I’ve been away in South Africa for a few weeks, so my apologies for the break in article publication…
A Good Read.
Eventually I managed to get a copy of the LE bible, “Velocette Flat Twins” by Roy Bacon, for a reasonable price. For some reason when I first looked for the book it generally fetched about £16, but when I decided to actually buy one the asking price was now £40 to £60! Typical. Anyway, I got one for about £20, and I recommend anyone interested in this quirky little motorbike to try and get a copy. It’s a good read for LE geeks like me.
A (the) LE bible.
Example of typical content
I’ll get round to reading it over Christmas (hopefully).
Oh, another interesting read – the December 2018 issue of Classic Bike has a good and lengthy article on the makings and innards of the Mk1 (149cc) bike and engine with a complete (almost) photo breakdown of the engine. Words by the LE club’s guru Dennis Frost. Nice.
A Weirdness…
Amazing how something can be staring at you and you just don’t see it. I was checking the engine over, as you do, and suddenly realised that there was an anomaly on the intake manifold – an extra pipe!
An extra pipe.
At first I thought that it was just a handle of some sort, but I looked closer and realised it was more than that. Reviewing the LE club forum it seems that this is an attempt at a heated inlet manifold to stop ice forming inside it (not uncommon in the old days with different fuel content). Strange thing is that it must be an add-on to my bike as it was only fitted 1955 to 1957, and I think mainly on models intended for sale in France. Anyway, as it was connected to both cylinders’ water cooling systems, and, as there is no pump, there is actually no reason for water to flow through this pipe – it’s all nicely balanced (or at least should be). There’s a conundrum… and that probably explains why it wasn’t continued. I don’t think I’ll bother connecting it up. 🙂