Will Perry Viper 350

Will Perry had bought his Viper in Bangkok China , when he was in the service. Over the years had been in storage until several years ago, when we helped him get it back on the road. Lots was needed to get it sorted, even though it was 'a runner', it had many little jobs done in Bangkok to keep it on the roads, that were not as sound as we like and could do here in the shed - 

After initial work, and he has been riding it around Seattle, and he brought it back for more funds to be thrown at it, to see if we could fix an on going issue - a lack of power.  This run-ability issue has been evading us for the whole time, and we have yet to discover why the bike can't up and go, running out of steam at a bit over 55, when Viper 350s , are nearly as fast as their big brothers - the Venom 500, but require more revs to get their optimum power output.  This time it is getting a fresh bore, new forged Arias piston, fully reconditioned cylinder head with new valves & guides, and valve springs - 

Recent snow has slowed work a bit on it, but it should be out on test in a couple weeks - 

 

The Mark Sheppard Quartet

 British actor Mark Sheppard,  has four of his Velo's in the shed here in Lakebay for service work. A Clubman and a Thruxton was first sent up from his home in Studio City California. both having issues to sort out. 

Mark has quite a Ducati collection, but growing up in the UK remembers seeing Velos and always has had a lust to have one. The first bike he got was Clubman , a 'Frankenstein of a collection bits that needed work to really make it an enjoyable rider. Then he finally found a Thruxton, also shipped over from the UK, and found it had run -ability issues , not restarting when out on a ride. 

When two more Thruxton's came up,  advertised in the UK's Velocette Owners Club magazine 'Fishtail, he immediately jumped at the opportunity  - and acquired them as well, and having them shipped directly into Seattle, for me to collect and check over, before they got into his hands this time. 

Photo of Mark's acquisitions, when we collected them from bonded shipper's warehouse in Seattle a year ago - a pair of Thruxtons from the UK. We will be bringing them to 'showroom fresh' finish,  bringing them back to as close to correct and original as we can. Fortunately, with the bikes came, came a box of the original bits that were removed, when one of them was 'updated'. Both bikes look nice from a distance, but with my quick initial walk around, I noticed both have tape pin stripes on their fuel tanks, and not painted on, and on both bikes -on the right side of the fuel tank - perfectly in line with the clip-on bars - a magnet would not stick to the tank. This is a quick test I do to see if the bike has ever been down, and when repaired, the tank's dent - the impression of the right side clip-on bar , was not properly repaired, where the tank is un-dented, then repainted, and a proper painted pin stripe applied. 

If  previous owners did this type of economy of a tank repair - to a high end Velo model like the Thruxton,  always begs me to do a full strip down and inspection,  as it show me the attention to detail was lacking  - 

 

 

Brian Tyree Custom Build

One of my very long time custom builds I have been slowly working on, 'started back in the last century',  is this Special for my friend Brian Tyree in New Mexico. 

I originally was planning on building two separate bikes, but as time slipped by and shop time got interrupted by - ' life , our plans changed to combine elements of the two, into one. The bike uses a swing arm chassis, mated to a set of heavy weight Webb girder forks - to try and follow the frame geometry that the KTT Mk8 Velo road racers used. Am still working out the details, but want the look of the twin cylinder Works specials - Model O, or Roarer , but with my own custom  'built in Lakebay'  twist. 

Dave Smitty MAC 350

 Dave Smitty brought his MAC up from Oregon, several years ago, with a clutch, and starting issue. He had recently bought it, and was custom built by a friend we both knew. Assembled from bits that were available, the little special is quite striking looking, with it's previous owners hand formed alloy parts, and unusual parts used in it's build. Upon closer inspection, found several areas that did not last the 'test of time' , and would need a bit of sorting to get it road worthy again. 

As Dave was after a more standard bike for riding, that when it needed service work or parts in the future, Dave could follow Veloce's  factory Parts & Service manuals,   a retro rebuild was elected as the best option, and bring the bike back to standard, and set aside the special bits for later -

Photos with engine out, and before complete dis-assembly

 

Dave Landis MSS

 Dave Landis sent over his 1954 MSS project a few years ago, for me to re assemble. He had the powder coating already done, and his project should have been a fairly easy and quick one, but - it didn't quite work out that way. 

Dave had been looking for a Velocette and I suggested a 1954 MSS, as I had talked to the different dealers in the UK , Dodkin's, Seymour's etc, and they all said the same thing - the 1954 MSS was the best all around Velo, and as it was the first year production, all the tooling was still fresh, and the parts fitted better. 

Dave found this bike , sent me photos, and looked great to me - but we found it needed a bit more then planned. 

A couple of images of 1954 MSS  - 

a catalog 'artist deception' and a Lou Branch publicity photo

I have done quite a few Velos, but Dave's MSS will be the first 1954 MSS I have done, and I am bringing it to as 'correct as it left the works' as I can.  

First off was to check out the frame. I like to do them first, as it gives you someplace to start hanging the parts.  On Dave's MSS there were several items to tidy up. The powder coating at the steering head bearings had gotten blistered from heat when changing them, and required sanding out and touching up with a bit of paint. The steering stop stud location had been built up with weld, and needed grinding off and smoothing. 

Andrew Collins MAC and KSS

 Andrew Collins drove up from California and dropped off a couple of his bikes in need of a bit of service work a couple years ago. I have been slowly sorting out what they need, and working them through, to bring them back so they can be once again 'used as intended'. 

He brought up a new BTH electronic magneto set, and a Bronze Head for me to fit on the MAC and was to be a fast turn around project - but life got in the way, and I found the MAC was in need of a bit more unexpected work to bring it back. 

Previous owner had noted an excessive oiling issue, and installed an amazing piping system to drain the oil from the head's valve spring cups - rather then sort out the basic oiling problem -which is actually pretty simple, and an easy fix. - I am working out to do a little video to show how the rocker box oiling system works - as I am sure it will help others, that might run across similar problems.  

Bill Collings Velocette

Bill Collings, owner of Collings Guitars in Austin Texas, sent me his project Velo a few years back , not long before he passed away, to have me do a full rebuild to Thruxton spec. When completed his bike will be going to his daughter Sara. 

When I asked Bill what style and finish he was after, he said he wanted his bike finished like the one I had done some years earlier for another customer that he had seen photos of, that we built and was owned & ridden by Bill Maxwell for quite a number of years. 

Images of Bill Maxwell's Venom with full Thruxton kit, using 90 percent newly made,  post production parts - is Bill Collings vision of how his bike is to be built. 

The bike I started with - hanging in Bill's workshop at Collings Guitars in Austin Texas