There are times when you’ll see a machine previously unknown to you and it really catches your attention. At those times you think, I’d love to know more about this machine but if I’ve never heard of it or seen it before, I bet there’s not much information on it? Sometimes, it can be easier than you thought to find out more about its life and history. 

Maybe you’ve seen it at a show and the owner is standing right there, ready to tell you everything you want to know. Sometimes, the interesting machine is there, but the owner might be somewhere else.

That’s how it was with this 1956 Velocette. The little motorcycle caught my attention the first time I saw it in the display area of the Machinery Preservation Club of Western Australia. The machine has an odd mix of retro and modern styling that belies the fact that it is almost 60 years old. On top of that, these bikes are often called Noddy Bikes, which is especially intriguing if you grew up reading Enid Blyton’s Noddy stories.

As it turned out, I saw the Velocette several more times before I finally caught up with its owner, Jack Watson, for a chat. Jack has an interesting collection of vehicles and model engines and is a member of the Machinery Preservation Club of WA and also of the Velocette Owners Club and Vintage Motorcycle Club of WA.

What’s in a Name?

Velocette motorcycles were built by Veloce Limited in Birmingham, England. Despite the French sounding name, the company actually had no French connection at all. It was started in 1905 by John Goodman, who was born in Germany and changed his name from Johannes Gütgemann when he took British citizenship. One of their early motorcycle models was called a Velocette and the name stuck. Over the following decades, many of their bikes were called Velocettes, until the company closed down in 1971.

Until 1948, Veloce produced large, powerful motorcycles that were very successful as racing machines. These motorcycles were often technology leaders. Jack explained that, “Veloce Limited were the inventors and patentees of many features, including the foot kick-starter (1913), the long ‘dual’ seat, the side prop stand, some features of the adjustable rear suspension, and the positive-stop foot gear change (1929). These are all now used on practically every modern motorcycle”.

After World War Two, the company decided that the market was ready for a very different type of motorcycle. They decided to develop a bike which was relatively small and quiet, and which would require relatively little maintenance. The idea was that these motorcycles would appeal to regular commuters rather than racing enthusiasts, and would also be suitable for use by women.

The new style bike was identified on plans as the ‘LE’, which stood for Little Engine, or Light Engine. When the bike was launched in 1948, it retained that designation and was called the Velocette LE. As it turned out, the LE was successful, but not for the intended reason. Its big success was not with commuters and women as expected, but with the British police force. Because the small engine bike was very quiet, it was ideal for use as a police patrol bike.

More than 32,000 Velocette LE motorcycles were built during the 23 years from 1948 to 1971. The original Mark I model had a 148cc engine and was built from 1948-50. The Mark II (1950-58) and Mark III (1958-71) both had 200cc engines, but the Mark II had a hand gear change and a hand-starter, while the Mark III had a foot gear change and a kick starter. In addition to the LE, Veloce continued producing their range of more conventional machines, until they closed down.

Jack added that, “By far the largest buyers of the LE were the English police. The LE became affectionately known as the ‘Noddy Bike’, apparently because when the riders passed a superior officer, they were told not to attempt to salute, merely to nod. At the time, the only colour available was grey, and they were so silent that they were also referred to as the ‘Grey Ghost’.

“In conversation with a former British Police Officer, I was told that his arrest record increased threefold after he was issued with a Noddy Bike, which reputedly made less noise than his boots. The bike had a radio fitted to the rear carrier, and when he received a call on the radio about some disturbance, he could wheel in quietly and effect a surprise arrest”.

At a Glance

Many aspects of the history of the Velocette LE can be seen when you look at Jack’s restored 1956 Mark II model. The technological focus of Veloce Ltd is evident in features like the monocoque frame, adjustable rear suspension, and the water cooled engine, which has a shaft drive rather than a chain. It is interesting to note that Paul Irving was one of the original designers of the bike’s horizontally-opposed twin cylinder 4 stroke engine. He subsequently went on to design the original engine for Chamberlain tractors, which is rather like a larger version of the Velocette engine.

At the same time, the intended market niche of ‘no fuss’ motorcycles for commuters is shown by the low slung seat, hand-starter and gear change (to avoid scuffing your shoes), cowling over the centre of the bike for cleanliness, large mudguards, large footrests, and the absence of places for tinkering and greasing. There is an engine oil dipstick, engine oil filler, transmission oil filler, and that’s it.

The motorcycle is equipped with a small glovebox, twin saddlebags, two rear vision mirrors, and a two-leg prop stand. Instrumentation includes a speedometer, odometer, ammeter for the 6V battery, and an oil pressure gauge. There is no fuel gauge, so Jack made a simple dipstick, which he inserts through the petrol filler to check how much fuel is in the 7 litre tank.

He added that, “The LE has a fuel economy of about 90-100 mpg (2.8-3.1 litres/100km), and a top speed of 55mph (89km/hr). They are sometimes jokingly described as being the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles, with the performance of an Austin 7”. The motorcycle has front and rear drum brakes. The lights and electrical system are by Miller, with the alternator, magneto, and flywheel all located at the front of the engine.

The Original Article

Jack was amused when an observer at a show told him that he was “lucky to have found one in such good condition”. Of course, the joke is that he never found his Velocette LE in good condition at all. It had to be painstakingly rebuilt from a burnt-out wreck and lots of parts from a variety of sources. However, Jack’s aim was to keep the restoration as original as possible, and there are only a few places where he deviated from this goal.

He explained that, “When I decided to restore an LE, it was not easy to find one, since very few were exported to Australia. The hardest part of the restoration was sourcing all the parts.

“However, Terry Germain, in the West Australian town of Busselton, had bits from two bikes which I acquired, including two engines in parts. Later, I was given a burnt-out shell of another LE. I also obtained a few parts from an LE owner in Sydney and some bits from a chap in Queensland.

“In addition, I found some bits, including the saddlebags, at vintage motorbike swapmeets. Some parts, like the transfers, came from the LE Velo Club in England, where many as-new or remanufactured parts can be obtained. I got the hoses and many pipe fittings from my son, Geoff, who has a business called Couplers Malaga, in Perth. One wheel came from Busselton and the other from the spare parts collection of the Vintage Motorcycle Club.

“I reassembled every single part of the current engine. A friend, who is a retired motor body builder, made the leg shields for me. In addition, I had some professional engineering work done on the crankshaft”.

Jack pointed out that he has added indicators to his LE. They were not original on these motorcycles. Another small change is that the white sign over the front wheel is a replica that he made of flexible plastic. The original signs were made of metal and were banned by the police, as they were considered to be potentially dangerous in an accident.

Treasured Memories

The restoration took about 12 months altogether and Jack kept a detailed diary of all the steps along the way. When I asked him why he chose to restore a Velocette LE, he responded, “Young blokes of my teenage era wanted ‘proper’ motorbikes with flashy performance, a proper foot gear change and kick starter, a big petrol tank and chrome exhaust pipes, and I for one, wanted that wonderful noise you only get from a Velocette ‘Fishtail’ muffler, which was used on their larger bikes.

“So when I was 17, I bought a 1949 MAC 350cc Velocette. I was living at Roma in Queensland at the time, working as an apprentice in a wood gas-fired power station. I have been in electrical engineering all my life. The MAC was a ‘real’ bike; big and noisy. However, my brother Merton bought a Velocette LE”.

Jack then pulled out a 1952 photo showing himself on the MAC and his now-wife, Nadia, on Merton’s LE. Since restoring the Velocette LE, he has also acquired and restored a 1950 Velocette MAC, which is almost identical to his 1949 original model. So now he has two Velocettes, just like the ones in the old photo.

He described his LE as being comfortable and silky smooth to ride. However it is not very traffic friendly. The bike is fairly slow and has hand-operated gears, so the rider has to take one hand off the handles to change gears. It can be a bit tricky when you want to change gears, indicate that you are turning, and steer the bike, all at the same time. As a result, it is not easy to ride in modern traffic.

Consequently, he generally rides the MAC on motorcycle club rallies, especially as the other members mostly have vintage racing bikes. He only rides the LE locally, and usually takes it to shows on a trailer. It gets plenty of attention at shows, where Brits and those who remember the British TV programme, Heartbeat, often stop to have a chat with him about his motorcycle. *Keith Hall