During the 1950s and into the early 60s the choice in Britain for larger capacity motorcycles centred around the big British manufacturers. Norton, Royal Enfield, AMC,Triumph, BSA and Velocette were the obvious options for a middleweight sportsbike. The Japanese invasion had not quite started, while Italian bikes were pretty expensive and, well, a bit exotic. The smaller Italians weren’t really considered’ real bikes’so were a bit thin on the ground. That despite the fact that some of the Italian technology was well in advance of the home market industry, with unit construction engines, overhead cams, oil-tight engines and high performance from those smaller motors.
Instead, British riders looked to popular models like the pair we have here: the Triumph Tiger 100 and the Velocette Venom. Both were 500cc sporting models, one a twin and the other a single. The Triumphs were very popular mainstream motorcycles, and in detuned form were used by police forces and other official duties. Many were exported for similar use and were classed as reliable, long lasting, working bikes with a good turn of speed when needed to catch those pesky, law-breaking motorists. Everyone knows how popular they remain.
Velocettes catered to a more niche market and were touted as‘riders’ bikes’, usually owned by those with some mechanical expertise. Testament to the esteem in which they were held, there are still a lot of these big singles around today in regular use. The local branch of the very active owners club often produces a dozen Velocettes midweek, with 20 or more on a cub night. Not bad for a manufacturer that stopped making bikes in 1971!
I own a 1956 Triumph T100 and a 1959 Velo Venom. I’ve had the Triumph for 20 years and the Velocette for 17 years. What are they like to live with in the long term, and what are they like to ride? Well, these are my impressions. Yours could well be different…
Both have the original spec Amal Monobloc carbs set to factory spec. The Triumph has original Lucas magneto ignition and theVelocette runs a 12V electronic system, both with upgraded modern voltage regulators and the good old Lucas dynamos (of minimal output).These days spares can be easier to get than back in the 1970s when I first had a Triumph twin, although
