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Velocette KTT Mk I 1929
1929 VELOCETTE KTT Mk. I. In 1928 the Junior T.T. was won, as
in 1926, by Alec Bennett on a Velocette, and in doing so he raised the Junior
lap record to over 70 m.p.h. for the first time. Velocettes also finished second
and fifth, and in October of that year the factory announced that next season
they would market a replica of the winning machine, to be known as the KTT. This
maker was the first to announce an over-the-counter racer and so opened the
gates of road-racing with a chance of success to scores of riders, whereas,
previously, only a very select few ever got factory-type racers.
The machine had a single-cylinder motor with an overhead
camshaft, a very stiff crankshaft assembly and a three-speed close-ratio gearbox
with positive stop footchange. The italics signify the most important point;
previously racing machines had either hand-change or very occasionally
kick-and-hope footchange in which selection of any gears other than top and
bottom was a matter of much mischance. With its Webb strutted forks the machine
steered amazingly well for its day, and in the last of the Junior Amateur T.T.
races in September, 1929, the model came home in first, third, fourth, fifth and
seventh places. Better was to follow, for in 1930, the first year of the Manx
G.P., KTTs took the first eight places, a feat without precedent in the Island.
(Just for good measure a KTT took second place in the 1929 Senior Amateur T.T.!)
It is interesting to see that, in delivery trim, on a 7-5:1
compression ratio the model was guaranteed to do 85 m.p.h. on open exhaust pipe;
a piston giving 9:1 ratio was available for use with alcohol fuel, and private
owners soon had them cracking at near the 100 m.p.h. All this for £80! And it
only weighed 265 lb.
The factory was constantly striving to improve its racers, and it is interesting
to see how they developed. The gearbox was altered to four-speed in the early
thirties; hairpin valve springs were fitted and struts
were taken from the rear spindle lug to the base of the engine. It finally
emerged as the Mk. VIII —
In 1926 a Velocette ridden by the Canadian champion Alec
Bennet was officially entered in the 350 class of the Junior Tourist Trophy,
where it achieved a stunning win. The engine of the Velocette 350 was a
four-stroke single-cylinder with a bevel gear drive shaft. It generated about 25
h.p., attaining speeds up to 90 m.p.h.
Bennet showed what this racing motorcycle could do by winning second place in
the 1927 edition of the Tourist Trophy and winning first place the following
year, as well as setting world records. Then the Velocette company decided to
produce a commercial version of its racing motorcycle. The Velocette 350 KTT was
the result. Several private racers rode it to wins while waiting to be taken on
by official teams.
Modeled after, the motorcycle Bennet rode, the KTT proved to
be better than its predecessor. Every detail was given careful attention. The
KTT had aluminum brakes and the first pedal gear in the world with its selector
to the right of the engine.
Making its official racing debut in 1929, the KTT chalked up many wins and fine
placings. The success of the Velocette 350 KTT was such that other major
motorcycle manufacturers followed Velocette in putting their racing models into
commercial production for general sale.
SPECIFICATION
Engine: single-cylinder 350 c.c. o.h.c; cast-iron head
and barrel; shaft and bevel drive to camshaft. Ignition: magneto.
Transmission: chain drive via three-speed gearbox. Frame: "diamond"-type with
gearbox fixed below
to rear of engine. Forks: Webb trussed girder with single spring and
friction dampers.
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