Vintage bike tuning

[ProjectROTM]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience of vintage bike tuning (specifically Velocettes)?

I am building a Velocette MAC for speed events and I am looking for any information available.

You can find a video on my project at the link below...

https://youtu.be/A0ZRUQXUtqM

Regards,

ProjectROTM

[crofty1984]

The "Bum Dyno" is all well and good, but there's a lot to be said for a proper rolling road session. I took my Starfire to a local RWYB type day and on looking at the AFR readout it was completely the opposite to what I and the Dyno operator was expecting - mega-lean, as opposed to too rich.
30 quid well spent in my book.
Edited to add:
https://youtu.be/rHgac_CNiQY

Edited by crofty1984 on Tuesday 8th January 17:45

[srob]

Can’t watch the video but saw a still and it looks like a later alloy MAC engine in an earlier rigid frame?

What speed events are you planning to run it in? If it’s vintage racing I think they use the age of the latest big component so your engine will mean you’re running against much later machines.

We have a quite highly tuned (by the previous owner) mk1 KTT Velocette which is extremely fast for its age (1929) but is being retired from U.K. track duties as it’s impossible to quieten it down enough. We run it on an open pipe on the road (as it would’ve been originally) but it would need some serious retuning to silence it and would ruin the thing in our opinion. We’ve got an alloy engined MAC/Viper hybrid which is a nice thing to ride and we have a Viper engine for it but have kept the MAC one in place as it’s a good safe backup bike as it’s so soft and easy to start compared to the Venom etc.

If you want advice on tuning a Velocette your best bet would be to go along to the Morini trackday they hold at Caldwell later in the year. The Velocette owner’s club congregate there too and you’ll see some very fast old boys on Velo’s who’ve been running them for years. Mainly they’re the earlier engines but they’d be the lads who’d be able to help.

[Taglioni]

crofty1984 said:

The "Bum Dyno" is all well and good, but there's a lot to be said for a proper rolling road session. I took my Starfire to a local RWYB type day and on looking at the AFR readout it was completely the opposite to what I and the Dyno operator was expecting - mega-lean, as opposed to too rich.
30 quid well spent in my book.
Edited to add:
https://youtu.be/rHgac_CNiQY

Edited by crofty1984 on Tuesday 8th January 17:45

The very definition bravery, taking a POS engine like that on a dyno!

[crofty1984]

Taglioni said:

The very definition bravery, taking a POS engine like that on a dyno!

Don't you worry - she'll rev up to 8k - we only went to 7k as I was mainly interested in the AFR. Plus, that "POS" engine powers one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden. None of your poofy lah-de-dah fancy traction modes and ABS here. Just momentum, momentum, momentum!
:-p

[Rubin215]

Well, the OP hasn't returned, despite no one ridiculing or insulting him as normally happens when someone new asks a fairly vague question...

[Taglioni]

crofty1984 said:

Don't you worry - she'll rev up to 8k - we only went to 7k as I was mainly interested in the AFR. Plus, that "POS" engine powers one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden. None of your poofy lah-de-dah fancy traction modes and ABS here. Just momentum, momentum, momentum!
:-p

I had the triumph with the same engine.........suffice to say I got to know it’s internal workings quite well!

[ProjectROTM]

I just got back from holiday and I was pleasantly surprised to find some useful info on here.

Thank you, especially to crofty & srob.

The bike is a 1953, this is the crossover period when Velocette offered the MAC in both rigid and sprung frames, both with the all aluminium engine.

I will be running in Vintage sprints (up to 1956) and land speed events.

I will definitely keep my eye open for a local dyno day for an inexpensive way of gathering some data.

[srob]

OP, you’ve just come up as a friend suggestion on Facebook. I clearly spend too much time of Velocette pages on there

[crofty1984]

Taglioni said:

I had the triumph with the same engine.........suffice to say I got to know it’s internal workings quite well!

I can see a rebuild on the cards soon. Might do it as a 50th birthday present to her.

[ProjectROTM]

I have just uploaded the 2nd instalment of my project. I try and start the bike for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmkGMLe9l8M&t=...

[ProjectROTM]

Finally, it runs!!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=929tKg-4UYs

[triple5]

Subscribed, I need some inspiration for my KTP build, which should be interesting as I know absolutely nothing about bikes.

[ProjectROTM]

Thanks for subscribing. KTPs are beautiful looking bikes. Any pictures in its current state?

[triple5]

Err yes but its not like yours I think the previous owner was a West Ham supporter as the other parts are Red!! As you probably know the KTP (Twin Port) was extremely rare only having being manufactured for a year or so, they do indeed look a stunning bike when done nicely.

I have most of the major parts, engine, carb (rebuild required), gearbox, oil tank (rough), petrol tank (very rough). I'm undecided as to whether to attempt a reassembly and try and find the missing parts to see if it will run.....or just refurb/rebuild as I go and see how far I get.

Will be watching your channel with interest to pick up some tips.

[ProjectROTM]

That looks like the makings of a great project.

You don't want to sell me the front wheel do you?

[triple5]

I need to find bits, not sell the few I have

I'll bear that in mind should I find myself needing to buy replacements, I'm kind of hoping these are salvageable.

[ProjectROTM]

Here is a link to the latest of my project videos. Please don't forget to subscribe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL3RNZe9xVA&t=...

Christian

[12dan34]

Hi Christian,

Been watching your videos because I'm after a MAC myself. My Dad had one back in the 50s and introduced me to them a couple of years back, just a lovely bike.

I've seen a couple for sale on ebay but wondered if you knew of any other for sale at all?

Thanks,

Dan.

[srob]

12dan34 said:

Hi Christian,

Been watching your videos because I'm after a MAC myself. My Dad had one back in the 50s and introduced me to them a couple of years back, just a lovely bike.

I've seen a couple for sale on ebay but wondered if you knew of any other for sale at all?

Thanks,

Dan.

What era are you after? A friend posted a lovely rigid tele MAC on Facebook yesterday.

We have an MAC engine in a Viper frame (so much later) that I think we’re about to sell.