Antique Vehicle Insurance: The History of the Velocette Motorcycle

Founded by John Taylor and William Gue in 1905, Velocette is a motorcycle company in Birmingham, England. There were actually several motorcycle manufacturers in the area of Birmingham at this time. Velocettes was a small firm, selling far fewer hand-build motorcycles than the much larger BSA brand. However as small as the brand was, it was a great technical innovator. Many of its patented designs are even common on motorcycles today, including features such as the positive-stop foot shift and swinging arm rear suspension with hydraulic dampers.

The first motorcycle built by the brand, in 1906, was called the Veloce. The 2 hp Veloce was built as a one-off, and in 1907 John Taylor’s sons Percy and Eugene Goodman established New Veloce Motors to produce a car. The car never entered production, however the new company offered general engineering services and other non-motorcycle products. A year later, Veloce Ltd. began working on a new motorcycle, with an engine designed in-house.

Six years later the company released the first two stroke motorcycle, nicknamed Velocette, a name which was kept and used for the next series of bikes, including the K series, officially introduced in 1925. The K series of Velocettes have been used as platforms for the KSS, KTS, KTP, and KNN roadsters, motorcycles which were in production until 1948.

In the following years, Velocette Motorcycles launched multiple new models and redesigned older models to become more advanced and equipped with new technologies. Although the Velocette Brand has a rich history, the late 1960’s were the last years of production. Veloce Ltd. Closed in February 1971.

No matter what type of classic or vintage motorcycle you own, we can insure it at Condon Skelly. Your vehicle will fall into the antique category if it is completely original and at least 25 years old. We insure many different types of antique cars, trucks, and motorcycles so we’ll be able to craft the perfect policy for your vehicle. Please contact us today for more information. (866) 291-5694