Velocette Clubman Venom Veeline
VELOCETTE CLUBMAN VENOM VEELINE
CYCLE WORLD ROAD TEST
AN HONORED OLD-TIMER among motorcycles imported for the American market is Velocette. These fine machines have been coming to our shores in numbers since just after the Hitler War, and those who bought them have had precious little reason to regret having spent their money in that way. The Velocette offered quality at an attractive price and they were fast enough to have won a great many important events — the most outstanding of which was the outright victory of a 350cc MAC Velocette, ridden by the talented John McLaughlin, at the Catalina GP in 1953. But, indifference at the distributor level caused a slow drop in sales and popularity, and until recently it was beginning to appear as though the Velocette was to be a machine of which a lot of people had fond memories, but nobody rode. Now, with the appointment of a new distributing organization — and a line of excellent models — the Velocette name could well be on its way back into prominence.
The Velocette supplied for our test is a Venom Clubman Veeline, the rather involved title indicating that the machine is Velocette’s 500cc single, in moderately hot tune, and equipped with a fairing. This model is intended as a fast touring bike, and it proved to be most effective at that sort of work. In fact, the suitability of this model for sustained high-speed cruising has been very conclusively demonstrated by a 24-hour run at an average speed of just over 100 mph — a record in its class.
Mechanically, the Velocette is one of the more interesting machines. As a design, it has beginnings almost lost in the mists of time, but because of a series of fortuitous revisions, it is also quite modern — if, indeed, any large-displacement single can be called “modern.” When Velocette decided to make a 500 out of their 350, they did it by changing only the bore dimensions — thus making a fashionably “square” 500 out of what had been rather a long-stroke 350. Inherited from even earlier models is an extremely narrow and rigid crankcase, which carries its main bearings so close together that bending loads on the crankshaft are of little consequence. This crankshaft is of the built-up type, with mainshafts pulled into tapered holes in the flywheel and the crankpin, which has a shouldered center section with tapered ends, also fitting into tapered bores in the flywheels. The entire assembly is interference-fit, the taper being only .008" per linear inch on the shafts, and because it has not been necessary to have the usually securing nuts, there is more of the crankpin and mainshaft shank in contact with the flywheel, which adds to the overall rigidity of the lower end.
Early versions of the MSS (500cc) engine had both cylinder and cylinder head made of aluminum alloy, but on our test machine the cylinder was of cast iron. Seemingly a retrograde step, but less expensive both initially and in terms of repairThe cylinder head has large porting (a racing head with an even larger intake port is available) and valves — even though the valves are set into the head at a shallow included angle of only 70-degrees. This valve angle imposes a small limitation on valve size, but gives a low and compact combustion chamber, which makes possible high compression ratios without an inconveniently high piston crown.
The Velocette’s designers have been quite original in their approach to reducing the valve gear’s reciprocating mass. The camshaft is positioned high on* the side of the engine, there being an intermediate gear in the timing drive and finger-type followers transfer motion from the cams to short pushrods, then to rockers and finally the valves. Hairpin valve springs are used, enclosed with a valve chest lid that also carries the rockers. Adjustment for valve lash is made through a port in the side of the valve cover — the adjusting screws being at the junction of. the pushrods and rockers.
An additional incentive for the Velocette tuner or owner interested in more performance concerns a highly interesting accessory for the valve gear in the form of a desmodromic actuating mechanism. Desmodromics, usually associated only with the most exotic racing machinery, open and close the valves positively, without springs, and actually push them open and pull them shut. The advantages are numerous, the most important of which is the eliminating of the possibility of valve float, common to most spring actuated valve systems.
As an accessory, the gear will be available from Velocette dealers or through the BHB Co. in El Monte, California. (See their advertisement in this issue). The distributors claim an increase in effective rpm from 6,200 to 9,000 rpm and an upping of the power by from three to five horsepower.
A side benefit of the narrow crankcase is that the primary drive goes back to the transmission so near the motorcycle’s centerline that it has been possible to move the clutch inboard of the countershaft sprocket, and although this has complicated slightly the problem of clutch adjustments, it does leave the countershaft sprocket hanging right out there where it can be changed without dismantling the clutch. This is usually only possible on motorcycles with a “cross-over” transmission.
The Velocette Clubman has transmission ratios that approach road-racing fashion in their staging. All 4 gear ratios are staged close together, and just as is so often the case with road racing machines, the Velocette is rather sluggish in getting underway. Of course, it is also true that, once the bike gets up to 20 mph or so, it becomes quite a brisk performer for its weight and power. There is nothing remarkable about the transmission’s workings, except that it feels very solid and gives good, precise shifts. Neutral is, praise be, easy to locate.
In appearance, the Velocette offers a lot. It is a moderately large machine, and the combination of the fairing and large-capacity tank make it look perpetually as though it is ready to charge. While the machine was in our possession, we had many indications that the “manin-the-street” is mightily impressed. And, as events proved, the fairing and big tank are worth a lot more than just impressing the peasants. It should be obvious that there are advantages, in a touring bike at least, in having 5 gallons of fuel on board. We discovered that at average fast cruising speeds, the >Velocette would cover almost 300 miles between fuel stops — which is more than 5 hours in the saddle; at which point most of us would be ready for a stop. We are not prepared to say how much effect the fairing had on speed, but it soon became quite clear that it was worth its weight in gold as an item of comfort. One does not realize how tiring the buffeting of wind can be on an extended trip unless a chance comes to try a bike with a fairing. Obviously, it is somewhat drafty even behind a fairing, but at least the wind does not try to blow the rider off. After touring at high speed for some distance on the Veeline Velocette, we would make a flat prediction that the fairing is going to become a very popular accessory for all touring motorcycles.
The fairing does, as luck would have it, create a couple of problems. First, and most important, it has necessitated moving the foot-pegs bàck behind the kickstart lever, and one must fold the right footpeg up out of the way before starting the motorcycle. In all fairness, though, we must mention that the pegs are very comfortably positioned as they are and we would not change them even if the fairing was removed. The second — and there may be something can be done about this — is that if the Velocette is cornered as fast as its handling qualities will permit, the fairing scrapes on the pavement. Due to the flexibility of the fairing, which is molded of fiberglass, grounding it will not cause the rider any bad moments but a rider with strong sporting instincts would soon have a large area of the fairing’s underside scrubbed away.
The biggest annoyance we found was in starting the Velocette. It has all of the aids; choke, manual spark control and compression release, but has a starter drive ratio that does not really swing the crankshaft with enough vigor.
The riding position feels strange at first, but one soon settles down to it. The handlebars are low, and it is necessary to assume a racing crouch, but out on the road the rider will be so glad that he is down out of the direct air blast that the crouch will be welcome. The windscreen does not extend up very far, and might appear to offer minimal protection, but it is angled so that it deflects most of the wind over one’s head. We did find that the oil tank was badly placed with respect to rider-comfort. It is set uncomfortably close to one’s right calf,' and it gets warm enough to be extremely noticeable after a short time.
Both handling and comfort were aided by the Velocette’s rear suspension system. The Velo’s rear spring/ damper units have their upper ends mounted in arcing slots, and can be tilted forward to soften both the springing and damping action. In addition, there are the customary adjustments on the spring/damper units themselves: a 3-position camming arrangement to adjust for variations in load.
The brakes are conventional in pattern, but large in size, with aluminum drums (these have cast-iron liners) and are more than adequate for the job. The effort required of the rider is nothing that will cause any muscle strains, and the bike can be hauled down from any speed it will attain without a trace of shuddering or fade.
Performance, in a bike of this type, is better than the bare figures would indicate. It is sluggish in getting off the mark, as the elapsed time for the standing-start 1 /4mile show, but the 80 mph speed at the end of the quarter is certainly nothing ta cause any shame among Velo owners. And, as we have said, the bike is tremendous out on the open road, where its stamina and riderprotection can be put to proper use. •
VELOCETTE
VENOM CLUBMAN
SPECIFICATIONS
$1095
PERFORMANCE
