1958 Velocette Mitesse 500cc Motorcycle

Description

Velocette motorcycles were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling almost as many hand-built motorcycles during its lifetime, as the mass-produced machines of the giant BSA and Norton concerns. Renowned for the quality of its products, the company was "always in the picture" in international motorcycle racing, from the mid-1920s through the 1950s, culminating in two World Championship titles (1949–1950 350 cc) and its legendary and still-unbeaten (for single-cylinder, 500cc machines) 24 hours at over 100 mph (161 km/h) record. Velocette, while small, was a great technical innovator and many of its patented designs are commonplace on motorcycles today, including the positive-stop foot shift and swinging arm rear suspension with hydraulic dampers. The 500cc Venom and 350cc Viper sports models introduced late in 1955 formed the mainstay of Velocette production for a number of years. Utilising the ohv four-stroke from the MSS Springer, with bore and stroke measuring 86mm by 86mm, the Venom's 499cc single with an 8:1 compression ratio and Amal Monobloc carburettor. New features included redesigned alloy front and rear brake hubs. The Venom certainly looked the part, with chrome mudguards and fuel tank, and a very stylish headlamp nacelle containing the speedo, ammeter, and light switch. Famously, the Venom claimed the world record for a 500cc motorcycle at Montlhery (France) in March 1961, averaging 100.05 mph for a 24-hour period. The Venom was equally at home in the production racing class, taking out the 500cc class in the prestigious Thruxton 500-mile race for 1964 - to celebrate that achievement, a specially tuned version of the Venom was named after the circuit. Velocette survived only another decade or so, passing into voluntary liquidation in February 1971 but retains a strong following today, with active clubs and specialists supporting enthusiast owners worldwide.