Five speeds in my Velo

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Thruxton-esque touches add to the overall look of this tweaked Venom.

It’s oft stated that necessity is the mother of invention and when Gerry Cain was creating his ‘ultimate’ Velocette, he felt it was necessary his interpretation of the best Venom available had a five-speed gearbox – and as one wasn’t available, there was only one option.

He explains: “It was 10-12 years ago and I’d built the Velocette I wanted and was happy with how it looked. But every time I rode it, I was a little disappointed. Aesthetically, it was absolutely right, but I couldn’t help thinking that it was missing something. Basically, it needed a gear between third and fourth…

“I thought I’d do something about it. I approached Nova transmissions and explained I wanted a five-speed gearbox with ratios similar to my Triumph T140. Nova said, yes, we can help, but the costing meant that I’d have to get 10 sets made. I ordered the 10 on the understanding I would be the sole supplier of such.

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