standard venom, a clubman, a custom?

Time will tell.

1-Starting my Velocette relationship

I am trying to remember when I started to dream of owning and riding a Velocette.  

I think that I have to blame it on my dear and missed friend, James Johnson.  I met James in early 2007, while riding my 1973 BMW R75/5 near Point Reyes Station, California.  While in town, I spotted two characters, dressed in period gear, riding oily vintage marvels that made my BMW look modern.  As I heard their motors thump away, headed South on highway 1, I jumped on my bike and chased after them.  I followed for a while, taking photos and enjoying their pace.  Finally, they slowed and pulled over to make some adjustments to the bikes.  I pulled over alongside and that is when I first met James and his wife Kumiko.  

In the years that followed, we became closer friends and spent many Sundays riding on the back roads with fellow enthusiasts.  I would also visit him in his shop and spend hours chatting about our projects while sipping scotch.  Some of those hours covered a late 1940’s Velocette KSS project that he was slowly making progress on.  In particular, he was focused on the gearbox and wanting to replicate some of the worn parts.  He was looking for a way to broach, which is a machining process which creates a squared off slot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broaching_(metalworking)).

Tragically, James left our world on the first day of 2009 while riding his beloved 1924 Sunbeam Model 5 (http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2009/01/death-of-vintagent.html).  For those of you who knew James, you understand what a loss this was to our community.  Our community is full of characters, but he was really one of a kind.  In short, he embodied all that our vintage motorcycle passion stands for, ten fold.  I think about him often and always wonder what kind of rides we would have shared should he still be around.

James' passing led to our community reaching out to his late wife Kumi to safely care for their impressive motorcycle collection.  While helping Kumi move, I asked her about a series of bins labelled Velocette.  She explained that it was Jame’s KSS project that we had discussed in his shop.  We talked about the idea of my purchasing it from her and continuing the project.  I shared my interest with her, as I thought it would be wonderful to continue a project that he had started.  It seemed like a great way to honor his passing and for me to get into a motorcycle that was much more in keeping with his interests than my BMW.

That is when I started researching and learning more and more about Velocette and its history.  It is really quite a remarkable history and as unique as you can imagine.  You can read a little about it here, but there is much more to it.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocette

My mind was made up.  I would one day be riding my own Velocette.  I continued to share my interest in continuing James’ project with Kumi, but she was understandably taking time to decide what she would do with their collection.  Sadly, in the end this project did not work out and I think it went to another home.

But I was still determined.  I joined the Velocette club and reached out to the community to share my interest.  Potential projects came up and it took me some time to decide on what path I would embark.  My options were limited by my budget, as these rather rare bikes can fetch a decent amount.

As it turned out, it was my dear friend Paul d’Orleans (http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/) that would be the source of my new project in late 2011.  Funny little fact that many of my friends who now own Velocettes bought them from Paul.

My new project is the first Velocette that Paul owned.  This is VM6333e, a 1966 Velocette Venom Endurance.  There is more to my story, as to why I ended up with a full suspension bike, versus the KSS that I was originally set on, but I will have to tell that story another time.

Paul shared the story of when he bought it from Munro Motors on February 27, 1987….

"I spotted the Velo in the back lot of Munro Motors (the rear used to be open to the sky, with bikes lined up for purchase or repair); it has a Louisiana '71 green plate, and had clearly had the speedo drive wrap around the rear axle (can happen if the hub bolts come loose and catch the cable), which had yanked the handlebars, and knocked the rider off, denting the headlamp, hi-rise bars, and front mudguard.  Otherwise, the bike looked low mileage and completely original.  Pat Munro, usually a very sharp dealer, thought the bike looked like hell as it had a layer of dirt on it from when it was crashed and clearly never ridden again.  He sold it to me for $600...  Andy Saunders, their #1 employee at the time (Nick wasn't even working there yet - '87), was out of town that day, and when he returned, he told Pat the bike should have sold for $3k, even then.  

 The bike was delivered by Troy on the Triumph/Steib float, and I immediately 'set to' on it, cleaning the carb, lubing the cables, and taking crocus cloth to the magneto slip ring.  A few kicks delivered a mighty shock (was using my finger to hold the cloth...), and I knew I was in business.  I had the bike running like a top within an hour, and rode it back to Munro to show off...Pat was not especially pleased!  Ah well, the old shark had one put over on him for once, but he had named the price, I just said yes!  Quickly, I might add...

Munro used to get amazing machines through, I bought several, and all my friends bought used bikes there, from Pat or Andy.  It was a great place to learn about old bikes, as Pat and Jim Munro had great stories and photos, I used to hang out there plenty, as I was friends with everyone.  I remember Nick's first day on the job, as a skinny English kid with a serious mullet!  Haha...

I'll forward the story of my arrest etc another time...

best, Paul"

Here it is on the right, on the Easter ride in 1989

"Hi Blaise, here's the lousy polaroid of the Endurance being delivered by Andy Saunders on the Munro Motors Triumph sidecar float....Adam Fisher and Eric Ryan are manhandling the bike (without my consent of course, I was trying to take pix of this amazing sight!), but what do you expect of a couple of Roadholders.  We all lived together at Fillmore/Waller, for a moment. I'll try to get a better shot and mess around with photoshop for clarity..best, Paul"

At some point while Paul owned it, he took it completely apart to repaint it.  In turn, this is how it came home with me, mostly complete...sort of...