classic motorcycle forum

Motorcycle Discussions => Identify these bikes! => Topic started by: hol666 on August 12, 2008, 03:47:22 AM

Title: need a bit of help?
Post by: hol666 on August 12, 2008, 03:47:22 AM

Hi everyone, this might be my one and only thread here but I need a bit of help and think this is the right section for this question, I hope?  ??? :)

I'm trying to find out about my late Grandads bike from way before I was born, Mum says it was a Velletta, is this something that anyone has heard of?  I cannot find anything on the web relating to this name, can you help?  Many Thanks Mark.

ps, any pictures or other info greatly appreciated, thankyou.

Title: Re: need a bit of help?
Post by: L.A.B. on August 12, 2008, 03:56:48 AM

Quote

Mum says it was a Velletta, is this something that anyone has heard of?  I cannot find anything on the web relating to this name, can you help?

Could "Velletta" actually be "Velocette"?

http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike%20Directories/Velocette%20Bikes/Velocette%20Bikes%20Index.htm

 

  

Title: Re: need a bit of help?
Post by: cardan on August 12, 2008, 03:45:22 PM

On page 11 of The Classic Motorcycle magazine for June 1985 (now there's an obscure reference) Jeff Clew writes about a surviving Voletta. It was an LE Velocette engine in a tubular frame, at the time owned by John Chilcott of Devon. Not much was known about it when the article was written but it may have been a small-scale-production affair. Is more known about it now?
Leon

Title: Re: need a bit of help?
Post by: hol666 on August 12, 2008, 07:09:24 PM

 ;) thats is the one, found a picture and emailed to Mum and she agree's it looks right.  

Big thanks to you all, simple spelling error caused me this grief  :-/

appreciate the quick replies too, again thanks. Mark

Title: Re: need a bit of help?
Post by: cardan on August 13, 2008, 12:10:12 AM

Pleased to be able to help. I'm sure Nigel would love a photo of your grandad's Voletta for his gallery if you can find one - it's an interesting machine.
Leon

Title: Re: need a bit of help?
Post by: VintageBike on August 14, 2008, 12:38:32 PM

I certainly would!  YOu can email to me using the contact option on the menu at the top of any page on the site.

Cheers

Nigel.

Title: Re: need a bit of help?
Post by: VintageBike on July 16, 2009, 09:11:53 AM

Resurrecting an old post here...  But here is some more info that has been sent to me from Peter Burgess a Velocette Voletta owner.  He bought the bike from John Chilcott and sold it again in 2007.

VELOCETTE  VOLETTA.
A unique pre production prototype built by Bill Woods  of BMG Motorcycles Ilford in 1961, with the blessing of Veloce Ltd and the approval of Mr B Goodman.
Following enquiries from Epping Forest Conservators who required an LE type quiet unobtrusive vehicle, but with greater ground clearance for forest patrol work.
Bill woods had previously carried out the desmodronic valve conversions for Velocette’s racing singles.
An initial batch of ten was originally envisaged, but after trials of this vehicle the project was sadly cancelled. The frame is from a 1957 Valiant.  There was much speculation in years gone by as to whether the Voletta had one of the experimental LE 250cc engines fitted originally, but research suggests that this was not the case.
Bill Woods was last heard of living in Germany, where a club member traced him some years ago. He confirmed that the engine was a 200cc, but with enlarged valves & ports to suit.
He also confirmed that only one of these models was built. The Epping Forest Conservators ended up running standard LEs.