Completed Project: 1960 Velocette Viper Motorcycle

This post marks the culmination of an extremely long-term project and is in memory of my Dad, John Marwood who died ten years ago aged 73.

Although he spent his working life in a bank, his real love was mechanics and vehicles of all sorts.  He spent many weekends dismantling and rebuilding a series of Morris Minors and owned numerous other sixth-hand vehicles including a lovely old Rover and an eccentric homemade Ford camper van named 'Flo'.  For many years he was a member of the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society and plenty of my childhood weekends were spent riding in elderly buses to vehicle rallies where men in beards would discuss coachwork and compression ratios.

Sometime in the mid 1970s he bought the 1960 Velocette Viper motorbike pictured here.  It was tatty but largely complete and the intention was that he and I would restore it together.  The bike was pulled apart and carefully boxed but the momentum was lost as other activities took precedence.  The years went by, I grew up and left home and my parents moved house twice, taking the boxes of ‘Velo’ bits with them each time.

Chris Goldson (R), & Phil Adams (L).  'Thanks Guys'

When he died in 2002 my Mum and I found ourselves staring at the dismembered bike.  We knew it was too interesting to scrap so donated it to ‘The Vintage’ in the hope that someone would restore it in his memory.  More years passed and eventually, sufficient funds were raised and the project handed over to expert local bike restorers Chris Goldson and Phil Adams.  They’ve just completed the job and, as these photos show, have made a beautiful job of it.  The old L.V.V.S depot has expanded to become the Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum and 610 BRM will find a permanent home in the impressive collection there.

Velocette was a classic Birmingham marque from the golden age of British Biking and there are plenty of enthusiasts for their machines.  The sporty 350cc single cylinder Vipers aren’t particularly rare but this one’s a little special due to its two-tone livery and, at the time controversial, engine fairings.  Classic ‘Velos’ always looked stylish in all black with their attractive engine castings and fishtail silencers.  This one demonstrates how the company were trying to bring their established models more up to date cosmetically as they moved into the 1960s and I think it looks the business.  Chris says it displays the typical Velocette reluctance to start first time but then runs nicely.

It’s great to see the bike fully restored so genuine thanks go to the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society for making it possible and to Chris and Phil for all their hard work and expertise.  I know my Dad would have been chuffed to see it like this.