It’s a dear little thing

[reedpete]

Just bought this for my Uncle, it’s a Velocette Valiant (1961). He had one as his first new bike. He’s been looking for one for a while but needed a bit of encouragement!
It’s only a 200cc engine , so to have flat twin layout and shaft drive was quite unusual.
My Aunt is not impressed, but he’s like a school boy !

[veg]

That’s brilliant 👍 is it based on the le velocette?

[reedpete]

Mar 11, 2021 17:50:44 GMT 1 veg said:

That’s brilliant 👍 is it based on the le velocette?

Thanks for the nudge ! ....long afternoon !

[earthman]

I can't think of any bike of 200cc with shaft drive, well not from the 80's when I started riding. I wonder why that didn't become popular? Chain maintenance is a pain in the butt after all.

[reedpete]

Mar 12, 2021 10:24:20 GMT 1 earthman said:

I can't think of any bike of 200cc with shaft drive, well not from the 80's when I started riding. I wonder why that didn't become popular? Chain maintenance is a pain in the butt after all.

It feels like it was as much a technology demonstration or maybe toe in the water as a configuration they might have used on bigger bikes.

but from a production cost perspective twin cylinder and shaft would be significantly more expensive than a chain driven single.

[steve63]

The guy I just bought my VFR off has his Dad's old BSA Starfire. It's was in bits on a bench next to the VFR. The guy was maybe 65/70 years old. It was his son who put the VFR up for sale. So the BSA was his Grandads bike. I know next to nothing about British bikes so I looked it up. It's a 250 single.

Don't you think It would be great to put your Grandads old bike back on the road and ride it?

[tonyd123]

Mar 12, 2021 10:24:20 GMT 1 earthman said:

I can't think of any bike of 200cc with shaft drive, well not from the 80's when I started riding. I wonder why that didn't become popular?

Production costs and the fact that it saps more power on something that produces very little to begin with?

[Dave B]

Apart from the LE Velo - the police "Noddy Bike", there were no other Shaft Drive British small bikes.
You are quite lucky to find a complete Valiant. At one time people used to take the engine out and fit it in a homemade hovercraft, so there are not many about.
On the other hand I can think of three or four small shaft drine flat twins from small scale European manufacturers, but I've only ever seen them in Museums on the other side of the channel.

As far as BSA Starfires, the B25, are concerned. I bought one on behalf of my cousin. To give it a trial run, I took it for a run across the Pennines on the (then new) M62.On the way back, I was just passing the big hospital outside Manchester when the cylinder flange broke, and the whole top end came off. I'm a two stroke man. Dealing with a sudden engine failure is a well practiced procedure, so I was fine.
It needed a fairly radical rebuild before I could pass it over to my cousin.
The bigger versions of that motor, the B45 and B50, were the basis for the very siccessful CCM motocrossers.

[steve63]

May 27, 2021 9:36:32 GMT 1 Dave B said:

Apart from the LE Velo - the police "Noddy Bike", there were no other Shaft Drive British small bikes.
You are quite lucky to find a complete Valiant. At one time people used to take the engine out and fit it in a homemade hovercraft, so there are not many about.
On the other hand I can think of three or four small shaft drine flat twins from small scale European manufacturers, but I've only ever seen them in Museums on the other side of the channel.

As far as BSA Starfires, the B25, are concerned. I bought one on behalf of my cousin. To give it a trial run, I took it for a run across the Pennines on the (then new) M62.On the way back, I was just passing the big hospital outside Manchester when the cylinder flange broke, and the whole top end came off. I'm a two stroke man. Dealing with a sudden engine failure is a well practiced procedure, so I was fine.
It needed a fairly radical rebuild before I could pass it over to my cousin.
The bigger versions of that motor, the B45 and B50, were the basis for the very siccessful CCM motocrossers.

The whole top end coming off is pretty dramatic! I've snapped a con rod on a 350LC.

I found myself looking at BSA Bantams last night. My Dad and his mate went to Cornwall from Hull sometime before he married my Mam in 1960, so mid to late 50's. He said it started to rain as they set off. They camped overnight so far down the continued the ride arriving late the next day I think. They couldn't stay long before they had to head home again. Quite an adventure on two Bantams with no motorways, sat navs or decent waterproofs. Probably had a leaky tent as well. 

He only told me about this trip recently and he's 87.

I remember him having a Mobylette, the copper coloured one and fitting a new big end in the living room in front of the fire but knew nothing of the Bantam.