1962 Velocette 499cc Venom
Registration no. 650 XTJ
Frame no. RS17820 (see text)
Engine no. VM 5137

A member of the Velocette Owners Club for many years, the vendor started keeping a detailed logbook at 10,000 miles, and the Venom has now covered a remarkable 102,000-or-so miles from new (the speedometer was rebuilt at approximately 100,500 miles and zeroed at that time). The engine was rebuilt with a new big-end, main bearings, cylinder barrel and piston approximately 2,000 miles before the machine was laid up in July 1995 (due to the swinging-arm trunnion bearings needing replacement). New tyres were fitted and the Thruxton-type TLS front brake relined in 2007. Both the fuel tank and the Concentric carburettor have been drained, and the engine has been left on the compression stroke, so both valves are closed. Accompanying paperwork consists of the original 1965 purchase agreement, sundry invoices, an expired MoT (1995), V5C document, and the original old-style logbook, the latter recording a change of frame in April 1964.