Rick Wolz MSS 500

I love it when my customers send me photos of their bikes - Was digging through one of my shoe boxes of slides and prints when I ran across a letter from Rick Wolz from Nevada, that had a couple photos of his bike when his uncle had owned and raced it.

Bob Strode's Dirt Track Velocette

Scanned Polaroid photos of Bob Strode's dirt track Velocette, I took when I was it's custodian, taken outside the shed here in Lakebay. The only time I started it was when my friend Dale Martinson was over and asked if it ran - ! When Bob moved to Yakima Washington. Bob had sold it to me at a very friendly price ( $1000 ), then Bill Stebbins heard that I now had the bike and sent me the bikes title, as he had supplied Bob with the original bikes engine and gearbox. A couple years later Bill asked about the bike, and asked if he could have it, as he had helped Bob with the designing and had actually owned it - ( he had posted me it's title earlier on ) Bill was a good friend, and I was happy to oblige , and let Bill add it to his collection. Selling it to Bill for what I had paid Bob. The little track bike was always with Bob - until I had it, so Bill never really had a chance to have it with him, to be able to just sit and admire - I am thrilled that it is back now with the Strode family and in the care of Bob's son Gary Strode.

Velocette Motorcycles is the Facebook group I have been on the longest, contributing regularly -

Amazing ! We are now approaching 10,000 members in this Facebook group- Velocette Motorcycles !! Many years back when Pete Young had started the group, membership had stalled at about 165 or so. Pete contacted me at that time, and asked if I would contribute photos and stories, that I have collected and saved over the years, I said of course, though was not that clever with the computer - but would give it my best shot. With 'Windows for Dummies' at my side next to my keyboard, I learned how to scan images out of my many scrap books , and from many shoe boxes of slides and prints, and posted several every day for the next three or four years - over three thousand was my count at one time. I get bad depression occasionally - and would delete loads of images - Then when back to being myself, wold kick myself for doing that, and make a load of new postings - Hope everyone has been enjoying my postings - I have well over 10,000 images on hand I have been sorting through, plus the ones I have been adding daily from work I do in the shed on customers bikes. Again - Thank You Pete Young for forcing me to learn the computer ., and allowing me to continue my postings to your Facebook group ! - image of Pete Young taken a few years back, on his rigid MSS 500 with side car -

Over a quarter million miles -

-I stopped tallying up my mileage every year when I finally got over a total of a quarter million miles ridden solely on my 1963 Velocette , purchased in England by Bill Snelling's dad Ted Snelling for me in 1979, originally a Viper - that was converted to a Venom spec 500. Original registration ARF25A - - I get asked by customers, how did I get to know Velocette motorcycles so well, and how much do I ride ? - I don't ride as often as I use to. I do miss not riding. - From my 20s through my 50s, I rode all the time. - so much that, if I never get a chance to ride again, I have put on more miles riding on Velos, then most people have, on any motorcycle. - I use to do a quick calculation at the end of every year, and working from home most of the time, I still rode my Velo to visit friends, grocery shopping - etc. Most of the mileage was not on long trips, but just local stuff. Visiting friend in Seattle, 70 miles each way - , Up to visit Bob Strode in Woodinville, about 70 miles each way etc. - I lost track of how many 'annual winter rebuilds' the Velo received but there were many. I had two sets of clothes for my bike, a cafe' set up, with low bars, & rear sets, and the set that I used most, was the standard street touring set with the standard forward footrests, and wider chrome mudguards - photo taken of me in the Red Light District in Amsterdam Holland, by my Dutch cousin Wim Giebels in 1979 - - and a couple photos of me and my riding buddie Geoff Blanthorn, taken by my Mom, - one when leaving our home in Lakebay on our two month trip around the USA, and second one of our arrival back -

Thankful for Friends !

My friend John Dolber in Mass. contacted me, that he had read my blog posting, and had a spare Thruxton cast alloy intake manifold that came with his own recently aquired Thruxton. We made a deal and the manifold arrived in todays post !! Am thrilled I now have the very difficult to locate correct items I had been searching for, for Mark Sheppards Thruxton project !

Chasing down a correct carb for one of Mark Sheppard's Thruxtons

The Blue/Silver Thruxton with fairing, of Mark Sheppard here at the shop for service, had an Amal Mk2 carb, but originally came with a Amal GP. Mark asked if I could chase him up a correct carb set for the bike. I was able to locate and purchase a correct Amal 1 3/8" T5GP2 carb from my long time customer friend Rick Price back on the East Coast, then located a correct NOS Amal 510 remote float unit from BritCycle in Australia. Next is to find a correct cast alloy finned inlet manifold . Also locate a correct carb bottom fuel inlet fitting with a single fuel hose spigot, and fabricate up a float mounting set.