Velocette.

[JohnP]

This is a 1965 Velocette Thruxton 500cc, I had one the same but my was a year older... I wish I had it now if only to start up now and again and to look...

[JohnP]

I shouldn't have bothered!

[Denis]

I will bite..  I had a 350 Velocette MAC once too, it ended up in the National motorcycle museum near Coventry but was destroyed in a fire there.

[Ryewolf]

Always interesting to see these old bikes, there were quite a few when me and Denis went to Hebden Bridge a few years back.

[JohnP]

Velocette's had a very distinct sound, I used to jokingly say mine only fired at every telegraph pole...

In total I went to the Isle of Man TT Races 15 times, the first couple of times on my Velo. I also used to like two stroke twins in the 1960's and I had a 1967 Royal Enfield Turbo Twin Sports. it was that bike I was riding when I was unfortunate enough to meet a crazy lorry driver cutting a corner, I had nowhere to go but into the lorry. I ended up with multiple leg fractures with bones through the skin. I was in hospital for 3 months and came close to losing my lower leg. I was in plaster for nearly 8 months and off work for 13 months. Later I needed several operations to try and improve my leg which is one inch short but I have to put up with that.... thankful to still have it.

This was the model of Royal Enfield I had but the tank on mine was royal blue.

[Denis]

Villiers 4T engine? 

[JohnP]

46 minutes ago, Denis said:

Villiers 4T engine? 

Yes Denis, it was very smooth and quiet (the 2T was used in the earlier model). The bike was basically the same as the 250cc Crusader Sports but with a Villiers engine, that bike had a nicer headlight with additional side lights. My best mate at the time had one of those and we used to go watch races most weekends at all the circuits. Brands Hatch and Snetterton used to be a bit of haul then with no motorways... going through London was and still is C**P.