Velocette Venom
The Velocette Venom was a 499 cc single-cylinder four-stroke British motorcycle made by Velocette at Hall Green in Birmingham. A total of 5,721 machines were produced between 1955 and 1970.
| Manufacturer | Velocette |
|---|---|
| Production | 1955–70 |
| Engine | 499 cc, OHV air-cooled single |
| Bore / stroke | 86.0 mm × 86.0 mm (3.39 in × 3.39 in) |
| Top speed | 100 mph |
| Power | 34 bhp @ 6,200 rpm |
| Brakes | drum brakes |
| Wheelbase | 54.75 inches (139.1 cm) |
| Weight | 390lb (177 kg) (dry) |
In 1961 a factory-prepared faired Velocette Venom and a team of riders set the 24-hour world record at a speed of 100.05 mph (161.01 km/h) at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a banked oval racetrack in France. It was the first motorcycle to average over 100 mph continuously for 24 hours and no 500cc or single-cylinder motorcycle has broken this record.
In 1965, the Velocette Venom was further developed with a full racing kit to create the range-topping Velocette Thruxton, with a special cylinder head developed by American flat-track racers, and adapted by Velocette to create a new production racer. It was a very popular and successful clubman racer, winning the 1967 Isle of Man Production TT. The Thruxton became the most popular Velocette model, but could not save the Velocette company from bankruptcy in 1971. Poor trading conditions over a number of preceding years forced the company into voluntarily liquidation in 1971, with all the remaining stock and tools sold off to pay creditors.
An interesting use of the Venom power train was the Indian Velo 500, an updated, limited-production run of 250 machines devised by American entrepreneur Floyd Clymer, using a Velocette engine with Italian cycle parts.