Velocette | Riding the 1934 KTT on 2023 roads

[@richardwood7656]

Excellent to watch, I've a 1960 mk2 clubman venom , watching this I want to drag my bike out 😊

[@velofan.]

A venom clubman is a very nice bike. As soon as the weather gets warm you should get out on it. The more velocette's on the road the better. Although i am currently looking at a matchless g45 and pondering how i can afford it

[@neilfoddering921]

Fantastic! Makes me glad that mine has a kickstart and a carb that idles. (I have to hide my envy somehow). It certainly flies. I don’t know whether I mentioned, but when mine was finished some weeks ago, it fired up right away, and promptly seized. The woodruff key on the crank shaft had sheared, damaging the shaft. A new shaft has been made, and I’m hoping to get the bike in a few weeks’ time. The engine’s had a couple of mods from standard: apart from the higher compression piston and racing cam, it has a steel crankpin and a needle roller big end, so when I’ve finished running it in, I hope that it’s going to go well. I don’t have the nerve to run it on an open pipe though. I think the neighbours in the village (mostly 60 year old bungalows) would be somewhat displeased by my running it up the hill in first gear on an open pipe. A pal visited me with a 1927 Cotton Blackburne a couple of weeks ago, and he gave it a gobful up the hill. Even with a silencer, our next door neighbour thought it was a very low flying helicopter…. Mine is on Castrol R, since it’s reputed to be better for the valve gear. On my early engine, there’s no oil feed to the exhaust valve, so it needs all the help it can get, including a squirt of oil down the valve guide before each journey. I understand that they expected the valve to be lubricated by excess oil vapour carried in the exhaust gas. The route down the Ringwood Road brought back decades of memories. You passed my aunt’s house (Avon Farmhouse) on the right before the New Queen Inn (about a mile before Avon Causeway). In 1970, I decided to ride my 1966 Bonneville flat out along the Christchurch bypass, to see what it would do. Answer - break exhaust brackets and bulb filaments, and reach an impressive (but probably inaccurate) speed according to the dodgy magnetic speedometer fitted as standard. Very interesting and most enjoyable video! Neil

[@velofan.]

Hey Neil. I know you have been waiting for some time for a ktt video so was hoping you would see I had made this one. Amazing to know that farmhouse belongs to a relation of yours as I pass it regularly and it looks lovely. Sorry to hear about your bikes woodruff. My ktt and kns thag I am restoring both have no oil feed to exhaust valve. I don’t lube other than with a blob of grease on the stem above the guide. I wasn’t really ripping it on that video. On way home I opened her up a crisp 60mph is like plodding along for it. Totally love it.

[@MarkDaleADV]

Seems to go great. Not sure why this popped up in my feed, but do you think YT knows my Mum was Ernie Thomas's cousin? Anyway, I love the muscular look of the KTT's. It must be great to take it out for a blast.

[@velofan.]

Hey Mark. Maybe YT does. We are being listened to on our phones etc constantly adjusting our feeds on social media etc. also as your interested in motorcycles maybe it just popped you to my channel. I have quite a few videos of my MT-09. Thanks for watching. Appreciate the comments and the family heritage insight

[@markgroves7577]

Ive got a MK1 KTT too. Just got it back on the road. Great bike!

[@velofan.]

Wow a MK1 that was my other dream bike. Its a matter of which KTT comes up available first. We are so lucky to have these bikes on the road. Glad you found this video. I have made many more of my MK4 some better than others, hope you enjoy. Many thanks for commenting all part of building a community. And hopefully one day ours paths will cross.

[@markgroves7577]

@@velofan. I had forgotten how good it is. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYHGY5Z8atyasKM

[@windyworm]

Lovely bike. Sounds fantastic too. My uncle had a KTT in 1943.

[@velofan.]

The sound of a KTT is what made me fall in love with them. I had never seen one in real life just seen youtube videos and the sound is awesome. Your uncle was a very lucky man indeed.

[@Revoltnow123]

It takes a certain kind of man with incredible patience and obsession to keep these old classics on the road. I used to have a Viper but lacked the steadfastness to persevere with it.

[@velofan.]

Thanks Revolt i will take that as a compliment. I rode this bike to glastonbury tor and back on bank holiday Monday couple of weeks ago, this was around 115 miles. Will upload the video once edited. Vipers are nice bikes. I was at the kickback show at Sammy Millers motorcycle museum with the ktt today. Many bikes, many different styles and peoples tastes on show which is great. These really old girder forked bikes just dont get much attention at all when in reality in my eyes its a real race bike, extremely rare and should command much higher respect.

[@Revoltnow123]

@@velofan. you sure got my respect 🫡

[@velofan.]

@@Revoltnow123 many thanks. It’s just nice to find anyone out there that understands and appreciates fantastic old british motorcycles.

[@montyzumazoom1337]

If the carb doesn’t idle just add a damper screw to the throttle twist grip. Just to give it some resistance. Bike sounds lovely.

[@kevbaldwin9552]

Wonderfull old race velo ,snaps along nicely 👍

[@velofan.]

Thank you. Check out my latest ride video. I was getting excited as I’ve solved my hard start problem and nearly come off the bike.

[@AmbroseB1900]

Great bike lovely sound. When I was a kid in the 50s my late father had a KTT, MAC and MOV, sadly all gone now. At 16 my 1st bike was a Honda 50 Sprint, after 3 months the kickstart shaft snapped off and dad taught me to bump start it! My last bike was a 1952 Royal Enfield 500 Twin, it had a tensioner screw on the throttle grip which I adjusted so the throttle stayed open when giving right hand signals so the bike didn't slow down.

[@velofan.]

I will have to check as my throttle may also have that feature. I’ve never wanted to use it as Iam used to modern bikes where the throttle snaps back shut in a way too powerful way. I think it would just feel strange forcing the throttle closed. Also worry about stuff wearing out when you wins the screw in to make the throttle stiff. But I had never though before this feature was included for right hand turns. Very interesting and I guess obvious now you point it out. Thanks for watching. If you get time check out some of the other ktt videos. By the way your father was a lucky man.

[@AmbroseB1900]

​@@velofan.Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, the screw on the Enfield was on the twistgrip, not sure if this was standard as it had been my Dad's bike and he had tuned it and made a few mods (it would do over 100 mph which is about 20 mph above standard!). Have watched a couple of your other videos too. Nice to see these bikes in action.

[@velofan.]

@@AmbroseB1900 yes I assumed the screw was on the twist grip. I’ve seen this in quite a few twist grips as standard non mod. One of the doherty twist grips had this feature. I was just keen to use it although like I say I hadn’t realised back then it might come in handy for right turns as my bikes would idle. This is the first race bike I’ve had so non idle as standard slight issue lol. Even if my throttle had the screw I don’t think I would use it although I get white finger in my right hand so again a kinda semi cruise control might be good. And 100mph for an endield sounds amazing. My ktt wouldn’t do a 100mph but it’s a 350 and very very old. It will keep up with any 350 from the same era and keeps up with most 500’s from the 1930’s but as with motorcycles in general it’s not all about speed. I’ve enjoyed for many years a Yamaha yb100 max speed 45-50. Just love motorcycles and bikers in general.

[@anderzbanky5049]

Nice one! Looks clean 👌🏾I like the retro bikes... finding parts must be a nightmare

[@velofan.]

Finding parts sure is a nightmare.

[@Thumpersloper]

At 14:20, the device you can't remember the name of is the enrichment device, designed to richen the mixture when on the track at full throttle 😀

[@velofan.]

I shall have to re watch the video but I assume this is the part of the carburettor that is kinda choke but not a choke. I just always have it full open so assume weakest option. Once bike is off and running

[@Thumpersloper]

@@velofan. That's right, the lever on the right handlebar. On a TT or GP Amal, it's an enrichment device.Designed to be run in the fully open position (tight wire) and only closed slightly when flat out.

[@velofan.]

@@Thumpersloper Ah interesting i might try it when flat out to richen things up, but to be honest my plug always looks too rich. This year i might try move needle position one notch. Dont want to deviate from standard jetting as bike is just all standard.

[@goose916]

Lovely bike!

[@velofan.]

Thank you @goose916. If you have a 916 check out my videos of my 916. Not currently on road so no action vids but start up vids to try sell it. Nobody interested so its mine until next summer lol.

[@Thumpersloper]

What camera/mic set up is that you're using? I need one.......

[@velofan.]

Iam using a gopro hero 11. The mic is a cheap laptop plug in but i added a wind muffler thing and extension cable. I believe the only reason the bike comes across well is because it is ridiculously loud. On my other youtube videos riding my yamaha mt-09 i can hardly hear the akrapovic. I think everyone nowadays uses the insta 360 camera.

[@Thumpersloper]

@@velofan. Thanks, where have you got the GoPro mounted? Is it on your helmet?

[@velofan.]

@@Thumpersloper no it’s on a GoPro chest mount. This kinda gives a more day in the bike view. I think helmet would t get you the shot looking between arms and handlebars. I have a helmet mount and a handlebar mount I bought with the camera but have never used it. I like the chest mount. But if I had two cameras I may have one facing me and one facing the road flip between maybe. The who motovlogging is a science beyond me. Iam just humbly trying to make content that’s of interest and I felt when I started this there was a lack of ktt videos mainly as they are mainly all track bikes only. But I have done many rides on my modern Yamaha my-09 which is a bit pointless as millions of KZbin videos of those bikes already

[@ambmainman]

But wait a minute.... not showing or giving an introduction to the bike before you ride it..... Is inexcusable!

[@velofan.]

Ah many thanks. This gives me an idea for my next KTT video. I have made quite a few youtube videos on the KTT already. I have actually one its titled Ride by velocette KTT | 3DIO binaural microphone | Sammy Miller British bike day. On this i managed to get a mate to hold the camera whilst i ride past a few times so you will get to see the bike. Viewing wearing headphones is advised as used a pro binaural microphone to give the life like audio for the ride by. Also if you go to my instagram ive got photos of it posted. But your right maybe if i can either get some one to hold the camera or position it on a wall somewhere. I shall do a introduction to this fine motorcycle. Please have a look at my other KTT videos. Thanks for watching.