Velocette Viper

168 BRP

I was twelve months into a three year H.P. with my 1960 250cc C15 BSA when I saw this advert for Velocette claiming "100mph for 24 hours".

I paid off the remaining 24 months in twelve and decided on a Venom, but the insurance for an 18 year old (fully comp.) was fifty quid ... no way Jose. So for twelve pounds and ten shillings it was a Viper that cost £272 19/6d over two more years.

My mate at the time, Neil Redley, tinkered with the carb straight away to get the "Thump at every telegraph pole" tickover in front of thousands outside Halfords in Kettering on 1st June 1962.

It was an absolutely brilliant bike. The second photo was taken at Overstone Park near Northampton on 2nd June 1962.

The third photo is of Neil Redley's Thruxton, taken in February 2008 when I met him for the first time in forty five years. The ultimate post war Velo by the end of production in 1970.

The fourth photo is of my old Viper as it is now in Felixtowe, owned by Dave McNally and the fifth picture is the old log book.

My replacement '62 Viper was bought in 1983 and took five years to restore. The following year it won best in class at the Velocette annual rally at Stanford Hall

The next picture is the bike taken for the "100th Anni" celebrations that took place here in Spain 2005.

P.S. The Viper is now back into good shape after a couple of years lost due to spewing oil all out everywhere. Except the dynamo is not working and is about to go back to Barry Bassett in Coventry where it first went in 1983 (still have receipts).