Velocette 350 Scrambler – BikeBound

Velocette Scrambler from South Africa… 

In 1933, the Velocette 350 MAC was born, that includes a 349cc single-cylinder high-cam pushrod engine able to operating the 280-lb machine as much as ~75 mph. None apart from Phil Irving, who’d design the Vincent V-twin in 1936, had designed the 350’s body, and the Velocette MAC would stay in manufacturing all the way in which till 1960.

“In 1960’s Britain, riders of lesser machines regarded Velocette’s huge singles with awe and their homeowners with envy. Although not fairly in Vincent territory, they exuded custom, construct high quality and longevity — and commanded a premium worth to match.” –Bike Classics

The Velo was a lower above the BSA and Matchless 350’s of the time. Right this moment, we not often see these bikes transformed into specials, as they’re a bit too uncommon and beneficial to chop up. Nonetheless, our new good friend Andy Robertson of South Africa had the imaginative and prescient, spare components, and machining experience to create the scrambler you see right here…with out destroying any unique components.

Andy is a lifelong Velocette and Yamaha DT fan who started constructing bikes on the tender age of 12 and now manages his native Apprentice Coaching Centre. With 12 Velocettes and tons of spares within the household secure, Andy seemed round and realized he had the makings for a 350 MAC scrambler.

“Within the spares was a whole 350 MAC engine that we predict had been raced sooner or later. The plan was all the time to construct it onto a body and construct a café racer, however I already had a 500 Venom café racer which got here from the 60’s, so I made a decision to construct a Scrambler — I additionally wished to do one thing along with my dad!”

Andy grafted the front-end of a 1982 Yamaha DT125LC to the 1956 Velocette body utilizing fashionable taper-roller bearings, achieved with spacers and stoppers he custom-machined. The wheels additionally got here courtesy of the DT, whereas rear shocks are (entrance) Yamaha Blaster ATV items. The tank is an unique Velocette unit, whereas the mudguards and seat are swap-meet specials of unknown provenance.

Any didn’t wish to injury any unique Velo components, so almost every little thing was finished to be reversible, other than the RHS trunnion on the RS body, the place he needed to weld a plate to find the DT rear brake. The bike’s reversibility is a degree of delight:

“Nothing on the bike is everlasting — if I ever determined someday that I wished a typical Velocette 350 MAC I may convert every little thing again — that took some planning — I used to be adamant that I didn’t wish to destroy Velo components!”

He says the completed bike is plenty of enjoyable and sounds the half due to the warmer cam from the engine’s racing days.

“It’s a pretty heavy bike — the RS frames are fairly stable so it’s not the quickest — my guess is that it’s most likely on par with my DT175 — however with much more torque!”

Andy is especially grateful to his previous man for all of his information and assist.

“He wasn’t all that eager to start with — as one would possibly anticipate from a purist, however he got here spherical ultimately!”

Under, we speak to Andy for extra particulars on this pretty Velocette scrambler. The stunning workshop pictures had been taken by Rozier from Okay Deer for the annual calendar of Andy’s native classic bike membership.

MAC 350 Scrambler: Builder Interview

• Please inform us a bit about your self, your historical past with bikes, and your workshop.

I’ve been constructing bikes since I used to be round 12. My dad purchased me three early 80’s Yamaha DT’s — two 125’s and a 175 — and from these three I managed to construct up a 125 and a 175. From there it simply grew, and I’ve been a Yamaha fan and DT fan ever since — I’ve owned 15 DTs through the years and at the moment have a completely restored 125LC in addition to a 175 and a 200.

I’m fortunate to have a superb workshop with plenty of area — and as well as, a part of my job is to oversee the Apprentice Coaching Centre the place I work, and we all the time have a bunch of fitters and turners who recurrently get “extra coaching” on additional components I want manufactured or modified!

• What’s the make, mannequin, and 12 months of the donor bike?

So, nearly all of the bike is 1950’s Velocette — we’ve 12 Velocettes in our secure and a bunch of spares — so I used to be in a position to put collectively the makings of a 350 MAC.

After I was restoring my 125LC I wanted a chainguard in addition to a kickstart so ended up shopping for a really tatty full additional bike. It got here with wheels and forks and one afternoon I mocked up one thing on a Velo body for fun and was stunned at how simply every little thing appeared to suit collectively. From there the Scrambler was born.

• Why was this bike constructed?

We now have a couple of Velocettes in our assortment and tons of spares. Within the spares was a whole 350 MAC engine that we predict had been raced sooner or later. The plan was all the time to construct it onto a body and construct a Café Racer, however I already had a 500 Venom Café racer which got here from the 60’s so I made a decision to construct a Scrambler — I additionally wished to do one thing along with my dad!

• What was the design idea and what influenced the construct?

I noticed an image of a Velocette Scrambler on Bike EXIF, and I figured I had sufficient spares to do one thing related.

• What {custom} work was finished to the bike?

As a result of Velocettes are pretty scarce I didn’t wish to chop up frames and irreplaceable cycle components to make a Particular, so really there’s little or no that has been modified which may’t be reversed. The complete front-end of the DT fitted onto the RS Velo body with little or no fuss — I made up some spacers to permit fashionable taper-roller bearings to be fitted and needed to manufacture some stoppers to cease the forks hitting the tank however apart from that it was pretty simple.

On the rear, I did need to weld a 6mm plate onto the Velo RHS trunnion to find the DT hub however that may be eliminated simply if crucial. I made an extended axle for the DT hub however was additionally in a position to incorporate the DT chain adjusters into the Velo trunnions, which once more was a easy train.

 

The largest problem was to fabricate a linkage to permit the RHS DT brake to be operated on the left aspect of the bike. There I used an previous RZ350 gear choice shaft which handed via the pivot level of the Velo trunnion — I raced a PE175 and it had an analogous setup, so I simply copied that!

I additionally needed to modify a typical Velocette Venom oil tank to permit the becoming of the larger carb, however Velocette used to do this on the manufacturing unit anyway for the Thruxton, so I didn’t really feel in any respect responsible about slicing up a typical oil tank. I additionally fitted a contemporary kind of spin-on oil filter — a modification we’ve finished on most of our Velo’s.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

Velocette Scrambler, I assume!

• Any concept of horsepower, weight, and/or efficiency numbers?

It’s a pretty heavy bike — the RS frames are fairly stable so it’s not the quickest — my guess is that it’s most likely on par with my DT175 — however with much more torque!

 

• Are you able to inform us what it’s wish to experience this bike?

It’s plenty of enjoyable — the motor has a cam of unknown origin so it actually sounds the half — however as with all Specials, there are issues that must be sorted. Proper now the Velo gearbox has a reverse cam gear selector so the 1-up 3-down will not be very best for avenue using, and since I’ve to run a 428 DT chain I may solely discover an 18T entrance sprocket that might match the Velo gearbox — the most important rear sprocket I can get for a DT is a 52, so the gearing is a bit out — it gained’t actually pull high gear.

I do have an previous YZ125 hub which has the brake and sprocket each on the LHS — similar to the unique Velo setup, and the YZ’s run a a lot greater chain and rear sprocket so that might work — I simply have to supply some unobtanium YZ spokes!

• Was there something finished throughout this construct that you’re notably pleased with?

I assume the truth that nothing on the bike is everlasting — if I ever determined someday that I wished a typical Velocette 350 MAC I may convert every little thing again — that took some planning — I used to be adamant that I didn’t wish to destroy Velo components!

• Is there anybody you’d wish to thank?

Simply my dad – he’s a wealth of Velocette information and was in a position to provide some actually good recommendation! He wasn’t all that eager to start with — as one would possibly anticipate from a purist, however he got here spherical ultimately!

Images Credit score

Rozier from Okay Deer: okaydeer.co.za | Fb

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