Velocette LE.

[Chris51]

Had a couple of Valiants in 1965 (£8 and £6) Trouble was the extra compression made the big-ends fail.

 

[Pete5996]

Back in '75, my first bike as a village bobby was an LE - reg UCG898H IIRC...

The only bike I ever rode where you needed to turn the handlebars to go round a bend, as there was about 2" clearance for the stands under the running boards. The water-cooled rad was nice and warming in winter but made your thighs a tad sticky in summer

The other drawback was that the front drum brake tended to fill with water whenever it rained and the last straw was, on a wet day, sailing through a zebra crossing in the village, having made an unsuccessful effort to stop and having to swerve behind the young girl who was crossing....

A quick phone call to the local Traffic Sergeant, who came out, rode it the length of the police house driveway and promptly condemned it.

Headgear was a Corker helmet, with a short Gannex raincoat and individual leggings, with rubber overshoes, for wet weather use - utterly useless in all respects. Alright for fiming Heartbeat but dreadful in real life. Most of us bought our own m/cycle boots to wear but Heaven hep you if one of the bosses caught you wearing your trousers tucked into the boots!

It was replaced with a Rickman Matisse, with fairings and panniers, fitted with a de-tuned Zundapp 125cc engine. Horrible noisy thing, the villains could hear me coming a mile off...

Oh, happy days....

 

[Snowbird]

Back in '75, my first bike as a village bobby was an LE - reg UCG898H IIRC...

The only bike I ever rode where you needed to turn the handlebars to go round a bend, as there was about 2" clearance for the stands under the running boards. The water-cooled rad was nice and warming in winter but made your thighs a tad sticky in summer

The other drawback was that the front drum brake tended to fill with water whenever it rained and the last straw was, on a wet day, sailing through a zebra crossing in the village, having made an unsuccessful effort to stop and having to swerve behind the young girl who was crossing....

A quick phone call to the local Traffic Sergeant, who came out, rode it the length of the police house driveway and promptly condemned it.

Headgear was a Corker helmet, with a short Gannex raincoat and individual leggings, with rubber overshoes, for wet weather use - utterly useless in all respects. Alright for fiming Heartbeat but dreadful in real life. Most of us bought our own m/cycle boots to wear but Heaven hep you if one of the bosses caught you wearing your trousers tucked into the boots!

It was replaced with a Rickman Matisse, with fairings and panniers, fitted with a de-tuned Zundapp 125cc engine. Horrible noisy thing, the villains could hear me coming a mile off...

Oh, happy days....

I am far from being an all weather biker now. Sunny days only for me, so hopefully the above problems will not arise .

 

[mitzimad]

i can remember rows of these in the auction at alexandria palace early seventies sold for silly money probably a fiver each

 

[mitzimad]

Water cooled and shaft drive, a good investment for the future.

i doubt it will appreciate substantially very few things that wasnt desirable when new do but it doesnt need to to keep up with investments today

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[Koppersbeat]

Snowbird.Looks like you have a bargain,superbly restored.
My father had one in the 60’s.I was in college in Nottingham 60 to 63 and my father bought me a Vespa and then a more powerful Lambretta.It served me well for going back and forth to my digs with a flat mate on the pillion.Winter wasn’t too good though,had a few skids.I then got a Triumph Herald,followed by a couple of Minis.
Helen
PS.see you next week

 

[Snowbird]

i doubt it will appreciate substantially very few things that wasnt desirable when new do but it doesnt need to to keep up with investments today

I have been of the opinion for some years now that excess money in the bank is of little use. As long as I have enough to live the lifestyle I wish, then the rest is no use whatsoever. I gain no pleasure in counting money that my bank uses to loan to others at an exorbitant rate whilst giving me bugger all in interest. Instead I prefer to have my toys and play with them, giving me some pleasure. All of these toys have given a good return when I have become bored with them, and I have had great pleasure from owning them.

 

[Snowbird]

Snowbird.Looks like you have a bargain,superbly restored.
My father had one in the 60’s.I was in college in Nottingham 60 to 63 and my father bought me a Vespa and then a more powerful Lambretta.It served me well for going back and forth to my digs with a flat mate on the pillion.Winter wasn’t too good though,had a few skids.I then got a Triumph Herald,followed by a couple of Minis.
Helen
PS.see you next week

Looking forward to it Helen,have heard all about you .

 

[Jaws]

I have been of the opinion for some years now that excess money in the bank is of little use. As long as I have enough to live the lifestyle I wish, then the rest is no use whatsoever. I gain no pleasure in counting money that my bank uses to loan to others at an exorbitant rate whilst giving me bugger all in interest. Instead I prefer to have my toys and play with them, giving me some pleasure. All of these toys have given a good return when I have become bored with them, and I have had great pleasure from owning them.

Did a nut and bolt rebuild on an ex plod one in 1973
I know the exact year cos I did it in the kitchen, and Maureen was 'with child'... Poor woman had to climb over an assortment of rusty crap for about a month !

 

[Dilbert]

Had my first rollicking from a copper on an LE after he caught me flying , I thought ,through blackfield in Hampshire flat on the tank with feet on the pillion footrests he later come round my house and give me his old corker crash helmet ( no helmets in 1969 ) I was on a 150 James with a villiers engine.

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[Snowbird]

Did a nut and bolt rebuild on an ex plod one in 1973
I know the exact year cos I did it in the kitchen, and Maureen was 'with child'... Poor woman had to climb over an assortment of rusty crap for about a month !

I know the feeling well, and the earache from projects on the kitchen floor. My head still hurts from when the solar tracker project spent 12 months on the dinning room table. Thats why am allowed 2 sheds and a workshop in the yard .