The Knowledge - Velocette Owners Club

hand thread. My brother who owns a MSS tells me that his workshop manual mentions a lefthand
thread! Because some force is required for removing my ring and I want to avoid to demolish this ring
or inner thread, I would like to know what is right? Do I have a left- or right-hand thread?
# 6178 I have just checked a wheel from my Thruxton. The bearing retaining ring unscrews by turning
it CLOCKWISE .
# 6180 Haynes strikes again...that's a left handed thread. Nice photos, but not 100% accurate. The
Red Book, or "Service Manual" as published by Veloce Limited, is indispensable. You can order a copy
from most dealers. Or ask your brother to make a copy, if it lists the Viper model on the cover.
L # 6203 Anyone got any tips on how to remove the rear wheel bearings ?
# 6205 The outer bearing races can be a bit tough to get out. Sometimes you can knock them out, by
hitting a drift passing through the hub center from the opposite side. If they are tight in the hub, run a
few beads of weld onto the race surface. As the weld cools, it shrinks, and pulls the bearing race
smaller. Then it will fall out of the hub. Careful with the weld though. Stick welding will throw weld
spatter all over your hub. TIG or MIG are cleaner to use.
# 6204 You cant do much better than read the instruction book.
L # 6202 1) I have a 350 rigid MAC from around 1940, question is would the wheel rims be
chrome or would they be black? 2) I have girder/webb forks so the speedo would be on the front hub.
BUT my bike also has a speedo drive on the rear hub. If I use the front speedo drive then can I remove
the rear speedo drive, if so, do I need a spacer or are the rear hubs different for speedo and nonspeedo?
e.g. Were the hubs different widths?
# 6208 My 1954 MAC originally had shiny chrome on the outsides with dull chrome in the middle. Also
had black spokes. But 1940 versions would probably have been different. Wartime lack of shiny stuff?
# 6209 I know the KSS had chrome rims in 1939 with black painted spokes. I have a photograph that
suggests that they may have a dull chromed - but I can't be sure. (Note the difference between bright
chrome and dull chrome was determined by the whether or not the nickel plate, used before final
chroming, was manually polished or not. The nickel plate used today has brighteners which avoids the
need to perform this polishing step) The 1937 KSS model has the black centers with bright chrome
edges. Some people say there was also a gold line as well but I see no evidence of this on my very
original 1937 My 1937 KSS is the similar to yours having a rear speedo drive. Up until Dowety(?) front
forks, all were delivered with front wheel speedo drive. I have a letter from Ivan Rhodes which states
the conversion to rear drive was an after-market conversion and that he has seen a number of bikes so
converted. I have not taken mine apart yet to see how it is different from the drawings in the service
manual. Mine has rear speedo drive and what looks like a standard spacer. I cannot confirm this but
the gear ratio between from and rear drive may be different. This will affect the indicated speed.
However, I am also told that the speedometer internal gearing can be changed to suit. Mine does not
have the original speedo. It's 80mph Smiths speedo was probably fitted sometime in the 50's (only
shows 800 miles). Perhaps the front to rear conversion happened when the original speedo failed? I
would be interested to know the dimensions of the rear hub on a 1936-40 rigid frame machine to verify
the originally of the rear hub on my KSS._
# 6210 I just had a look at my 1936 brochure and it lists chrome rims as an extra
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