Author Topic: The Velocette  (Read 8230 times)

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Offline Rocking-M

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The Velocette
« on: November 27, 2011, 11:48:15 AM »
Actually I'll be calling it the Veloton. It's a Velocette with a thruxton build engine in a Norton Featherbed frame.
Here's the way she arrived after I boxed it up at my cousins in California.



Engine and other bits, Engine with new bits and head converted to dual plug. Which means I'll use a
Magneto that will pop 2 plugs, the one is I'll use is off a early Harley. I'll have to get the manual advance retard
plate for the mag since the static is 36 degrees BTDC on the Velo. It's a single and kicking at 36 BTDC can sometimes
hurt.



tranny with more bits, tranny has been rebuilt.



Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2011, 11:50:14 AM »
Painted the frame today. I'm going green.  ;)
The Tank will be left polished so the green should go good.
I've also seen a pic of a green Veloton in England that looked quite good.

Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Greggo

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2011, 11:52:16 AM »
Sweet Project!  Can't wait to see more progress!

Offline heffay

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2011, 12:03:47 PM »
Lucky duc gets to share a garage with velocette.  Have fun!
Today: '73 cb350f, '96 Ducati 900 Supersport
Past Rides: '72 tc125, '94 cbr600f2, '76 rd400, '89 ex500, '93 KTM-125exc, '92 zx7r, '93 Banshee, '83 ATC250R, 77/75 cb400f

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2011, 02:13:02 PM »
Heffay,  do I recall you having a Duc also?
Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline heffay

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2011, 02:46:36 PM »
Will someday... You're probably thinking of me posting about my dad's Ducs- 2 Mike Hailwoods previously and a Fogharty Monster at the moment.
Today: '73 cb350f, '96 Ducati 900 Supersport
Past Rides: '72 tc125, '94 cbr600f2, '76 rd400, '89 ex500, '93 KTM-125exc, '92 zx7r, '93 Banshee, '83 ATC250R, 77/75 cb400f

Offline Retro Rocket

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2011, 04:06:55 PM »
Subscribed....
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Offline scottly

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2011, 06:39:49 PM »
It's a single and kicking at 36 BTDC can sometimes
hurt.


No kidding! I tried to kick a Velo once, and it almost launched me over the bars. I didn't know about about the compression release. :-[
Don't fix it if it ain't broke!
Helmets save brains. Always wear one and ride like everyone is trying to kill you....

Offline Doctor_D

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2011, 06:41:26 PM »
What an outstanding project. Looking forward to watching it come together.
Take care,
David
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1975 CB 750F - Project page: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=66026.msg725479#msg725479
1978 CX500
1971 Norton Commando

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2011, 04:17:26 PM »
thanks for watching fellows, I'll need all the support I can get. ;) I do wish I'd been the
one to tear it down. But here's the start,

Engine Case, jug, piston, and head are now on the bench. I've got the gasket kit
and will probably use it for patterns to make spares as I go.



now, I'm not real sure I have the jug/head studs and right nuts but they look right
and I've emailed Marty to double check. The piston is a tight fit in the jug but it is standard
and I have the over size piston that came out of the engine before the re-sleeve, so should I
ever bore it in the future I still have a good piston.

Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Sam Green Racing

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2011, 08:06:19 AM »
Painted the frame today. I'm going green.  ;)
The Tank will be left polished so the green should go good.
I've also seen a pic of a green Veloton in England that looked quite good.



Looking good Robbie. 8) 8) 8) 8)

Sam. ;)
C95 sprint bike.
CB95 hybrid race bike
CB95 race bike
CB92
RS 175. sprint/land speed bike
JMR Racing CB750A street ET drag bike

Offline hapakev

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2011, 09:44:16 AM »
Subscribed!
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1978 CB750F(ish)

"Keep moving forward, until you can no longer move" KP

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2011, 06:30:49 PM »

[/quote]

Looking good Robbie. 8) 8) 8) 8)

Sam. ;)
[/quote]

thanks Sam, how was the trip over the pond and back?
Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline grcamna2

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #13 on: December 02, 2011, 07:44:57 PM »
Did you get the entire machine w/ everything?  NICE.
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2011, 03:30:47 AM »
pretty much everything,

Mart had made a conversion to belt drive for the primary
so this will be the final test of that conversion (25 years after the fact)
Tranny has been rebuilt and is sitting on the shelf ready to go.
Frame has all the mounting plates for the Velo engine.
I'll have to source or make a rear mud guard.
If I decide to tag it lights and a charging system will be needed.
I'm sure other bits will turn up that I'll need as it goes along.
Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #15 on: December 04, 2011, 01:10:08 PM »

So today, I put the valves in and put the head on. Then started setting up the rocker box and realized the pushrods just where not going to work unless I stretched them. Looked at the spares list and low and behold I was missing the push rod "Loose ends". Yep, they were on the loose. Looked through the bolt box 47 times and figured they'd must have fallen out on the trip east, probably somewhere around the Delta. But then I found one on the shelf where the engine bits had been and continued to rummage and found the other in a box of Ducati parts.

At least I hope I found the right push rod loose ends. I won't know for sure till some of the Velocette folks tell me on the Velocette group. I've never seen a Velocette push rod loose end before in my life. But they do fit the ends of the push rods.



Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Syscrush

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #16 on: December 04, 2011, 04:11:39 PM »
Watching with interest!
Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline lucky

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #17 on: December 09, 2011, 01:08:09 AM »
Maybe you made a discovery? Like Velocette pushrods are just like the Ducati?

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #18 on: December 10, 2011, 01:32:03 PM »
tinkered a bit this afternoon,

here's the engine case mount up with brackets for the Norton Featherbed frame.
Perhaps I should have called this a Velomanx.



Engine final assembly and snazzy engine stand (cherry plank cut off and Fiat bumper mounts bolted to rear tranny to frame mounts.

« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 01:41:27 PM by Rocking-M »
Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #19 on: December 15, 2011, 03:41:44 AM »
Cam timing, I've found the mark on the crank gear to not indicate TDC so I've made my own mark,
I hope this works out right. Now it's a matter of setting the cams up and setting the degrees.



Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Sam Green Racing

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #20 on: December 15, 2011, 05:11:41 AM »


Looking good Robbie. 8) 8) 8) 8)

Sam. ;)
[/quote]

thanks Sam, how was the trip over the pond and back?
[/quote]

It was good Rob but would have been better if you and Tracey could have made the trip down there.  :(
Mark and Frank didn't manage it either.  :(
In respect of the crank gear, is there the possibility it can go on in more ways than one ?

Sam. ;)
C95 sprint bike.
CB95 hybrid race bike
CB95 race bike
CB92
RS 175. sprint/land speed bike
JMR Racing CB750A street ET drag bike

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #21 on: December 15, 2011, 12:01:40 PM »
Hey Sam, we hate we missed out on visiting with you. But you know your always welcome at the McNabb
ranch.

I think that's probably possible, the crank gear being installed off from the original. I can't see that it matters as long as I
set it with TDC and all. What say ye?
Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline Rocking-M

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #22 on: December 19, 2011, 05:12:03 PM »
Well the cam timing is set, and right after this picture I timed the magneto, 37 degrees BTDC.

Ducati ST4 1999
Ducati ST4s 2003
1961/53 Veloton Project (like Johnny Cash's Cadillac ;))
Honda SL350 1971

Offline lucky

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #23 on: December 19, 2011, 09:03:00 PM »
I am really enjoying your rebuild and the great photos. Thanks!
It will be a great looking machine.

Offline mickey6

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Re: The Velocette
« Reply #24 on: December 20, 2011, 12:03:53 AM »
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